#ADOSM

[ravencromwell]

All right, Shades of Magic fandom, let's talk about the Lila and Holland in White London au possibilities. Because there are some visceral similarities between those two consummate survivors: compare Lila's coin to the beggar boy and pursuit of the street rats in her second pov to Holland's attempt in the first Athos pov to get Beloc out of the king's cross-hairs when Kell arrives at the court by asking if there's somewhere he should take the boy (which Athos shoots down with unholy glee and a comment about Holland's defiance.) No matter how much Lila doesn't realize it, they share a brusque kind of mercy. And then, then! there's that fascinating interchange between she and Kell where she talks about the power of killing her father—loathing the mess and the blood, but liking! the power of having used her blade to defend herself! She straight up asks him if this is what magic feels like, and he thinks perhaps in White London; fuck, the aus practically write themselves.

The Barren Tide is Holland Vosijk's respite in Grey London. Oh, he's pulled to the Stone's Throw as much as the spoiled princeling, but on those rare occasions the Danes put some slack into the leash of their pet Antari and don't order his return the instant his business is complete, he can do without Kell Maresh spoiling his solitude. (Astrid and Athos know their craft well: to let him tarry an hour in a world they do not taint makes the binding chafe all the more when he returns. But he can no more resist an hour of pretend than any other slave.)

On the first of these excursions, he discovered the Tide, following foreign sailors to find a place where none would care if he swore in Makt with the polyglot of languages on display. He returned when he realized men could die around them and never disturb these Grey-worlders fascination with their drinks—it's a practicality that reeks of his London, after all. And a year or two before the series, he's sitting on a stool when a girl with an impressive array of knives sits beside him. They say very little, but he notices—as Tieren did—the curious circumstance of her eye. Asks her how it happened, in those short, carefully clipped sentences of his (I love that the longest sentence we here him speak in English is eight words within this first book—this is a man who has learned to speak the language with precision because he won't have the Red Londoners looking down on White, but doesn't love it as the Maresh's do.) But of course, Lila knows nothing of the accident's origins, and he would leave it be when she departs save that when he looks in his pocket, she has taken his token.

Oh, the Danes will make merry over their Antari being robbed by a Grey Londoner. He had been so fixated on the ludicrous idea that an Antari might have sprung from this magicless place—on the odd shiver of something like power around this girl with her sharp-edged grin he had gotten careless. (As I said, I've only finished Darker, but if the clues aren't being laid for Antari Lila, I'll eat my hat—she appeared in different! places than Kell, for goodness sake Kell sweetie wake up and smell the magic.)

It's not hard to find her on the docks (Powell, after all, is a drunk and far less kind or discrete than Barron. So he waits for her a few hours later when she slips onto that wreck of a ship and he slits her throat, over and done before she can realize he is there. And then he waits for her to die so he can take back his token and go home. Only, it is very hard to kill an Antari.

When she lingers far longer than a mortal should, he knows he was right all along. So he whispers the command to heal and wraps both their fingers around the token and takes her home.

Once she is there—_two Antari in White London, a feat not seen in any London for generations!—, he explains this new reality in that low, even voice of his. They have to keep her mind intact—no unthinking soul can use the blood commands after all—but how much autonomy she has—whether the Danes use their bindings or not—depends on how willingly she serves. And Lila Bard, who always wanted to be a pirate, is a thief and a consummate liar, looks at that brand on his chest and how it goes all the way to his back and decides she will lie and lie through her teeth until she can find a way to. Not go back to Grey London, but red, red doesn't sound half bad at all. She'll slit all their throats, Holland Vosijk and the Danes because she is Lila Bard who prays to none but herself and lives on her wits.

Well, maybe not Vosijk. Maybe. He's a good teacher after all. (Holy shit y'all Holland legit loves! to teach. There's this passage in Darker where Kell is using air for an attack and he literally brings the whole proceeding to a halt to say that Kell should "choose your elements more precisely. Air cannot be made sharp. Here, watch." Man is not just goading Kell, he's in his _element, teaching about magic!) Just imagine him with "I am a fast learner." Lila Bard for a protege.

Oh, oh I have so many ideas for this! How she first meets Kell: when Holland is allowed to take her to Red London in the second or third month. He turns his back for _one _instant to flirt with Rhy, laying groundwork for the stone and she's _gone. She's slipped off to corner Kell, pushes him up against a palace wall and says: "So, magic boy. Tell me about soul bonds." And Kell, flustered cinnamon roll, can't decide if he should be unnerved or this's the hottest thing that's ever happened to him. They talk, for nearly an hour, about magic, the Danes, Holland. And when Holland finally finds her, with that slight furrowing of his brows that's the only signal of fury he'll give and asks her, still in that eerily even voice if she understands what the Danes will do if they learn she tried to run away, she looks up at him, shameless and unrepentant and says: "Then don't tell unless you're asked. Besides, I wasn't running away. Just seeing if you're a liar. But Magic Boy says soul bonds are real, and the guards really don't have a choice when their eyes go blank like that. He's bloody stupid you know. No one being mind-controlled's going to be inclined to go above and beyond their job."

And Holland wants a drink, because he can just see the heart eyes the spoiled princeling is giving this wild, mad girl he's stumbled upon—not _his girl, because everyone Holland cares for dies, but an Antari he likes a hell of a lot more than Kell Maresh. Oh, book 1 could go in some fascinating directions!

But mostly, I'm just imagining Holland having someone to talk to, as antagonism slowly! blooms into alliance. Someone to practice his English on, but more, someone with the kind of pragmatism to look at death and bleakness and shed her tears but then clear her throat and get on with the world. But also someone with _fire. It's so clear that by the beginning of Darker, Holland Vosijk is exhausted. Lila is so brash and brave and full of vibrancy—she picks Kell up at his lowest points—and fuck, Holland and White London deserve to have a taste of that hope, too. He deserves to have someone to tell the story of his king to (because yes, I know the vague back-story outlines from being unafraid of spoilers) , to tell the story of his world to who will actually give a damn.

#Holland Vosijk #Lila Bard #ADOSM #Shades of Magic #(honestly I can't believe the fandom isn't crawling with this particular AU.)

[soldier-poet-king]

ACOTAR Lucien 🤝 ADSOM Holland

Characters I wish I could snatch from their respective universes/authors and put into a story I actually enjoy because they are So Favourite Character Type To Me, but are absolutely wasted in their current narratives

#franposting #im just :////// #sorry folks who love those books #i couldn't even finish adosm bk 3 #and sjm is just. fun bookclub hate read where we get to bitch. #but its not /GOOD/ #and i have to skip. so many scenes. each book gets progressively hornier and im like. maam. maam. can u stop #i rlly LOVED the early tog books. heir of fire ruins me. and then idk what happened she just started writing smut #fran reads #not tagging for specific fandoms bc i like being alive

[flyhighaangle]

I LVEO YOYU IRIS !!!!!!!! ^_^

#iris sagan #aitsf #ai the somnium files #ai: the somnium files #a set #<- YOYU BET !!!!!!!!! ^_^ #i think someoene said she was annoyingng annd leike ... i ithnk she is just a teeenager SHE IS HAVINNNG FUN !!!!!! ^_^ #WE ARE A TEEENAGER TOOO sort of #I TIHNK SO !!!!!!!!!! #LEIKE BODILY imm not sure if i age with the body or not becasue imm the new host #ermmm ............................ #ITSS 100 % OK IF OYYU DONT LEIKE IRIS !!!!!! I THIBNK SHES SO ADOSME !!!!!!!!!!!!! #i yink she is so awsome iwis my friend iwis ^_^ #I MADE THIS BTW

[violent138]

Textposts for ADOSM/AGOS/ACOL

Image credits go to @kiranightart /  kiranightart.tumblr.com

Text credits to the people who are now the vine of Tumblr

These suck a lot (quality wise), but I did this on a bus, on the way to class lmao.

#text post #shit post #a darker shade of magic #a gathering of shadows #whatever the fuck Holland's last name is #Kell Maresh #Rhy Maresh #Lila Bard #A conjuring of light #alucard emery #Good lord the quality is quite bad #Makes you appreciate the professionals more

[mysterious-cuchulainn-x]

For the SWTOR asks:

❝ I’d still take a drink and a story, anytime you feel like it– no need for anything more. ❞

This took long enough! I set it a couple degrees off from A Dream of Small Minds: there's a different Kallig, but the same Jedi Consular, and events post-class story transpired a bit differently than I plan for ADoSM. Here are Kallig and Talos dealing with those decisions on Tython.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“My lord?” 

Talos called out softly as he entered Raakis Kallig’s cabin. The lights were set at half illumination; the Sith lord—former Sith lord, Talos corrected—was seated at his desk, peering at a fractured stele beneath the red glow of a holocron.

As was usual for Raakis when the former Dark Councilor of Ancient Knowledge was thus absorbed, he gave no indication of having heard Talos’ hail, so he repeated himself, a little louder.

“There’s no need to call me ‘lord,’ Talos,” Raakis answered, his gravelly voice strained slightly with amusement, though he kept his gaze fixed on the stone slab. “It would probably set our hosts a great deal more at ease if you called me… hm. Whatever is most comfortable, I suppose.”

Their hosts—the Jedi. Talos hummed.

“Is there something wrong, Talos?”

“Oh—er, no, my lord,” the archaeologist stammered; in fact, it was the request of one of their hosts that had brought him to the point of interrupting Raakis’ study. The Jedi Barsen'thor was an… interesting woman, to be certain, though Talos could never quite feel comfortable in their shared occupation given how much else stood between them. “One of the Jedi—Councilor Starlighter—wanted to speak with you about correlating recent findings. She didn’t go into particulars, I’m afraid.”

Raakis was silent a moment, then placed a hand over the holocron, which dimmed and flickered into silent darkness. 

“Lights, full,” he instructed as he rose, and Talos could see in detail the lines which care and the Force had wrought upon his master’s face. “You could be part of our efforts as well, you know. There’s no reason to hold yourself so distant.”

Talos swallowed with long-practiced reflex, despite the gentleness of Raakis’ admonition. His features were less terrible than they had once been; the mynock’s feet around his eyes would never fade, but his facial tendrils were fuller than before, and his gaze, intense as ever, no longer glowed with trammeled loathing. Grounding on Tython had, he could admit, been good for Rakis, but...

“Respectfully, my lord, there is much reason.” He bowed shallowly as he spoke, his heart jumping in accordance with well-honed instinct. “I chose to follow you, and I do not regret doing do. But I was… it is not so simple a task for me to make friends among the Republic. The amount of damage—”

“Is nothing,” Raakis interrupted sharply, “to the losses inflicted on galactic knowledge—and more, on galactic life—by the empire into which we were born. What the Republic did to Korriban three hundred years ago scarcely compares to what the Dark Side inflicted on that world, or what Sith weapons have done in the last thirty years to—to Balmorra, and Alderaan.... You know this, Talos. So what is your problem?”

For a moment, the Sith lord’s eyes flared with familiar anger: the vicious fire that had animated him from Hoth to Voss and Belsavis to the long months on Dromund Kaas between the Imperial retreat from Corellia and their cataclysmic decisions on Ilum. Then Raakis shuddered, looked aside a moment, and when he looked back the ire had faded.

“I… apologize, Talos,” he murmured, one red hand shifting as if to reach for him before the movement aborted. “I should speak with Master Talryn. And…”

He paused, turning back to his desk to draw a cloth across the stele, and let out a long, slow sigh.

“If you can forgive me, Talos—”

“There is nothing to forgive, my lord,” Talos murmured quickly, “I understand—”

“You don’t. And that is fine,” Raakis answered, with soft insistence. “You have followed me this far, without complaint. I should not push you. But, if you can forgive me, I would still take a drink and a story, anytime you feel like it—no need for anything more.”

“Just two friends and the memory of some haunted tomb?” Talos raised a brow, smiling at the invitation; even as a vengeful rising Sith, Raakis had possessed an insatiable, and gratifying, appetite for history. “Of course. Though I hope you’ll pardon me if I cling to some traces of familiarity… my lord.”

Raakis laughed quietly.

“Of course, Talos. As long as you try to move forward.”

Then he swept past, and Talos was alone in the dim compartment.

Perhaps, he thought, it was time to embrace more fully the environment that had wrought such changes in his lord—if nothing else, it would be foolish to deprive himself of the chance to explore the history of such an unfathomably ancient world.

#swtor #cuchulainn writes #asks answered

[rebeleden]

Deion Sanders and the Limitations of Celebrity Worship

CC RABID MISOGYNOIR AND BLACK FEMICIDE

LATINAS GET THE SAME BLACK MEN

[themuseoftheviolets]

oh hage u read a darker shade of magic by ve schwab? or any of their books? currently reading a darker shade of magic and it’s not going as good as i hoped but i love vicious by her the found family in that is immaculate

also have u read six of crows?

i haven't read adsom but i've read vicious, vengeful, gallant and addie larue! and i really liked them!

shame you're not liking adosm :( maybe it'll get better?

i have read soc i loved it!! i love the grishaverse

#mail

[thebooksareeverywhere]

Addie pins from www.etsy.com/uk/shop/libraryofpins

#books #bookworm #book blog #reading #book #bibliophile #ya #read #book review #reader #Pins #Addie larue #I remember addie #The invisible life of addie larue #Ve schwab #Adosm #A darker shade of magic #Read #Etsy #Etsy shop #Handmade #Small business #Support small businesses #Shop small #Handcrafted #Bookish #Bookish shop #Bookshop #Shelfie #Bookstagram

[emoyuuta]

Shades of Magic as Classici Feltrinelli

#shades of magic #aesthetics #*mine #a darker shade of magic #a gathering of shadows #a conjuring of light #adosm

[peregrinestook]

DO Y'ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE A CARING DEAD BEAT DAD

#my stuff #vicious #vengeful #villains #villains series #victor vale #sydney clarke #v.e schwab #ve schwab #v e schwab #victoria schwab #booklr #bookstagram #books and libraries #i love him so much you guys it h u r t s #a darker shade of magic #adosm #this savage song #our dark duet #monsters of verity #eli ever #eli cardale #mitch turner #bookworm #bookworms #books #ya lit #book rec #book recommendations #book quotes

[dregstrash]

Hihihi could we please get 44 or 46 for Kell x Lila (do they have a ship name??) thanks so much my goddess of fanfics!

Wow! What high praise!! Thank you so much for the ask! And for bringing back the loves of my life Kell and Lila. I think their ship name is Kelila. But I mean Kell x Lila works too. Hope you enjoy this!  You can send me an ask using This List!

“If you die, I’m going to kill you” 

It wasn’t often Lila was forced to sit on the sidelines. If anything, she was the one who destroyed the sidelines, but this time it couldn’t be helped. She may have been master of the seas, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t order Kell around.

“I don’t have to worry about you doing anything stupid in London, do I?” She said lazily as she leaned against the door of their room. Kell huffed a laugh as he packed the last of his things in the small satchel on his shoulder.

Even after all these years, he still bore the tiredness that lingered in his face ever since they defeated Osaron. His movements weren’t as graceful or fluid anymore, but there was less tension in his shoulders. They were more relaxed and free, and Lila felt a thrill shoot up through her when she realized it was due to her that the somber Antari had learned to breathe easier.

“I’m not sure what you think I could possible do,” Kell said looking around the room, “I’m just going back for Rhy’s birthday, not heading into battle.”

“For one thing, there are still mercenaries after our precious king’s head.” Lila replied, “Then there’s the other kingdom’s leaders that aren’t too happy with Rhy’s negotiating skills. And let’s not forget the fact Alucard is still living in the palace.”

Kell stopped scanning the room and met Lila’s gaze. His two tone eyes striking her very core. She wouldn’t get used to that, she’d never get used to the power that seeped out of his solid black eye or the twinkling blue from his other. He smirked and then started to saunter towards her.

“I find it rather comical you’re warning me of doing something stupid. Which one of us entered Essen Tach untrained and underprepared?” 

Kell stopped right in front of her, his body close enough that she could reach up and grab him. Whether she wanted to embrace him or tie him to the ship was still undecided. 

He reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, his fingers lightly tracing her jaw.

Lila snorted in annoyance, and flicked his hand away. 

“Of course, that old crone had to call in her favor now.” Lila sighed ignoring the grin Kell shot her. “Was it too much to hope that the hag would have died or maybe forgotten completely?”

Kell shrugged and leaned further into her space, “From the stories I’ve heard, she very well might outlive both of us.”

Lila groaned and dropped her head onto his chest, “Great. So while you get to drink and party, I’m heading to my possible death.”

Kell’s body suddenly stiffened at her words, and he pushed Lila back by the shoulders so she could see the sudden seriousness that had killed the light in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare, Bard. If you die, I’m going to kill you.”

A flicker of power danced in his eyes, and she felt the room grow two degrees hotter. Lila couldn’t help but smirk. 

“You couldn’t kill me, Maresh. Not even if I was dead.” She taunted. She raised her chin up in a challenge, and Kell took the signal.

He grabbed her face with both hands and brought his mouth down into a fierce kiss. His well-earned calluses rubbed roughly against her cheeks, and Lila was suddenly struck with the urge to feel them everywhere. 

She turned them around so he was against the wooden planks of their door, and wrapped her arms around his neck, angling her head to deepen the kiss. 

He moved his arms and wrapped them around her waist, one of his hands moving to her back and under her shirt. She shivered at the touch, and now, more than anything, she wished that she could go with him to London. 

Out of sheer need for air, Lila started to draw back, pulling Kell’s bottom lip with her teeth before she took in breath. 

He was breathing hard in front of her, and when she met his gaze once more, his blue eye was blown wide open with desire.

“Just think about this, Lila,” Kell whispered to her, bringing his forehead down to hers, “I've done the impossible to bring my brother back. What do you think I’d do to bring you back?”

Lila felt a surge of emotion sweep through her, and she never really was one for words. So instead of saying anything, she just brought her mouth back to his. 

#kell maresh #Delilah Bard #kelila #kell x lila #lila bard #adosm #acol #agos #A Darker Shade of Magic #darker shade of magic #i love these two disasters

[deep-sea-horror]

Really quick Kell doodle

#kell maresh #adosm #a darker shade of magic

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

||August BPC: Just One Word|| 18. Author. Queen Schwab, this week, with King Lynch lurking in the background. Perfect.

#just one more page #just one word book photo challenge #ve schwab #scott lynch #shades of magic #adosm #gentlemen bastards #vicious #this savage song #our dark duet #a darker shade of magic #a gathering of shadows #a conjuring of light #the lies of locke lamora #red seas under red skies #republic of thieves #ouch my heart y'all

[mysterious-cuchulainn-x]

Will you continue Tarlyn's story?

Yes! I'm currently focusing on rewrites of my Dragon Age long fic and the Korriban ADoSM prologue, but Talryn Starlighter has been and remains a key character in my Riskav legacy, and Coming of Age will resume as soon as Unnatural Selection is completed (although that may take some time).

Part of the reason Coming of Age never got quite as far as Unnatural Selection in the first round is that the Tython story, as I'm writing it, requires a decent amount of reworking in order to make sense, given Talryn and Diaola's simultaneous and interacting presences—I'm a sucker for that sort of concept, and I was never going to be really satisfied having two unrelated stories unfolding in the same place at the same time.

That said, if there's a character in ADoSM whose future adventures are certain to be written, it's Talryn: she's probably my actual favorite, and unlike certain other characters of mine does very much want to be written. I just need to write the stuff that's scheduled ahead of her.

[magic-is-in-the-air]

How ADSOM characters sleep

Kell: like a baby seriously though he's a deep sleeper Lila: extremely light sleeper probably from surviving the streets Holland: he doesn't too many people have betrayed him *please protect this baby* Rhy: in Alucard's arms Alucard: with Rhy in his arms

#adosm #veschawb

[books-and-cookies]

A N O S H E

#books #booklr #reading #a conjuring of light #a darker shade of magic #adosm #acol #v.e. schwab #book photo #book photography #mine #shades of magic