#masquerades of spring

[peaceful-loon]

Lads, no-one does it like Ben Aaranovitch.

I didn't think he'd queer bait us but Masquerades of Spring was so much more and so much better than I could have ever hoped.

The secret goodbye letter to Mellenby, going out to New York exclusively because Molly asked and for no other reason, the drag scene (although as soon as Gussie walked past the lady in red I FUCKING KNEW), and canonically Ace Nightingale. Fully out there in the text, not as an implication.

Losing my actual mind (as is the wife who is not into this series anywhere near to my level, but alas is locked in the flat with me and therefore has to listen to my rants multiple times a day since I read the book on Wednesday).

But back to the ace stuff - it makes absolutely perfect sense with the characterisation to date. It would have been so much easier for Aaranovitch to just say Nightingale is gay and leave it at that, but this is far more interesting to explore - god I want Peter, or even Abigail who I figure probably has a much better grasp on such things, to have a discussion with Nightingale about it at some point.

Also, unrelated but I want to read an entire series of what is essentially James Bond-esque Nightingale going on adventures around the world...

[awakeagainstmywill]

Nightingale , probabaly:

"So this ball, you say it's like a, a pageant? A competition?[TRIGGERED]"

[bigscaryd]

It is now my headcanon that from the moment Nightingale met Peter, he was thinking of Gussie and Lucy. How could he not? Biracial kid with Jazz in his blood? It not for the intervening Atlantic and some minor biological issues, he could be their son (well, grandson) (well, great-grandson).

[zahri-melitor]

Finished The Masquerades of Spring.

This was very much the 'Ben Aaronovitch wants to try his hand at Jeeves and Wooster' story, but pitching it for the jazz scene in 1920s New York. It was very very in conversation with topics that Aaronovitch is clearly already interested in throughout the series.

I enjoyed it! The character voice was very heavy in his Bertie analogue, but also Aaronovitch had fun with it in terms of leaning into all of the long term associated queerness to the narrative set up by...making it explicitly queer.

He's very aware of exactly how his fandom slashes characters, let us say.

Delighted we finally got a canonical read on Nightingale's particular brand of queerness. David Mellenby appears in references multiple times in terms of reinforcing exactly how important he is to Thomas.

In terms of storylines, this definitely picked up on Aaronovitch's longrunning intersections with the 'treatment of race', 'jazz music' and 'Fae and specifically how Molly is treated' angles.

[lily-wholockian]

has anyone drawn Nightingale and Gussie at the ball yet? i need the fanart pls 🥺

[iibislintu]

just finished reading Masquerades of Spring and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[peaceful-loon]

The edit is absolutely sending me 😭😭

re-reading amongst our weapons is so funny because i forgot how often david is mentioned like thomas truly could not shut the fuck up about him 😭😭😭 like you know the dick was crazy 😭

edit: i retract the last sentence but the rest still stands

[musubiki]

it's been a while since i've drawn but heres some rough concept ideas for a new store-type npc to add to the roster 🎭

[losieee]

Playtime Arcade

Salutations kindred, and welcome back to Sims 4: Bloodlines!

Sims 4: Bloodlines is a fun little side project i started, where i want to recreate some of my favorite places from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines in Sims 4 WITHOUT using any mods or cc!!

I have a lot of finished builds i just need to take pictures, upload the files and make the posts. It does take me a few hours creating every post, so im sorry its taking me so long to make updates!

This time we have the Playtime Arcade! I always liked this location from the first time i played the game. It really was alot of fun ro recreate it in sims.

Build info

Built in Oasis Springs - The Solar Flare

Community Lot - Generic

Arcade

30x20

54,407 §

No CC

Expansion Packs: For Rent, Cottage Living, Snowy Escape, Eco Lifestyle, Discover University, Get Famous, Cats & Dogs, City Living, Get Together, Get to Work

Game Packs: Werewolves, Journey to Batuu, StrangerVille, Jungle Adventure, Parenthood, Vampires, Dine out

Stuff Packs: Bowling Night

Kits: Basement Treasures, Decor to the Max

Check out my other Sims 4: Bloodlines builds!

And check out the blog for the save file @bloodlinessave

Download (sfs) | Gallery ID: Losieee

RESHADE - My own preset fledgling

If you use my builds and upload screenshots, videos, edits or anyhting else, please @ me! I love to see them!

[charleythehouseplant]

Rivers of London fans, how are we doing in the wake of Nightingale being canonically asexual?

[peaceful-loon]

DID Y'ALL KNOW THE AMERICAN EDITION OF MASQUERADES COMES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS?!

They are by Giles Meakin - what a legend.

Aren't they great? You can find them here -

And also side eye the $300 dollar edition which I definitely do not have the money for but want DESPERATELY.

[awakeagainstmywill]

Things I should have already known about Nightingale, but had deeply repressed until reading Masquerades of Spring:

Jock, but not.

Terrible pain in the ass, and not in the sexy kind of way.

Looks too dam good. All the goddam time. In anything. Any situation. Like, is this an undercover mission or is this a modeling gig, Thomas? You can't just run around looking like that, have mercy, we are all just mere mortals here, oh wait... oh. Nevermind. Carry on then.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

reflected irl

KHBLWLQOFVYIQVIFAIBAFS; YOU KNOW HOW IDIA HAS THOSE MOMENTS IN-GAME WHERE HE'S STUNNED BY HOW NATURALLY PRINCELY SILVER IS 🤡 LIKE IN GLOMASQ AND SILVER'S CEREMONIAL ROBES VIGNETTES??????? ? ?? ??? ? ? ?? ? BUT SILVER IS JUST CONFUSED AND THINKS THE BEST OF IDIA ANYWAY???? ? ? ??? ? ?? ? ????? Well, at the AX panel... when asked "who would you want to be stuck on a deserted island with", Silver's VA said IDIA. Why? HE BASICALLY SAYS IDIA WOULD PROBABLY BE USELESS AND JUST WANT TO STAY IN HIS ROOM 😭 "but desperate times call for desperate measures, so maybe this time Idia would actually do something!" ADSHLADVSOVYQEFQFVBIEFLBADIGHOIYAFSP WHEN EVEN THE VA THINKS SO PURELY ABOUT IDIA......... . .. ...... .... . ...... . Buddy, he is going to pass out from being outside for too long/j

This part was definitely the highlight of the talk show for me excluding maybe the part where the VA said Silver is so cool, so awesome, just like a prince!! 💀 You... keep on being you, Silver and Nobunaga-san... sharing the same single brain cell…

[summerday]

Ben Aaranovitch, Rivers of London book 1: Yeah so this police constable is a lesbian but she's super hard and no one is allowed to make jokes about it

Ben Aaranovitch, most recent novella: AND -AND THEN THE MAIN DETECTIVE GUY TURNS UP TO THE NEW YORK DRAG BALL IN A DRESS IN THE 1920s BECAUSE HE CAN

[tatzelwyrm]

Be Thomas Nightingale:

Show up to the climax of the book in a killer dress. Blow up a car. Explain nothing.

[birdylion]

It just hit me again that Nightingale has been friends with Molly since the 1920s. That's almost 100 years. Incredible. I'm never going to be normal about their friendship ever again