#ilana reads

[anneapocalypse]

Ilana Tabris

Dragon Age OC Masterpost

Tag | Fics

City elf rogue. Pickpocket. Scrappy, will stab.

Will not let anyone forget she is an Elf.

Bangs the assassin sent to kill her (and then catches feelings).

Dodges an arranged marriage and then maneuvers her friend into one.

Kinda selfish tbh.

Soft spot for kids and dogs.

Warden-Commander for life.

More than you ever wanted to know below the cut!

How it started:

Ilana looking unimpressed about the wedding she’s trying to weasel out of.

How it’s going:

Alistair might be big mad that she conscripted Loghain and is marrying him off to his daughter. Oops.

Ilana Facts!

Full name: Ilana Adaia Ineria Cyrion Tabris. They’re all family names.

Titles: Warden-Commander, Arl of Amaranthine, Hero of Ferelden, the Dark Wolf of Denerim

Origin: City Elf

Class: Rogue

Specializations: Assassin, Duelist, Shadow

Faith: Andrastian

Life motto: “Fuck it, right.”

Signature look: Ancient Elven Armor

Dog: Sorin

Romance: Zevran

Best friends: Leliana, Morrigan

MVP Party: Zevran, Sten, Morrigan

Major Decisions

Kills Vaughan. Stabs him real good. Like dogs, Shianni.

Accidentally gets her second favorite cousin thrown in prison with her big mouth and then fucks off to be a Grey Warden and literally forgets about it until she finds him in the Arl’s dungeon months later. Oops.

Spares Avernus. No more torture and blood sacrifices please. Also let her know anything new you find out.

Ends the werewolf curse (though she’s very sympathetic to Zathrian’s story).

Defends Redcliffe Village.

Saves the mages.

Saves Connor and Isolde.

Kills Father Kolgrim, does not defile the Ashes, shares them with the world.

Sides with Caridin, destroys the Anvil of the Void, supports Bhelan for King.

Wins the Landsmeet vote, duels Loghain herself, and conscripts him to the Grey Wardens.

Alistair and Anora marry and rule together.

Loghain performs Morrigan’s ritual; Ilana kills the archdemon and lives.

Saves the City of Amaranthine.

Spares the Architect.

In the Brecilian Ruins

Career Highlights

Ilana spends most of her wedding day refusing to put her fancy clothes on and trying to figure out how to weasel out of it. She’s proud of who she is and where she comes from but this is one tradition she’d like to toss straight into the river.

She truly never intends for Soris to wind up in prison. She knew they’d both been seen in the estate anyway, so she just blurts out “It was me and Soris” without thinking. She figures they’ll turn themselves in to avoid retribution against the whole alienage and they can figure out an escape plan later. She has no idea Duncan is about to recruit her as a Grey Warden and leave Soris behind. She doesn’t understand why Duncan wouldn’t recruit him until she sees Daveth die, and realizes that Duncan didn’t think Soris would survive the Joining.

Despite having little choice in the matter, Ilana embraces her new life as a Warden and takes it seriously. One of the first things she does is retake Soldier's Peak, where she chugs Avernus's blood magic potion after reading his notes for five minutes because fuck it, right.

It's probably fine.

Her skill with daggers comes from her mother; she picks up archery after she becomes a Warden, with some help from Leliana, and it's a skill she's particularly proud of.

All her life, Ilana has been curious about the Dalish elves, though never enough to leave her family and seek them out herself. So when her quest to stop the Blight brings her into contact with a Dalish clan, it's exciting. A part of her even hopes that she might find she belongs among them. She learns quickly that they do not welcome her just because she's an elf, and it's a bit of a rude awakening, though she grudgingly understands.

Her time among them teaches her that she is not Dalish and not meant to be. And that doesn't make her any less an elf. It's just not who she is. She does really enjoy exploring the Brecilian Ruins, doing mysterious ancient rituals, and wearing ancient armor she found in ruins, though!

Yeah, sure, she'll drink from this magic pool of water in an ancient ruin. Fuck it, right?

Had it been anyone else possessed in Redcliffe Castle, Ilana probably would have run them through and not thought twice about it, but she has a soft spot for kids and she’s willing to risk traveling to the Circle if it might save Connor.

I'm glad we decided to take this route. This is really the best option.

Finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes is a really profound experience for her, made especially meaningful by seeing Shartan represented in the Gauntlet. She might even shed a tear, though her friends are sworn to secrecy on that point.

"Tell me, pilgrim, did you fail Shianni?" "Yes, I should not have let her be taken in the first place."

She will always find it hard to describe to anyone who wasn’t there.

The Ilana who returns to Denerim both is and is not the sharp, scrappy girl who left the alienage. She is still herself, and she has not forgotten where she came from, and her experiences have only strengthened her elven pride. She feels the weight of her duty as a Grey Warden, and returns hardened by her trials, yet also in some ways softened by her experiences and by the friendships she's found. But above all else she is determined to succeed in stopping the Blight, and that means getting an ass on the throne and the nobles to play ball. Even as she's doing a crime wave across the city, she's formulating her plans for the Landsmeet, and she means to play to win.

Ilana enters the Landsmeet with Alistair, the heir to the throne; Leliana, a lay sister of the Chantry; and Wynne, a loyal Circle mage. She's very deliberate about the image they present to the Landsmeet. But she also deliberately sets herself apart, wearing the signature elven armor that makes her look just a bit otherworldly, and unsettles humans in a way she likes. She will let no one forget who she is. Even though a lot of people call her "my lady" now, Ilana is still uncomfortable being treated as a noble, especially in contexts where it seems that her elvenness is being overlooked rather than honored. She is an elf, and a Grey Warden, and that's what she wants people to see.

Victory brings her a whole new set of challenges and responsibilities: rebuilding the Wardens, ruling Amaranthine, dealing with noble politics and all the humans who now have to deal with the fact that their elven hero didn't have the grace to lie down and die and instead has power and influence and won't let them forget it. It's a lot, but Ilana remains as stubborn as ever and she's not about to back down now. (She could really use a nap, though. Maybe a vacation.)

In Amaranthine, Ilana is so focused on rebuilding the Wardens that she recruits (or conscripts) everyone she can get. While a few of them prove dedicated in the end, the disappearances of Velanna and Anders (the latter leaving more dead Wardens in his wake) convince her that maybe "take whoever you can get" isn't the best tactic.

While she is aware of the power that comes with the title of Arl, even in the provisional sense by which she holds it, Ilana ultimately prefers being the Warden-Commander, and she chooses to learn from the lesson of Sophia Dryden and continue most of her work out of the public eye—though she certainly doesn't hesitate to exercise her influence over the Crown behind the scenes.

Relationships

Family: Ilana was close to her mother, always took after her, and took well to her secret lessons on fighting. Her father worked long hours in those days and wasn’t home much, but spent as much time with Ilana as he could, and they bonded even more after Adaia’s death. Cyrion tries hard to walk the line between respecting Ilana’s “adventurous” spirit and keeping her safe; he tries hard to find her a match she’ll accept, without much success!

Ilana and Shianni are thick as thieves pretty much from the moment Cyrion brings her home. Soris has also lived with them and grown up with Ilana like a brother, as he was orphaned young, but he often feels like a bit of a third wheel after Shianni arrives and the two girls become joined at the hip. Still, the three of them get in plenty of trouble together. When she has to leave the alienage, Ilana misses Shianni more than anyone.

With Ilana conscripted, Soris is taken and thrown in the Arl’s dungeon, where he remains for months. Even after Ilana eventually rescues him, he never quite forgives her for it.

Cousin, you're amazing. Which I shouldn't say to your face, because it'll go to your head. But it's true.

Dog: Ilana names her mabari Sorin, after her cousin Soris. For some reason Soris is not amused by this.

Alistair: Ilana gets along with Alistair pretty well from the start; she thinks he’s funny, though her sense of humor tends to be a little too cutting for him. They bond as Grey Wardens and over the losses they’ve experienced, and become friends.

She also notices pretty quickly that Alistair is very sentimental about the Grey Wardens. He seems convinced that Duncan saved him out of the goodness of his heart, which just doesn’t line up with her own experience. She likes Duncan, but he said himself that conscription was not charity, when he refused to recruit Soris, leaving him to his fate. After Ostagar, Alistair seems more preoccupied with whether things will ever feel the same again than with the importance of rebuilding the order. Over time, this becomes a wedge between them. Things come to a head when Ilana convinces Alistair to marry Anora… then duels Loghain herself and conscripts him to the Grey Wardens, denying Alistair his vengeance and to his mind, justice. They have a knock-down drag-out fight about it back at Eamon’s estate and scare the servants away from the whole wing.

Loghain surviving the final battle doesn’t do much to repair their falling-out, and Alistair remains angry at Ilana for many years, though as King and Warden-Commander they have to behave civilly in public. Maybe they’ll get over it in a couple decades.

"At least the Hero of Ferelden is still here, and alive. That's something, right?" "Don't sound so disappointed.

Morrigan: Ilana takes an immediate liking to her, their senses of humor play well together, and while they disagree on some things and Morrigan finds Ilana a bit sentimental, over time they become close friends. Ilana convinces Loghain to perform the ritual with her, and will always be grateful to her friend for saving her life–and Alistair’s, though she never tells him about the ritual. When they meet up again, Ilana tries to persuade Morrigan she doesn’t have to go it alone. Morrigan still leaves, but one day perhaps they’ll meet again.

And… thank you. For helping me. No one has ever… thank you.

Leliana: Ilana is a little put off by her at first but it doesn’t take long for them to bond, once Leliana explains more about her vision and her beliefs; Ilana is intrigue by her unorthodox view of the Maker. She loves Leliana’s stories, and having a friend with whom she can indulge in some good old petty gossip. They kill Marjolaine and Ilana encourages Leliana to embrace her bard side. They remain in regular contact after the Blight.

Sten: He’s baffled by Ilana at first, of course, but over time they develop a deep respect for one another. When he tells he cannot go home, Ilana understands that in concept if not the details, and readily tells him he can stay with them, which cements their friendship. Ilana doesn’t hear from him after he goes back north, but she will always think of him as a friend. She hopes, as he does, that they never meet on the battlefield.

That one of the bas… a foreigner… would become known as kadan to me? Unthinkable. Yet here it is.

Oghren: He’s a great drinking buddy. Oghren is a friend Ilana can turn to when she doesn’t feel like talking about feelings. After her fight with Alistair, they sit and pass a jug of Oghren’s Special Brew back and forth and don’t talk about it.

Bottoms up.

She's genuinely really happy to see him again at Vigil's keep, and the feeling is mutual.

Wynne: Wynne likes to play the wise mentor to Ilana and Ilana likes to roll her eyes and play the rebellious teenager, but it’s an affectionate relationship.

Shale: They like to talk about girlish things, like crushing their enemies into a paste.

Loghain: Ilana spoke to him briefly at Ostagar and he addressed her with surprising respect when he didn't have to. It stays in the back of her mind, but is mostly overshadowed by the whole "trying to kill all the Wardens" thing. Ilana doesn't care a fig for a dead king, but she cares about stopping the Blight and Loghain is an obstacle that needs to be dealt with. It isn't until she discovers what's happening in the alienage that it gets personal. She duels him before the Landsmeet herself--while wearing her signature elven armor--in part to show him and everyone else present what the people he sold out are capable of.

She wouldn't shed any tears for him, but Ilana has worked hard to maneuver all her pieces into place for this moment--the alliance with Anora, winning the nobles' favor, Anora's marriage to Alistair so the nobs can have their precious Theirin bloodline and a competent ruler. She's politically-minded, deeply pragmatic, and most of all, stubborn to a fault. Loghain is of more use to her alive than dead. And a part of her wants the satisfaction of making him face the Blight he's been downplaying. When Riordan suggests conscription, he seems like he has good reasoning. Ilana has never seen conscription as an act of mercy; it seems like a fair sentence. He could very well die in the battle anyway, and when Riordan explains how they must kill the archdemon, it seems certain he will.

But then Morrigan makes her offer. And Ilana's well aware that you can't predict the tides of battle. It could very well end up being her, forced to take that final blow herself, and she really would rather not die. And despite their falling-out, it's not as though she wants Alistair to die either. The choice seems obvious. She convinces Loghain to undertake the ritual, and thanks Morrigan for her help.

I should never underestimate your capacity to do the unexpected, but this seems a stretch even for you.

And that's how Loghain ends up a Grey Warden and survives the final battle.

Ilana loses a friend for it, but she refuses to back down. She gains another Grey Warden, and the gratitude of Ferelden's queen besides. The gratitude of Ferelden's queen earns her a boon, and Shianni becomes the new Bann of the Denerim Alienage.

Ilana doesn't exactly forgive Loghain for his crimes against her people, but at the same time she can't help seeing a bit of herself in him, the stone-cold ruthlessness to get the job done at any cost. They develop a working respect for one another, and she doesn't regret her decision.

I see you are back among the Grey Wardens. Leadership looks good on you, I think.

Morrigan's ritual saves Loghain's life, and after serving the Wardens faithfully for a decade, one day he will save another.

Romance

The flirting starts like, minutes after the ambush. Ilana’s friends cannot believe they are witnessing this.

It takes stupidly little time for Ilana and Zevran to jump in bed with each other and if either of them were actually trying to kill the other at that point they would be dead. Ilana and Zevran just can’t help hitting it off instantly: they’re both city elves, both rogues, both here through circumstances beyond their control. They spend the first night in camp and many more talking and laughing and flirting around the campfire and trading stories.

I fancy many things. I fancy things that are beautiful and things that are strong. I fancy things that are dangerous and exciting. Would you be offended if I said I fancied you?

It goes from talking around the campfire to casual fuckbuddies in about the time it takes for them to travel around Lake Calenhad from Redcliffe Village to the Circle docks. They’re also very much the obnoxious couple who grossly underestimate how loud they’re being in their tent and annoy the crap out of everyone else in camp with their carrying-on.

O-ho! Why, aren't you the saucy little minx, then? I've been used, and I wasn't even aware of it. A masterpiece!

Again? What must the others think?

Well! That was bracing! There's nothing like a good racking, is there?

Despite how close they've grown in their travels, it’s not until they’re in Denerim for the Landsmeet that both of them really admit to themselves that they’ve caught feelings. Zevran gives Ilana his earring while they’re in the Arl of Denerim’s basement, covered in blood. It’s the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to her.

Back at Eamon’s estate, Zev’s the first to admit his feelings, but Ilana readily fesses up that she feels the same. They make no promises or demands on each other; knowing they feel the same is enough.

After the Blight, they remain in an open relationship, never marrying considering each other life companions. After saying her final goodbyes to Morrigan, Ilana meets Zevran in Antiva City where they have a happy reunion, start some wild rumors, and then spend some time traveling together, including a visit to Weisshaupt, before returning to Ferelden.

Naturally. You caught me and now you're stuck with me, I'm afraid. Sad, I know, but we'll manage somehow.

While Ilana maintains command of the Ferelden Wardens, Zevran with the help of the Drydens heads up a side order called the Friends of the Grey, based at Soldier’s Peak. The Friends of the Grey do not take the Joining (as Ilana is more reserved with recruitment now, and doesn’t wantto waste lives in peacetime), instead maintaining a standing force and supporting the Wardens’ efforts in other ways.

No matter where their travels take them, they always find their way back to each other.

#oc masterpost #ilana tabris #world state: elf lovers #this is so long and the height of self indulgence no one needs to read this lol #here she is my darling child #i love all my wardens equally and i do not have favorites #but also ilana is my favorite #don't tell the others #dragon age stuff

[uroborosymphony]

#9

Ilana & Bohyun.

#9 THINGS YOU DIDNT SAY AT ALL. FROM THINGS YOU SAID ⬩ Still accepting.

"I saw you Darling, from the other side of the street as the rain was hitting the tarmac, that one lonely night in Paris. You were waiting, as dashing and perseverant as ever, in the midnight. How long have you been waiting, I wondered. Two hours? Three? I simply wanted to run, to keep on running. Yet. Our conversations in the night made me slow down, made me stay in the city a little longer than I should have. I was in trouble, a runaway. And I thought maybe, just maybe, I could take you away with me. You would have come, yes? To run in the streets of Barcelona, to dance in Andalucia, to get lost in Roma, to dive in the greek islands of the Mediteranean sea." A slow smile dances on her lips as she sways her head to the side, her long silken hair caressing her exposed shoulders as the smoke is escaping from her mouth, a cigarette stuck in between her fingers as she was sitting at the edge of the grand piano." I saw it in your eyes. That fanaticism you speak in the pages you wrote of me. You turned me into art, a painting on the walls of your mind, a psalm by the edge of your lips simply by the way you were looking at me. And I thought... What could I make of him? How deep can I burry my spells under his skin without him not even knowing my name like this?" A devilish light in her eye dances, sensual, dark, her leg crossing slowly above the other, as the tip of her heel in the air, her curves in a black dress, under the dim lights of the Black Velvet. "I wanted to be a God. You silently offered to make one of me." The place is silent, empty, only the velvet of the couches and the golden of the walls surrounding them in this sulty, intimate, felt atmosphere. "I turned my back on you, I never opened that door, knowing it's only the Devil you would meet if you ever seized me by the waist. I knew the life waiting for you would give you everything Love, unlike me who, would have taken everything away from you ; for you to worship me, and only Me. My hands around your neck in Barcelona, the taste of my poison on your lips in Andalucia, my knives against your skin in Roma, to let my inner demons down you in the Mediterranean sea,

Would I have remained your muse, still?"

#HI THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING #As a reminder this is a revamped version of the Ilana you knew :) #I erased all events and relationships from 2022/from t** to make room for new connections and new plots - especially now with her daughter #I strictly and only keep the connetions from t** to muses who showed interest in her here on Tumblr - 4 people and you're one of them #Ilana in this revamp is older too - instead of 28 - she is 31 #I LOVEDDDD the chapter about Ilana in his book - this one stays their very first time meeting - before she gives birth to Luna #I also keep the interactions that followed - them meeting again in Seoul years later - exhanging moments and poetry and meals like we wrote #For this meme I pictured a scene where he would come to find her at the Black Velvet - the bar she sings at - after his book got published #She read it of course and so #she says this : things she didnt say at all back in paris or even after #Now that I finally get to Fully write this muse on Tumblr I'm finally satisfied and I find her even more complex and touching than before #And I find the Author/Old muse relationship fascinating #일 𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐎 / the songstress. #일 𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐎 / interactions.

[gxrlcinema]

hey so back in my tvd days me and some mutuals would get together on discord and read each other’s fics out loud and it was like fun fanfic story time and it was a lot of fun? I was wondering if anyone would be interested in starting a server and setting a time to do that maybe?

reblog or comment if you’d be interested.

#ilana.txt #story time with ilana is fun i do voices and get way too into it #and I'd love to hear my stuff read out loud too #idk let me know friends

[re-readingcomics]

Comics Read 09/06 - 10/07/2022

I marked Graphic Details edited by Sarah Lightman as “to read” on Goodreads seven years ago, forgot about it, bought it on sale when I had a gift card about a year and a half ago. I didn’t actually start reading it until around September 19th. (I was busy and my non comics reading was demanding.)  So rather appropriately my reading of this covered my first vacation in over two years, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur.  Even though the full title of the Graphic Details Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews I was surprised that this was more essays than comics. I though thought it would be an anthology of essays and interviews in comics form. But it is more of a companion book to a traveling exhibition of comic book art exhibit (that I didn’t see), and the essay are pretty dense and scholarly. I like reading these types of essays when I am familiar with the subject, but I wasn’t here. The only comic that I have read that was sampled in this collection, Laurie Sandell’s The Imposter’s Daughter, is barely discussed in the essay. Which I guess makes me feel better about not remembering anything remotely Jewish about that memoir.

Every time I find out about some of my cultural blindspots I feel overwhelmed. I can’t say which if any of these comics I had never heard of before I want to read now. So many comics that I have been reading for a while have released new volumes that I haven’t bought yet and taking a month to finish this book makes me feel even more behind on the ones I have bought. Some look intriguing. I definitely liked some of the art, and you can see from the choice to sample. Others feel like it wouldn’t make an enjoyable reading. Some feel historically important, and when I am less overwhelmed by to-reads, or need to reference non-Maus Holocaust comics format memoirs, I will look to this book for suggestions. In the meantime, I don’t think I really got much out of this book.  

#What I'm reading #Graphic Details #Sarah Lightman #Graphic Details Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews #Laurie Sandell #Ilana Zeffren

[aphrogeneias]

no, no. none of this!

(i’m around if you need anything love)

i'm just being dramatic in the tags thinking i'm being funny please ignore me 😩

#i need to stop putting whatever goes in my head in the tags people can read that #i always think i go unnoticed here but then i'm reminded that sometimes i don't 😩 #i'm sorry i love you!!! #ilana 🍄 #inbox

[sadiegirl2021]

Nesta making this observation about Azriel with the priestesses. He makes them feel so comfortable that they even start fancying him!

Azriel’s presence helped. He now trained the newest recruits, quiet and gentle yet unfaltering, and if she didn’t know better, she’d swear at least two of the priestesses—Roslin and Ilana—sighed every time he walked past.

And Gwyn is seeing all of this too as she's on her healing journey; making friends, becoming a warrior, reading smutty books.

So, of course, he would be her new ribbon when she's ready for something more!

#gwynriel #pro gwynriel #I just love them!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ilana Berger at MMFA:

Google is allowing right-wing propaganda organization PragerU to run climate-denying ads on its search engine even though the tech giant previously committed to prohibiting ads that feature claims that contradict the “well-established scientific consensus” about climate change. In 2021, Google updated its ad policy to prohibit ads for or on content that “contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.”  Yet, nearly three years later, Google is still profiting from ads that contain climate change misinformation.  When Media Matters searched for phrases like “climate change,” “global warming,” and “climate crisis” on Google Search, the search engine returned PragerU ads that promised its website reveals “the truth about climate change” — or what it calls the “fake climate catastrophe.”  “Climate policies are causing inflation and keeping poor countries trapped in poverty,” the ad-description text read. “Get the facts with our Climate Change and Energy playlist.”

[...]

PragerU is deeply rooted in climate change denial

Along with the Daily Wire, PragerU is financially dependent on generous donations from fossil fuel billionaire Farris Wilks.  Recently,  PragerU Kids, a PragerU offshoot that produces conservative “educational” content targeted at school age children, has partnered with five different states to bring right-wing propaganda into public school classrooms.  Media Matters reviewed PragerU Kids’ ”educational” content and found it was rife with misinformation about climate change. In one video, a cartoon narrator explains why embracing climate denialism is akin to participating in the Warsaw uprising, when Polish Jews attempted to liberate Warsaw from German occupation during WWII.  

Google profits off of right-wing propaganda factory PragerU's climate change denialism ads.

#PragerU #Dennis Prager #Google #Climate Change #Climate Change Denialism

[simptasia]

LOST reading list

a list of books read by characters in lost for you to enjoy (or not). this isn't every book referenced in lost. for all that and more, see the "literary works" page on lostpedia, where im getting my info

no, my criteria for this list is that it's been read by a lost character. i'll tell you who (you'll see sawyers name a lot), and i'll add if it's somebody's fave book. this list will not include things like the bible or the qur'an or historical texts, as that while that can technically be recreational reading (it seems to be for ben), i'd rather not

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Jack)

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume (read by Sawyer)

A Brief History of Time by Stephan Hawking (read by Ben)

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (read by Ben)

Caravan of Dreams by Idries Shah (read by Ben)

Carrie by Stephen King (Read by Juliet, Ben and various other Others. This is Juliet's favourite book)

The Chosen by Chaim Potok (read by Sawyer)

Dark Horse by Tami Hoag (read by Jack)

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (read by Ben)

Dirty Work by Stuart Woods (read by Jack)

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor (read by Jacob)

Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie (read by Sawyer)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (read by Ben)

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (read by Ben)

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (read by Sawyer)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (read by Jack)

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salmon Rushdie (read by Desmond)

Hotel by Arthur Hailey (read by Ben)

The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares (read by Sawyer)

Lancelot by Walker Percy (read by Sawyer)

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov (read by Hurley)

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (read by Ilana)

The Oath by John Lescroart (read by Ben)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (read by Sawyer. This is Sawyer's favourite book and author)

Roots by Alex Haley (read by Ben)

A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda (read by Ben)

The Sheltering Shy by Paul Bowles (read by Ben)

Ulysses by James Joyce (read by Ben)

Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler (read by Ben and Jack)

VALIS by Philip K. Dick (read by Ben)

Watership Down by Richard Adams (read by Boone and Sawyer)

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle (read by Sawyer)

Every work by Charles Dickens other than Our Mutual Friend (read by Desmond. This is his favourite author)

I encourage you to speculate on the character implications put forth by these reading choices. This can raise such questions as: Jack is a Harry Potter fan? What is Desmond's favourite book by Charles Dickens? Boone can read??

Thank you for your time

#wow this really isn't light reading. here have some complex serious shit #sawyer and ben and jack are dominating the list. nerds #anyways im not exactly recommending these books #especially since it includes books by ayn rand and jk rowling [gags] #and also i don't even know what most of these are #but it's neat to have it listed as trivia at least. and might be useful for character analysis #note that sawyer didnt choose most of his books #but everybody else chose their books #also at a certain point while making this list i was begging ben to stop reading

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"King Killmonger: The Golden Jaguar" Chapter 4

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

"Fall in your ways so you can crumble

Fall in your ways so you can sleep at night

Fall in your ways so you can wake up and rise"

Solange—"Rise"

N'Jadaka stood close to Yani. She had backed herself against the library reading table that faced a window and he stayed rooted in front of her. The shimmer of tears in her eyes compelled him to cradle her cheek with comforting reassurance. His ire was not with her at all. She accepted his touch and her face became smooth like untroubled water. Her kimoyo beads displayed the blank avatar. They both watched Lady Ime's Image appear.

Peach pit hard brown eyes encased inside a charming oval face peered back at them.

"King N'Jadaka…"

Ime pried her eyes off of Yani's dour expression and lowered her head at him.

"Why were you trying to contact my fiancé so late?" he said with cold vigor.

"Forgive me Your Highness. I have been unable to reach Princess Yani through her team, so I asked a favor—"

"From whom?"

His tone rendered Ime speechless. She didn't lift her eyes to meet his at all. Her evasiveness oozed through the transmission.

"Was it your fiancé, Ramatla?" he asked.

Ime raised her head and tried to look pleasant. Her voice stayed steady.

"Yes. I took a chance at reaching out before tomorrow. I apologize for doing so at an inopportune time. I see that I have upset you and the princess."

"You have," he said.

"What did you need to speak with me about that couldn't wait until after the banquet?" Yani said.

She kept a clipped sound that brought out her accent any time she was annoyed with someone.

"My apologies to you, Princess Yani. I just wanted to know…I wanted to know what I have done to make you hate me…"

Ime burst into tears startling Yani and N'Jadaka.

"I have tried to be your friend…I know I am not as outgoing as Lady Zola and Lady Ilana, some may even think me cold because it takes me a long time to get comfortable with people, but I have always shown you respect and supported all your endeavors outside of Wakanda. When Ramatla gave me your gift I was devastated and so filled with sadness. What can I do to change your negative perception of us?"

Ime wept and wiped at her eyes. Clutched in her hand was the jewelry box Remy had brought to N'Jadaka's office. The waterworks continued and Yani sucked her teeth and glanced at him. He folded his arms and gave the crying woman no words of absolution. Yani struggled to find an appropriate response and he saved her from having to speak.

"We have a busy day starting early this morning. It is after midnight and we'd like to get some sleep. Do not call Queen Yani this way ever again. Use the proper channels in the future and wait for her to contact you as she chooses on her time. I will not speak to Ramatla about this because it's better to have it forgotten. Are we clear?" he said.

"Yes, King N'Jadaka."

Yani lifted her wrist higher.

"We will take the earrings back tomorrow since my taste and my jeweler's work upsets you," Yani said.

Ime's eyes switched between Yani's and his quickly and she tucked the jewelry box against her chest and shook her head.

"No, no, I will keep them. This was a mistaken assumption on my end. I see now that I jumped to conclusions. You gave this to us with thoughtful consideration…your personal jeweler…that is an honor Princess Yani."

"Goodnight, Lady Ime," he said.

She winked out first before Yani said another word to her.

"Did you see how that woman acted?" Yani huffed. "The fake crying? That was all for you. Had I been by myself her true colors would've spilled out of these beads."

"She did lay it on thick—"

"Thick like my ass," Yani snorted.

He nuzzled his chin on top of her head.

"Kinda wished it was Remy though," he said.

"You say you'll let it go…but I know you. Will you tense up every time my kimoyo beads vibrate or light up with a strange signature? I would never do anything to break the trust we've built. He loves me, there's nothing I can do about that. Will you really be okay working with him and not thinking he's plotting to sabotage us? Or what about events where we have to interact with all the nobles? I don't want to be responsible for your potential outbursts or feeling like I have to worry over every little thing that happens outside of my control."

"I trust you. I don't trust them."

She touched his chest with both hands and rubbed his pecs through his overshirt.

"If that's true, then you need to let me tell you things when I'm ready to tell them or if I think it matters to speak on it."

"I'll try, but sometimes it's hard. You know I can read energy and body language. If I feel and see you acting nervous or anxious I'm gonna think the worst."

"Then I will work on not overthinking things when they happen or agonize about you reading too much into stuff. I'm yours. No one else's."

"You mine?" he said

She held his face still and kissed him. Her soft warm tongue steadied him as it always did. His nature was to be territorial over his women, and Yani was his most prized gift from life itself. No matter how strong, powerful, cunning, confident, or persuasive he could be in any given situation, she had a way of untethering his moorings if she were under stress or afraid of him. He never wanted her to be afraid of saying anything to him no matter how unpleasant.

"I put too much pressure on you with my issues. I'll do better and follow your lead," he said.

"Thank you."

He smiled. She grinned back at him.

"You spoil me and I go nuts," he said.

"You spoiled me first, so I can only reciprocate in kind."

"You are just like Aunt Leona."

"She raised me well."

She housed her lower lip between her teeth and stopped rubbing his chest with the tips of her fingers.

"The closer we get to marrying each other, the more I feel like an ungrateful daughter," she said.

"Why do you say that?"

She lifted a leg and rested half of her rump on the desk. Tugging on her thin-chained necklace, Yani sighed.

"My parents are gone. I should feel sad about them missing this day, but to tell the truth…I'm relieved that they won't get to see me walk down the aisle. I had a dream about them the other day. Just some old memories of ducking from them when my mother was vex and lashed out at me. My father never stood up for me and I lived most of my life dreading their presence. Now…on the eve of my wedding…I don't feel any sadness about them never seeing our special day. Is that a horrible thing to think? They don't get to have this and I'm glad."

"Your relationship was not good. You're grown now. It's fine to feel that way."

"Even if they were still here, I'd feel ambivalent about them witnessing it. They turned me away at my lowest and would probably expect to be front and center at our nuptials as if all was forgiven."

"You don't have to forgive anyone. Not even your parents. And guess what? You're still a wonderful person that I love…the mother of my children. My life partner. My pushy friend…my everything…everything I never knew I could have when I left Oakland. Happiness has been a long time coming for us."

"Yes Lord!"

They laughed together.

"Tomorrow is for us and our babies, okay?" he said.

He hugged her and she slumped into his chest.

"I want to have fun today. Get through the morning activities, rehearsal, fittings, lunch…and then the banquet. By this same time tomorrow I want to be sleeping peacefully and nothing on my mind except getting into my wedding dress," she said.

He palmed her backside and they rubbed noses. Her scent lingered all over his body like a second skin. He pressed kisses along her temple and ran a heat-seeking trail down her neck. Yani leaned back giving him space to find his way back to her lips where they parted once more and she nestled into slow kissing him. Their tongues swept back and forth between their moist lips with familiar reassurance that nothing would come between them ever again.

Yani licked a curving arc across his lips and let her head fall back. She inhaled the cloying aromatic oils perfuming his locs and he watched her glassy eyes give up on focusing on anything else but him. He opened her coat and cupped a breast, squeezing it before holding the other.

"Titties so perfect…big…soft…heavy…"

He sucked on each nipple like candy drops, groaning along the suction of his lips moving around her areolas. She moaned at the fingering of her clit and the dipping of his two fingers inside of her wet opening. His semen stayed warm inside of her. He lifted her legs up and planted her feet on the edge of the desk.

"Wait, let me put my wig back on," she said reaching for it on the desk.

He pulled her hand away from it.

"No. I don't want Toya…I want my wife…Yani…"

He took off his layered shirts again and only lowered his pants enough to release his dick. Their kissing made his pipe stiffen and he plunged into a pussy coated with his cum and her slickness. He held her legs up and she used her arms to balance herself on the desk.

"I want to cum inside my wife…look at my dick inside you…fuck…shit is so hard, Yani…hard for you, baby…just you…fuck, this shit is so deep. I feel all that cum I put in you…pussy is so good on my dick…look how you doin' Daddy's dick! You like that? Huh? Lemme give you some husband dick for a minute…ah fuck, you feel that weight? Damn, I'm fucking the shit out this pussy…you in trouble when that honeymoon get here. I'ma fuck this pussy so much. Take you back to the island days, Yani…shit! I used to fuck you so much…this tight pussy was always riding this dick…"

Yani tried to keep her attention on his face, but her mouth had fallen open and her eyes kept watching his slick pipe go in and out. He started teasing her by pulling all the way out and tapping the girth against her labia and clit before plunging back in suddenly knocking the wind and sense out of her.

"Stretching it out, Ma…damn…look at those pussy lips squeezing me too…you feel that weight? Huh?"

He forced his dick to jump inside her pussy without moving his hands or wiggling his hips. The muscle control made her pussy throb all around his thickness. Her walls were beyond engorged. His semen rendered it twice as slippery and her pussy twice as noisy with all the splashing sounds they created with their intimate bond. He stirred his dick inside her like a big spoon mixing a pot of hot gumbo. Her whimpers and helpless pleas to keep fucking harder flew over his shoulder in hot breathy gusts. N'Jadaka was a useless king inside Yani's pussy. His balls contracted with the urge of release riding his body close to the edge.

"Look at this pussy! Taking all this dick!" he shouted. "I'ma start skipping work if you keeping giving it to me like this!"

Yani yelped and her walls contracted, making his dick throb rhythmically. He held her breasts and used slow methodical thrusts to please her even more. She twisted her lips and they stared at one another.

"First time I touched you…I wanted this…you made me want you…remember?"

Yani gasped with her eyes locked on his.

"This pussy showing out for Daddy…see? It likes this husband dick. Got me balls deep…make me cum, Yani!""

Yani's toes curled and her pussy squirted all over him at that moment.

"Fuck me…fuck me…" she moaned.

"Daddy is on it, baby. There you go….ooh, Yani look how you're squirting all over my dick…you want Daddy to cum now? I got a lot to put in you, baby."

"Fuck me…s'deep…so deep…my pussy is cumming again! I'm cumming…Killmonger!"

His dick exploded, and he helped push out his orgasm with a roar that stretched his vocal chords. Yani took his thrusts, squirted again, and accepted the cum flow his dick vanquished her with.

"I'm still cumming, Yani…fuck!"

He gripped his dick and pulled out, shooting semen all over her breasts. Shuddering and cursing, he stood back to watch cum spill out from her and drip all over his shirts. He played in her pussy, smearing creamy warmth all over her labia. He rubbed it all over her tits pleased with how she looked to him. Soaked and sated.

He stretched his back muscles and his dick bobbed. Unlike her, he needed to top off his night with one more sexual act. She already knew the drill and slid down from the desk onto her knees. He stroked his dick and studied her expression as she took off her coat and unwrapped her hair. This was ritual for them, something he suspected all Udaku men did. For him, cumming on Yani's face wasn't humiliation but his solemn duty to let her know she was his. It was ownership not of the bullying patriarchal kind, no, it was something deeper than that. Primal. Ferocious and raw. Petty even. Marking her with his semen gave him power over others who wanted her too. Knowing Remy hovered over his woman compelled N'Jadaka to paint Yani's delicate face as a reminder of who her man was. On her knees, his dick looked like a scepter blessing her. She kept her eyes open and sucked on his balls at the seam knowing it heightened his pleasure. Looking down at her he stroked and twisted his fingers under the ridge of his dick, trying not to blow his load haphazardly. He needed to control this release and show her his physical prowess. The load flowing through his dick ignited a passion in him that needed no words to express what she was to him.

He drenched her.

Hot heavy ropes purged from his balls, striking her dewy skin in long white stripes. Yani knelt before him pious and silent, accepting the cum falling like fat raindrops. The grinding of his teeth as he surpressed any shouting escaping his lips forced a pressure into his heaving chest. He beat on his dick and reveled in his good fortune at having her and it extended his carnal aching to cover her more.

"Fuckkk!"

He nearly choked on the word as his balls throbbed with its final outpouring. Panting and gasping, he stared at Yani. She gave him what he wanted. Absolute submission. His semen turned her into living art. He probably could've made love to her on the floor covered in his jizz, but his body grew tired from the adventure.

"You leave first," she said, touching his hand.

He couldn't get over how extraordinary she looked soaked in cum with a smile on her face. She gathered her things again and scurried to the restroom. He put on his shirts and left the library with swift feet.

A quick shower made him drowsy back in his grandfather's suite. He crawled back into bed with Riki and slept the rest of the early morning feeling exalted.

Yani couldn't believe how fast the day sped by.

She expected to be frazzled and exhausted by the time she dressed for the banquet, but instead, she felt invigorated and longed for a new morning to rise. The family breakfast was a rollicking good time. As she admired the coming together of the Udaku-Stevens clan and the fragments of her smaller family line at the closure of their betrothal march, Yani knew for sure that her place at the head of the throne required her to move with composed stealth when she faced the nation as queen. The Udaku elders accepted her as one of their own. There were a few cousins and in-laws in the royal family that remained cool toward her place at N'Jadaka's side because of her unconventional public behavior with him that they felt was unbecoming of a proper stoic queen, but they would back the family from outside skepticism about her representing the monarchy. Any internal strife among them would be squashed by Umama anyway. Yani liked being touchy-feely with N'Jadaka no matter where she was. If the public saw them kissing or N'Jadaka's hand fondling her butt or holding her tight against him, they would have to get accustomed to more of it in the future.

No matter what they thought about her throughout the royal bloodline, one thing was for certain: they adored N'Jadaka Udaku.

The king seemed to glow around his family. His close bond with Shuri had blossomed into a transition of sorts. He took on an elder brother role as opposed to a cousin, and Shuri was never far from his company. They whispered together secret jokes and spoke with great affection toward one another. The new sibling bond helped Ramonda not worry so much about her daughter. It had been revealed a few months back that she had suffered the loss of a boyfriend in the Infinity War that no one in the family knew about. She grieved for her brother openly, but her young lover had been mourned hidden away from them all.

After final fittings, lunch, and hair appointments for the children and herself, Yani sat in the dressing room with her two sisters and Ladies-in-Waiting as Twyla smoothed the last bit of hair oil on her newly clipped and dyed scalp.

"You look like you did when you met him," Twyla said.

"Stunning," Zola added. "The platinum color of your hair…the dark eyebrows."

Yani puckered her lips and stared at them in the mirror. Touching her face, she admired the darker hue of her skin from the afternoon sunbathing session. The rich bronze glow gave her a fetching quality that hinted at summer and sensuality. Her kimoyos lit up with N'Jadaka's signature.

"We're late! N'Jadaka wants us to meet him at the East Palace exit. The media are being allowed to photograph us leaving for the banquet," Yani yelped.

She jumped up and her Ladies fanned out the small scallop-shaped train on her indigo dress and helped her put on the matching indigo puffy cape with a deep gold lining. Yani felt like she wore a cloud around her shoulders and back. They followed her at a clipped pace, traveling across the palace bridge, and made quite a commotion with staff as they headed toward the ground floor where N'Jadaka waited for her. Twyla nudged her with a soft jab into her elbow.

"Notice anyone special?" Twyla teased.

Mpilo, Bibi, and N'Jadaka's close friends from America were present. Shawn and Walter were dressed in fashionable dark suits. M'Baku and Ayomide rounded out the bunch, and…

Yani blinked twice.

A man with tawny skin and thick glossy black hair stood next to N'Jadaka. Clean-shaven and dressed in a black velvet embroidered dishdasha and trousers, the corners of his lips turned up at the sight of her.

"Ah! There she is my goddess from long ago…"

"Tahir!"

Yani ran up to him and let protocols fall to the wayside. She hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. He pulled back from her and grinned.

"I see now that it was a good thing that you never listened to my advice about this guy," Tahir said.

He winked at her, and she clasped his hands in hers.

"I can't believe you're here…Twyla…you were able to keep this from me?"

Twyla laughed and pinched Yani's cheek.

N'Jadaka playfully slapped Tahir's hands away.

"Watch yourself man, I saw her first!" N'Jadaka said.

"How is this possible?" Yani asked.

N'Jadaka placed a hand on Tahir's shoulder.

"I recently made Tahir Wakanda's first Middle Eastern Ambassador. He'll be working closely with our people on the outside. I'm covering our bases, and that part of the world needs some prodding by us."

Tahir nodded and held out his hands using them to punctuate his thoughts like he used to do with her back in St. Thomas.

"I was as shocked like you are now when he found me. Yet…here I stand in this fabulous country of the future attending pre-wedding parties," Tahir said.

His eyes tracked the women behind him and his grin widened.

"Perhaps I will get lucky tonight and finally find my own goddess like you. I'm so glad to see you again. I often wondered how you turned out and alhamdulilah…look at you…about to become a queen!"

Umama and Ramonda kicked up a bit of fanfare with their arrival and the entire party was swarmed with Doras and kingsguards. Tahir was taken aback by the dazzling display of power both older women held as queen mothers. N'Jadaka introduced a nervous Tahir and Yani giggled to herself. A mercenary and friend of the infamous Killmonger acting flummoxed by Wakandan women. Umama put Tahir to work as her escort, peppering him with questions as they all moved outside. Flashes of lights and shouts met them as the media were permitted to film them from a distance.

N'Jadaka walked Yani down the stairs toward a line-up of transportation that would cross over the large moat and head them to their destination following the curve of the river.

"I can't believe you two are back together," Yani said.

She climbed into their transport and waited for her Ladies and relatives to join them in the first car. N'Jadaka held her hand while security made sure their entire party was secure in all the vehicles.

"Took some time to track him, but I started the moment I was released from cryostasis. There are some places our War Dogs can't infiltrate easily, and he'll help us with that."

"What about his family?"

"He's an orphan like me. There's a married half-sister who lives in London and no one else. Many others were taken in the blip. He's single. No children…that he knows of."

Yani rolled her eyes and N'Jadaka kissed her cheek.

"He has no allegiance to any country and he's always had my back. Even when I kept secrets about myself away from him, he stuck with me. He's a loyal dude, and honestly, baby…I missed him. Just like I missed Shawn and Walter. Men don't really stay connected the way women do, and I want to rectify that. Since T'Challa's been gone, I miss male companionship from my past."

"I'm glad he's here. I know Wakanda has tripped him out."

Okoye opened the passenger door and glanced at N'Jadaka.

"Your Highness, Mpilo has offered to give up his seat for your guest," Okoye said.

"I don't need any special treatment Killmonger," Tahir said.

"Get in," N'Jadaka said.

Tahir climbed into the empty seat next to Zola. He gave a bashful look at Yani and took his special place comfortably inside the front car. Okoye took her seat in the front passenger space and the driver ferried them through the heart of Birnin Zana.

Tahir looked out of his tinted window. He craned his neck observing the splendor of the golden city's skyline.

"Incredible. This place is so…magical," Tahir said.

Yani pointed out landmarks and the temple she would marry N'Jadaka in. The streets were already in prep-mode with decorations going up for the parade after he wedding. A few citizens stopped on the sidewalks and watched the royal procession of cars speed by.

"They tell me you had a child by him," Tahir said.

He spun his seat around to face them.

"We have a son, Riki," Yani said with pride dripping from her voice.

She tapped her kimoyo and Riki's static image floated before them. Her son was caught running toward N'Jadaka's arms for a hug. Tahir stared at the image and then looked at N'Jadaka.

"You didn't give this woman any chance of sharing her genes with this child?" Tahir said.

N'Jadaka chuckled and admired his son's picture. Tahir sank back in his seat. The other women chatted and ignored their conversation out of respect.

"I am happy that you have found your way back together," Tahir said.

He studied N'Jadaka's face for a moment. His lips quirked a bit as he gave Yani his full attention.

"I will be at your service, Yani. Your husband-to-be has given me a new life…one filled with possibility again. I was lost in a wilderness when he disappeared…no, Killmonger, let me finish, don't interrupt me in front of the goddess…"

N'Jadaka looked at Yani. She leaned forward to give Tahir her full attention.

"This man is special…listen to me, Yani. I never met a man like him in my life before. In my line of work, there are ruthless people…dangerous people. Sometimes you are blessed to see the makings of a legend in the midst of horrible circumstances. Killmonger moved in ways that told me he wasn't some ordinary person. His drive and focus was unmatched…now…it is clear why. I feel honored that I watched him fall in love with you."

N'Jadaka held up a hand to hush Tahir. The man ignored the gesture.

"I never saw him smile until he was around you. Allah has his hand on this union. I will make sure he lives up to your expectations."

"He's doing okay so far," Yani said.

She stroked N'Jadaka's shoulder. Tahir's intense eyes watched her.

"You have become the woman your Aunt dreamed you'd be," Tahir said.

"Really?"

"Oh yes. We used to talk…she and I. I'd eat her food and she would speak of a future that she imagined for you. We both pretended not to notice you and my friend falling for each other. She knew it. From the moment she witnessed you in the same room together. Miss Leona told me you were a salty girl to him, but underneath… it was the need to be near him. The bad man on the hill…ha, ha! That's what your people called him behind his back! You sang to him in that club…remember that little club, Killmonger? He couldn't take his eyes off of you all night. He barely spoke to me looking for you all over that room. My feelings were a little hurt, but how could I compete with this vision here?"

Yani sighed and rested her head on N'Jadaka's shoulder.

"That night started off perfect and ended so bad," she said.

"Bad for who? You? This guy? No. Allah moved the riff raff out of your way to clear a path for this time now."

Tahir turned his head and his eyes grew big watching the scenery go by.

"I am in awe of this place…."

The driver took them into a chic and densely populated section of Birnin Zana's finance district with towering buildings and slow-moving crowds enjoying a warm spring evening dining at night cafes and upscale private clubs. Heads turned and kimoyo beads were lifted to catch sight of their entourage arriving in front of a high-end venue. Their security flanked around them in a tight formation and ushered them inside a laughter filled lobby. They worked their way through the excited buzz of their entrance to a reception area where festive cocktails and savory hors d'oeuvres were served. A burnished bronze and gold color palette in the décor screamed money and affluence.

The royal arrival kicked up another stir of excitement and Yani clutched N'Jadaka's arm tight. All eyes drank them in and the royal party swept through to greet elders and high-ranking nobles who gave them the most support. Yani caught a glimpse of the lavishly decorated dining room where long rectangular banquet tables were set up in a herringbone style on opposite sides of the cavernous room, all facing a hollow square grouping of tables and chairs in the center. Servers and posh chef staff prepared for their entrance. Live traditional string music played over speakers and Yani relaxed into the lively ambiance.

N'Jadaka stood beside her like a shining beacon in the cocktail room and she reflected the light of their pairing. The Council of Elders each approached with their spouses and Yani made grand gestures toward them that delighted the heavily traditionalist crowd. The Court of Nobles in that space represented every upper class family that maneuvered for power and influence with the king.

Everyone present looked resplendent in tailored raiment. Their ubiquitous jewelry, flamboyant hairstyles and even placement around the room signified their clan status and their tribal affiliation. The odor around them reeked of rich, decadent, and calculated stunt queens bubbling with great pleasure mixing with their own kind. The women traipsed in spectacular dresses of every rainbow hue that made whooshing noises at every turn, but Yani's indigo dress was the grand dame couture of the night. Blue and gold had become her signature colors when she made public appearances ever since the King's Ball. She decided not to wear anything too modest. The deep plunging neckline left nothing to the imagination with the swelling of her breasts peeking out, even with the sheer piece of material that went down the center to keep any direct skin from being exposed. She kept the décolletage of semi-precious jewels on the back of the dress's train instead of the front to keep a sleek silhouette look that complimented N'Jadaka's flowing black robes that were an exact copy of his father's. She slid the cape down the long sleeves of the dress with the king's help and handed it to a coat check too nervous to look at her face. There were a few feral nods in a corner from her smiling detractors who admired the dress despite disliking her.

Her eyes ghosted over the hundreds of faces until Zola and Ilana nudged her arm after handing her a glass of honey wine.

Remy and Lady Ime stood across from them near the dining hall entrance.

Ilana whispered in her ear.

"Notice how she's wearing big twists tonight to cover her ears," Ilana said.

"I see."

Yani slid her hand from N'Jadaka's arm down to his hand. They intertwined fingers and spoke to a few admirers who asked about Yani's book tour and her plans after the wedding. Her social card became booked and she shook her head thinking of all the private teas and luncheons she was asked to attend within thirty minutes of schmoozing.

Hand in hand she and N'Jadaka mingled among the elite, sipping more wine and smiling so hard that her jaws began to ache. N'Jadaka introduced Shawn, Walter, and Tahir to important families. All three men acted right at home in the cocktail party despite having to use language translators. Luckily for them, most of the nobles understood and spoke English.

The pomp and circumstance became more exuberant and louder, drowning out most of the conversations swirling around. M'Baku and Ayomide meandered over to them, their Jabari-styled clothing bulky and extravagant. Several older couples carried on conversations with the mountain couple drawing out the commanding voice of Ayomide who had them enraptured with her lively eloquence and tall stature.

Yani gulped down her second glass of wine and reminded herself to watch how much she drank the rest of the evening. Her reputation held high social capital at the moment because of her book and all it would take was for one noble to clock her drink intake and tally it up for the gossip grapevine. N'Jadaka nursed a glass of purple fermented wine made from red grapes and the petals of a pink flower found in the Wakandan valley near Birnin Bashenga. He finished his drink as Yani kept a watchful eye on Remy and Ime.

"Better to talk them now before the children arrive for the dinner portion," N'Jadaka said.

"We can walk past as if we want to look at the dining area."

"People are already filtering in there to find their seats so it won't look confrontational."

He squeezed her hand.

"Ready?" he asked.

More people flowed into the reception cocktail hour and Yani didn't want to be bombarded with the same questions from the new influx of nobles.

"Ready," she said.

N'Jadaka took the first step forward and Yani matched his pace. They skipped past eager guests and strode toward the couple.

Remy and Ime nodded to them in a respectful fashion and Yani looked up at N'Jadaka's face to allow him to speak first and set the tone.

"Enjoying the party?" N'Jadaka asked.

He held out his hand to Remy and the younger nobleman clasped it with a firm shake.

"We are having a great time. You both look amazing," Remy said.

Yani looked at Ime who wore a beaming face as she listened to the men chat.

"Your hair is very pretty, Lady Ime," Yani said.

Ime gave a furtive smile and lifted two twists to show Yani and N'Jadaka the earrings they gave her. They looked stylish and quite flattering on her ear. Remy wore his too, and from a distance one could barely notice the design until they were close upon him. Yani gave the couple a broad smile that she was pleased.

"They look lovely on you," Yani said.

"We look forward to the wedding tomorrow," Ime said. "Thank you for the invitation. I know so many people want to be there and it is a great honor to actually witness your nuptials in person and not on the vid screen at home."

"Queen Mother Niyilolawa and Queen Mother Ramonda had a large hand in helping me choose the list of guests. King N'Jadaka has been impressed with Ramatla's work and as you know, he was once my nanny for a few months."

Ime's eyes darted over to Remy.

"I did not know that Remy worked for you before his current position," Ime said.

"Oh? You never told her? Our children loved him. They will be here for the dinner tonight," Yani said.

Remy wrenched his eyes away from Ime and gazed at Yani. Clearing his throat, he gave a disarming smile.

"I am excited to see them again. So much has changed since I cared for them," Remy said.

"We'll see you both inside," N'Jadaka said.

The king led Yani away, but Zola and Ilana, who stood a respectable distance behind them, cornered Ime and Remy by the entrance, chatting them up.

"They swooped in fast," N'Jadaka said.

"They are truly petty. I'm sure they're pretending to see the earrings for the first time. This is all so pretty…"

The dining room engaged all the senses and she admired the floral centerpieces and garlands decorating lit candles. The odor of fresh incense filled the room as a few servers removed brass burners that were no longer needed. Yani sniffed and the smells filling the air reminded her of the royal garden in summer when the fresh petals of new lavender and purple sage were cut to make potpourri for many of the palace common rooms.

"King N'Jadaka, Princess Yani, this way please."

A young woman in an elaborate venue attendant uniform led them to their seat at the center table. Ramonda and Umama sat on either side of them. M'Baku and Ayomide sat beside Umama and the rest of their entourage filled out reserved seats behind them. There were five open spaces left open for Dante, Leona, and their children. From her peripheral, Yani glimpsed Remy and Ime sitting at a table to their left with their esteemed family members dining together as part of their public betrothal march.

The rest of the Court of Nobles filed in and took their seats. The din of voices, clinking glasses, and the rustling of movement all around them gave her pause to refocus her attention on the other guests at their table. All six of the tribes, including the Jabari, were represented by the highest ranking members of their elite. So many eyes regarded Yani and N'Jadaka. It was a rare privilege to dine with the royals up close and bright curious eyes studied their every gesture and hung onto every word uttered from their mouths.

"Doing okay?" N'Jadaka whispered in her ear.

Yani stroked his beard and he patted her thigh under the table. He puckered his lips and she pressed hers against the fleshy softness. An older woman from the Merchant Tribe quickly looked away in embarrassment after catching the intimacy. Calm dining music swelled in the background as a master of ceremonies approached a dais and welcomed all the upper crust.

Dante and Leona entered the dining room with the children.

"Hi Mama," Sydette said, waving at them.

Once they were seated, the emcee introduced the non-binary priest Dinani who would perform their wedding ceremony. Dinani prayed over them with a solemn tone in their voice, and the host went over some housekeeping details as the first course was served.

Yani broke a piece of dinner roll and dipped it in the broth bowl she ate from and inhaled the delicious aroma of her food. N'Jadaka became the charming head of state, keeping their non-family dining companions chuckling with his stories about meeting the American President, and seeing Tony Starks again. A flurry of questions were presented to him concerning Stark Industries and his trip to the U.N. Their rapt attention to N'Jadaka made it easier for Yani to enjoy her meal peacefully and watch the children cared for by Dante and Leona. She paced her eating so her belly didn't fill up before the last course was brought out. She dared to sip on another glass of wine during the presentation of the dessert plates piled with all sorts of cake, pie, and fruit slices.

A room separator was pulled apart revealing a sizeable dance floor and bandstand. A young woman in a skintight black and red body stocking studded with spikes along the sides of her arms and legs shook a tangle of long locs. Half of her face was painted with red dots and the rest of her band were dressed the same. She stepped forward holding an electric guitar and addressed the nobles.

"Hello esteemed guests, and the royal family. My name is Pemmy Yengeni and this is my band. I was told by the Grand Queen Mother of the Nation that Prince Riki was unable to enjoy the festivities of the S'Yan Country Fair today, so she asked us to perform a set for everyone here to wish King N'Jadaka and Princess Yani a happy wedding day tomorrow. This first song I wrote for our brave king and our soldiers who fought to save us all. We are honored to be here and graciously thank Queen Mother Niyilolawa for the invitation."

Pemmy raised her arm and brought her hand down hard onto her guitar blazing into the hit song that electrified the youth of Wakanda. Riki leapt from his seat and raced to his great-grandmother, hugging her fast before dashing off to the dance floor among the other young people that danced and clapped, squealing at the sight of a singing star. Sydette and Joba joined their brother. Yani leaned over and gave Umama a hug, surprising her. Decorum be damned, the older woman brought Riki joy. She stood and clapped to the music, watching her children hop and dance. Umama tapped her hand in time to the music on her leg.

"This music is very catchy…not as obnoxious as I had feared," Umama said. "My great-grandbaby has good ears for music."

"He will remember this day forever."

Umama grinned and watched all three of her great-grandchildren dance.

N'Jadaka shocked everyone when he grabbed Yani's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor where they rage danced with their children bringing delighted shouts of encouragement from the young nobles bopping along next to them. Pemmy held out her mic for Riki and the little prince sang his heart out on the wild chorus making N'Jadaka and Yani laugh at the sincere attempt to sound like Pemmy. The singer helped Riki and Joba climb onto the stage to dance next to her as she roared out stirring lyrics and aimed them at N'Jadaka, M'Baku and all the other men and women in the room who fought in the Infinity War.

N'Jadaka lifted Yani off her feet and spun her around. She laughed and grabbed for his neck to keep from getting dizzy.

"Put me down," she said, patting his chest.

He lifted Sydette up so she could watch Pemmy and her siblings bounce around the stage. The first song ended on a loud crescendo of feedback from the bass. Riki clapped so hard and Joba stared at Pemmy with big, wide eyes. The nobles applauded, appreciating the lyrics despite the raucous nature of the Afropunk vibes. Pemmy bowed and held up a hand toward the older people in their seats.

"Don't worry my beautiful elders, I have music for you too," Penny said.

The band started playing a classic Wakandan courting song and the older people thundered their applause. Many stood and headed for the dance floor to join the youth in a line dance. Sydette sprinted to the front to watch Pemmy up close with Riki and Joba.

"Use your sound shield! Remind Riki and Joba, too," Yani called out.

Sydette nodded and tapped her kimoyo beads to release a protective barrier for her ears with the blaring speakers.

"Shall we continue dancing Queen Yani?" he asked.

"Why yes, King N'Jadaka."

They partnered up close and swayed to the music that reminded Yani of the clipped dub sounds of reggae. Pemmy's voice soared above them. She threw her arms around his neck and relished the closeness.

"In fifteen hours we will be Mr. and Mrs. Udaku," he breathed into her ear.

"Yes."

"Should we forget me staying with Grandpop tonight and spend the night together?"

"No. Stay with Grandpop. The next time you see me will be my walking down the aisle all glamorous."

He tilted his head back.

"Yani, you've always been my queen."

She stared in his eyes. His face looked so kind and loving.

"We made it," he said.

His eyes began to well up and he pressed his forehead onto hers.

"I love you so much…I can't run this world without you," he said.

"You will always be my heart," she said.

Yani hugged his waist and laid her head against his shoulder. They rocked in unison until the song segued into a faster beat that brought more couples to the floor. Pemmy and her band were a rollicking success and the nobles of all ages ate up the music. Yani glanced over her shoulder. Riki shook his hips and held the hands of his sisters participating in a ring dance that Wakandans did for special occasions.

Drifting back to their table, Yani noticed Ime having sharp words with Remy. Their heads were held close to keep their conversation private, but it was obvious Ime was upset. Remy listened to her with an annoyed expression, but his eyes raised when Yani walked past him. Ime followed the direction of his gaze and Yani smiled to them both, her hand secure inside N'Jadaka's powerful grip. Facing forward, she rested in the assurance of her bond with the man she loved…King N'Jadaka. The Golden Jaguar.

Tag List:

@readingaddict1290

@issimplyaamazinggg

@eyeknowmywrites

@kitesatforestp

@fd-writes

@soufcakmistress  

@cherrystainedlipsbaby

@tclaybon  

@thadelightfulone

@allhailqueennel

@bartierbakarimobisson

@cpwtwot

@shookmcgookqueen

@yoyolovesbucky

@raysunshine78

@the-illlestt

@terrablaze514  

@l-auteuse

@amirra88

@jimizwidow

@janelledarling

@chaneajoyyy  

@sweetestdream92  

@purple-apricots

@blackpinup22  

@hennessystevens-udaku

@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade

@bugngiz

@stariamrry  

@honeytoffee

@meilintheempressofdreams

@tyees

@eye-raq  

@writerbee-ffs  

@chocolatedream30  

@childishgambinaa  

@mygirlrenee

@thewaysheis—awkward

@tchallasbabymama

@lahuttor

@goodieyaya

@post-woke

@soufcakmistress

@yomiloo

@goddessofthundathighs

@nahimjustfeelingit-writes

@retroxvailles

@cydneyrenee4

@nizzle-mo

@cecereads209

@childishgambinaax

@gopaperless

@bombshellbre95

@tchallasbabymama

@musicisme333

@sister-winter73

@nccu-rnc

@sj206260358

@blmcd57110

@griot-of-wakanda

@xsweetdellzx

@nayaesworld

@carlakeks

#King Killmonger #King Killmonger The Golden Jaguar #Black Panther Fanfiction #Killmonger Fanfiction #Wakanda Forever Fanfiction #Namor #Uzumaki Rebellion #Uzumaki Rebellion Writes #Youtube

[offtorivendell]

Some Friendly Teasing...

🌸 Elain Archeron Week 2023, Day 2 - Sister and Friend 

This headcanon/theory is based on a few things:

This brilliant crack theory by @wingedblooms, and the subsequent thoughts reblogged by @ladynightcourt3, which posit that Elain may have shifting powers, and have taken the form of Balthazar in ACOSF's Blood Rite (the OP), as well as the priestess Ananke during Valkyrie training (the reblogs).

This corresponding crack theory by @psychologynerd, which hypothesises that Nuala and Cerridwen may be Roslin and Dierdre, two of the other training priestesses who are frequently seen with Ananke.

I highly recommend reading both theories by these supremely lovely and talented people, they make a lot of sense! But let's go...

Azriel’s presence helped. He now trained the newest recruits, quiet and gentle yet unfaltering, and if she didn’t know better, she’d swear at least two of the priestesses—Roslin and Ilana—sighed every time he walked past. - ACOSF, chapter 40

I can't think of anything more appropriate for a trio of besties than for two of them to tease the third - lightheartedly, of course - when they discover a crush. Now I know the names Roslin and Ilana don't match up exactly with Roslin and Dierdre, but this could be explained by one of a few things:

The wraiths don't always wear the same bodies, and at this point they were Roslin and Ilana.

Only one of the twins, as Roslin, was teasing Elain at this time, and Ilana just has good taste.

Ilana, which means "torch, beautiful, light, bright, shining," is Elain (or she was on this day, instead of Ananke).

In the beginning, Elain thinks she's slick, asking for information about Azriel, like his favourite foods, or whether he has any aversions. Nuala and Cerridwen see through her falsely casual interrogation in an instant. But hey, we all have to start somewhere.

I can just imagine the glee lighting up Nuala and Cerridwen's eyes when they realised for whom Elain was developing feelings. Their boss, of all people! Who they probably know well and have a fairly good relationship with after a few centuries of being his personally trained spies, so I anticipate Azriel will cop his fair share from them in an Elriel book, too.

Nuala may have suggested that Elain train as a way to improve her balance for stealthy walking (if she is Ananke then she was as bad as Nesta initially) and self defence, but she conveniently forgot to warn her that Azriel would be taking the other priestesses through their exercises, not Cassian.

Cue the silent snickers and not-so-subtle looks when his back is turned, and Elain's ever blushing face.

That's something she'll obviously have to work on, pipes in Cerridwen.

Elain doing her best to balance, planting her feet in the dirt, yet still toppling over, only for Cerridwen to accuse her of doing it intentionally when Az is looking the other way, saying that she just wanted Azriel's undivided attention.

And when Elain does finally begin to improve, Nuala will give her a teeny, tiny nudge, just to see if they can get her to falter.

And maybe blush some more. For spy training.

At which point Cerridwen will say, deadpan, that Elain may be great at keeping others' secrets, but she sure as shit wears her own on her face.

I am really and truly hopeful that we'll finally get to see the two spies who masquerade as Rhys' own handmaidens at home and abroad for who they really are, through the eyes of their good friend, Elain, rather than someone who doesn't know them well. I think they'll have a lot of fun together, and we'll also see them all open up about their pasts, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

@elainarcheronweek

#elain archeron #elain archeron theory #pro elain #pro elain archeron #elain positivity #elain and nuala and cerridwen #nuala and cerridwen #elain and nuala #elain and cerridwen #night court spies #night court #elain's powers #shifter elain #elriel #azriel shadowsinger #acotar #elainarcheronweek2023 #elain archeron week 2023 #elain archeron week #elainweek2023 #elain week 2023 #elainarcheronweek #acotar theory

[enchantedchocolatebars]

The Bimbo to his Himbo / The Himbo to her Bimbo~

CRYING SO HARD RN AT THIS CUTE COMMISSION ART!😭😭😭

Thank you @mochapao!💖💗💕

My Wittewife's name is Clara (Claire for short) Clawthorne!🧡🤎🧡🤎

She's a bubbly, upbeat witch who loves magic, adventure, and most importantly, CALEB lol.

She can also be a bit of a fun-loving rebel too sometimes (*cough Eda cough*) as well as an adorkable dork (*cough Lilith cough*).

Despite her naive nature, she's actually quite intelligent in her own way and ISN'T someone you should underestimate.

Girl's got a DANG GOOD left hook lol.

For her voice, I wanted something cute, sweet, and girly to match her personality, so I chose Twi//light Spark//le from M//y Li//ttle Po//ny and Ilana from Sy//m Bio//nic Tit//an who are BOTH voiced by Ta//ra St//rong (they also both sound the same lol)!❤️❤️❤️

When it comes to Clara's hair, it naturally changes color during the seasons!❄️🌷☀️🍂

For example, in spring and summer, it'll be half brown, half orange, but in winter and fall, she'll be a brunette with bits of orange if you look real close.

ALSO, the reason why she's got long hair in one pic and short hair in the other is because she first starts off with long hair (it's around the time where she and Caleb first meet and eventually become boyfriend and girlfriend), but later on decides to cut it when she and Caleb get engaged.

It sort of meant to symbolize a new chapter in her life since she's going to be spending the rest of her days with the man she loves.❤️💕👰💍

AT LEAST, she would have if YOU KNOW WHAT didn't happen in that cave...😭😭😭

OH, and the blue birdie on her shoulder?

That's 💙Syrup💙, Clara's palisman pal and closest friend!

She's a female blue jay!💙💙💙

Like Caleb and Clara, Flapjack and Syrup also go great together!🥞🥞🥞

So, yeah.💕💕💕<333

I know this is a lot so give urself a cookie if you actually read all of it tehe.😁🍪🍪🍪

#(LOOK AT THEM!!!💖💝💘💕💞💓💗❣️💟) #(the bar//bie and ken of bonesborough) #(STILL SQUEALING CUZ NOW I HAVE MY OWN WITTEWIFE!!!😆😆😆) #(AND SHE'S SO PRETTY AND CUTE!!!💖💖💖) #(caleb's got good taste in witch women👌) #(aaa I'm so bi for them!!!💖💜💙) #(YO ZOOM IN CLOSE ON CLARA'S FACE YOU'LL SEE SHE'S GOT FRECKLES😭😭😭💕💕💕) #the owl house #owl house #toh #clara clawthrone #caleb wittebane #calara (caleb x clara) #wittewife #writing #my writing #amazing art #(my commission art)

[surely-u-jest]

What is "The Rabbit Queen"?

Via rabbitqueenmusical.com: Once upon a time… The world was hoodwinked by a poor illiterate woman named Mary Toft. The year was 1726 and over the course of several months, Mary  managed to fool the finest doctors, scientists, and nobles into believing she could give birth to rabbits.

Delivering on that promise, Mary performed the mesmerizing spectacle 17 times over, securing her place in history as "The Rabbit Queen”. That is, until one fateful day when she was brought down by a single kernel of evidence. 

​The story of Mary’s viral hoax and subsequent cancellation is one that touches on themes of bodily autonomy, women’s reproductive freedom, gender and class roles, and the dangers of blindly trusting authority figures and the media. 

The musical is based on a true historical hoax in 1726 Britain, with book written by Ilana Gordon, music by Laura Watkins, and lyrics by Jaime Lyn Beatty and Laura Watkins.

The musical is currently being developed and workshopped in association with New Musicals Inc. An informal reading was held on July 31st, 2023, featuring cast members such as Jeff Blim, Corey Dorris, and Angela Giarratana.

#the rabbit queen: a new musical #the rabbit queen #rabbit queen musical #jaime lyn beatty #jeff blim #corey dorris #angela giarratana

[uroborosymphony]

Discussing verses.

I'm beyond satisfied with my the verses on this blog. As in, with four verses I get four universes that are so different and each one feels incredible complete. Especially thanks to the amazing plots with amazing roleplayers, all the verses feel so alive and I can't wait to keep on writing them, keep on developing them and plotting more and more! I've completed their bios by adding connection pages and aesthetics boards for each.

Ilana, verse 1, the songstress.

I'm happy I brought ilana back and revamped her, focusing her bar singing and her motherhood makes so much sense to this muse. She is unstable for sure but is very loved and her plots mainly revolve around getting in troubles yet sticking together with muses that are equally struggling, I like that and her relationship with her daughter is so dear to me. I used to write ilana as a very Lana Del Rey universe woman, very dependent on her love and passion for Men and being loved by them. I got utterly disappointed by the ships that came with this verse so I dropped them and re routed the muse. Now I'm satisfied she found the real love of her life : her daughter. What I want to write more with her :

More of her music / More threads with her daughter / Going deeper into what she did to have a criminal record and why she's hand tied with the bad side of the city - I want to dig into her secrets.

Quinn, verse 2, the vigilante.

Quinn's universe is THE crime universe of my dreams to me. There is this obsessive amazing layered love she shares with her partner in crime Taiyang, and I'm amazed by how they have an entire universe built with their gang, the underground life, their dream as vigilantes. This verse feels bottomless in terms of possibilities and connections. I'm also getting to know her, she's a toough girl with her walls up but with a good heart until she's not fully corrupted. Intimidating yet caring. Severe but tender. It's truly the muse I can connect with everyone else's because she's very versatile. With Quinn I soon want to write more of :

A game she would play with the police by taking the take identity of a fake junior detective to protect her gang / The evolution of her undiagnosed schizophrenia / Her relationship with her mother (who's in psych) / To develop friendships! I want Ara to have friends / To develop allies and enemies on the underground scene / To develop how her morals will twist from wanting justice to wanting to punish / Whispers Taiquinn's crime wedding yall invited

Calista, verse 3, the immortal.

Calista's universe is the most mind bending to me. It's supernatural meets modern times, with this possibility to write the epic past, the adventures of the present, and the apocalyptic future she's going to cause. Yes, she's powerful, she's maniac and insane, she's That malefic bitch however suicidal and obsessed with her own end to the point I get to go really deep with her, it gets philosophical. Grand questions about life and death, immortality. What I want to write more with her :

The past with all the cool plots I have for her involving the Witch War it's fucking amazing / Different sides of her softer sides of her as yes she's a warrior and a ruthless one but there are people she cares about even tho she's the opposite of an empath / Fights! I want to write epic fights with her she's a warrior after all and a swordfighter / The future verse in a an apocalyptic setting after she casts powers from the God it would be mind blowing

- I'm realizing the Witch War was quite something. Calista exterminating witches for centuries. I'm wanting to write a witch on my multimuse blog, from a powerful bloodline Calista had great battles with, using Kiko Mizuhara as fc. It can take life if anybody is interested / has witche muses!

Ruby, verse 4, the nine tailed fox.

I'm finally using my Gumiho/Kitsune verse more and I'm loving how with other muses we're writing in this yokai/anime like/folklorish world, it's very gentle and summerlike. I think Ruby is my softest verse so far, I usualluy write Bad Girls, Ruby can be one too but she does have a lot of empathy for humans, she wants to be human yet has to absorb their vital energy to survive, it's conflictual. What I want to write more with her :

I want her to understand her origins better as she has been casted out by other Gumihos she's unaware of everything she can do and her place in this world / More adventures with other yokai and supernatural entities / Her less pretty side, her appetite, her using humans to sustain herself even though she said she would not / Her losing her shit too due to this hunger she cannot control

More verses? Verse 5?

I had a verse 5, the Lady of Tjelra, that I deleted due to the inactivity of the attached plots. I think starting now if I do create new verses it will with other muns so we can truly build something for the verses. I also use different hair color for each verse of some noticed, it's a little amusing and somehow helps make a real difference between each. If I were to add another verse and have a verse 5 again, it would be the pink haired one. I for now have enough on my plate but just a thought. She's giving me dark fairy, she's giving me siren, she's giving me nymph, she's giving me priestess. She's giving me ancient magic, she's giving me dystopic feelings. As her name, Sybille or Pandora.

#It was reading Ferre's compliment about my verses that made me so happy #And realize that indeed I m so happy with them and the plots attached to it and I want to take care of each one of them #For the connections pages I will add Vine for Calista and Callum for Ilana soon heh #𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓. ── the nine tailed fox. #. 𝐋𝐘𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 / about muses. #일 𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐎 / the songstress. #셋 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀 / the immortal.

[jgroffdaily]

Katie Rose Clarke discusses with Ilana Levine her experience with Merrily We Roll Along, including knowing Jonathan since the 2005 season, their chemistry read for Merrily, on-stage mishaps and how off-stage friendships make their way into the performances. She also says the lead trio were all undergoing major life changes when they started rehearsing Merrily in 2022 at NYTW without the rest of the cast.

Katie at 20.11 talking about Jonathan:

Katie Rose Clarke: He is such a dream… of an actor, an incredible actor, and an incredibly generous scene partner… I just look in his eyes and it’s a safe place, even though it’s a really vulnerable moment. I feel really safe. It’s a really joyful thing.

#Youtube #jonathan groff #katie rose clarke #merrily we roll along #interview #podcast

[tunas-universe]

Uh a few SBT OCs just a few :)

Anyways, from first to last

Javier Alvarez: The schools notorious class clown, he’s a floater between cliques, but he’s bros with many guys at the school. Teachers hate his ass, also he’s Lance’s best friend (these bitches sus) 👍 Also omitted from this for minor redesign purposes is his little brother by like a year, Teo

Nayva Yadav: The president of the Art Club and one of the best friends of Ilana, she’s hugely dedicated to her club, and has a crush on another OC I haven’t made a ref for, Yeo-Jun

Daphne Barlowe: Might get an outfit redesign to fit the 2001 aesthetic more, but she’s Javier’s childhood best friend, an avid partaker in journalism (the wrestling part might be retconned due to it being from her beta Picrew design)

Ava Stewart: A rich girl who transferred to Sherman High, HATES Ilana and Kimmy because of them taking the control from her, read her bio for more 👍

I have many more I haven’t designed yet, so uhhh

#symbionic titan #sym bionic titan #oc #oc reference #these goobers i love #brain just clicked and I realized uhhh… #journalism club and daphne is into journalism #idk if she would join it though she’s not the type for clubs

[jucyfruit]

Reeling From Substance Abuse and Questioning God, Julien Baker Sings Through the Pain

by Ilana Kaplan | 1/25/16

When you’re speaking with Julien Baker, it’s easy to forget she’s 20 years old. She communicates about her music and her life with a humble confidence; she describes her favorite songwriters and the experiences she had as a teenager with as if she’s written novels about them. “I want to speak well and be an intelligent person, but not to the degree of being condescending,” says Baker. “I think I accrued a lot of experiences early on.”

With an eloquence beyond her years, you’d be forgiven for wondering if Baker’s ascension was the final act of some strategy, but it’s an accident that her debut record took off at all. The Memphis singer never intended for the songs on Sprained Ankle to go further than Bandcamp. But the music gods had something else in mind for Baker. “I didn’t plan any of this,” Baker tells the Observer. “The fact that this album was released in a formal way was kind of contrary to how I’m used to releasing music, which is sadly limited.”

Baker was used to performing in the band Forrister with her friends, but heading off to college allowed her the freedom to focus on writing her own music. Following a road trip with a friend and a recording session at Matthew E. White’s Spacebomb records, Baker put the record on Bandcamp as she did with her previous work. Soon after, 6131 records asked Baker to pull it down so they could release and promote the record. Baker had never done a structured release—she was accustomed to sending a bunch of random emails and printing out handbills.

‘I acknowledge substance abuse, doubt, fear, sadness and despair in the songs because they’re real emotions that are worth talking about.’

However, Sprained Ankle triggered success for her within the indie music scene—something she never expected. “It’s been a little difficult to acclimate to this world,” says Baker. It’s safe to say Baker’s life since her debut LP’s release has been a bit of a whirlwind—all the while simultaneously studying at Middle Tennessee University.

Sprained Ankle serves as a metaphor for a difficult period of Baker’s life. Dealing with the emotional turmoil that surfaced from a romantic relationship and her separation from her band, the album title came from a joke as Baker’s friends encouraged her to confront her pain. “When you’re a kid and you scrape your knee or sprain your ankle, you have to walk on it to make it better, because if you coddle it, it’ll stay sprained,” explains Baker. “I was like, ‘That’s a great metaphor for my entire life right now—running head forward at pain to assuage the issue.’ ”

Listening to Baker’s music, it’s easy to think you’ve known her your entire life. Her words read like diary entries, which makes sense—the songs were originally just catharsis. It’s a quality she learned from songwriting idols such as Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, mewithoutYou’s Aaron Weiss and Elliott Smith. Gibbard has been a particularly looming influence over Baker’s lyrics. “When I heard the song ‘Title and Registration,’ it totally changed how I thought about songwriting because it’s not overly poetic—he’s having this very mundane experience getting pulled over having to get his registration out, and he sees pictures from an old lover or something,” explains Baker. “All of a sudden it becomes this very relatable, human experience. Then it hurts you.”

That sense of personal connection changed the way Baker thought about songwriting, influencing her to draw from her own life while shaping her music. Baker’s experience with God mirrors that of Weiss—something she’s reflected in her own music and lyrics. “He talks about God in a way that’s not alienating,” describes Baker.

Baker used that vulnerability as a template for recording as therapy: it wasn’t an easy record to write, and it’s certainly not an easy record to listen to, lyrically speaking. But Baker’s heartfelt vocals shine through the confessions she makes about dealing with substance abuse, religious doubt and sadness. “I acknowledge substance abuse, doubt, fear, sadness and despair in the songs because they’re real emotions that are worth talking about,” says Baker of her album.

Substance abuse plays an important role thematically on Sprained Ankle. “I wanna go home, but I’m sick/There’s more whiskey than blood in my veins/More tar than air in my lungs/The strung out call I make,” she sings on “Go Home.” It’s something that’s easier for her to sing about, than speak about, but she does so with a refreshing raw energy. “To admit that substance abuse is something I’ve dealt with in my past baffles a lot of my friends and people I’ve met in the past few years because I’m always the DD, and I’m 100 percent sober,” explains Baker. “It’s something that was a very real issue for me and continues to be because when you have those experiences, I don’t think they ever go away.”

It’s that kind of unrelenting honesty alongside the intimacy of her guitar and haunting vocals that make her storytelling incredibly relatable and hypnotic. She’s used Sprained Ankle as a catalyst to help better herself and help others who may have endured the same experiences. “Choosing to make yourself better and never addressing those issues does a disservice to other people who aren’t there yet and prevents an open dialogue about [substance abuse],” says Baker. “I think it’s necessary to acknowledge those parts of yourself.”

Substance abuse, however, is just one of the topics she covers on Sprained Ankle. Through songs like “Rejoice” and “Go Home,” Baker also sings about her trepidation when it comes to faith.

“One of the reasons why I became disillusioned with God early in my life is because people would be like, Just pray about it and you’ll feel better,’ ” says Baker. “That’s not necessarily how it works. I believe there’s a God that’s listening, but I think that we owe it to ourselves as people who believe in love and compassion to do more than a trite ‘God is listening.’ ” For Baker, it’s about really understanding someone else’s struggle and journey.

Heavy songwriting and dark lyrics aside, Baker maintains a sense of humor about it all. “I saw someone recently, and they said, ‘You quit drinking? You’re not even 21 yet,’ ” says Baker. “I was like, ‘I crammed a lot into a few years.’ “

(x)

#aw this one is v. sweet and earnest #just before she and lucy first met :’) #julien baker #interviews #2016 #january 2016 #archival