#songs- you know me too well by nothing but thieves and putting the dog to sleep by the antlers

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

A seal-skin around my shoulders (part 5)

Elendil x Selkie!reader

This part is dedicated to @labhandar 😌

*****

When you wake up, the morning after, you remain for a few minutes unmoving, staring at the ceiling of the room, bathed in the morning sun as the by now familiar sounds of the city caress your ear: the birds singing to their heart's content, the susurration of the Sea, the vendors shouting to invite clients in, the solitary bark of a dog, a wagon's wheels slowly advancing on the cobblestone. It is an heterogeneous song, some melodies more pleasant than others, but that nonetheless you have grown used to, just like you have grown used to life on land, even though you never expected that state of affairs was destined to become permanent...

Part of you still cannot believe it; still cannot come to terms with it. Your seal-skin has been destroyed, devoured by fire because of the frustrated decision of a pair of thieves who should not have had it in the first place, and the Sea, your very home, where you were born and where you expected to die, has been taken for you, forever...

It is terrible. Unfair. Terryfing. But it has happened, and because of this, you realize with a sigh as you slowly raise from the bed to reach the water basin in a corner of the room, you have no choice but accept it... and find a way to carry on.

When you reach him in the kitchen, Elendil is sitting next to the open window; the breeze gently caresses his dark locks while his pensive blue eyes seem lost in a more profound world that the one he can see beyond the windowsill.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." he greets you, smiling softly and with that sort of compassion and understanding you could not accept from many people "You must be famished, you ate nothing last night. How... how do you feel?"

You avoid the question, confessing you could not eat anything even if you tried, but you begin making tea, if only to keep yourself busy and have something different from your anguish to focus on. Elendil looks at you, openly but silently, and while you turn your back at him, it is almost as if for the first time you could perceive his thoughts, and his feelings, just like he has shown he can understand yours.

"I will never thank you enough for all that you have done for me." you start in the end as you sit in front of him, placing the small tray with the two cups on it on the table. There is peace between the two of you; there is peace in your heart as well, thanks to his solemn and steadfast presence, even though an hurricane has erupted inside you "No, please, let me; I know you were happy to do it, and that you would have done the same for anyone who needed it. But I am truly, deeply grateful; I met you on the worst day of my life, but the Great Father must have watched over me, since he had my path cross yours. I do not know what would have become of me, had I not met you. I will forever remember your kindness and generosity, but... but now it is time for me to go."

He looks at you, his strong hands gently holding the cup; he does not seem surprised by your declaration, but suddenly he is tense, as if he had perceived a danger... or has to force back words and feelings he deems himself unworthy to express.

"Where will you go?" he simply asks, and you have to admit you do not know: you have no friends among Land-people beside him, no home you could call your own, but you are young and strong, and determined to make a new life for yourself now that your old one is precluded to you. Númenor is a vast kingdom, and you plan on exploring it for a while, just like you once intended to visit the farthest parts of the Sea, and discovering new places, and meeting new people, will perhaps be of some comfort to you, as exploring the city has been in the first weeks of your permanence on land. You will travel for a while, without a destination, simply putting a foot in front of the other until your legs can carry you... And then, once you are too tired to walk, maybe you will find a place to settle, or simply to rest for a while... a place where you will not hear the song of the Sea anymore, and your heart will perhaps begin to heal.

"I... I might leave today; after all, I do not have much to pack, and the day is clear and warm. Unless, of course... you have anything agaist this."

Silence falls on the room, a silence that for the first time since you met Elendil you feel ill at ease in, troubled and in some way uncomfortable... a silence made of words unsaid, not of the peace of mind and heart.

"Elendil." you whisper, looking at the man sitting in front of you; you wish you could take his hand, but suddenly the maybe two feet separating you feel as long as miles "Is something wrong?"

His answer is late in coming, maybe because your friend does not know what to say, or maybe how, or perhaps the reason he feels conflicted is another, more delicate and personal than the simple choice of words...

"There is nothing wrong, truly." he admits in the end; he starts sipping his tea, and the taste makes him smile; he has told you more than once that even though you are still a neophyte you are an excellent tea-brewer, so much that the drink you prepare has for some reason a better flavour and taste than usual. It had to be the oddest compliment you had ever received, but it made you happy nonetheless "I think travelling would be the best antidote to sadness and solitude; I can give you a good map to orientate yourself, and write to my friends in other cities asking them to host you."

"You do not have to..."

"I know I do not have to. But I want to; is it so surprising?"

It is not, and that is the reason why the simple thought fills you with shame; you owe him so much, a debt you have no way to repay, now or in the future, and you must be the most selfish person alive, because you should at least leave as soon as you can since you have doubtlessly overstayed your welcome, and you will, you have both ordered and promised yourself, you will depart today and let Elendil return to his life, but deep in your heart it is the exact opposite that you wish, the unavowable, almost shameful desire that is burning in your heart, it has perhaps from the very first days after you met, and that just now that you have no other choice, that your return home has been made impossible, you feel able to acknowledge.

Let me stay here. With you. I know it is not fair, that I am nothing but a burden to you and I would still be even if I found a job to contribute to your expenses but... I do not know what will become of me if I leave, and not just because I would have no food or home; the simple idea of never seeing you again fills me with dread. I have never felt like this before, and I never thought I would feel it for a Land-Man, but I do, and I know I could not have been more blessed...

"(name)?"

"I am sorry. No, of course it is not surprising. I should know you must be the most generous and selfless man of this island." you admit, and it is then that something unexpected appears in Elendil's expression... something melanchonic, and wistful, and just a little bit hopeful.

"You should not say that. I am not selfless at all."

"Everything I know about you suggest the opposite." you point out, and Elendil laughs, only for a second, before turning serious; by this point you have both forgotten your tea, cooling in your cups. You look as your friend stands and steps away from the table, and from you, as if he could not bear to face you.

"I am ashamed of myself." he confesses in the end "Ashamed of my feelings. I am so sorry for what had happened to you, I would give half of my blood if it meant returning your seal-skin to you, and you to the Sea; you must believe me. But at the same time... The most egotistical part of me cannot help feeling glad of it. Relieved, even."

Elendil utters those words as if he were confessing the most heinous crime, relieved at sharing his secret and at the same time knowing he cannot hope for forgiveness.

You are still looking at him, your hands shaking, torn between compassion for this gentle, honourable man, and the euphoria at discovering his heart beats in time with yours.

Maybe. After all, how can you discern his feelings, given that you have just become aware of yours? It would be awkward, embarassing, maybe even shameful, to express your affection and discover it is not reciprocated...

Except that it would not, not for you, not with him, not after what you have lived through together, and is too special and precious and real to be demeaned by spite. So it is with hope, and understanding, and trust, that in the end you stand and follow Elendil's steps to reach him, rest your hand on his shoulder to make him turn and

"Elendil, please." you whisper "Tell me the truth."

And he does, confessing those feelings he cannot help being ashamed of, and his secret hope, which he would never dare expressing for fear of being misunderstood, as if you could really think he were offering hospitality and support in exchange for your companionship, especially now that you had to find a way to survive on land for the rest of your life and your future look so uncertain.

"I could not bear to have you think I intended to take advantage of you, or that I had planned since the beginning to... No. I understand you have much more pressing matters on your mind, you have just lost your home, the last thing you would want to think about is..."

"Elendil."

You smile, but your eyes are filled with years, and you think that maybe, just maybe, you have gained as much as you have lost.

If not more.

"Do you not know I should be the one to be embarassed?" you point out "I have been a burden ever since you met me."

"That is not..."

"It is. You have fed me, you have clothed me, you have sacrificed your time to help me find what I had lost, you have even spent coin to entertain me; I will never be able to repay everything you have done for me. Do you understand this is why I have to leave? That even though losing you would break my heart, I cannot bear to be even more in your debt than I already am? I know you would never demand for anything... intimate in return; but you would not need to, because you would only have to ask."

You never thought you would have the courage, and at the same time the strength to overcome the shame, to utter those words, but now that you have, that you have stated the truth in front of the man you know can receive it and treat it with respect, you feel... better, lighter, not as if you had taken a huge weight off your shoulders, but as if you had just discovered that weight never existed in the first place. You have said farewell to everything you knew and loved, and that is a loss you will mourn for the rest of your life, but at the same time...

At the same time you feel as if the Great Father took something from you to help you appreciate what he also gave. It is cruel, doubtlessly, but Gods often are, and you strongly suspect you may end up thanking Him all the same, very soon.

You rest the palm of your hand against his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, the softness of his short beard, and that simple, chaste contact feels more intimate than anything you have ever done. Elendil's blue eyes close for a moment, as if he were overcome with emotion, or he were savoring that moment, excluding everything else.

A moment later his hand has taken yours, and his lips are pressed against the back, reverent, almost worshipful. "I do not deserve any of this, (name)." he says softly "And I do not want you to commit yourself unless you are really sure. You will always have a place here, but I could not bear it if you... if you changed your mind..."

"Yes, you do. I am no prize to be conquered, but if I were no one would deserve it more than you." you reassure him "And I will not change my mind; I may have hoped to return to the Sea until yesterday, but what I feel has started growing in my heart way before that. I... I would be very happy if you let me stay here. Live here. With you. Not because you feel pity for my situation, or because I have nowhere else to go, but because we both want it."

Elendil does not answer - not for a while, at least, and that silence lasts enough to make you doubt his feelings, or at least his intentions; maybe it was presumptuous of you to ask him to host you in his home for the rest of your days, that arrangement could work while it was meant to be temporary, but Elendil is clearly an independent man, as well as a busy one, he probably cannot wait to have his house empty of uninvited guests. Maybe it would be better for you to find another place to stay, and a way to support yourself, and the two of you could court as any couple would, discovering if you can really share your time when you are not forced to...

It would be good. Safe. Wise, probably, and the words are almost blossoming on your lips, but then finally Elendil's lips open in a smile, relieved and hopeful and delighted, and all your fears and doubts melt like snow at the first song of spring.

"Because I do. I want it, I mean. I want to stay here with you." you conclude, perhaps unnecessarily, but you feel the need to say it, to express your feelings truly and fully, not because otherwise he could doubt their sincerity, but because it is liberating, exhilarating, to open your heart knowing it will be well-received "These last weeks... the pain and the fear I felt prevented me from realizing how fortunate I was, and how my feelings had gone beyond simple gratitude and friendship. I know I have absolutely nothing to offer, but... I can find an occupation, help you with the expenses..."

"There is no need. This is not an inn, I do not want you to feel you have to pay to stay here."

"I know, but if you were in my place, would you not want to contribute?" you point out, and he admits he would feel guilty otherwise "Let me help you; if we are to be... more than friends, we should both support each other."

Elendil smiles; his strong arms circle your waist, pressing your body against his, and the sensation of his heart is sweet against your body, because you feel it beating in unison with yours.

"Do Selkie know of... marriage? Is it something that exist in your culture?"

"What is that?" you ask, tilting your head to the side.

"It is... when two people promise to love and support each other as long as they live; they usually then make a home together, have children... and remain faithful to each other."

"We do have that as well; after at least a year of courtship, two or three Selkie can decide to bond themselves to each other and create a new household, sharing their blood in a ritual and then residing together in a cave."

"Are you...?"

"Of course not." you quickly answer "I have been alone for years, and I have never been bonded."

"That is well." Elendil says; he is still holding you, but his hands have started moving on your skin "Otherwise I would have had to fight your lovers for the honour of courting you."

It is pleasant to be held against his body, firm and strong, the vaguely pungent smell of the Sea caressing your face; you feel peace, and at the same time an excitation you have never felt before.

"Let me be with you." you ask "I promise I will never leave."

Elendil does not answer; he cannot, because a moment later he is kissing you, holding you as if he never wants to let you go, and fortunately kissing is one of those things Land-people and Selkie do similarly, because at least in that the difference of race is not an hidrance, and kissing Elendil is so delicious, sweet and sensual, and it makes you so indescribably happy, that you could keep doing it for the rest of your days... as well as many other things.

You feel him shiver as you take advantage of the proximity to caress his shoulders, his back, his hair; your tongue finds him in the warmth of his mouth, and Elendil moans.

"Never." he whispers in the end, his voice fluttering an inch away from your ears, as delicate as the wings of a butterfly; he is still holding you, passionate and devout, and when your gazes meet you see earnestness in his blue eyes, as well as the unavowable fear to see you abandon him for something better. "Never leave me, (name). I... I could not bear it."

"I will be with you forever, Elendil. I promise."

*****

The main difficulty you and Elendil have to face after deciding you will remain living with him, concerns Numenor's society and its opinion on your relationship. Traditionally, your lover -this is what he is now, officially; you like that, very much, and you feel thrilled every time you can refer to him as such- tells you one night you are spending huddled on a blanket at home with parchment and quill, you laboriously copying the letters he has drawn in calligraphy and him happily rewarding you with a kiss every time you complete a line, couples are expected to marry before living together, mainly because it would be immoral if they shared a bed.

"Why? What is so wrong with that?"

"Well... people are expected to remain chaste until marriage, especially women."

You shrug; you are usually fascinated by how your culture and that of the Land-people differ, the sometimes contrasting ways the two look at the world in, but after all why should people dictate how you and Elendil live your life, and your feelings?

"I guess we cannot keep telling people I am a distant cousin who came to stay with you after the death of her parents." you sigh, and your lover laughs; he gently takes the quill from your fingers and corrects a couple of letters you have miswritten.

"I am afraid not; I doubt we have fooled many people until now, since apparently men do not look at their cousins the way I look at you. I do not care much, but I am afraid gossip could hurt you."

"Slanderers do not scare me." you assure him; you turn your face to him, offering Elendil your mouth to kiss, which he happily and eagerly does "I only need you by my side. The rest of the world has no voice."

Fortunately, a few disapproving looks from the older women of the neighborhood are all you have to face, and you happily ignore them as you walk leaning on Elendil's arm among the city's busy's streets, or you wait for him at the harbour in the evening so that you can return home together after he is done with his duties, or even when you are the couple taking advantage of the vicinity as they dance to share a kiss or two...

You are determined to honour your promise to help your lover with the expenses, but the search for a job is more difficult than expected, since you have no experience or qualifications, not to mention references from previous employers. Elendil urges you not to lose hope, because finding employement is not always easy, even in a great and wealthy city like Armenelos, and he can support both of you without any problems. But you are determined not to be a burden anymore, especially given his generosity, and in the end you succeed, and you are hired as an assistant to the palace's stablemaster, which means you are responsible to keep the stables clean, feed and curry the horses, and perform other small tasks to keep them ready when soldiers or courtiers need them. The work is heavy and keeps you occupied for most of the day, but it is relatively easy once you get used to it, you enjoy spending time with the horses and they appear to take a liking to you as well, since they docilely let you brush their coat and clean their hooves. The pay is reasonably good, Elendil assures you since you still have not quite grasped the value of coin, but he is even happier since the stable master is a man he knows and trusts not to harass you, and that the stables are close enough to home that you can return safely before night falls.

Your lover insists you keep some of the coin for yourself, since he is not your master nor your father, but there is so little you could want to buy, since Selkie have little use for material possessions: you have three different dresses and a pair of shoes, a comb and a mirror -this last one that once belonged to Elendil's late mother; he insisted to gift it to you, and you hugged him tight, aware of the importance of that present- to make yourself presentable in the morning, and a blanket to use when the nights grow cold, even though you like it more when you have your lover's body and tight embrace to keep you warm. You have him, you are more and more sure of it every passing day, and you are more grateful for that than you could express in words; as long as you have Elendil, you will never want for more.

Becoming accustomed to living permanently in the city, as a Land-person, is relatively easy... most of the time. Your seal-skin is lost forever, which means that you will never return to the Sea and see your friends and family again, and the sooner you accept it and learn to move forward, the sooner you will find some kind of serenity and start actually enjoy your new life. You have much to be grateful for and you know it; you have even started making friends among the people you work with or that Elendil introduced you to. You should be happy; you are happy, and excited to discover this new world that has been precluded to your people ever since the beginning of time, together with the man your heart beats for, and who you feel more attached to by the day.

But.

But there are moments in which the longing, the loss and the solitude are so intense and encompassing you struggle to breathe, and you feel sure you will never feel happy again. Who cares if you have a place to stay and even a job? What does it matter if you feel more and more at home in Númenor every passing day, and that you are learning to read and write, and even to cook, thanks to the help of the ladies who live in the neighborhood? You will never return home, never again, and your grandmother, your friends, every single person you knew and loved, is lost forever; you had done nothing wrong, but the Great Father has deemed just to ruin your life and leave you to the mercy of Fate. Why? Why me? I did nothing to deserve this! I had dreams, I had plans; and now everything I knew is lost. Is there a reason for this, a moral I will one day understand? Or was it simply because no one is watching over me, and things happen without a reason?

There are days in which the loss of your home is nothing more than a distant pain, like a battle wound that a warrior still feels years later but that causes him no more than a vague soreness once in a while, and your heart bursts with happiness at the freedom you can now enjoy, the days you spend leisurely between your duties at the stables, whatever events or activity you can find in the city, and the treasure of Elendil's company. In those days -weeks, even- you would swear on your life you have received the greatest of gifts from the Great Father, and that while you will never forget your people under the Sea, you have everything you need to be happy on land, and then some.

And then there are days -hours, sometimes; but the shorter the amount of time, the bitterer the wounds in your heart- in which the simple smell of the Sea that reaches you when you open your window in the morning is enough to make you weep, and the thought that you will never see your grandmother and your friends again is so terrible, so catastrophic and destructive, you barely have the strength to rise from your bed. What does it matter if the stablemaster praises you for your hard work and the horses lick your hands when you offer them an apple or scratch them behind the ears? What does it matter if the ladies living in the same street as you have taught you to make bread, and at the end your arms hurt and you have flour on your face, but the taste is sweet and warm on your tongue, and you feel so proud of that little accomplishment? What does it matter if you can now read well enough to visit the city's library, and a whole world of knowledge has opened in front of you?

Even though you walk on two legs, you are not a Land-person: you are a Selkie, always and forever, and that is not your place, that is not your home; you may have fun, behaving as if you were on vacation, but the truth remains that you will never return home, never seen your loved ones again, and that you are prisoner in a world that would probably hunt you down, cage you or have you killed if its people knew the truth about your origins.

You have Elendil, yes. You know that if you remain together you will never feel alone again in your life, and that you might meet every single male of his race, and no one else would ever be like him, nor someone you would care for with the same intensity; he is a gift and a miracle that can make you smile even in your darkest moments. But sometimes -the thought fills you with shame, and you would never dare to confess it to him, but you cannot lie to your heart- you wonder whether the feelings you share will be enough to keep the regret at bay... or what you would do if you were magically given the opportunity to choose.

But wondering about what could be or could have been is meaningless, you reflect one day - or rather, one night. You are in Elendil's bed, awake despite the late hour, and you are observing him, asleep on his back with an hand resting on his belly and the other still close to yours; it is a view you are at this point familiar with, but that does not cease to fill you with wonder and affection, as if it were a miracle taking place again and again every night. He is here next to you, and you are here next to him, and you have him and he has you; this is the truth, a truth that is too precious to be forgotten or unappreciated. You are together; everything else is meaningless.

You rest your cheek on Elendil's naked chest and let his tranquil heartbeat lull you to sleep.

Tagging as usual @starlady66 and @elvenenby.

[fat-rolls-frictions]

i wanna give it to you oh, just to see what you’d do

@greenwarden-cog

[mediocre-writerr]

who do you love [lexi howard]

lexi howard x reader

requested: Hiii! I just discovered your page while looking for Euphoria fics. I saw that you don’t have any Lexi Howard fics. Could I request a fic where Reader is partnered up with Cassie for a project or something and they meet Lexi and develops a crush on her, but Lexi is clueless and thinks reader has a thing for Cassie? Fluff please. Also your works are absolutely amazing!

a/n: italicized are rue's voiceover

*not my gif*

Lexi has always lived in the shadows of her sister. Every guy or girl she liked just never fell for her. They always fell for her sister. Cassie was the one in the spotlight and Lexi was just the background character.

You sat there with your earbuds in as your teacher went on and on about some project you guys had to do. But again, you weren't exactly listening.

Until he came over and ripped your earbuds out of your ear. You looked up at him with innocent eyes, "Ms. Y/L/N, you're partnered with Ms. Howard. Hopefully, she'll be able to fill you in since you weren't paying attention,"

You sent him a small smile before trudging your way over to Cassie. You heard a lot of things about her, but you didn't really care what everyone thought around here. Most of them were assholes anyway.

"So were you paying attention to anything he was saying?" you asked as you plopped down into the seat next to her.

"Not a word, but my friend Kat heard all of it. If you want you can come over tonight, we can start working on it, getting it over with," she offered and you nodded. 

“Sounds great,”

You see this was the start of a beautiful friendship for Y/N and Cassie. They became as thick as thieves. Everyone thought that Y/N and Cassie would eventually get together, but the entire time Cassie was just trying to get her newly found best friend to admit feelings for her sister. 

And those feelings started, cheesy to say, but at first sight.

You knocked on the Howard’s door, bouncing on the balls of your feet. You didn’t really know how to feel, Cassie was popular and well you? Not so much.

The door swung open and you swore your jaw dropped all the way to the floor. You were met with the younger Howard sister. She was beautiful. Her beautiful brown hair fit perfectly with her fair skin.

“You must be Y/N?” she says, snapping you out of your daze.

“Yeah, that’s me. Hi, Lexi, right?” you asked, stepping into the house as she held the door open.

“Yeah. Cassie went out with Maddy, but she texted me and said she’s on her way back. You can come in, you don’t have to wait outside like a dog,” she joked and you laughed together softly.

The two of you sat together on the couch. Your eyes gazed to the TV to see her watching Crazy Rich Asians. One of your favorite movies of all time. The screen was showing the montage of Rachel trying on all the different dresses for the wedding.

“This movie is a masterpiece,” you tell her.

She nods, “This is my first time watching it and I’m completely sold,” 

“Oh, you haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. The wedding scene is-” you put your fingers to your lips and kiss them, “Chef’s kiss!” 

“Hmm, I’ll have to take your word for it,” she said.

You continued watching as the wedding scene started. Lexi’s eyes were glued to the TV, but yours kept drifting towards Lexi. The way she watched intently as Kina Grannis started singing “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.

The scene ends and she looks at you, tears boarded at her eyes, “Why am I going to cry?” she laughed.

“Because it’s one of the most beautiful scenes in history,” you told her. 

The two of you just stared at each other. Her doe brown eyes were captivating and you couldn’t help your eyes from drifting down to her lips. There was a moment where you thought she did the same thing. 

The door bust open filled with laughter and Cassie and Maddy’s eyes landed on the two of you, “Hey Y/N, sorry I’m late. I see my sister was able to keep you company,”

“Oh yeah, Lexi was great. It was nice meeting you, I’ll see you around,” you told her. 

You see, my best friend Lexi developed a crush on Y/N right after that. But despite me and Jules telling her constantly that she felt the same way, Lexi still thought that you fell for her blonde sister and not her. 

“Cassie! I am not telling your sister that I like her. She does not feel the same way that I do. I am not going to risk my friendship that I’ve built with her and you,” you told her as the two of you laid on the bed in her bedroom.

She looked at you with her blue eyes like you were on drugs, “Are you kidding me right now? You sound like you just bought something from Fez. I’ve never seen my sister look at anyone the way she looks at you. You need to stop being a fucking coward and just tell her how you feel,”

“Okay, what if she does want to be my girlfriend? What if something bad happens? I lose the both of you and I can’t do that. I don’t want you to choose between me and your own sister,” you whispered.

Your heads were slightly tilted towards each other as you just stared at her, “I think you need to take advice from your favorite movie: you’re not playing to win, you’re playing to not lose. So play to win. Don’t think about the what if’s and even if things go south with my sister, I found a sister in you. You’re not gonna lose me either,” she said, “You’re one of my favorite people in the entire world, possibly my favorite, don’t tell Maddy that though. I love you so much Y/N,”

Little did the two of you know that Lexi was at the door way. She didn’t hear anything besides that you’re Cassie’s favorite person and that she loves you. 

“Awww someone loves me,” you nudge her shoulder, “But I’m for sure going to tell Maddy that I’m your favorite person. She’ll have a field day with that one,”

She pushed your face away from her, “You will not! I’ll just tell Lexi myself then,” 

You gasped, “You wouldn’t dare!” 

“Then you do it!” she exclaimed. 

Lexi avoided Y/N after that day. She also avoided Cassie. The two girls didn’t know why the brunette Howard was avoiding them. All they knew was that she avoided them every chance that she got.

It broke Y/N’s heart. She was finally ready to tell Lexi how she felt. And now, she wants nothing to do with her. No more movie nights. No more random ice cream days. But rather, Y/N going over to visit Cassie and being disappointed when their mom would answer the door and not Lexi.

You finally caught up to her as she was trying to sprint past you in the hallway. You grabbed her wrist and she looked back at you. The first time actually seeing those beautiful eyes of hers in weeks.

“What did I do? I understand if you don’t want to talk to me. I understand if you don’t want to be my friend, but please just tell me what I did. That’s the least I deserve,” you whispered, your voice breaking at the thought of losing one of your best friends. 

She shook her head, “Nothing, you didn’t do anything,” 

“I obviously did something, you’re not talking to me!” you exclaimed. 

Lexi broke free of your grasp, “You don’t need me Y/N. You have my sister. Cassie always wins. She’s always been in the spotlight. She always gets the guys and girls. Everyone I’ve ever liked, she went for them. And she always wins. I just thought for once that I mattered. That for once, the person I fell in love with chose me, but I guess I was wrong,” 

She stormed away and you were left with your mouth agape. Everything she said twirling in your brain. You immediately told Cassie all of it and your brain worked together to try and figure out a way to win her back. Until it all finally clicked.

You stood outside in the backyard of the Howard’s house. A slip n slide was in the path leading to you, switch on candles. You sat on the opposite side with a guitar in your hand. Luckily, you can play. 

Singing on the other hand, well let’s just hope it goes well.

“Cassie, I already said I don’t want to talk to you! You can’t bribe me with Bob Ross tutorials!” Lexi’s voice echoed as she closed the backyard door. 

She spotted you sitting there and she was immediately about to go inside when you yelled out to her, “Lexi please! Just let me explain, it’ll take maybe three or four minutes of your time,” 

Lexi walked down the slip n slide, but not before falling on her butt and sliding towards you. You let out a roar of a laugh as she finally reached down to you. She tried hard to fight off a laugh and a smile, but you could see it faintly. 

When you finally came down from your high she looked at you with raised eyebrows, “Well, I’m waiting,” 

You started playing the guitar. The melody you learned just hours before playing from the guitar. You took in a deep breath as you started singing the infamous song that got you to fall in love with her in the first place. 

“So, take my hand, take my whole life too. For, I can’t help falling in love with you. For, I can’t help falling in love with you,” you finish the song.

The two of you look at each other as you place your guitar down next to you, “You do matter to me, Lexi. More than you know. I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you, but ever since the first night I met you I’ve always been in love with you,” 

“Cassie actually told me that I need to play to win. And if I had to slip on my ass a thousands times trying to set up this low budget recreation of the wedding scene in Crazy Rich Asians, I would. I did it because I need to win your heart, because Lexi, you already have mine,” 

A small smile breaks out onto her face as she closes the distance between the two of you. She kissed you ever so softly as you tasted the sweet taste of her lips. 

“And you have mine,” 

[robininthelabyrinth]

Nie Huaisang is the cutest thing monsters have ever seen, they can be yao dragons or giant turtles one look at nhs and they want to feed hug or kidnapt him nmj trainning involved recovering his baby brother from every monsters nest around qinge

ao3

“I’m sorry,” Nie Mingjue said, his teeth gritted together and his arms shaking from the strain of holding Baxia up. “He’s mine.”

The massive tiger glared down at him over Baxia’s blade, currently stuck in its teeth, and growled something.

“I know,” Nie Mingjue said. His legs were shaking now, too. “I know, trust me, I know! I’m human, he’s – young, yes, yes, I know. But he’s my little brother! I’m not giving him up!”

The tiger spat out the blade, knocking Nie Mingjue backwards on his ass.

“And when you change your mind?” the tiger demanded. “Will you abandon him then?”

“No!” Nie Mingjue exclaimed. “Never! He’s my brother!”

“Mark your words,” the tiger said ominously. “Or else.”

It turned and stalked off, its tail waving arrogantly in the air, until its towering white form disappeared into the distance.

Nie Mingjue sighed in relief. “Huaisang?” he called, and a small head popped out of the nest the tiger had started building, blinking owlishly at him. “Come on, come to da-ge. It’s time to go home.”

“But Master Tiger said we were going to play…”

“Yes, well, he wanted to play for too long,” Nie Mingjue said. “Only a few centuries, give or take. Let’s go.”

-

It started back when Nie Huaisang was born.

No, more accurately, it started when Nie Mingjue’s father fell in love with someone he probably oughtn’t have, which according to the sect was not a terribly uncommon problem for him to have, and decided to bring home a bride.

Nie Mingjue could still remember the first time he’d seen the Second Madame Nie. They’d all been lined up to greet her, all the sect and close members of the clan in rows according to rank, Nie Mingjue fidgeting in the inside of the house proper in his first tangle with formal clothing outside of the discussion conferences. She had come sweeping in with her head held as high as a princess, seductive and bewitching.

Every movement had been perfect, the eyes of all the men fogging over in lust and the women in admiration – or visa versa, depending on their personal preferences – and a wicked smile had lit up her face when she had stepped across the threshold, officially becoming the sect leader’s wife, and maybe everything would have gone along with whatever plan she’d had back then if she hadn’t next seen him.

“Oh, look at you,” she exclaimed, rushing over to pinch Nie Mingjue’s cheeks between her hands. “What a delectable little morsel you are!”

“Uh,” Nie Mingjue said, staring up at her with big round somewhat-worried eyes.

“You charming little dumpling,” she said. “You adorable mouthful of meat! Spoonful of egg yolk!”

Nie Mingjue cast his eyes around to see if anyone would be willing to help him.

“My eldest son,” Nie Mingjue’s father said, not without pride – albeit perhaps a puzzled sort of pride. “He’s probably just about old enough to come to the forecourt, if you don’t want him to live with you –”

“Oh no,” she said. “He’s definitely living with me.”

And so she stayed, and Nie Mingjue stayed with her, and she doted on him in a way he found pleasant if mildly disconcerting. Within a year, she was pregnant, and irritated with it; six months after that, she was round and complaining, even though Nie Mingjue solemnly assured her that she was as beautiful as ever.

“This is your fault, you know,” she told him, and he blinked at her. “It is! Don’t get me wrong, your father’s a charming bull when he wants to be, and of course he fucks like a champion stud, but I stayed here for you, my little cabbage roll, my charming chunk of liver.”

She patted her belly.

“That means this here is all because of you. So you’d better take responsibility!”

Nie Mingjue considered the issue for a little. The argument seemed plausible, so he raised his hands and put them on her rounded stomach. “I will take care and watch over him for all my life,” he vowed, and the baby inside kicked his hand in response, sealing the pact.

“Oh you are so cute,” she said, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “My darling pork bun! My little fish cake! I could eat you right up, if only you were just a little bit older!”

When Nie Huaisang was born, she disappeared in a welter of blood, but Nie Mingjue’s oath remained.

The trouble started after that.

-

“You can’t raise a cub like that properly,” the winged lion argued, bating its wings as if that would help it make its point better.

Nie Mingjue glared at him. “Watch me!”

“It’s for your own good, little human. He needs his own kind –”

“I’m not listening to a treasure-seeker!”

The lion scowled at him. “I’ll have you know that most humans think I’m good luck!”

“You’re not trying to steal most humans’ little brothers, are you?!”

The winged lion sighed, a deep sound, so very noble and long-suffering that Nie Mingjue couldn’t resist the urge to lift his foot and kick the lion right in the paw.

“Brat!”

“Don’t care!” he shouted. “You leave my brother alone! He’s my responsibility, not yours! Piss off!”

“You can’t even feed him properly -”

“I’ll figure it out!” Nie Mingjue bared his teeth and wished he was old enough for a saber.

“You little…fine. Fine! I’ll bring you a book on how to feed a huli jing kit, and you keep to it, you hear me?”

“I will,” Nie Mingjue said. “But don’t you even think of taking him away!”

“On your own head be it,” the winged lion grumbled. “Not everyone’s as understanding as me.”

-

“Why are you wet?” Nie Mingjue’s father asked him.

“Water monkeys,” Nie Mingjue said shortly. “There was a nest.”

“Water monkeys? Don’t they normally stay away from people…? Or, I suppose, were these ones feral?”

“Thieves.”

“Ah. Well, nothing to be done about it, I suppose…bad luck for you to run into them here, of all places. But good experience! How many people your age can say that they fought water monkeys?”

“Can we go home?” Nie Mingjue asked, a little plaintively, and rubbed his nose. “How much can you really have to say to the Jiang sect, anyway?”

His father chuckled. “More than either of us would like, unfortunately. But if you’ve had enough of water, which no one can blame you for, maybe you and Huaisang can go shopping in the pier instead?”

That would work, Nie Mingjue thought, and nodded happily.

(Sect Leader Jiang was extremely embarrassed about the ghostly rats in the night-market – he claimed they’d never seen neither nose nor tail of them before the Nie brothers had accidentally tripped over their trap and had to flee from the swarm...)

-

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nie-er-gongzi,” the white-clad cultivator from the mountain said, smiling broadly and saluting deeply.

Xiao Xingchen had made himself famous during his first half-dozen night-hunts alone for his extraordinary grace, bearing and strength, and he said he was on a mission to help the world. He was beautiful, virtuous, and matched each ideal of gentlemanly arts.

Sects throughout the cultivation world were drooling at the thought of enticing him to join them, fighting for the opportunity to put in a good word with him.

Not all sects.

Nie Mingjue stepped forward, purposely putting Nie Huaisang behind him.

“Don’t you even think about it,” he said, hand on the hilt of his saber. “Buzz off, birdbrain.”

Xiao Xingchen might wear white, but Nie Mingjue knew a zhuque chick when he saw one.

-

“I found something for my aviary, da-ge!” Nie Huaisang, seven years old and delighted with his clumsy autonomy, announced.

Nie Mingjue, less than a full year into his new role as sect leader, rubbed his eyes. “Oh?” he asked, only somewhat wanting to scream endlessly into the void, which was better than usual. “That’s nice, Huaisang…”

“Come look! It’s so pretty!”

“I’m a bit busy –”

“But da-ge!”

Nie Mingjue sighed and got up, following Nie Huaisang to the door only to come to a complete stop.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he said to the fenghuang currently pretending to be a rooster in a cage, as if anyone would actually mistake phoenix flames for regular feathers. “Do you have no dignity left?!”

-

“You can’t adopt the bashe,” Nie Mingjue said to Nie Huaisang, who pouted. “It eats elephants; we’d be broke within three months.”

He turned to the giant python.

“You can’t adopt Huaisang,” he said. “I will literally murder you.”

-

“Why can’t I go watch the eclipse?” Nie Huaisang complained. “Everyone else is going!”

“I’m not risking a tiangou.”

“The…dog that eats the sun? Really, da-ge, is that even real?”

“You know what,” Nie Mingjue said, “you’re grounded just for saying that.”

Nie Huaisang grinned.

-

“Maybe I want to go and live among the qilin!” Nie Huaisang screamed, fourteen and hormonal about it.

“Well you don’t get a choice!” Nie Mingjue bellowed back.

“You’re not my father! I don’t have to listen to what you say!”

“I’m your fucking sect leader and yes you do!”

“I hate you!”

“I don’t care if you hate me! You still aren’t going to go live in a field with some magic pointy deer and that’s final!”

The qilin herd wisely chose to withdraw.

-

“Da-ge,” Jin Guangyao hissed, and Nie Mingjue looked up from his work at him – he hadn’t heard Meng Yao this upset since he’d shoved him into a closet to get him out of way during the whole dangkang boar hunt debacle. “Da-ge, there’s a dragon outside.”

“Again?” Nie Mingjue said, standing up to stretch and feeling oddly unbalanced. They’d just finished another session with the song of Clarity, so he really shouldn’t be feeling like this; he would need to write to Lan Xichen again about his fears that the treatment really wasn’t working. Lan Xichen would probably only say to give it more time, another chance, but still… “Let me go talk to them. Dragons are the worst.”

“No, da-ge, you don’t understand,” Jin Guangyao said. “It’s not a water-serpent or – or even a jiaolong – it’s a dragon.”

“A flood-dragon is a type of dragon,” Nie Mingjue said, following Jin Guangyao outside. “You know that, it’s in the name, what’s the big – oh, I see. It’s a celestial dragon.”

Jin Guangyao glared at him with an expression suggesting that he was under-reacting, but Nie Mingjue really didn’t have the capacity in him to reach with appropriate fervor at the moment. He and Nie Huaisang had been fighting a lot recently, every little thing escalating into a giant argument, and he was no longer sure if he was doing the right thing in trying to force Nie Huaisang onto the path of his ancestors. After all, unlike Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang had – somewhat different ancestors, on his maternal side.

And, he supposed, Nie Huaisang was old enough to decide otherwise, if he truly wished…

Still, Nie Mingjue was as stubborn as a mule and had no intention of giving up his baby brother without a fight, so he braced himself and went over to the frankly massive creature draped over the entrance gateway and much of the training yard that the entirety of the Nie sect was doing its utmost best to pretend that they weren’t seeing.

Nie Huaisang was sitting on the thing’s five claws – an imperial celestial dragon, apparently – because of course he was.

“Excuse me,” Nie Mingjue called up to the dragon, which turned its head to regard him, an entire production that took nearly a quarter ké to accomplish. “The brat there is mine, please return him.”

“Da-ge!” Jin Guangyao hissed again, but Nie Mingjue waved him away.

“You have raised him well,” the dragon said, which was…a good deal nicer than most of these interactions usually went.

“…thanks?” Nie Mingjue said suspiciously, ignoring Jin Guangyao’s splutters of “It talks?!” “I think?”

“I have chosen to grant you a boon,” the dragon announced.

“…right,” Nie Mingjue said. “If this ‘boon’ is that you’ll take him off my hands, I’m afraid I’m going to have to refuse. He may be trouble, but he’s still my brother.”

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, indignant. “Don’t be rude. I asked him for this!”

Nie Mingjue frowned at him, unable to resist the feeling of hurt even though he’d already told himself to expect something like this. “…you want to leave?”

“No, da-ge, don’t be ridiculous. I asked him to improve your health!”

Ah.

“Huaisang –” he started to say.

“Don’t you ‘Huaisang’ me!” his little brother shouted. “I know you’re trying to hide it, but it’s getting worse, isn’t it? San-ge told me so! He said I should get ready!”

Nie Mingjue made a mental note to strangle Jin Guangyao, who had no right to say something like that to Nie Huaisang even if maybe it wasn’t the worst idea in the world to emotionally prepare Nie Huaisang for the upcoming bereavement and inheritance he would need to face.

“Anyway, he said to get ready, so I did!”

“You can’t just ask a divine dragon to fix me, Huaisang. That’s not how this works.”

“Uh, it totally does, and I did, and he agreed. So there!”

Nie Mingjue crossed his arms and glared. “And what did he want in return?”

“The boon is a reward for your past merit, not a trade for the deeds of the future,” the dragon said, not even slightly hiding how its whiskers were shaking with suppressed laughter. “You have travelled a difficult road, and borne the weight of it well. And besides…”

“Besides?”

“If you were to die, he would undoubtedly petition the creatures of the underworld to return you.”

“Well, fuck,” Nie Mingjue said, having not considered that. “Fine. Whatever. Heal me and I’ll try to keep an eye on my health going forward.”

Maybe more Clarity? He could try to free up his schedule, get in a few more sessions…

“I just give up,” Jin Guangyao said behind him. “I just fucking give up.”

Nie Mingjue, assuming that he was talking about Nie Huaisang’s nonsense, agreed whole-heartedly.

[mortispoxi]

BBC’s The Watch Episode One Review: A Near Vimes Experience

Episode Review order: two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

Hi! My name is Mortis and several months ago I made the dumb decision to review each episode of BBC’s The Watch when they got released, which if you do not know is a widely controversial entry in the anthology of Discworld adaptions. Its problems began when the show wrapped up production and in an Instagram post, the show runners neglected to thank the original creator of Discworld, Sir Terry Pratchett. This raised many red flags for fans of the series because if the people who had produced The Watch were not even acknowledging the person who gave them material to work with in the first place, what else were they hiding?

This show was neither approved by Rhianna Pratchett (Sir Terry Pratchett’s daughter) nor Neil Gaiman (Pratchett’s friend and colleague) and after the trailer was released during New York Comic Con 2020, Discworld fans could tell no care was put into the shows production to make it even remotely resemble the Discworld everyone knows and loves. It has been criticized of being overly dark and edgy as well as having way too many characters not resembling their book counterparts in the slightest.

So, I’m here today to give a recap and my thoughts about episode one of BBC’s The Watch, A Near Vimes Experience. Since many of the characters in The Watch differ significantly from the characters they are based on, I will be referring to them by nicknames I have created so you can differentiate between the tv and book characters. Ok here we go.

Episode Recap:

So right off the bat, we are treated to a flashback sequence of Raccoon Vimes’s (Samuel Vimes) past when he was a part of a gang lead by Gang leader Carcer (Carcer Dun) where we see them arguing about how Raccoon Vimes betrayed him by joining the city watch and not killing Captain John Keel. Already I was shaking my head when they made Carcer, one of the few black main characters in a cast of a white majority, the leader of a street gang that wants justice for the common people through violence. For those who have not read Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, which it seems part of this show is based off, Carcer Dun was a remorseless serial killer who Samuel Vimes chased through time to stop and apprehend. If that is too cryptic to unravel let me make it abundantly clear to you, the show writers made a character that was originally a murderous bastard into a black gang leader who is taking the law into his own hands by murdering authority figures like the police to “improve” the lives of civilians who gain nothing from the senseless deaths. I was only three minutes into A Near Vimes Experience when I realized that what I was seeing was copaganda.

The scene then pans back 20 years later to a drunken Raccoon Vimes, who is trying to arrest a little white dog which is a nod to the character Gaspode, while Himbo Carrot (Carrot Ironfounderson) runs by trying to catch Urdo van Pew (the president of the Thieves Guild but only in Guards! Guards! and is later replaced by Mr. Boggis in the rest of the books) who passes the raccoon man about to piss himself (I am literally not exaggerating this part; he was literally about to piss all over himself and the dog). Already The Watch is starting to show its true colors when an instrumental version of Bad Reputation by Joan Jett starts playing in the background to tell the viewer, “This show is supposed to be punk rock and edgy. You know, punk rock, that movement that’s entire identity centers around its anti-authority and fuck the cop’s messages in their songs.”

The next ten minutes are dedicated to introducing the main cast who occupy the watch house and why watchmen are so disregarded like they are. This merry band of characters includes:

Faux Detritus (Sergeant Detritus)

Werechipmunk Angua (Angua von Uberwald)

Tall Cheery (Cheery Littlebottom)

And of course, the others I spoke on, Himbo Carrot and Raccoon Vimes.

Since Fred Colon and Nobby Nobs were removed from the shows cast of characters, The Watch puts more of an emphasis on Angua, Carrot, Detritus and Cheery’s characters. An absolute travesty in my opinion.

The “plot,” if you can call it a plot, gets set into motion when Lady Vetinari (Lord Havelock Vetinari) calls upon Raccoon Vimes to find a stolen book because…the Librarian asked Vetinari of all people to report it stolen…no explanation as to why this book is of significance but for some reason is important enough for Lady Vetinari to see the raccoon man and tell him…could have made a police report but ok I guess. (Side note: The costume design is atrocious, See image below) The disappearance of the library book, The Summoning of Dragons, is a major plot point in the novel Guards! Guards! However, the show makes no mention of what the book is nor how it is important enough for Lady Vetinari to make it a priority for Raccoon Vimes to find. It then cuts back to Werechipmunk Angua giving Himbo Carrot some much-needed exposition by explaining how the guilds in Ankh-Morpork were established under Vetinari’s rule.

When Raccoon Vimes meets back up with his crew outside the Mended Drum, which has been turned into a night club for some reason, he spots GL Carcer making some sort of deal before running in after him…then getting drunk and passing out. It is revealed through another flashback (there’s a ton of random flashbacks) that GL Carcer shot and killed John Keel which causes Raccoon Vimes to run after and chase him up a tower with a lot of random purple lightning around it. By the way, this whole thing takes up 4 flashback sequences to tell which is annoying and stupid so I’m just going to recap the whole backstory here. After they get up on the tower, they fight a bit before GL Carcer eventually slips off and falls yelling over and over again to “Arrest me.” 

A quick side note: They filmed the scene where Raccoon Vimes walks around the bar in the first person, so as he’s walking forward, no joke, it made him look like a dog with rabies. He’s just very gross to look at during the whole sequence. 

Here is where we are introduced to Tall Cheery (Cheery Littlebottom) who I describe as tall because despite her being a dwarf, they chose an actor who is both taller than Werechipmunk Angua and Himbo Carrot. They of course try to explain it away by saying dwarfs come in all shapes and sizes but if you open any DnD manual you know that’s wholly untrue. There was controversy surrounding her character when the cast and crew described Cheery as nonbinary when in fact this is not the case. If you did not already know, Cheery’s character in the books established a binary in dwarf culture by identifying as a female in a society where all dwarfs are male. In the past, if a dwarf identified as female, they were forced to keep it to themselves out of fear of ostracization. Some would describe Cheery as a trans icon because she established her femininity in canon which led to a change in how gender was viewed in dwarf culture around Ankh-Morpork. However, in this rendition, Tall Cheery identifies as nonbinary but still uses she/her pronouns and apparently has also worked for Raccoon Vimes long enough to know about GL Carcer and his weird idiosyncrasies.

Anyway, Raccoon Vimes tells his crew that they are looking for a library book which causes Himbo Carrot to throw a mini tantrum about how he wants to be a real cop instead of whatever the fuck they are doing. He wanders off into a storage closet where he pretends to be a “real” copper in front of the mirror before the mirror starts talking to him. THIS IS NOT EXPLAINED BY THE WAY! (It may be a reference to Lilith Weatherwax in Witches Abroad but it was so out of left field that it’s worth mentioning)

Feeling confused? Congratulations! Me too! We’ve made it to the 20-minute mark and it only gets weirder!

After looking at a trashed jail cell which we later find out is because Werechipmunk Angua can’t control her werewolf powers in this rendition so she chills in there every full moon, Himbo Carrot announces that he wants to resign and goes to find the raccoon man. Raccoon Vimes on the other hand is out searching for GL Carcer and stumbles across an iconograph, the Discworld equivalent to a camera, and takes the pictures the imp living inside of it was painting. This is the point where I had to pause and take a deep breath because for some godforsaken reason, someone had the bright idea to make the images Raccoon Vimes views be on a sort of touch screen iPad device. I think whoever thought this up was trying to combine the concept of iconographs and moving pictures, the Discworld equivalent to film, into one device but my immediate first reaction upon seeing Raccoon Vimes using a touch screen (when Sam Vimes is in fact technologically illiterate) I said out loud, “excuse me what in the fuck?”

Another side note: If you watch the images on the iPad, you can see actual dwarfs walking around in the background! Which means they made Tall Cheery tall for no fucking reason!  

Speaking of dwarfs, you know what was the most fucked up moment in the entire episode for me? When Carrot found the letter his dwarf parents sent to Raccoon Vimes on his desk and in the letter his own adopted family thought he was a monster because he accidentally hit his head on a support hoist and collapsed a mine shaft. Now this is a genuinely concerning development because in the books, Carrot’s adopted parents love their adopted son, but they realize that living in a mine is not sustainable for him because he is really a human and should live among the humans. Carrot keeps his identity as a dwarf throughout the book series and even continues to write to his family who live up in the mountains. To call Carrot a monster as a way of isolating a significant part of his original character in order to form a connection with members of the watch so that he can fit in the show’s message of misfits coming together to form a team is concerning. Carrot Ironfounderson was already a misfit the moment he walked through the city gates because he self-identifies as a dwarf. Him being accepted as a dwarf helps him sympathize with the plights of the dwarves living in the city. He is both on the side of human and dwarf so he can see both sides of a conflict and deescalate situations because he can sympathize. Carrot walked into Ankh-Morpork with the love from his family in his heart and with time it expanded into love for his job and love for the city itself. When you take that away from him and call him a monster then he’s no longer the Carrot Ironfounderson Discworld fans have come to recognize. 

And now we reach the part of the episode where things really go off the rails and that is when Supermodel Sybil (Lady Sybil Ramkin) gets introduced. Upon waking up after getting clonked on the skull while following leads, Raccoon Vimes finds himself chained to a cement slab in a place called the Sunshine Rescue Centre for Broken Bedraggled Things in which Supermodel Sybil teaches, well forces people really, to realized that they are being brainwashed into believing crime is a profession. She still takes care of dragons but apparently everything about Sybil Ramkin’s original character was stripped down to just the frame and remade into a badass dragon lady who also…kidnaps…people… Yes, you heard me right, Supermodel Sybil is apparently mad about the existence of Guilds allowing for crime to be legal in a way that it can be regulated and controlled under Vetinari’s rule so that she can run off and be a vigilante. And since she has taken on this role of being this gone rogue hero, she joins Raccoon Vimes in finding GL Carcer because he’s a gang leader stockpiling and moving large quantities of drugs…which is also apparently legal under the protection of the Alchemists Guild despite the books being opposed to that concept.

All of this culminates in the end to GL Carcer returning into Raccoon Vimes’s life and the show hinting at time travel being used on top of GL Carcer summoning a dragon as a way of continuing his evil plan to…uh…yeah, I’m still not entirely sure what his plan is. One thing’s for sure, although I saw elements from other Discworld books were used to establish the world and some of its characters, it’s going to be largely based on Guards! Guards! and Night Watch.

Oh yeah, hey! Did I mention this episode is a series of flashbacks about ways Raccoon Vimes has possibly died throughout the show? Yeah! Both the beginning and ending of the episode is literally Death looking at him and going, “You’re probably wondering how you got here.” 

If you’re gonna pull this bullshit Simon Allen then at least include Baba O'Riley by The Who to complete the picture. 

Episode Review/Thoughts:

As someone who enjoys Discworld, I was willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt before I watched it. I’m one of those people who can look over character changes from book to cinematic adaption because I feel that if an actor can add onto or even improve upon the character then I’m all for it. However, the changes they made from book to show was done with such backwards thinking that it negatively impacted the way I viewed The Watch as a whole. They changed nearly every character’s main identity that allows them to stand out in the stories they were featured in and stuffed them with edgy bullshit to fit their cyberpunk narrative. 

This is only the first episode and the story is all over the place. This show wants to be so many things but does not know how to convey it in a way that is easy to understand. It’s constantly trying to pull the viewers attention in different directions that by the end it leaves you reeling trying to figure out what exactly it wants to say. I think the thought process was if we throw a bunch of references at the fans who understand them then maybe we can get away with the entire episode being a literal mess. The Watch desperately tries to be a dark retelling of the city watch series but still wants you to laugh at the jokes that are barely entertaining while also trying to maintain itself as being a serious/no nonsense cop show. If I as the viewer can’t figure out what’s going on until twenty minutes in, then you’ve already failed at story telling! It’s confusing for no goddamn reason!

Minor Gripe- There were so many pointless flashbacks throughout the episode to explain the backstory it becomes downright annoying whenever there was a cutaway. If you’re going to tell us how Raccoon Vimes and GL Carcer had a falling out, then show the whole thing in one go or actually step up your skills as a writer and have an actual dialogue between the characters later on. How about you actually write a good Discworld adaption! 

It’s only the first episode and it’s already not looking too good for the series as a whole!

Now for the fun part of the post I like to call...

Things in A Near Vimes Experience that made me go, “Wait What?”:

Goth ghosts/vampires showing up to ask Tall Cheery to join their band

Drugs! Drugs everywhere!

Whoever included the iPad I will hunt you down for blood sport!

Raccoon Vimes can and will pee on things to establish dominance 

Supermodel Sybil locks people in her basement

Whatever the fuck these costumes are! (They did Vetinari so dirty!)  

Honorable mentions:

“You became a cop to stop people from throwing babies at dwarves?”

The Mended Drum is a neon infused dance club

Dibbler has been replaced with a lady in a wheelchair named Throat that deals in drugs and information

Raccoon Vimes almost successfully committed suicide 

Current Kill Count...

Supermodel Sybil: 2

[stxleslyds]

MY TOUGHTS ON PART THREE OF RED HOOD BY CHIP ZDARSKY :)

A DC RENDITION OF THE SONG “MOTHER KNOWS BEST” FROM TANGLED.

Here I will leave the links to my reviews of Part 1 and Part 2

Well, here we are, three issues in this story of only six parts and i still cant tell if i like it or not. What i know for sure tho is that Zdarsky never read any Red Hood books, i had my suspicions but now i am at least 95% sure.

This Jason has been nerfed. We had a perfectly balanced Jason back in 2005 he was smart, skilled, confident and strategic. Then from 2011 to 2020 (let’s put the fact that Lobdell is trash aside for a moment) Jason was skilled, he had the whole “chosen one” thing going on with the all-castle, and in some moments you could even see him being quick witted and confident. But now in this first half of this story he is extremely insecure, his skill set and expertise is barely there and is presented as just reckless. 

The other day i was talking about how DC treats Jason, how they just can’t decide on who he is, what motivates him or what he wants. His personality is a whole ass mess, it was fine in 2005 and 2010 when Winick wrote him but then Lobdell from years 2011 to 2020 just couldn't decide what he wanted to do with Jason or his relationship with Batman and his rules. After Lobdell finally left Jason was passed around people who either only read Lobdell's work, or didn't read anything from him or didn't take into account Jason's life because their book was set in a future that may never happen. 

What i am trying to say is that Jason doesn't have a personality, and writers don't really add things to the Jason that we “know”, what they do is start his story from zero over and over again. There is no consistency to Jason's character and while you could argue that maybe this new start could be the definite version of Jason Todd/Red Hood i will point out that this nerfed version of him is a major disservice to the character that he was when he was brought back to DC.

It’s simply not nice. 

And in this particular issue the “Jason isn't that good at this whole vigilante gig” is even more pushed because of the whole “batman knows best” bullshit. I am not getting this (anthologies) book with a Red Hood story just for Batman to come in and be like “I am actually good at this job, you know nothing AND i have the moral high-ground”, this is NOT it.

If you are reading a Red Hood story chances are that you will be interested in Red Hood not Batman. 

Oh one more thing, Jason was an excellent Robin. He was kind, smart and skilled. I liked the flashbacks in UtRH because it showed Jason being all that but he also understood a couple of things about the kind of criminals that Gotham had, your common thug is easily scared of the concept of Batman but the dress-ups knew that no matter what they did the Bat would never kill them, that’s what Jason thought about criminals there.

This Robin Jason is treated rather poorly by Zdarsky at times, he feels insecure and inferior to Dick but he is also dismissive of him and the Robin mantle in the first issue, now in this one he is shown as way too reckless (which is kinda bad because it feeds into DCs favorite trope of “Jason’s death was Jason’s fault”) and his stance on “low level” criminals is weird, like it was made clear that drug related criminals are Jason’s biggest issue, thieves were not. 

Those are my general thoughts on this issue and the current state of Jason’s characterization. I have some panels from this issue that i want to talk about in more depth tho, so here we go. 

The issue stars were we left off once more, Tyler defends Jason and when Batman asks who he is Tyler says that he is the Blue Hood, that was really sweet of him, that child is adorable and he needs to be protected. 

Once the Bat distracts Tyler Jason tells the Bat that the man he killed was Tyler’s dad. 

There are a couple of things i want to point out from these panels, Jason feels incredibly guilty, not about killing Andy but about leaving Tyler in a situation that is similar to the one he was left in when his own mother died. He still believes that Andy was not a good man and deserved to be dead, after all he was drugging his own son and was the reason Tyler’s mom overdosed and is now in the hospital. It just hits incredibly close to home for Jason and i understand completely. 

The other thing i want to point out is that Jason says “I know your rules. No killing in Gotham” so, this is (to me) confirmation that Jason hasn’t killed in a long time and that he has been sticking to the Bat's rules (at least in Gotham). Andy (a drug-dealer) is the only person that Jason has killed since the events of UtRH (that are apparently canon in this story because it was mentioned in the first issue). 

Following this conversation the Bat says that he will take care of Tyler’s mother (yikes, i really thought in my last post that Jason was the one who would have tried to get her the help she needed, to me it seems more appropriate if Jason does it given that this is his story but what do I know) 

This is where this Red Hood story transforms into the Batman show.

Not only will Bruce take care of Tyler's mom but he will clean up the mess and shut down the making of the drug all by himself. Jason tells him that he will do it but the Bat tells Jason that if he wants to do it they will have to do it together because there is no way he is letting Jason out of his sight, he made a mess!

Yes, nothing like making the lead character look incompetent at his job. Love that for Jason.

Before the team up starts Batman and Red Hood go to Leslie's place to leave Tyler with her. This is a good moment only because there is a dog involved, well…Tyler, Jason and a dog are involved, best panel in the whole issue? I think yes.

Maybe I have a couple more panels that are my favs in this issue, here they are, a lil bit of positivity in this extra bitter post.

Now I will be honest, I hate Batman (Bruce’s Batman, love Dick Bats he was the MVP) so him saying that he is helping a Robin makes me want to shoot him. You are not helping; you are overtaking, as you do. Never a team player, the Batgod must always be the center of the show.

Back in the new cave Bruce talks to Jason about the drug and who he thinks might be behind it's production. He also makes sure to let Jason know that he is very smart and might be the only person outside of Crane's circle that knows how analyze a very unstable compound…weird flex but okay. He also teases Jason about his detective skills. Yay.

Flashback time! Get ready!

Robin Jason and Batman are at a crime scene and Jason doesn’t seem to be in the mood to play CSI: Gotham with Bruce.

At one moment Jason says “and then we will stomp the guy who did this” (“this” being murder), which makes Jim Gordon (who came to see if batman was done playing Sherlock Holmes) uncomfortable, so Batman tells Jason to wait for him. As Jason is going he sees someone acting suspicious.

Back to present day Batman and Red Hood are visiting the woman that created the compound that makes Fear Gas, the interrogation starts well but because this is the Batman show and Jason is bad at reading people and asking questions we have a scene that shows Jason being a bit too much.

I honestly thought that the first question was fair, but then after they leave the office they were in Batman basically goes on a rant about the things that Jason missed.

Ok, I get it Batman = good vigilante. Red Hood = Incompetent.

Zdarsky is honestly trying to make us believe that Jason hasn’t picked up any of those things, in his years as Robin with Batman AND Nightwing? They both taught him, there is no way Jason doesn’t know the basics of how to read people. Also do you guys remember Jason in UtRH and Lost Days? That guy read people perfectly, how is UtRH canon in this story, did Jason lose his skills in the explosion when he blew up the Joker?

As if that wasn’t enough Batman calls Red Hood reckless after they don’t agree on what to do next.

To this I say the following: Never again make me believe that Jason will willingly work with Batman. They don’t work together and neither are willing to meet each other halfway, even less let the other lead. This makes the idea of Jason following the Bat’s rules and him being part of the “Batfamily” the joke that it actually is.

They don’t work well together anymore; bring duality back to Gotham 2021.

Back in the past where the previous flashback is resumed we have Jim telling Batman that the new Robin seems a bit too rough around the edges. Did Jim ever meet Dick as Robin? I mean, don’t get me wrong, Dick was a sweetheart but he also beat criminals alongside batman every night. It just doesn’t feel like what Jason said was that much of a violent statement or anything, maybe I just don’t get it.

But don’t worry if you don’t get it, because we are shown Robin Jason going after that suspicious man, he is beating him asking if he knows anything about the murder or what exactly he was doing so close to the crime scene when Batman arrives. Through Batman we are told that that man was no longer a criminal, to which Jason says this, “…The guy is a jewel thief! He will always be a thief” and Batman responds “I refuse to believe that. Didn’t I meet you in the middle of stealing the Batmobile’s tires?”

I can’t believe Bruce went full “It’s over Jason. I have the moral high ground” on Robin Jason.

I mean Jason is OOC, we know this, but he has to be that way in order to make Batman look better when compared to a child. DC hates Jason Todd #Confirmed.

It kinda reminds me of that thing DC does with Dick and Barbara, Dick is skilled and smart as long as Barbara isn’t in the room, if she is then Dick will forget to check if there is someone inside his apartment and then be thrown across the room by her and then be told that he sucks at putting security in his living space.

Moving on...back to the present one last time Jason is interrogating a man while he dangles him from the edge of a building (did Dick teach him that? I bet he did.) After getting some information he calls Oracle so he can make sure that the place he is going to is safe. Oracle tells him the she will help him but she did not like the fact that the last time she helped him someone ended up dead.

Now, fair warning, Barbara and Jason big NO for me and after Geoff Johns and his antics in Three Jokers I have zero love for their “team-ups”.

Jason says this, 

Believing in him? Excuse me? Chonky, baby, she only helped you find a building.

All I can do at this point is pray to whichever god or whoever hears that this does not lead to Jason pinning for Barbara. We don’t need it (Barbara doesnt need it), I might be overreacting, I hope I am, but nobody wants that kind of drama right now, thanks.

When he arrives to the place he was looking for I think everyone can tell that it’s a trap, everyone but Jason apparently. 

How on earth does Jason not realize it’s a trap up until it’s too late? Are you joking? Is this a Red Hood story? Are we really doing this? Just how incompetent is Jason in Zdarsky’s eyes?

Freeze…is it Freeze? I don’t care but he is there, he freezes Jason and that’s the end of the issue.

Listen, I wish I could say that this is the worst Jason has been treated and that this book is horrible, I wish but I can’t. I can’t do it because this isn’t the worst characterization or book of Jason, this is still a pretty good story, could it be better? Yes.

I mean this story is written by someone who obviously doesn’t know Jason and that sucks but it still isnt the worst characterization and it messes me up. Three Jokers was worse than this, certain plot decisions in Future State: Red Hood were worse than this (in my opinion) and Lobdell’s New52 RHatO was pure trash (that is the worst book, just horrible please dont read it). 

I am saying this only to make it clear that even tho this issue was painful (mostly if you don’t like Batman) I still have hope that it can turn out to be good. I cant help it, i want and need this story to be good and there is still time for it to get better. 

Alright thats all i have to say, let me know what you thought about this issue and my review, bye!

[shinidamachu]

What are some of your favorite InuYasha fanfiction stories? 😙

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO ASK ME THIS QUESTION! PLEASE, CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:

Light Me a Lantern by @inuyashasforest: a lot of feelings for this one. It was the first Inukag multichapter fanfic I have ever read and boy am I glad I did. It’s a must read. I don’t know how Hanyo no Yashahime will fall into the Inuyasha universe, but if it turns out to be garbage, I’m more than happy to accept Light Me a Lantern as canon instead. Send tweet.

Little by Little by @little-known-artist: cutest post-canon fanfic in all land! It will make you smile. It will make you laugh. It will make you a little horny. That being said, it will also make you cry, but trust me: you’re gonna be grateful for it.

You Rescued Me by @keichanz: this fic it’s a party and I’m the piñata, there’s no other way to put it. Heather is a storytelling master, like... she could post her grocery shopping list and I’d be reading the hell out of it!

The Captain and the Hanyo by @goshinote: I love the whole premise of this fic and how much effort Jane puts in every detail. It’s like I’m living in it and I wish I was. It’s the story I’m currently reading and it’s so, so sweet and exciting!

Cruel Summer by @akitokihojo: you know shit is about to go down when Angie drops a Taylor Swift song titled fic. Now that Folklore is out I’m honestly scared for my life.

Pennies and Dimes by @witchygirl99:  SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part one)

Delicate by @akitokihojo: SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part two)

A Night to Remember by @angelhartsblog: I want you to close your eyes. Now I want you to think about the perfect Inukag first time. Open your eyes. Did you think about A Night To Remember? No? That’s because you haven’t read it yet, pal. What are you waiting for?

The Gorgon and the Dog Demon by @cstormsinukagblog​: I’m in too deep HELP!

Mating Fever by @clearwillow: let’s face it, this one is a classic already! The concept of this story was executed so well. Nothing was held back. You can tell Carra had as much fun writing it as we had reading it.

Pretending To Pretend by splendentgoddess: IF BOTH THE LAST HARD COPY OF THIS FIC AND MY COUSIN WERE ON FIRE... I’d still save my cousin but only because I reread Pretending to Pretend so many times I could probably write it down again myself, word for word. Also, my mom would never let me hear the end of it. But, like... it’s still a close one.

Bakin’ Cakes/Patty-Cake by @artistefish​: if I had two lives to give to Bloodhound and Kitten then two lives I’d give them.

Risks by @stoatsandweasels: THE CHARACTERIZATION, THE DIALOGUES, THE SMUT... Definition of *chef’s kiss*. The stars really aligned for this one, let me tell ya. Good. Fucking. Food.

Cam You See Me? by @keichanz​: Smut Queen at her best. LONG LIVE!

Inuyasha: Prince of Thieves by @starlingchildgazingatthestars: I feel like this fic should be written on a very big, very old, hard covered book. And someone should read it to me every night before I go to sleep. Every new chapter deepens the plot and the character so much. I’m hooked.

Belief/Resist by @dangerouspompadour​: my first thought on it was “man, I wish I could leave a thousand kudos” because it’s one of my favorite tropes ever and the story was told with such delicacy and honesty. Nailed their personalities to their cores.

Freak Attraction/Freak Attraction: Seven-Man Circus by @artistefish: this fic is the epitome of galaxy brain. How do someone eve come up with something so incredible? The world building is so fucking good, are you kidding me?

Oblivion by @meggz0rz: this one needs no comments... But I’m gonna comment anyway: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spetacular, never-the-same, totally unique.

Beautiful Stranger by splendentgoddess: WHAT A RIDE, MY FRIENDS! BUCKLE THE FUCK UP!

Missing by @ajoy3fanfics: it’s called ‘missing’ because after you finish the whole thing you just miss it so fucking much! I remember how obsessed with it I became, refreshing the page for updates. I was a woman possessed. I spent about 80% of my time talking about this fic, and the other 20% of the time, I was praying for someone else to bring it up so I could talk about it more.

The Delinquent Boyfriend by @artistefish: book one of Inukag Holy Bible.

Out Of The Woods by @dyaz-stories: okay so there are only two chapters so far but the plot it’s captivating as hell! And the writing it’s flawless. If you haven’t read it yet, please do and tell Dya I sent you and I miss her ass.

Guardian by @ruddcatha​: my nerdy ass feels seen and represented.

Knit and Lace by @doginabirdcage: if you’re part of the Inukag fandom you’re legally obligated to read this fanfic. This is not even a joke. Do you know someone who hasn’t read it? No! And you shouldn’t because it’s fucking awesome.

Call You Mine by @lavendertwilight89​: every word on this is a drop of dopamine I swear.

Enchanted by @akitokihojo: I was in the middle of studying for one of the most important tests of my life when Enchanted came around. Was it insane of me to drop everything to read it? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes.

The Half Breed’s Wife by @gypsin: I’m gonna be honest here, this better update before I die otherwise I’m simply not going. RIP to everyone who will pass away without knowing how The Half Breed’s Wife ends but I’m different.

The It Couple by @meggz0rz: OH, YEAH,THE COOL KID OF FANFICS! *Vogue by Madonna starts playing*

It's About Time by @akitokihojo: first fic by Angie I have ever read! Flashback to two-years-ago me picking her chin off the floor. I still can believe I could read this for free? It feels wrong that I could, but also, like: thank God!

The Maid and the Bodyguard by @dyaz-stories: this is the fic you want to take home to your mama. You’d get on one knee for this fic. You’d buy it a diamond ring. You’d profess my undying love for it and you’d spend the rest of your life trying to prove to this fic I’m worthy of it.

Something Real by Angelica Pierce: so this is one of the best oneshots I have ever read in my entire life. It is also the one and only work signed by this author known to mankind. Which I take as a personal offense. To me. Personally.

Mars and Venus by @doginabirdcage: have you ever read something so clever you’re mad about it? Like HOW DARE YOU BE SO SMART? Genius, really. I read it so long ago and it blows me away to this day.

I Knew You Before I Met You by @keichanz: book two of Inukag Holy Bible.

House Mates by honeybee31: “and they were roommates.” “OH MY GOD, THEY WERE ROOMMATES!” Domestic Inukag? In my fic rec? It’s more likely than you think.

The Language He Speaks by @akitokihojo​: if I was half as beautiful as this fic... I’d be kissing so many mouths... The possibilities...

Fingertips by @shinjiteflorana: this is the level of writing I aspire to achieve someday.

PS: I could never, in a billion years, rank these fanfiction, so please keep in mind they are in no way ordered by personal preference. I just love them all. Also, I’m messy.

PS²: believe it or not, I really tried to narrow this down. If I were to tag every Inuyasha fanfiction I love ever, it would get insane huge. This is a not exhaustive, very humble list of my favorites as requested above and I had to draw the line somewhere, otherwise I’d just keep going forever.

PS³: I’ll never get tired of saying that this fandom is crazy talented! Making this fic rec was so hard because there are so many awesome creators out there putting out new content for us every single day. I would like you to know that, even if I had to leave some works out, I appreciate and support each one of them. Thank you so much for keeping the Inuyasha fandom alive!

PS⁴: if you’re reading this, feel free to recommend or tag me in Inuyasha fanfics. Add some of your favorites to this post. Give the authors some love!

[godtrials]

hey, i love your tight knit boys playlist. It fits so well sometimes but i was wondering how ou connect some of the songs (like a pound of flesh or bad blood) to sam and dean??

guys, i promise i didn't send myself this ask. someone honest to god prompted me to talk about radical face & supernatural.

say what you will about radical face but who else is writing songs entirely about codependent brothers and dysfunctional parents. exactly. i’ve connected them to sam & dean in specific ways, but i’m 1000% certain someone else could do it totally different.

so here goes! the playlist is roughly linear, although some are flexible. it goes in this order:

Doorways - sam before christmas 1991. It's "when i was just a boy, still owl-eyed, / i tried to count the stars while in my bed / to keep the thoughts of monsters from my head," it's "i believed in all your stories / i believed you'd never lie" (to john? to dean?). he's small and innocent and optimistic about the world.

Summer Skeletons - they're boys! they're kids! "when our heads were still simple / we'd sleep beneath the moon. / you were something / that would always be around" !!!!!!!! "and all the stars fell into the lake / when the water was warm / walked in over my head / but you pulled me out by the collar of my shirt" he can still save his kid brother, okay!

Mountains - i made a post here <3 their father is a mountain of a man and there is someone else out there who watches sam all the time! what else is there to say!!!

Sisters - i made a post here, but also, let's just look at the lines: "your hand rode the wind out the window of the train / we slept in our seats with our knees curled beneath our dirty chins / dad gripped the bags like they might fly away".

A Little Hell - he's ten years old he's got a bloody nose he's watching his big brother. i mean.

Ghost Towns - Dean, Stanford era. he's nameless and travelling and "i still dream of you / but everyone knows / yeah everyone knows if you can, let it go"

The Deserter's Song - Sam, Stanford era. "i knew in my heart that my old life was gone / that in walking away, my name was undone."

Always Gold - it's the sam&dean song, so i placed it at the pilot.

The Crooked Kind - s1/s2. they’re fucked up kids! sam wants to be part of a normal family but he’s as fucked up as they are! he can hear the voices of the dead and the dark! he feels himself growing up & growing evil! also: “and I sit beside my brother and i feel him shake / as he laughs himself right back to sleep / and i’m laughin' with him // but i smell their blood” okay s2 sam we hear you.

Names - they’re on the road. they’re lost and homeless. what else do you need.

Wandering - i always think of this one as dean leaving lisa, but it could also be sam’s realization that he’s not leaving hunting (which i think really dawns on him early s3).

A Pound of Flesh - this one could be s5 or s7, i think. it’s a very desperate things-are-kinda-fucked-but-here-we-go! song. in s5 sam held down by his guilt, s7 by his hallucinations and constant fear. i especially think these lines read like them: “you told me then, hold me down, hold me up to the fire / but don’t you dare hold me back”.

Guilt - s8 finale. don’t know what more to say.

Black Eyes - okay i’m going to be real i first put this here because dean & literally having black eyes in s10 lmao, but in retrospect, i think it’s sam’s mix of desperate mourning for dean and desire for ruby and cold cold fury for lilith in that s3/s4 summer. “i couldn’t count on anyone to stand there behind me and keep the dogs from dragging me off with them,” “my heart will be blacker than your eyes when I’m through with you,” “all of the roads are one now, each choice is the same.”

Chains - dean post-gadreel, I think. “i thought i had control / that i could always walk away / if things turned bad // we were thick as thieves / 'til i became the one / who always went too far / and I couldn't hear you.” also “but in the end I'm lost / and i'll drag you down / yeah, that's my cost” and the “i’m poison” speech lmao.

Bad Blood - this is such a fucking sam song holy shit. there’s some gadreel stuff (“so you said it was for me / when you tried to break me”),  some religious pessimism (“i know, i'm not the kind you pray for”), some throwback to the dean who promised nothing bad would ever happen to sam in s1 (“you took all my fears and / you wrapped them in wonders / but there's no magic inside the moon / it's just a rock you can't reach”).

All is Well (It's Only Blood) - finale, part one. dean dying. “i said i'd fix this / that i'd set things straight / you begged me not to / but i couldn't stay”

All is Well (Goodbye, Goodbye) - finale, part two. “so i collected all our plans and crimes / and set them all alight / the only thing that bound me to this place / you took with you when you died / so goodbye, goodbye.”

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

❛ I'M GONNA PROTECT YOU ❜

with Angel Reyes, and reader as Che ‘Taza’ Romero' daughter.

Request: Oooh Could it be where you are a younger sibling to one of the guys or a daughter to either the older three? And you and Angel are somewhat good friends? Well one day you are alone at your house and you hear a noise outside and it freaks you out so you grab your gun and call your brother/dad and they are busy at the moment but they send Angel to check it out and he comes and turns out it's someone trying to break in. Anyway the guy runs away and it ends in some Smut? Then your relative comes!

BY @firebenderwolf

Warnings: brief violence described, I think.

Word count: about 1.8k

Aurora says: I wrote it listening a cover of ‘La Llorona’, by Natalia Doco, so I recommend you to listen this song while you read it. This writing hasn't been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I'm sorry about that!

Gif credits: @angels-reyes

Masterlist.

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The barks coming from the open field, next to the barns, suddenly wakes you up. Your dogs never barks in the middle of the night. You don't give them much importance, lying back on bed again, until they start to howl. Getting up and sticking your head closer to the window, you find some big figures cutting part of the wire fence with a pair of shears. Grabbing your phone, you call your father while leading your feet to his room, to grab the gun under his pillow. A nine millimeters semi automatic, enough to chase them away. Taking off the safety and raising your arms to the high of your eyes, you hang up the call. Probably, Taza will be at Vicki's house getting drunk with Bishop and Tranq, so you type Angel's number by heart. Going downstairs, your eyes looking straight forward, trying to make the least noise possible while you hear the howls and barks getting louder.

“Angel, there's two guys trying to come into my house, and my dad doesn't answer”.

“I'm going, mami. Hide and don' fuckin' move”.

The adrenaline was running through your body, and until you listened to his voice, you didn't notice that you were actually terrified. Gulping, you just hope that they don't hurt your animals. Keeping your phone muttered in a pocket, you hold the gun with both hands. The logic act would be calling the cops, but that is not an option for someone like you, nor your father. Crossing the huge and open living room, you decide to hide yourself into a wardrobe behind a folding screen that your great-grandfather made with his own hands.

Your heart races jumping inside your chest when you are able to hear their voices. Mexicans with a terrible american accent. Sticking your left ear to the door, you try to glimpse if you know them. And it is possible. Biting your bottom lip really nervous, you begin to text your father telling him what's happening, until your body shakes violently when a lot of small glasses fall to the floor after a heavy racket. The thieves are now entering into your house. And actually, they're not going to find anything. Your father is too intelligent to keep his money and valuables belongings inside there. But you're actually terrified because, yes, you know how to fire a gun; but you have never done it to defend yourself. And the only thing you can do right now is to wait. Your father is also coming with the older part of the crew after reading your text messages.

The barks outside don't cease, but your dogs are locked taking care of the animals, and you prefer it. You don't want them to get hurt. And the different noises of more glasses crashing, and different pieces of furniture falling to the floor are turning you anxious. The tears filling up your eyes and your shaky breathing don't help to stay calmed. Resting your back against the wall, with the gun raised to the door, you think that you are ready to fire it as soon as someone opens it.

Gulping a bunch of saliva, when you stop to hear them whispering curses in spanish after some minutes, the heavy steps upstairs call your attention; as the continues buzz of an engine getting closer to the ranch, speeding up in the moment it crosses the main fence. In complete silence, you step out from the wardrobe, with your trembling fingers securing the weapon between them. Checking that there's no one around you, your feet run to the main door to open it. Angel is already there. Without taking off the helmet, the man passes you away with his own gun lifted up in front of his dark eyes. Following him to the stairs, each other take up a side of the wall, waiting for them to go downstairs. The first one appears asking the other to leave, after not finding anything, but before he can warn his sidekick, Angel is already pointing at him, making him a sign to stay silent.

“Mario, where are you?” You hear from the top.

Taking off the gun from the thief's hands, you leave it over the table. But making a false move, the mexican manages to punch Angel, starting to wrestle with him.

“RUN, ANTONIO! MAYA—MAYANS ARE HERE!”

Your mind goes blank by the shock of seeing him fighting, and the weapon sliding itself over the floor, in the meantime the other man runs away jumping through a window and using the bindweeds around the house as stairs. Watching how the other tries to beat the oldest Reyes, you point at them with trembling hands.

“Leave him, pend—”.

Because of the nerves running through your veins, your forefinger presses the trigger shooting the thief by his back. A painful grunt floods the living room. Angel pushes him away, while the mexican writhes between tears and growls. Grabbing the gun from your hands, to not fire anyone else, your friend places an arm over your shoulders to turn you, giving your back to the thief. At the moment he tries to fight again, almost standing up, Angel shoots him again. Twice. Straight to the chest. Clinged to his body, you can't help but break into cries, hiding your face in his neck.

“Look at me… Look at me. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He mumbles, leaving away the weapon, so he can cup your cheek in his hands.

You just nod swallowing, feeling his lips pressed on your forehead, before stretching an arm to the wall to turn on the lights.

“Com'ere, baby”. He says, urging you to slightly jump into him, wrapping your legs around his waist.

Your tears wet the franel shirt he's wearing inconsolably, leading his steps to the kitchen, away from the dead body staining the floor with the blood gushing out of it. Helping you to sit over the island in the middle of the place, Angel hurries up to bring you a glass of water, not knowing how to calm you down more than with leaving some caresses in your hair. You try to swallow but your throat is hermetically closed, coughing some times, while the salty tears keep flowing onto your lips.

“Did I… Did I ki—killed him?”

“No, no, no”. He says, putting the ringed fingers by both sides of your face, affected deeply by the look of horror in your orbs. “I did it, okay? You hear me? I did it”.

You know him from seven years ago, having a special connection from the beginning. You have been through a lot of shit together, but you never expected something like that happening. Putting the glass away from your trembling fingers, Angel holds you against his body, tightly hugging you, trying to make you feel somewhat better while the crew come to the ranch.

“Please… Stop crying… It's okay”. He mutters with a broken voice, not used to feel you so terrified. “I'm here, baby… I'm gonna protect you”.

“I'm sor—sorry, Angel”.

“Don' be silly. You don' have to be sorry 'bout nothing”. He chuckles softly, leaving a kiss on your right cheek. “Am your superhero, remember?”

The Reyes finally breathes when he hears you laughing with a low, low tone.

“I would never let anyone hurt you”. Sticking his forehead on yours, he closes his eyes for a second, feeling how your fingers get intertwined in his shirt.

You just nod, trying to catch back your breath, almost drinking his. The strokes by his thumbs over your skin helps to maintain a calmed pulse, beating your heart with a low pace; only focused on his touches. Your mind plays a dirt trick on you, making you lean forward some inches until his lips are being pressed by yours. But Angel isn't surprised, and doesn't have any intention to pull himself away, strengthening his fingers on your neck. Your mouths look like two pieces from a puzzle, destined to fit perfectly. Settling himself between your legs to be closer, your hands travel to the back of his head, as your lips start to move softly, tasting every single inch of his. Sliding his tongue inside your mouth to find yours, you can't help but feel a mix of feelings about it. Now you are confused about the fact that you don't know if you're doing it because of the horror lived, or because you really wanted to do it since long ago.

Running out of air, Angel continues kissing your cheek up to your temple with short and gentle gestures, clinging his arms around your body. You have never felt so serene, even if there's a dead body in the middle of your living room and the buzz of some engines are getting louder. He is warm, and seems like he smells better than never, resting your face on his chest with closed eyes. Angel's heart beat is like a hypnotic melody that could make you fall asleep just like that, as if you two were completely alone and you haven't been about to kill a man, for the first time, some minutes ago.

“BAB—HOLY SHIT! BABY! BABY, WHERE ARE YOU?”

As soon as Angel pulls away himself from you, your legs jump down to the floor, running to the place where your father's voice comes from. Your body collides with his surrounding him, breaking in crying again when you feel him finally holding you. Bishop, Tranq and Riz are also there, examining the man lying on the floor with no breath of life in him.

“¿Estás bien? ¿Estás herida, mi amor?” (Are you okay? Are you hurt?) Taza is desperate, looking at you with reddened eyes as you nod in silence. “What happened?”

“There were two men. This… son of a bitch's name is Mario. The other ran away by a window. Antonio, I think he said”. Angel explains under the gaze from his brothers. “Man… they knew where they were getting into”.

“Why?” Bishop asks.

“They knew we are Mayans”. Angel shakes his head slightly, rubbing his forehead with two fingers. “And they were mexicans”.

“I think I know him”. Tranq is squatted close to the dead body, narrowing his eyes as he studies his face. “Vatos or Coyotes, I am not sure, Bishop”.

“Figure it out and put in on the table”. Taza demands with the rage consuming him, hugging you tightly under his arms.

“Let's go”. Bishop moves his head to the main door, making the others know that they must go. “Angel, calls the guys. Take care of the trash”.

“Come here, mi vida”. Your father whispers carrying you into his arms upstairs, not wanting you to continue there. “We're going to take some clothes and leave to the club, okay?”

✨ Tag list:

@starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​@sassymox @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @witchy-wish @rebel-without-cause-x @xx--day-dreamer--xx @spiced-reads @tita127 @ifoundmyhappythought @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @angelxshiba @destynelseclipsa @sheeshgivemeabreak @abbiesthings @knowles-morgan @lady-pswrld @minnicelli @marquelapage @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @jadesamhart @mycupoffanfiction @claytoncardenasbabymama @thesandbeneathmytoes @phoenixhalliwell @thewarriorprincessxo @sugary-x-sweet @multiyfandomgirl40 @imanerdychubbyqueen @iambabyharry @firebenderwolf @itsanofrommesir @noz4a2 @peaches007 @edonaspanca @irenne-stans @skyofficialxx @that-chick212

[song-tam]

The Prince and the Thief - Chapter One: That Fateful Bag of Gold - Tam x Keefe

A/N: Yes it is back, I am back with the series, I’m finally publishing the first official chapter and not just the prologue. I’m way too excited for this and I can’t believe I actually finished the chapter, it dragged on forever. Oh, and yes, the girl in the glasses is Sophie, even though they don’t know it yet, and she will come into play later on in the series, so be prepared for that. 

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: minor curse words, being disinherited, mentions of and attempts at stealing, Tam’s a little bit angsty, being pinned down, mentions of being tied up, mentions of Cassius Sencen—I think I got them all, but tell me if there are any other warnings I should add!

Prologue | Series Masterlist

“Did you hear about King Cassius disinheriting the young prince? His own son!”

Crown Prince Keefe Sencen—or just regular Keefe now, he supposed—stiffened at the gossip from the passerby. He didn’t particularly enjoy being reminded that he’d been stripped of his royal title, his crown, everything he’d ever known. He’d never liked his father, sure, Keefe was glad to be away from him, but life in the palace… that was all he knew. He didn’t know how the outside world worked. He didn’t know how to survive on the streets. He didn’t know any skills that might actually be useful. And yet here he was—no protection, having only the clothes on his back and a small bag of gold. 

Here, without a crown, Keefe was about as wanted and important as a dead rat.

Keefe sighed and started making his way down the street, anxious to get away from it all, figuring he’d find a tavern to stay the night and figure it out from there. He had enough gold for that, right? Problem was, Keefe had no idea where the hell he would find a tavern, or really where anything was in the kingdom.

Keefe groaned softly, dragging a hand down his face. “I’m doomed.”

         ༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺   ༻✧༺　༻✦༺  ༻✧༺

Tam Song had found a new target--and boy, was this one going to be easy.

The boy could have barely been older than Tam, maybe sixteen, seventeen at most. He was tall, blond, and completely out of place out on the streets. From the crisp white tunic and and clueless expression on his face, Tam could easily tell that he was a highborn. Maybe a count’s son, or even a duke’s.

What a member of high society would be doing in one of the worst parts of Erisdell, Tam had no idea, but so long as he got his money, he didn’t give a shit.

The boy had a bag--probably filled with some silver, if Tam was lucky, gold--strapped to his belt. He wasn’t bothering to protect it or even put up his guard. Typical.

“Highborns like you are just asking to get robbed in the slums,” Tam muttered as he started maneuvering through a crowd, flexing his fingers, ready to grab the loot and sneak away before the boy even noticed it was missing.

Tam reached for the bag, wrapping his hand around it, and--

“Oof!” A girl with blond hair suddenly bumped into Tam, who went flying into the boy and all three of them were sprawled into a pile on the ground.

“Watch it,” Tam hissed at the blonde, who nodded clumsily and started feeling around for her glasses, which had flown off her face when they’d all collided.

“I am so, so sorry,” the girl squeaked out as she scrambled to her feet, and promptly ran away.

Muttering to himself, Tam started dusting his pants and getting ready to make a narrow escape. The girl had complicated things, but he could still steal the money and get out of there. He’d be one step closer to getting Linh back.

A hand grabbed his wrist and Tam jumped, sure it was one of the kingdom patrols in charge of wrangling up Erisdell’s thieves. Tam was good at what he did and he knew how not to get caught, but he’d still had a few encounters with patrols and he wasn’t looking for one now.

But it was only the boy, still on the ground, but glaring at Tam and glancing at the bag in his hand. “That’s mine,” he said gruffly. “You’re a thief.”

Tam rolled his eyes. This was getting more complicated than Tam wanted, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. If he timed it right, he could still get out of here--and worst case, he probably could take this highborn, though throwing hands would draw more attention than wanted. “Obviously, I’m a thief.”

The boy seemed taken aback that Tam had admitted to it, but nodded curtly. “Well, now that I’ve caught you, you can’t steal my gold anymore. So give me my bag and go pickpocket someone else.”

Oh my God, if he stays here in the slums, he’ll be dead within the week.

Tam didn’t care, though. Whether this boy lived or died didn’t matter to him. It may have been a coldhearted mindset, but it kept him alive. He couldn’t afford to worry about anyone but himself--he was just trying to survive, and maybe if just kept going, he’d find someplace better than this. He’d get out of the slums, if he was lucky out of Erisdell, and he’d make a new life for himself. Leave his past behind and get a better future than the present he was living in.

He’d find Linh again.

But for all of that to happen, he’d need money. And that bag was one step closer to everything he wanted.

Besides, a highborn like this boy didn’t know how to appreciate money. Tam stealing his gold might reflect badly on him, but at the end of the day, what did he care? Daddy probably had a vault full of gold somewhere in a fancy manor. This was barely a dent in his fortune.

“You’ve got plenty of money,” Tam muttered, trying to worm out of the boy’s grasp. “I need this more than you.”

“This is all I have left,” the boy replied, his eyes narrowing.

“You expect me to believe that? This time next year, you’ll probably be inheriting a fortune, a dukedom. This bag of gold is worthless--”

“It’s not worthless to me. I need it. It’s all I have left,” The boy wrenched the bag of gold from Tam’s grip, getting to his feet and glowering even harder.

Tam blinked--it had been a while since someone had gotten the better of him--but quickly regained his senses and dodged for the bag. The boy moved out of the way, and they kept at this dance for a minute or so, Tam trying to steal and the boy trying to avoid being stolen from.

Is this really worth it? A voice inside Tam’s head whispered. There are other pockets to pick. This’ll attract unwanted attention.

Yes. Tam gritted his teeth. Nobles like the boy, they didn’t show up in the slums often. Money like this, in this part of Erisdell… it was scarce. But if Tam had a chance to get his hands on some gold, no matter how small the amount, he sure as hell was going to take it.

Whatever it took.

         ༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺   ༻✧༺　༻✦༺  ༻✧༺

Keefe wondered why this guy was so adamant about stealing from him.

He understood the dude was a thief, but surely there were easier targets?

Then again, after living in the palace and being coddled for so long with no survival skills, he was easy a target as any.

Could he make a run for it? Or the patrols! There were many patrols that had been placed in the slum sectors of Erisdell, specifically to catch thieves and keep everything in order as much as possible. Problem was, there didn’t seem to be any patrols around.

“I--” Keefe started to say, but he was suddenly pinned to the ground. He thought it might’ve somehow been the boy, but Keefe turned his head to the side and noticed the boy was also on the ground, scowling.

“Who the hell are you?” the boy snapped.

Keefe heard someone cluck their tongue behind him, though he couldn’t see their face. “Now, that is no way to talk to your former boss, is it, Tam?”

All color drained from the boy’s--Tam’s--face. “You,” he hissed. “I told you I was done stealing for you, and I won’t do it again, not after--”

“Calm down,” the voice said relaxedly. “I wouldn’t take you back anyway. I’m just going to give you a warning--my targets are mine and mine alone. You can still scavenge like the street dog you were before I made you something, but those big targets… you don’t get to go anywhere near them.”

“Tie them up,” the voice commanded to whoever was holding Keefe and Tam down. “Leave them in an alley. If they’re lucky, someone will find them.”

“And if they aren’t, well… problem solved.”

Taglist: @stardustanddaffodils @dreaminq-out-loud @sunset-telepath @summer-waves9764 @thoserainyrainboots@thatonewhalewatcher @jenniecrushed @jaxtheshade @beautifuldaysahead​ @bianavacker-is-bi-as-hell @real-smooth@scribblesnsketches05 @the-sky-isnt-blueee@spreadyourwingsandfly @cadence-talle @linhamon2​ @xonar-verse​ @an-absolute-travesty​ @hershis-kotlc​ @turquoise-skyyyy​ @blxckh0les42​ @completekeefitztrash​ @gay-paladin-of-etheria​ @the-robins-chronicles​ @the-genius-behind-the-mask​ @the-angel-of-all-storms​ @bluemallowmelt​ 

[rjhpandapaws]

Music and Magic among Knights and Thieves

Chapter 2: Trained to Turn Against

Tw: passive suicide mention

Gavin had always wanted to be a knight, though not for the same reason as the other recruits. He had not interest in being in the back pocket of some dusty old family. He wanted to fight. Growing up he had always been told that the best way to prove your strength was to become a knight. Behind the scenes as he grew up the Knights of Nordia had gone from being a testament of strength and prowess to a collection of Noble lap dogs. By the end of their initial round of training it had been made abundantly clear that the only way to make rank was to gain Noble approval. Strength and valor no longer mattered. They were corruption dressed in plated silver armor, and Gavin wanted none of it. His second year of training he collected his things; the few personal items he had and his set of hand axes; and left. There was nothing for him here. He wasn’t going to play by the strings of corrupt Nobles. Of course after such an act of treason he couldn’t stay in Nordia without being hunted. There was a traveler’s town on the coast called Greenwick, if he made that his last known location the assumption would be that he left the continent. Nordia would be content with that and the search would be called off. He was only one knight after all, a full scale search would hardly be worth the effort.

It was in Greenwick that he heard rumors of the disappearance of the first heir to House Arkait. There one day, gone the next. The Arkait family was one of the oldest families in the Kingdom, not one of the original founders, but close. So the news sent the continent into a bit of a shock. Some of the rumors were that he had been killed, others claimed it was a suicide cover up, and there were a few that ventured it was a kidnapping. Gavin hadn’t had the displeasure of working with that particular house of Nobility but he knew they were one of powerful magic. His personal theory was that the little noble-ling had either runaway or gotten himself snatched. Either way, it wasn’t his problem. In his opinion, the fewer stuck up Nobles running around the better. He spent the winter in Greenwick, then come spring he and a guy named Connor caused a shitstorm then went their separate ways. The shapeshifter was headed for The Hero’s Valley, and Gavin followed the road that lead south to see where he wound up. The last he saw of his companion was paw prints in the snow. Gavin didn’t plan to stay in any one place for too long; his trade had become protecting those that could afford his company, and theft. If he became a familiar face in a town the more lucrative half of his trade would be in jeopardy, and he couldn’t have that.

It was four years on, he was in Raven’s Hollow, when he heard the first rumors that the second one had vanished. The official statement by the House was that he had died in the fire that had broken out in the owlery. Which would have been all well and good; but Gavin had a nice burn scar from sparring with him. Silas was a pyromancer, he might have started the fire in the owlery, but Gavin had his doubts about his dying in it. Something that was solidified when he met up with Daniel who was now travelling with a pyromancer after his time in Nordia. Daniel had asked him not to say anything about it, though he never actually introduced his companion. Gavin gave his word because there was honor among thieves after all. They parted ways a few weeks later. There were faint whispers of revolution coming from Nordia. House Arkait only had one heir left, and he was the most dangerous. Rune Magic they said; scrip and ancient magics were at his disposal.  They could rise back up as the house of war they had once been. There was an unspoken tension in the air as the continent held its breath. They were on the knife’s edge of history being made and no one knew which way fate would fall.

Then, much like his brothers before him, the last heir disappeared. This time, Gavin was more inclined to believe the rumors of a kidnapping. This noble-ling was a valuable one. The last remaining chess piece of House Arkait was off the board. Fate had fallen in their favor. He was back in Greenwick, enough time had passed that had certainly been forgotten. Gavin had settled at the bar and was reveling in his victory. He had bested a city Knight in Pharaoh as well as a fight he had gained the man’s coin as well as his armor. A disguise of sorts. Drinks had been in order, and he might have had a few too many. His tongue got rather loose when he was drunk. “You see, I think the little Noble was kidnapped.” He remarked and his words caught on his teeth on their way out. “Coming from a family like that would fetch someone a pretty bit of gold. Not to mention, imagine even just being a part of the group that brought about the fall of House Arkait.” He wasn’t normally one to buy into rumors, but valuable spell books had gone missing along with the heir. Old magic. They could be ransomed for as much or even more than the noble-ling himself. Gavin found that a little suspicious. Noble houses normally kept things like that under lock and key.

Gavin liked this particular bar because the drinks were cheap and the performers in the area were usually trying to collect a bit more coin before they set off so they tended to perform very well. Tonight’s singer wasn’t a tavern performer, he was dressed too nicely. He also used magic, something done usually for playing in open courts or gardens. Assurance they would be heard without fade, echo, or distortion. This one put the sigil on his lute and his throat. It was something Gavin had never seen before. That wasn’t what pulled him in though. What grabbed him was the gentle croon of the voice and the haunted innocence of his songs. They were of adventure and travel, as many tended to be. The difference was the adventure came after breaking free of a golden prison. Learning the world in ways that most other people never had to. In a way that Gavin had never seen before, this bard held the attention of the tavern as a whole. Enough so that he was applauded into another set. Gavin had never been one to be particularly moved by music, but there was something about these songs that wouldn’t let him go. He wanted to know why. He knew it wasn’t magic, so there had to be something else to it.

When the bard had settled at the bar again Gavin flagged the bartender for two drinks and made his way over. He placed the drink on the bar beside him and it earned him a confused look. “Thank you?” It came across as more of a question than a statement, “Might I ask what this is for?” “Your performance mostly.” Gavin replied as he took the open seat beside him, “We don’t normally get musicians like you around these parts.” There was a split second when the bard almost looked afraid. He had a secret then, interesting. “Care to explain what you mean?” He asked once he had his composure about him again. “Magic users.” He said, “You lot normally tend to stick to the Nobles pretty closely, they pay better than taverns do. So I suppose I’m just curious as to what would bring you to a place like this.” He watched with interest as the bard relaxed. “I wanted to see more of the world.” There was a bit of wonder to his voice as he said that, but it turned more serious as he continued, “Playing for the same crowd every few weeks paid well, but by doing this I get to write my own songs.”

He was chasing the same thing as Gavin then. The freedom to just be. Unlike Gavin though, he also seemed to be running away from something. “There’s no one you have to worry about pissing off.” He remarked, “That has to be nice.” “It is.” Gavin agreed. He watched the bard pull some kind of magic before he tried the drink, “Could I ask your name?” “Most people just call me Reed.” He said, “Got something I can call you?” “Nines.” Was the quick response before he turned his head away to cough, “Forgive me. I sang more than normal this evening and my throat isn’t too happy with me about it.” Gavin couldn’t exactly relate to that, but he enjoyed talking with Nines. So he told a few stories, with the better details exaggerated of course. When Nines asked to use some of them for songs - until he’d had an adventure of his own - Gavin was over the moon and agreed. Only the greatest adventurers got their stories immortalized in such a way and Gavin was proud to make one of their rank. Even if his tales would be heard in small wayside taverns and on street corners.

It wasn’t until Nines excused himself citing the early hour, that Gavin realized just how much time had passed. He was exactly the most socially adept person; especially when compared to someone who had run in Noble circles, but talking with Nines came easy. He listened to Gavin with an intensity and awe to his eyes that just kept Gavin going. He was almost disappointed to be traveling in the morning when it seemed like Nines would be staying here a while longer, but he had lingered long enough. If Nines meant to travel they might cross paths again. In a way, he did come across Nines again. In the form of a ransom poster that he found on the outskirts of the capitol city. His mysterious bard had been none other than the last heir to House Arkait. One Richard Arkait, the last one of a lineage of lies. A runaway like his brothers before him. Gavin couldn’t help but wonder if the fact that he had run into two of them probably meant something. What he was sure of though, was that change was coming, and it was going to shake the Continent to its core. He didn’t know when; and just hoped to be far away when it did.

[exciting]

As requested, books / series I read in 2020 in the order I read them, with a few brief thoughts. (This took me a hot second because there are a few and also I moved cities) Should I keep a consistent goodreads? Yes I should but I didn’t think of that at the time, so bone apple teeth & sorry if I offend you abt your faves x

P.S. I can’t figure out how to do a read more on mobile so long post ahead!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas - This is one of the most vivid published fantasy books I have ever read... I read it twice in rapid succession. The fandom POPS off. I must say I have issues with certain aspects e.g. fae lore completely ignored à la Twilight, all love interests 500+ years old and technically a different species, etc (I’m not going to deconstruct the entire series here but just know that I could... Nesta deserves better)

Cruel Prince by Holly Black - This fucking slaps, HB clearly has done her research, the lore is near immaculate, and it explores the Fae in such a unique way, tying it to the modern world subtly and seamlessly. My only qualm was that the books felt quite short; truly wish there had been more content.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (6/7) - So basically I read this in one single, hyperfixated fit which meant I literally locked myself in my room for three days straight and read all six books back to back in a row from morning to the wee hours. Which is not to say it was spectacular; although it was a VERY rich world, sometimes it was too much... this felt like 6 stories in one. Ik she was young when she wrote this but it is my humble opinion that SJM needs a better editor & I personally think Rowan is a grade A asshole / straight up abusive (& personally think the ACOTAR Tamlin plot was born from that?). It’s good but not as good as ACOTAR. Skip-read the last book. 

Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone) by Leigh Bardugo (3) - This is essential to read before SOC but was very much simply a YA fantasy book, although the world was cool and the way the love plot played out was, imo, a subtle middle finger to the fantasy trope. Felt very much aimed at younger readers though? Really liked the sandwhich structure of the Proluge and Epilogue, especially in #2

Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo (2) - INCREDIBLE continuation of Grishaverse, better than the original series by a mile. It has the range, the diversity, the representation (the male lead is a disabled asexual and still the most cunning of the entire cast of characters), the plot is phenomenal, and it manages such a well rounded plot in only two books which means nothing is stretched out or squeezed in more than need be. Deserves all the praise it gets.

King of Scars series by Leigh Bardugo (0.5/1) - Personally I don’t consider this book canon, and while it’s nice to see the rest of Nina’s journey & the world again & everyone else, I don't like it. I will, however, be reading book 2 when it comes out, so shame on me, I suppose.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (1/1) - this was incredibly cool although it went off in a completely different direction than I thought it would based off the first few chapters? One of my favourite YA-author-debuts-New-Adult novels in 2020 though!

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas (1/1) - This was supposed to be SJM/s New Adult debut, although personally I would put her other series in New Adult, and I can’t say a remarkable amount was different with this except they said “fuck” and “ass” a lot. WHY is the romantic interest 500 years old AGAIN. I just... don’t... I just don’t think it was necessary... the world was cool though, and the last half of the book was riveting, but the beginning was quite slow and I thought the sword thing was predictable. I am interested to see where this goes though.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (3) - This world is so fucking cool... four Londons aka parallel universes & the one in ‘our’ world is set in industrial era London. Magic, girls dressing up as boys, thieves, pirates, royalty... it all just slaps. Schwab is an incredible writer & I was completely immersed.

Midnight Sun by SMeyer - I didn’t think anything could possibly detract even further from the Twilight story but I was sorely mistaken... seeing the stalking from Edward’s POV - and it was worse than depicted in Twilight, for the record - completely obliterated any sort of romance the first half of the original book may have portrayed. I still hold the opinion that the entire series would have been better if some kind of vampire lore had been abided by, if only to see all of the villains thwarted by someone dropping a bag of rice on the ground, forcing them to have to count them all.

An ember in the Ash by Sabaa Tahir  (3/4) - This was just a very stereotypical ya fantasy series, emphasis on the YOUNG... it wasn’t anything to write home about but I remember quite enjoying it at the time. 

The Power by Naomi Alderman - This book is FUCKING incredible and EXCEPTIONALLY thought provoking... essentially women alone develop a power of electric shock etc. and then take over the world from men, and it explores feminism and the balance between equality & tipping the scales in the other direction. Written by a friend of M.Atwood in a similar tone to handmaids tale, I would say? Content warning; there are some exceptionally graphic scenes in the latter half of the novel. 

Hamlet by Wllm Shksp - I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read it but Ophelia is my favourite name in the entire world & we love to see a woman go batshit (although she didn’t deserve that). 

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas - this was unsettling in the best sense of the word... it was a little slow & honestly more of a concept than a big reveal, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished it? A Secret History vibes but make it blurry like the memory of all those dystopian novels you read when you were young?

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab - This is without a doubt my book of the year, and probably the best book I read in 2020? I stayed up all night on a friend’s couch reading it, got a book hangover and reread the ending, and then thrust it upon my mother who doesn’t usually read but read this, and loved it just as much. HIGHLY recommend and you HAVE to read it, it’s beautiful and endearing and just plain wonderful.

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (3/3) - I went into this knowing it was going to be terrible, because I had received a blow by blow telling me as much; although I must say that it did learn a remarkable amount of new words, the books did get better as the series went on, and it did have a rather charming ending? BIG content warning for almost everything.

Sapiens by Yuval Harari - mind-expanding & must recommend for everyone, there is everything in this and I daresay everyone should posses this kind of knowledge? I listened to it as an audiobook (which I recommend because it’s rather hearty) but will be buying this in hardcopy & rereading it with annotations. 

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read, and certainly the most beautiful portrayal of the story of Achilles and the battle of Troy I have ever seen. Patroclus deserved the justice that was given to him in this book; indeed, all of the characters were written with justice and grace. Highly recommend.

Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan (3/5) - Apollo is my favourite Greek God, and the sexiest greek god, and Rick Riordan’s writing slaps, as always. It did pain me to see Apollo, the sexy immortal, have to be forced back into a 16 year old’s body but everything else? Whimsical & wonderful, as expected. 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong - a retelling of Romeo and Juliette, except it’s set in Shanghai in the 1920′s, and the protagonists already have a history. Very well done, characters are incredibly diverse in race, sexual orientation, gender, and ability / disability (and honestly, representation has never appeared so effortless and elegant). Also it includes a monster and possible magic. Incredibly underrated and highly recommend.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix. E Harrow - this was such a unique concept, and truly captivating, the story was charming, and felt like the kind of beautiful fairytale you would read as children but with more grit? ABSOLUTELY recommend this one

The Pisces by Melissa Broder - I hated this so much, not my vibe at all. Mermaid smut x therapy but make it cynical and judgemental (I know there was a moral in there but that’s not my point) also the dog dies.

Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (1/2) - really interesting & unique concept (all unwritten novels / ideas reside in a special library that is part of Hell and then sometimes the books can come to life) however, my first thought upon reading this was “this reads as if it’s stemmed from one of those writing prompt tumblr posts” bc of the tone and whatever and as it turns out I was somewhat correct, it did stem from a short story (not bad just obvious). It did kind of settle down as it went on but I found reading it kind of a drag, and I don’t think I will read the second one.

Abandon by Meg Cabot - 1. Meg Cabot’s writing always fucking slaps 2. Hades and Persephone but make it modern & very 2000′s & somehow kind of unique 3. I literally loved this, sue me

Medusa Girls (Sweet Venom) by Tera Childs - Like Percy Jackson except they are descendants of Medusa so they are Gorgons and have fangs & venom (hence the title). Gave me very 2000′s vibes? Quite cool but tbh I found the books quite short (like two hours each, if that)? Do NOT read the GoodReads description of the book before you read it, you will spoil it for yourself.

Bring me their Hearts by Sara Wolf - In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated YA series I read in 2020. The heroine is endearing, self aware, witty, and loves to look pretty even while kicking ass which in my opinion is an incredibly underrated trait. Also, immortality without being hundreds of years old? VERY sexy. HIGHLY recommend. 

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova - High commendation to be given for the fact that it is a standalone and yet manages to fit in the plot of what would usually be a full fantasy trilogy without cutting corners or being a million miles long? Also sweet storyline & beautiful ending? If you liked ACOTAR you should read this as a “what would have / could have been had SJM had a different editor” (No shade I promise).

The Iron Fae by Julie Kagawa (4/4 + novellas) - Incredibly detailed faerie set around the modern world & our current use of technology & iron in it. Very neat adventure-style series, by the time I read the last novella I was well and truly done with the world (aka provided enough content to be fulfilling). Was definitely aimed at a younger audience though, NO smut / smut was brushed over.

The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black (3/3 SS) - This is technically the prequel to Cruel prince, set in the modern world, but with the fae world inside it as it traditional? All I have to say is that it is excellent & I highly recommend it.

Bridgerton series (The Duke and I) by Julia Quinn (9/9) - I read this after watching the Netflix show twice through and I am obsessed, although the books were not quite as elegant as the show, and some parts that made me cringe either by their portrayal (it is very firmly set in the 19th century and thus some things are not handled with tact or grace), the characters were exceptionally loveable and I am so excited to see where the show takes them! Lovely language & an abundance of words I had never seen before (always a plus). 

[lady-of-glass-and-bone]

Songs & Characters Pedro Pascal

Lungs / Florence + The Machine

This is part 2 of whatever this is that I’m doing. Part 1 is here if you want to check it out. But basically I’m listening to whole albums and putting what Pedro character it reminds me of, with specific lyrics. Enjoy? Request some artist, albums, and characters if you want.

Lyrics and their characters below the cut!

Dog Days Are Over / Marcus Pike, Javier Peña, Pero Tovar

Marcus Pike / And I never wanted anything from you Except everything you had And what was left after that too, oh.

Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back Struck from a great height By someone who should know better than that

Javier Peña / Happiness, hit her like a train on a track Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back She hid around corners and she hid under beds She killed it with kisses and from it she fled With every bubble she sank with a drink And washed it away down the kitchen sink

Pero Tovar / Run fast for your mother and fast for your father Run for your children for your sisters and brothers Leave all your love and your loving behind you Can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over The dog days are done Can you hear the horses 'Cause here they come

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) / Ezra and Din Djarin

Ezra / The looking glass, so shiny and new How quickly the glamour fades I start spinning, slipping out of time Was that the wrong pill to take? (Raise it up)

You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up But will it ever be enough? (Raise it up, raise it up) It's not enough (Raise it up, raise it up)

Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl Frozen in the headlights It seems I've made the final sacrifice

Din Djarin / This is a gift, it comes with a price Who is the lamb and who is the knife? Midas is king and he holds me so tight And turns me to gold in the sunlight

I look around, but I can't find you (raise it up) If only I could see your face (raise it up) Instead of rushing towards the skyline (raise it up) I wish that I could just be brave

I must become a lion hearted girl Ready for a fight Before I make the final sacrifice

I’m Not Calling You A Liar / Dave York and Max Phillips

Dave York / There's a ghost in my lungs and it sighs in my sleep Wraps itself around my tongue as it softly speaks Then it walks, then it walks with my legs To fall, to fall, to fall at your feet

There but for the grace of God go I And when you kiss me, I am happy enough to die

Max Phillips / I'm not calling you a liar Just don't lie to me I'm not calling you a thief Just don't steal from me I'm not calling you a ghost Just stop haunting me And I love you so much I'm gonna let you kill me

Kiss With A Fist / Dave York and Din Djarin

Dave York / My black eye casts no shadow Your red eye sees nothing Your slap don't stick Your kicks don't hit So we remain the same Love sticks Sweat drips Break the lock if it don't fit

A kick to the teeth is good for some A kiss with a fist is better then none

Din Djarin / I broke your jaw once before I spilled your blood upon the floor You broke my leg in return So sit back and watch the bed burn Love sticks Sweat drips Break the lock if it don't fit

You hit me once I hit you back You gave a kick I gave a slap You smashed a plate over my head Then I set fire to our bed

Howl / Javier Peña and Max Phillips

Javier Peña / Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters

The fabric of your flesh, pure as a wedding dress Until I wrap myself inside your arms, I cannot rest The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground And howl

Max Phillips / If you could only see the beast you've made of me I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart

My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to

Howl, howl Howl, howl

Girl With One Eye / Dave York

Dave York / I took a knife and cut out her eye I took it home and watched it wither and die Well, she's lucky that I didn't slip her a smile That's why she sleeps with one eye open But that's the price she'll pay

I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out of my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry

I slipped my hand under her skirt I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt That's why you sleep with one eye open But that's the price you pay

Drumming Song / Oberyn Martell and Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels

  Oberyn Martell / As I move my feet Towards your body I can hear this beat It fills my head up And gets louder and louder

It fills my head up And gets louder and louder

I go into the river And I dive straight in I pray that the water Will drown out the din

But as the water fills my mouth It couldn't wash the echoes out But as the water fills my mouth It couldn't wash the echoes out

It swallows the sound and swallows me whole Until there's nothing left inside my soul I'm empty as that beating drum But the sound has just begun

Whiskey / Louder than sirens Louder than bells Sweeter than heaven And hotter than hell

I ran to the tower When the church bells chime I hope that they Would clear my mind

They left a ringing In my ear That drum's still beating Loud and clear

There's a drumming noise inside my head it starts when you're around I swear that you could hear it it makes such an almighty sound

There's a drumming noise inside my head that throws me to the ground I swear that you should hear it it makes such an almighty sound

Between Two Lungs / Marcus Moreno, Frankie Morales, Din Djarin

Marcus Moreno / Between two lungs it was released The breath that carried me The sigh that blew me forward

'Cause it was trapped Trapped between two lungs It was trapped between two lungs It was trapped between two lungs

And my running feet could fly Each breath screaming "We are all too young to die"

Frankie Morales / Between two lungs it was released The breath that passed from you to me That flew between us as we slept That slipped from your mouth into mine It crept between two lungs It was released The breath that passed from you to me That flew between us as we slept That slipped from your mouth into mine It crept

Din Djarin / Now all the days of begging The days of theft No more gasping for a breath The air has filled me head-to-toe And I can see the ground far below I have this breath And I hold it tight And I keep it in my chest With all my might I pray to God this breath will last As it pushes past my lips As I gasp

Cosmic Love / Ezra, Javier Peña, Dave York

Ezra / And a falling star fell from your heart And landed in my eyes I screamed aloud, as it tore through them And now it's left me blind

Javier Peña / The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out You left me in the dark No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight In the shadow of your heart

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat I tried to find the sound But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness So darkness I became

Dave York / I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map And knew that somehow I could find my way back Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too So I stayed in the darkness with you

My Boy Builds Coffins / Frankie Morales and Javier Peña

Frankie Morales / My boy builds coffins with hammers and nails He doesn't build ships, he has no use for sails He doesn't make tables, dressers or chairs He can't carve a whistle 'cause he just doesn't care

My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor Kings and queens, they've all knocked on his door Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves They all come to him 'cause he's so eager to please

Javier Peña / My boy builds coffins, he makes them all day But it's not just for work and it isn't for play He's made one for himself, one for me too One of these days he'll make one for you For you, for you, for you

My boy builds coffins for better or worse Some say it's a blessing, some say it's a curse He fits them together in sunshine or rain Each one is unique, no two are the same

My boy builds coffins and I think it's a shame That, when each one's been made, he can't see it again He crafts every one with love and with care Then it's thrown in the ground, it just isn't fair

Blinding / Pero Tovar, Frankie Morales, Marcus Pike

Pero Tovar / And I could hear the thunder and see the lightning crack And all around the world was waking, I never could go back 'Cause all the walls of dreaming, they were torn wide open And finally it seemed that the spell was broken

And all my bones began to shake, my eyes flew open And all my bones began to shake, my eyes flew open

Frankie Morales / Seems that I have been held in some dreaming state A tourist in the waking world, never quite awake No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber Until I realize that it was you who held me under

Felt it in my fist, in my feet, in the hollows of my eyelids Shaking through my skull, through my spine And down through my ribs

Marcus Pike / No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone No more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love No more dreaming like a girl, so in love with the wrong world

Snow White is stitching up your circuit boards Synapse slipping through the hidden doors Snow White's stitching up the circuit board

Hurricane Drunk / Maxwell Lord, Javier Peña, Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels

Maxwell Lord / I'm going out, I'm going to drink myself to death And in the crowd, I see you with someone else I brace myself, because I know it's going to hurt But I like to think at least things can't get any worse

I hope that you see me, because I'm staring at you But when you look over, you look right through Then you lean and kiss her on the head And I never felt so alive, and so dead

Javier Peña / No walls, can keep me protected No sleep, nothing in between me and the rain And you can't save me now I'm in the grip of a hurricane I'm going to blow myself away

I'm going out, I'm going to drink myself to death And in the crowd, I see you with someone else I brace myself, because I know it's going to hurt But I like to think at least things can't get any worse

Whiskey / No home, I don't want shelter No calm, nothing to keep me from the storm And you can't hold me down Because I belong to the hurricane It's going to blow us all away

You’ve Got The Love / Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels, Ezra, Marcus Moreno

Ezra / Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air I know I can count on you Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord I just don't care" But you've got the love I need to see me through

Whiskey / Time after time I think "Oh, Lord, what's the use?" Time after time I think it's just no good 'Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose But you've got the love I need to see me through

You've got the love You've got the love

Marcus Moreno / Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough And things go wrong no matter what I do Now and then it seems that life is just too much But you've got the love I need to see me through

[metalandmagi]

Summer 2019 Anime Worth Watching

Summer is here, and with it brings another new season of anime! In case you’re feeling lost and want to find some new shows to pass the time, here’s some of the anime I think are worth checking out...because some really good shows tend to fly under the radar. I think there’s some genuinely interesting stuff this season, so hopefully you’ll find something you like too. 

I also have a Winter list and a Spring list and a fall list now!

And here’s my master list for 2020

New Shows!

Given: A *cough* BL *cough* romance anime in which tsundere highschool guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama is on the verge of losing his passion for music when he stumbles upon the sleepy-eyed Mafuyu Sato who constantly carries a guitar around that he doesn’t know how to play. Drama and musical shenanigans ensue. This was by far my most anticipated show of the season, because I happen to have read a few chapters of this manga and liked it a lot. The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to hear the music in this music oriented story...so naturally the anime makes me very happy. Not only is it sweet and cute with great animation, but it’s also hilarious. Sato is also basically a human incarnation of a lost puppy, and you just help but fall in love with him and the other characters! AND NOW WE HAVE TWO GAY MUSIC SHOWS THIS SEASON! 

Dr. STONE: An action adventure anime that takes place 3,700 years in the future after the world is struck with a mysterious phenomenon that turns the entire human race to stone. Our protagonists: the genius, scientific minded Senku Ishigami and the muscle-y comic relief Taiju Oki, must find a way to rebuild civilization and turn humanity back to normal using the POWER OF SCIENCE! It’s fun, good looking, and way more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m not very attached to the main characters yet, although it’s still early. I’m mainly sticking around for the plot, the comedy, and the answers to the crazy amount of questions I have after watching the first episode!

Fire Force: An action/drama where super powered fire fighters must protect Tokyo from people who are spontaneously combusting while our hero Shinra must find out who started the fire that killed his mother. More than anything, I’d say this show is definitely worth watching for the cinematography and action because almost every second has been high flying dynamic animation that really grips you. It reminds me a lot of Soul Eater, the story and characters have a lot of potential, and you know an anime will be good when the girls have muscles too!

If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Can you tell it’s based on a light novel? A slice of life set in a fantasy world where an adventurer named Dale stumbles upon an adorable lost little girl in the woods, who happens to be branded as a criminal. So of course Dale basically adopts her and tries to find out how she came to be with him. It’s basically fantasy School Babysitters without the tragic depth to it (but there’s room for potential). Yes, this is definitely the most wholesome show of the season, but it’s to be expected considering it’s basically Japan’s latest attempt to get people to have more babies. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this show is the fact that Dale and his “daughter” can’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, the light novel ends up pulling a Bunny Drop...so I sincerely hope the anime doesn’t try the creepy romance factor. So for now, if you feel like puking up some rainbows, give this one a try. 

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: An action drama where, during a civil war, one side used “forbidden technology” to enhance their soldiers and basically turn them into badass monsters. The only problem: the soldiers who were turned start to lose their humanity and end up killing humans for the fun of it. Now our protagonist must hunt down his fellow soldiers and kill them before it’s too late. Honestly, this show has some pacing issues and can be a bit stilted in terms of its character interactions, but what kept me watching was the last 5 minutes of the first episode. I was so not prepared for the roller coaster that was the first episode’s ending, and now I’m extremely intrigued. Besides it’s made by MAPPA so I would at least give it a couple episodes to see if it’s for you.   

Vinland Saga: The story of a young boy named Thorfinn’s journey to become a great warrior and while the adults deal with going to war. IT’S THE ONE WITH THE VIKINGS!!! It basically feels like a darker, grittier viking version of Moana. I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for this manga for so many years that my hopes skyrocketed as soon as I heard Wit was doing the adaption. And it has definitely lived up to the hype so far! It’s a great action historical drama to fill the void after Dororo. The only problem is no one will watch it because it’s on Amazon Prime.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga: A fun brightly colored historical anime about the famous warlord Nobunaga when he was a young teenager. I honestly don’t know what the tone of this anime is going to be from here on out, because it’s going to go from “fun thieving shenanigans with pretty boys” to leading people into battle, but it got me interested. I know putting Nobunaga in an anime isn’t exactly original, but this one seems like a fun ride...and it looks gay as fuck. 

And I have to shout out some that haven’t premiered yet...just in case...

Try Knights: This one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but you bet your ass I’m going to be watching it because it’s an original anime about PRETTY BOYS PLAYING RUGBY! And I have a feeling it’s going to be very... different from the other resident rugby anime All Out. 

Yokai Ningen BEM (Humanoid Monster BEM): Okay, this one’s not out yet either, but the trailer had a really cool vibe to it, so I’m including it anyway. It’s a remake of the 1968 anime in which a group of yokai who look like humans fight crime in the big city. If nothing else, the music is cool, and it’s made by Production I.G, so why not?

*UPDATE* The first episode finally dropped, and holy crap I’m so into this. It’s basically Durarara mixed with Psycho Pass mixed with Bungo Stray Dogs. The first episode has me completely hooked!

Next seasons and continuations!

As always there are some leftovers from the spring season that are continuing into the summer that I highly suggest!

Carole and Tuesday: The musical sci-fi anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe wherein a rich runaway named Tuesday meets a streetwise girl named Carole, and the two decide to start a band together. Now Carole and Tuesday must rise to stardom in a world dominated by android created music. It was by far my favorite new show of the spring, and if you can find a way to watch it (because it’s still not available legally anywhere aside from Japanese Netflix apparently) I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s got the best and most diverse music I’ve seen in an anime in a long time, an interesting setting (apparently it takes place in the Cowboy Bebop universe!?), and very well rounded fun characters. And I'm dying for a soundtrack release with all the songs!!!!

Fruits Basket 2019: Yes, the remake of the classic 2001 anime in which a girl moves in with a family who can turn into animals from the zodiac is getting a full run. And thank God because I just can’t say goodbye to it after only 12 episodes. It is so stunningly beautiful in both animation and story subjects that I don’t know what I would do without it. The characters feel so much more fleshed out, and I feel like I learn a lesson about life each week even though I already know most of what’s going to happen. If you never watched the original because thought you were too “cool” to watch a shoujo anime, give it a chance. Because if you think it’s just a generic love triangle romance show, you couldn’t be more wrong. The reboot is so good at portraying different kinds of love and how the presence of love and family can change lives AND IT’S JUST SO FREAKING GOOD! 

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: In case you missed Ufotable’s newest project, this is a shounen anime that follows a young boy named Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been possessed by a demon and their journey to turn Nezuko back to normal while fighting demons along the way. I still feel like this is a pretty basic shounen anime story wise, but I really like the characters, especially the villains. It has some of the coolest fighting/power mechanics I’ve seen in awhile, and the animation is very cool and different!

Ace of Diamond act 2: Our favorite shounen baseball anime is continuing into the summer. And I have very mixed feelings about this season so far. We are getting some fun new characters and some great scenes with the team, but the games are very...choppy and rushed. Apparently this is how it goes down in the manga, and we’re in for some good Sawamura development...but it’s still touch and go for me personally.  

That’s it for now. Most of these are available on Crunchyroll, except Vinland Saga, Carole and Tuesday, and Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga. Since Try Knights and Yokai Ningen BEM aren’t out yet, I don’t know where they will be available legally. 

See you next season!

[words-writ-in-starlight]

okay, i'm taking that as an invitation: PLEASE post your annotations for the kencyrath playlist?

OKAY SURE TWIST MY ARM I GUESS

Actually this playlist is...long as hell, BUT there’s only like twelve people in this fandom and I’m in a group chat with half of them, so everything is here but it’s got a cut for length because my annotations are Specific.

THE BASICS (in no particular order)

Can’t Cheat Death by the Ballroom Thieves, for Jame, no further comment, I am Correct

I spilled blood in the water Then let the storm roll in I put my hands in the fire Watched my welcome wear thin Salt in my wounds and spit in my eye I burned the path you walk on And I let none survive

Thistles and Weeds by Mumford & Sons, for Torisen, who is a good leader and also falling apart

Spare me your judgements and spare me your dreams Cause recently mine have been tearing my seams I sit alone in this winter clarity which clouds my mind

Hey Brother by Avicii, for Jame and Tori, in all ways

Hey brother, do you still believe in one another? Hey sister, do you still believe in love, I wonder? Oh, if the sky comes falling down For you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do

Human by Rag’n’Bone Man, for Kindrie Soul-walker, out of his depth and doing his best

Maybe I'm foolish, maybe I'm blind Thinking I can see through this and see what's behind Got no way to prove it, so maybe I'm lying

Soldier, Poet, King by the Oh Hellos, for the Tyr-ridan (I have considered learning to draw SPECIFICALLY to do a comic of this song featuring Jame as the soldier, Kindrie as the poet, and Tori as the king, but I couldn’t pick a verse because it’s not a very long song)

Home to Me by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, for Jame and Tori, which I would ALSO do a line-by-line breakdown of as a duet, because I love it for them

(Tori) How dare you love me like you've never known fear When you've got more troubles than minutes in the year (Jame) And a voice like your father's tells you nothing good's for free Well that may be, but you're walking home to me

Dear Wormwood by the Oh Hellos, the ORIGINAL Bane/Jame song, for which I could easily do a line-by-line breakdown cast as a duet between them, the song that I, personally, would set over their last conversation before Bane’s death and over Jame’s flight from the palace, if I was making a TV series, just, you know, if anyone wants to kick me a couple million bucks

I know who I am now And all that you've made of me I know who you are now And I name you my enemy

Glitter & Gold by Barns Courtney, for the Kendar, survivors to the last

Do you walk in the valley of kings? Do you walk in the shadow of men Who sold their lives to a dream? Do you ponder the manner of things In the dark?

Delilah by Florence + the Machine, for Jamethiel Dreamweaver, the first unfallen darkling, the finest weapon and cruelest victim of the Master’s schemes, and for her daughter, who saw more and ran faster

Too fast for freedom Sometimes it all falls down These chains never leave me I keep dragging them around

We Have It All by Pim Stones, for Tyrandis, just...listen to it, I’m right

There's glory ahead, but our love will be forgotten If my heart was still mine, I would go to the bottom And apologise to you until the day it went rotten

Mercy Down by Shayfer James, which is THE definitive song for the entire Kencyrath--half-desperate for their missing destiny, half-terrified of that destiny when it shows up at their door.

It’s getting mythical now You better pick your weapons up And throw your mercy, throw your mercy down

THE EXTENDED STUFF (loosely sorted by topic)

Control by Halsey, for Jame, heir to the Dreamweaver, Snare-of-Souls, and learning to dance and running away

They sent me away to find them a fortune A chest filled with diamonds and gold The house was awake, with shadows and monsters The hallways, they echoed and groaned

Little Boy by Barns Courtney, for Torisen holding the bones of a little girl who died at the same age as his long lost twin sister

Little boy inside my chest Breathe some life into my bones I've been lost and wandering Down and out and missing home

The Draw by Bastille, for Torisen and the shade of Ganth and the promise of madness on a sleepless night

Don't listen to your friends See the despair behind their eyes Don't listen to your friends They only care and want to know why

Carry Your Throne by Jon Bellion, for Jame and Tori at their best, kissing in the ashfall and dancing in Tentir

Two crowns and a gold cup And they're coming for the throne, love But if your heart is a dog fight Then I'm ready to go to war like

Coming Down by Halsey, for Jame and the twin she loves, who is always, always running away from her

Every single night pray the sun will rise Every single time make a compromise Every single night pray the sun will rise, but It's coming down, down, coming down

Graveyard by Halsey, for Jame and Tori and dreams and the soulscape and running and chasing and trying

I keep running when both my feet hurt I won't stop 'til I get where you are Oh, when you go down all your darkest roads I woulda followed all the way to the graveyard

Thick as Thieves by Shinedown, for Jame and Tori, who can barely have a civil conversation but still manage to be each other’s answer to the concept of ‘home’

Evidently, we can't work it out I guess that courage ain't allowed Evidently, you're not in the mood And everything I say just bothers you

The Horror of Our Love by Ludo, for Bane and Jame, and blood and binding, and shadows crossing continents

I'm a killer, cold and wrathful Silent sleeper, I've been inside your bedroom I've murdered half the town Left you love notes on their headstones I'll fill the graveyards until I have you

Irresistible by Fall Out Boy, for Bane in Tai-tastigon, a prince of the city and a monster in his beloved’s kitchen

Too many war wounds and not enough wars Too few rounds in the ring and not enough settled scores Too many sharks, not enough blood in the waves You know I give my love a four letter name

Hellfire by Barns Courtney, for Bane, giving your soul to the wrong person, and the Lower Town

Run in an alleyway Through a dead end street Murdering promises That I just can't keep

Punch Drunk Grinning Soul by Flogging Molly, for all the Kendar who keep surviving disasters while their people fall all around them, and especially for Marc and Brier

But these tired eyes are crashing down on me While the paint never dries on these four walls that now suffocate me But tonight, maybe tonight all will be free

Sleepsong by Bastille, for soulscapes and locked doors and armor and hidden gardens and a whole race with a collective unconscious who still manage to be awfully lonely

Oh, in the strangest dreams, walking by your side It is the hole you impose upon your life When you're out, loneliness, it crawls up in the ground It's what you feel, but can't articulate out loud

Bad Decisions by Bastille, for Tentir and all the children there who thought they were immortal

Do you remember what you said to me? 'Cause we lost track of time Yeah, we lost track of time You always let me down so tenderly So live fast and die young and stay forever numb 

For The Departed by Shayfer James, for every Kendar who’s ever sold a soul, broken under Honor’s Paradox, died in service, and gone unremembered

So dry your eyes and count to ten They'll have me on the pyre by then Forget the man I used to be You'll move along more easily

Bones by MS MR, for death banners, and for the dead of Kithorn, and for Dalis-sar, depending on my mood

Dig up her bones but leave the soul alone Let her find a way to a better place Broken dreams and silent screams Empty churches with soulless curses We found a way to escape the day

I Am Stretched On Your Grave by Dead Can Dance, for sisterkin, for the massacre of the Knorth women, but especially for Brenwyr and her ghost and her maledight madness

Calling out to the air With tears both hot and wild Oh I grieve for the girl That I loved as a child

NFWMB by Hozier, for Brenwyr and Aerulan (and could be for Jame and Tori but he’s, you know, an ostrich with his head buried in his own trauma)

Ain't it a gentle sound, the rolling in the graves? Ain't it like thunder under earth, the sound it makes? Ain't it exciting you, the rumble where you lay? Ain't you my baby, ain't you my baby?

Church by Fall Out Boy, for everyone who’s ever fallen in love with Jame, from Dally to Torisen

Oh, the things that you do in the Name of what you love You are doomed but just enough

Renegades by X Ambassadors, for the good times in Tai-tastigon with Dally and Canden

It's our time to make a move It's our time to make amends It's our time to break the rules Let's begin

Breath of Life by Florence + the Machine, for everyone who’s ever fallen to the Knorth glamour and paid dearly for it

But I needed one more touch Another taste of heavenly rush And I believe, I believe it's so

[tactyl-ymon]

DnD session recap - Service and Struggle

I’d been trying to write this recap since mid december because god there’s just so many emotions in game at the moment and it’s very draining to write about. We got a new barbarian and lost one of the rogues as they had to move interstate

We open with a lone figure paddling through an otherwise still ocean as the moonlight silhouettes a large country that wasn't there a month ago. The figure, drawn forward by a feeling in their gut that this is where they're supposed to be, makes landfall and begins lumbering through the forest as fast as her turtle like legs will allow. It is hours of running peppered with the occasional break to curse whoever thought making towns so far apart was a good idea before our new friend sees the telltale signs of town gates, a place called Merigan it seems. As the guards size up the towering tortle laden with weapons, they shakily ask the barbarian her name and what business she has. Donna Tello Tortellini introduces herself and says she's just looking for a place to sleep for the night, the guards look warily at her large frame and then mention if she's got coin there's a tavern nearby that probably had a room, otherwise there's a stable a few streets away if they promised not to cause a ruckus, the last group they had let camp there were just a constant bother to the guards and town in general whenever they came through. 

Donna Tello asks about the group and it being another in a long line of slow nights the guards escort her towards the tavern, surely nobody could be that much of a nuisance? The guards tell her all about the wicked group that calls themselves Tactyl Y'mon, about the time they had pretended to be ghoulish monsters attacking the town gates and the time they'd arrived with a lively boulder that was very protective over a busted old cart that they wouldn't let anyone get near and the time they had managed to save several townsfolk including the town leaders wife and then tossed his house after staying there the night and got several of the guards drunk, stole one of their pants and jumped through a familys roof before screaming and jumping through their window. As Donna Tello thanks the guards for the hopefully tall tales and mentions she'll definitely try to avoid the group if she can, she enters the tavern for the night and to think about where she might find some decent coin to help her explorations.

It's just before dawn the following day as Eridol is startled awake by the telltale whines of his dog signaling that he needs to go out before the very not telltale sound of his dog screaming about how he needs to pee. Which is enough to slip Eridol's already shoddy grasp on reality with everything that's happened the last few days, this has to be a dream … or insanity, who cares, best to just throw away the whole suitcase of emotions at this point and take his suddenly very talkative dog for a walk. The important questions are asked on their jaunt through the keep, “Could you always talk and were just shy?” “If this were fake, you'd tell me right Pickle?” “Where do you enjoy pats the most?” It's around here that Eridol gets a very familiar reality check in the shape of a golden dragonborn standing just outside the gates of the keep talking to one of the guards, former friend and one time follower of the god of murder, Drackuss. 

With nowhere to run, no weapons to defend himself and no backup Eridol is faced with doing the one thing he swore he would never do, have an emotional conversation with someone who shattered his trust. But Eridol still has his last trump card to get out of the conversation. Freeze up and become unresponsive. Whether Drackuss actually notices or not is irrelevant, the former paladin barrels through what amounts to an apology for how he acted when he tried to brutally disembowel one of their companions before going on a one man murder quest across the country, but how Eridol was part of stopping him doing awful things and he owes the small cleric for that. Eridol breaks and shouts that as far as he is concerned nobody owed him anything, whatever help Eridol gave was balancing a ledger or trying to make up for his own failings. Repayment for all the times that Drackuss had saves the party from otherwise lethal blows. Repayment for Eridol being too far in his own head to notice anything was wrong. Repayment for one of the earliest memories Eridol has of the dragonborn spending days in a rundown church trying to save sick children from a plague. That version of Drackuss deserved a second chance to make his own path but Eridol didn't have to be a part of it and that if Drackuss actually cared what Eridol thought they wouldn't even be having this conversation.

Several familiar shapes creep into the periphery during the silence that follows. The remaining members of Tactyl Y'mon, Whisky, Veiraen, Septima and Emmi wander up from the keep as Core, the groups sometimes government contact and Sukaren, a very imposing blue dragonborn who had been in charge of the front lines to the entry portals to the country march up from behind Drackuss. Core begins by formally thanking the group for everything they had done to shift the country back into the prime material plane and that word had gotten around that the group was at least partially responsible for the shift, people were calling us champions and the like and that there would be some exhibition matches being held in the main city and the group was invited to participate in two back to back. That one would offer a much larger challenge, but if the group could come out victorious in both they'd receive a significant reward for the show. 

Core also goes on to mention that there seems to have been some unforeseen fallout from the whole fabric of reality shifting back into place thing. Hundreds of criminals seemingly disappeared in an instant at the time of the shift back to the material plane. Murderers, cultists, thieves all set to wither in the dark for the rest of their lives gone in an instant with no evidence of what happened and with the official business out of the way, Core suggests walking to the nearest town to spend the rest of the day drinking all of that away like the semi-functional alcoholic sponge he is, the group not ever really needing a reason to drink but having just so many they could choose from decide to go with him. Drackuss shrugs, mentioning that he did what he needed to and that Sukaren and him were heading back to Principium to continue training.

As the two lumbering lizards retreat back to their training regiment, half of the group wanders into the keep to put on pants leaving Core and Emmi standing outside in awkward silence as the last moments of dawn fade away. With nobody else around, Core once again mentions that Emmi’s mother, Sharona really wants to talk to her as soon as possible. That she has so much to apologise for and that she had a plan to find out what happened to Emmi’s father all those years ago. That if Emmi was willing, Sharona would be waiting outside of Principium on a ship for the next week. The silence that follows is almost deafening as she considers the chance in front of her. Inside the keep, Veiraen approaches Eridol and asks if he really meant what he said about Drackuss, that everything he’d done was just rebalancing a ledger and whether that extended to how he thought about the rest of the group. Eridol still not quite over everything that happened outside quietly says that he doesn’t know, that he genuinely cares about everyone and is so afraid of losing people he cares about again. Eridol realises what he said and stiffens before taking a breath and apologising. Everyone deserved better than he could offer, but that he would be a better friend if Veiraen would give him another chance. Veiraen agrees before asking if he could stab Eridol again for funsies and the status quo of bickering siblings is restored like nothing happened. 

Several hours and jugs of grain alcohol later, the group find themselves in a tavern inside Merigan and are alternating between loudly trying to guess what they’d face in the fight pits with Core and how to best announce their awesomeness to the waiting crowd, it’s around the third shout of ‘We’re Tactyl Y’mon, we could fight a swan” that the shouts get the attention of the large tortle barbarian who had been sitting at the bar who with the fading memories of the guards saying to avoid the group, she gets up and introduces herself, saying that she had overheard the group was going to be in some upcoming exhibition matches at the main city’s amphitheatre and that she was a decent fighter and was looking to gather some gold for her travels if the group thinks they could use the extra set of hands in the fights. This is basically all the group needs to hear before collectively welcoming her to the rag tag family and then several rounds later getting around to asking her name. With introductions out of the way and a new friend made, the group staggers slowly back to the keep, singing songs the whole way.

In the coming days, the group train half heartedly before making their way to the capital city of Principium. They enter the familiar halls of the arena that the exhibition matches are held in to raucous applause and quickly take a win in the first fight, much to the joy of the crowd watching. A quick break later and they re-enter for the second match. Whatever the group was expecting is blown out of the air as from the other side of the arena enters faces very familiar to the group. Core, Sukaren, Drackuss, Rorstaad the council member, an old lizardfolk monk ally and a lumbering form of a hill giant with a grudge against the party’s cleric all appear across from them and against the superior combatants and the well oiled teamwork of their opponents Tactyl Y'mon quickly begin to fall. Eridol and Emmi fall within seconds, Veiraen temporarily falls shortly after but by the time he gets his footing again there isn’t anything that can be done. It is only 20 seconds after the fight begins that it ends. Sukaren spits that their time is worth more than mopping up such disappointing fodder. The crowd watching all of this sits deathly quiet, no cheers, no boos, no movement as Tactyl Y’mon quietly leaves the arena, thoroughly defeated by their betters.

Minutes later in the waiting room of the fight pit, Tactyl Y’mon sit and lick their proverbial and literal wounds as Core and Sukaren enter and as Core splits off to speak with Emmi, Sukaren attends to everyone else in what amounts to a “I am both mad and disappointed in all of you” conversation she goes over how this proved to her that the group is not worthy of the champions/defenders of the realm status that the commonfolk believed about them. They were nothing but mercenaries who had bumblefucked their way to success, idiots with no real skills or teamwork, just lucky that they hadn’t faced a serious threat. Sukaren dared any one of them to prove her wrong, to say something that would justify how poorly they just performed. We leave the session with Core and Emmi having a whispered conversation about what’s really important and Emmi rushes out of the room in between all the shouting, making her way to a ship docked nearby, wordlessly hugging her mother before helping her pull up the anchor and pointing the ship towards the setting sun over the ocean.