#masquerade reimagined

[masquerade-reimagined]

At risk of asking for spoilers, how do you plan to address Fabian in your TRM rewrite? Will you completely ignore that part of the plot, or work around it somehow? (I don't blame you if you just leave it out LMAO)

THIS IS VERY SPOILERY, so I won't go into details. Suffice it to say that my current plan is to keep Fabian in the story, with several changes to the situation. Details will probably change, but I've managed to stick to my original concept despite scrapping the re-write twice already, so there's a good chance it'll end up the way I've been thinking it will. Maybe.

Or maybe I'll just ditch him entirely! 😂 Why not? PB didn't even respect their own established lore when they got to TRH. Might as well just burn it all down for (at least) my own entertainment! We'll see! I don't intend to properly introduce him until I absolutely need to in book three.

. . . b o o k t h r e e . . .

Shit.

I guess I should finish my edit of chapter 1 and get on with chapter 2, huh? 😅

[makingqueerhistory]

How to Read Now: Essays

Elaine Castillo

How to Read Now explores the politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories. Smart, funny, galvanizing, and sometimes profane, Castillo attacks the stale questions and less-than-critical proclamations that masquerade as vital discussion: reimagining the cartography of the classics, building a moral case against the settler colonialism of lauded writers like Joan Didion, taking aim at Nobel Prize winners and toppling indie filmmakers, and celebrating glorious moments in everything from popular TV like The Watchmen to the films of Wong Kar-wai and the work of contemporary poets like Tommy Pico.

At once a deeply personal and searching history of one woman's reading life, and a wide-ranging and urgent intervention into our globalized conversations about why reading matters today, How to Read Now empowers us to embrace a more complicated, embodied form of reading, inviting us to acknowledge complicated truths, ignite surprising connections, imagine a more daring solidarity, and create space for a riskier intimacy--within ourselves, and with each other.

(Affiliate link above)

[crownedinmarigolds]

OKAY SO LIKE UH, I love Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines set up and setting - so I've been reimagining the Stakebait coterie and etc as the main characters of its plot... So here's Ralph and Khlo culminating their relative slowburn romance during the game. Bathed in the bisexual lighting of some California city in the middle of a sect war just finding love in the dark places!! I'm sorry this is a break sketch that got out of handddd. (my cheesy write up beneath the cut!)

Ralph: *The Nosferatu Thinblood stares out at the city below them, the two Kindred bathed in neon. He doesn't look at her as he begins his nervous confession.* "I just think you're... so cool." Khloe: *She looks a bit taken aback that someone she thinks is pretty impressive likes her in any capacity. She doesn't think very highly of her looks. For a moment, she looks down, taking into account what she should do next. She decides to be brave and to take hold of what she wants - him. Khloe's hand reaches out and takes Ralph's shoulder to give the both of them a foundation.* Khloe: "I-I think you're very cool, too." *It feels like the hardest thing in the world to say. It feels like the easiest thing she could ever say.* Ralph: *He finally turns and looks at her, obviously nervous as the both of them feel their still beating - despite it all - hearts pounding.* "Yeah?" Khloe: *She doesn't break eye contact.* "Yeah." Ralph: "Oh." *He almost falls into her as his clawed hands wrap around her head, cradling her as they both lean in to kiss the other.* "Thank God."

[racefortheironthrone]

fantasy sometimes doesn't afford itself the ability to fantasize about a better world with many of the same problems of real life. thankfully ive found fantasy thatfantasize about things like gender roles, orientations, social status, etc. being more accepting, and the world kinder more often than not. question is, as hard as it is to find solid urban fantasy, are there anyworks you know of that use itself to imagine a optimal city for us urban nerds? magic public works, free dragon transit?

So there is a real problem in the fantasy and sci-fi genres that they often have a failure of revolutionary imagination, as I’ve termed it. We’re so used to not just the world as it is but also the public historical imagination of how change happens, that even in art that’s supposed to be about radically reimagining our world or new worlds, we often revert back to the familiar. (I find this tic particularly annoying in alternate history, which is supposed to be about imagining how the world could have evolved differently, but often reverts back to a retelling of (often bad) history with the numbers filed off.)

(A sadly rare counter-example.)

You raise a fascinating question about the potential for urbanist fantasy. This is often quite rare in urban fantasy, because often out of a desire to maintain the verisimilitude of urban life, they default to a masquerade scenario which renders it impossible to explore the impact of magic on transit, housing, and other aspects of urbanism because the central conceit is that people with magic are trying to hide and thus have no impact on the mundane world.

However, it does crop up sometimes in Magitech settings, because their central conceit is all about how magic would function in place of science and lead to new ways of organizing societies, urban and otherwise. For a popular example, look at how Arcane examines the social impacts of Hextech and Shimmer. My personal favorite example of urbanist fantasy is the plane of Ravnica from Magic the Gathering.

Ravnica is a ecumenopolis, a city-state that covers the whole planet. The city is governed by a guild council, each of whom are responsible for an aspect of the city’s physical and social infrastructure:

The Azorius Senate is responsible for running the courts and the legal system, and sometimes they run the police as well (although they have a jurisdictional dispute with the Boros Legion on that front).

House Dimir are couriers, messengers, journalists, private investigators, spies, assassins, thieves, and librarians, as well as the city’s clandestine intelligence service - if it deals with information in any way, the Dimir have a hand in it…or do they?

The Cult of Rakdos run the city’s entertainment, food service, retail, and labor recruitment (lots of shanghaing and press ganging goes on in Ravnica) - and they’re also a crazed juggalo bdsm blood cult who are responsible for keeping an ancient arch-demon entertained so he doesn’t try to destroy the city, again.

The Gruul Clans are an anarchist collective responsible for the planet’s wilderness areas, which they try to maximize by violent raids that tear down developed areas any chance they get - which also makes them Ravnica’s main demolition industry. The Boros Legion spends a lot of time defending built-up areas from Gruul rampages.

The Selesnya Conclave are a hippie nature cult commune who manage the city’s parks and other green spaces, as well as providing basic welfare services (food, “shelter,” clothing, etc.) to the city’s poor. They also use magic to do weird hivemind brainwashing in the name of harmony and unity, and they can raise giant Ent-Kaiju to defend the city in times of need.

The Orzhov Syndicate are a vampire banker mafia, and also one of the city’s biggest religions. They believe in debt on a spiritual level, and their religion fully embraces indulgences to their logical conclusion. The Orzhov preach that you can literally buy your way into heaven, and that debts to the (Catholic by way of Prosperity Gospel Evangelical) Church or its many front organizations and legitimate businesses will carry over into the next life; the Orzhov practice debt slavery on both living people and ghosts. And lest you think it’s all a cover for profit-making, they can summon dark angels to conduct rituals, lead services, and make war on their enemies. Something above is answering their prayers…

My personal favorite is the Izzet League, an institute of mad scientists and engineers and elementalist wizards who combine science and magic to research, build, and maintain the city’s infrastructure (as well as funding all tech R&D and theoretical and experimental research in physics, chemistry, and engineering) - the power grid, water and sewer systems, heating and gas lines, as well as the city’s mass transit and transportation/freight system, are all powered by their steam and fire and lightning and Magitech gadgets and robots and cyborgs made out of a magic metal named mizzium. Yes, a lot of their devices explode, and yes their golems and robots and elementals have a tendency to go rogue, but that’s the price of progress!

The Golgari Swarm are a subterranean necromantic cabal who run the city’s waste disposal, burial services, and do the bulk of the agricultural production for Ravnica’s hungry masses. All of Ravnica’s citizens are entitled to a food dole provided by the Golgari’s fungi farms as a form of basic income. Just don’t think too hard about what went into the compost heaps or what your rations might be made of…

The Boros Legion is Ravnica’s main police and military, led by a literal host of warrior angels. Imagine the combination of a police force entirely made up of noir detectives and loose cannon Dirty Harry-esque cops and an army with flying fortresses led by fiery angels who are all deeply dramatic lesbians. True believers one and all, the Boros are here to mete out justice and divine wroth upon evildoers wherever they hide. If they had their way, the Orzhov would all be in prison along with the Gruul and the Rakdos, but the damn bureaucrats in the Azorius Senate keep trying them up in knots with paperwork.

The Simic Combine are responsible for the city’s environmental quality, ensuring biodiversity and sustainability in a global metropolis; they are also the city’s universal health care providers. All Ravnicans have access to free health care, as long as they consent to the Combine’s biomantic research. See, the Simic are the other group of mad scientists/mages in the city, except they went into genetics, environmental science, and (marine) biology and they believe in individual and societal evolution through the use of augmentation, cloning, and splicing. After all, why stop at curing someone’s respiratory illness when you could also give them gills? Or giant crab claws? Or tentacles?

I love the world-building and the attention to urban systems and infrastructure in Ravnica. More than most, they’ve thought about what urban life needs to function and made it magical.

[awakenedsalamander]

Here’s some Chronicles of Darkness thoughts for you.

So, Vampire: The Requiem (particularly in its first edition) gets a lot of flak for being kind of a watered down Vampire: The Masquerade. Whereas the other Chronicles of Darkness games really do reimagine their concepts— I mean, compare both Changeling games some time— Requiem struggles more to differentiate itself from its older sibling.

However, its second edition makes a really cool change, in my opinion.

So one of the defending aspects of Masquerade is, well, the Masquerade. Not just the notion that the supernatural hides from the mortal and mundane— that’s standard urban fantasy/horror. No, in Masquerade, that hiding is given focus as a delicate, brutal conspiracy. Part of the identity of that game is how perilous the position of the Kindred is, and how they are just beneath mortal scrutiny they are. It’s why it’s the name of the game.

Requiem… plays it a little differently, at least in 2E. They still have the Masquerade, they even still call it that, but it works in a really interesting way. See, one of the themes of Requiem is just how inhuman vampires are— and that’s a theme in Masquerade, too, but in VTM the focus is on monstrousness by way of immortality.

To lose your Humanity stat in Masquerade, you normally have to behave with deliberately cruelty, or at least reckless negligence, toward the wellbeing of others. Your Hunger makes you a monster, because it drives you to evil. It’s good stuff, I’ve written about it before!

But in Requiem, one of the ways you can lose Humanity is through— and this is a quote— “Surviving something that would hospitalize a human.” The reason being, well, humans can’t do that, not normally. But a vampire? Well, it can be hit by a truck, beaten and stabbed, hell, even shot in the head, and can walk it all off, with a bit of luck. Requiem takes the stance that, cool as that might be, it isn’t *human* in any sense. A lot of the ways you can lose Humanity in Requiem really do revolve around being inhuman in the most literal sense, in addition to being inhumane.

So what does that have to do with the Masquerade?

Well, here’s the thing about monsters: People are scared of them.

We love them too, sure. They’re enthralling, they’re fascinating, they’re impressive. That’s how the vampire lures you in. But when it wants you to go away? That’s what fear is for.

The Masquerade in Requiem is not a network of elders conspiring to silence mortal media institutions. It doesn’t need to be. All it has to be is the hesitance to knock on the apartment door of that sketchy neighbor during daylight hours, the impulse to rush home rather than linger when walking by that alley, the refusal to speak about what could be seen out of the bus window last night, if you looked closely enough.

To quote the book:

This is not about vampires needing to quake and hide, but about the fear humans have of what is hidden from them — just past the truth of Santa Claus and all the horrible adult revelations — the fear that if they shake even the most mundane structure, crawling things will fall out.

(V:TR 2E, p. 60, emphasis mine.)

And well, as much as I love the labyrinthine plots and schemes of VTM, something about VTR’s notion of what hiding from mortals really is sticks with me.

I’ve never really felt like some shadowy vampire puppet master is pulling strings to keep me from finding out about him, you know?But that there might be something horrible down there in the dark, that sends me racing up the stairs, even though I should know better… That I’ve felt.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 11: The Offer

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: T - discussion of sex, pregnancy, power dynamics Word count: 3.3k

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Author's Notes: I pulled Ben and Sophie's dialogue about 'the offer' from several different points in the book, combining multiple arguments/discussions into one that I hope captures the crux of their positions.

There was a new hunger in Benedict’s movements, a new urgency in the way his hands traced Sophie’s curves and cupped her breasts. He knew that he had to have her. There was a connection between them, a strange, inexplicable bond that he’d felt only one other time in his life, with the mystery lady from the masquerade. And while she was gone, vanished into thin air, Sophie was very real. He was tired of mirages. He wanted someone he could see, someone he could touch. And she needed him too.

“I want you to be with me,” he groaned, his lips finding the hollow at the base of her throat. “I want you right now. I want you here.” 

“Benedict—“ Sophie was still emerging from the haze of her climax, fighting to get her thoughts straight.

“I want you in my bed,” he growled. “I want you tomorrow. And I want you the next day.” 

His touch was powerful and she was weak. She gave in to the moment, arching her neck to allow him greater access. His lips felt so good against her skin, sending shivers to the very center of her being. He made her long for him, for all the things she couldn’t have. She let out a small gasp when he pressed his hips against her and she felt an undeniable stiffness. 

“Be mine,” he said, his voice thick and urgent. “Be mine right now. Be mine forever. I’ll give you everything you want. All I want in return is you.” 

Sophie stiffened in his arms. He’d managed to say the one thing that could remind her why she was here, why he was on top of her. It wasn’t love, or any of those tender emotions she’d dreamed about, but lust. And he wanted to make her a kept woman.

“I’ll dress you in silks, in satins.” He continued, one hand squeezing her hip while the other slipped under her neck. He leaned to her ear, nipping at her lobe, then licking the tender skin where her ear met her cheek. “I’ll dress you in nothing at all.”

Oh, god, it was so tempting. So impossibly tempting. He was offering her a life of ease and luxury, a life with him.

At the price of her soul.

Sophie’s mind raced, what little of it could function while his hands were on her. If she were his mistress, there would be benefits - how could she consider life with Benedict anything but a benefit - but they would not outweigh the drawbacks. She would condemn herself to heartbreak and jealousy and worse, she might condemn a child to the same hardships she had been born to.

Regaining control of her body, she began to push him off of her. She was half worried he would hold her down but he didn’t, he just stared at her in utter bewilderment as she jumped up and stepped away. 

“I can’t do this Benedict,” she said, barely able to look at him.

He sat on the bench, gaping. The confusion and pain in his eyes cut through her. “I don’t understand.” 

Sophie remembered how she had pulled away from him in the nursery hours earlier and now he was looking at her in the same desperate way. She knew he must feel as if she were toying with him, when in reality she was fighting with herself. 

Some day, likely some day soon, Benedict would have to marry a respectable woman of the ton. He would have a wife and children. She was certain he would love them because he was a good and honorable man. Sophie would remain a secret and while she could have his body, she would never be certain if she had his heart. He could only be hers in darkness. A life of luxury no doubt, free from the perils and labor she had faced thus far, but one that would crush her in a wholly new way. 

She wanted this man, all of him, all to herself. His kindness, his courage, his humor, his love. She wanted to be the only woman to run her fingers through his dark hair, the only one who made his blue eyes sparkle when he saw her, the only one who made his body burn as hot as she had felt it just now. To imagine him in the bed of another woman before finding convenient time to be with her gave rise to a gnawing ache. She wouldn’t be able to live with the jealousy. She could never torture herself in such a way. It would be better not to have him at all than to share him.

And what if they had a child? It would compound the pain in unimaginable ways.

Sophie took a deep breath, calling upon whatever strength she possessed. “I can’t be your mistress.”

Benedict’s eyes narrowed. “And why is that?”

Something about his words pricked at her. Maybe it was the arrogance of his tone, maybe it was the insolence in his posture. “Because I don’t want to,” she snapped.

“Then what do you call this?” he asked in a tight voice, waving down at the bench.

“I call it a lapse in judgment,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

“Oh, so I’m a lapse?” he rose to his feet, his tone unnaturally pleasant. “How nice. I don’t believe I’ve ever been someone’s lapse before.”

His attitude was making anger bubble within her. “There is no need to be so ugly about this. You sound like a petulant child.”

It was the first time she had insulted him and it clearly rattled him. He paused, breathing shakily. “And what are you going to do instead?” he hissed. “Work as a housemaid?”

“If I have to.”

“You’d rather wait on people - polish their silver, scrub out their damned chamber pots - than be with me?”

She said only one word, but it was low and true. “Yes.”

His eyes flashed furiously. “I don’t believe you. No one would make that choice.”

“You don’t understand,” she said in a low voice. “You’ve always been in a position where you could do what you wanted. Some of us don’t have that luxury.”

His condescending false grin returned. “Silly me, I thought I was offering you luxury.”

She realized she’d hurt him. She’d hurt him and insulted his pride, and he was lashing out like a wounded bear.

“I could give you whatever you wanted,” he bit off. “Clothes, jewels - Hell, forget about that, I could give you a bloody roof over your head, which is more than you have now.” He was starting to shout and pace in front of her. Sophie balled her hands into fists, willing herself to stay put.

“I know that’s true,” she said quietly.

He leaned forward, his eyes burning hot into hers. “I could give you everything.”

Somehow Sophie managed to stand up straight, and somehow she managed not to cry. And somehow she managed to keep her voice even as she said, “If you think that’s everything, then you probably wouldn’t understand why I must refuse.”

Benedict’s mind reeled, trying to discern what possible reason she could have for not accepting his offer. Why on earth would she say no to a life of carnal and material pleasures? She clearly enjoyed his attentions and her current station had left her hungry, poor and attacked. What was she afraid of? What did she want to prevent? 

“I would make sure you didn’t end up with child.” He tried to soften his voice but still sounded terse.

“What?” Sophie’s eyes snapped to his.

A smug look spread across Benedict’s face as he crossed his arms. “I’m an experienced man and I don’t have any bastards running around.”

His words stung her like a poisonous barb. Now she was truly, deeply angry. Even if he was telling the truth, he was being so disgustingly glib about the existence of other people. People like herself. She scoffed. “Well, what an accomplishment for you.” 

Her biting remark deflated him for a moment. Then his brows raised in realization. “You’re illegitimate.”

The blood drained from her face. 

“You are,” he said, more to himself than to her. Strangely, he felt rather relieved by the revelation. It explained her rejection of him, made it into something that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her. It took the sting out.

“I don’t care if you’re illegitimate,” he said, his temper finally subsiding. Now he understood her. Now he could assuage her fears and get her to accept him. There were no more obstacles, and…

“You don’t understand anything,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not about whether or not I'm good enough to be your mistress.”

Benedict nearly bit through his tongue, beginning to quake with frustration. If she would just explain herself clearly. Staring down at her he started to seethe, feeling like he might burst a blood vessel.

Sophie jutted out her chin and met his gaze. She was just as angry. Angry and indignant, her posture challenging him to push her further. 

“What about your wife?” She spat.

He blinked. “I don’t have a wife.”

“Will you never?”

He froze. A vision of the masquerade lady danced through his mind. He’d pictured her many ways. Sometimes she wore her silver ballgown, sometimes nothing at all.

Sometimes she wore a wedding dress.

Sophie’s eyes narrowed as she watched his face, then she snorted derisively as she stalked past him.  

He turned to follow her. “That’s not a fair question, Sophie. I know the situation is not ideal—“

“Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice low, barely audible. She stared at the floor searching for her next words, then looked up, eyes steely with an intensity he had never seen. “Grant me a favor,” her voice was shaking but sharp nonetheless. “Find someone to marry. Find someone acceptable, who will make you happy. And then leave me alone.”

Stunned by the venom in her tone, Benedict stood rooted to the spot as Sophie turned and stalked out of the orangery. Was that it? She didn’t want to contend with his wife? Where had she developed such a lofty morality that she refused to engage in a common arrangement among gentlemen and lower class women? She certainly didn’t seem the prudish type given what had transpired between them. Her refusal still barely made any sense. 

Frustrated as he was, he was still drawn to her. She had caused his premonition in the lake and he needed to know why. He wouldn’t fail to see it through as he had with the woman at the masquerade. Sophie wouldn’t get away that easily.

He tore out of the orangery and ran to catch her halfway across the lawn, darting back toward the house. Not caring if anyone saw them, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her around to face him.

“Benedict!” Sophie’s eyes were wild. She tore her arm from his grasp but didn’t move away. 

He was ready to do anything to keep her there. Hell, if he had to beg, then he was bloody well going to beg. 

“I can’t let you go,” he panted, certain he looked a fool from his frantic sprint. “You’re not cut out for a life of servitude. It will kill you.” Dramatic, yes, but he didn’t think it was entirely untrue.

Sophie was taken aback, her voice surprisingly quiet as she answered, “If it were going to kill me, it would have done so years ago.”

“But you don’t have to do this any longer,” he persisted.

“Don’t you dare try to make this about me,” she said coldly. “You’re not doing this out of concern for my welfare. You just don’t like being thwarted.” She turned on her heel and began to march away again.

Benedict cried out, “You will not get paid until you can prove to me that you have a new position.”

Sophie froze, disbelieving what she had just heard. She slowly turned back, words growling. “You wouldn’t. Now you’re bribing me to get me to stay?”

He straightened, looking down at her superciliously. “If that is what it takes. You will not receive a farthing from Mr. Dewitt until you can present a letter of acceptance from a new noble house. And if you try to run,” he stepped closer until he towered over her, “I know the only village you can walk to within a day is Rosemeade. I also know that you haven’t enough in your purse to get much further than that. I will have you followed until your safety is assured.”

She glared at him, incredulous. She never thought he would stoop to manipulating her. She was sure that she would think of a dozen invectives to throw at him in time but for the moment, her mind was filled only with shock and rage. 

“You are making me hate you, you know that.” She ground her teeth at him.

“I can live with you hating me,” he sighed. “I just can’t live without knowing you are safe.” 

____

Sophie found herself back in her room, staring aimlessly, paralyzed. She could barely process everything that had occurred that morning. She had stepped outside fully prepared to give her notice, collect her wages and leave Aubrey Hall, to leave Benedict, on awkward but certain terms. Now she found herself charged with energy, shaking as unbelievable new feelings and realities bombarded her. Benedict wanted her - the man of her dreams, the one she had longed for for years - he wanted her and he had taken her with his kisses and his hands and his mouth in the most outrageous and astoundingly wonderful way. He had awoken her to sensations she could never have imagined.

Then he had brought her plummeting back down to earth with his request to keep her, to toy with her at his leisure like the low class woman she was. She was unsure about everything. Was she a loose woman for how she had given herself to him? Or was it different because she loved him in her heart? Did he actually care for her too, or only see her as a pretty distraction for his amusement? His deeds and words had been both tender and hungry, both endearing and flippant. There was no way for her to discern his true feelings. 

But she knew her own. She would not be kept as his mistress, as achingly tempting as his offer was. She would not share him with his wife and she would not be reduced to dependence upon someone else for her livelihood. She had fended for herself for so long, the thought of ceasing to work for any reason other than marriage was a lifestyle she couldn’t comprehend. And the risk of children… To subject her own child to the pain and shame she lived in, raised within eyesight of an aristocratic life but never allowed to participate in it as a consequence of half their blood, it would be unbearable. Benedict’s words echoed in her mind: that he would prevent her from falling pregnant. A treacherously curious part of her wondered if that were possible but she pushed the thought away.

Now, most outrageous of all, he was trapping her at Aubrey Hall. Well, not trapping her exactly, she realized. He wasn’t locking her in but he had threatened to have her followed until she was employed at a new noble house. Precisely the thing she feared to do for risk of being discovered by Cavender, the Cowpers, or their friends. Part of her wanted to escape from the Bridgertons and any of their acquaintances now too, so that she could shield her heart from ever crossing paths with Benedict again. But he had left her with an ultimatum. Expose herself to the ton once more, or remain at Aubrey Hall with the devil she knew and couldn’t help but love.

She huffed aloud, clenching her fists. The infuriating man. He was determined to keep her in his sights one way or the other. She wanted to hate him for it and kept trying to ignore the voice inside that insisted he was only concerned for her wellbeing. She was not a child nor a charity case. She was a grown woman who had clawed her way through life’s injustices for years and she didn’t need anyone’s assistance or overbearing protection to survive.

The choice was hers: leave now penniless and be followed until she found her way to new employment in a noble house, or stay and earn her pay until she secured a contract for the same. The thought of forgery flitted through her mind; that she could draft a false letter of acceptance. But she knew she couldn’t replicate the crested wax seal that such a missive would bear and she would likely choose a family that Benedict knew personally. Lord knows he would probably have her escorted or followed to that home too. 

She resigned herself to staying and perusing advertisements for maids in the papers received by Mr. Dewitt, as she had already been doing. At the very least, she could buy time to craft a plan. She didn’t want to walk away so heatedly from the money she was owed. She would do her best to avoid Benedict in the meantime. The house was large enough, especially if she relegated herself to the servants’ level, she could avoid him. She tried to convince herself that she was in no different a position than she had been yesterday afternoon. Except everything had changed, and so quickly too.

____

Benedict watched Sophie march back across the lawn to the servants’ entrance, his thoughts vacillating between indignant pride and hatred for himself. He hated that she was mad at him. He hated that he was wielding his money as a threat. It sickened him. But he also convinced himself that it was the only way. The only way to make sure Sophie was provided for, wherever she planned to go. In truth, he didn’t have any intention of letting her go anywhere. But if she refused to be his mistress, he didn’t know how to keep her around short of imprisoning her against her will. 

He told himself he was doing the right thing. She had thought he didn’t care about her welfare and he had tried to prove that he did. But his scheme also bought him time - time to talk to her, to get to know her better and understand why she didn’t want him to provide for and please her. Time to figure out what the hell he was feeling toward her.

He went immediately to the groundskeeper and told him to stay on alert for Miss Beckett leaving the property. The groundskeeper, Mr. Teague, asked if she had committed any wrongdoing which Benedict assured him she had not, but that she may depart unexpectedly and he wanted to be informed if she did.

Then he went to Mr. Dewitt’s office and sat around in agitation until the steward awoke and joined him. The elder man stepped back in surprise when he saw Benedict, eyes hollow with exhaustion and clothes utterly disheveled, but his appearance helped to deliver the stern message that Miss Beckett was not to be paid her wages until and unless she provided a letter of acceptance to a new position that Mr. Dewitt could personally verify.

The wisened steward knew better than to ask why the second son was so clearly flustered over the employment details of a maid. He politely agreed to the order and confirmed he would continue to provide Miss Beckett with advertisements for suitable positions. Benedict thanked him then grew self-conscious, realizing he must look and sound crazed. He needed to sleep and pull himself together. He would see Sophie again soon enough.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys

[bunnydoobles]

TRADITIONAL ART DUMP!! ROUND 3!

welcome back to yet another art dump because i forget to post regularly. im going to try to cramp all of my past Arcana traditional artworks in here with mini explanations and categories, like the last rodeo (if you havent checked out my other art, you totally should)!

starting oldest to newest, as usual, i had redesigned Andrea's masquerade outfit! i realize i had no idea what i was doing with it at first and just kinda.. wung it. i'm not the best at designing clothing on my own so it ended up looking kinda.. wonky. i had a lot of ideas i wanted to vomit onto the page so now, i updated it, tweaked it a bit and kept the ideas i really liked and boom, baby! Andrea doesnt look so bad anymore!

on another note! i also created another MC! i had started lucio's route and created Drews! he looks an awfully lot like Andrea (because they're both based off of me 😅) but he has an entirely different personality, i'll post more about him in the future. his timeline is canonically Lucio's Route but i do also ship him polyamorous with Nadia and Asra (because uh, i said so) but Lucio is his main love interest.

mini comic with drews and lucio

mini comic part 2

doodle! (i obsessed over them for a good while)

after some time i decided that since i had given Julian and Andre a shipchild, i wanted to design some for Drews and his partners! i'm sure you can easily guess whos belong to whom.

around halloween time, i made the designs of Andrea and Drews' halloween costumes! Andrea is a mummy and Drews is an angel (to match Lucy, of course)! also i thought it'd be cute to reimagine our long man Julian and his Andrea as Jack and Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas)!

i unfortunately have run out of image room in this post, so like before, you know how this goes! let's get crackin to the next post (if you want to ofc)!!

[feith-rikya]

All these characters are from an RPG campaign called; Gehenna's Gates, set in the world of Vampire The Masquerade. Feel free to ask any questions!

I wanted to reimagine the various chapters of the campaign like tarot cards.

Chapter 1: Temporis

[dailyadventureprompts]

What of vampire races? Like there's a primordial "source" that represent the abstract ideas of "being a vampire", and it splits into different forms?

There's a vampire infection that creates the dramatic, domineering, "superior race" type of vampires. There's a bloodline infection that creates the bestial, or chaotic vampires. There's a bloodline creating the hyper intelligent, 'prophetic" vampires that use science or mystics to gain knowledge. These "types" of vampire characters can be diversified as different bloodline infections, which creates the vampire's with different motivations to ....*be vampires*.

Why do some vampires want to continue progressing in their inecion till they reach a sort of evolution, while some just like to be constant beasts, while others are basically forced to feel like they're starving all the time which is why they hunt humanoids? Why are some vampires only able to sustain themselves from humanoid blood (even it only being humans sometimes), while others can mix blood and are shown to just like draining people of their blood? Why are some vampires more scientific, while others are using dark magic and behave more supernatural?

Maybe all the "visions" various vampire groups or lineages have of a vampiric "holy land" and Utopia, are memories of a "blood world". Where their specific vampire infection,is able to thrive the way it behaves. This "race" idea, isn't involving physical body morphology nor does it need to separate infected individuals of other races and "born vampires" (however that works in your story), from eachother. But its extending vampirism to a bigger conspiracy. Of an extraterrestrial infectious existence, that has their own "home worlds".

The cosmic history of those vampire bloodlines and "blood worlds" affecting eachother, or other races of beings can be to your advantage. It also provides vampires identity outside of an individual lineage of a specific species.

Friend, this is a d&d blog. If you want vampire the masquerade/requiem try the place down the block.

Jokes aside I find it funny that whenever you get an intersection of nerds and vampire groupies you end up with this idea of "superior bloodlines" that fundamentally separate vampires from what makes them narratively relevant.

I'll probably do a monsters reimagined about it later, but as undead vampires are only interesting when you consider how their vampirism reflects who they were in life, and how their nature as a bloodsucking monster relates to the themes of the story they're in.

I understand the desire to identify with monstrous outsiders, but when you distort the concept by piling in more and more powers and talking about how special and cool you they are, you dilute what makes vampires fun and just make them into goth-elves.

A vampire story that isn't in some way based in tragedy isn't really a vampire story at all, now is it?

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out Disney's future: the Reinvention Era

I had so much fun reimagining the renaissance era to now, so I thought I'd imagine Disney's future era--but I'm skipping the sequels for now; I'll probably add them to my revival era post (if I keep using Tumblr through the years). This post is unique however, since this isn't me placing it within my reimagining AU; this post is based on the real-life success (or lack thereof) of the Revival era. I chose this name because I feel like Disney realizes they haven't been pushing themselves as much with their stories recently, and they want to appeal to a fanbase whose been adoring their classic stories while still wanting to explore new subjects. I'm not gonna do the whole "they were successful" or anything; this is mainly just ideas. Just to note: I imagine pretty much all of these as musicals, even if that's not super realistic given Disney's release style. And please forgive me if my ideas don't vibe with the culture I wanted them to represent.

Yaksha--Deciding to reinvest in fairy tales, Disney opts to revive "Gigantic," a take on "Jack and the Beanstalk." However, given that their last two musicals have explored Spanish themes ("Encanto" being Colombia and "Wish" being set in a Mediterranean country influenced by Spain), the idea that "Gigantic" is set in Spain is eventually abandoned. When Fawn Veerasuthorn is brought on as director, she suggests a Thai take on the story, with stories like "Sang Thong" and "The Twelve Sisters" as inspiration. The story follows a young man named Chaison (technically Chai Son) who ventures to the lands above where giants abide as a child, and is subsequently raised by them for several years. However, when some giants wish to conquer the land below (having been banished long ago), Chaison must play peacemaker in order to prevent a war. To better showcase the culture, Disney opts for a 2D approach, though they haven't gotten entirely back into the groove of using it.

Sweet Heart--Disney decides to try again with the director/screenwriting team of Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, as well as having Stephen Schwartz make the music to give it a renaissance feel. In it, the protagonists are fraternal twins, young adults whose designs are said to have been influenced by concept art from "Frozen" and "Tangled," with open admissions of the film's vibe being inspired by Disney Channel's "Gravity Falls." It's possible the names of the leads would be changed, but let's pretend we keep them the same here. Hansel would be the younger twin, much more optimistic and a bit naive, while Gretel is more practical, reeling from the loss of their mother and resentful towards their stepmother for wanting them dead. The witch would be very much inspired by Lady Dimitrescu, the Other Mother, and Winifred Sanderson, making for a scheming, unhinged, and occasionally funny villain.

Midnight Masquerade--Given the success of a 12-member family of "Encanto," the fairy tale of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is the next focus for Disney, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. Originally thought to be adapted as-is, focusing on 12 sisters and an older (40s) solider, but eventually a mixture of executive and audience feedback led to certain script changes. The number of sisters is instead reduced to 6 to better focuses on the sisters as well as having more characters outside of the sisters, and the soldier is written as a young prince in his 20s (he's characterized as a bit cheeky and playful, but wise and somewhat neutral; he doesn't rat on the princess' magical world, and instead enjoys himself while he's there). The story focuses on the young man who is asked by the king to find out where his daughters go every night, and follows them to a magical land fraught with beauty and danger (pretty much the main concept of the story, more or less). The young man's dark hair and his love interest's red hair (inspired by Daphne Blake, specifically her portrayal by Sarah Michelle Gellar) could liken to a modern version of Ariel and Eric. For better or worse, for some reason I imagine Disney going for a radio-pop sound like "Encanto" and "Wish"--though I hope it's executed better than the latter. And for another weird reason, I imagine this film being set in France--albeit in a similarly vague way as "Beauty and the Beast." Needless to say, the title of the film is tied into the Disney doll line of the same name.

(Not 100% sure if the art here is AI; just thought it was really pretty and wanted to use it as a visual aid)

Weaver--Originally planned with a male protagonist, Disney opted to make the protagonist female in order to cultivate a similar response to "Moana." Similar to how the latter film was influenced by Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti, this film takes influence from Guam, Kiribati, and Palau. The focus is on a young woman who ventures on a great adventure to find the spider of creation (inspired by the Kiribatu god Nareau) after a malevolent force begins to unravel the world. As you can see, the plot itself was inspired by "Moana," with execs guiding it that way for profitability.

Khoeli--Inspired by "The Boy with a Moon on His Chest," the story revolves around a young man named Khoeli, who ventures to find his birth father, a king who supposedly abandoned him as a child. Though on his journey, he must contend with obstacles that his wicked stepmother has put in his path to prevent their reunion. I could imagine music by Donald Glover and Kendrick Lamar, though concern about it sounding too urban instead of traditional might be a concern (I'm imagining a high fantasy setting, but perhaps it could be somewhat modern, taking cues from "Black Panther"). While billed as a Southern African-influenced story, the music and visuals do have panafrican elements, and Disney markets it as their modern "Hercules." I also like the idea that Khoeli's moons (a full moon on his chest, and crescents on both his shoulders) are the product of vitiligo; feels like it could be great rep for people if done well.

Crest--Based on the fairy tale of "Catskin," the story is about a young Native American woman with a cloak made of a giant Stellar's Jay. Given that Stellar's Jay is native to western North America, I imagine the tribe that our protagonist (who I'll call Chumani, a Dakota name that means "dewdrops") is from comes from that area, but this is still set in a fantasy setting, allowing for more flexibility when designing the culture. The giant cloak was given to her by her mother, who promised that it would help her in times of emergency by transforming her into whatever form was necessary at the time. Usually this just turns her into a normal-sized Stellar's Jay, and eventually she ventures to a new land after dreaming of protecting a white fox. Though this seems to be Letaiyo, the albino son of the local (Hopi) chief, who she falls in love after being appointed his spiritual protector.

Verdant--Inspired by "Gawain and the Green Knight," a young boy who fails to defeat the king of Spring is taken in and raised by him in order to learn the rules of chivalry, honesty and kindness, the things that make a true and honorable knight. It's a journey of self-discovery, of duality and different perceptions of morality and that there may not be such a true universal take on "right" and "wrong." The film draws on influences from Tomm Moore films, as well as having a bit of a classic Disney charm--gold to bronze era-charm, not renaissance charm (though that could also work).

(Art by FaQy on deviantart)

Primordia--Influenced by the superhero craze, this film would focus on a female superhero with super strength and durability (generic powers, but it's the character who makes the powers, not vice versa), influenced by bubbly superheroines such as She-Hulk and Rogue. In the futuristic city (imagine a cross between Republic City and Gotham), she defends the town from outside threats, but recently she's been the target of a superhuman scientist (influenced by Mister Sinister as well as anime characters such as Fu and Deku) who wants to find out the origins of her powers, whether she likes it or not. I'd imagine that since "Big Hero 6" is the only superhero film Disney has up to now, they'd want Don Hall and Chris WIlliams behind this.

(Note: I actually started to make a post for this film exclusively a little while ago with characters, song titles, and such, but I've since trashed it and wanted to mention it here).

Kitsune--Let's assume Hayao Miyazaki is still alive and he's able to reach a compromise between maintaining a Disney vibe while allowing him significant creative control of the film he's directing. I don't know his style well enough to say whether this would be in his wheelhouse, but I'm thinking of a story about a man who ventures who find his missing wife after she is taken by mysterious fox-masked beings, using the fireflies to guide him on his journey. It could also include elements of the Japanese tale of Shippeitaro.

Charlie Bone--Based on an amazing (and underrated) series about a boy who discovers he can travel through pictures and goes to school with kids of other unique abilities, I'd love to see this adapted by Disney. I don't know if they'd want to age him up (he starts off as 11, so it almost gives off Harry Potter vibes) and whether or not they'd want to just adapt the first book, but in my own opinion, I feel like they could make a film that encapsulates the entire work, if they wanted, including details like discovering what happened to Charlie's father, Billy's terrible adoption, Emma's brainwashing, etc. Though I do think that the book series kinda buried the lead with the Red King (who ended up having a prequel series) as well as waiting a few books before we got to the REAL big bad. There's a lot to unpack, but I think they could condense it.

Kingdom Hearts--Kind of. The lore itself is too big for one film, but let's say Disney wanted a better anniversary film than "Wish" and was able to work out a deal with Square Enix, but only enough to use KH-original characters, not Final Fantasy characters. However, the directors decide that they don't want it to feel too gimmick-y, so they lean into original story elements with Disney motifs and references, with the story of Sora exploring different worlds being reinvented as the protagonist exploring his country in order to find his friends. While a bit of a downer, a plus side is that there's more focus on Anselm and his goals. And I'd be perfectly fine if they needed to get separate actors to do the singing (I want the OG speaking voices to return so bad!)

Lemme know what you think! I'll probably come back to edit the details later, but lemme ask: would you watch these Disney musicals?

[bibliophilecats]

Mid-Year Book Freakout

I saw this going around on booktube and @theinquisitxor's post and since I like this kind of book tag, here is my version.

1.Best Book so far in 2024: I actually read many highly enjoyable books this year - I gave 7/28 books full marks. Among those, I want ot highlight The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett. A bitter-sweet middle-grade novel, losely inspired by Anne of Green Gables (the author says it is a reimagining but to me it felt more "inspired by").

2.Best Sequel you've read so far in 2024: Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. When I first heard that there would be more Simon Snow books, I was really sceptic (well, I thought "money grab"), but now that I have actually read the books, I am amazed at how much I enjoyed them. And while the second book in the trilogy is completely different in tone and setting and the third actually gets to the main story again, I loved that in the second book, we get to see Simon struggle with the fact that "the big fight" he had been trained for all his life was supposedly over and he was without any idea what to do now with his life.

3.New Release you haven't read yet, but want to: Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

4.Anticipated Release for the second half of the year: I have big hopes for The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch

5.Biggest Disappointment: Julie Caplin's Secret Cove in Croatia and other books from that series. I read The Little Teashop in Tokyio some years ago and enjoyed it a lot - unfortunately, it seems that time was a fluke, a perfect alignment of circumstances because I tried three other books of hers and found them boring or DNF'd. The Croatia novel annoyed me so much, I had to refrain from throwing the book across the room (if I hate it, at least I might get a little resell money out of it).

6.Biggest Surprise: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. I saw this book everywhere, which already put me off. And I do not particularly like the cover. My sister loved it though and convinced me to try it too. It was a good decision.

7.Favorite New Author: Darcie Little Badger. I love Elatsoe and hope to read more stories set in that world.

8.Newest Fictional Crush: none so far.

9.Newest Favorite Character: Mallory Viridian from Mur Lafferty's Station Eternity.

10.Book that made you cry: The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett

11.Book that made you happy: The Simon Snow trilogy be Rainbow Rowell.

12.Most Beautiful Book you've bought/acquired this year: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, UK edition.

13.Book you need to read by the end of the year: In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman. I have already forgotten nearly everything from Tess of the Road so I should probably read that one too. Actually, I want to read all sequels before I forget too much from the previous book(s).

I tag @linebetween @the-forest-library @lizziethereader @books-are-portals and everyone else who wants to do this.

[bloodmaarked]

➸ reading list

just added:

the berry pickers, amanda peters

i who have never known men, jacqueline harpman

cultish: the language of fanaticism, amanda montell

the sympathizer, viet thanh nguyen

age 16, rosena fung

masquerade, o.o. sangoyomi

things fall apart, chinua achebe

whereabouts, jhumpa lahiri

please stop trying to leave me, alana saab

saints of storm and sorrow, gabriella buba

[transbookoftheday]

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

SPOILERS FOR "HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL COVEN"!

In the second installment of Juno Dawson's "irresistible" fantasy trilogy (Lana Harper), a group of childhood friends and witches must choose between what is right and what is easy if they have any hope of keeping their coven--and their world--from tearing apart forever.

Niamh Kelly is dead. Her troubled twin, Ciara, now masquerades as the benevolent witch as Her Majesty's Royal Coven prepares to crown her High Priestess.

Suffering from amnesia, Ciara can't remember what she's done--but if she wants to survive, she must fool Niamh's adopted family and friends; the coven; and the murky Shadow Cabinet--a secret group of mundane civil servants who are already suspicious of witches. While she tries to rebuild her past, she realizes none of her past has forgotten her, including her former lover, renegade warlock Dabney Hale.

On the other end of the continent, Leonie Jackman is in search of Hale, rumored to be seeking a dark object of ultimate power somehow connected to the upper echelons of the British government. If the witches can't figure out Hale's machinations, and fast, all of witchkind will be in grave danger--along with the fate of all (wo)mankind.

Sharp, funny, provocative, and joyous, Juno Dawson's sequel reimagines everything you think you knew about her coven and her witches in a story that spans continents and dives deep into the roots of England and its witchcraft. Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo are fierce, angry, sexy, warm--and absolutely unapologetic as they fight for what they believe in, all in the name of sisterhood.

[demifiendrsa]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 | 2023 Official Announcement Trailer

Studio Reveal

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is now in development at The Chinese Room and will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG in Fall 2024. The previously announced PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are no longer planned. A full gameplay reveal is planned for January 2024.

Screenshots

Latest details

The Chinese Room, a Sumo Digital studio, is developing the highly-anticipated Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The Chinese Room brings their award-winning storytelling to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, creating a high-quality Vampire: The Masquerade action RPG by talented developers with triple-A experience. Fans eager to sink their teeth into Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 can look forward to the gameplay reveal in January 2024 and its launch in fall 2024. The Chinese Room is known for creating ground-breaking first-person titles that have won awards from BAFTA, TIGA, and more for their emotionally rich narratives. The studio’s world-class background makes them well-equipped to tell a Vampire story set in modern Seattle reimagined for a World of Darkness action RPG. Bloodlines 2 is the successor to the cult-classic Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Bloodlines 2 takes players to the dark underbelly of Seattle, where vampires struggle for survival and supremacy. As an Elder vampire, players meet compelling characters, maneuver complex political relationships, stalk the city streets for prey, and engage in intense combat while balancing the need for blood. Throughout the game, players must always be mindful of their surroundings or risk breaking the Masquerade—the absolute law of secrecy that keeps vampire society hidden from humanity.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 10: The Orangery

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: 18+ - explicit sexual content Word count: 3.9k

Masterpost Previous chapter Next chapter

Author's Notes: Well folks, we're 1/3 of the way through this story. You have more than earned your smut 😉 Enjoy 💙

Sophie managed to reach her quarters without encountering anyone who would see the state she was in. She cried for what felt like hours, muffling her sobs with her fist until they eventually subsided into whimpers. She kept fearing that someone would knock on her door either because they heard her, or because Benedict had sent someone after her. But mercifully no one appeared.

Once she had lost the energy to cry she stared at the ceiling, lost in the turmoil of her thoughts. Benedict had kissed her, had said he’d dreamed about her, had made it clear he desired her. It was everything Sophie had ever wanted, but it was also the most painful reality she could imagine. She had known he desired her at the masquerade but that made sense. He had assumed she was a member of the ton and someone worthy of his attention. But as a housemaid he could only see her as a dalliance, a pretty plaything that he could easily discard.

Should she reveal her identity to him? What did she think would happen if she told him about the masquerade and her true feelings? He’d probably be incensed that she had not explained it earlier. Then what? Would he confess that he loved her too and run away to marry her, breaking all the standards of society and risking a lifetime of reproach? No. More likely he would turn her in to the authorities or laugh her out of the room. She was no better than a girl with a silly infatuation. He was a man from one of the most dignified families of the ton with wealth, power, and prestige. She suddenly felt incredibly small. Small and stupid. 

She needed to leave Aubrey Hall. Hell, she could sneak out tonight the same way she had from the Cavender’s. She had the same amount of money in her purse, not having been paid yet by Benedict. But she didn’t relish the idea of hiking through the dark alone, especially now that she was even deeper in the countryside. The money from Aubrey Hall would spare her so much misery, and poor Benedict would probably assume that she saw him as no better than Cavender if she took off in the middle of the night after being subjected to his advances, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

No, she would wait until morning and ask to collect her wages from Mr. Dewitt. Then she would formally take her leave and board at an inn until she found a new position. But should she speak to Benedict before she left? What would she say? Would he even want to see her?

Her thoughts continued to race until she noticed the grey light of morning brightening around her door. She felt wretched, tearstained and dazed. She splashed water on her face, changed her dress and donned her cloak. Fresh air would help her clear her mind and formulate a plan before the rest of the house woke up.

The morning air was chilled and misty. It soothed her lungs and brought her a degree of energy despite her sleepless night. Sophie had always enjoyed cooler weather. It reminded her of her childhood at Penwood Park, set on a windy heath. She moved from the back doors of the house across a lawn and into the statuary garden. She wandered among the hedges and benches observing the likenesses of cherubs, muses, mythic heroes. In the pre-dawn shadows they looked more ominous than inspirational, but Sophie found that appropriate, considering everything she was feeling.

She was inspecting a statue of Artemis with her bow drawn when she heard footfalls behind her. Nearly jumping out of her skin, she whipped around to find Benedict. 

“Sophie,” he greeted her softly. He looked about as good as she felt with his hair a tousled mess, dark circles under his eyes, and clothes disheveled as if he had thrown them on in a hurry and only bothered with half of the buttons.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, though there was no one outdoors but the two of them.

Benedict shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep.” That explained his appearance. Sophie wasn’t sure what to think. If he hadn’t slept either, what had he been thinking about? He had clearly followed her to the garden. Had he been watching for her all night?

They stared at each other in silence. Sophie couldn’t fathom what to say. Benedict looked her over. “You’re leaving?” It was more of a statement than a question and there was a hint of defeat in his tone.

Yes. Sophie should have said yes. But seeing him there, looking distraught and being as exhausted as she was, her true feelings came out. “I don’t know.” She felt as if she was being pulled down into the earth. She wanted to cry, she wanted to collapse, she wanted someone to tell her what to do.

Benedict’s eyes were impossibly sorrowful. He walked toward her, hands extended in a plea. “I’m so sorry if I did anything that upset you. I took liberties.”

Sophie shook her head. “No. You didn’t do anything I did not want.” Her voice was breaking. She couldn’t tell him why she had pulled away but the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like a villain.

Benedict stopped short, his brow beginning to furrow. “And yet you do not want to stay?”

She shook her head again and looked at the ground, voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think it would be appropriate.” More meager lies. It was all she had. She hoped to appeal to his reason and class sensibility rather than tell the truth.

He scoffed and crossed his arms, arching a brow. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed how little regard I give to propriety.”

Sophie rooted herself to the spot. She couldn’t let this go on. She wouldn’t be charmed by him again and dragged down a path to heartbreak. Mustering all of her courage, she gritted her teeth. “We agreed this would only be a few days until you were well again and then I would move on.”

“Sod the agreement!” Benedict threw his arms in the air and stalked even closer. He wasn’t holding anything back now. “I know you don’t have anywhere to go yet.”

His words cut into her. He was right, but she wouldn’t be manipulated. She looked up at him, glowering. “Once Mr. Dewitt is awake, I will collect my wages and go.” She hoped that if she said it aloud she would actually follow through.

Benedict balked, blinking at her in surprise. “I see.” There was a snideness in his tone that she had never heard before. “So you will simply take the money and leave. You are that desperate to get away from me?” 

Sophie felt torn in half. Of course she wasn’t desperate to get away from him. Quite the opposite. She wanted to melt into his arms and never let him go. But he was being flippant, acting as if he were entitled to dictate what she could do. He had no idea what it was like to be in her position or to face any real challenge at all. He was starting to make her resent him. “This isn’t just about you,” she growled. “You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand!” He shouted, closing the distance between them. He grasped her by the arms, pale eyes alight with desperation. “If you don’t find me repulsive, why don’t you want to stay?” His grip tightened and he all but shook her. “Why?”

Sophie could barely breathe, seared through by his gaze. She wanted to scream the truth at him, to tell him who she was, to tell him she loved him, to tell him he deserved better than her. Just as equally she wanted to chastise him, to tell him he was a rich fool who couldn’t simply take whatever he wanted, particularly when it was a person. And she wanted to turn and run. It was all too much and she shouted back into his face, “I just can’t!” Hot tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Her reaction clearly rattled him and his eyes regained their characteristic softness. He released her arms and brought his hands to rest lightly on her back, holding her as if she were made of glass. He steadied himself, eyes searching her face. At last he spoke, his voice devastatingly tender, “I won’t see you cast adrift.”

Sophie could feel herself breaking. Entitled as he was, his heart was pure. She had known it at the masquerade and she knew it now. He was pompous as a circumstance of the lifestyle he had been born into but when it mattered, he cared for people. He cared for her, and it felt so good to be cared for. 

She had run out of defenses. She could only confess the truth through her tears. “I have been adrift all my life.”

Lifting a hand to her chin he tilted her face, questing deeper into her eyes. “Let me be your anchor.”

Then Sophie��s heart was lost. He was her anchor. He was all she had to hold on to for so long, this marvelous, wonderful, infuriating man who had haunted her dreams for years. Meeting him was the best thing that had happened in her toilsome and lonely life. Now he was with her again, wanting her, holding her, his touch painfully sweet. She was tired of hiding, tired of resisting, tired of denying the inevitable. She couldn’t fight it anymore.

She surged up and seized his lips with her own, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him tight against her. Benedict froze, caught off guard but only for a moment. Then his arms held her back just as tightly, his mouth caressing hers, his breath hot on her skin. Her hands moved hungrily, raking through his gloriously soft hair, tracing the breadth of his back, feeling the warmth of his neck and the angle of his jaw as they pivoted to explore each other’s kisses more deeply. He was strength; he was bliss; he was comfort; and in this moment, he was hers. He was so delicious and so beautiful, tears continued to run down her face from pure joy.

With a gentle nibble at her bottom lip, Benedict eventually pulled back. Grinning breathlessly, he took her hand. “Come with me.” 

He led her through the garden and Sophie realized they were headed toward the massive stone orangery. She cast a quick glance around to find the grounds empty and the sun just barely peeking over the horizon.

As soon as Benedict closed the door behind them Sophie was overwhelmed with the sweet scent of citrus and jasmine. She hadn’t yet visited this building and was instantly entranced. With marble floors and vaulted ceilings, it was a veritable jungle of potted tropical trees and vine covered trellis walls. She only had a moment to observe it before she was back in Benedict’s arms, his hands entangled in her hair as he kissed her with a soft moan. She felt giddy, heady with the perfumed air and the breathlessness of his attentions.

They clutched at each other as if fearful to let go, and all the while, they were pressed so tightly against one another she was certain she’d melt into his skin.

“Sophie, Sophie,” he murmured. His lips moving gently along her face until they found her mouth again. “I need you.” He pressed one of her hands against his chest. Even through all of his clothes, she could feel his heart begin to beat even more rapidly, hear his breath coming in hoarser gasps. “Do you feel how I need you?” 

“I need you too,” she whispered. And she did. She’d spent so long dreaming about him, trying desperately to remember the scent of his skin, the sound of his voice. There had been many nights when the fantasy of him had been all that had kept her company. She had been living on dreams, and she wasn’t a woman for whom many had come true. She didn’t want to lose this one just yet.

He pressed her back into a wall of cool stone and kissed her with a newfound fierceness. His tongue swirled around hers while his slender fingers held her face. She gasped as his kisses traveled down her neck and his touch moved across her body. Every sensation seemed to rob her of the ability to breathe. His hands were on her breasts, kneading, teasing, sending a rippling shiver across her skin.

“Benedict,” she murmured, touching the crisp silkiness of his hair. There was a fire burning within her that had been simmering quietly for years. The sight of him had ignited it anew, and his touch was like kerosene, sending her into a conflagration.

He groaned, crashing his lips against hers again, locking one hand on the back of her neck and another around her waist. Sophie was dimly aware that they were moving, that he was pushing her somewhere deeper into the artificial forest. Then somehow she was lying on a bench and he was on top of her while his hand reached to lift up her skirts. 

He seemed so dominant, so powerful, and in that moment, so perfectly hers. A very small part of Sophie’s mind was still functioning, and she knew that she should tell him to stop, to put an end to the madness, but god help her, she couldn’t. Not yet.

His hand stroked her knee then inched upward, squeezing the soft flesh of her thigh. She began to pant with anticipation. She knew where his fingers were headed but was surprised to find that it did not make her nervous. She trusted him implicitly. She wanted this, whatever it was he was about to do.

Benedict smirked as he deftly shifted fabric to expose her womanhood and the cool rush of air made Sophie realize how very wet she was. She would have been embarrassed but before she could even form the thought, Benedict’s fingers were on her and he inhaled deeply with a satisfied grin.

Sophie stared up at him, agape, unable to form words.

“I daresay no one has ever touched you here,” he rasped. Sophie shook her head. No one had touched her there, not even herself, not in the way he was doing it. It was a strange, intensely intimate, and entirely enjoyable feeling.

“Do you like it?” Benedict whispered, still smiling down at her. His nimble fingers switched from smooth stroking to rapid circling, spreading her slickness upward and focusing right on the center of her ache.

He may as well have set a match to her blood. She cried out uncontrollably and arched off the bench, gasping. “Yes! What are you doing?” Her every muscle tightened as he moved his fingers in a particularly wicked manner.  

“Everything,” he returned, capturing her lips with his. “Anything you want.” 

Sophie’s breath grew heavier, her heart started to pound. His fingers continued to dance, relentlessly circling. Something was building inside of her, deep in her gut, coiling, pulsing, making her rigid. She clung on to Benedict for dear life, not knowing where he was taking her but desperate to reach the destination. Anything to quell the ache, the burning that never seemed to stop growing.

“Do you want more?” His voice was husky in her ear.

She had just enough control over her body to nod and choke out a “Yes” as she gripped the back of his neck.

He smiled wolfishly. “Then lie back and let me pleasure you.”

Sophie didn’t know how he could possibly pleasure her more but she was willing to find out. She had to consciously remind herself to breathe because she felt as if she were drowning - drowning under the pressure of Benedict, the heat of his gaze, the thrill of his touch and everything it did to her. As she panted he began to move down her body, trailing hot kisses along her jaw, her throat, her chest. His fingers were still teasing her crest, pressing and circling as she squirmed.

He moved himself lower and lower until he settled between her legs, kneeling on the floor as she lay sprawled across the bench. Now he could see the marvelously slick evidence of her desire. Sophie could feel the heat of his breath against her entrance. It made her shudder and filled her with the most wanton craving. This was so terribly wrong, so terribly naughty. But she didn’t want it to stop. She trembled and gripped the edges of the bench as his fingers twirled faster. 

Benedict delighted in watching her writhe. Every signal from her body was pleading with him for more - her ragged breath, her hums of anticipation, and the way her hips had started to gyrate, ever so slightly, in a waltz with his hand. When he began to feel guilty about the torment he took hold of her quivering thighs and leaned in to taste her, running his tongue up and down her opening. 

Something like a sob escaped Sophie’s throat as she lifted off the bench again. She moaned his name and he moaned back into her flesh. His tongue moved methodically, exploring her folds slowly, repetitively, stopping on sensations that made her whole body tense as she groaned. She tasted like a plum crossed with an orange, or maybe that was just the scent in the air around them. She was sweet and he would polish her off like a dinner plate. He continued moving languorously, savoring her and letting her adjust to the sensation. It was only when her muscles relaxed and she started to push herself back against him that he moved his mouth over her sweetest spot, flicking his tongue across her aching bud.

A cry tore itself from Sophie’s chest, animal and needy. Never in her wildest fantasies had she imagined being kissed like this, tasted like this, teased like this. The indecency of it all shocked her, but her shock drowned out by the wave she felt spreading upward through her body. It was heat and tightness and hunger and she would do anything to fulfill it, to hell with decency. Benedict’s mouth was so warm, especially against the cool air of the orangery. All she could feel, all her mind could focus on were his movements, small but incendiary, on the most sensitive part of her. He began sucking at her, massaging her nerves with fluctuating pressure punctuated by quick darts of his tongue. She whimpered, too overwhelmed to exclaim any louder.

The steady cadence of suction and licking made Sophie’s mind start to cloud. As tormenting as her need felt, she wanted to stay there for hours. She fell into a trance which was only broken by a wholly new sensation. She gasped and looked down to find Benedict slowly pushing a long finger to enter her. Dear god, he was inside of her. It was an odd pressure but rather than feeling painful it simply felt…correct. She knew that a woman’s body was designed to take a man’s and while they weren’t engaged in the full act, this was her first small experience of how that might feel. And it felt wonderful.

Mouth still latched onto her, Benedict raised his eyes to meet hers and it was the most frightfully arousing image she had ever seen. Never breaking his gaze, eyes somehow darkened, he started to slide his finger slowly in and out. The pleasure she felt made Sophie choke and fall back against the bench. His teasing her on the outside and moving steadily inside was too much to handle. Heat pulsed through her core and she felt a sudden spasm deep within.

Benedict released her from his lips and rasped her name. The speed of his probing increased, gliding into her rhythmically. “You feel so bloody good.”

All she could do was moan in acknowledgment, eyes clamped shut. The tightening, coursing feeling was building steadily within her but with his mouth removed it had slowed. She ached for it. She wanted to ride it out before she went mad. 

“Please, Benedict, please,” she could hear herself whining but didn’t care. “I don’t…I don’t know what…this feeling…”

The grin was evident in his voice as he replied, “Don’t worry, you will see.” 

She lolled her head in the semblance of a nod.

“Tell me what you want,” he purred, hand beginning to press into her more forcefully. “What feels good to you?”

Sophie could barely comprehend speech at this point. How could she explain? “I…everything,” she sighed.

She thought she heard a small chuckle. “You like me inside of you, I can tell.”

The cheeky devil. Sophie just mewled with another half-nod.

“Do you like my mouth on you?”

“Yes,” she squeaked, beginning to writhe in desperation. “Benedict…I need it…”

He granted her wish immediately, hot mouth descending on her once again, sucking furiously while his hand began to pound at her entrance. The caresses of his finger and tongue worked together to magnify each other.

Sophie hissed and gripped his hair with both fists. The wave was surging within her, burning her, lifting her out of her own skin. Her toes curled. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to explode, but all she could do was hold her breath and hold on.

Then Benedict did something with his finger, bent it in just the right way that it added to the pressure, massaging undiscovered places within her depths, and it was more than she could bear. The wave broke, roaring to a crescendo and crashing over her every muscle, rippling outward with the most glorious feeling of release she had ever experienced. And it persisted. She had no choice but to submit to it, lying breathless as her body clenched over and over. Benedict groaned against her sensitive bud causing her to spasm harder, drawing out the aftershocks as the sensation slowly ebbed.

Sophie was limp, astonished, and utterly without her faculties. Her body was left trembling and her mind was left entirely blank. She felt as if she were floating, softly held in the weightless embrace of bliss. She had never known such an incredible feeling.

The only thing that drew her back to earth was the gentle attention of Benedict’s tongue. He had withdrawn his finger and was kissing her reverently between her legs. He kissed her crest with a parting lick then moved to her opening, eagerly lapping at her and cleaning her of her slickness. He was so thorough that he entered her with his tongue. It was warm and sweet and absolutely the most sinful thing Sophie could imagine. All she could do was lay back and let him feast upon her.

At last she felt him pulling down her skirt, then he was on top of her, pressing her down with his entire body as he nuzzled and kissed her neck. Sophie weakly wrapped her arms around him, still dazed and panting, filled with wonder and gratitude that the man she loved had just gifted her the most ecstatic experience of her life.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake?

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls.

Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence?

When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

Review:

A reimagining of The Masque of Red Death from Edgar Allan Poe? Say less. The story is set in a world where a plague has been unleashed and a commoner is taken from her family and forced to pretend to be the princess who was killed by the plague to fool the mad king who has trapped them all in this castle while a gentlemen/physician has become a servant to a lord who is hiding a true monster within and must find a way to escape before it's too late, both their paths will cross and both of them will have to find a way to escape the monsters in the wood, the mad king, and the sickness that is coming after them all.

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life in the boarded up castle and she has one secret, she is actually Seraphina, a commoner who was taken from her family and forced to pretend to be the Princess Imogen who had actually died in order to keep the king's madness at bay. Seraphina longs for her real family, longs to escape the prison that is the castle and the tempermental king who holds her hostage. The inhabitants in the castle are all trapped by the king, who has been keeping up the facade that everything is fine, but food is running low and servants are dying... and with the masquerade for Princess Imogen's birthday coming up, tensions are only rising further.

Nico Mott lived a comfortable life of status and was a physician before his entire family was killed by the plague and he was left starving and delirious in the woods until Lord Crane found him and made him a servant... but Nico has begun to notice strange things happening around Lord Crane, particularly the disappearances of people and the bloody clothes... and now Nico knows he has to escape and warn others before the monster that is his master kills them all.

Nico and Seraphina's paths cross and together they'll have to find a way to escape the dangers lurking not only within the castle but outside as well, from sickness to vampiric like creatures out for their blood.

This was such a fun and unique take on the classic story. I am a huge Poe fan and this was the perfect blend of gothic horrors and romance that I could ever ask for. It really was the perfect read for anyone who is looking for a gothic one and it definitely would be one to add to your autumn tbr!

*Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*