#merlot was such an absolutely wasted character

[falleri-salvatore]

Random Grimm!Jaune Plot Bunny

In which Merlot, in his research of Grimm, manages to unearth the truth about Salem and undergoes a quest to find people descended from her lineage (whether Human or Faunus matters not to him). Or barring that, trying to infuse Grimm essence into human and faunus in order to create Grimm-Bloods, since the existence of Salem has shown that it is indeed theoretically possible. Salem for her part, finds out about this, and rather than make him stop; instead sends Arthur Watts to aid and assist Merlot while also tasking him with documenting all the experiments and discoveries Merlot has made. Especially since Merlot and Salem appear to be on the same wavelength in regards to the Brother Gods and how they (humans and faunus) could be better off without them (in Salem’s case, she used to believe this in the past, but now she seeks death. However, if Merlot’s experiments end up successful, they could theoretically create a being that could hold the potential to destroy the gods, which could also, by extension, undo Salem’s curse.) One of the things Salem has sent to Merlot via Watts is a lock of her hair for Merlot to study, which ends granting Merlot the breakthrough needed to create a device that can actually detect dormant Grimm essence within people. Cue Merlot’s joy and Salem’s astonishment in finding out that (during the events of Grimm Eclipse) there were not one, not two, but three dormant natural Grimm-Bloods (Jaune, Weiss and Pyrrha) with Jaune causing the single greatest reaction out of the device Merlot had ever seen. Cue Merlot’s plot to awaken Jaune’s Grimm-Blood and, by extension, using said awakening to agitate the other two’s Grimm-Blood into awakening as well. As far as Merlot was concerned, this would be the day all of his research and theories would be vindicated. Here are some songs to create ambience:

EDIT: Also Grimm!Weiss towards Jacques (Arse) Schnee

[spark-exchange]

2018 Spark Exchange Wrap-Up

Thanks to everyone who participated, either as a creator or reviewer. I would encourage everyone to please leave a comment or message for all the fanworks they enjoyed. I’m currently working my way through the fics, as I’ve been pretty busy until this week. 

Fanmix

The Prettiest Monster by allthisandtea - A Maxim-themed fanmix!

Fanfic

At least there’s Mamma Gkika’s by Sociopathbrony - Teen - Gkika tries to not focus on the seemingly inevitable existence that the Heterodynes aren’t coming back and everything else is terrible too by focussing on how annoying the tourists are.

Aaronev Sucks in Every AU by fandomss-girl-genius - General - In all of Tarvek’s life, he had never had a birthday party. His father was never at home, and his sister was unresponsive in the ER, only kept alive by life support.

Archetype by Azzandra - Gen - Krosp finds himself planning for the future. And that future is… kittens. 

Bearishness by gg-prompted-fics - T - Jenka gets ready for winter. 

Dancing with the Muses by shavynel - G - Contasia has unlost herself, and Tinka wastes no time getting her sister to play a musician in a plan to ensnare Agatha, Violetta, and Zeetha in dance!

In Which Bang Visits Transylvania Polygnostic University by Stellawind - Gen - In another reality, when Agatha is thrown out of Dr. Merlot’s lecture, her parents have a conversation with Dr. Beetle who commands she is to be let sit in on any class she likes. In this world, she meets Bangladesh DuPree.

Party of Two Centuries by firecoloredwater/Para - G - It is December 30th, 1899.  The Other was defeated and Mechanicsburg unfrozen some months ago.  Now Europa is trying to sort out a precarious if hopeful balance between the overlapping networks and allegiances to the Storm King and the Wulfenbach Empire. More importantly, Grandma Terebithia still has claim to having hosted the best party of the century.  And that’s a thing that Tarvek and Violetta absolutely can’t allow to stand.

Tarvek and Violetta Save the Library by phoenixyfriend - General - Martellus brings a Sparkhound to the Library. It sees one of the giant cats and gives chase. It’s up to Violetta and Tarvek to handle this! Unfortunately.

the tides of war by gisho - Not Rated - An unexpected mission sends Axel, loyal guardsman of the Emperor of the Romans, to the strange town at the source of the Dyne - and more unexpectedly, to a place that feels like home.

Time Hung Balance by DawnAraic - Explicit - Desperate, Agatha creates a chance to correct what she can, and save all that she loves.

Trial and Error by Scribe Protra - Mature - Instead of stopping time, the Take Five bomb sends Baron Klaus Wulfenbach into repeating the whole thing again starting from that day in Beetleburg. It is going to take a while to work out how to undo this: mostly as he is stuck with sheer mind-numbing trial and error to work out the requirements.

Fanart

Child’s Play by 2percentmint - General - The Sturmvoraus/ von Blitzengaard players were kids once – Anevka lets it slide that Tarvek borrowed her personal tools. Martellus conducts his choir of little singing bears.

Dress-Up Games by Atagotiak - General - Kids dressed up as girl genius characters! First as a series of portraits, then a scene. ‘Tarvek’ has been kidnapped. ‘Agatha’ and ‘Gil’ are fighting ‘Martellus’.

fastball special by dirigibird - G - sometimes u just gotta throw your friends at a problem

A Holiday Celebration - magictavern -General - A small holiday celebration between some of the Jaegers!

Let the Man Sleep by Darlighl / Mercurialvoid - Gen - Gil naps.

No Choirs by Xenart - Gen - llustrated music, from a snippet of No Choir by Florence and the Machine

Mother-Daughter Bonding by purreve - G - Lu and Agatha

Sabotage by bethany-sensei- General - Krosp and chemical enhancement

[miss-writes-a-lot]

Rwby1920's Au 1. Welcoming the Unwelcomed

After months, probably a year of me teasing this, I have finally written the first part of my Rwby1920's au! It's pretty much a bunch of characters from the main rwby team (and their friends) at a big party getting into shenanigans all in one night. I don't have a consistent schedule for this so don't expect the next part to come out so soon. Even though it's summer, I have other projects to work on, so updates will be sparce. So without further Ado, here's Rwby 1920's!

Part 1: Welcoming the Unwelcomed

Characters: Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Professor Ozpin, Maylea Pine (Oc), Garnet Merlot Pine (Oc), Weiss Schnee (mentioned)

Summary: Ruby and Yang decide to crash the biggest party of the year.

________________

    Ruby did not want to crash a party on her one Friday night without schoolwork, let alone crash the biggest party of the year in all of Vale.

The Schnee’s ‘Let’s show these people how much money we have’ winter ball was reserved for the high class and the highly regarded, both things that the Xiao-Long Rose sisters were not. At least in the eyes of their friend Weiss’ father, who had grown a very large distaste for the two sisters after the disaster that was Weiss’ 17th birthday party earlier that year.

So when Yang threw one of her fancy silver dresses at her and dragged her in the direction of the Schnee manor in the gated community that was Atlas Drive, she nearly fainted in front of the gates. She begged and pleaded, kicked and screamed for Yang to turn around so they wouldn’t get into trouble but her cries fell on deaf ears.

They were hiding in the shaped shrubbery to the right of the entrance. Crowds of people were already filing in, all dressed in their most gorgeous garbs and precious pearls – things that Ruby did not have because in their haste, Yang had neglected to properly prepare their sister for their night of reluctant revelry. She was shaking in her stupid lady stilts as she watched Yang touch up her purple eye makeup for the 9th time in a row.

“Yang, can we please go home? Weiss can tell us all about the party at school when we see each other on Monday!” Ruby exclaimed.

“Oh Ruby, don’t be such a stick in the mud! You spend way too much time buried in your books! You need to start living a little! Embrace breaking the rules every once in a while!”

“But Yang! You know Weiss’ dad hates our gits! What if he finds us!”

Yang shrugged. “Why would he waste his time on finding a couple of delinquent girls in his ginormous manor? If he does, he does. It’s not like he can throw us in jail for crashing his stupid rich people party. At most, he’ll have his goons throw us out. Maybe a call to dad or Qrow.”

“Yang–”

The blonde placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders, “Ruby, I know you’re scared. But you can’t let moments like this pass you by! Who knows what could happen in there. For all we know, the love of your life could be waiting for you on the other side of those doors! If you don’t go in there and at least try to live, you will certainly regret it for the rest of your life! Tell you what – we’ll stay for an hour–”

“An hour!?”

“Yes, an hour. If in an hour, you aren’t having any fun – if you are as absolutely miserable as you say you are, we will leave. Sound like a deal.”

Ruby folded her arms, pouting. “...you promise?”

Yang nodded. “Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

The redheaded girl took a deep breath, “Okay. Let’s go!”

“Yes!” Yang fist-pumped the air. Ruby was still shaking, though she couldn’t tell determine whether it was coming from her newfound excitement or her remaining anxiety jostling her jaw. The sisters scurried through the shrubbery and joined a group of already tipsy guests just about to stumble in.

“The man at the door looks dumb,” Yang said, “If we just stay towards the middle and let these fools flash their invitations, we should be safe.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Well, it kind of has to since it’s my only plan.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. She couldn’t complain considering she didn’t have a plan at all. They squeezed into the unsuspecting crowd, got into a bit of a crouch, and shimmied in as the drunkards threw up their invitations. The girls nearly squealed in joy as they slowed their steps to break off from the group.

Ruby turned to her sister with a wide grin, “We did it! We really did it!”

“I know! Now, we just need to lay low for a while so that way no one knows we snuck in —”

“Ah, Ms. Rose. Ms. Xiao Long. I thought that was you I saw a bit ago.”

The sisters became statues. They slowly turned to face the all too familiar voice behind them that would surely be the undoing of their entire plan. Their headmaster and their uncle’s not-so-secret crush, Professor Ozpin, was standing there in a deep forest green suit with a black tie. His daughters– and their underclassmen– were standing on either side of him. The oldest, Maylea, was dolled up in an orange peplum dress, her hair in a beautiful braid with orange blossoms strategically placed throughout. Garnet – the youngest – was dressed in a similar maroon dress with a black sweater and matching flats. They were much more elegant than Ruby and Yang in their silver and golden party dresses.

Yang threw on a much too toothy grin before she fully faced Professor Ozpin and gave him a friendly wave. “Professor! Hey! So good to see you! Ruby, look! It’s Professor Ozpin! And Garnet and Maylea! Come say hi!”

Ruby waved sheepishly, “H-hi…”

“Why is your face like that?” Garnet asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

“More importantly, why are you two here? I don’t recall either your father or uncle mentioning your attendance tonight?”

“Oh, you know how they are! Always so busy, things like that simply slip their minds! Isn’t that right, Ruby?” She nudged her with her elbow.

“Y-yes, that’s right! Super forgetful!”

“Complete forget-me-nots!”

Ruby internally cringed as Professor Ozpin took them up and down with his eyes. The younger sister was sure that they were going to get caught. He would surely see right through their plan and rat them out to not only their father but their uncle, Mr. Schnee, Professor Goodwitch, the whole party further inside, hell, the whole student body–

“I see. Well then, I suppose we should hurry along and join the festivities.” Ruby and Yang exchanged a confused look. Even the other pair of sisters were left puzzled as their father continued forward, “Come along now, girls. Don’t want to miss all the fun.”

The four jogged after the professor as they came to a grand pair of white double doors. They could hear a bouncy tune being played on the other side. The Rose Xiao Long sisters looked at each other again, both with the same questions in their minds. Were they really about to do this? Were they, in all seriousness, about to crash the biggest party of the year where possibly their father and uncle would be making an appearance at?

Professor Ozpin reached for the door handle. Ruby’s heartbeat was in her ears. He pulled the doors open. A flood of light spilled out into the hallway. When Ruby’s eyes adjusted to the light, she marveled at the sight laying before her. 

The Schnee Manor was the warmest it had ever been. Soft yellow light filled up each and every corner of the banquet hall. The band was singing alongside Weiss’ angelic voice as she swirled in brilliant blues. People were dancing and laughing. If she had to guess, Ruby assumed that almost every citizen in Vale was in there and having the time of their lives in jeweled colored dresses and fancy haircuts.

“I’m going to be joining my colleagues over there,” Ozpin pointed across the room, “I assume you two can take care of yourselves from here?”

The girls nodded in unison.

He smirked. “Good. Then take care of yourselves, don’t get into any trouble, and keep away from the left side of the room.”

“Will do!”

“Enjoy your night!”

He nodded and ushered his daughter through the crowds of people as he left the girls to take in their surroundings. Ruby had almost forgotten to breathe. The crowd at Weiss’ 17th birthday party had nothing on this party or this night.

“Dad’s going to be soooo mad,” She said.

Yang threw her arm around her shoulders and pulled her sister close, “Then I suppose we should start having some fun then.”

[krystisyaandwine]

I fell in love with this gorgeous and captivating fantasy world from Kendare Blake when I read Three Dark Crowns. From the beautiful magic systems, to the dynamic and interesting characters, to all the delicious plotting and scheming, I love everything about this series. I had very high expectations going into One Dark Throne, and it not only lived up to them but truly surpassed them. If you like Three Dark Crowns, you will love One Dark Throne!

About the Book

Title: One Dark Throne

Author: Kendare Blake

Pub. Date: September 19, 2017

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 464

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

Wine Pairing

I paired this captivating tale of three sisters who must destroy one another in order to obtain the crown and rule the island of Fennbirn with this darkly rich Three Sisters Merlot.

*All wine recommendations are for those of legal drinking age only.*

 My Review

Wow! Wow! Wow! ONE DARK THRONE sparkles with magic, action, and intrigue. I fell in love with the concept of this series and the captivating magic systems while reading THREE DARK CROWNS, but ONE DARK THRONE has taken all the elements that I loved in that story and really elevated them.

The battle between the three sisters doesn’t waste any time getting started in this book. The pacing does move quite a bit faster than it did in book one, while still allowing us to see all of the wonderful plotting and political maneuvering happening behind the scenes, which I enjoyed so much in THREE DARK CROWNS.

The action scenes are so intense, both because of the action itself, but also because after going on this journey with each of the sisters, readers truly begin to understand and cheer for each of them. Everything that happens in this story is a double (or triple) edged sword, because seeing one character succeed means seeing the other two die. You end up rooting for and against each of them simultaneously, which makes for such an intense and unique reading experience.

The characters in this story are so well-written. From Arsinoe, Mirabella, Katharine, and Jules to the supporting characters. Kendare Blake uses the third person omniscient tense so brilliantly to give us a look into so many different character’s minds. Each of them has a distinct voice and personality, and getting to see into so many different character’s actions and motivations gives this world so much depth and makes for a truly immersive reading experience.

My favorite sister shifts from moment to moment throughout these books. I find Arsinoe to be the most inspirational, Mirabella to be the most likable, and Katharine to be the most interesting. I truly can’t say which sister I would like to see wear the crown at the end of this, because of the way Kendare Blake constantly throws twists and turns into the story that very effectively sway the reader’s allegiances.

I adore books that have villains who are truly the hero of their own story, and in this series you go from thinking a character is a hero to a villain and back again so many times, because of the fact that we get to see all of their motivations and backstories.

Though the character I’m rooting for changes consistently throughout the book, I will say that the Poisoner Magic remains the most fascinating to me. Though the Elemental and Naturalist Magic are equally deadly, the Poisoner Magic just has this fantastic, sinister feel to it that I just can’t get enough of. I also feel it’s the most unique system of magic of the three. I’ve never read anything like it in other fantasy novels myself and am absolutely enthralled by it.

This series is truly exceptional. Kendare Blake has made this book something unique and special in the world of YA fantasy. I loved the first book, and I loved this one even more. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us in book three!

Pre-order Your Signed Copy

Kendare Blake will be participating in the Epic Reads Author Meet Up at my favorite local indie The King’s English Bookshop on October 12th, which means, you can pre-order your signed copy by clicking on the book cover below! Be sure to mention in the comments that you would like your copy signed during the event!

One Dark Throne

About the Author

From Kendare’s Website

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, Richard Linklater, and the late, great Michael Jackson, I mean, come on, he gave us Thriller.

She lives and writes in Kent, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

Are you excited to read One Dark Throne when it hits shelves next month? What are some of your favorite YA fantasy series?

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ONE DARK THRONE Review and Wine Pairing! I fell in love with this gorgeous and captivating fantasy world from Kendare Blake when I read