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Sels eyes

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So a free tool called GLAZE has been developed that allows artists to cloak their artwork so it can't be mimicked by AI art tools.

AI art bros are big mad about it.

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“I thought Merlins were only good at making weapons."

Sel's head is tilted back, a slow smile on his face as the aether falls around him. “So did I.”

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Absolutely obsessed with this scene so I had to draw it 🖤🖤

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field reporter

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Wishes; Dreams

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Stars + Casual

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All of these 😍😍😍

A Little Legendborn/Bloodmarked Top 10 (Spoilers Ahead)

Happy Black History Month!  As we approach the release of the extended Bloodmarked chapter and the Will POV (as well as the painful wait for Oathbound), I thought I’d compile a list of my top 10 favorite Bree moments from LB and BM.  I have always enjoyed lists and trivia of some sort and thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite moments from the series. These are the moments that made me shout into my book with joy, frustration, delicious vengeance, and squeal with pure giddiness.  I am sure there are many more to add, but these are ten scenes that hit for me.  Hope you enjoy!

10. Punching a Demon

“The demon stands, snarling in a flash of triumph, lifting Nick high–then slams him into the silver stone.  His body goes still.  I’m running.  I barrel into the demon just as Sel swings Nick’s sword.  Together, we send the body in one direction, and the head in another.”

Well come on then fearless Scorpio KING!!!  I loved this moment because it gave us a glimpse into what was to come from our Bree.  Before she knew the extent of her power she was hurling herself into the thick of it.  It also gave us a sneak peak into her partnership and power sharing with Selwyn as well. This scene made me excited to see what else our King was truly capable of. 

9. Threatening Aldrich

“You may have a King’s blood - Aldrich finds my gaze and holds it–but you are not a Scion.  You are…a camgymeriad.  A mistake.”  

To which Bree replies, 

“Aldrich!  I call.  He pauses at the door to look at me.  I let the grin spread slow across my face. Not here, Not today.  But somewhere.  Someday.”   

I loved this call back from the prologue in Bloodmarked when Jessie describes the smart ass at the diner with the slur written across his face.  We get a glimpse into the darker parts of Bree, the parts of her that enjoy the challenge, the fight.  It also showed that if the good ol’ boys club doesn’t have anything, they have audacity.  Imagine being in her presence and because she does not come in the package you want her in, she is deemed unworthy. Brought into this life because of mediocrity, brutality, and privilege.  To be deemed a mistake because her very being is too grand and unfathomable to comprehend.  I love the grin she gives him. It screams “Fuck around and find out” and I am looking forward to Bree making good on this promise. 

8.  Hitting Sel Where it Hurts

“Throwing a temper tantrum, crossroads child?  I spit.  Both of Sel’s dark brows fly up to his hairline, and red spots appear on his cheeks. Direct hit.”

I cackled when I read this!  Not to mention Sel was so pissed he was slamming doors off in the distance.  Anytime Bree gets in touch with her shadow side and employs psychological warfare, I squeal (just a tiny bit).  It was one of those scenes that made me say “That’s what your ass gets!” Which was mild in comparison to Sel trying to, oh I don’t know, KILL HER!  No matter how scary he was at the moment, the fact that she couldn’t help but toy with him was a masterclass in being with the shits. 

7. Embarrassing Vaughn (with his basic ass)

“You’re a bigot and a bully, Scheafer.  You insult me because you think you know what I am capable of, but you don’t.  I must make you nervous, though, for you to expose your insecurities about your odds of success in the tournament…”

“I grin at Vaughn and look him directly in the eye.  Our future king does not owe you an explanation, and behaving as though he does displays insubordination, disloyalty, and fear.  Not power.  Not strength.  In fact, I pity the Scion that chooses you as their Squire.  That is, if you get chosen at all.”

DAAAAAMMN HOMIE! Talk about reading for filth!  As you can tell, I love when Bree pipes up. Vaughn mustered up all that tiny dick energy to lunge himself across the table and the baby girl didn’t even get out of her chair.  The constant microaggressions, the persistent air of “She doesn’t belong here” primed Bree to get some things off of her chest at this moment and what better asshole, than Vaughn (who was mesmered into obscurity) to get all the smoke?  I have lived moments similar to this, when you just don’t care anymore.  The weight of decorum becomes too heavy and it's time to “Let them thangs go” as we used to say back in the day.

6. Sexy Bloodwalk with Nick/ Kissing Sel

Nick

“His eyes snap open and lock with mine, pupils swallowed in silver.  “Yeah.” He nods, wraps a hot palm around the base of my neck, slides it up into my hair. “Yeah.” And then his mouth is on mine, and every call and response we’ve ever felt pales in comparison to this one.  Power cycling from his body to mine in a slow loop between his skin and mine.  Everywhere we touch speeds the rotation until I can’t tell whose breath is whose, whose flame arcs higher, which spark starts the fire that surrounds us.  He moans, tugging us to the ground.  I open my eyes –and see that the stars over his shoulder shine in our rhythm too.” 

Well, shit.  There was a lot to unpack in this passage. Lots of metaphors.  Were they…?  Whatever freaky dreamscape, bloodwalk, Camelot, ancient descendent sex magic was going on here, I was here for it.  I had to read it again to make sure I read it right, and yup, I did! The euphoric, cosmic otherworldliness of it all was so carefree and light.  As @justbrainrot says “They were high in Camelot!”  I love that this scene takes place after Sel hides his true face and she decides to go see her other man!  Came back so bathed in “Love” Selly had to roll all the windows down!  

Sel

“Well,” I say, biting my lip.  “Maybe it’s not enough for me.  Before I can respond, I pull his head down and press my mouth to his indignant scowl until it turns soft and warm.  He shudders against me.  Then, his palm wraps around the nape of my neck, turning the kiss fierce, his mouth open and hot.  He pulls me in by the hip, closer, a pulse building between us, a shared demand.  There’s a whoosh, movement, and I am against a tree, bark digging into my back, Sel’s mouth working against mine before he tears himself away entirely with a low groan.”

 These two love a good hand on the nape of the neck!  I always enjoy the parallels Tracy creates.  Nick’s tenderness (even though he had Bree on the floor looking at the stars over his shoulder) in Camelot juxtaposed with Sel, Merlin crip walking her against the tree was delicious. The hint of feral lust out there in the woods was perfection and I love that Bree made the first move.  Lots of world tilting and hot mouths and passing fire and heat and moans and shit!  Bree leaning into her light and dark side letting herself be loved on and loving on someone else.  Taking charge and going after what she wants (in the moment or otherwise).  Reckless girl indeed. 

5. At the Fair with Faye

“Inside the box my mother’s charm bracelet is pulsing like a heartbeat.  When the tips of my fingers touch the gold links, a voice echoes in my mind.”

“Bree…”

“I drop it.  I’m gasping, choking, sobbing.  ‘Mommy…?’”

This was a hell of a scene.  The gravity of a mother understanding that she has limited time with her child.  Understanding that she will face terrifying peril while trying to give her as much covering as possible, without being there in the physical form to facilitate that protection was beyond heavy.  Listening to Faye nervously try to get it all out without alarming Bree, the desperation in her voice…heartbreaking does not cover it.  I adored the power in this scene because despite Faye knowing the hell her baby would go through, she wanted her to know that if she had to do it over again, she would.  It helps me understand some of Bree’s choices that will inevitably come with dire consequences.  When it comes to fight or flight, Bree is going to fight.  It’s in her blood. 

4. Root Sharing

“I take in a deep breath through my nose, and when I exhale, the flames of root blow to life in my hands, red and fierce.  I extend my hands before I can talk myself out of it.  Sel’s eyes rise to mine, drop to my fingertips, then back up to me.  I will him to understand, because I don’t know how to say what I want him to do.  I don’t know how to ask for this, don’t even know if it will work.”  

This moment had me on the edge of my seat.  I am one of those that shouts at the screen when I watch movies and I was shouting into the pages of this book.  I was STRESSED.  I knew they couldn’t go out like that, but I didn’t know how they were going to get out of this pickle.  The description of Sel looking at her like “Oh shit!” and then going with it!  They were in tandem.  Bree was in her bag here pouring her very being into Sel.  It was a show of force that let us know she has only scratched the surface of what she can do.  This was squeal worthy for me!

3. Escaping the Institute

“A release of breath through the earpiece.  ‘Crown Scion Matthews.’  A voice I don’t recognize.  I grasp the counter’s edge, swallowing. ‘Y-Yes.’  The voice turns muffled, like they’re facing away from the receiver.  ‘It’s her.’ 

‘Who are you?’

When they speak again, the voice is clear.  Confident.  ‘Someone who can create a five-minute window of escape for you…’  

‘Someone you can trust.’”

My number three moment takes me back to any film I’ve watched where the heroes were down and all seems lost.  An expertly crafted switcheroo, caper, great escape!  The hurried tone of the person on the other end of the earpiece, the anxiety of thinking “Damn, what if she drops the keycard?”  “What if the Mageguard is there when she opens the elevator!?”  And let’s not talk about Bree putting those track muscles to work to run down a dark hallway to free herself just before the barrier snaps back into place.  I felt the urgency of Samira telling her “You can go faster, run faster, trust me!”  When Bree crossed the barrier and made it to Alice, I cheered like I had won the Mega Millions. Plus, I love a good callback with the "someone you can trust" line William says in LB.

2. Burning the Streams/Erebus Deal

“Think of the power you possess and the woman who gave it to you. I smile, sadly. ‘I used to think that woman was my mother, and, through her, you.  Tried it her way and it didn’t work.’ She tilts her head.  ‘And why is that?’

‘Because you all didn’t give me my power.’  I kneel to face the streams, thrust my hands into the earth from which they came. ‘I did.’”

By the end of Bloodmarked, I was tired of Bree getting her ass handed to her.  Tired of her seeking out the ancestors only to be foiled at every turn.  This is the moment where she chose herself and I loved it.  It has sparked so many conversations and it makes me think of how older generations can sometimes shame you for choices that they did not have the courage to make.  Granted, Vera did what she needed to do in her time, but it also shows how generational curses  can follow and impact us.  I felt for Bree in this moment because she tried to do it like everyone told her (or didn’t tell her) and when all else failed, she bossed up and did it her way.  As a seasoned woman, I make it a point to give the younger girlies game, if they are willing to hear it.  By the time we got to her burning the streams and making a deal with Erebus, no matter how reckless it seemed, I was here for it.  Dragons take what they want and burn the rest, after all. 

1. Pulling Excalibur

“We are in the cave again.  We take one step and we are already at the stone.  We grasp the ancient hilt, warm under our fingers.  We pull Excalibur free.”

Look at you!  You made it to the end, to my number one Bree Matthews moment!  I have to say that Legendborn sat in my office for a year before I picked it up (life was lifeing like it never lifed before).  Oddly enough, it called to me.  I started listening to it on Audible first (before I read it physically).  By the time I got to chapter 54 and Bree started recounting Vera’s life, her strength, then being at the hospital and meeting Sel’s mom, I said “Aww shit!”  It was a “On your left” Sam Wilson moment, a Charlie Baltimore “Die screaming MF” moment, a Tupac “Hit em up” moment.  I had that chapter on repeat!  It had everything!  The sheer awe of everyone in the cave with their mouths agape watching our good sis snatch that sword out of the stone, her switching to sinister employing battle tactics and throwing fire like Megan throws ass, Martin Davis curling into himself and fleeing after telling her essentially she was not worthy!  I am a sucker for deep reverence so at the end, when Sel was the first to kneel at the feet of this amazing, dynamic, black girl…I could have never imagined such a thing in all my years.  This scene was written beautifully and was so satisfying considering all that our Bree had gone through in book one.  It was a huge middle finger to all of the stuffy Order bigots that pined over their blood and lineage when in truth, all they have and represent was built on the backs of those whose blood is baked into the soil.  Black Folk. Those whose souls are as rich and complex as the truth history keeps trying to bury.

What are some of your top Bree moments?  Let me know in the comments or give your good sis a reblog. 

Happy Black History Month Y'all!

P.S. - Did you know there is a Black History Wales????

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I had a big long post about the trending situation but when I tried to save the draft to go check on something else Tumblr ate it. Anyway here's trending:

Here's the daily post information for the top two tags:

Here's the daily post information for the bottom two tags:

And here's the daily post information for #Free Palestine:

I know people are upset that anyone is posting any fandom related stuff at all, but Tumblr absolutely has some explaining to do when the only tag on trending that has more posts than #Free Palestine is #WWE and two of the tags on trending are basically the same tag and should've been shown as trending together instead of taking up two spots.

Being this blatant with suppressing tags during a genocide is appalling, and doing it during a massive strike (One that places an emphasis on posting Palestine related content) is rubbing salt in the wound.

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in regards to the international court of justice ruling in favor of south africa's case, PLEASE do not fall into imperialistic pessimism. this is an unprecedented moment in history. even if the icj doesn't have absolute power to dismantle colonial forces (which no institution in the world has), even if there's still a long way to go between this ruling and a ceasefire, even if there's still so much to be done, this is the first time the occupational forces in palestine have been faced with this amount of international opposition, and it is strong international opposition that causes colonial forces to fall. do not fall into the "this is a theatre", "this is just symbolic", "this means nothing" discourse. bringing about freedom to palestine, and all colonized nations and peoples, includes judicial bureaucracy just as much as boycotting, violent opposition, blockades, sanctions etc. there has to be an official international position on the matter, and this is it. the icj ruling won't stop the occupation forces, but without this ruling things would be that much harder for the palestinian cause on the world stage. let's keep going from here.

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today marks day 111 of the genocide in gaza.

and i need you all to keep in mind just how dire the situation in gaza is right now. and to keep talking about it. now is not the time to turn away.

today i want to talk about khalil again. yesterday, khalil posted about how his aunt passed away and they went to the graveyard to bury her, only to find thousands of tents in the cemetery. the people living as refugees in rafah have been so jam packed that they’ve started sheltering at the cemetery.

in a heartbreaking sentence, khalil says “they are living in the cemetery, waiting for their time to be buried”. can you imagine the situation one has to be in to say something like that?

not only do the gazans not have a safe place to live, they are also starving and suffering from diseases and lack of medication. in fact, that’s the cause of khalil’s aunt’s death—bad food and no medicine.

the people of gaza barely have food to eat. the children have to clean dirt and insects off animal feed before milling it to make food. medicine isn’t coming into the gaza strip. there are pharmacies all around but none can help because they do not have the means to. why?

because israel consistently denies shipments of vital aid. in fact, according to the UN, israel recently added insulin pens for children to the list of prohibited items that are not allowed into gaza. this list also includes other medicines for chronic illnesses are also not allowed [here is the full press conference for anyone who’s interested].

this claim is also backed by the report journalist motaz azaiza was making as he was evacuating gaza of a plethora of aid trucks waiting at the border to enter gaza. and for the little bit of aid that is available to gazans? yesterday the israeli military opened fire at starving citizens who were queueing to get aid in northern gaza.

there are too many heartbreaking stories coming out of gaza; there is at least one per person, in a population of 2.2M people. i urge you to not turn away from hearing their stories and facing the reality of the crimes being committed against them by israeli occupation forces.

whatever anyone else might say, whatever the verdict of tomorrow’s hearing may be… i want you to remember that what’s happening in gaza is nothing short of a genocide—a collective total of 33,360 deaths (incl people missing under rubble), and 64,150 injured. don’t let them just be numbers. these are people.

people who are not just being killed in cold blood, but are also being starved. they are being tortured physically and psychologically. they are being subjected to illnesses with no treatment given. they are being subjected to eating things like grass, immature food, expired food. read the euro med monitor report for the full picture of the destruction happening in gaza at the hands of the israeli occupation forces.

this is a genocide. this is one of, if not the deadliest of war crimes we’ve seen in the 21st century.

i am so heartbroken i barely have the energy to type today. please call for an end to all of this, for a permanent ceasefire. and subsequently an end to the israeli occupation.

we cannot leave the palestinians to fend for themselves and continue being oppressed directly or indirectly by their oppressors and colonisers. this occupation must end. palestine must be freed in its entirety.

من المية للمية

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

please especially send donations to help supply aid and food to gazans. especially to the organisations working within gaza. it’s not like there isn’t any food at all. gaza is not a barren land. the food is just inaccessible and very expensive and unaffordable for most gazans (if you follow journalist muhammad smiry, you’ll see he posts a lot about the atrocious prices of food in gaza). so your donations help people purchase food in bulk within gaza and supply to the civilians.

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While I am happy that the Hague's ruling is leaning towards a condemnation of Israel, we can't relent in our efforts.

Not only because this is merely a preliminary ruling, but because the ICJ does not have executive power over the Israeli occupation. The IDF is free to violate their ruling at any time, at the cost of being deemed international criminals, which has never stopped them before.

Moreover, even if the Israeli government complied, the legal outcome alone is a return to the status quo. Gaza was under siege long before 2023, and the apartheid still stands.

I am not trying to discourage you: this is an unprecedented amount of support behind Pro-Palestinian advocacy, and we now have to decide if we'll use this opportunity to work towards the end of Israeli occupation of Palestine, or walk away from the issue now that the genocide is reeled back in.

So if you're tired, if you're drained, please, let this small victory embolden you and let's double our efforts.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

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Aida_diop_1 [ A i d a D i o p ]

📸 by saidmhamadofficial

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hey um

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"What are you willing to sacrifice?"

Tracy's going to destroy us, isn't she? 😩

hey um

#legendborn #oathbound #Bloodmarked #tracy deonn #bree matthews

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“When in Doubt” by Sandra Cisneros “When in doubt, Wear faux leopard. “When in doubt, Err on the side of generosity. “When in doubt, Greet everyone as you would the Buddha. “When in doubt, Collect blessings from those who own nothing. “When in doubt, Absorb biographies to avoid life’s major mistakes. “When in doubt, Make life’s major mistakes. “When in doubt, Pay attention to the vendor shouting ‘Diooooos,’ Even when you find out he was only shouting, ‘Gaaaaas.’ “When in doubt, Carry a handkerchief and a fan. “When in doubt, Thank everyone. Twice. “When in doubt, Heed the clouds. “When in doubt, Sleep on it. “When in doubt, Treat all sentient and insentient beings as kin. “When in doubt, Forgive us our myopia As we forgive those who are myopic against us. “When in doubt, Unreel your grief to a tree. “When in doubt, Remember this. We are all on a Caucus-race. “There is no start. No finish. Everyone wins.”

Woman Without Shame: Poems by Sandra Cisneros

https://bookshop.org/a/12010/9780593534823

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reasons for there to be only one bed ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍊 ꒱

¹⁾ they’re undercover as a married couple, and as such need to act like one

²⁾ there’s technically two beds available, but it’s freezing cold and everybody knows body heat works best

³⁾ it’s a camping trip, and one character’s forgotten their sleeping bag

⁴⁾ a character goes to their friend’s house after an emotional upheaval in search of comfort, and ends up staying the night - but refuses to kick the homeowner out of their own bed, resulting in the two of them sharing it

⁵⁾ in a roommate scenario, one character’s bedroom has been rendered unusable - and with the couch being unsustainable in the long run, they proffer sharing the one remaining bed as a solution

⁶⁾ there are two beds, but only one blanket

⁷⁾ a character’s taken ill, and the other party worries too much to leave them alone for even a minute

⁸⁾ in a fit of anger after a mission gone wrong, both characters sleep in the only available bed because no one was chivalrous to offer to take the floor

���⁾ a character’s had a nightmare, and needs company to feel safe enough to go back to sleep

¹⁰⁾ the weather takes a tumultuous turn, meaning a late night hangout has to turn into a sleepover when a character gets stranded there for the night

¹¹⁾ it’s a late night at work and when they both grow too tired to continue on, the only option is the lone office couch

¹²⁾ a threat’s been made against one/all character(s) involved, and so under the guise of safety in numbers it’s deemed safest if they stay together - everywhere

¹³⁾ one character joins the other for a late-night conversation, and ends up getting comfortable in their bed next to them - evidently too comfortable, as the char in bed falls asleep on the visitor and effectively traps them there

¹⁴⁾ there’s no bed in the shoddy refuge they’ve found after things went sideways, so when it comes time to sleep the only real choice is to stay close together

and, of course,

¹⁵⁾ it’s the last room available at the hotel after a long trip

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Palestinian beadwork my beloved <3