#Katie reads the assassin’s blade

[mcuamerica]

Y’all… I finished The Assassin’s Blade

The HURT in my heart that Sam is dead and gone 💔 it’s horrible. How did I get that attached to a character that I just met like 3 days ago? Oof

#I haven’t read TOG yet so no spoilers #throne of glass #tog #the assassin's blade #katie reads #katie recommends #the assassin’s blade spoilers #spoilers

[ulfrsmal]

I was tagged by @errruvande, thank you! :D

3 Ships: Shaytham (Assassin's Creed), Novacaine (The Atlas Series), adn Aodhan/Illium (Guild Hunter Series). They've been on my mind a lot lately!

First Ship: Uh. Kari/T.K. from Digimon (& Digimon 02), though I was a child and didn't know what shipping even is XD

Last Song: Crossing the Blades by Running Wild

Last Movie: I honestly can't remember!

Currently Reading: Leeward by Katie Daysh, a mlm romance in a naval historical setting. I'm really enjoying it so far!

Currently Watching: N/A

Currently Consuming: water & books

Currently Craving: Colder fucking weather please

No Pressure Tags: @kingslionheart, @captainkilly, @bitchofdarkness, @bouncehousedemons, @moosemonstrous, and @jeynepoole :D Have fun if you decide to do this, lovelies!

#thank you for tagging me #wynne rambles

[pearwaldorf]

Fanwork roundup 2022

LIST OF FANWORKS

NSFW fics are indicated with an asterisk. All OFMD is Ed/Stede unless indicated.

(take for joy) from my outstretched palms (Ninja Assassin, Mika/Raizo)

the ravening clouds shall not long be victorious (OFMD, gen)

we've not yet lost all our graces (Good Omens/Hannibal, Will and Aziraphale)

siren (OFMD, companion ficlet for Pond's Monstrous May art)

[vid] western wind (OFMD)

fight off the light and stay with me (Good Omens Pacific Rim AU, Aziraphale/Crowley)

in the shape of things to come (too much poison come undone) (OFMD)

[vid] gay bar (OFMD, gen)

when the lights come on I'll be ready for this (Shang-Chi; Katy-centric, pre-Katy/Shaun)

* all the variations you could do with me (OFMD, Ed/Stede/Blackbeard)

until I saw you in my thunderstorm (Oxventure: Blades in the Dark, Alice/Peter)

* take me to the limit, hold me down there (OFMD)

there's a storm you've started now (Oxventure: Blades in the Dark, Alice/Peter)

* our bodies fear that this war won't end (can't live without the ache) (Malevolent, Arthur/John)

both have sharp teeth (Interview With the Vampire, Grace and Lestat)

* don't look in the mirror look into my eyes (Critical Role/Legend of Vox Machina, Percy/Orthax, Percy/OMC)

I took no time with the fall (Glass Onion, Blanc/Phillip)

Tumblr ficliets

TOTAL WORD COUNT

31298 and 5:27 of vids!

by fandom

Ninja Assassin    1767

OFMD    13745

Hannibal    1123

Good Omens    4747

Rivers of London    202

Shang-Chi    266

Ox: BITD    2900

IWTV    1289

Critical Role    1892

Glass Onion    1239

Malevolent    1261

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I took last year off from writing because I had a lot going on (new jorb, getting on ADHD meds, pursuing other creative endeavors, I just didn't feel like it), but it's really good to get back to it. In a lot of ways it's like learning how to do it all over again. Having an approximation of neurotypical function has been interesting, because I can just… stop? And pick up the next day? And not have to try and keep pace with my hyperfocus to finish before I got bored like I used to? It is wild, and I’m still figuring out how it works.

And because I took last year off, there was a lot of going through unfinished stuff and finally getting it out the door (hence all the Good Omens). That was satisfying, but I'm glad to have a mostly clear plate now.

And what is now apparently perpetual copypasta: If, despite everything, you were able to produce work this year, congratulations. And if you couldn't, that's okay too. Next year will hopefully be better.

PERSONAL BEST/FAVORITE

A tossup between when the lights come on I’ll be ready for this and in the shape of things to come (too much poison come undone. Shang-Chi is a movie that is close to me and my experience and it was extremely gratifying to put so much of things I know and value into it. And because I am always contrary, I wanted to write a not-really fix-it for Ed and Stede. It’s prickly and uncomfortable and emotional, but not without hope, and I like that.

But honestly I felt like I leveled up as a writer in general this year. idk if it's the meds, but everything felt really good to write. Of course I still ran into trouble, but it didn't feel horrifically insurmountable or frustratingly despairing in the same way. Here's hoping it continues.

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED

Vids never do well on AO3, so I'm not surprised they have low hits and/or kudos. And I worked really hard on them, so go watch them (on AO3, YouTube, whatever).

We've not yet lost all our graces is also extremely niche, and I do want people to read it and tell me if they like it.

MOST POPULAR

Unsurprisingly, the OFMD porn was top in both hits and kudos. But both have sharp teeth got kudos disproportionate to hits. Apparently people want stories about Grace de Pointe du Lac.

STORY WITH THE SEXIEST MOMENT

Take me to the limit. Is there anything hotter than a guy with rolled-up shirtsleeves? Yeah? Yeah.

MOST FUN STORY TO WRITE

I think I did a good job of writing whatever the fuck I wanted this year, and I had a lot of fun doing it. And people seemed to like some of the more random stuff I threw up on Tumblr, so that was an added bonus. It may be recency bias, but I had an absolute blast writing Blanc. It's always delightful to write characters with distinct voices, and his is extremely distinct.

HARDEST

A toss-up between in the shape of things to come and we've not yet lost all our graces. The stuff was all there, but I could not figure out how to make it flow not just coherently, but in a manner satisfying to me. So that was frustrating and made me grumpy, but I figured it out.

BIGGEST SURPRISE/S

For sure, the Oxventure: Blades in the Dark stories. A non-D&D TTRPG run by a bunch of randos for a UK gaming website? And about two NPCs we never see again? There was no way I could have expected that one.

MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TELLING STORY

Like I say every year, I'm pretty sure all my shit is out in the open. But I will say I took no time with the fall has a surfeit of things I personally find interesting/have been thinking about. For once the whisk(e)y is the least of it.

FAVOURITE LINES/SCENES

He wants to crawl into that feeling and memorize it, that specific sense of comfort, belonging. Of bone-deep certitude even monsters can be—are—loved. (we’ve not yet lost all our graces)

“What did you say to my brother?”

“That I missed his company and wished to see him.” To Grace’s surprise, there is no affectation. “I realize now it was a poor time and place to do so, but sometimes the yearning, the desire to be close to… a friend. It can make even sensible men stupid. And I am not a sensible man.” (both have sharp teeth)

He rolls up his shirtsleeves, cuffing them neatly just under his elbows. It is practiced, easy in a way that makes Edward wonder what else he can do with those dexterous hands. (take me to the limit, hold me down there)

“Now that I’m to get a lecture it’s Phillip?”

“Lecture is such a stuffy word. Call it a gentle reminder of things that should be more prominent in your memory.” Blanc’s kind of a shit too, and god help him, Phillip is into it. (I took no time with the fall)

2023 WRITING AMBITIONS

As always, a look at previous goals:

Finish thicker than water, stronger than wine

I'm still gonna! I've even picked at it a little! Maybe when they finally announce a date for Good Omens S2. Although I'm sure everybody who was interested in it has given up hope of it ever getting finished, which is fair.

Make a working version of the transcription and captioning tool

That totally did not happen and I intend to pick this up again. And now that work has given me more knowledge of AWS, I'm hoping this is something I'm better equipped to tackle.

Learn Davinci Resolve. Like for reals this time

A year later than expected, but yes! As I mentioned in the vid notes for gay bar, the sheer ridiculousness of the vid made it easier to fuck around and experiment. I am trying to carry that mindset into any vids I may make next year.

Things I want to do next year:

Make two vids. I have a lot of ideas kicking around for more OFMD ones, and I would like to make at least one IWTV one.

Make a working prototype of the transcription/captioning tool

I am aware neither of these things are writing related, but oh well. I'll figure it out.

#fanwork roundup

[strinak]

In 2022 I beat all my previous records and read 461 books.

This is largely because of the February of Madness that happened, where I read literally 100 books in 28 days. I was Going Through Some Stuff.

Books below the cut, for my own future reference.

ok it's yelling about characters per block limits, so chunking it up:

Arden Powell - The Bachelor’s Valet

Zile Elliven - Quiet

Mary Calmes - The Fix Is In

Devon Vesper - Soulbond: The Omega’s Assassin

David North - River of Fate: The Jade Scripture

David North - River of Fate: Sunset Knight

Kati Wilde - The King’s Horrible Bride

Sienna Sway - The Alien’s Kidnapped Omega

Elliott Kay - Habitual Heroes

Ilona Andrews - Fated Blades

Ilona Andrews - Of Swine & Roses

Ilona Andrews - Grace of Small Magics

Ilona Andrews - Silent Blade

Ilona Andrews - Silver Shark

Kati Wilde - The Wedding Night

Kati Wilde - Secret Santa

Kati Wilde - All He Wants for Christmas

KL Noone - The Snails of Dun Nas

Sam Burns - The Cat Returns to Adderly

R Cooper - For Better or Worse

Delaney Rain - The Aliens’ Mate

Kati Wilde - Evil Twin

Regine Abel - I Married a Lizardman

Kiki Clark & EM Lindsey - Until His Last Goodbye

Sam Burns & WM Fawkes - Hardwood

Stella Starling - Your Biggest Fan

Megan Derr - The Eastern Gate

Kati Wilde - Going Nowhere Fast

Kati Wilde - Craving It All

Kati Wilde - Faking It All

Kati Wilde - Losing It All

Onley James - Unhinged

Onley James - Psycho

Onley James - Moonstruck

Onley James - Unhinged: Bonus Epilogue

Onley James - Moonstruck: Bonus Epilogue

Onley James - Damaged

Onley James - Captivating

Kati Wilde - The Hellfire Riders: Saxon & Jenny

KM Neuhold - Pretty Boy

KM Neuhold - Brave Boy

Kiki Clark - Reckless

Kiki Clark - Temptation

Eli Easton - Fireman’s Carry

Tara Lain - Medicine Balls

Louisa Masters - How to Date a Dragon

Kiki Clark - Joyful

AJ Sherwood - Alan’s Utterly Accidental Dream-cute

Lucy Lennox - On the Mall

Lucy Lennox - Shy Sheldon

Mary Calmes - Had to Be

Mary Calmes - Just George

Alice Winters - Follow My Lead

Ryn Bretcher - Tiny Kingdom

Mary Calmes - His Hearth

Kiki Clark - The Second and His Bonded

Kiki Clark - The Deputy and His Enforcer

Kiki Clark - The Hunter and His Mates

Mary Calmes - Landslide

April Jade - Mad Love

Tansy Rayner Roberts - Tea and Sympathetic Magic

Kati Wilde - Teacher’s Pet Wolf

Mary Calmes - Jump

Eryn Ivers - The Alien Emissary

KL Noone - December with Peppermint

KL Noone - Bisclavret

KL Noone - The Featherbed Puzzle

CJ Carella - Godkiller Mode

Megan Derr - By the Way

Megan Derr - An Admirer

Megan Derr - Kiss the Rain

Megan Derr - An Exception

KL Noone - Bookwyrm

KL Noone - The Ninepenny Element

KL Noone - Frost and Raine

KA Merikan - Crazy Kinky Dirty Love

Deacon Frost - Fall to the Forest

Onley James - Headcase

KL Noone - Sundown, Holiday, Beacon

KL Noone - Peaches and the Shadow

KL Noone - Sorceress

KL Noone - October Spice

KL Noone - Gingerbread Dreams

Onley James - Dangerous Breed

Mary Calmes - Sinnerman

Ofelia Grand - Soul Eater

Ofelia Grand - Mind Scrambler

CM Blackwood - Superhuman

Stella Starling - Ready for Love

Onley James - Infuriating

KL Noone - A Penny for Your Thoughts

Brea Alepou & Wren Snow - Mafia Prince

KL Noone - A Demon for Midwinter

KL Noone - Love Songs for Every Day

KL Noone - Sunlight and Gold

Stella Starling - Be Loved

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Unhealthy

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Obsessed

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Confusing

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Ruthless

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Wicked

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Gay

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Wrong

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Shameless

Alessandra Hazard - Just a Bit Bossy

Sierra Riley - Lean on Me

Brigham Vaughn - Date in a Pinch

Brigham Vaughn - Embracing His Shame

Brigham Vaughn - Bromantic Getaway

Stella Starling - The Twelfth Date

Eli Easton & Tara Lain - Hot Seat

Louisa Masters - Spirited Situation

Travis Baldtree - Legends & Lattes

Hayden Hall - The Two Stars Collision

Bettie Sharpe - Ember

Sam Burns - Fluke and the Frontier Farce

Alessandra Hazard - Straight Boy

Jessie Mihalik - Aurora Blazing

KL Noone - Lightning in a Bottle

KL Noone - The Demon’s Choice

KL Noone - Bedknobs and Brimstone

Jessie Mihalik - The Queen’s Gambit

Sariah Wilson - The Paid Bridesmaid

Amanda Milo - Contagion

SE Harmon - Chrysalis

Jennifer Cody - Mr Monster Kok

Jennifer Cody - The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer

Kiki Clark - Until His Beginning Ends

TS Snow - Chaotic

TS Snow - Hectic

Robin Moray - Hunting Party

Jordan Castillo Price - The Tinker’s Apprentice

Chace Verity - Match with the Demon

Andy Gallo - Spell It Out

Macy Blake - Sweet Spot

KL Noone - The Pooka’s Share

Lucy Lennox - Thick as Thieves

Deacon Frost - Accidental Incubus

Deacon Frost - Saltwater’s Weep

Lucy Lennox - Ski Patrol

Skylar Jaye - Falling for Stereotypes

Michele Notaro - Our Hearts That Tie Us

Stuart Grosse - An OP Returnee

Tanya Chris - Heat Race

Raleigh Ruebins - The Straight Friend

AJ Sherwood - Style of Love

Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday - Better Be True

Sunny Hart - By Her Sight

Mary Calmes - Tooth & Nail

Mary Calmes - Cherish Your Name

Liz Talley - Deconstructed

Riley Hart - Married to My Best Friend

Anne Bishop - Written in Red

Anne Bishop - Murder of Crows

Anne Bishop - The Shadow Queen

Jennifer Cody - Genesis

Victoria Helen Stone - Jane Doe

Victoria Helen Stone - Problem Child

Sebastian Hansen - All the Wrong Reasons

Skylar Jaye - The Flame

Onley James - Moonstruck (re-read)

A Catherine Noon & Rachel Wilder - Sealed by Fire

Alessandra Hazard - That Alien Feeling

Shelly Laurenston - Beast Behaving Badly

Anne Bishop - Shalador’s Lady

Shelly Laurenston - Pack Challenge

Shelly Laurenston - Go Fetch

Shelly Laurenston - Here Kitty, Kitty

Shelly Laurenston - The Mane Event

Shelly Laurenston - The Mane Attraction

Eryn Ivers - The Alien Bodyguard

Shelly Laurenston - The Mane Squeeze

Shelly Laurenston - Big Bad Beast

Shelly Laurenston - Bear Meets Girl

Shelly Laurenston - Wolf with Benefits

Shelly Laurenston - Bite Me

Shelly Laurenston - The Beast in Him

Shelly Laurenston - Hot and Badgered

Shelly Laurenston - Badger to the Bone

Shelly Laurenston - Breaking Badger

Eric Ugland - One More Last Time

Eric Ugland - Heir Today, Pawn Tomorrow

Eric Ugland - Dungeon Mauling

Eric Ugland - Four: The Loot

Eric Ugland - Dukes and Ladders

Eric Ugland - Home, Siege Home

Eric Ugland - The Bare Hunt

Onley James - Psycho (re-read)

Luke Chmilenko & Bryce O’Connor - Iron Prince

AJ Sherwood - The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA: Additional Incident - LARPing

Louisa Masters - The Dragon Experiment

Onley James - Psycho Bonus Epilogue

Onley James - Headcase Bonus Epilogue

Margaret Atwood - My Evil Mother

Bettie Sharpe - Cat’s Tale

Wen Spencer - Tinker

Wen Spencer - Wolf Who Rules

Wen Spencer - Elfhome

Wen Spencer - Project Elfhome

Wen Spencer - Harbinger

Kiki Clark - Yearning

Onley James - Mad Man

Onley James - Mad Man Bonus Epilogue

Naomi Novik - A Deadly Education

Naomi Novik - The Last Graduate

Sam Starbuck - Fete for a King

Samantha Cayto - Boi Bride

Xander Boyce - Tallrock

Macronomicon - Apocalypse: Generic System

Bruce Sentar - Mana Master

Bruce Sentar - Mana Beast

Yamila Abraham - Teaming Our Teacher

Natasha Hunter - Taken By the Bull

Ryan Rimmel - The Mayor of Noobtown

Ryan Rimmel - Village of Noobtown

Robin Roseau - Mage Unmasked

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 1

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 2

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 3

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 4

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 5

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters Vol. 6

Stephen L Hadley - Beastkin Acquisitions: Start-up

Amanda Meuwissen - His Silence

Eden Finley & Saxon James - Irresponsible Puckboy

Delmire Hart - The Most Eligible Bachelor

Charity Parkerson - Witchin Warlock

Charity Parkerson - Witchin Solstice

Isabel Murray - Not That Complicated

Isabel Murray - Worth the Wait

Suki Fleet - Fight for This

Kaydence Snow - Like You Care

Charity Parkerson - Mistaken

Charity Parkerson - Nothing

Charity Parkerson - Beautifully Moved

Charity Parkerson - Well-Played

Charity Parkerson - Clash

Charity Parkerson - Pretender

Charity Parkerson - Missing

Charity Parkerson - Keeper

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Bastard

Charity Parkerson - Conned

Vasily Mahanenko - Survival Quest

Vasily Mahanenko - The Kartoss Gambit

Vasily Mahanenko - The Hour of Pain

Lucy Lennox & May Archer - Hitched

Onley James - Where the Devil Don’t Go

Bruce Sentar - Saving Supervillains

Jesse Q Sutanto - Four Aunties and a Wedding

Macronomicon - Apocalypse: Fairy System

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Protector

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Obsession

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Sentry

Charity Parkerson - His Knight

Claire Cullen - Omega’s Gamble

Claire Cullen - Alpha’s Oath

Robin Roseau - Luna Rising

Onley James - Satisfying

Michelle Diener - Dark Horse

Casualfarmer - Beware of Chicken

Alex Gilbert - The Calamitous Bob

Alex Gilbert - In Kazar

Darktechnomancer - Fates Parallel Vol. 1

Scott Browder - Skyclad

Cale Plamann - Foundations

DM Rhodes - Dungeon Item Shop: Vol. 1

Michelle Kathleen Hodgson - Transcripts

Michelle Diener - Dark Deeds

Michelle Diener - Dark Ambitions

Ravensdagger - Spormageddon

Kaleb England - The Way Ahead

DI Freed - Reborn

Megan Derr - Champion of Dusk & Dawn

Louisa Masters - Vortex Conuundrum

Philip R Johnson & Justin C Louis - Dandelion

AJ Sherwood - A Mage’s Guide to Aussie Terrors

LC Mawson - Basics of Spellcraft

LC Mawson - History of Magic

August - Even a Hero Needs a Vacation Every Now and Then

HJ Tolson - Liches Get Stitches

Michelle Diener - Dark Class

Tom Watts - Welcome to Blade’s Rest

Sean Oswald - Watcher’s Test

Naomi Novik - The Golden Enclaves

R Cooper - How to (Not) Train a Firecat

Amy Crook - Finer Points

Marie Cardno & Kalikoi - How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster)

Megan Derr - Talismaker

Jenny Lawson - I Choose Darkness

AJ Sherwood - How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 1

AJ Sherwood - How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 2

AJ Sherwood - How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 3

Nazri Noor - Prince of Flowers

Danny M Lavery - Texts from Jane Eyre

Gail Carriger - My Sister’s Song

R Cooper - Casper Gets His Wish

R Cooper - A Little Familiar

Lyn Gala - Regi’s Huuman

Lyn Gala - Regi’s Goddess

Onley James - Lunatic

Mary Calmes - Balanced and Tied

Mary Calmes - Together Tied

AC Wiggen - The Human Who Looked at Art

Lee Hadan - No Moon

KL Noone - Sound the Fairy Call

Onley James - Damaged

Megan Derr - Dualwick

Kati Wilde - The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride

Kati Wilde - Pretty Bride

Mary Calmes - A Day Makes

Louisa Masters - Mr Romance

RJ Moray - Finding Elliott

Dassy Bernhard - That Weird Courtship Ritual

Robert Bevan - Guts and Volts

Lyn Gala - Lines in the Sand

GL Carriger - Marine Biology

Brooke Matthews - On Edge

KL Noone - The Arch-Mage’s Firebird

SJ Himes - The Solstice Prince

EJ Russell - Cursed Is the Worst

Sasha L Miller - The Duke’s Deception

Mary Calmes - Romanus

Mary Calmes - Chevalier

Louisa Masters - Conspiracy of Dragons

Alice Winters - Never Have I Ever Ridden a Bike

Sam Burns - Fluke and the Fantastic Finale

AJ Sherwood - How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 4

Kiki Clark - Favor

Mary Calmes - The Big Fix

Megan Derr - How Not to Marry a Prince

Kiki Clark - The Enforcer and His Heart

Andrea K Host - Stray

Mary Calmes - Kairos

Jordan Castillo Price - Quill Me Now

Jordan Castillo Price - All That Glitters

Andrea K Host - Lab Rat One

Andrea K Host - Caszandra

Stephanie Burgis - The Wrong Foot

Mell Eight - Cleanly Wrong

TJ Land - Boomball

AJ Sherwood - How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 6

Toby Wise - Love at Frost Bite: Benji

KL Noone - The Twelfth Enchantment

Seth Richter - Just a Bronze

Andrea K Host - Gratuitous Epilogue

Mary Calmes - A Matter of Time Vol 1

Mary Calmes - A Matter of Time Vol 2

Mary Calmes - Bulletproof

Mary Calmes - Piece of Cake

Mary Calmes - Hannah’s Big Night

Mary Calmes - But For You

Mary Calmes - Just Jory

Mary Calmes - Another Day with Jory

Mary Calmes - Ears, Eggs, and Bunnies

Mary Calmes - Heart of the Race

Mary Calmes - Just George

JK Jeffrey - The Princess’s Pet

Charity Parkerson - Falling for Eros

Charity Parkerson - A Sugar Daddy for Winter

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Fighter

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Boss

Mary Calmes - Had to Be

Courtney Milan - Unlocked

Mary Calmes - Landslide

TJ Land - Butterfly Boy

Mary Calmes - Live and Leanr

Mary Calmes - Epiphany

Mary Calmes - First Day of Forever

Mary Calmes - First Day of Forever: Us

TJ Land - Toy Boy

Mary Calmes - Lay It Down

Mary Calmes - Sariel

Mary Calmes - In a Fix

Megan Derr - The Pirate of Fathoms Deep

Megan Derr - Runescribe

Megan Derr - The Toymaker’s Hoard

Megan Derr - The Heart of the Lost Star

Megan Derr - The Lady and the Thief

Kou Delika - Melodious Red

Luke Chmilenko - Ascend Online

Megan Derr - Made for You

Megan Derr - Ruffskin

Megan Derr - Risk It All

Megan Derr - Two for the Show

Megan Derr - The Painted Crown

Megan Derr - Blood and Marriage

AJ Sherwood - Marriage Contract

Megan Derr - Love Tokens

Megan Derr - Wick

Megan Derr - The Queen

Mary Calmes - Stand in Place

AJ Sherwood - Fourth Point of Contact

Mary Calmes - Again

Andrea Speed - About a Bot

R Cooper - A Little Blessing

AJ Sherwood - Common Sense Deserts Once Again

Mary Calmes - Winter’s Knight

KL Noone - Magician

Amanda Meuwissen - Octopi My Heart

Amy Crook - Getting His Due

Daniel Rose - Pink One

SunriseCV - System Change

Jennifer Cody - The Kraken’s Mate

Shirtaloon - He Who Fights with Monsters 7

Catelyn Winona - Being Heroes, Being Villains

Mell Eight - Heartbeat

Mary Calmes - Steamroller

Mary Calmes - Fix It Up

Shannon West - A Dom for Christmas

Shannon West - Defending Devon

Megan Derr - Sword of the King

Megan Derr - Shield of the Dragon

Megan Derr - Fresh Meat

Megan Derr - The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn

Megan Derr - Midnight

Megan Derr - Something Sweet

Megan Derr - The Shopping List

Megan Derr - Midsummer Song

Megan Derr - Midsummer Baker

Megan Derr - Midsummer Curse

Megan Derr - The Succubus

Megan Derr - Twilight

Megan Derr - Backwoods Asylum

Megan Derr - Rabbit Season

Megan Derr - Frostwick

RJ Scott - Stop the Wedding

Kiki Clark - Out in the Cold

GL Carriger - The Sumage Solution

GL Carriger - The Omega Objection

Megan Derr - Tournament of Losers

Mary Calmes - Mist and Marrow

Mary Calmes - When the Dust Settles

Sam Burns and WM Fawkes - For Life

Toni McGee Causey - Failure to Communicate

TJ Land - Vanquished

Mary Calmes - Frog

AJ Sherwood - Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case

Allie Brosh - Hyperbole and a Half

AJ Sherwood - Jon’s Crazy Head-Boppin’ Mystery

AJ Sherwood - Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum

AJ Sherwood - Alan’s Utterly Accidental Dream-cute

Michelle Frost - A Hellhound Called Derek

Megan Derr - Looking for More

TJ Land - The Bounty Hunter

TJ Land - The Bounty Hunter’s Body

TJ Land - The Bounty Hunter’s Bad Day

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Port

Charity Parkerson - Charmer

Charity Parkerson - Ransomed

Charity Parkerson - Ensnared

Charity Parkerson - Witchin Moonbeam

Charity Parkerson - Witchin Fangs

Mell Eight - Gathering the Hoard

Charity Parkerson - Seasons

Charity Parkerson - Sugar Guards

Charity Parkerson - Taint

TJ Land - Ugh, I Really Hate That Guy

TJ Land - Ugh, Being a Secret Agent Is Horrible

RJ Moray - Million Dollar Daddy

Charity Parkerson - Struck

Charity Parkerson - Butcher

#books #my reading year #the year in reading #reading log

[highqueenofelfhame]

fafs, twenty-two

masterlist // rowaelin au // 4k words follow @highqueenofelfhamewrites​ and turn on post notifs for updates! i don’t do a tag list anymore because it’s too time consuming and doesn’t work half the time.  thank you to @punkassbookjockey26​ and @westofmoon​ for help with this one! ash had a great idea featured in here and katie is always my little editing faerie that makes my writing loads better.

AND WE’RE BACK! first things first i do not know when the next update will be, this wasn’t even supposed to happen anytime soon but i missed it and them and here we are. i wrote it so quickly it’s a little weird. i also had a major hiccup with google docs during the editing process so if you notice any extremely wonky typos or sentences, please dm me about it so i can fix it. i think i got it all but i’m unsure and nervous lol. also-- i can’t believe this fic is 86k words. it’s the longest thing i’ve ever written and i am just very proud of myself and this fic. i hope you guys are still excited and eager to read this story, and i hope you enjoy!

Waking up with Aelin’s body still tangled with his after a day of complete and utter ravishing was a luxury that Rowan never wanted to give up. Her golden hair was splayed across the pillow with her face turned toward him. The sunlight illuminated her body’s  soft curves and hard muscles, and he didn’t stop himself from exploring her skin with his fingertips. 

In sleep, her face was smooth and void of concern, worry, or anxiety. She looked so calm like this, and Rowan desperately wished he could bring that same sort of peace to her reality. Most of the time, when she was awake, when the facade of the swaggering assassin fell away, there was still a tightness in her jaw and a sharp coiling to her muscles. Like she was always on alert. Even when she was quick with her wit and sharp tongue, he knew that part of her was still always lying in wait. 

Rowan knew she’d never known a day of peace in her life. Maybe before everything had happened with her parents, but ever since she was a young girl, the explosion of chaos that wrecked every day had sharpened her into a blade. It was paranoia. It was spending her life peering around corners before she walked out because any number of people could have been waiting to take her down.

But when she was asleep, she looked younger. The romantic in him thought she looked like an angel, but he was sure if he voiced that out loud, she would adamantly disagree. Still, she was so beautiful. Any hour of the day, she was the most immaculate thing he had ever seen, and he loved her. 

Love. When he had said it yesterday, something had changed on her face. It wasn’t anything he could quite place— he was sure he saw relief, adoration, and love on her face. Yet, there had been tension to her mouth when he kissed her. It had confused him, but she had seemed so wholly blissful the rest of the day it had been easy to push from the forefront of his mind. It had been a day of cooking together, watching movies, and completely ignoring those movies to peel their clothes off and drown in the feeling of one another. They’d had yet another coupling before drifting off into deep sleep, and Rowan had muttered the words between her shoulder blades seconds before falling into oblivion. Aelin had squeezed his hand in response, but at no point yesterday had she said it out loud.

Not that he needed her to. Rowan saw her for everything that she was. He knew about lives she’d taken, about the blood that stained her soul. He knew that sick, fleshy slap had been Arobynn’s heart hitting the ground, seconds after Aelin had succeeded in cutting it from his chest. None of that scared him— Rowan knew he had no reason to fear the woman that shared his bed. Yesterday had been tangible proof of that, that she was willing to further darken her soul to keep him safe. He would do the same with no hesitation. Rowan would follow Aelin Galathynius to the ends of the earth if it meant being with her. 

But he sensed some hesitation. He could see it in her face and feel it in the way her hands had stuttered over his skin. Despite that, Rowan knew that she loved him. If he was to believe the feeling in his gut, she had felt that way for a while now. Perhaps he had just said those damned words too soon. 

His thoughts were brought to a pause as she roused from sleep, bare legs shifting against his. Beneath the sheets, her body arched as she chased away the stiffness in her limbs, toes pointing while they ran down his calf. It took a solid thirty seconds for her eyes to blink open, the morning sun casting brilliant light within them. Rowan couldn’t help himself and leaned down to press the softest of kisses to her mouth. 

“I need to shower,” she whispered, voice thick with sleep as the heel of her hands dug into her eyes. Rowan watched quietly, letting her drag her body awake while his knuckles brushed over her ribs. 

“I have to go into the office for a few hours. They have some questions for me that I’m sure they’ll have for you, too. But I told them to give you another day to rest.”

“You were kidnapped and drugged. I hardly need another day to decompress,” she countered, sitting up and reaching for his shirt at the edge of the bed. Rowan watched while she tugged it on and flipped her hair out from the collar. 

“It was a long day for you, too.”

“I can handle it.” Taught tension strung the words together as they hung between them. It was so close to coming across as snappy, and she seemed to realize it as she looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a tight smile. “But if you think I should wait until tomorrow, I’ll wait until tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” he said, relief flooding him to his toes. Instead of saying anything, Aelin merely hummed in response and disappeared into the bathroom. In truth, he’d wanted to talk with Lorcan first and see what was going on after his curt summons an hour ago. If anything negative was going to come of what had transpired over the last few days, Rowan wanted to know, and he wanted to be able to give Aelin any heads up that he could. 

As he heard the sounds of water thumping against the tile of the shower, Rowan stretched his own body out in his bed. Focusing on the ceiling fan above him, he flipped through the Rolodex of his memory to recount everything that had happened in the last few years the best that he could. 

Everything had started at the gala where  he’d first met Aelin. Their casual friendship came after, followed by a relationship that blossomed over several months. And when Sam had been killed, and he found Celaena Sardothien left for dead in a warehouse,the truth had slowly unraveled. Anger had been the first thing he’d felt, followed by betrayal. Losing the woman he’d known as Lilian had forced him through grief as if she’d died. 

And in a way, she had. But Rowan also knew that the woman he loved was one and the same. It was the same heart beating under his fingertips, the same lips he ached to kiss. Aelin had made more than one comment lately about burying Celaena Sardothien somewhere that no one could ever find her, paired with a sardonic laugh that made it sound like a joke. But some days, he couldn’t figure out if there was truth in that statement. If she was going to try to run to escape the terrors that she’d endured over the last few years. 

His fingers raked through his hair as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and made for his closet.He went through the motions of putting on a suit for work, his mind still caught up on Aelin. Despite knowing she wouldn’t run, there was still that fear there. Rowan just wasn’t sure what he was more scared of - the law catching up with her or the pain of being left behind. 

~*~

It wasn’t good. In fact, it was worse than terrible. He’d known it from the second he’d stepped into the conference room and noticed the files stacked on the tables. There had been no reason to read the labels. He already knew that every file was a different assassination that Aelin had committed. From what he could tell as he lowered into a seat, this was a meeting about what they could do to finally convict Celaena Sardothien. 

It had gotten worse as soon as Lorcan started talking. There had been no beating around the bush about what everyone wanted to happen. Maeve was even sitting in at the head of the table while everyone on Rowan’s team chimed in about different cases they had studied and what details could potentially be used for evidence against her. To his credit, Rowan managed to stay silent the majority of the meeting and only spoke when he was required.

But as soon as everyone had filed out and the door clicked shut, Lorcan had said the one thing Rowan had been hoping he wouldn’t ever hear.

“We want you to testify against her.” The sentence sent a powerful jolt of dread through his body, and his hands began to shake against his thighs. He curled them into tight fists and turned his gaze to the window. Rifthold was bustling beneath them, no one having a single clue that they wanted his testimony to lock away the love of his life.

“Look,” Lorcan said, leaning forward on his elbows. “I’ve let you carry out whatever dangerous, kinky fantasy you wanted to play with and kept my mouth shut about it. You’re an idiot if you think I don’t know where she stays most of the time or if I don’t see how you’ve started to look at her. But she’s a murderer. One that you put behind bars not too long ago. One that I know you’ve been getting closer to, and I thought she might tell you something that would help our case. That’s why I let it happen because we need whatever she tells you when she thinks she’s safe to really be able to put her away.”

“She doesn’t tell me anything useful about the case.” It was only partially a lie. He knew some of her secrets, some of her darkest and heavily guarded ones. But there was a lot of information that she never told him because it could be used against her. 

“I think we both know that’s bullshit. You’re playing house with her, for gods' sake. I know she’s told you at least one thing that would be useful, and you have to wake up at some point, Rowan. You aren’t doing yourself any favors by deluding yourself into thinking you can have a future with her. She’s a murderer. She’s a con artist. She’s a thief. She is just biding her time before she slits your throat in the middle of the night and—”

“That’s enough.” 

“When we call you to testify, you’ll be under oath. You can’t lie, and if you pull this same bullshit in court that you’re trying to pull with me right now, I will personally make sure you’re locked up for it.”

“Like a good friend,” he snarked, eyes hard as he looked back over at someone he had considered a friend at one point. Maybe not now. Not when he was hellbent on locking Aelin away by using his own words against him.

“If you want to ruin your own life, that’s on you. Don’t try to pin that on me.” Rowan’s jaw clenched while he stared at Lorcan, the darkness in his eyes having nothing to do with their color. “I’m not a fool. I know she was somehow linked to what happened to Elide, and you are insane if you think I’m going to let her walk around and do it again.” 

The temper he had been keeping on a tight leash was slipping. His nails were digging painfully into his palms as the vein in his forehead pulsed. If Lorcan was looking for his body language, he might notice how hard his heart was beating based on the throbbing of the artery in his neck. He might see the rigidity in Rowan’s jaw and the anger flaring in his green eyes. 

“Aelin didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Elide, and you are too clouded by your judgment to see a clear picture. By ignoring the facts, you aren’t protecting her. You’re using it as leverage to get a leg up in your career, so if you want to talk about who is putting Elide in danger, look in the mirror.” There was a sharpness to his tone that he couldn’t keep hidden, one that had Lorcan’s shoulders tensing as he clenched a pen in his fist. 

“You can tell me all you want that your little girlfriend didn’t try to kill my fiancée, but I don’t buy it. If it wasn’t directly by her hand, she had some part in it, and I will not let that happen again.” If Aelin knew what Lorcan was saying, the guilt would eat her alive. It already had been. He had seen her jolt awake in the middle of the night so many times from the deaths that fell on her head. He had spent too much time chasing away the nightmares, too much time holding her hand while she cried about what had happened to everyone she had ever loved.

“You protect what’s yours, and I’ll protect what’s mine.” Rowan couldn’t have said it more plainly if he tried. There was no surprise on Lorcan’s face, however. He merely sat back in his chair with a slight smirk pulling at his lips. When all was said and done, and Rowan looked back on the argument, he might not have a clue who had the upper hand. There was no telling from where he sat who had won.

“When this all falls apart and bites you in the ass, I can’t wait to see what you say about her in court.” 

Rowan said little else before leaving the conference room and exiting the building altogether. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to hit something, anything. He had half a mind to go back inside and lay Lorcan out on his ass for everything he’d insinuated about Aelin. Even the brick of the office building would satiate his need to hit something as hard as Lorcan’s head. 

His day really couldn’t get much worse than how it had gone so far, he decided. Aelin had seemed almost distant this morning, barely returning the kiss he gave her before he left his apartment. Now he was expected to plot behind her back, a move that would lock her away forever. Trying not to dwell on the verdict, he took his time walking to his car, flipping his keys over his finger to give his hands something to do. 

Life in prison wasn’t the worst her sentence could be. Rowan already knew that if she was found guilty, the penalty very well could be death. 

~*~

Undeserving. Aelin Galathynius was wholly undeserving of the way Rowan looked at her when she woke up. Despite her heart fluttering in her chest when she saw his expression, her veins had flooded with ice. It had been easier to pretend everything was fine yesterday after he’d uttered those words to her. It had been easy to keep dragging him back to bed to avoid talking, to avoid her own feelings bubbling to the surface. Feelings that she was doing her damnedest to keep choked down but wasn’t sure how much longer they could stay locked up. The warmth of his body pressing against hers had almost been enough to thaw out her bones. Yet when she woke up and saw that look on his face, a heavy weight had dropped back into the pit of her stomach. 

So after he left, she’d carefully packed all of her clothes into a small duffel bag she found in the top of Rowan’s closet. Every shirt she’d brought had been folded into tiny squares the same way she had folded away her feelings. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t love Rowan. She did. It was the most overwhelming thing she had ever felt, making every part of her body ache. Yet, she refused to let herself feel it. She refused to let him feel it while so much was on the line. It wasn’t just their hearts; it was everything. His life, his jobs, his friends, his soul. How much would Rowan compromise to keep her safe? How much would he wash down the drain to save her from the fate that awaited her? She had already lost everyone and everything that there was for her to lose, but she couldn’t be the reason why Rowan lost everything, too. Not when she was so undeserving of the love that radiated from him. 

Not when she had a ledger so crimson and bloody that it would never be clean. Her soul was marred with scars of every life she had ever taken. Those people had stopped breathing by her hands, and she would be damned if the same thing happened to him. He’d already been kidnapped because of her. She didn’t believe any of the bullshit Arobynn had spewed about her being a pawn. If anything, he was trying to make her hesitate long enough to let him live so she could dig for answers. 

But she knew Arobynn. Knew he was a liar. Knew everything he did and said was to save his own hide and prolong his useless life. She had seen him do it again and again, and when it came down to it, she wasn’t willing to let him say anything in his defense. If Rowan hadn’t said her name and pulled her from that blind rage, Aelin may have gone as far as to cut his tongue out just to ensure that even in whatever hell he burned for eternity in, he could never speak another word. 

No, everything had been because of her. All the pain her loved ones had felt while they bled out on the ground. Rowan kidnapped and drugged and left with bruises speckling his body. And she refused to let it go on any longer.

“What’s this?” Aelin’s eyes moved to the front door where Rowan now stood. She hadn’t even heard it open or close, so caught up in her plan to get out of there as quickly as possible. There was a rigidity to his body that had been mirrored in his tone. Compared to how Rowan had seemed yesterday and this morning, he looked like a wire ready to snap. Confusion weighed heavy between his brows, and the color seemed to be slipping from his cheeks.

“I’m going back to my apartment. Without an imminent threat, I don’t need to be here anymore.” It was the truth of the situation but not of her heart. She hoped her voice was steady and convincing enough. 

“Is everything okay?” He asked, kneeling before where she was perched on the end of his bed. The duffel bag was full beside her, and she didn’t miss how his eyes focused on it before looking back at her face. 

“Yep.”

“Aelin.”  So many emotions flickered through her name when it tumbled from his lips. Frustration and concern seemed to be the most obvious, perhaps a bit of anxiety. Exhaustion. Worry. Irritation. It was difficult to pick out which ones were aimed at her. For his sake, she forced herself to smile. 

“I just don’t want you to get in trouble with me being here all the time.”

“I don’t care about that.” A pang of sadness ricocheted through her body. That he truly didn’t care about the consequences of being with her because he thought he loved her. 

“I know you don’t, but I do,” she said simply. Her smile vanished as he gave a curt nod and rose to his feet with a sigh. The fingers that had spent hours memorizing every inch of her body only yesterday raked through his hair roughly. The meeting hadn’t gone well; she could tell without asking. 

“Do you want me to help you carry the bag back?” The words sounded tired and heavy, escaping on the end of a sigh. His body language told her he would rather not be having this conversation and the way he put more space between them to lean against the bathroom door made it even worse. 

“No. I could use a walk anyway.” She had told herself all day that it would be easier if he didn’t put up much of a fight and try to persuade her into staying. Still…when he didn’t object any further, it felt like a confirmation that maybe he hadn’t meant to say what he’d said yesterday. Maybe it had been a slip of the tongue while he was delirious from pleasure. 

It made it easier that he walked her to the door and just let her leave, but it didn’t hurt any less when he didn’t at least try to kiss her goodbye. 

~*~

“You look like shit,” was the first thing Nox said when Aelin opened the door to her tiny apartment. Eyes rolling, she let him in and scooped the takeout bags from his hand, heading for the couch. Pride and Prejudice played on the television while she dug into her container of Chinese takeout. Making himself at home, Nox kicked his shoes off by the door and soon dropped to sit beside her to eat his own dinner. “You wanna talk about it?”

“I want to eat my food and chase it with the bottle of rum you said you’d bring.” There was little inflection to her voice while she spoke around a mouthful of food. 

“Is this about the suit?”

“I literally just said that I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You actually didn’t answer my question; you deflected, which is kind of cowardly if you ask me. I didn’t think Celaena Sardothien was scared of anything, least of all a conversation about her feelings.” His words hit their mark, gnawing at her mind the way her teeth did her cheek. Turning them over in her mind, her eyes blurred on the meal in her hands. Celaena, perhaps, wasn’t scared of anything. She could walk into any situation and leave the victor, compartmentalizing any feelings she had into perfectly wrapped packages that she could assess at a later date. 

Aelin wasn't that person, though. These days her feelings were a hurricane ravaging her soul, and she couldn't escape them. Not anymore. 

When she had ripped Arobynn’s heart from his chest, she had expected to feel content. There was a peace she thought would crash over her in waves, like his heart no longer beating would soothe the darkest parts of her,soul. Instead, there had only been a sharp ringing in her ears while she held the fleshy mass in her hands, an emptiness that she had never felt before crushing in on all sides. It may as well have been her own death. Maybe that’s what it would take for her to feel at peace.

“Celaena.” Nox’s voice followed a jab to her shoulder with his finger, and she whipped her head around to look at him. “What is it? What’s wrong?” 

Her heart was beating so hard she could barely hear his voice. It almost sounded like she was underwater. It took several more thumps of her heart to focus on his face, and she didn’t realize that her cheeks were wet until he brushed at them with his thumb. Truthfully, she ached to tell someone, anyone, about the turmoil that ravaged her. But Rowan was the only person that knew her for everything that she was. He was the only person, save for Arobynn, that knew her true identity. And Rowan was the last person she could get herself to be fully honest with today. Nox didn’t know the truth; he was on a  need-to-know basis. There was just no accounting for how he might react if she told him everything, so instead of letting honest words tumble from her lips, she forced them up into a smile and shook her head. 

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

#fafs #far away from sane #fafs22 #rowaelin #rowaelin au #modern au #white collar au #tog au #tog fanfic #tog fic #throne of glass fic #throne of glass fanfiction #fanfiction #writing #my writing #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #lorcan salvaterre #maeve #crown of midnight #com #heir of fire #hof #enemies to lovers #queen of shadows #qos #empire of storms #eos #kingdom of ash #koa

[tigerkirby215]

5e Katarina, the Sinister Blade build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games. In b4 Tumblr gives me ToS for this picture.)

In my defense I had this build planned since pre-Tasha’s. With Katarina being absolutely nuts in preseason right now along with her just generally being one of League’s most popular champs I’d have to get around to making a build for her eventually.

Look it was either her or Zac. The only other build I really want to do right now is Miss Fortune and truthfully I’m kinda stumped on her. This build isn’t a build it’s a cry for help.

GOALS

Preparation - We’ll need to always be ready for a fight, with a weapon in hand and ways to rush in.

Shunpo - We’ll also need a way to jump on our foes, or jump away.

Death Lotus - When push comes to shove we’ll need to shred through everyone close by spinning and throwing daggers at a rapid pace!

RACE

Katarina is a human but with some special, magical talents. I’m sure by now people know my aversion to Variant Humans and my love of Eberron Dragonmarks so the Mark of Finding is perfect for finding marks and ending them.

With the Mark of Finding you get some Ability Score Improvements but thanks to Tasha’s we can get a +2 to our Intelligence and a +1 to our Dexterity. You also have Darkvision up to 60 feet, and Hunter’s Intuition, letting you add a d4 to Perception and Survival checks. Finally Finder’s Magic giving you some innate spells.

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - You’re an assassin who hops, skips, and jumps around the battlefield.

14; INTELLIGENCE - For whatever reason Katerina does AP damage? I mean she did. Now she builds Kraken Slayer because lol Rito balance.

13; CHARISMA - People don’t only main you because you’re strong.

12; WISDOM - Kata in lore is a bit of a hot-head but Wisdom is attached to many skills that an assassin needs.

10; CONSTITUTION - You’re a squishy midlaner.

8; STRENGTH - We simply don’t need Strength and with your build I doubt you have much. Even if jumping around like that requires a lot of muscles in the legs and chest.

BACKGROUND

So apparently Katerina is part of a Noxian Noble family? Regardless as a Noble you gain proficiency in History but I’d suggest swapping your Persuasion proficiency with Intimidation instead. You also get proficiency with a gaming set and a language of your choice.

Thanks to your noble birth you have a Position of Privilege, meaning that other nobles will welcome you within their circles and common folk will do their best to please you in order to avoid getting a dagger in their throat. You can even secure an audience with a noble if you need to! Perhaps you need to put a knife in their throat? An assassin doesn’t ask questions.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - ROGUE 1

Starting off as a Rogue for skill proficiencies also because yeah duh. As a Rogue you get proficiency in four skills from the Rogue list: Acrobatics is an obvious choice, Athletics will help your poor Strength score, Perception will help you spot incoming hooded assassins, and Stealth will let you do Rogue things. Rogue things like Sneak Attack if an ally is near an enemy or you have advantage, granting you an extra d6 on the attack roll.

You also get Expertise in two of your skills: both Stealth and Acrobatics make sense for an assassin. Speaking of assassin Thieves’ Cant will let you communicate with them in a way that your enemies can’t understand. And to top it off Finder’s Magic you can cast Hunter’s Mark once per Long Rest. Smite and Ignite to get First Blood.

LEVEL 2 - ROGUE 2

Second level Rogues get Cunning Action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action. "Never play fair."

LEVEL 3 - ROGUE 3

Third level Rogues get to choose their Roguish Archetype and there’s two important things about your knives:

They do magic damage (for some reason.)

You throw them a lot.

With that in mind we shall be going for the Soulknife from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. As a Soulknife you get Psionic Power for a pool of d6 Psionic Energy die that can be used for a variety of features. Psi-Bolstered Knack will let you boost your ability checks as long as you’re proficient, and Psychic Whispers will let you keep assassination plans to team chat.

Of course what we’re really here for is Psychic Blades, a magic d6 psychic damage knife that you can make when you attack which can be dual-wielded and thrown up to 60 feet. You can also attack again with your Bonus Action if you already stabbed with your main action, but the extra attack will only do a d4 instead of a d6.

Speaking of magic: you also get Locate Object from Finder’s Magic. Perhaps not as useful as Find Person, but thievery isn’t beneath you. Your Sneak Attack also increases to 2d6.

LEVEL 4 - ROGUE 4

4th level Rogues get an Ability Score Improvement: turns out Dexterity is pretty important for a Rogue so increase that by 2.

(Artwork by Jennifer Wuestling. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 5 - WIZARD 1

Time for an AP boost. First level Wizards get Spellcasting because what else did you think they got? You learn three cantrips and six leveled spells when starting out as a Wizard, even if you can only prepare a number of spells equal to your Wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier:

CANTRIPS

Instead of making a dinky d4 knife empower it with Booming Blade for some Thunder damage, and even more damage if the enemy moves.

To twirl around with Voracity Sword Burst will strike everyone near one of your daggers with your knives.

For a long ranged damage tool that inflicts Grievous Wounds Chill Touch will let you make sure your lane opponent doesn’t run away and heal up.

SPELLS

Mage Armor will help you avoid a few more hits.

For a Bouncing Blade (sorta) take Ice Knife to hit your target and anyone close to them.

For a shield thanks to Gunblade (like it’s TFT) take False Life to bolster yourself somewhat.

Disguise Self will be helpful for any infiltration missions.

Detect Magic likewise is useful to locate any magical traps.

Every good Rogue has a backup plan: Feather Fall is always useful in a pinch.

You also get Arcane Recovery, allowing you to recover spell slots with a combined total level of half your Wizard level.

LEVEL 6 - WIZARD 2

Second level Wizards get to choose their Arcane Tradition. There is actually a school for magic knives and that school is the art of Bladesinging! As a Bladesinger you get Training in War and Song for proficiency in Performance along with a one-handed melee weapon of your choice: for whatever reason Rogues don’t get proficiency in Scimitars so grab that I guess?

But much more importantly you can invoke a Bladesong as a Bonus Action, which lasts for 1 minute but ends early if you are incapacitated. (Or if you don medium or heavy armor or a shield, or if you use two hands to make an attack with a weapon. I guess.) You can also dismiss the Bladesong at any time with no action required.

While your Bladesong is active you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Intelligence modifier, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, you have advantage on Acrobatics checks, and you gain a bonus to Concentration checks equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can activate Bladesong a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

You can also learn more spells like Color Spray for a getaway option, or Cause Fear of incoming ganks.

LEVEL 7 - WIZARD 3

Third level Wizards can learn second level spells like Mirror Image to be everywhere at once, and Misty Step for legally not Flash.

LEVEL 8 - WIZARD 4

4th level Wizards get an Ability Score Improvement: more Dexterity means more AC and deadlier stabs with your knife.

You can also learn more spells like Invisibility for some Duskblade resets, and Enhance Ability (ty Tasha’s) to make sure you’re the best around. And you can learn another cantrip like Prestidigitation for some generic utility sorcery.

LEVEL 9 - WIZARD 5

5th level Wizards can learn third level spells like Haste to up your APM, and Spirit Shroud to make all your stabs all the deadlier.

LEVEL 10 - WIZARD 6

At 6th level you get an Extra Attack as a Bladesinger, but unlike most Extra Attacks you can also cast a cantrip along with attacking! The interesting thing about this is that (rules as written) you can attack twice after casting Booming Blade with this! And depending on your DM you might even still have your Cunning Action!

And on the subject of spells you can learn two more such as Clairvoyance for some Farsight Alterations, and Nondetection to... not be detected...

(Artwork by Atey Ghailan. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 11 - ROGUE 5

5th level Rogues get Uncanny Dodge. When you’re hit with an attack you can use your reaction to halve the damage. Additionally your Psionic Energy die increases to a d8, and your Sneak Attack increases to 3d6.

LEVEL 12 - ROGUE 6

6th level Rogues get Expertise in two more skills: Perception will help you avoid ganks and Intimidation will help you extract information.

LEVEL 13 - ROGUE 7

7th level Rogues get Evasion. If you’re forced to make a Dexterity save you can make some pro plays to dodge, taking no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save.

Your Sneak Attack also increases to 4d6, so you can jump onto them after dodging their skill shot.

LEVEL 14 - ROGUE 8

8th level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement: since your Dexterity is maxed let’s invest in that Intelligence... sorta. The Observant feat will let you increase your Intelligence by 1 along with granting a +5 bonus to passive Perception and Investigation so you can watch those wards, and the ability to read lips! Definitely helpful for an assassin.

(Artwork by Katie “TeaTime” De Sousa. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 15 - ROGUE 9

Hey how about we get your actual abilities at total level 15? Finally with level 9 in Soul KInife you get Soul Blades for two new abilities that use your Psionic Energy die. Homing Strikes will let you add your Psionic Energy die to an attack roll if you miss, and Psychic Teleportation will let you throw out a knife and teleport to it!

Something something read how the ability works yourself because these are guides on how to make a character and I won’t tell you what every class in Tasha’s does. Oh your Sneak Attack also increases to 5d6 now.

LEVEL 16 - WIZARD 7

7th level Wizards get 4th level spells like Phantasmal Killer to make your own jungler (one who’ll actually gank!), and Dimension Door to Teleport into lane. Or out!

LEVEL 17 - WIZARD 8

Level 8? How about an ASI? You may notice that we have two uneven ability scores: increase both your Intelligence and Charisma by 1.

You can also learn more spells but there honestly isn’t much I want from fourth level so hop back to level 3 for Sending. But you can also take Greater Invisibility for some Duskblade resets. Look I just really need a 5th level spell but it’s hard to justify magic on a champion who throws knives and nothing else.

LEVEL 18 - WIZARD 9

Time to finally get the last ability we’re missing: Death Lotus. Or more precisely Steel Wind Strike to hit everyone with your daggers and then maybe Shunpo to them after the fact. Speaking of Shunpo for seemingly unlimited jumps take Far Step, allowing you to be everywhere at once. Just know that you’ll only have one 5th level slot.

(Artwork by Esben Lash Rasmussen. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 19 - ROGUE 10

Picking up our last two levels in Rogue: level 10 means another ASI. Capped off Intelligence woo!

LEVEL 20 - ROGUE 11

11th level Rogues get Reliable Talent, meaning that you can’t roll below a 10 on any skill you’re proficient in. As a capstone skill let’s check what the minimum roll you can get on your skills is:

27 on Acrobatics and Stealth

24 on Intimidation

23 on Perception

21 on History

18 on Performance (Bladesinger lul)

15 on Athletics

And to top it off your Psionic Energy die increases to a d10, along with your Sneak Attack capping off at 6d6!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

They fear my weapons? I am the weapon - Regardless of your choice of tools you are extremely deadly. On one hand 6d6 sneak attack daggers you can apply 3d8 Booming Blade damage to, and on the other hand plenty of potent spells like Haste and Spirit Shroud.

If you run, you won't see me stab you! - You are also incredibly mobile with Misty Step, Far Step, Psychic Teleportation, Bladesong, and just general Cunning Actions. Not to mention that Bladesong gives a big boost to AC which combines well with Uncanny Dodge and Evasion.

A victory is sweetest when it leads to another - Rogues are meant to be skilled professionals and you are certainly that. The skills you are proficient in can be boosted by psionics. Oh and 28 Passive Perception thanks to Observant is just a little bit nutty.

CONS

Ready for trouble? - While you have many a skill you have many more that are lacking. You can put on a mean face sure, but for an important check like Arcana your psionic potential won’t save you.

Better dead than dull - Your spell slots are limited, and quite notably you only have one 5th level slot for Death Lotus IE Steel Wind Strike. While magic can supplement you nicely remember to ration yourself appropriately.

Come on, live a little... while you can! - You know what class doesn’t have a lot of health? Wizards, and half your levels are in Wizard. With a 10 in CON and most of your hit die being d6s your enemies won’t even need to hit you to Power Word Kill you.

But as an assassin you prove why your house is the best in the business. Talk is cheap and you’re always prepared: go in with knives at the ready, take out your target and anyone in their way before slipping out unscathed. You can always reset after a rest; just be sure to remember your cooldowns.

(Artwork by West Studios. Made for Riot Games.)

#dnd #dnd build #dnd guide #League of Legends #League of Legends Katarina #dnd rogue #dnd wizard #please nerf kata #why does she do on hit #kraken slayer #kata is so dumb #rito plz

[ldpwriter]

~*~Pirate Roleplay Character~*~

Name: Katarina “Kat” (She really only responds to Kat) Bloodrose

Nickname: Katy, Katia, Rina (which she hates), Fire-Kat or Wild-Kat, or Red (which she also hates)

Age: If you wanna live don't ask. But she's really about 25, but appears younger.

Gender: The fairer sex; female

Race: Caucasian - British decent

Rank: Pirate also known as an assassin

Family: Father - Jonathon Bloodrose (Pirate Captain)

Mother - Rosemary Bloodrose/Darling (High Class Lady)

Has other family members still alive on her mother's side but doesn't know who they are just that they're family name is, Darling.

Appearance: Lean, curvaceous figure. Appears fragile, but is stronger than most think. Deep green eyes that often show her emotions, with deep red fiery hair, down to the small of her back. Her skin is always tanned because she's on the open ocean and in the sun so much. Both Kat's ears are pierced with small silver hoops. And her right ear has several other piercings which also have either small hoops or jeweled studs. Several scars litter her body, mostly her back and arms. She has a lovely scar from naval to collar bone that almost took her life when she was 21.  Her usual dress is anything black. Normally, however, she wears skin tight pants, a low cut shirt that comes to just above her naval, a black waistcoat, and boots that rise to mid calf. Occasionally though, she'll be found wearing a loose tunic with a corset around her waist. However, when she's hiding her femininity, Kat wears slightly baggier black pants, a loose V cut shirt, with her breasts securely tied, and her black waistcoat and boots. Also, to hide her long fire-red hair, she ties her hair up and wraps it in a bandanna and tops it off with a tri tip black hat. A black belt is almost always secured around her waist to hold her "effects".

The waistcoat, Kat wears mostly.

Face Claim: Katherine McNamara.

Weapons: Her father's cutlass, a pistol, and several knives in her belt, boots, and several other hidden places on her body. She can dual wield swords, or have a cutlass in one hand and a knife in the other.

Captain Bloodrose's cutlass, that Kat now owns and holds dear as one of the last things she has from her father.

Skills: Kat learned how to wield a sword when she was but a child barely learning to walk. She is adept with a cutlass in one hand or both hands. When she has a weapon in both hands she can be a whirlwind, able to defend herself against even the most skillful foe.  She can throw knives with deadly accuracy and can shoot a gun, but prefers it as a last resort. It's too loud in her opinion. Adept at subterfuge, Kat can sneak into many a locked room. Her lockpicking skills are masterful. She is also a skilled assassin, killing foes before anyone knows she's even there.

Talents/Hobbies: Kat can actually sing quite well, but never will do so in public. The attention embarrasses her. She enjoys dancing as well having learned a bit from the old couple, but never has a reason to dance. Kat can read and write to most people's surprise, but her father had made sure she had the knowledge. Kat also collects knives. It was started with her father buying (or stealing) some of the prettiest knives she's ever seen and ever since, she's had a fascination with the quaint bladed weapons.

Weakness: Her temper and sharp tongue often get her into more trouble than what is good. She also has a well placed fear of enclosed spaces. She hates them with a passion and always tries to get out of being sent into small tunnels or entries because she often freezes while in them. Cages, wether behind bars in a prison or in the brig make her panicky. Oddly enough, wearing a dress terrifies her as well. It's like its own bondage and she hates being bound in any form. She fears love as well as dying alone. She is a wild card and hard to handle.

Likes: Pretty things, even though she doesn't really wear much jewelry. Even prettier knives. Children, dogs, singing, dancing, searching for treasure, killing evil people or those she feels deserves it, sailing on the ocean, sweets.

Dislikes: Men, women... okay most men and women. She doesn't get along with people well. Black Jack, the mutinous crew that killed her father, enclosed spaces, dresses, fancy things like balls and people.

Personality: Kat has a fiery temper, a sarcastic tongue, and a suspicious nature, which many would say matches her hair. The woman does not trust people easily. She has a particular hatred for the men who killed her father. She toys with men's hearts every now and then if it helps her get what she wants, but she never lets it go 'too' far. In truth, she really doesn't trust men, since most she had ever run into were liars, deceivers, and backstabbers. She is a loyal friend, however, and a good confidant. Kat also is not one to lay out her problems and when she is hurt or wounded she will not ask for help. She does not want people to find her weak. Which normally means she'll be dying before anyone finds out she's injured, which attests to her very stubborn attitude.

History: The only parent Kat ever knew was her father, who was a pirate. Her mother died giving birth to her in London. Kat's father raised her, on his ship the 'Grim Reaper'. As Kat grew older, her father taught her how to fight in hand to hand combat, sword play, and also fight with daggers/knives. She lived on her fathers ship becoming a pirate herself and grew to know the crew, although she didn't like most of them. The few she did befriend were like family to her and they treated her like a pirate unlike the others who belittled, teased, or flirted with her for being a woman.

One day when Kat was in her mid teens her father docked his ship in a seedy town. Her father figured that his crew as well as himself could use a rest after the pillaging they had just done. Kat and her father frequented the tavern to enjoy some ale and rum, while the crew came up with an evil plan. The evening after they docked, there was a mutiny. The crew killed her father, as well as any loyal to the former captain and took over the ship. The next thing she knew the crew tried to grab her, but fortunately she managed to escape with the help of her father's first mate, the only one left alive from the slaughter. Managing to sneak on land, though the mutinous crew was looking for her, she hid until there was a ship leaving port. Once she managed to stow passage on the ship, dressed like a man, Kat swore revenge on the mutinous crew.

Marcus, her father's former first mate and oldest friend took her away from the crazed, mutinous pirate crew. However, he was gravely wounded. The man took her to a pair of old friends and left her with them. The brother and sister duo were an odd pair. The woman considered herself a witch and knew many odd concoctions. The brother was a former assassin for the French empire. Both taught her how to fight in all new ways, to poison a blade, to blend into the shadows, and murder without being caught. Kat stayed with them for years until the nearby townsfolk got word of the witch in their midst and set forth to burn her. Francois, the brother took her to the nearby port afraid they would think she too was a witch. They disguised her by cutting her hair short and getting her baggy clothes. The Frenchman talked an old pirate captain friend of his to take her under his wing and that she would serve him well as an assassin. With that, the man left and Kat never saw him or his sister again. She never did learn if the two had made it.

For years, Kat kept her identity concealed until the old pirate captain grew sick and died. It was then time for the young woman to find her own way in the world. She let her hair start to grow once more and came across another brother and sister duo. They invited her to be a part of their crew, wishing to utilize Kat's skills for their gain. It wasn't until the brother, in a drunk stupor, tried to take advantage of her. Kat killed him in defense. The sister became enraged and attacked Kat. To the fiery haired woman's surprise, the ebony haired sister was far deadlier. The other woman managed to cut Kat from naval to collar bone. With such a dire wound, Kat threw herself off the ship grateful they had been near a French owned island. Somehow she managed to make it to shore, but passed out after. A kind elderly couple and their children found her washed up on shore and took her in. They nurtured her back to health.

When she was better, in the dead of the night, Kat snuck out. Leaving only a note and a few gold coins for their kindness, the fiery haired woman disappeared into the night. After that, Kat kept to the shadows mostly. Joining few crews and disappearing after a heist. Many referred to her as the Ghost of Shadows. Occasionally she would seek out higher paid quarries, using her assassin's skills to kill. It paid remarkably better than plundering as a pirate. As time slid by, Kat wandered from town to town, port to port listening for word of Black Jack and the Grim Reaper. But the ship had all but vanished, few going as far to say the vessel had sunk beneath the ocean's waves. It was disappointing and damn near heartbreaking for her.

One evening, Kat sat in a tavern in Tortuga. Alone in the back when someone approached her. The man said he would pay her in gold and information on the Grim Reaper's whereabouts if she did a job for him. It was the first news of her father's ship she had heard about in quite some time. Katarina readily agreed, not even caring who she was to assassinate. With that, Kat gathered her things and found the first passage she could and headed straight for her prey.

Her father's ship, the Grim Reaper

[beyondthedustjacket]

Ranking All the Books I Read in 2020!

This is a ranking of the books I read in 2020, ranked from most liked to least liked. While I may not have liked some of these books, I can still see and understand why others would enjoy them. I also commend all of these authors for their hard work on each of these books. This simply based on how much I enjoyed these books.

I did not include any nonfiction books on this list. This is because I simply do not feel comfortable or okay with “rating” or “ranking” the story of someone’s life.

In This Corner of the World by Fumiyo Kouno 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 

Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 

Orange: The Complete Collection (Volume 2) by Ichigo Takano

The Girl from the Other Side (Volume 1) by Nagabe 

Orange: The Complete Collection (Volume 1) by Ichigo Takano

Dear Martin by Nic Stone 

Hilda and the Mountain King by Luke Pearson 

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang 

Orange: The Complete Collection, Future by Ichigo Takano

Kristy’s Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier 

My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan

The Christmas Fox by Anik McGrory 

My Hero Academia (Volume 11) by Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia (Volume 10) by Kohei Horikoshi 

My Hero Academia (Volume 6) by Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia (Volume 7) by Kohei Horikoshi

Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges

A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe

Peter and the Seal by Rick de Haas

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Beastars (Volume 1) by Paru Itagaki

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas 

Legend of the Fire Princess by Noelle Stevenson, Gigi D. G., and Paulina Ganucheau 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 

The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag 

My Hero Academia (Volume 8) by Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia (Volume 12) by Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia (Volume 9) by Kohei Horikoshi 

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

Under the Love Umbrella by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas 

Drama by Raina Telgemeier 

Stargazing by Jen Wang 

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce and Laura Geringer Bass 

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson 

The Selection by Kiera Cass 

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill 

Olympus at War by Kate O’Hearn 

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo 

Belle’s Discovery by Tessa Roehl

Ariel Makes Waves by Liz Marsham

Cinderella Takes the Stage by Tessa Roehl 

Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore by G. M. Berrow (as A. K. Yearling)

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas 

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

William Shakespeare’s The Phantom of Menace by Ian Doescher 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman 

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 

Lady of Ch’iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South by Laurence Yep

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Teeny-Tiny and the Witch-Woman by Barbara K. Walker

After by Anna Todd

Love on the Other Side by Nagabe

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 

#completed posts #annual posts

[readswithreed]

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas

Okay. I finished this last night and what the hell did I get myself into?! I haven’t even started book one and I’ve already been emotionally destroyed at least twice!!

There are certain things that I obviously knew about ToG because of tumblr but I currently have the tags blocked to avoid additional spoilers.

Anyway... reactions & thoughts are down below. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

& if you want more Reed Reads ToG:

Reed Reads Throne of Glass

Reed Reads Crown of Midnight

These  are just notes (and gifs) I logged on my phone while I was reading.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

Okay, bold open, way to set the scene & introduce the characters.

I immediately love Celaena.

I wonder if she’s going to love Sam or be betrayed by him. 🤔

I don’t get good vibes about this Arobynn guy...

Aw, are they gonna free the slaves together?

Katie, you can’t fall in love with Sam. He isn’t ENDGAME™ & you can’t get attached!!

Calaena with Rolfe...

Aww they saved the slaves together! 

And they definitely love each other...

God damnit, Katie! YOU love Sam...

This is going to hurt me later 🤦🏼‍♀️

But what’s gonna happen now?

The Assassin and the Healer

Who are these people and where are we?

I know that's Celaena but what happened after they freed the slaves? And where is Sam?

Yeah... I don’t like Arobynn...

But I do like Yrene.

I want to know more about magic disappearing! 

Seems like Celaena got that fight she was looking for.

Celaena is just a big softie, isn't she?

The Assassin and the Desert

The Silent Assassin introduction be like 

Ansel hasn’t necessarily said or done anything to make her seem untrustworthy but maybe I just don’t trust anyone right now.

Okay I do not fucking like Arobynn!!!

Who is this Ilias? Sarah, why are you throwing in more love interests that I know aren’t ENDGAME™ for me to emotionally avoid?!?!

Six mile run through the desert? More like

She’s thinking about Sam before bed... she’s got it bad!

Field trip!

I want to know more about the witches!!

Celaena is a shopaholic and I love it!

Yeah, Ansel is definitely up to something.

And now she’s stealing these horses? Ansel over here like 

Okay now I need more information on Terrasen. TELL ME ALL OF YOUR SECRETS!!

Ansel lied? SHOCKER! What ELSE is she hiding though??

See the snake. Be the snake.

No kisses for you, Ilias! She’s saving those for the other boy I wasn’t supposed to get attached to but did anyway.

You poisoned her, Ansel?! That letter is the biggest piece of bullshit I’ve ever read. SEE THROUGH THE LIES, CELAENA!!

Yup, Ansel was scheming schemes... saw that one coming.

Aaaaand she let her go.

Aww the Master is a big softie too!!  

The Assassin and the Underworld

Alright now payoff your debts and be free!!!

Arobynn’s such an asshole. Like is he trying to be her dad or her daddy?

Okay one more job AND THEN BE FREE!!

SAM 😍

Wait, who is Lysandra?

Cool suit with hidden weapons. Are there pockets for snacks??

This is making me love Sam more and I can’t do it... I know he’s not ENDGAME™ so that means he’s gonna die or betray her and I can’t do it...

He got her the sheet music 🥺

Doneval was just like “Hmm evil deeds at 7:30, why don’t we meet at 8:30?”

Drowning in sewer water is not the way to go... Obviously I know she’s gonna be okay -  there are 7 more books after this. But scary and gross. 

“Because I love you!” YEAH DUMMY HE LOVES YOU!

Kissing!!!

Why does Doneval have documents with locations of safe houses?? 

Doneval loved his country? Oh no... Celaena, you naive fool!

Of course, Arobynn set you up and lied to you. 🙄

He bid for & won Lysandra’s bidding?? 

He did want to be a daddy

Aww but now she and Sam are free and living together.

The Assassin and the Empire

A prison wagon???

They’re making plans to move away together and I know it’s not going to happen and I know I’m not going to be okay by the end of this.

Arobynn is a big, sneaky scumbag.

I don’t have a good feeling about this client Sam found...

More kissing and Sam is such a gentlemen about it. Why do you keep making me love him more and more and I know something is going to happen???

Have I mentioned how much I dislike Arobynn?

Once again, I need to know Celaena’s secrets!!

This is making me anxious. I don’t have a good feeling about this job or this plan...

Okay, please don’t do this to me, Sarah! I already know what’s coming but please don’t...

You did...

I fucking KNEW Sam wasn’t ENDGAME™ and so I TRIED not to get attached but WHAT THE FUCK?!?!

I know your heartbroken and angry but THINK, Celaena. 

Arobynn is setting you up!!!

Told you so... Arobynn & Farran are working together. 

It’s kind of funny and awesome that all of these grown, hulking men are terrified of Celaena.

Now the prison wagon makes sense

Okay so I know this was just a set up for the rest of the series but why must Sarah play with my emotions like this?!

#Reed Reads #Reed Reads ToG #the assassin's blade #The assassin's blade spoilers #tog spoilers #Reed's reading reactions #reading reaction #reading reactions #ToG #sjm #sarah j maas #Reed Reads The Assassin's Blade

[hopeless-island]

Dying Dream Cast Directory

A helpful guide to remind you about the main crew of the Hopeless Pirates and their basic info stuffs. Keep in mind, names are done the Japanese way. So, Last name/middle initial/ first name

Also, there are spoilers in here for all people who are not caught up with the story. Read at your own risk.

Captain: 

Gol D. Maven 

Nickname/known as: Maven/ Usurper Maven/ “Momma Maven”/ Big Sis Maven

Age: 20 (at the beginning of Canon)

Disease: Usurper’s Syndrome. A terminal illness that is continual, and progressively aggressive, muscle degradation. Combats this disease by building muscle faster than it can degrade, leading to painfully slow increase in strength and low muscle mass on her body.

Appearance: Like a gender-swapped Ace essentially. Small chest, much wider waist than typical for OP characters. Clearly defined abs, lithe but defined muscles on arms and legs. She is not thickly built, her disease keeping her from being “bulky” and making her body remain rather lanky despite the strength on it. About 6′1″, long wavy black hair that goes down to her butt and is extremely wild and untamed. Freckles on her face that add a slight childish appearance to her face, and sleepy looking gray eyes. Always carries Stormfall, a large battle axe/halberd with a purple metal butterfly-winged blade. Stormfall is over six and a half feet tall, so the blade is always poking above Maven’s head a bit. 

First Mate:

 Nymph Katylan

Nickname/Known as: Katie/ Dark Nymph Katylan

Age: two years younger than Maven. 

Disease: Unnamed terminal immunodeficiency, alluded to being like AIDS. 

Appearance: Stereotypical blond rich-girl appearance. Classic OP-girl physique, with large bust and small waist. Straight gold-blond hair that falls a few inches past her shoulders, and large sapphire-blue eyes. Commonly wears light colored sundresses with exercise shorts underneath just incase she fights, so there is never an indecent moment. She is also the Helmsman and Archer for the crew, and uses an ivory-white recurve bow made by Kilik.The center of the bow can change lengths, controlling the strength and range of the bow. Average female height of about 5′7″

Navigator (Original):

Linral

Nickname/Known as: Rabid Linral/ Lin

Age: 18 at death

Disease: Unnamed cancer, alluded to being more than just one type as it is “everywhere.” 

Appearance: Short tomboy, but with classic OP-girl body. She had short silver-white hair cut in a boyish pixie cut, and bright emerald-green eyes that she took pride in. Her body was littered with small scars, though not so many as to keep guys from blatantly trying to flirt with her. As stated earlier, she was very short-- just barely over five feet tall. Primarily a brawler, she had slightly more defined muscles than even Maven, considering Lin’s own disease didn't effect her muscle mass. Usually wore boy’s sports shorts and a grey or black tank top.

Weaponsmith (Original):

Kilik

Nickname/Known as: Kilik/ (I couldn’t remember/find his pirate name, so I made a new one up) Killing Steel Kilik

Age: 21 at death

Disease: Due to being unwillingly experimented on, his body developed the ability to produce its own organic poison straight into his own bloodstream. It never stopped his production, and production sped up over time. Too high of a concentration, and it would be fatal. 

Appearance: About 5′10″, with fluffy cinnamon-brown hair that is on the long side, almost brushing his shoulders, and chocolate brown eyes. He is somewhat lanky, not muscular but with his own brand of lithe strength. Overall boyish, with most of his muscle mass being centered in his arms without being bulky, because of his occupation as a blacksmith. Also a swordsman. Known for creating a bunch of really wacky, weirdly-designed “swords” and other weapons in an attempt to find his own unique sword style. He finally did, after making round “swords” in the shape of clocks. Usually wore a simple black or mustard-yellow t-shirt and dark jeans with brown or denim overalls. 

Doctor: 

Razdall 

Nickname/Known as: Raz/ Misery’s Herbalist Razdall

Age: 24 at the start of Canon

Disease: Unnamed heart condition, makes him extremely susceptible to spikes in blood pressure and heart rate. Weak heart. 

Appearance: About 6′0, with short but messy purple hair. Gray eyes the same shade as Maven’s, but instead of having narrow eyes like she does his just look perpetually bored. His body is pretty lanky, and since he isn’t a fighter he doesn’t have much muscle mass at all. he has a slight, perpetual slouch and usually wears a black or dark purple turtleneck with black, slightly baggy pants and a lab coat with the Hopeless Pirate jolly roger on the back.  Never seen without a utility belt laden with different pouches, orbs, and syringes full of his battle-ready herbal concoctions.

Seamstress:

Yalla

Nickname/Known as: Yalla/ Pretty Ninja Yalla (at least I think that’s what I went with as her pirate name... I can’t remember/ find it >.<) 

Age: 15 at the start of Canon

Disease: Assassin’s syndrome. Similar to Usurper’s, but instead of muscle it is a constant degradation of organs in the body. 

Appearance: A cutsey girly-girl, she has bubblegum-pink hair and bright golden yellow eyes. Originally she wore her hair up in constant long pigtails, but she started to wear it down after Kilik’s death. It reaches her knees when left down. She usually wears a frilly pink, gold, and black kimono that is cropped around the knee with sunflower-yellow boy shorts underneath incase any incidents occur. The kimono has three-quarter sleeves instead of the traditional long sleeves. She pairs it with flip-flops or goes barefoot. Still growing, she is relatively short at about 5′4″. She ate the Ribbon-Ribbon fruit and grew up as an acrobat in a circus, so she is not only very nimble and usually fights aerially, but she can turn her body into ribbons. 

Shipwright:

Gino

Nickname/Known as: Gino/ Black Thorn Gino

Age: mid-thirties by Canon

Disease: Akui Hanahaki. Like the Hanahaki in other stories, this disease grows flowers in and off of the victim’s lungs, causing them to hack up flowers and leaves from it as the disease progresses. Unlike the normal mythical disease, this one is caused by hatred from a loved one rather than unrequited love. The only cure is being forgiven, but the person whose hatred caused Gino’ s illness is dead so it is officially terminal for him. He coughs up black roses. 

Appearance: A large tiger-shark fishman, he clocks in at about 7′7″ and has greyish-blue skin with subtle grey stripes down his back and the back of his bald head, and partially over his shoulders and the back of his upper arms. Usually wears a black or dark grey tank top and black cargo pants or cargo shorts. He fights with spiked iron knuckles, and (spoiler alert) gets them upgraded to Seastone spiked knuckles after the Magician arc. He is very bulky, unlike the majority of the crew. Classic body of a thug/body builder type, with bulging biceps, very well-muscled chest/torso, and several tattoos. 

Dancer: 

Synalla

Nickname/Known as: Synalla/ “Crew Grandma”/ Slice-Dancer Synalla 

Age: Late twenties by Canon. About 28 or 29..?

Disease: Unnamed lung disease. Fashioned a bit after Cystic Fibrosis, but obviously made into a fantasy terminal illness. 

Appearance: She is a Snakeneck, and from her feet to the top of her head she is about 11′4″, with her neck by itself taking up almost half of that. Her body, like with most Snakenecks, is naturally lithe and lanky. Her hair is jet black, and goes down the entirety of her over-four-foot neck in sharp zig-zags that for some reason never lose shape. She dresses like a tango dancer almost constantly, in long brightly colored Mexican-styled dresses that end at her ankle and matching flats. She fights with tessen, or bladed war fans. She dances with them, too. She is naturally maternal and tends to mother hen, earning herself the nickname “Granny” or “Grandma” within the crew. 

Scout/ Navigator (new): 

Cala

Nickname/Known as: Cala/ Lynx Cala 

Age: about 26 by the start of Canon

Disease: Nature’s wrath syndrome, another disease similar to Usurper’s and Assassin’s syndrome. This version is constant degradation of the bones and severe calcium deficiency/the body burns through calcium at a really fast rate.

Appearance: Is it even a surprise by now? Cala is lanky, as apparently most of the rest of the crew omfg where is my originality at? But to the point of being almost bony. He has very short-cropped blue hair, buzzed but not shaved. He ate the cat-cat model: Lynx fruit, and can change into a lynx. He is incredibly frail because of his disease and tends to stay out of fights unless absolutely necessary (I have bones of glass, and paper skin...) But he makes an excellent scout and spy with his enhanced senses from his Zoan fruit. He, uh. honestly I haven’t put much thought into his wardobe. He’s a bony cat dude. Probably wears long blue basketball shorts and goes shirtless half the time honestly, idk. 

Crew Hypnotist..? I honestly don't know this guy’s role, I think he’s just a combatant/ bums out on the Dream honestly. 

Dyan

Nickname/Known as: Dyan/ King Dyan/  Deranged Prince Dyan (Pirate nickname)

Age: idk if I put a solid age for him, but he’d be about 40 by the start of Canon

Disease: Similar to Kilik, Dyan’s blood itself is mutating and becoming toxic to itself. There is no known cure. 

Appearance: He ate the child-child fruit, so he looks to be about 10 years old instead of his true age. He has spiky dark green hair, and is about 4′3″. He has a child’s body, so no real visible muscle mass or anything. He did used to be the King of the Ceres kingdom though, so he is constantly dressed in high quality clothes and somehow always looks like a stereotypical child prince/ rich brat. His devil fruit hypnotizes people along with making him stay in a child’s body, but you can read more about his devil fruit in the story itself. 

Magician

Azalea

Nickname/Known as: Azalea/ Scarlet Magician Azalea

Age: I don’t remember if I gave her an exact age, but we’ll say 23 by Canon

Disease: Cancer (sound familiar? (;)  Cured by Trafalgar Law. 

Appearance: about 5′9″, with bright, vibrant red hair in an asymmetrical pixie cut that she is just now beginning to grow out. Classic OP-girl body, but with muscular legs that most people seem to not notice. She is a magician, and as such is always wearing a maroon suit jacket, black slacks, and a bowtie. She has a flair for the dramatic. whatever she wears, she is always stylish. She does, in fact, have a magic wand that she uses occasionally. sporty-cute-girl. OH yeah, she has the feel-feel fruit and can sense everyone’s emotions and shit

I think that’s it for the Dying Dream crew. Whoo that took a while. There ya go!

[ao3feed-keithshiro]

Kissing Venus Trap

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MocCjA

by 1evis1ittleasshole

It was Keith's first big mission, Operation Venus. The objective:

Get close to the famous ex-paladin Takashi Shirogane and eliminate him.

Keith would either succeed in his mission or die a failure, there was no other way. Too bad Shiro turns out to be more than a simple target.

Words: 659, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance (Voltron), Haggar (Voltron), Sendak (Voltron), Acxa (Voltron), Ezor (Voltron), Zethrid (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, James Griffin (Voltron), Lotor (sort of), Coran (Voltron), Curtis (Voltron), OCs, Krolia (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Assassin AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, mostly canon-compliant, except Keith is raised by Haggar instead, and she leads the Blade of Mamora, and they're assassins, basically she takes Krolia's place, Post S8, Explicit Sexual Content, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Deception, Honey Trap, Angst, Suspense, Emotional Manipulation, Mutual Pining, Attempted Sexual Assault

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MocCjA

#Voltron #Sheith #Shiro/Keith #IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

The Slave and The Blade

read it on the AO3 at The Slave and The Blade

by RaeWyn1814

The world is at war, with no government and no rules. There are groups and organizations popping up left, right and centre trying to claim power for themselves and worst of these are the Galrans.

Lance is now a new recruit for the Blade, an organization of assassins and Galran opposers. He must navigate the inner workings of this cutthroat organization and help its leaders identify the spys trying to topple it from the inside. Will Lance be able to keep himself safe, or will his dark past bring misfortune on the entire organization?

Words: 2730, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Lotor (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Original Characters, Kolivan (Voltron), Allura (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance & Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Assassin Keith (Voltron), Assassin Lance (Voltron), Slave Lance (Voltron), Torture, Flashbacks, Poison, Hurt/Comfort, Assassination Attempt(s), Blood and Injury, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst

read it on the AO3 at The Slave and The Blade

#ao3feed #fanfic #voltron #voltron: legendary defender #ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender

[jellybeanbeing]

Netflix Book Tag

Another tag because why not? Also, HAPPY KINGDOM OF ASH DAY! BTW I have never read the series but do fully support the fandom. :)

1. Recently Watched // The last book you finished reading

Vengeful by V.E Schwab - I LOVED IT! It was soooo good! The new characters that were introduced in this book have become my new favs! The amount of badassery had me shook to the core! And that ending had me in tears and confusion. Are we getting another book in that world???

2. Top Picks // A book/books that have been recommended to you based on books you have previously read

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis - A NEW FAVORITE! This book is really something. It’s dark and gritty while still managing to be humorous and very heart crushing. Would highly, highly recommend! Trigger warning for sexual assault! 5/5 stars!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - One of my all-time favorite series with such great characters and a rich plot. The writing is freaking superb and just all around fantastic! 5/5 stars!

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter - What a book. Honestly. I was not expecting so much heaviness from this book but it was heavy and still so, so good. Trigger warning for abuse and sexual assault! Similar to The Female of the Species, it’s very heart breaking and dark but the moments where some romance and humor show through, are golden moments. It’s writing is so poetic and beautiful as well.  5/5 stars!

3. Recently Added // The last book you bought

A Conjuring of Light, Vicious, and a special edition of A Darker Shade of Magic - What do I gotta say? Victoria Schwab is my fav. 

4. Popular on Netflix // Books that everyone knows about (2 you've read and 2 you have no interest in reading)

Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare & A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - The Shadowhunter Chronicles are just truly entertaining, with The Dark Artifices being my favorite out of the three series. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series will always have a special place in my heart because it was the very first fantasy series and series in general, that I loved and finished.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas & To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han - I just do not feel motivated to read them. With Throne of Glass, I started with The Assassin’s Blade and then stopped halfway. I just couldn’t read it. With To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I just don’t want to read it. And who knows? In a few years, I might pick it up but for now, no.

5. Comedies // A funny book

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry - What an absolutely hilarious book! Right in the beginning, the first line just cracks me up because it just leaves me like ????. The humor in this book is fantastic and so well written. It flows very naturally between the main characters and I love it. 4.5/5 stars!

6. Dramas // A character who is a drama queen/king

Victor Frankenstein from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Victor Frankenstein, the ULTIMATE drama king. And I don’t say this to be endearing. Victor is a man who literally cannot take care of himself without doing something stupid, a man who will fuck up and then spend the rest of eternity complaining about it. And will ONLY complain about it. 1/5 stars!

7. Animated // A book with cartoons on the cover

Geekerella by Ashley Poston - I just realized that most of the books I’ve read, don’t have cartoons on the cover. It’s so surprising to me. Anyways, I love the cover of Geekerella and all its purpleness. 3.7/5 stars!

8. Watch It Again // A book/book series that you want to re-read

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King - I have been itching to pick this book up again! Unfortunately, due to the amount of books I have on my TBR, this isn’t going to happen very soon. The main reason for me wanting to pick this up again is because I read this when I was a not-so-mature reader and I loved it. I want to see if I still stand by that statement and now that I’ve grown more as a reader, analyze the book more. 4/5 stars!

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne - This is the series that got me into reading! It is so good and captivating! It recently popped up in my head again and now I’m so tempted to drop everything and read the books. And they’re only like 100-200 pages. Time to binge them! 5/5 stars!

9. Documentaries // A non-fiction book you'd recommend to everyone

I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction so I really don’t have a favorite. Nothing to recommend. :)

10. Action and Adventure // An action packed book

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab - THE AUDIOBOOK IS AMAZING. If you’re planning on reading this, read it with the audiobook! It will not disappoint! I read this via audiobook with no physical copy and let me tell y’all, it was intense. The writing is superb and flows so nicely. The action scenes are so well written as well. 4/5 stars!

11. New Releases // A book that just came out or will be coming out soon that you can't wait to read

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare - YALL I CANNOT WAIT! But I’m also not ready to be ruined completely. The entire book’s time frame is only a week and that scares the beehives out of me. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. 

I really hope you guys check these books out! They are truly fantastic. Thanks for visiting!

#vengeful #ve schwab #victoria schwab #a darker shade of magic #a conjuring of light #Vicious #the female of the species #mindy mcginnis #an ember in the ashes #sabaa tahir #the first time she drowned #kerry kletter #shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #the dark artifices #a court of thorns and roses #throne of glass #sarah j maas #to all the boys i've loved before #Jenny han #heretics anonymous #Katie henry #frankenstein #Mary shelley #geekerella #ashley poston #please ignore Vera dietz #a.s king #magic tree house series #mary pope osborne