#the fealty of monsters

[ladzwriting]

Presenting: the final cover to my forthcoming light novel, The Fealty of Monsters, created by the incredible @t-hornapple

The book comes out on March 12th, preorder info here

The art and design are both by @t-hornapple. My heart does funny things whenever I look at it.

The intricacy and ornamental nature of this design work is among what attracted me to Häxan's work in the first place. I wanted a cover that communicates that this is a gothic fantasy nightmare, complete with bugs, blood, swords, and a crown (specifically, Poland's crown jewels).

Here are some of my favorite details:

In case anyone asks, yes, that is what you think it is coming out of the orchids.

If you're interested in reading the book before it comes out, there is an ARC request form up now and Nicole at Thoughts Stained with Ink is giving away an eARC.

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

The Fealty of Monsters by Ladz

goodreads

Winter 1917. After years on the run from a dangerous cult, Sasza Czarnolaski and his father have found themselves among the Odonic Empire’s ruling class. One problem: vampires aren’t supposed to get involved in human governance. What the aristocracy doesn’t know, cannot hurt them. But aristocratic rumors blame the vampires for a summertime massacre months unsolved. Sasza suspects that same cult has finally shown up on his doorstep. It’s already in his bedchambers. Though his pro-proletariat lover, Finance Minister Ilya Górniak, has always been against putting working class lives at risk, he cannot say the same for his other comrades. Despite all rational arguments against it, the Emperor declares war upon the vampire states as vengeance. Ilya does not protest, and Sasza finds himself alone in a den of political wolves. Diplomacy has failed and insurrection comes from an unlikely source—the emperor’s own progeny, Świetlana. She invites Sasza into a bloody plan which will save his station and the lives of thousands at the cost of those he swore to serve. He will do anything to preserve his peace—even if it means giving into the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.

Mod opinion: I haven't read this one yet, but it sounds interesting and I own a copy so I'm excited to get around to it hopefully soon.

[gealach-in-a-misty-world]

Winter 1917. After years on the run from a dangerous cult, twenty-three-year-old Sasza and his father have established themselves among the Odonic Empire’s ruling class. But there’s a problem: Sasza is a vampire, and vampires aren’t supposed to get involved in human governance. What the aristocracy doesn’t know, after all, cannot hurt them. Unfortunately, Sasza is far more involved than a stealth vampire should be. Not only does he work to quell the rumors of the vampires’ responsibility for an unsolved massacre, his lover is also the pro-proletariat Ilya, the Empire’s Finance Minister, who tries to recruit Sasza into the same cult hunting him. Then—the Emperor declares war against the Vampire States. Diplomacy has failed. Sasza quickly learns that he will do anything to preserve peace–including giving in to the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.

My thanks to the author for providing an ARC copy.

Ladz's The Fealty of Monsters is a gory retelling of the Russian Revolution, with monstrous vampires and even more monstrous politicians. We follow three POV characters as tensions amongst the Empire and independent vampire states are ramped up by an incident that seems tailored to ignite a war. The main character, Sasza, battles with his own depravity and the ambitions of others, while coming to terms with his relationship with a much older member of the government.

This is a highly political book, with characters who have complex motivations, from the ambitious princess to Sasza's addicted father, from the traitorous Minister to the soldiers who have very different ideas about their role as protectors; not to mention the intriguing vampire doctor. Characters share a past that is carefully unveiled in some cases, giving tantalizing glimpses. The court is full of intrigue, and war seems inevitable; the conflict between the poverty of the people and the excesses of the aristocracy was also done well, leading to an explosive finale that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat and begging for the next book in the series.

The book is very crude, with an evocative prose that leaves nothing to the imagination, be it sexual acts or murder. It comes with a very helpful list of trigger warnings, which the reader should pay every attention to. The vampires in this book are not refined creatures, as there are some types which are truly monstrous, insectoid creatures who engorge themselves on blood and gore. This was a very refreshing take on the usual vampire trope, more reminiscent of the classics.

The book comes with illustrations from the artist Soren Häxan, but the ARC copy didn't contain them.

The Fealty of Monsters is a solid horror story with political overtones.

✨ 4 stars

[You can find more of my reviews about queer speculative fiction on my blog MISTY WORLD]

[dwarrowdams]

For the WIP ask game:

Pseudo-medieval Spain monster story 👀👀👀

and Fealty interlude?? ❤️

Thank you for asking!

Pseudo-medieval Spain monster story

This was based on a surprisingly coherent dream I had in which a princess (or equivalent) in a fantasy version of Muslim-ruled Spain befriended and eventually fell in love with her father's chief "diplomat" (actually a spy). The diplomat loves her too but is all "I can't be with you, I have no family and you're a princess."

Then while on a mission for the king, he ends up getting turned into some sort of shifting monster (similar mechanics to a werewolf, but a different type of creature) and goes to a different kingdom to find out what the hell to do with this and if he can even go back to his old position like that. Eventually he does, but at the behest of another nobleman, expecting no one to recognize him because he had a dramatic haircut and is growing a beard now.

The princess does, and she's pissed that he left her and went through this extremely difficult time in his life alone. He apologizes and is like "the one thing I realized while I was away is that I was wrong to push you away. You wanted me even though I didn't deserve you, and I ignored that. Now I'm a monster, and I can't expect you to want me like this."

Of course the princess is like "are you kidding that makes you like a million times hotter, let's have the sex we've both been dying to have for years now." And they do.

While this dude has been having his monster identity crisis, there have been Things going on in the princess's kingdom, and now that he's back, he's ready to help fix them using his new monster powers.

I'm still fine-tuning details, and pulling in touchstones from actual medieval Spanish history (surprisingly easy task--my cousin has her PhD in medieval Spanish history), but that's the gist of it!

Fealty Interlude

A short-ish work that'll go between Fealty (squire!Garrus fic) and the longer Shakarian princess/bodyguard AU. It's mostly scenes that'll be important to set the stage for the princess/bodyguard fic, but also some more pining. It'll be from several different perspectives (Taria [my turian OC], Liv, Mila, and Garrus for sure so far) and highlight the major changes that happen in between Fealty and the princess/bodyguard part of the story.

[the-bi-library]

Happy March! Here are bisexual books out in March!

PS: I totally recommend (and kindly am asking authors or anyone else) to use the tags #bisexualbooks , #bibooks , #bisexualrep or any other variation of them when promoting (your) books with bi main character as it makes it easier for me to find books with like that since I follow those tags! 💖

Books listed:

When Worlds Collide by Erin Zak The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste Comet Cruise by Niska Morrow Never Leave, Never Lie by Thea Verdone Go Lightly by Brydie Lee-Kennedy The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorn Icarus by K. Ancrum Falls From Grace (Grace Notes #1) by Ruby Landers Ellipses by Vanessa Lawrence The Fealty of Monsters (The Fealty of Monsters, Volume 1) by Ladz Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name The Night Compass (Wilderlore, #4) by Amanda Foody Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo The Dark Feather by Anna Stephens Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura That Secret Something by Emily Wright Heirs of Bone and Sea (Dark Depths) by Kay Adams One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain The Weavers of Alamaxa (The Alamaxa Duology, #2) by Hadeer Elsbai Saint, Sorrow, Sinner (The Gideon Testaments, #3) by Freydís Moon The Safe Zone by Amy Marsden Tempting Olivia (Oxford Romance #2) by Clare Ashton Crossing Bridges by Chelsey Lynford Sounds of the City by Stacey Ennis-Theobald Searching for Someday by Renee Roman Back to Us by Addison Clarke

[ghostpoetics]

My newest book, Unholy with Eyes like Wolves, a sapphic gothic horror romance with vampires (Carmilla/FMC/Erzsébet Báthory) is coming out on April 16th!

You can pre-order the e-book here.

***

“Indulgent, depraved, and sanguine, UNHOLY WITH EYES LIKE WOLVES is a gory fugue that will have readers cheering for its queer women no matter the wrongs they commit in pursuit of survival and salvation.” – Ladz, author of THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS

"Sumptuous and intoxicating as a black rose, UNHOLY WITH EYES LIKE WOLVES unfurls slowly to reveal the intricate layers of its themes, from forbidden sapphic desire to the religious subjugation of women. A must-read for those who yearn to become the monster and seek liberation through transgression." – Camilla Andrew, author of THE SANGUINE SORCERESS 

***

Noémie, a dishonored and widowed noblewoman in early 17th century Hungary, finds herself in an unenviable position: After grievous trauma and loss, her last chance to regain her honor comes when she must serve as Lady Erzsébet Báthory’s handmaiden. Báthory is stoic and imperious, and as Noémie struggles to acclimate and accept her present and future, she begins to have dreams about a mysterious woman. Worse, there are stories of disappearance and deaths in the castle, and Noémie might be next.

A sapphic historical horror romance with vampires and based on CARMILLA. Perfect for fans of A DOWRY OF BLOOD.

[golden-heretic]

EDIT: Couldn't fit all of the slides so the list of book recommendations will be added here:

Heir to the Autumn Court by @porterotica

The Fox & The Dryad by @skellygraves

Junker Seven by @olivejkelley

Where Willows Weep by @wickedwitchofthewilds

Angels & Man by @nicosraf

Mercy by @cometkinsart

Mistress of Lies by @kmenright

Valerie the Fair by Rien Gray

The Fealty of Monsters by @ladzwriting

God & The Conquered by Ezra Ardnt

The Fall that Saved Us by Tamara Jerée

The Sanguine Sorceress by @aninkwellofnectar

[ladzwriting]

🌚 THE ART OF @t-hornapple 🩸

I had been following Soren and his stark illustrated works for a good while before I gathered up the confidence to reach out to him if he'd be interested in doing illustrated book work

It wasn't this illustration of The Choir from Bloodborne that got him on my radar, but it was definitely those uniformed lads that caught my attention. There's an earnestness that permeates his work and he commands the viewer's eye in a way that seems effortless. He's also an expert on all things gothic and has been a massive font of knowledge and genre theory as I wrote my way through my dark fantasy

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS Volume 1 features three illustrations from Häxan and I hope you're enjoying them in their full context

out now in ebook and paperback

[j4gm]

SPOILERS!!! REFERENCES AND EASTER EGGS IN F&C ep. 9: CASPER & NOVA (2 of 2)

This is the second part of this post because I hit the image limit! Link to the first part.

The Casper & Nova hologram sections were animated by Louie Zong, who worked on We Bare Bears and is also known for his web animations.

This first quest is likely a reference to the episode Evergreen, where they had to travel to a volcano to retrieve the crown's jewels from a monster named Magwood. This tiger also reminds me of designs for Rumble Jaw, the fake decoy project that was used to conceal the production of Distant Lands.

The apartment blowing up was foreshadowed in the title sequence. Somehow Ellis survived this.

The credits sequence features Fionna and Cake dreaming about Turtle Princess. The books she is reading are all named after episodes of the original show; "Paper Paul" (Paper Pete), "Fealty to the Thing" (Loyalty to the King), and "Got You" (Gotcha).

Phew, that was a long one.

[skrbol]

Semi-Aquatic Percy Jackson Headcanons

(A lot of these will be random Atlantean culture ideas I made up)

Markings

If you were to ever see Percy shirtless you would see what he wants you to see, the mist is a powerful tool, especially for covering obvious marks. But if you are one of the few to see him without you would see identical columns of burn marks going from his collar bones down to his waist, each small and precise. In Atlantis warriors mark themselves with each battle won, each powerful enemy slain. Percy choose to brand himself with his victories, so that every time he looks at them and remembers the victory he remembers the pain and suffering wrought with it. Percy is a war veteran, and he’ll be damned if he ever lets himself or others romanticize the killing of war and the death of his companions.

Hair

Atlanteans put either a braid or loc in their hair for each year they are alive. The royal family never has, for in their immortality they would run out of space. Percy has never viewed himself as a prince, and he sure as hell isn’t immortal. He had 16 of them when he decided Olympus's fate, and 17 when he walked through the depths of Tartarus. And ever since he got them he’s had his camp beads decorated on them.

Strength

After his third quest Percy became obsessed with getting stronger to mitigate future deaths. It got to the point where he let himself submerge to the bottom of the sea, to the deepest trench, and let himself slowly get crushed by the pressure of the ocean. Pushed into the mud until he grew the strength to stand up, and then he’d let more weight fall onto him. Eventually he was able to stand with the weight of the entire ocean on him. It took him a week of ripping doors off hinges and breaking something with a touch before he got control over his new found strength.

Monster (Inspired by Witch_of_History’s Series)

Poseidon was renown as the Father of Monsters. All his children have the potential to live up to that title, his godly spawn where born with it, sharp teeth, razor claws, and tough scales. It came with being his immortal child, you were born touched by all his domains. But demigod children only gain access to their parents domains as they age or as they need them, and his half mortal children had never been monstrous. But as with all things mythological Percy pushed the envelope. His time in the deepest depths of the sea caused his body to adapt to his environment, the royal family was mostly homogenous with their monstrous traits. Percy was always an outlier to them though, when he finally ascended from the depths he had adapted beyond human. Increased senses of smell, sight, hearing. Able to sense nearby creatures bio-electric signals, capable of echo-location, can see infrared, magneto-reception. His monstrous form is a blue scaled, razor clawed,bi-pedal apex predator of the deep. A scaled merrow-esque person with an extra rows of shark teeth behind their human teeth. Annabeth and Grover have never been more enamored with a demigods powers before, and the Hunters have never had a better hunting companion. Much to Artemis’ chagrin and Thalia’s delight.

Favors

Strong warrior or kings in Atlantis keep rings of their enemies and allies. On one hand will be rings made from the bones or weapons of enemies defeated, on the other are gifts or symbols fealty of debt’s owed to the wearer. Percy has no lack of rings. Titans, Giants, and ancient monsters leave many spoils for souvenirs. It’s his other hand that draws interest however, he liberated Thanatos, spared Hades after defeating him, assisted Persephone in retrieving her illegally made sword. None of these things came free, other demigods typically are sent off with recognition and little else. But Percy is a hardened veteran of undersea battles, defeating creatures older than Olympus and fighting against Oceanus prior to the Battle of Manhattan. They had no choice but to give him tribute for his actions. Hades and Persephone groaned about it, Thanatos gladly gave it up, and yet having a box filled with rings of allyship, fealty, and loyalty he’s never used them. But what people always forget is that Percy and Annabeth are a pair, whatever one has the other does as well. Best believe it, Annabeth has many plans that could use some godly touch.

[hyrule-in-a-pokeball]

A BIG OL' GANONDORF THEORY (TOTK)

This gonna be a long one, kids

I've just got a bunch of thoughts on Ganondorf. I'll categorize them or something

GANONDORF CAUSED HYRULE'S UNIFICATION A great war of some kind has been mentioned a few times in Zelda canon. most notably in OoT. 9 years before the events of OoT kick off, a great war comes to an end, but not before orphaning a baby who gets adopted by a tree. 9 years after this war, the leaders of the Gorons and Zoras consider the King of Hyrule to be a close friend, with the leader of the Gorons even considering him an honorary brother. With OoT being erased, why is this important? Because the legend that is OoT is based on the historical fact shown in TotK. Real events that were embellished and re contextualized over time. Well, here's what the legend tells us about history... At one point in time, Hyrule was divided. Each race seemed to be a different kingdom, but there didn't seem to be any tension among them. But then something happened that forced them to unite. Or rather...

Someone Ganondorf has always been bent on ruling Hyrule, but I think his invasions weren't targeted solely on the land of the Zonai/Hylians, but also the lands of the Gorons, Zora, and Rito. Basically all the lands that aren't a barren wasteland. He probably planned to take over each region and unite it all under one glorious Gerudo banner. Alone, they may have all had trouble fending off the Gerudo army. I believe that with a common and very powerful enemy in the form of the Ganondorf-lead Gerudo, King Rauru was able to convince the Gorons, Rito, and Zora to unite with him under a single Hyrulean banner, thus creating the unified kingdom of Hyrule and forming a solid, united opposition to the Gerudo invasion.

GANONDORF'S STONE ENHANCED FORM

We skip forward in time a little. The war has ended and Ganondorf is swearing fealty to King Rauru, but thats just so he can get in and move about freely without suspicion even though he's the world's most suspicious looking man. It works though. He kills Queen Sonia and steals her sacred stone, the power awakened from which causes him to transform

The sacred stones, as explained, do not give powers to their holders, but instead greatly amplify powers that were already present. But what they ALSO don't do, is cause a physical transformation in their users. None of the other stone holders were shown to change form when using the power of their stones. And its not like his stone was extra special. It was literally the same stone Sonia was using. So why did Ganondorf change form when he came into possession of one?

Because his power is not his own.

While Zelda inherited her powers from her ancestors through blood, Ganondorf inherited his as a result of being the product of Demise's cheeky curse. While Demise is dead and gone, his power lives on in Ganondorf, and so it was Demise's demonic powers that were amplified by the stone. As a result, Ganondorf's form changed to reflect those demonic powers.

But that might not be all that changed. You see, after his demonic powers awakened, his goal changed a bit. While he was still hell bent on ruling Hyrule, he now also wanted to wipe out every living person within the kingdom, supposedly to replace them with the monsters he summoned, and "Cast the world into eternal night" He even turned on his own people, the Gerudo, as in the scene in which Rauru grants the soon-to-be-sages their sacred stones, Ruto states "We just received word that the last free village in the Gerudo desert has fallen..." So the demon king's armies were attacking everyone indiscriminately on his command. I think he truly became a demon, and possibly something in his psyche changed as a result.

THE 8TH SAGE

Those who hold Sacred stones were deemed sages. Zelda and Sonia were the sages of time. Rauru, reflecting his roll in OoT, was the sage of light. Nabooru was changed from the sage of spirit to the sage of lightning. Darunia was the sage of fire, Ruto; the sage of water, and Mineru was the sage of spirit. Saria and "forest" being completely replaced by a nameless Rito and the element of Wind. Sonia dies, so the sage count is 7.

When the stone bonded to its holder, stylized Japanese kanji would appear on it. This is most visible with Nabooru/Riju's stone

Its up-side down and partially wrapped around the stone itself, but that is the Kanji "Kaminari" meaning "Lightning"

When Ganondorf steals Sonia's stone, the kanji for time "Toki" disappears and is replaced with this

Its side ways and partially obstructed by his hand, but when he uses his power, we see the symbol flash in its proper orientation

Yami. Darkness. (funnily enough it also means "Gloom")

If holding a secret stone makes one a sage, then Ganondorf is the sage of Darkness, a being in direct opposition to Rauru; the sage of light

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

TransRightsReadathon Sales & Freebies!

I will be collecting books that are reduced or made available for free by authors for the TransRightsReadathon here. Feel free to share any that you know of that I might have missed:

Queeird: A Collection of Unusual Trans Masculine Erotica edited by Max Turner | ebook 2,80 £, paperback 6,30 £

Androids and aliens, werewolves and vampires, furries and… tentacles? This is a collection of unusual, and at times monstrous, erotica featuring trans masculine characters. From the ridiculous to the romantic, expect kinks, quirks and tropes. All the stories feature trans masculine main characters, with a variety of cis, trans female, trans male and non-binary lovers.

Deck the Holes by WrenVLothaire | ebook 0.50$

It’s Yule, a celebration Aloysius is well versed in but never has the time of year been his favorite. But with Malachai, a partner with whom he’s come to love and cherish, this holiday may not be as somber as it’s always been. This time he has a surprise in store. Let’s just hope the owner of the home approves of the decorations. t4t, trans man MC

Tales of Genesis I-III by H.S. Wolfe | ebook free, (the book one that these short stories are based on costs 1.99$)

Out of the Rain by TinyLesbianRobot | ebook 0.50$

Echo interrupts a lazy morning with a strange request of Ender. The first in a series of shorts set in the Genesis universe and can be read as a stand alone without having read In The Garden Of Echo t4t, trans man MC & trans woman MC

The weather has taken a turn, forcing Flax and Lost to rush for shelter.  But now that they've found a place to dry off, Lost's drenched clothes are clinging to her, and Flax is finding it difficult to keep from staring... This story is a non-canon short set in the world of my novel 'Messenger': just under ten thousand words of warm, fluffy, robot-on-angel-on-human smut, a cozy and affectionate scene between women who love each other a whole lot. transfemme MC

Rien Gray's Trans Rights Readathon Sale | ebooks 60% off, $6.00 for 2 books

Follow a fellowship of sapphic knights as they’re seduced by witches, queens, goddesses—and each other—in a dark, lush fantasy inspired by Arthurian legend. genderfluid butch MC, agender MC

Valerin the Fair by Rien Gray | ebook free (+ other free sapphic books)

genderfluid butch MC

Our Monsters by Jemma Topaz | ebook 69% off, $1,23

Rosemary Dulahan, answering a strange job posting, arrives in Monstertown – a place inhabited by magical beings from another world. Navigating the politics of sphinxes, lamias, and secrets, she must learn how to get along with her non-human coworkers and maybe romance a few monster girls along the way. There's nothing she wants less than getting caught up in a murder mystery troubling all of Monstertown… but the mystery doesn't care what she wants, and she's about to discover the darker side of her new world. trans woman MC

A.A. Fairviews TransRightsReadathon Bundle | ebook free

In celebration of the second TransRightsReathon you can grab A Doctor's Touch and Peaceful in the Dark for free.  Following a trans masc vampire and queer werewolf- these stories are as sweet as they are sensual.  transmasc MC

Bury your Gays & Bound in Flesh | ebook free

Anthology of tragic queer horror & anthology of trans body horror by ghoulish books

The Fealty of Monsters by Ladz | ebook free

Winter 1917. After years on the run from a dangerous cult, twenty-three-year-old Sasza and his father have established themselves among the Odonic Empire’s ruling class. But there’s a problem: Sasza is a vampire, and vampires aren’t supposed to get involved in human governance. What the aristocracy doesn’t know, after all, cannot hurt them. Unfortunately, Sasza is far more involved than a stealth vampire should be. Not only does he work to quell the rumors of the vampires’ responsibility for an unsolved massacre, his lover is also the pro-proletariat Ilya, the Empire’s Finance Minister, who tries to recruit Sasza into the same cult hunting him. Then—the Emperor declares war against the Vampire States. Diplomacy has failed. Sasza quickly learns that he will do anything to preserve peace–including giving in to the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself. nonbinary MC

Trans Readathon by Wicked Witch Writes | ebook 50% off, $5

Your Body is Not Your Body anthology | ebook $1,99

A centaur seeks illicit surgery in an alien bodily modification club. Two medieval monks react to their transformation and demonic pregnancy in very different ways. A resourceful trans teen destroys sports bigots through the power of pluckiness...and abundant body horror. A stellar cathedral crosses galaxies to dump the corpse of God into a star before the mission devolves into a panoply of psychedelic orgies. A doxxed teen falls victim to violent assault and dishes out some harrowing retribution of their own. Over thirty Trans and Gender Nonconforming creators unite to voice their rage, and the rules of conventional Horror go out the f$%&ing window in this collection featuring murderous pleasure-bots; proselytizing zombies; acid-filled alien cops; science run amok; sorcerers, ghouls, cannibals...and that barely scratches the grave-dirt.

Blood from Stone by Bellamy Scott | ebook PWYW

Hitting a deer while driving a country road is unfortunate, but common enough that no one expects it to re-order the fabric of reality as they know it. For Sam, a rogue stag on a summer night takes his husband, his life, and his name in a single blow. As months of grief pass, he things he's begun to get used to his new reality, until an encounter with a childhood friend changes it all over again. BLOOD FROM STONE is a story of an old lady doing good deeds for bloody boys on the side of the road, of poisoned wine, and of a trans man Becoming Real.

Becoming Light by Riley Nash | ebook free

When people meet me, they see a bright faced, happy-go-lucky kindergarten teacher who will do anything to support his friends. Not everyone knows the struggle I’ve faced to become the man I am today.  Now it’s finally time for the gender-affirming surgery I’ve been dreaming of for years. But when an emergency leaves me without a caretaker, the only person who can take me in is my best friend’s aloof, reclusive, and incredibly sexy dad. The one who has no bedside manner and struggles to communicate. The one I’ve had a crush on for years. The deeper we see into each other’s worlds, the stronger the attraction gets. I’m not sure either of us can make it through the next four days without giving in. Trans man MC

​TransRightsReadathon Sale by Matthew Zakharuk | ebook 50% off, $2.50

a story of trans transhumanism + a dystopian gothic

[kotias]

Writer retaliation - Danee's comic

The angst war rages on @goodomensafterdark !

I SAID THIS IS MY TURF AND I WILL DEFEND IT TOOTH AND NAIL.

@daneecastle you're up 🫵

Word count: 827 words

Disclaimer: no, I didn't write this in the span of thirty minutes, I'm not a monster yet. Danee was kind enough to give me a little peak at the after-fluff and I worked with that 😁

Liquid gold dripping on the floor. One, two, three steps forward, leaving the trail of his righteous vengeance behind him, soiling the perfectly sterile ground of Heaven.

In the background of his consciousness, his nose informed him of the smell of burning flesh. Rationally, he knew where it came from, and that wasn’t from the sword lodged into Crowley’s body; a celestial flaming sword might be made of flames, yes, but it was not one to leave a trace, even the particles of scent, behind. He grabbed the handle, pulled it out, and let it go in a loud clang before dropping to his knees with a sigh.

It took a little while before his ears, deafened by the screams of those victims he had sworn fealty to, heard a weak groan, and he opened his reddened eyes, saw Crowley’s body jerk. His gaze followed the lines of his waist, the wound in his chest, the scarf around his neck, and stopped at his face, twitching in pain.

His heart skipped not just a single beat, but most certainly eight or ten of them, as he rushed to grab the sword, inspected it in disbelief, wondering- wondering if, somehow, by some miracle that God had bestowed upon them, it might just be defective. It didn’t look like it was- and he scrutinised it further, refusing to trust this blessing just yet.

“Angel?” he heard from a rough, tired voice on his left side, and his heart bumped into his chest yet again. “What happened?”

He threw the sword a long way from him, heard its clangs resonate in the distance, and with each of them, his heart jumped, wanting, wanting to believe in the Lord’s mercy at this moment. “I will tell you about it later, dear,” he answered with a sweet smile.

“Fine,” the demon groaned, rolling his eyes. “Then can you untie me?”

Untie hi- Oh. As his body was slowly recovering from the adrenaline, as his eyes stopped seeing everything with a red sheen, he realised how… delightfully twisted Crowley’s body was at the moment, vulnerable, bound under hi-

“AZIRAPHALE!” he screamed, fully affronted by his flustered hesitation.

“Oh- sorry, I guess I haven’t been myself,” he answered, rushing to help him up and liberate him from his bonds.

“Yeah, I’d say…” Crowley groaned. The ropes fell to the ground, and he looked away for a bit. “I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”

And the memory came back to him like a blooming, hot tempest, the words I love you, angel ringing in his ears, his face contorted in pain, tearing up as he thought he would be living his last seconds, his lips opening to utter those words…

Bump.

His heart was beating, one bump at a time, reminding him that it was well and truly present, its cadence so wonderfully sinking into Crowley’s presence.

“Uh-oh… What did I say?” He gulped, his lips quivering as he felt the weight of his next action on his shoulders. “... Angel?”

One last breath in, and he drew close to him, pressed his lips against his, tasted him for just a moment. He smiled against him and pulled only slightly away, whispering against his mouth. “I love you too.”

“Uh-” Crowley started, and closed his mouth again. Aziraphale could practically see the gears turning in his brain as the information settled into it. “Uh-” Oh, dear, he wasn’t doing alright, was he? An amused form of worry settled in his chest, and only then did Crowley startle him, more flustered than he had ever been. “WHAT DID I SAY?! What happened?! And why, why are you covered in gold shit?!”

“Oh… well…” Now came the embarrassing truth of the last day spent being anything but an Angel of the Lord, Guardian of humanity. “... You said ‘I love you’. Then… you were stabbed. Then, I… well, took care of Uriel and the Me-” He couldn’t fully admit it, not when it had felt like another him for those long, excruciating hours, those last words turning and turning in his head like a metronome. “Oh, please don’t make me relive this…”

Crowley raised an eyebrow, looking quite displeased by this half-explanation. “Vague…” And, blessed as he was, he sighed in defeat. “Fine.” Their hands intertwined, and the warmth of him went straight to Aziraphale’s chest. “Let’s go home, angel.”

“Yes- yes, of course, Crowley,” he answered, his voice breaking apart with relief, and he stood up, pulling the demon up with him to bring him to the lift down to the Earth, absolutely certain that this, all of this, was the ending they had secured for each other.

And yet, it was but a fantasy, he thought, opening his reddened eyes to Crowley’s still body. His gaze followed the lines of his waist, the wound in his chest, the scarf around his neck, and stopped at his face, resting in the crimson shroud of his own blood.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in March 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Shift: A Memoir of Identity and Other Illusions - Penny Guisinger 🧡 Tempting Olivia - Clare Ashton 💛 Monilinia - Free Mints 💚 Guillaume - Aurora Dimitre 💙 The Marble Queen - Anna Kopp & Gabrielle Kari 💜 The Baker & the Bard - Fern Haught ❤️ Rainbow! - Sunny & Gloom 🧡 The Safe Zone - Amy Marsden 💛 The Weavers of Alamaxa - Hadeer Elsbai 💙 The No-Girlfriend Rule - Christen Randall 💜 A Different Kind of Brave by Lee Wind 🌈 Cirque du Slay - Rob Osler ❤️ Wizard’s Debt - Niranjan 🧡 One Last Breath - Ginny Myers Sain 💛 Nothing Special - Katie Cook 💚 I Feel Awful, Thanks - Lara Pickle 💙 The Tower - Flora Carr 💜 Be the Sea - Clara Ward ❤️ What Grows in the Dark - Jaq Evans 🧡 Heirs of Bone and Sea - Kay Adams 💛 The Haunting of Velkwood - Gwendolyn Kiste 💙 Thunder Song - Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe 💜 Mona of the Manor - Armistead Maupin 🌈 Like Happiness - Ursula Villarreal-Moura

❤️ Ellipses - Vanessa Lawrence 🧡 Saint, Sorrow, Sinner - Freydís Moon 💛 Blood & Brujas - Mikayla D. Hornedo 💚 Infinity Kings - Adam Silvera 💙 Really Cute People - Markus Harwood-Jones 💜 How You Were Born - Kate Cayley ❤️ These Bodies Between Us - Sarah Van Name 🧡 Icarus - K. Ancrum 💛 The Emperor and the Endless Palace - Justinian Huang 💙 How Not to Date an Angel - Lana Kole 💜 Enemy Colours - R.M. Olson 🌈 Broken Parts Included - Alyson Root

❤️ Who's Afraid of Gender? - Judith Butler 🧡 The Duke’s Cowboy - Andrew Grey 💛 The Secret Something - Emily Wright 💚 Colstead & Andie - Olivia Janae 💙 Play It Again, Ma’am - Sienna Waters 💜 Love Is…? - K.J. Wrights ❤️ Welcome to Forever - Nathan Tavares 🧡 Just Another Epic Love Poem - Parisa Akhbari 💛 The Phoenix Bride - Natasha Siegel 💙 These Letters End in Tears - Musih Tedji Xaviere 💜 Truly Home - J.J. Hale 🌈 Monster Mixer - Robin Jo Margaret

❤️ The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul 🧡 Promised to the Queen - Barbara Winkes 💛 A Conclave of Crimson - Nicole Eigener & Beverley Lee 💚 A Hunt of Blood and Iron - Cara Nox 💙 The Fealty of Monsters - Ladz 💜 Ariel Crashes a Train - Olivia A. Cole ❤️ Those Beyond the Wall - Micaiah Johnson 🧡 Dancing Toward Stardust - Julia Underwood 💛 Heir to Dreams & Darkness - Ben Alderson 💙 Comet Cruise - Niska Morrow 💜 Dead Girls Walking - Sami Ellis 🌈 Blackout - Carlos E. Rivera

❤️ Monster Crush - Erin Ellie Franey 🧡 Blessed Water - Margot Douaihy 💛 These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart - Izzy Wasserstein 💚 Kiss of Seduction - Rawnie Sabor 💙 Sunbringer - Hannah Kaner 💜 Evacuation to Love - C.A. Popovich ❤️ Sin - Brooke Matthews 🧡 Falls from Grace - Ruby Landers 💛 Lean in to Love - Catherine Lane 💙 A Small Apocalypse - Laura Chow Reeve 💜 Cascade Failure - L.M. Sagas 🌈 The Mars House - Natasha Pulley

❤️ All This Time - Sage Donnell 🧡 The Romance Lovers Book Club - MA Binfield 💛 View from the Top - Morgan Adams 💚 Number Call - Nagisa Furuya 💙 Crossing Bridges - Chelsey Lynford 💜 The Boyfriend Subscription - Steven Salvatore ❤️ Love the World or Get Killed Trying - Alvina Chamberland 🧡 Synthetic Sea - Franklyn S. Newton 💛 The Prince & His Stolen Groom - J.E. Ridge 💙 Chrysalis and Requiem - Quinton Li 💜 Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé 🌈 A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock

❤️ Wednesday Nights - by Donna Jay 🧡 The Woods All Black - Lee Mandelo 💛 Song of the Huntress - Lucy Holland 💚 Rainbow Black - Maggie Thrash 💙 Spirits & Sunflowers - A.D. Armistead & Austin Daniel 💜 Floating Hotel - Grace Curtis ❤️ Far From Camelot - Rylee Hale 🧡 This Way to Change - Jezz Chung 💛 Mexican Bird - Luis Lopez-Maldonado 💙 Android Affection: Unveiling - Beau Van Dalen 💜 Welcome to the Damned - Astraea Long 🌈 She Came for Blood - Darva Green

❤️ Cover Story - Rachel Lacey 🧡 The Poisons We Drink - Bethany Baptiste 💛 The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist - Sophie Gonzales 💚 In Walked Trouble - Dana Hawkins 💙 Never Leave, Never Lie - Thea Verdone 💜 Guardian: Zhen Hun - Priest ❤️ All the World Beside - Garrard Conley 🧡 Rainbows, Unicorns, and Triangles - Jessica Kingsley Publishers 💛 The Feast Makers - H.A. Clarke 💙 Synthetic Sea - Franklyn S. Newton 💜 All the Painted Stars - Emma Denny 🌈 A Hard Sell - Jennifer Moffatt

[snuggleboots]

have a word-salad kisame drabble thrown together while i was ugly crying over my fav mitski playlist :' ) *blasts my love is all mine on repeat x 1000*

tags: canon character death, canon character x reader,

kisame is less of an 'i'm going to make you mine' and more of an 'i want you to make me yours' man

always to a cause has he been dedicated, always to the aspirations of those higher on the chain than himself has his life been devoted.

he wants little and has nothing; even his sword, the gluttonous behemoth of gnashing teeth and merciless scales forged to rip and shred, could one day find its fill of his chakra and rebuke him for another.

his body, his power, and his life have never been his to declare dominion.

and belonging is something life has always deprived him of. to a friend, a team - or even something so small as a warm body that wanted him anything other than fighting or dead.

grandiose confessions and flowery words are two of many things that exist beyond the realm of his ability. never could he be a man who whispers heartfelt declarations of love and light, but he is a man who could devote himself to you.

his blade, his blood, his body, to his last breath.

only if you choose him.

the words 'i love you' may never fall like honey from his lips - but in the sanctum of the sun's waning light on a sodden, bloodied battlefield his brow could find its home against your own, the ghost of affection unfamiliar twined in his words when he offers himself in his entirety to you.

'let me be yours' is just as much a promise as it is a claim, spoken uncertainly and in feigned jest, through a sawtooth grin that always follows a battle hard-won.

heart pounding and lungs pitching their protest in the dry burn of every breath drawn, he is a man that lays his life like a token at your feet; if only you promise his fealty is kept true in the iron of your loyalty, and unyielding in your times of need.

never will you be his, not by his own word, because nothing in life that belonged to him has survived safe or untainted by the blood pouring like wine from his leger.

kisame wasn't born a monster, he doesn't know why he bites. death and bloodshed only found him young, and never has he been able to find its exit. too late is it now for him to ever hope for an end found in quiet or peace.

so in this world of manipulation and hypocrisy, please, let him belong to the lone pillar of sincerity that he has come to know as you. let his faith, his trust, his life belong to something more kind than the monster that became his namesake.

just so he might be able to - in what time he has left - drag his war-weary bones back to the first person that ever felt like a home, and wrap that someone so precious in his body, like a fortress impenetrable by all that might hope to harm you.

in this life, short and cruel, let the last memories his dying neurons fire be that born from the gentle warmth of your loving compassion for a man so unworthy and broken.

let him die knowing that, in this life, the love you shared was the one thing that belonged completely and entirely to him.

[tanoraqui]

If Jeff Bezos had given me $500,000,000 and the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, including appendices and forewords but excluding everything in The Silmarillion, I simply would have left the Second Age alone and instead found the hottest, best-acting, hottest young-Viggo-Mortensen lookalike around and made the Young Aragorn show of my dreams. It would’ve been a 5-season essay on what it means to be a good leader. It would’ve started out as relatively light-hearted monster-of-the-week in rural Eriador then moved south and shifted into a political drama and finally war epic. Every season would be set in a different region except both s4 and s5 would take place mostly in Gondor. Arwen would be part of the main cast starting in s3 or s4 and it would also cover her decision to choose mortality, Aragorn and queenship. Notable ships would be: Aragorn/Arwen (The OTP, <3); combinations of Aragorn/Halbarad/OC female Ranger (aka Baby Ranger 3 Brain Cell Trio, <3 but ultimately <> & also fealty as Aragorn levels up in kingliness); OC female Ranger/OC female local of Minas Tirith (I need another local + gender balance in the main cast by the end, <3); and Aragorn/Denethor (sexy sexy philosophical foils, tragic lack of fealty, kinda <3<. The only ship on this list that’s never at all canon.)

It would been titled “Crownless” and it’d be great. RIP to Rings of Power but I’m different.