#i also cannot in good faith write in my books

[sh-tposter2021]

how to do book annotations without losing your mind because scribbling notes in the margins and a ton of sticky notes looks messy to you

#i really wanna start a series on my tiktok where I read one chapter a day #i have rules for it tho #1. i have to make a video summarzing that chapter #2. i have to annotate at least two things from said chapter #yes i will have to show annotations for proof #and possibly even just talk about thought process behind them #i just cannot annotate for the life of me though bc post it notes overwhelm me whe they stick out of my book (especially bright ones) #and annotating in the margins makes the pages look messy and overwhelm me as well #i also cannot in good faith write in my books

[aoxizu]

i have another 2.1 character dynamic post in the recesses of my brain but i need to get this out first

star rail's 2.1 update main plotline leans a lot more into existentialism and absurdism than i thought it would which is a really nice surprise

like i thought before 2.0 that at most it was just going to be some "oh no capitalism bad ipc bad cults also bad" thing but honestly what we got is so much more interesting. the spoilers start now

also massive disclaimer i am not a philosophist and actually i really don't like philosophy because it makes my brain hurt and i would much rather just look at logical nice things like math and plants so. if i get anything wrong please correct me

acheron's past and how she became an emanator of nihility reminds me somewhat of the absurdist theme of how people always look for meaning when there isn't any, until they finally realize that the universe is meaningless

and the entire path of nihility basically is a road towards that realization that people tread on, and the difference between the real world and star rail is that in the real world here we have people who will see that and then go write a book about a guy not crying at his mother's funeral, whereas in star rail it seems that just accepting that the universe is meaningless turns you into a pathstrider or even emanator of the nihility (not sure if i remember the details, correct me if i'm wrong)

and then aventurine's whole motivation is trying to understand why the universe is so cruel to him, and to find meaning when you have everything except freedom, both of which are absurdist themes

the leap of faith argument often attributed to søren kierkegaard claims that even though there is no rational logic for believing in god, you should do it anyway because the alternatives are madness, suicide, and ignorance. this was one solution to the problem of confronting the universe's meaninglessness: choosing to believe in a higher being regardless

later world wars i and ii both contributed heavily to the rise of absurdism as people returned from the war, having seen so many others die around them, and then just going back to a normal society with none of what they as individual soldiers had contributed seemingly doing anything. and then it happened again, but on a much greater scale with even more deaths. both wars and the destruction they brought led many people to start questioning why a supposedly moral god could allow this suffering, and this is where camus comes in and says that actually religion and nationalism both aren't good solutions, and instead we should just accept meaninglessness and keep living despite the absurdity

and i think dr ratio's scroll thing kind of relates to that

he tells aventurine to open it when he's about to die, or when he's completely out of answers for the question of how to confront absurdity

and dr ratio's answer for aventurine is to just tell him to keep living, good luck

which is. yeah

it's the argument that there are more answers to nihilism than just 1) going insane, 2) pretending like it doesn't exist, and 3) dying

it's the bold claim that despite everything, you can still choose to live

sure nothing makes sense but that does not detract from your life. it doesn't need to make sense at all

and with the understanding that things do not need to fit our human definition of meaning, we can continue on knowing our true place in the universe

and with that aventurine walks into the very big black hole like look at that thing you cannot tell me there is no symbolism there

let's go back to acheron.

in the part where you get a snippet of acheron's conversation with some guy just before this cutscene, the other party states that "[IX] leave[s] woven strands of fate for humans to walk, and together THEY weave a great shadow...And this shadow silently envelops them."

which to me sounds like a statement on how people across time and space have again and again come to the same question, what is the meaning of life?

and acheron's whole color thing seems to mean that she is one of the few who, after walking so far on the path of nihility, somehow have not died yet, be it from madness or something else

like it seems implied that many many more have seen the meaninglessness of the universe and have not reacted as well as acheron has

ok i have more to say about the elation and how it in turn relates to the nihility but that will have to come later but there is. a lot of interesting things there to explore

once again disclaimer: I Am Not A Philosophist And Do Not Know What The Correct Definitions Of These Words I'm Throwing Around Are. thank you for coming to my ted talk that was more of a longwinded ramble

#hsr #honkai star rail #2.1 spoilers #hsr aventurine #dr ratio #(briefly but i think i might have more to say about him later once my brain gets working) #acheron #hsr analysis #i should make a tag for that because this is probably not the last time i'm going on a wild tangent about star rail #but bad #bad hsr analysis #someone save me and take me back to the luofu i don't want to be doing english homework while playing a supposedly relaxing upbeat game #or whatever it was that shaoji promised in the 2.0 livestream #i just want to go back and see dan heng and jing yuan and qingque and bailu and you get the point #get me out of this dreamscape.

[hazbin-but-good]

another hazbin hotel rewrite/redesign?

yup! and i'm so serious about it that i made a whole blog for it. i'm a white queer ex-cath tran doing this as an art and writing exercise, so feedback from other creatives + jewish and/or racialized folks is especially welcome.

i'm putting this post and only this post in the main tags for visibility. also, not gonna link my main, but i do make my own original stuff, and i encourage fans and haters alike to do the same.

anyway, here's a mostly good-faith 1.7k-word essay on the original. i think it's pretty funny and brings up some less talked-about points. correct me on the facts, disagree with my opinions, and ask clarifying questions, but don't come at me with any piss-poor reading comprehension.

the hellaverse is garbage, and here's why

cw: strong language, stronger opinions, intersectional feminist critical discourse analysis

1. vivienne medrano, the person

medrano was born as a well-off white-passing latina (salvadoran-american) in bougieass frederick, maryland. while attending new york's top art school, she got popular on deviantart-tumblr-twitter by being a prolific multifandom fujoshi furry who's more into ornamental character design than storytelling. upon graduation, she leveraged her fanbase and industry connections to make the hazbin and helluva boss pilots, get helluva made for youtube, and get hazbin made for amazon prime.

like every woman online, she gets harassed for no good reason, and as a certified autist, i will defend her right to be dumb, weird, annoying, and bad with words. however, there are legit reasons to criticize her:

racism, misogyny, homophobia, fatphobia, some antisemitism, past transphobia, past ableism

shitty boss, bad friend

cowardly, vindictive, manipulative, thoughtless behavior

skeevy friends

sucks at taking criticism

in short, i think she desperately needs a PR person and someone to clean up her digital footprint.

2. medrano's art

incurious

inauthentic

noncommittal

creatively stagnant

overindulgent, and the indulgence isn't even fun

shallow and childish framed as complex and mature

bland and boring framed as shocking and subversive

to be clear, i'm at peace with the existence of suckass art like this; i just think the money, attention, and praise it gets are unearned and should go to more interesting works, of which there are infinite.

medrano's had the time, money, and social cache to grow as an artist, learn from the best, and take creative risks, but she hasn't. if she truly has nothing more to offer, she should let her collaborators take the wheel, but she doesn't do that either. instead, she keeps getting more and more resources to make the same baby bullshit, and that pisses me off. she could be the nicest person ever, and this fundamental arrogance would still make her art blow.

stop with the pointless guilt: liking medrano's work does not make you stupid or evil. however, if you stay in the kiddie pool of culture, if you refuse to engage with a diversity of art, if the hellaverse is your point of reference for anything media-related, you can't expect to have your opinions on art, media, or culture taken seriously. you have not earned a seat at the table. you gotta hit the books first.

i cannot emphasize enough how much incredible stuff is out there if you're willing to look further than what social media and streaming services put right in front of you. if you come away from this blog having learned about just one new artist or piece of art, i'll be a happy camper.

3. the hellaverse

a. empty and confused

hazbin and helluva's content and marketing has no clear target audience. the subjects are inappropiate for teens, but the execution is too childish for adults, and lemme tell you what i don't mean by that, first.

not inherently inappropriate for teens:

sex and sexuality

violence, including when it intersects with the above

politics and religion

not inherently childish:

animation (any style)

comedy

episodic writing and/or loose continuity

young characters

fun, happiness, optimism, the power of friendship, cuteness, tenderness, sincerity, etc.

what i mean is that these shows are literally about adult characters who fuck, smoke, drink, do drugs, go clubbing, work full-time, manage their own finances, and deal with stuff like bureaucracy, sexual violence, domestic abuse, marriage, divorce, late adoption, and family estrangement.

however, none of these "adult" things are given enough specificity to create drama or comedy. it's all too stock, vague, flat, weirdly sanitized, and thus utterly banal—pure aesthetics on top of bad saturday morning cartoons. it's exactly what i'd expect from a sheltered disney kid who needs to log off and get into their local gay scene ASAP so their only contact with things like poverty, policing, addiction, and sex work stops being facile movies and TV.

if the shows were aware of this and played with it, that could be amazing, but they're not. they give you the mickey mouse version of the world with a straight face and then play looney tunes sound effects to try to make you laugh and sad_violin.mp3 to try to make you cry. now that's funny.

b. old and tired

let's make like americans and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. even within the confines of the USA, home of the hays code, the red scare, and reaganite propaganda, this neopuritan fascist state ruled by 1000 megachurches in a trenchcoat, the indie/underground animation scene has been doing crazier shit for decades. anti-war films in the 60's, bakshi movies in the 70's, the simpsons shorts and r-rated movies in the 80's, adult swim and MTV in the 90's, flash/newgrounds/youtube in the 00's, streaming in the 2010's—so what are we doing in the 2020's with this wet white rice drowned in expired ketchup? i feel crazy making this point because it's obvious if you've watched these things, but if you haven't, you're gonna be like "well, there's gotta be something new here". no! there isn't! in the words of jimmy "the scot" jordan, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

c. ideological purgatory

actually, there is one thing in these shows i've never seen before: the presbysterianism. shout out some interesting or at least intentional presbysterian art in the comments, because the way these ideas are presented here is not compelling. it just makes the rainbow neoliberalism even more confusing and contradictory.

i guess the big presbysterian things are protestanism, calvinism, and, uh, big church government? presbysterians, get your shit together. get your brand down. catholics have BDSM and vampires, evangelicals have TV and corporatism; what do you have? celtic crosses? no wonder medrano has such uninspired ideas on divinity.

d. queer deficiency

when i look at a piece of art, i ask myself: "what does this give me that i can't get from the hunchback of notre dame (1996)?" if the answer is as limp as "uhh, gay people, i guess", i can probably look for my gay shit elsewhere and rewatch the hunchback of notre dame (1996) in the meantime.

but let's say that you have no standards. you've been waiting for ages for a show about gays by the gays for the gays, and by god you're gonna get it. this is it! here we go! time for some

generic twink obliteration

male sexuality as aggression and dominance displays

WLW (sex and chemistry not included)

a couple straight femdoms

and the stalest sex jokes known to man

...yeah, it's not very queer. and by "queer", i mean "questioning or subverting gender norms (including sexual roles) within a given cultural context regardless of creator identity and intent". i'm not a queer studies scholar so LMK if there's a more specific term for this, but whatever you call it, it's not in the hellaverse much.

there's not even any transness, literal or metaphorical, just ancient drag jokes. i guess the writers thought we would've been too controversial. so much for an indie animation studio that prides itself in the diversity of its staff both above and below the line, bakshi-style. i wonder how medrano, a bisexual woman, would've felt if told that a lesbian main couple in hazbin would be "too controversial".

4. spindlehorse and the vivziepop brand

spindlehorse toons underpays its overworked staff and keeps outsourcing more and more labor to even more overworked freelancers overseas to cut costs. a rainbow sweatshop is still a sweatshop, and just because these practices may be "industry standard" doesn't make them any more ethical.

the studio has also been repeatedly accused by current and former employees and contractors of creating a hostile and abusive workplace. AFAIK, it still has no dedicated HR person, and victims are too afraid of retaliation like blacklisting and online harassment to speak out.

this is exactly the stuff that unions exist to prevent. as i'm writing this, the IATSE (the parent union of TAG, which is the parent union of all US animation unions) is negotiating with entertainment industry executives for better working conditions, and if the execs fuck around like last year, it's strike time again. so watch this space, voice your support, and don't cross any picket lines.

i hope spindlehorse unionizes, but until then and for these reasons, i don't think you should give money to the company.

first of all, all content on amazon-owned platforms is ok to pirate, and all youtube ads are ok to block. everyone involved in making the episodes has (or should have) been paid upfront, so you're not taking the bread out of anyone's mouth.

next, let's look at the succulent offerings of the official vivziepop merch shop:

$10 pins and keychains

$15 sticker packs

$20 mugs and acrylic cutouts

$25 shirts

$30 metal cards (not even tarot)

$40 lounge pants

$50 mini backpacks

random $80 skateboard deck

forgive my latin americanness, but this is all stuff you can get made by a local metalsmith, print/sublimation shop, or just crafty people in your life. it's cheaper, customizable, and better for the environment to skip all the shipping and packaging. also, not painting your own skateboard is poser shit.

the hazbin website also has $15 pins, one $20 keychain, and $6 trading card packs. people are weird about trading cards, so if for some reason you wanna gamble for a mass-produced bit of cardboard, plastic, and tinfoil, at least bulk-order for all the vivziepoppers in your area so it's less of a huge waste. better yet, trace the designs and make infinite bootlegs.

at the end of the day, buying merch is not activism. your bulk order of trading cards will not save any wage slaves from getting evicted from their overpriced studio apartments. however, the shop links you to all the credited artists/designers, and more of your bucks will actually reach them if you buy their designs directly, then turn them into body pillows or life-sized bronze statues or whatever the fuck.

go through the credits of any episode of helluva or hazbin, and you'll find even more creatives you might wanna support. get jinkx monsoon's albums on CD. subscribe to actually good artist, animator, and composer gooseworx. lots of voice actors now have patreon, cameo, or self-hosted pages where you can write better lines for their characters and have them read it. these things may not look as shiny as Official Merch™, but we all need less plastic shit and more culture anyway.

#spindlehorse #vivziepop #hellaverse #hazbin hotel #helluva boss #spindlehorse critical #vivziepop critical #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel rewrite #hazbin hotel redesign #helluva boss redesign #communism #degrowth

[thesensteawitch]

Pick A Pile Reading

A Message Meant To Reach You!🕊️

(Left to Right- Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3)

Hey, Senstea Souls!

I am back with another collective reading. It's a general reading so take what resonates and leave what doesn't.

Feel free to DM me in case of any queries. Bookings are open!

Pile 1

Animal Spirit- Sea Serpent

Tarot Cards- The Chariot, Judgement, Queen of Wands, Seven of Swords, The World, Two of Wands

Did you take a wrong turn in life, pile 1? Or a dangerous road. A road that was all about our darkest of desires and you were meant to rescue something good that was stuck in a loophole. Your cards are very positive but I sense that someone stole something from you and it weakened your ability to communicate your truth. But the good thing is that the Universe wants you to know that soon you'll enter into the phase of rebirth. You'll be freed. I feel you have been planning something for a very long time. You developed this plan based on many experiences you have had. There's an assurance that your plan is going to work. What you want is coming. You are soon going to complete a full circle. I hear, “Some mistakes get made that's alright that's okay, in the end, it's better for me that's the moral of the story babe.” The color blue is prominent in your reading. You may be seeing a lot of butterflies. A huge change is coming into your life. Something is finally ending. Perhaps your old self. The moment you tell you truth and you say what's there in your mind you'll see a page turning in your life. You'll soon come face to face with a traitor. It can be a thought or a real person. Communicate and the fog will be cleared. You are divinely protected, pile 1. You just need to have your desires in control and let your creativity flow freely. Soon you'll free yourself of all the judgements. Make sure you do not take a wrong turn. Stay on your path. I hope this helped. See you soon! If you want more clarity regarding this situation or any other feel free to check out my rate card and book your reading.

Important chakras: Throat and Sacral.

Pile 2

Animal spirit- Raccoon

Cards- Temperance, Four of Pentacles, Queen of Swords, The Fool, Queen of Wands, Judgement

Pile 2, you are going to be blessed in such a way that you won't be able to grab everything at once. You'll receive so much praise and abundance that they will overflow and others will be picking them up for you. If something especially a relationship was going downhill then know that resolution is coming. Have faith but keep your balance. Don't cheat. Don't pretend to have faith. Have patience. Don't be a cat who cannot help but run after a rat as soon she lays eyes on him. Your words hold power currently. You may observe that whatever you say will manifest itself. So make sure you think twice before saying anything. But at the same time use it for the best. Manifest with good intentions. Your affirmations are working if you have been affirming. Whatever is changing know that it's all you. You are bringing a change in your life. Some of you may be writing or speaking a lot lately or have the urge to do so. Some of you may even be musicians. Just don't be too stubborn about your art. Art is flexible. It can move in any direction as it gives you uncountable perceptions. Some of you may still be struggling with money. The push and pull between you and your art is coming to an end. Soon you'll see a clear picture. Trust the process and more importantly trust yourself. You may feel overwhelmed currently or in the coming days. Keep your emotional meter in check. Don't get it cracked up. I also see movement. Some of you may be moving houses. Stay true to your words, pile 2, and own your true self. I hope this helped. See you soon! If you want more clarity regarding this situation or any other feel free to check out my rate card and book your reading.

Pile 3

Animal Spirit- Cosmic Egg

Cards- Queen of Swords, Queen of Cups, Nine of Pentacles, King of Wands, 5 of Swords, Ten of Wands

Words mean a lot to you, pile 2. You know it because all day you are somehow surrounded by them. You feel that your words hold power. And they definitely do. I see a group of friends. Though honest, your words sometimes make people upset. You need to be very careful. I see that some of you are working on a project and perhaps 3 people were involved in it. You very well know the plan of action. What to do and what not to do. Your commands may feel threatening to others. That's why some people do not want you to boss them. But clearly, you deserve to be in charge. You can work alone pretty well though, just like a magician. You have all the knowledge to work by yourself and ace it. But you are so deeply hurt that the work now seems like too much to handle. As soon as you let go of bitter emotions you will be able to create what you were supposed to since the beginning. This journey will be alone and slow but it'll definitely bear fruits. Nine months from now you'll be grateful that you did it alone. It's between you and the universe now. Universe will take care of the rest for you. It cares for you as much as it does for those who believe in it. Don't underestimate yourself pile 3. Within a few months, you are going to be blessed with abundance. You'll achieve your goals and it will all be self-made. Put your work aside for a while and take a break. Release the negative emotions or grudges you hold. And then begin again. You'll ace whatever you were working on. I sense strong air and fire sign energy. Don't unnecessarily make your working space crowded when you have the capability to make things work on your own. I hear, “I am not gonna make it alone.” You are not alone, pile 3. We meet so many people in this lifetime. You'll find the perfect match for you too. Till then know that you aren't alone. You never were. I read a quote, “We are carried. In bellies. In arms. In love. In hope. In caskets. In urns. In grief. In memories. Our whole lives and into the next. We are carried.” I hope this helped. See you soon! If you want more clarity regarding this situation or any other feel free to check out my rate card and book your reading.

#pick a pile reading #pick a pile tarot #free tarot reading #a message #meant to be #tarot reader #tarot cards #tarot reading #tarotblr #pick a pile #tarotcommunity #message for the collective #general reading #tarot readings #fire signs #air signs #water signs #earth signs

[fromdarzaitoleeza]

This post is not related to literature, books or art , please skip the post since that's what u thought and stumbled upon it , this post is all about me and my personal thoughts on various chain of things in my life , which I want to write down here since Tumblr has been my safe place .

I went through my blog yesterday and tried to look up what i have been posting since the last few months, it gave me a lot of blue vibes altho it is a representation of what's going on in my head , on Tumblr specifically I only post what goes through me & what I been feelin , I have lived in every peice of quote I have posted over the span of months, i have resonated with them not just only once but multiple times over the period of time , but I don't want to post them always, I want to feel so many other emotions that exist out there so that I can post about them , intimacy love happiness faith youth friendship I want to feel them I want them to happen to me the way I feel blue heavily, intensely ,constantly ! I post on this blog so I can find people who have felt things that I have felt so that I know I am not the only person who has felt it this way & again I sometimes think about the people who felt the same things as they felt and wonder how miserable it has been for them too. I am never not thinking about the quote from van Gogh when he says I want people to touch me through my art I want people to feel my art I want them to say oh he feels deeply he feels deeply.

This year has undoubtedly been one of the worst years of my life i have suffered great losses not just of people but also of the person I was , I don't recall a single day in this year when I looked in the mirror and felt happy looking at myself ( I am not talking about the physical appearance here ) . This year has made me weak on all levels & i can't write down all the reasons for it cuz they won't justify anything, this year I have spent more time somewhere else rather than in myself, despite what i am writing here trust me I am a very optimistic person I still keep the faith & hope to do better in life everyday I am the person who will fall down ninety nine times and stand tall again on hundredth, i don't give up and sometimes i think thats what goes wrong with me I don't know when to give up which l believe has significantly hurted me over many things , indeed nothing has hurted me than my very being & my mistake cuz i have done a lot of them but the what makes me more ridiculous is I am the most intelligent person in my family tree and it's branches ( no i am not trying to praise myself)my opinions/choices are asked for decision making over lot of important things in their life which amusingly fits them well and satisfies them but the same wisdom/intelligence doesn't benefit me,it has caused me more damage than good , I read the quote from Bukowski where he says "Sadness is caused by intelligence, the more you understand certain things, the more you wish you didn't understand them" and i have never looked at myself in the same way again

As much as I believe in efforts and action I also believe some things are not just subjectivity enough with them for example my experience with love and friendship, i believe one of strongest reason I loved Leeza was the resemblance of our tragedies in the past , there is quote from nagato ( pain from Naruto shippden) where he says "" unless people comprehend the pain as others they truly cannot understand one other"" here the pain i and Leeza shared was very much similiar I thought we would understand each other best out of anyone in this planet, which made to put my 100% into loving her but unfortunately that was not enough

I wanted to meet people who would want to understand me ( only /atleast those who already knew me inside out) based on the way I did things and what happened to me & how much of what changed me overtime as a person, because i don't want to explain each time I do something to the person who already knows about me ,maybe this doens't make a lot of sense since this by far has been the most delusional thing I have ever thought of , I have never met someone as such i am being very honest about it ,and this is solely due to my own fault I am an over expaliner cuz i think people are overthinkers ( simply because I am one) .

I am trying my very best to change my life in every way i can , even if things aren't beautiful I am grateful that I am alive, i will always hope that things will get beautiful over time, sincerely and most Genuinely I want to feel those things ,i can not describe how badly i want nice things to happen to me , how i would like to be friends with someone who won't hurt me & to be loved by someone deeply enough that i can find my peace in them.

#this post is long and unfinished i would like to write down all of it but i am too tired to write everything down rn

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Like it or not, the one who saved and modernized the monarchy was King George V, not king Edward VII, and this is an undisputed fact that all historians would agree with. After all, It was during the reign of King George V that 13 European Monarchies crumbled to the ground while the british monarchy survived. And it survived because of George V, because of his leadership, his modern statesmanship, his will to embrace and encourage changes, his popularity and the respect that his nation had for him, while he led his country to victory during WW1. He was the FIRST Monarch that brought monarchy close to people, hence why he was nicknamed the People's Monarch or the Citizen Monarch. George reigned during the most difficult times in the history of monarchy and of mankind, but he managed to save his monarchy and to modernize it, setting the path for a Constitutional Modern Monarch*. Your bias cannot change it, because facts dont give a damn about your opinions. A pity that you cannot uplift Edward VII without bringing George down. George wasnt dull, he was quite the character. He was genuine, funny, reproachable, a lover of books and cinema, and most importantly he was a SERIOUS LEADER, who acted exactly as a modern head of state is suppsed to act. Oh and he was a FAITHFUL Husband, he was devoted to his wife and loyal to her throughout their entire marriage. Something that can never be said of Edward VII who was unfaithful and over-indulgent in everything ( Im sure his mistresses would have preferred Handsome George though). If being faithful and family-oriented makes a man dull, than give me dull everyday. Queen Alexandra would've been happy to have married a man like George who never embarrassed and humiliated his wife

Oh my, where does this come from? lmao. Tbh, I deserve this kind of message when it's about Wilhelm. I'm totally biased regarding this rascally young fop (Alexander III said it first!). Badmouthing him is one of my favourite pastime. But George, come on! I never been too harsh with him? EXCEPT, perhaps, when it comes down to the Romanovs, but what can I say? When you don't have a backbone, you really don't…

Yet, I'm a tad puzzled by your message because we are talking about George V right? The one who in April 1905 hadn't seen his children for three months. The one who used to shout at his second son "Get it out" when the poor soul was suffering from stammer. The one who in 1917, while on a stroll in the grounds of Sandringham complained to Nora Wigram that his children always avoided him. Nora retelling this story in one of her letters to her parents said how Mary, David and Bertie became "quite cheerful & entirely flippant, writing their names in the snow" when George and Mary had gone home on said stroll. However, do you know who was ACTUALLY a good father? his cousin *whispering* Nicky.

Faithful yes but let me remind you that their marriage was far from smooth sailing. They lived seperately for months on end. You also must have forgotten the countless letters from George trying to apologise for shutting down, being rude or cold towards May. + May's letters complaining on how he would shut her out. The man was unable to articulate his feelings which led to endless misunderstanding. May who once wrote to George while in Paris : "I quite understand about yr not wishing to come to Paris & am not angry, I only thought it wd be nice change as I find life in general very dull- unless one has a change sometimes." She had wanted him to join her but had received a rebuff instead. May who wrote to his brother in 1900 while she was stuck in the gloomy York Cottage: "It is so dull here & I feel very low & depressed tho' Im pretty well on the whole" (alright she was pregnant at that time, but guess where George was?… out shooting birds).

Led his country to victory during WW1? Hmmm, you really mean George V who was described in 1918 by the Viscount Esher in those terms: "he seems virtually a recluse, steadily devoting himself to good purposes and little works of a good kind, but with not conspicuousness, no assertiveness of the King's position." / "making himself a nonentity" ? While May wrote on 19 november 1916 to her son David about the hospital visits: "They are "assomant" (tiresome) & I dislike them more than words can describe!" and then proceeded to explain how much she enjoyed her shopping trips at Goode's.

I'm teasing because OF COURSE I think George V was a good ruler and perhaps he was the kind of ruler the country needed at that time. He was a great arbitrator and was able to adapt and change despite having conservative views and being very much uneducated. How he dealt with the Irish question is a stellar example! He was an ordinary man who disliked society and suffered from bouts of depression. There is a sentence that struck me in Ridley's book which in my opinion sums up George : "He was a man of disconnected feelings".

I could write PAGES about Bertie's shortcomings and how his shenanigans damaged the monarchy. Yet he was a gifted ruler, very much in tune with his time.

So I guess anon, it comes down to... preference. If you are more into shooting birds and collecting stamps, you do you! I, on the contrary, have a soft spot for cosmopolitan kings with a string of scandals.

Now if you'd excuse me, I'm off painting the town red with Bertie!

#don’t come after me #with those rose-colored glasses #i'll show you the receips #and give you a reality check 😗 #i do hope #this anon is a troll #because you can't go about life #being so short-sighted #& i'm sorry but #not even ridley's EXCELLENT bio on george #could change my mind #georgie was a dull man #actually my last words will be #le roi est mort vive la république #because there is no way #i'm starting a debate on which king saved the monarchy #*even though Bertie did hehe*

[theboarsbride]

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Rant) Review.

Rating: 2⭐⭐/5 stars

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Length: 420 pages

Review: Soooo……..needless to say I really did not enjoy this book (nor did I ever really anticipate such because this was a hate-read and I cannot stand SJM as both an author and a person lmao). This is going to be a long rant review, and I know a lot of what I'll bring up has been brought up previously in other reviews, but I will still try to provide new insight nonetheless! This review will come in segments, and can be accessed beneath the cut.

ALSO!! There will be spoilers throughout this review. Don't read any further if you don't wish to be spoiled!

AND ALSO! This is merely my opinion. If you enjoy this series, AWESOME! I'm glad for you, this just isn't for me, and I, in good faith, cannot give this book a good review.

⚠️AND NOW CONTENT WARNINGS⚠️ There will be mentions of sexual assault and overall abusive and possessive behavior. I will mark parts of the review that mention these themes with an asterisks (*) so that you may avoid that content if you're not up for reading about it.

NOW ONTO THE REVIEW!!

1. What I liked - While this was still a hate-read I don't want to be a total downer and I wanted to find something about SJM's writing that I enjoyed. Granted there wasn't a lot, but they were still there!

- To start, I feel like SJM can write really interesting and tense action scenes. The opening scene with the killing of the wolf, the naga chase scene (which, like… why are we getting naga in this very clearly English/Celtic folklore-inspired world, and to never have similar creatures featured again?), the trials Under the Mountain, etc. Just, overall, the third act taking place Under the Mountain was so fun!! Like, it wasn't great and still riddled with SJM's writing and other uhhhh questionable stuff (we'll get there), but overall I enjoyed it so much more than the previous two-thirds of the book!

- There were also some romantic moments that I thought were really sweet, and I wish we saw more of that! I wish we saw more of Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship blossom more!

Now onto stuff I didn't like…..(there's a lot)

1. The Writing and Characters - I can't stand SJM's writing style. The obvious annoyance is her overuse of em dashes, and also ellipses. Both of these were so incredibly unnecessary in her work, and only distracted me, and slowed my reading.

- And also she reuses the same sentence structure, and it annoyed me once I noticed it (ex.- i was going to the bathroom, which was white and clean and shining. Then, I went to school, a place that was dull and bland and boring.) 

- Like jfc. I wholeheartedly believe the conspiracy that no one actually edits SJM's book because good LORD.

- I refuse to believe that SJM knows, or would even care to know, how to write believable poor people. I refuse to believe that Feyre’s family has been destitute for nearly a decade - because they sure as hell don’t come across like it. Feyre’s sisters, Elaine and Nesta, act so dainty and bitchy about work and survival despite living this way for ALMOST 10 YEARS. Their mentalities, how they react to being poor, how they treat their belongings, how they treat and handle their food, how they handle their money, etc. doesn’t line up for me. I just don’t buy it.

- Also in relation to this point: Feyre is weirdly quick to let Tamlin’s servants wait on her hand and foot. Her psychology, how she thinks, and engages with Tamlin’s manor around her doesn’t fit with someone who’s spent eight years living in violent poverty and starving.

- A bit of a nitpick but, it bothers me that SJM writes Feyre as a painter yet I, for the life of me, couldn't tell you what her style is, how her artwork looks, or even what ANY piece of art looks like in this world. Feyre talks about her artistic eye and all that, but to me that description means nothing. Being a painter and liking art does nothing for Feyre's character, it's such a useless detail when it could be something that adds depth to her character and shows the reader how she views art, how she views the world, etc. This just shows me that SJM did nothing to research art, styles, and mediums, nor does she actually care about her character writing enough to utilize art as a way to elevate Feyre as a character.

- The pacing is so boring. It’s just painfully slow and stuff that could be exciting is skimmed over and never elaborated on, and all that really happens for the first two-thirds of the book is just Feyre vibing (and being passive aggressive towards) Tamlin and Lucien.

2. This is a fairytale retelling? - This book has EVERYTHING I absolutely loathe about modern day fairytale retellings - more specifically retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

- It fails as a retelling, in general, because it completely misses the point of the fairytaleS (there are multiple going on in ACOTAR) and ends up being a shallow husk of these classic tales.

- ACOTAR markets itself as a retelling of several fairytales: Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun, West of the Moon (a Norwegian variant of BatB featuring a 'beast' that is a polar bear by day and a handsome prince by night), Eros & Psyche (a Greek myth that's widely accepted as one of the original versions of the 'monster bride-groom' narrative framework), and the Ballad of Tam-Lin (a Scottish folktale that features a man cursed by a queen of faeries). And yet I feel like it fails all of these stories, primarily Beauty and the Beast. BatB is a story about kindness and love, and loving someone for who they are as opposed to what they look like, and ACOTAR embodies the very thing I hate about modern retellings of this story: a ‘beast’ that is outwardly handsome and the only ‘beastly’ thing about him is being hypermasculine, aggressive, toxic, and cruel while offering little opportunities of redemption. Except, Tamlin isn’t necessarily all of those things. Conventionally hot and hypermasculine, yes, but he’s been nothing but gracious and nice to Feyre. And WHY is he named ‘Tamlin’, obviously being named after the titular Tam-Lin from Scottish folklore, and SJM does nothing to give this story a ‘Scottish flair’? Which brings me to my next point:

3. Worldbuilding - There is nothing about this world that convinces me that this is unique. It does nothing to differentiate itself from other fantasy worlds, or even our modern world! You can tell that there are medieval and Rococo/Georgian Europe influences, but that’s only in fashion and aesthetics. But the faeries?

- To me, they’re nothing more than conventionally attractive people with pointy ears and MAYBE magic. Tolkien elves, pretty much! Like, deadass, I pictured Tamlin looking like Legolas but jacked as fuck (AND WHY COULDN’T WE GET MORE OF TAMLIN’S BEAST FORM!?!?!?!? UUGHH!!!! BIG SAD!!). There were so few, like… FAERIE faeries, and whenever there were any the only indicators SJM would offer are differing skin tones, sharp teeth, claws, wings, etc. They just felt so uninspired and lazy (teetering between underdeveloped spectral entities or LOTR elves) … why write about faeries if you’re not going to put in the effort to flesh them out as FAERIES? I once saw someone say that what SJM is doing to faeries is what Stephanie Meyer did to vampires and honestly??? I agree.

- I will forever be bitter that SJM decided to write about faeries and did NOTHING new with fae lore.

- *I know this gets explained a little more in the second book (which… I will get to that when I write my ACOMAF review because i’ve thoughts) but what exactly is this world’s religious system? Because you never get a good feel for it. I say this because several times Lucien mentions ‘Hell’, as in capital ‘h’ Hell - Christian Hell. Why would he say this when humans are agnostic/athiest with a sparse numbr of fae-worshiping cults (and were once implied to have had a polytheistic religion that differs from our world’s Christianity) and fae worship the Cauldron and other faerie deities so like.....why would SJM not use a few extra braincells to create her own version of Hell rather than using lazy cultural shorthand that, by the logic of this book's world, doesn't work???? And this is a recurring theme in ACOTAR: lazy, underdeveloped, under explained world-building.

- *This might just be me but I hate the fated mates trope in this series. It just seems like a way to sexualize domestic abuse, and it doesn’t allow me to enjoy seeing a budding relationship to develop if we’re told that these two characters are SUPPOSED to be together and are MEANT to be in love and have sex!! (also a me thing: the way SJM sexualizes stuff is a personal ick… her ships are built more upon sex and sexual attraction rather than romantic feelings, which just isn’t for me and makes me struggle to believe people to actually be in love despite how much the author tries to convince me of such). Also the violent gender essentialism and heteronormativity :( ….it only gets worse in the second book.

- Why must we refer to everyone as male and female??? I would give this a pass if the faeries were more faerie and less human but… these fae are just humans with pointy ears, so I am deeply uncomfortable by the constant use of ‘male’ and ‘female.’ (I’m convinced that SJM is into omegaverse erotica, and I’d honestly have more respect for her if she just wrote straight-up, shameless omegaverse erotica rather than trying to write a vaguely developed fantasy story that fails to deliver on the epic plot it’s trying to sell to me.)

4. Feyre - She is a dumb protagonist (and I blame the author). She is dumb and deserves death - and you can tell that this is a plot-convenience brand of stupidity, unfortunately. Like the instance with the Puca. She suddenly sees her crippled father on Tamlin's land in Prythian in the middle of the night??? Given the wary hostility and aggression and distrust she's been displaying towards everyone and everything so far in Prythian, why isn't she doing the same in this instance???? She's said herself she is wary of faerie tricks, and acknowledged that not even whole, able-bodied humans are able to survive in Prythian without the help of a faerie, so why would she think her disabled father, who is helpless in the mortal realm, be any different??? And why would she care that her father has come for her??? Did she not wish that her family starves without her, so that they realize she's important to them and she holds them in such an embittered contempt?????

- Tamlin and Feyre have no chemistry. It just feels like I should be shipping them because this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and all that, but I just don't. SJM is relying heavily on a fairytale framework while also doing nothing to even try to convince me that these two characters are meant to be together. Their relationship is so dry and it feels like the attraction comes from nowhere, and only starting with physical attraction - which, to me, goes against the message of BATB, of loving someone for who they are rather than what they look like. The two of them, respectively, have more chemistry with Lucien than each other. Hell, why not make them a throuple???🤨 now THAT I'd ship because all three have banter, and any interaction with Lucien is so much fun to read.

- Also……how the fuck did Feyre not figure out Amarantha’s riddle?

5. *Rhysand - Yes. He gets his own section because I HATE him - and I HATE that he is destined to be the endgame love interest. He is a character we’re meant to root redemption for but I fucking refuse. And this is why.

- Rhysand has the perfect set up to be a scary asf villain, not a love interest. We will talk more about Rhysand and why he and Feyre are a ship I refuse to get behind, but that will be reserved for future updates. 

- For now: Rhys is great for a scary villain! He is night incarnate, he has snark, he has an imposing presence, and he can invade the minds of others......and he invades Feyre's mind, which she described as being immensely uncomfortable and painful, and she is afraid. Mind you, he does this without her consent. Keep in mind that everything he does beyond this point is without her consent and he is doing it as himself and for his own gain, not the influence of love pollen or magic. He is doing it while totally aware and sober. That's why he is a horrible person and a creep.

- He does many things without Feyre’s consent. He tortures, assaults, drugs, and harms her all without consent without anything else compelling his will other than himself.

- He forces her into a deal in which she is to spend one week a month in the Night Court with him, and he does this by twisting and pulling her broken arm when she refuses. He drugs and assaults her by making her drink faerie wine (which she refuses to drink as she was warned against doing so), dresses her scantily clad AGAINST HER WILL, covers her in paint so he knows where people all touch her AGAINST HER WILL, and makes her perform lap dances until she gets sick and then makes her all do it again AGAINST HER WILL. After catching her and Tamlin stealing a moment, he pushes her against a wall and kisses her WITH TONGUE to make it seem like he was the one that muddied the paint on her body rather than Tamlin. All of this he’s done AGAINST HER WILL.

- Have I mentioned how he does this against her will yet??? Did I emphasize enough that Rhysand does all this to Feyre without her consent???

- Rhysand is an evil creep that I refuse to redeem. What he did for Feyre Under the Mountain is awful and not at all deserving of redemption. And I don’t care if he says ‘I did this to help defeat Amarantha and save my court’ or ‘I did it to make Tamlin more mad and to kill Amrantha instantly’ or ‘I did it for your own good.’ I don’t fucking care, those are the excuses of an abuser. He didn’t need to literally torture and assault her.

- Also, on that note: why does he do this for the sake of making Tamlin more mad? Like??? Tamlin saw his court be cursed, he was sexually harassed by Amarantha ever since he was a child, and he witnessed Amarantha torture a woman he loves. Why would he need anything more to make him kill Amarantha faster? This argument fails to work for me. Fuck you, Rhysand, I hate you.

6. *Calanmai - This gets its own section because it’s just… so messy, and I wish to blame SJM for it’s messiness because the characters are all victims to her insensitive, careless writing.

- This is a very weird scenario??? Because, let's be frank, Tamlin assaulted Feyre and Feyre is a victim... HOWEVER. on multiple occasions she is told by FAERIES THAT HAVE EONS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS WORLD, THEIR CULTURES, CUSTOMS, AND ACCOMPONYING DANGERS to stay in her room and that this is not safe for humans, especially her once the Great Rite occurs because Tamlin will be drawn to her. But she goes against these warnings, going to the festival and leaving her room before dawn. 

- HOW DUMB ARE YOU FEYRE??!?!?!?!?! WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID???!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!?! JUST UUGGHHH!!!!!!!! 

- And then there's Tamlin. With how the Great Rite is explained, it's like he is possessed by some springtime magic so that he is a vehicle for said magic? So the scene where he pins Feyre and bites her is almost set up like he both is and isn't possessed? It's more like he's drunk off of love pollen?? I don't know, but to me I think that both are and are not at fault - they are because Feyre didn't listen to SEVERAL warnings in a situation that is obviously unsafe for her and Tamlin could've prepared better by explaining things to her and setting up safeguards, and they aren't because Feyre is a victim and Tamlin is being possessed by a power that's greater him (which is kind of implied to be something he really doesn't want to do). Again, this is a very weird and highly uncomfortable situation - both are victims to SJM’s writing.

- Ultimately, the situation of Calanmai is poorly written and handled on SJM's behalf. It feels like her trying to eroticize a moment of assault, which in of itself is gross (bear in mind that this was initially published as a YA novel - and I initially read it as a YA novel in middle school), and to introduce Rhysand, the second half of this love triangle, which there are so many other ways this could've been done. And the fact that the assault is brushed off and treated like a friendly joke without having actual discussion about it makes it worse. - This is arguably the most 'fae' thing in this book so far? Like it feels so fae because of connections to celebrating springtime and fertility, and drinking and festivals, but at the same time this just feels like an oversexualization of traditional pagan beliefs by being a massive orgy?

- Just. Ew. Sarah J Mass, you’re gross for writing a moment like this and not being responsible enough to execute this concept with more nuance.

7. The Ending - This is really brief, but boooooo to Feyre being resurrected with all the powers of all the High Lords. :(

- (Also I know that Rhysand hints at him and Feyre being mates and uugghhh kill me now)

So these are my main thoughts regarding ACOTAR… It’s a fantasy romance that should be advertised more for it’s romance than fantasy elements as the fantasy-action takes a major backseat and acts more as a subplot to the main romance. It’s a fantasy world that is underdeveloped and is full to the brim of underutilized lore. It butchers existing faerie lore, and leaves much to be desired. Characters are unlikeable and stupid, and the only thing that got me through this book was Lucien.

SJM I do not like you, and I cannot wait to return to write about my hate for ACOMAF.

#jojo reads #anti acotar #anti sjm #anti sarah j maas #anti rhysand #anti feysand #rant review #book review #rant book review #acotar #anti a court of thorns and roses #readers of tumblr

[many-sparrows]

hello! as a queer christian who’s just discovered your blog, you’re a little inspirational to me.

i’d like to ask, if you have time to answer - what can a non-american not-yet-legal-adult with about fifteen euros to their name do for palestine? all i could think of was to paint some badges, go to a local protest and pray, but i don’t know what meaningful action i could take to help the effort to stop this appalling genocide. what can i do?

thank you 🇵🇸🇷🇴

Heeheehee, hello! I'm sorry for leaving you in The Box for so long, I've had a very chaotic couple weeks.

I'm glad you're here!!

Painting badges and showing up and praying is a great place to start. You would be surprised how many people are incredibly and deeply moved by seeing Christians at actions. Maybe that's an america thing because so many Christians here are so particularly terrible, but my presence at the time of arrest and in jail and so on has helped so many people address religious trauma, and someone told me that my faith filled conviction helped her talk to her dad about all this and they prayed together for the first time. I'm so serious when I say THAT is what witnessing means.

As a not-yet-adult, I would caution you to please be careful. Don't risk arrest unless you have very supportive parents or a well developed set of contingency plans. I know very much what it feels like to want to do more, to think you're not doing enough, but there are people with the resources and experience to be able to make the call to put their bodies on the line-- and they need support from people who don't get arrested.

I don't have a good grasp on official European stances on Palestine outside of, like, Germany and Ireland, but that is also something to consider. Even if you're not a legal voter, you can definitely still contact political offices or raise awareness about what your country is or should be doing. Outside of direct economic ties, what manufacturers exist in your area? What companies ship what goods through your area? That might sound complicated to figure out, but once you start digging, the research falls into line.

I particularly like making fliers about the economic ties companies have to Israel and wheat pasting them up. That varies in legality so I can't, in good conscience, tell you to do that without at LEAST running a risk assessment. But you can always hand out fliers and tack em up on billboards and slip em between books at the library. I know making fliers can also have an economic barrier though.

Talk to the people you know. Honestly, this has been scarier to me than getting arrested, but if you can calmly grasp both scripture and the dignity of the Palestinian people, patiently walking other people through that can make a big difference.

Physical presence, at protests and the like, is important, and so is being vocal. Write to ceos, tweet your government officials, etc etc etc. Follow Palestinian Christians and churches and pray with and for them as they need.

Any and every action is important, even the small ones. I think about it this way: God doesn't call me to single handedly do anything. I cannot end this. And I'm not expected to. God just asks me to do what I can, with tenacity and determination. Sometimes that means just painting badges and showing up and praying, which can grow into something more.

[deepperplexity]

Prompt: 22. Lights And Strings [C7]

Pairing: Turpin x Fem!Wife!Reader

POV: Second, Reader

Setting: Turpin’s house

Continuation of: Prompt 4. Sharing, 6. Out Of Care, 13. Shimmering Icicles, 15. Cards And Coals, 17. Bells Of Christmas & 18. Blankets And Snuggles

A/N: It’s the last part of the Turpin serial for this Rickmas, darlings! 🥰👏 It’s currently 07:58 over here when I finish writing this and I’m going to be publishing it right away - it does take some time getting it up on AO3 and Tumblr but I have a packed day so figured I’d kick it off on the right foot while my husband drops off our daughter for her last day at preschool for the year 🥰

This is shorter, like I said yesterday I won’t have the time to write long fics for the last three prompts unless I turn manic and stay up until like 2 am 😂 I hope you’ll like this sweet ending though. After all, HEA was promised and now we are also at the end of Rickmas so these last three need to represent having reached our destination and survived another year I guess 😅👍

Tags/TW’s: Kissing, Embracing, Love, Care, Adoration, Possessive Feelings, Honesty, Changing for SO, Mentions Rough Smut And Proper Aftercare, All The Giddy Feels, Being Self-aware

Abbr.: Y/N - Your Name

Word Count: 1.2k+

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

It had been four days since that faithful day of cataclysmic change between you and your husband — your caring, sweet, depraved man of a husband. Waking up alone felt strange, he usually woke you up for a kiss before work nowadays but today you woke up alone.

Stretching in bed, you yawned and felt some kinks straighten out in your back from last night’s odd position. He’d had you bent backwards over the edge of the bed while he delighted in eating you out for several long moments before he decided to claim you while groaning depravities for all in the house to hear. I cannot believe I enjoy such things being said to me— No, no it’s only when he says such things. All other men can go to hell for saying such things to women. Double standard or not, I won’t stand for men treating women like that without their consent.

You giggled at yourself, and your strange thoughts, and kicked your legs under the cover while thinking of all the sweetness he poured over you after everything was said and done. Each time, and he never left you alone in bed afterward either. He always cuddled and held you close, you absolutely loved it — the contrast between the rough lovemaking and the soft aftercare he lavished upon you. You¨d picked up his teaching swiftly, after all, it wasn’t a difficult thing to do when he was such a good leader. You didn’t have to think, only feel.

“Where are you now?” You asked aloud while throwing on your robe and slipping your feet into some warm slippers. “Guess I shall go for a little hunt of my own,” you said with a smile and left the bedroom to find your husband. What you found when you reached the stairs was something else entirely though.

The railing was dressed in garlands and red strings of silk, every surface you could see while you walked downstairs was covered in decorations. Everything you had put up and then taken down was back — not where you’d put them of course, but they were back. There was Christmas everywhere you looked, the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air along with sulphur and you couldn’t stop the wide smile spreading your lips.

You rushed the rest of the way down, nearly bolting toward the office while you tried to take in the fact your home was covered in holiday cheer. You threw open the door, “Richard—” But he wasn’t there. “Where are you?” you asked yourself before turning back, heading toward the parlour. Perhaps you’d find him lounging with a book there.

You found him standing before the roaring fire, a cup of coffee in his large hand and his body dressed in all red. Wine red to be precise, with black detailing and silken details — like his ascot pinned with a gleaming jade pin. He was an absolute vision, yet his eyes were fixed firmly on you while they came to live as swirling grey storms.

“Love,” he said darkly, his eyes travelling along your entire form before reaching your eyes once more. You felt incredibly underdressed compared to him. “Richard,” you replied and walked toward him with fluttering butterflies in your stomach. “What is all this?” you asked while he sat his cup down and reached out to embrace you. “Merry Christmas, love,” he said and kissed the top of your head before tugging you even closer and kissing you deeply for a few seconds before he straightened. “M-Merry Christmas,” you replied and felt no shame about inhaling his scent as if you were dependent on it. His deep chuckle warmed your very bones while he gave you a squeeze before letting you go — only holding your hands.

“You hate Christmas,” you whispered while your eyes travelled all around. The many candles lit, the garlands and silken strings, and the holly and little porcelain decorations all craved your attention. “But I love you,” he replied while grasping your chin to turn your attention back to him. “So I shall endure and make sure that smile of yours keeps shining, love.” “Oh, Richard, sweet husband of mine,” you said gently, appreciation evident in your voice. He chuckled. “Sweet, hm? For you, only.” “Just how I want it,” you confessed. You were too possessive of the man not to feel giddy about being his one and only, his exception, his little wife whom he called all things between a filthy whore and his sweet wife.

Richard led you through the house, showing all the decorations and little details, he appeared nearly proud of his work but if you were correct he was really proud about satisfying you. It was a strange sensation, that lights and strings could make a man such as he puff out his chest with pride while intensely gauging your reactions. You, who were nothing as extraordinary as he, were the most important person to him and only your opinion and feelings mattered to the great judge of London whom all feared.

You were not nothing, of course. You were a Lady, born and raised in a grand family with teachers and instructors, you were a capable woman within the field of being a Lady but that was nothing compared to being a judge by societal standards. So, for all intents and purposes, you were nothing in comparison. To know that little you were of such great importance to a man like your husband had your stomach turning with glee and joy. It wasn’t a feeling you had liked at first, it was selfish, or perhaps self-righteous, but now you adored it. With Richard you were safe to feel however you felt, there was no shaming between the two of you and you absolutely loved that.

Richard led you into the dining room where a grand breakfast was laid out on the table, no servant in sight. “My sweet wife,” Richard said and pulled out your chair before scooting you in. “Thank you.” He sat down beside you, which was odd as he always sat opposite you. But, as soon as he had poured himself a fresh cup of coffee it became apparent why. His hand landed atop your thigh, only separated from your skin by your night dress and robe. You loved having him so close, loved having him touch you, loved feeling his warmth and strength so you only looked up at him with warm eyes while he gave you a half smile before sipping his coffee.

You ate breakfast in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t until you had both finished that he leaned closer, whispering in your ear about how he wanted to take you to his office and use the silky red strings from the decorations to tie you over his desk. You had shot up from the chair so fast it would have toppled if Richard hadn’t caught it when it tipped backward. The smirk he wore told you all you needed to know, he’d make good on the promise and you had never imagined Christmas decorations would ever be part of lovemaking — you would soon find out just how wonderful silken strings could feel around one’s wrists. Perhaps you and your husband would create new Christmas traditions, ones he could love and enjoy too…

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

A/N: Oh how I hope this little ending warmed you right up darling - it's short but so so so sweet and I really just allowed the words to flow this morning. I do love how this shows the HEA they will forever have and the freedom they have with each other. Gosh, it's just so sweet 😍👏 AND IT'S ALMSOT CHRISTMAS DARLINGS!!!!

Q: Have you ever gone skiing? Can you ski? A: I have gone skiing, both distance and downhill (no idea what it's called) but I'm afraid of heights so I stick to distance if I gotta go 😂😂😂

TAGLIST: @lizlil @snapefiction @darkthought15 @monstreviolet @flowerdementia @marvelschriss @once-upon-an-imagine @ravennight41 @caseydoodles98 @slytherinprincess03 @theconsultingdetectiveswife @grimmyhild @monster-energies @myobscureimaginarium @snowblossomreads @eternal-silvertongued-prince @cherryglossie @setsuna-meiou31 @helena211 @a-queen-and-her-throne @justsaturn0 @turvi @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @sunnylikesfrogs @mamawolfsmith16 @dianilaws @sassanoe @snapesrn @bernadette-peters12 @sammy-13 @smartowl999 @castleofthorns @serenanight87 @leah1243 @elizabeth-baelish @all-art-is-quite-useless @severuslovebot @yellowbadgermole @impulse-anchor @writewithmarites @yan-senna @writewithmarites @lokisbjchnl @ladykardasi @mamawolfsmith87 @snowblossomreads @ladykardasi @a-queen-and-her-throne @eternal-silvertongued-prince @lyrixsnape @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @daddythanatos

Want to be tagged? 💚 You can tag yourself HERE! Or tell me and I’ll gladly tag you! 😍

[Dec:2023]

#rickmas2023 #rickmas #alan rickman #judge turpin #judge turpin fic #judge turpin x reader #turpin x reader #turpin x you #turpin fic #rickmaniac #christmas fic #fanfiction

[jailforwriter]

Hey, good lookin'!

Greetings and salutations, fellow word-arranger! I see that you also enjoy the art of reshuffling letters until they spell out cool stuff. That sounds like a pretty solid basis for a friendship, hmm...

This is a little nook for all things writing! It covers everything from tips and book reviews to the very backbone of society (memes, duh). The aim here is to build a nice community and foster friendships and support and all of that good stuff. Writing can be pretty lonely, so let's make it a little less so!

About me

Hey, I'm Alai. I'm a queer Venezuelan girly, mid-20's, looking to become more active in the writeblr community. Some of my other interests include philosophy, Greek mythology, all sciences (I have an Honors degree in Laboratory Medicine!) and everything to do with the Classics.

My focus is on fantasy and queer romance, but I'm open to all sorts of genres and do very much read other stuff on the reg. Also really into Sci-Fi, Thrillers, Horror and Literary Fiction.

Most of my work is novel-centric, but I also love reading short stories and poetry and cannot resist a good out context quote lol.

Lover of all things character-driven and morally ambiguous, pyrrhic victories, interpersonal drama, tragic losers doomed by the narrative, and the liberal use of Catholic Guilt™️ as literary garnish.

I'm an only child who once heard that sharing is caring, so please hit me with your best WIP and let's chat about it! We can even hold each other (accountable so we can get it DONE).

WIPs

The Paradox of Nonchoice (Adult Fantasy/Romance)

Summary: Nahia is an angel who, after years of studying human culture and behavior in the heavenly realm of Zion, is finally sent to Earth on her first assignment: to grant the deepest desire of the first person she meets. With the support of her mentor and sisters, along with a promise to reunite with her mother should she succeed, the stage is set for God's newest angel to carry out His word. However, when Nahia learns that her ward – a disillusioned handywoman by the name of Rory – wants something she isn't altogether prepared to give, the indentured angel must decide whose orders to follow: if God's, or her heart's. Note: there's a TON more to this plot, I promise!! But unfortunately, any particulars I may give would constitute an absolutely gargantuan spoiler lol. Tropes: soulmates, forced proximity (kinda if you squint), co-workers to lovers (squint a bit more just trust me lmao), absolutely rancid sibling dynamics, mommy issues, daddy issues, crisis of faith, Everything Is A Lie Nothing Is Sacred, loser women cringefailing, "ah, you're one of them queers", The Catholic Church. TWs: religious trauma, suicide, violence, blood, slight body horror, France (mentioned).

Will be looking for betas and feedback very soon, so please stay tuned! Updates to come on this blog. If anyone's at all interested, any sort of engagement would be very welcomed and appreciated :)

Happy writing!

#writeblr #writing #wip tag #writing community #writeblr intro

[the-noodle-incident]

god the worst feeling is reading a book that you have a lot to say about but then realizing that literally no one else has read it not even people on the internet

for the 2 people who will see this i feel like the library at mt. char is at the same time one of the best but also OBJECTIVELY the worst book i have read in a while. the good parts were really good but the bad parts were really bad and the ending was GOD AWFUL.

im a sucker for fantasy set in the modern day (american gods, chainsaw man, etc. etc.) so i loved this book when i first picked it up and it got really good at the middle but i got to the ending and was so fucking pissed i had to set it down and take a few deep breaths. god it was so bad. carolyn's whole dynamic with steve was the best thing i've read in ages and then none of their problems get resolved as she fucking turns him into the sun. and then boom shaka laka the father was a good person and it was all necessary somehow. no i dont give a shit about michael or erwin resolve the main fucking plotline you asshole. god. the whole part about each person's individual catalogue was so fucking cool too and then they all die a la gojo satoru. we dont even get to see margaret do shit.

i want someone to understand my pain so bad but i also cannot in good faith recommend them this book. i cant even write a better ending because no one would read it. fuck you. i dont know who im referring to, but fuck you.

#the library at mount char #literary blue balls #urban fantasy

[odaclan]

Nobutada, Nobukatsu, and Nobutaka in the words of the Europeans

I am most grateful to that Crasset book, because I have finally found the text about Nobunaga's sons that I've heard referenced in various Japanese talking circles. That is, one of the Europeans had said that the one who is most similar to Nobunaga was Nobukatsu, much to everyone's incredulousness.

Since the source of it was one of the missionaries' writings, it was also present in the book:

Transcript:

Nobunanga (as is already said) had three Children. To the Eldest, call'd Jonosuquendono, he had given the Kingdoms of Boari and Mino. This Prince was so taken with Father Organtin's late Discourse, that he gave him full Licence to Preach in his States, and assign'd him a place in the Mitropolis of Mino for building a Church. The second called Oquaxen Fungedono, took much after his Father, both in Humour and Thoughts, for he was an able Man, and one that seem'd quality'd for the weightiest Employs in the Kingdom. Nobunanga had given him a promise of the Kingdom of Farima, and was at the very time upon the Conquest of it. This young Prince going to visit the Church at Meaco, after a long Conference with the Father, sent him upon his return a Present, with a short word in Writing, to show how much he was pleased with his Discourse, and withall, to let him know his desire of being fully instructed, in order to receive the Faith. The third was call'd Sanxichindono King of Ixe, who confessed that he was already better than half a Christian, and wou'd suddainly declare himself.

A lot of Japanese people, who mostly knew Nobukatsu for bungling his attack on Iga, were naturally in full disbelief of these high praises being sung about him. Although, this would make perfect sense if you consider that he might be a capable domestic ruler, but not very good at being a military commander. Even Japanese news articles says that during Hideyoshi's reign, Nobukatsu's governance of Owari was incredible.

In Japanese pronunciation "g" is indeed sometimes pronounced with a sound that is similar to "ng". The Europeans transcribe the names by ear, and so that's how Nobunaga ends up being "Nobunanga". It's not a typo, it's just how it sounds to them.

Meaco is Miyako, which is a term to refer to the "capital city" (Kyoto). Boari is Owari. Farima is Harima.

Jonosuquendono is Jou no Suke-dono, which is Nobutada's title. The full title is Akita-jou no Suke (which I discussed here), but is often shortened to simply "Jou no Suke" in address.

This story is also in the Murdoch book, translated directly from the original writings. It further detailed that Nobutada was impressed by the Christian teachings, but cannot accept it because apparently the commandment against adultery was too difficult to practice. He wasn't formally married, and I suppose the practice of taking concubines/consorts would be considered "adultery" here.

Oquasen is Ochasen, but I am not certain what "Fungedono" is supposed to be. My best guess is that it's supposed to be "Honjo", because at the time Nobukatsu's address was sometimes "Ochasen Gohonjo".

This text doesn't say which "Father" he talked to, but according to the Japanese articles, this was quoted from the letter written by one João Francisco, so perhaps Father Francisco was the one he talked to.

Also Nobukatsu being promised to be assigned Harima is something I'd never heard of before, and the Japanese articles that was discussing this European account didn't mention it. This is an interesting find.

Sanxichindono is Sanshichi-dono, Nobutaka. It's interesting that he was called "King of Ise" here. The division of the rulership might not have been so clear to the Europeans because from what I knew was that Nobutaka and Nobukatsu shared the province of Ise. Nobutaka in the northern half, and Nobukatsu towards the south, with Nobukatsu seemingly owning more territory due to his adopted family (Kitabatake) being the more powerful one.

#japanese history #oda nobukatsu #oda nobutada #oda nobutaka #sengoku #sengoku period #sengoku era #samurai #jean crasset #european account #oda family #oda clan

[reviewing-the-views]

Things that were missing in the School for Good and Evil movie

So, I have seen people comment on areas from the School for Good and Evil movie that failed to hit the mark, and I wanted to chime in some of my own thoughts:

What was up with the blood magic? I have only read the first book (I'm slacking, I know), but there was no mention of it, from what I recall. If anything, they have regular magic, which would have worked much more effectively. Plus, we were robbed by not seeing Agatha's finger glow being golden, nor Sophie's, which was the iconic color of hot pink.

Lady Lesso, I'm sorry, did not strike me as being evil enough to be a professor at the SCHOOL FOR EVIL. Also, what was up with Dovey? Her character gave me mixed signals: was she truly good or shallow like the rest of the school for good?

I love that they got Sofia Wylie to play Agatha, she did well with what she was given. Having this character be represented as a POC gives an extra layer of nuance. However, I am concerned with how they pushed Agatha aside to give Sophie more screen time. Many fans also have mentioned the treatment of Agatha's hair during her time in the school for good, while also talking about how the character is not meant to be conventionally beautiful. But given that the choice to cast Agatha as a POC yet to give her less screen time has implications that I wanted to showcase.

I liked how they did the wish-fish scene as it remained pretty faithful to the book. However, I wish they included some more scenes that were so impactful for Agatha and Sophie's character arcs. Some of these scenes include: the Circus of Talents, Sophie killing the swan, Sophie drowning the beast for cutting her hair, Agatha smiling for the first time and realizing her own inner beauty/self-worth, Agatha accepting herself and coming to terms with her own goodness. These nuances are what make the book great, and it is a shame the film didn't include them.

WHERE WAS THE RANKING SYSTEM?!?! Yes, they mentioned the fact that three failures would lead to an expulsion, but the rankings helped develop Agatha and Sophie's growth. They didn't fit the mold right away, both earning 1's at the start. But once they took control, they quickly became the top student at their respective schools.

The beginning had good action, but why reveal the biggest mystery in the entire book? Doing this made the story bland, they should've kept the original pacing.

Speaking of original, why remove the fact that the village is aware of the school? This added a whole layer of meta commentary as the town folk quickly realize that they cannot leave beyond the forest, and that if every fairytale starts at a village, then they are that village. This is why two children are taken every four years -- leading to preparation to protect the village kids and the iconic opening line of the book.

Also, removing the fact that Sophie became friends with Agatha only as a "good deed" is a disservice to both of their characters. This should have never been changed.

It feels like the movie is dead-set on showing how morality isn't black and white. Which, to be fair, is a good take, but the book already addressed this in a much more nuanced fashion. In the book, it is known that each person has a certain percentage of good and evil within them. Those that have more good are sent to be heroes, whereas those that have more evil are sent to be villains. Yet, Agatha and Sophie are different because they are the only ones who are 100% on one side: Agatha is 100% good whereas Sophie is 100% evil. This, to me, is much more nuanced because it establishes the fact that everyone can be both good and evil. Yet, those who are purely and entirely good DO exist, and when they are around, beauty and peace follows. At the same time, true evil CAN exist, and when left unchecked, can be dangerous for all.

Talking about the percentages, this is why Sophie and Agatha have a story being written about them in the first place. The film briefly states how the Storian doesn't write a tale for everyone, so the fact that it begins writing about the two of them is rare and sets in motion their tale. But the reason why it does so is partly because of Agatha being 100% good and Sophie being 100% evil, which is never addressed, thus it doesn't have enough impact in the film.

The romance between Tedros and Agatha was okay. I liked how the two had a earlier connection, but it was missing the spice of the enemies-to-lovers trope while also having no room to grow. He just likes her because "she's different," but it's never shown. Both characters seemed pretty bland as the film went on, which truly is a shame.

I wish they gave more time for the coven to interact, as well as establish Sophie's planning for a Nevers Ball. In the film, it just sort of happens without establishing the fact that only Evers have had a ball. It was also such a great twist for Sophie's actual plan to turn the school upside-down morally.

Sophie should've been more corrupted. Having wrinkles and white hair doesn't compare to the book version in which sHE LITERALLY BECOMES BALD AND FRAIL! She honestly should have looks like Smeagol from The Lord of the Rings to show how deeply a nemesis affects a villain and how evil can truly corrupt.

Talking about evil Sophie, where was the confrontation between her and Agatha? Where she nearly kills Agatha due to her hatred for her? Where she gets Agatha to slow dance with her, leading to the heroes attacking a "defenseless school?" WHERE WAS THE MOMENT WHERE SOPHIE'S PLAN LED TO TEDROS ALMOST SHOOTING AGATHA WITH AN ARROW?!?! This scene could've been as poetic as it was in the book.

The kiss between Sophie and Rafal was okay, but I wish they were more artistic with it. The movie focuses way too much on true love's kiss that they neglect the fact that this kiss be shared between two villains became a true hate kiss. In the book, Sophie describes the feeling as being horrible and wicked, and it's something that I feel the director could've played with in order to show how twisted evil's kiss truly can be. We have always seen a true love's kiss in media, but never a true hate kiss. This was definitely a missed opportunity to be sure.

What was that ending?! Honestly, this film feels like Netflix just flipped through the book, sniffed its contents, and figured that was enough for a movie. It’s giving corporate vibes and it shows. To me, the ending feels a bit sloppy and it doesn’t set things up for a sequel the way the book does where our protagonists leave abruptly through a magic portal after Agatha kisses Sophie. Nothing is truly resolved, making for a good transition to book 2. In the movie’s ending, everything feels pretty resolved, so it may be hard to get a smooth transition for a sequel that is believable.

Finally, this should have been a series on Netflix as clearly, two and a half hours isn't enough to address all of these little nuances that make the book so great. If they could do it with Bridgerton, they certainly could've done it with The School for Good and Evil.

#the school for good and evil #sge spoilers #sge #sge agatha #sge sophie #sge movie #agatha of gavaldon #sophie of gavaldon #agatha of woods beyond #sophie of woods beyond #tedros of camelot #lady lesso #sge rafal #movie analysis

[incandescent-creativity]

Aright, I'm a third of the way through Eragon and my thoughts are: the worldbuilding is pretty great! The writing style is fairly bland. Ah, the irresistible temptation to just name stuff that will never be mentioned again because fantasy names are cool...my beloathed, and beloved, but more so beloathed.

Angela. Like. He just really wanted this unrelated magic user who I'm pretty sure is supposed to be an insert for his sister to be in this story even though she is entirely unneeded. I mean, I love her. But she's completely superfluous to the plot like, 98% of the time she's on page. She's just there to be cool and mysterious. I love her, but the writer I am now can't help but notice how out of place she is.

Also I forgot we had all this ancient language existing in a world with names like Trevor.

Eragon does still feel like a fifteen year-old. Sometimes he's so young and other times he isn't, and it works I guess.

This book is a lot of pages but it's so, so easy to read. There's all this lore stuffed in but it's approached in an oddly juvenile way. I don't feel very serious about this serious quest we're on. Which, is how I felt the first time I read it, so props to past me for recognizing that.

I'll report back in later when I've made more progress.

Alright you're probably farther into it now that it's been a week but! A response <3

I can't really argue with you about the writing style being bland, but I do think it allows the reader to exercise their theater of the mind a lot more freely. Like that illustrated version of Eragon that came out is beautiful! But it would also provide a concrete visual for, idk, like the Ra'zac as an example.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take away the opportunity for the reader to fill in the gaps that Paolini's "summarizing plus some description for spice" approach allows. Which I kind of like! It won't work for every reader, but I'm personally pretty prepared to be forgiving of the blandness.

Angela... is a very obvious sister-insert. I think it's admitted as much in some author's note or acknowledgements somewhere. BUT I also cannot criticize her in good faith when I also appreciate the "just put cool shit in!" approach to writing fantasy. Like is she a narrative version of the DM's favorite NPC they keep shoehorning in? Yea. Am I entertained by her regardless? Also yes.

I also want to tie your "I don't feel very serious about this serious quest we're on." comment in to Eragon feeling like a 15yo. In Doylist terms, the lack of weight that the tone of the book attributes to the stakes may come from Paolini's own age at the time of publishing, but I think there's a Watsonian interpretation, too. Eragon is! fifteen! He knows enough about his world to name the major players, but he simply doesn't have the experience to know what he's getting into.

He will tho >:)

#sleepyowlwrites #incandescently answered #eragon #not to get all english major on you at the end there #had to bring it back to silly mode lol

[mostlymaudlin]

hello!! do you have any other book recommendations?? i loveeeeeee aftg, started the carry on series because of you but have had to put that in hold because i currently can’t get behind the first person writing but yes i think you have great taste and need i more books muah hope you are well!!!!!

ANON! i cannot in good faith enable your avoidance of carry on because of the point of view! i understand that it's a transition if you don't read it often, but if you open your mind to first person writing there is a rich world of quality stories waiting for you! pov is like any other narrtive tool imo -- it's good when it's done well, it's bad when it's done poorly. first person gets a bad rap bc it is so prevalent in crappy fast-fiction books. those are shitty & shallow characters, and they're delivering thoughts to you in unnatural and uninteresting ways -- so of course you don't want to be in their heads.

BUT CARRY ON!!!! these characters have so much depth and complexity and struggles and hopes... the first person pov is used to drive home unique character voices and motivations in a series that has a whole lot going on. also, rainbow rowell is fucking hilarious, and there are so many parts of the novel that just wouldn't hit if the narration was done in third person. it's true on the reverse too: the back and forth of pov shift in a dramatic scene will make u ache with how much these characters misunderstand how loved they are. it's a fucking TRIUMPH of the first person. i too used to avoid it, but carry on made me let first person into my heart...

if you get past the first baz pov chapter and you still don't like it, then we can talk. but actually, quite a few of my fave books are first person!!

(also, thank u for trusting my taste! hahahah)

#sorry to launch into straight up propaganda LOL #i just think there's a lot of reasons ppl pass up carry on #first person. YA marketing. vague HP associations #but as a series it is just like. chefs fucking kiss. highly highly recommend it !!!!

[frostironfudge]

I just realized you’re taking requests and I love your writing! May I request the ever loved soulmates trope with Loki and female plus!size reader?

A Touch Of You

Summary: this is part of my funfair celebration under the 'mini movie theatre' category honestly this is such a cute idea! Thank you for sending it in!!

Pairing: Loki x Plus Size! Fem! Reader

Word Count: 2k || Dividers: @firefly-graphics

Warnings: fluff, non canon compliant, takes place after thor tdw, flirting, soulmate au, the first place you touch is demarcated

A.N: absolutely love the soulmate trope, and with loki its just 💖, thank you once again! and i'm so glad you love my writing! thank you for reading and sending love!!

Main Masterlist || frostironfudge's funfair masterlist

A Touch Of You 

“Are you really going to attempt that?” Thor speaks unceremoniously with a tired gaze to his brother. 

“I’m dying you oaf.” Loki sneers, pressing his palm to the wound, adding to the dramatic scene. 

“So do you not have anything to live for?” Thor shakes his head a sad smile on his face. 

“What about, what about your destined mate?” Thor knows this might have Loki latch onto live.

“In my years on Asgard—,” Loki gives a pained groan.  

“Asgard is one realm, what about Midgard?” Thor watches as the blood pools between his brother’s fingers. 

“I am a God how can I be destined for a mortal.” Loki argues. 

“Well currently you’re not immortal yourself.” Thor teases and Loki produces his own dagger. 

“You’re very annoying.” He tells Thor who only shrugs. 

Loki disappears from view and Thor looks around at the edge Loki stands staring at the barren land. 

“What was the plan? Take over the throne?” Thor rolls his eyes. 

“I could rule more fairly than him.” Loki defends. 

“I know you could Loki and you will when the time comes. You cannot have your soulmate’s mark turn to black before you met.” Thor still tries again, he knows the stories their mother spoke, the stories that stuck with Loki. 

The stories that also ended Loki’s faith in soulmates. 

The stories that restored it. 

“I only worry if, if I am not worthy for them. Realms where I have made mistakes.” Loki murmurs. 

Thor places a hand on his arm, “Mistakes that occurred by you being tormented. Not of your own volition.” He reminds his brother. 

Loki stares at the mark that stays colourless outlined upon his wrist. He runs his hand over the outline as he had through his age. 

“How would we explain, how would we explain that I’d leave?” He murmurs, his brother smiles. 

“We’ll come to an agreement.” Thor chuckles, glad his brother was more accepting towards the idea. 

Six months and several eye rolls to his brother and the remaining Avengers later, Loki finds himself wandering the streets of Midgard. 

He had come to the conclusion that only a few places were tolerated by him. Libraries, bookstores the independent kind not the noisy over filled brands that only stocked popular things. 

It was surprisingly a day that was slow going, no troubles brewing on the horizon. Today would be a good day to find a book, or just roam the aisles of the quaint bookstore. 

Maybe he would work up the courage to speak to you, the sweet woman at the counter. Just the thought of you had him nervously trace his soulmate mark. 

You were beautiful in his eyes, the way your smile lit up the room, your laugh would echo in the depths of his chest and you never once looked down upon him. Nor made him feel unwelcome. 

He had an inkling you knew who he was, yet your demeanour never changed. 

You always greeted him with a beaming smile, giving him little anecdotes about books which he bought and you had read before. 

The bell dings as he enters, his gaze finds an empty spot where you would usually stand at the counter. He frowns. Scanning the bookstore, it is seemingly empty. 

“Darling?” The nickname spoken with ease, the flush that it brought on your cheeks however was missing, as were you. 

Worry anchors into his stomach as he summons his dagger, moving through the aisles. A rhythmic tapping draws his attention towards the mythology section. 

The tapping gets louder as he approaches dagger drawn, relief floods him as he recognises you. 

You turn at the very same time startled by his presence and you lose your footing on the later. Loki swiftly takes strides and your left hand’s fingers wrap around his right wrist, tingling resonates between the interconnected marks and they bloom with colour while Loki breaks your fall with ease, holding you up. 

Your eyes find his green ones, they harbour so much emotion. 

“You, you need to be careful.” He murmurs, you tilt your head and he notices the headphones the beat similar to the one to which you were tapping your foot.

He takes the headphone out, he doesn’t need to lean in but god, having him this close after pining behind him and hoping your mark matched his by some miracle. 

“I said you need to be careful, Darling.”

Your skin flushes, the warmth spreading through your chest, “I um, I was setting up a display… Avengers Celebration week…”

His eyes move to the display and his lips part, there was an entire wall dedicated to him, your cheeks heat further.

“Safe to say, that I am your favourite?” He teases, you turn you head trying to hide it against his chest.

“Well, I um..” You scramble for words as he rights your frame, your hand doesn’t leave his, his free hand encircles yours.

“Thank you.” You say, he shrugs it off.

“I was worried…” He admits, his own cheeks carrying a flush. 

“About?”

“You, darling.”

“W-why… Did you know?” You wonder if he did know, he is a God after-all. Oh god, he’s a god.

“No, I, I just always felt drawn to you. From the day I saw you.” 

“About four months ago?” You raise your brow, he nods.

“Could, could I take you out for dinner? A date as Midgardians call it?” He tilts his head, scrunching his nose.

“You don’t mind the fact that i’m me or Midgardian?” You question, nervousness laces your voice.

He hand moves to cup your cheek.

“I will not say no to the one who the fates have fashioned for me.” He brushes his thumb along your jaw.

“My first thought when I saw you?” He continues, “i cannot believe such ethereal beauty exists upon this realm. Right from your smile, to your laugh, to your eyes, to your face, to the way you move, to the way you speak. Everything pulled me in Darling. I would have fought with the fates if it turned out you were not mine.” His confession has you breathe deeply.

“Loki,” You shift your weight from one foot to the other, not understanding why you want to draw his attention to an insecurity you have begun to embrace and not care for, so why is it forcing its way onto your tongue?

“Is, are you not pleased? I, I know I have done horrible—,”

You shake your head, silencing him, “Loki, no, I know how difficult that was for you, I cannot fathom from where you found the strength to continue onward. I’m immensely proud of you, the way you came here trying to right wrongs that were done not by your own hands.” You press a soft kiss to the hand that still cups your cheek.

“I—, its just, I hope you’re pleased… I’m not exactly a goddess… you’re a god… and well… I don’t want you to have to well, settle…” You look away, at your soulmate marks still in contact. 

“I’m not invincible, I used to believe several tales, follow glory, you could say that i had several perspective shifts, one thing however that my mother taught me. Is that my soulmate whoever they were, however they were, no matter their appearance I would accept them, it doesn’t mean I am settling, it means that I see you and I want you, I desire you, I will learn to love you the way you need, I want to be your soulmate in any capacity you desire.” He speaks, the hand cupping your cheek moves, to under your chin. 

You meet his gaze again, his eyes hold sincerity and truth, you nod. A smile breaks out upon his lips.

“So is that a yes for the date?” He chuckles, seeing the blush return to your skin. 

“Yes,” You giggle.

“Perfect, now, do you need help setting up?” He tilts his head to indicate the display you were working upon.

“I do, actually.” 

His hand moves from yours as you walk the few steps to the display, he tugs you back when you head towards the ladder.

“I am perfectly capable of lifting you up.” Loki gives you a pointed look and you giggle again.

“Alright, you may lift me up.” You shake your head, he always had caught your eye from the first moment he walked in as though stepping off of a runway in that all black suit.

Loki begins to roll up his sleeves discarding the dark navy jacket. His eyes gleam with mirth as your heart thuds erratic. 

You sent a silent thank you up to the fates, because god damn.

“Did you know I can read minds?” He has this teasing edge to his voice and you hope he’s joking. 

“I’m not kidding, Darling.” His voice is low and deep. 

“Loki,” You breathe trying to calm your racing heart. 

He takes your hand in his, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. 

“I wouldn’t read your mind without consent, love.” He says with a smile. 

“You absolute tease.” You shake you head, cheeks warming. 

“Only yours, only for you.” His words hold more emotion than he would like, he knows you can hear the heaviness they carry. 

You knew there was more to him than the press releases or what occurred in New York, you knew he carried something that he did not allow most to see. 

You cup his cheek, “All mine,” You stroke his cheek, your free hand brings his hand to your cheek, “All yours.” 

Loki blinks, eyes lacing with emotion, the warmth from your skin warming his heart. 

“I wish I could explain better how those four words make me feel. Words, they cease me even though we are surrounded by endless tales and confessions of emotions.” He gazes into your eyes. 

“I can understand, how difficult a lot of things must be for you, you don’t have to tell me everything, I wouldn’t demand that from you. Just know whenever you are ready, I’m here to listen.” You stand on your tip toes pressing your lips to his cheek, his hands move to grab your waist, helping you remain against him. 

After the kiss you wrap your arms around his neck, he holds onto you, not letting go of the embrace. 

Loki carries the scent of saffron, vanilla and a hint of oud. His hold tightens around you, 

“I’ve got you.” 

Three simple words and Loki cannot fathom hoe in just this short amount of time he trusts you to be this vulnerable, this open with you, this needy with you. 

As he retreats from the hug, setting you back down carefully you hold his hand to line up your now filled in coloured soulmate marks, he understands. 

You smile up at him, not demanding him to speak, allowing him to decide his next move, words, actions and he presses his lips to your cheek. 

You smile, when he pulls away he seems relieved, lighter than before. 

“Come, let me help you finish the display.” He leads you, knowing he can converse about anything and everything with you. 

The conversation flows easily, you stay on the topic of literature as he helps you, his seiðr lifting books from the back to where you two were stood as he held you up. 

The green glow leaving you in awe, hesitantly you move to brush your fingertips over it as the seiðr hols up a book, it feels soft, thrumming and somehow carries a bit of Loki. 

“It’s beautiful,” you tell him, the seiðr then reaches out to move away your strand of hair, making you chuckle. 

Loki smiles, your work is done earlier with his help and the customers begin to roll in, he stays by your side at the counter only stepping away to the nearest restaurant to bring in food for the break you were about to take. 

When he finds you closing up earlier his brows furrow with worry, you smile at him, slightly easing his tensed shoulders. 

“I want to spend the day with my soulmate, impromptu date.” Your hand reaches out, he grasps it, lacing your fingers through his own. 

“Very well, I know just the place.” Loki grins, elated, leading you through the streets to lead you through the place for your very first date. 

permanent tags: @stevesmewmew @pandaxnienke

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