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tina-mairin-goldstein · 2 months

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✏️"what are your current WIPs about?"

Thanks for playing with me, @kaylinalexanderbooks!

I have several WIPS right now, so this could be interesting.

Caraval- A Hannibal (NBC) sort of crossover/rewrite of the book Caraval by Stephanie Garber. It's also omega verse, with Will being an omega, Hannibal an alpha, and so on for the various characters who appear. Will must play a magical game that plays tricks on the mind and involves magic to find his sister (Abigail) over the course of five nights, searching for clues so he can find her before the other players and win. Hannibal, who initially brings them to the island where Master Legend hosts Caraval, teams up with him. As they play, Will realizes the game is far darker than it appears and that it is a race against the clock to find Abigail, because it is far more than a game.

Long list, so the rest are under the cut.

2. For Remembrance- A post-fall Murder Husbands story for my collection, Words Are Not The Only Way, centering on my chosen flower (rosemary) and its meaning. Won't say too much, but there is amnesia and rosemary plays a part in trying to help the amnesiac person recover their memories.

3. All Night or a Hundred Years- A Fantastic Beasts story from the POV of Percival Graves, who has been locked up in the dungeons of Nurmengard for a long time. Leta, rather than dying, is secreted away by Grindelwald in the dungeon as well, and she is helping Percival remember what it is like to be human and giving him something he hasn't had in a long time: Hope. They are getting to know each other and trying to figure out if they can escape, and how. Percival is close to giving up, but Leta won't take it. This one is on hiatus, however, because writer's block is a bitch.

4. Untangled- A Fantastic Beasts version of the Disney movie Tangled, with Newt as Rapunzel, Tina as Flynn, Grindelwald as Mother Gothel, and Theseus as Maximus, along with a bunch of the other FB crew members taking roles. Currently paused in favor of Caraval. Things are switched up in this, because Tina has the case of beasts instead of Newt. It's cheerful and fun and I sort of don't want to finish it because of that, so I'm being slow.

5. The Third Day- A Hannibal (NBC) rewrite of the HBO show The Third Day. Will is getting divorced from Molly and is grieving Abigail, who died under mysterious circumstances several years earlier. He meets Mischa in the woods, where is trying to hang herself, and takes her back to the place she lives, where he becomes trapped for three days and nights. Hannibal, Alana, Jack, Bella, Margot, Mason, and several other characters star as the residents trying to either run Will off the island or keep him there as he uncovers mysteries tied to himself and Abigail's death, as well as all the weirdness on the island.

7. Beloved- This is being scrapped and will be rewritten as a sequel to another story, His Shadow Suspended On Dust. Initially, it was a thirty-years post-fall story about Hannibal getting sick and Will taking care of him and living through his last days with him. Some of the original will remain, but it will be heavily rewritten, and there will be another story, called When the Snake Slithers By, between it and HSSOD.

8. The Lone City- A Pokemon anime rewrite of a favorite book of mine, called The Jewel by Amy Ewing. Starring Mairin, it centered on girls being sold off into surrogate slavery for the ruling class of the island, who became so inbred they can no longer safely carry their own children. Sort of a magical Handmaid's Tale, but with Pokemon twists. It was going to lead to Mairin uncovering the truth, falling in love with Alain, and escaping and so forth, but it's been on hiatus due to computer trouble, and I don't think I'm ever going to actually go back to it since it 's been more than a year.

9. Han+SPN- Temporary title, an attempted Hannibal/Supernatural crossover co-written by @ sarcasticsciencefictionwriter. Sam and Dean are driving through Maryland one night and Dean hits Will, who is a ravenstag, with Baby. Will is pregnant and fleeing hunters who are coming after him and Hannibal, who is half ravenstag, for being cannibals and want to kill their baby as well. The Winchesters learn that ravenstags only take what they need and chose harmful people as their victims (i.e, the rude), and end up teaming up with Will to save Hannibal from the hunters after Bobby, who saved Will when he was a fawn, tells them to. Currently paused because I didn't come up with much an outline and Sarc can't work with that. I'm playing with idea that Sam and Dean might have to deliver the baby.

I believe that is all my WIPS, unless you want to count the to-be-written finale to my collection, the Price of Godhood, where Will is Persephone and Hannibal is Hades, which will be about Will going to the world above on the first day of spring and saying goodbye to husband for six months.

Thanks so much for the ask! I've never done this before and I was so much fun! Feel free to hit me up again!

#ask games #ask answered #willing to play again #my writing

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keen2meecha · 2 years

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A Scandal of Blood

↬ I mean, you know the drill at this point

✯ Genres: Fantasy Romance (like historical romance but in a fantasy world), Adult (but YA friendly)

✯ Tropes: Childhood Friends to Lovers, Pining, Arranged Marriage, Sexism Only Exists When I Personally Think Its Interesting or Narratively Compelling, Please Just Say What You Mean I Am Begging You

✯ Concept:

Grand Duchess Rosalia Morgenstern has spent her entire life dreaming of marrying her fiancé, Dmitri; it helps that when the man you're honor bound to marry is the same man that you’re in love with. However, after ten years apart, it seems that Dmitri has changed; after a tumultuous ball and near break up, Rosalia has one last chance. At the same time, she is hiding a disastrous secret: around the same time that her mother was pregnant with Rosalia, her father was carrying on an affair that resulted in a child. If this child was born first, she no longer has a claim as the Grand Duchess. Not only will she lose her position in the family, she will lose the last reason to marry Dmitri; after all, his engagement is to the eldest Morgenstern. If she cannot convince Dmitri to marry her despite his qualms, then she will fail not only her own heart, but her entire family as well. And if she cannot uncover the truth of her half-sibling, she'll lose it all regardless.

✯ Tagged As: originally [unfortunately i have a new idea] now changed to #asob

✯ Characters:

Grand Duchess Rosalia Morgenstern: the eldest of her family, 26, she was engaged to Dmitri when she was very young in order to save the family name. Since she was twelve, following the death of her parents, she has been juggling taking care of her four younger siblings, taking care of the duchy, maintaining friendly relations with the rest of the aristocrats, and trying to uncover the identity -- and age -- of her half-sibling.

Viscount Dmitri Pierce: the son of a widowed viscountess, 30, Dmitri has known since he was five that he was to marry Rosalia. The two were close as children, and he willingly stepped up to support the family after the deaths of her parents. For the past ten years, he has been on a diplomatic tour of Kuerskap, and has returned just in time for the new queen's coronation.

More information (about the supporting cast and the general world under the cut!

Sir Thaddeus Salae: a bodyguard, 20s, hired by Rosalia following a break in at their country home; takes his job protecting Rosalia very seriously.

Varun Das: a tavernkeeper, 20s, who is friends with Rosalia but unaware that she's a duchess; is her confidante nonetheless, and is always happy to offer her a free drink.

Lady Cressida Morgenstern: the second sister, 21, not entirely "there" but observant to a fault; has a magical affinity for plants and animals.

Lady Violet Morgenstern: the third sister, 18, quiet and fatigued; is studying to be a scholar of magic and is vehemently against marriage.

Lady Lillian Morgenstern: the fourth sister, 16, fiery and free-spirited; has a magical affinity for creating magical perfumes with the flowers Cressida grows.

Lady Dorothea Morgenstern: the youngest sister, 14, sickly but bright; has magical abilities, but is unable to use them due to her illness.

✯ World (called Tekom): our story in particular focuses primarily on three countries. Verkap (inspired primarily by Regency England), Kueskap (inspired primarily by the Gupta Empire era of India), and Tritokap (inspired primarily by Thailand, generally). The primary setting is the coast of Verkap, but heavily features characters and cultural influence from the other two countries. They worship the stars as minor deities who grant miracles -- a religion called Sterkas. Although each country has a different view of the stars' origins and the rules of earning those miracles, everyone agrees that the stars have an innate connection to the magic that graces Tekom.

Although they theoretically come from a common ancestral clan, when Verkap and Kuerskap crossed the seas and encountered each other, it sparked a war that lasted for five hundred years -- an intense, bloody war that Tritokap emphatically stayed neutral on. Neither side won; eventually, thanks to the efforts of members of all the countries and a particularly miraculous shipwreck, the countries mutually agreed on a truce. This year will mark the fifth hundred anniversary of that treaty, meaning that they are soon coming upon a net zero of sorts. Importantly, this year will also be the crowning of the first ever Verkap queen who is of Kuerskap descent; a barely-eighteen year old woman named Chandrika Devi.

#wip intro #amwriting #my wip #writeblr #wip introduction #asob #btw rest assured there are no love triangles here #although both rosalia and dmitri worry at different points of the book that they have Competition #fun (ironic) facts:#rosalia hates ribbons with a passion #and also doesnt particularly like green #(because its been the primary color of her wardrobe for half her life)#and yet. both of these things feature heavily in the moodboard #because her performance of self involves these two things so heavily

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marjaystuff · 9 months

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Ashley Weaver Interview

“The Electra McDonnell series” by Ashley Weaver blends a mystery within a spy thriller. There are spies, murders, a tinge of romance, and some historical tidbits to entice readers.

A Peculiar Combination is the first in the Electra McDonnell series. She was raised by her Uncle Mick and has become part of the family business, pickpocketing, opening locks and safes, to steal valuables. Unfortunately for them they were set up and caught stealing. Because WWII is in full swing, an intelligence branch of the British government set them up to help in the war effort. They need Ellie to crack a safe open in a traitor’s house. The government intelligence official, Major Ramsey, gives Ellie a choice, either Ellie helps him to break into a safe and retrieve blueprints critical to the war effort before they can be delivered to a German spy, or she and her uncle go to jail. Mick and Ellie are also patriots, so it is a no brainer for her to accept the challenge. From there, it becomes very enjoyable as Major Ramsey and Ellie are constantly butting heads.

The Key to Deceit is the second book of the series. The Major once again enlists Ellie’s help in opening a locked bracelet from the arm of a dead woman found in the Thames. She is also able to provide some insight into the dead woman’s station in life from her clothing. A search reveals a camera in the bracelet, a clock key, and a bag of jewels hidden in the lining of a sable coat. Ellie and the major soon realize the dead woman was working as a spy for the Germans. Now they must uncover the German spy ring before the Nazis get their hands on important information.

Also, back in the story is Felix Lacy, a good friend of Ellie, a possible romantic interest, and someone who forges documents. He helped in the first book and now is enlisted by Ellie to help her with a crooked pawnshop owner. He is also helping her in finding the truth about her mother, convicted of killing her father, even though she proclaimed her innocence.

It becomes more apparent in this book that there is a love triangle between Felix, Ellie, and the Major. Felix wants to go beyond friends with her and become more intimate. While the Major is trying to remain professional but does have feelings for her.

Playing It Safe has just been released, the third book in the series. Ellie is given a new assignment by the Major. She is to travel under an assumed identity to the port city of Sunderland and once there await further instructions. After just arriving, she witnesses an unnatural death. A man falls dead in the street in front of her, with a mysterious message clutched in his hand. Ellie's instincts tell her that the man's death is connected in some way to her mission, and she goes to investigate covertly. While searching where he lives, she and the Major are united. They learn that a ring of counterfeiters is making both money and fake identity cards for German spies to operate in England. They find out that the printing plates are missing and know they must find them before the traitorous German assets. Ellie and the major are locked in a battle of wits and a race against time with an unknown and deadly adversary. They must also contend with the blitzkrieg where the Germans are unleashing bombs to try to break the British spirits.

Readers also learn more of the backstory about Ellie’s mother and whether she was innocent or guilty of murdering her father. Although Felix does not make much of an appearance the love triangle is still alive and well and he does help Ellie uncover the meaning of some written notes.

This series is very engrossing. What should upset readers is that they must wait a whole year for another installment, hopefully not the last. Readers should want a lot more books with these wonderful characters and riveting plotlines. Ideally people should read the books in order because, even though there are different riveting espionage mysteries there are overarching plotlines.

Elise Cooper: Did your professional experience help you to write?

Ashley Weaver: I have worked in libraries since the age of 14. I enjoy reading non-fiction and that is where I got the idea for the series. I think being a librarian is helpful in the sense that I have all the research information and researching strategies I need at my fingertips! I am now the Technical Services Coordinator for the Parish Libraries in Louisiana. We were the first in the US to have a library built in a book mobile for rural areas. Someone can request a book and when we are in the area, they can pick it up.

EC: How did you get the idea for the series?

AW: I was reading a lot of WWII non-fiction and read a book titled Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre. It is about a petty thief imprisoned on the Chanel Islands during WWII, occupied by Germany. They released him and trained his as a spy, parachuting him into England. He went to the allied authorities and said, ‘the Germans think I will spy for them do you want me to spy for you instead.’ He became a double agent. This made me think how all these criminals had skills before the war that they were able to use to help the allied cause. Each book has its own caper, where the characters must solve the espionage mystery. But there are also a few overarching plots.

EC: What about the books, 1 – 3?

AW: I enjoyed finding out how criminals can open a safe and the historical background of what those in England had to endure including the German Blitzkrieg and the major rationing. With A Peculiar Combination, book 1, I knew I wanted to make the female heroine, Ellie, a safe cracker for the espionage angle. For Playing It Safe, book 3, I read a book called The Falcon Thief about how someone smuggled and sold falcon eggs. This gave me the idea to work birding into the third book. I learned a lot about birds and decided to incorporate it into the story. I mention in the book how, during WWII, it was legal in England to shoot falcons because they were preying on the carrier pigeons, and officials worried it would interfere with messages being sent back and forth to occupied territories.

EC: How would you describe Uncle Mick?

AW: He has a flair for the exaggeration, focused, jovial, spontaneous, a little bit wily. He loves a challenge with a quick-thinking mind that can solve problems. He is the father figure to Ellie as she grew up.

EC: How would you describe Ellie?

AW: Good instincts, very intelligent, as well as street smart. She can be overconfident with a slight temper, stubborn, and independent. She likes to be in control but is adaptable.

EC: She also speaks a little about women’s rights?

AW: In book 2, The Key to Deceit, I put in this quote by her, “Contrary to what you believe it is possible for women to know about things outside of the kitchen.” She is sarcastic with the comments how the men in her life think they are strong and protective, for the helpless damsel. Yet, her uncle trained her no different than her two male cousins, who are more like brothers. During WWII a lot of women took the male jobs who were out fighting. The way she was raised has given her this inner confidence.

EC: Why the second plotline with her mother who gave birth to her in prison and then died?

AW: I wanted to have something about Ellie’s backstory. I liked the idea she has an affectionate loving family that supports her, but she does have some tragedy in her past and some questions she needs answers too.

EC: What about Major Ramsey?

AW: He is secretive, bold, stoic, determined, clever, and can be devious as well as authoritarian. He comes off as having a superior attitude. There are times he puts on a façade and comes across charming.

EC: Felix who is Ellie’s childhood friend also helps with the espionage?

AW: He is polished, likes to flirt, easy going, a teaser, and can forge documents.

EC: What about the love triangle between Felix, the Major, and Ellie?

AW: The Major comes from a privileged background while Felix and Ellie are from a different class. It is like opposites working together. She sees the Major as disconcerting and irritating.

The Major can read her mannerisms, her moods. He wants to be intimate but is trying to be professional. Because he is a military man, he does not have the same societal views as the elite class. More of a problem is that she is a rule braker and he is a rule follower, with him expecting those working for him to obey his orders and she is not one to follow orders. Her fiery personality is what attracts him to her. There is a little give and take because both are flexible when they need to be.

Regarding Felix he is very conscious of her feelings. He is very supportive of her. She sees him as a friend, but he is jealous of how the Major and she interact.

EC: Does the love triangle represent something more to Ellie?

AW: Yes. She is not just deciding between the two men, but her two different futures. With Felix she can continue her criminal enterprises, but with the Major she knows being from different worlds she would have to adapt and change a bit. She is wondering who she wants to be when the war ends.

EC: Next book?

AW: There is one more, book 4, which is the last book in my contract. I am waiting to hear back but hopefully there will be more, fingers crossed. At some point Ellie will decide between Felix and the Major. In book 4 we know who she is leaning towards. It takes place in 1941. They are back in London. Ellie knows of a robbery ring operating. Because of her family ties to the criminal world, she thinks these burglaries can be tied to espionage. She tells the Major about it. The network of criminal friends will be pulled in.

THANK YOU!!

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bloodredemption · 2 years

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[ jill wagner, f, she/her ] whatever you think you know about FELICITY “FLICK” JAMES, the 46 year old, HETEROSEXUAL, LOCAL, it is likely time for you to start reconsidering. the rumored WEREWOLF (BETA) is often described as RESOURCEFUL + LOYAL, but don’t let them fool you; they can also be CONFRONTATIONAL + AGGRESSIVE, which often has them regarded as the RUNAWAY. they are a PHARMACIST at NEW HOPE HEALTH CENTRE, but it’s also said they are a BETA within the CREATION PEAKS PACK. whatever you hear, you can’t deny there’s more to them that meets the eye, and it’s time we start uncovering the truth.

Basics:

Full Name: Felicity “Flick” James

Age: 46

Gender/Pronouns: Female (she/her).

Species: Born Werewolf

Affiliations: Creation Peaks Pack (Beta), New Hope Health Centre (Pharmacist)

Ex-Affiliations: Blood Moon Pack (Beta)

Family: Juliet Matthews (Mother, Deceased), Sam Matthews (Father, Deceased), [Blank] James (husband, alive)

Appearance:

Faceclaim: Jill Wagner

Eye Color: Light Brown

Hair Color: Light Brown

Height: 5′8″

Tattoos, Birthmarks, Scars, etc: Scars from Alpha attacks in the past

Biography Flick was born in Providence, Rhode Island to two pure blood werewolves. Juliet and Sam had both just joined the Lorenz pack, working their way up to becoming betas. They had married, both abandoning their previous packs for being too tame, and not appreciating that humans were beneath werewolves - something they raised Flick to believe.

As she got older, Flick would regularly go out on hunts with Razor and Heaven, fascinated by Razor’s whole demeaner, though she knew ultimately that Heaven would be Alpha. Her and Razor got so close that the two eventually started dating, it being a natural progression that eventually, she could become his wife.

It was supposed to be an ordinary hunt, humans in the area who could be rounded up and killed. But what they hadn’t expected was the heavy artillery the hunters would have, Flick watching helpless as the hunters murdered their attackers - the Lorenz Alpha and his wife, as well as Flick’s parents.

Flick stayed with Razor, enduring his rages and anger, and supporting Heaven as much as she could, pushing to be third in command after Razor. As he approached his sister, challenging her to a fight, she tried to warn him not to, that things were fine as they were. But her pleas fell on death ears, and she watched as Razor tore his sister’s throat out, declaring himself the Alpha.

Almost immediately, the pack felt even more extreme, the hunts more aggressive, more frequent, and even Flick felt sickened by it. It wasn’t just humans being targeted, it was other smaller, weaker packs, anyone that showed any sympathy towards humans, and killing pack members that tried to leave or disobey. That was why Flick waited until the pack were all asleep after a hunt, and she fled, leaving everything behind, shifting and running as far as she could, trying everything she could to lose her scent, so Razor didn’t find her. She’d be dead if he did.

She ran until she came to Creation Peaks, and it didn’t take long for the town Alpha to approach her, warning her of how things were ran there, and Flick was honest about her past, about her disdain for humans, and an agreement was reached - she would be allowed to stay, but she had to change her ways.

And over time, she did, getting herself a job at the hospital, and eventually even meeting a human and falling in love. Still, softening to humans hasn’t been a weakness to her, still aggressively protecting the pack where she needs to, more than willing to be the muscle and get her hands dirty if someone needs to attack.

She just never thought she’d see the Lorenz pack again. It’s her worst nightmare coming true.

#risingpeaks.intro

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ash-and-books · 2 years

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Rating: 2/5

Book Blurb: For fans of the compulsive psychological suspense of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a mother daughter story—one running from a horrible truth, and the other fighting to reveal it—that twists and turns in shocking ways, from the internationally bestselling author of The Scholar and The Ruin. First Rule: Make them like you. Second Rule: Make them need you. Third Rule: Make them pay. They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system. They think I’m working hard to impress them. They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row. They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.

Review:

A law student who joins the Innocent Project... except what she plans to do is the exact opposite of the mission of the project. Hannah Rokeby is a law student who has a dark family past... and a new mission. When she discovers an article in Vanity Fair about the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia she decides it’s time to join, especially when it involves the case of the man who destroyed her mother’s life. The story is told from the perspective of the current time line and Hannah’s mother’s diary about the events that happened. Hannah blackmails the Professor into making a spot for her in the program that is already full and begins to sabotage the project from within. This was an interesting overall mystery and I can definitely see why its being made into series on FX however it felt a bit slow at parts and the overall reveal was okay. Hannah is trying to keep the man who she thinks is her father in jail yet she begins to uncover the truth about what happened to her mother and who she can actually trust.

#book review #bookish #mystery reads

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julieforeman · 2 years

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CHASE SUI WONDERS, CIS FEMALE, SHE / HER | who’s that? oh it’s JULIE FOREMAN. i hear they’re 23 and are known as THE OPAQUE around CITY HALL. they’re also a SENIOR at INDIANA UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST. they’re known to be PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE and REBELLIOUS AND DECEITFUL. some people say they remind them of SMUDGED EYELINER HASTILY WIPED OFF, A FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATICS, CHANGING CLOTHES BEFORE RETURNING HOME FROM SCHOOL, RUBY RED LIPS PULLED INTO A GOOFY GRIN, SNEAKING BACK HOME JUST BEFORE SUNRISE.

the basics

FULL NAME: julie marie foreman

NICKNAME(S): jules, foreman

AGE: twenty-three

DATE OF BIRTH: august 11

HOMETOWN: hawkins, indiana

CURRENT LOCATION: hawkins, indiana

GENDER: cis female

PRONOUNS: she / her

ORIENTATION: bisexual

OCCUPATION: intern with the district attorney / weed dealer

the facts

In many cases, the eldest daughter in a family is treated like a third parent. They’re expected to be quiet, respectful and emotionally mature for their age, a pressure doubled when you’re the only adopted child. Julie learned about that early on. She was always expected to watch out for her siblings, Jo and Jack, and be a good role model for them. And in front of her parents, Julie always was. Julie was a Girl Scout, a flutist in the marching band, involved in her church’s choir, an actress in school plays, a B average student, and the starting setter in volleyball. She was seemingly the perfect kid. But it was all a façade.

Too much pressure led her to find ways of blowing off steam. It began small, with the occasional stolen sip of alcohol from her parents’ liquor cabinets. By high school, though, it had escalated to parties, hookups and dealing weed on the side. Julie was always careful, always stuck to people she knew wouldn’t rat her out. Every Saturday night was spent partying, and every Sunday morning found her sneaking back into her bedroom just in time to get ready for church. Jack helped cover for her when he could, and her parents were none the wiser. Julie knew to get what she wanted, she just had to dress up and play the part of the perfect daughter. And luckily for her, she was a great actor.

At eighteen, she knew she had to get out of Hawkins. As much as she was okay with her double life in theory, she knew she needed to find some way of taking care of herself. Her parents supported her going to college, although her mother assumed she was going purely to get her MRS degree. In reality, Julie’s a raging bisexual who would rather die than become a housewife. So, she began to think logically about what she wanted to do with her life and one career came to mind - law. For as long as Julie can remember, she’s seen injustices in the world and wanted to help right them. She’s a free spirit with a desire to help those who can’t help themselves, which helped motivate a usually mid-level student to get through most of her Pre-Law degree at Indiana University Northwest.

During the summer before her sophomore year, Julie got the call that something had happened to Jack. He’d passed away in a fire at the Starcourt Mall very unexpectedly - so quickly that she hadn’t even had time to say goodbye. It broke her heart knowing that her little brother, her best friend in many ways, was just gone. Julie took a year off to grieve, putting her life on hold while she unsuccessfully attempted to process Jack’s death.

A few weeks ago, her family let her know that Jack had come home, finally. In their minds, he was just missing. He’d been found living in a commune in the forest. But how the hell was that possible when he’d died? The possibility of seeing Jack again was enough to get Julie out of Gary, Indiana and on a bus straight back home. While she tries to figure out just what happened to her baby brother, Julie’s gotten an internship with the District Attorney’s office. Maybe that can help her uncover some of the truth about the sleepy little town she grew up in.

the headcanon

Julie was probably only seen as a perfect goody two shoes by her parents. Pretty much everyone below the age of 30 would know that she’s a party girl at heart.

Adopted as a baby by the Foremans before they wound up having Jo a year later. She grew up worrying if her parents didn’t see her as a perfect little angel that they might regret adopting her, or that they might stop seeing her as theirs. Very toxic dynamic for her truly.

Julie doesn’t know her bio parents! I think they were probably from like Chicago maybe, probably a young couple who didn’t mean to get pregnant. Julie hasn’t gone looking for them because she’s terrified of what she’ll find!

She’s not a popular type of party girl, though. No pom poms or boyfriends in letterman jackets for this girl. She was the one who brought weed, the one who would throw a drink in your face if you were being rude. A true theatre kid at heart, Julie loves the drama.

Speaking of! She was a Girl Scout who tried so very, very little. I think she probably could earn a patch for least patches earned. She was also in marching band as a flute player, and one of the stars of drama club. Just a true menace all around when it comes to playing into the band kid / theatre kid stereotypes, except she’s no Rachel Berry thanks!!! More like she would have seen the 90s Romeo + Juliet and made it her whole personality, THAT vibe, y’know? Emmaline from Everything Sucks! if she gave up on the male gaze sooner vibes for sure.

Changed every morning out of her GAP clothes into fishnets with shorts, combat boots and flannels and then changed back post theatre or band practice. Covered the smell of weed and booze with perfume and mints.

Julie’s known she likes women for as long as she’s known she likes men. It was never fully something she felt like she had to hide, except from her parents. She never confirmed it really either though with most people, preferring to hide behind coy smiles and promises that she didn’t kiss and tell. But yeah, Julie loves all women and a few men too even!

She has pushed herself hard to get through school, because studying just doesn’t come naturally to her. She’s not stupid, she’s just a lot more wise than intelligent, you know? But she’s almost got her degree, just one more year and she’s out.

Julie adores Jack, her baby brother. She’s always had a soft spot for him, and she took his death really hard. When it comes to her and Jo, their relationship is a lot more complicated and chaotic. Julie doesn’t get why Jo feels the need to be so up front with their parents about shit, and Jo doesn’t get why Julie lies. Just sister things!!!!!!!

Coming back home has been hell for her in some ways. Back to being Little Miss Perfect, because she still would rather keep that up than risk loosing her parents paying for her tuition senior year. So, she’s back to acting like she’s as wholesome as Nancy Wheeler around them.

Her parents think it’s silly that she’s Pre-Law, but they haven’t stopped her. Her mother just asks when she’s going to bring a nice boy home, and her father tells her to not worry her pretty little head so much about school. It pisses Julie off, but she puts up with it.

Daddy Dearest helped her get the internship while she’s home. Frankly, working for the District Attorney makes Julie want to throw up because she finds working for this side of things repugnant, but she doesn’t have much of a choice. And besides, she’s hoping to learn how to bring down The Man from the inside. You’ll probably find her at City Hall, the police station or the library working on something during the days and drinking to forget at night <333

She’s also fallen back into dealing on the side; never anything harder than weed. But it’s a good way to make money, and she’s still fucking careful about getting caught. Julie has absolutely had an entire pleasant conversation with a police officer with a joint in her pocket, before.

Basically just a weird, bitchy ( in a fun way unless you piss her off ), silly, dramatic, idiot !!!!!!

Truly a gremlin but would kick Thad’s teeth in if he called her that <333

#bth:intro #( intro. )#have this weird little fake bitch who's also real and a stoner !!!!#the vibes are so odd here

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backtohawkins · 2 years

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WELCOME BACK TO HAWKINS, JULIE FOREMAN (olivia welch fc)

good luck and have a bitchin’ summer!

[OLIVIA WELCH, CIS FEMALE, SHE / HER] who’s that? oh it’s [JULIE FOREMAN]. i hear they’re [23] and are known as [THE OPAQUE] around [CITY HALL]. they’re also a [SENIOR] at [INDIANA UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST]. they’re known to be [PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE] and [REBELLIOUS AND DECEITFUL]. some people say they remind them of [SMUDGED EYELINER HASTILY WIPED OFF, A FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATICS, CHANGING CLOTHES BEFORE RETURNING HOME FROM SCHOOL, RUBY RED LIPS PULLED INTO A GOOFY GRIN, SNEAKING BACK HOME JUST BEFORE SUNRISE]. [ash, 25, she/her, suicide, self-harm, est]

In many cases, the eldest daughter in a family is treated like a third parent. They’re expected to be quiet, respectful and emotionally mature for their age. Julie learned about that early on. She was always expected to watch out for her siblings, Jo and Jack, and be a good role model for them. And in front of her parents, Julie always was. Julie was a Girl Scout, a flutist in the marching band, involved in her church’s choir, an actress in school plays, a B average student, and the starting setter in volleyball. She was seemingly the perfect kid. But it was all a façade.

At eighteen, she knew she had to get out of Hawkins. As much as she was okay with her double life in theory, she knew she needed to find some way of taking care of herself without her father's money. Her parents supported her going to college, although her mother assumed she was going purely to get her MRS degree. In reality, Julie’s a raging bisexual who would rather die than become a housewife. So, she began to think logically about what she wanted to do with her life and one career came to mind - law. For as long as Julie can remember, she’s seen injustices in the world and wanted to help right them. She’s a free spirit with a desire to help those who can’t help themselves, which helped motivate a usually mid-level student to get through most of her Pre-Law degree at Indiana University Northwest.

During the summer before her sophomore year, Julie got the call that something had happened to Jack. He’d passed away in a fire at the Starcourt Mall very unexpectedly - so quickly that she hadn’t even had time to say goodbye. It broke her heart knowing that her little brother, her best friend in many ways, was just gone. Julie took a year off school to grieve, putting her life on hold while she unsuccessfully attempted to process Jack’s death.

A few weeks ago, her family let her know that Jack had come home finally. In their minds, he was just missing. He’d been found living in a commune in the forest. But how the hell was that possible when he’d died? The possibility of seeing Jack again was enough to get Julie out of Gary, Indiana and on a bus straight back home. While she tries to figure out just what happened to her baby brother, Julie’s gotten an internship with the District Attorney’s office. Maybe hanging around City Hall and the police station can help her uncover some of the truth about the sleepy little town she grew up in.

#submission #accepted #julie foreman

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lazzies123 · 3 months

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I Wish

Ah, it's happening again. God. I am so tired of pretending to be okay. In my writings here, I always tried to give good endings. How I wish this could make me feel better. This is so deceiving. God, after all this time, I am not okay.

Honestly, I do not really know what I want. I wish I could care about my family more. "My family is the reason why I'm holding on," I said to myself. The truth is, I wish my family could do more for me. Everything has been so disappointing. I am mad, but I know being mad is not going to help. God, I wish I were not so angry all the time.

A good friend once told me, "You used to be so cool to hang out with." That was in my third year of junior high school. At that time, I was not sure what changed, but now I know. I changed after my mom passed away. I remember my teacher and classmates came to my house to mourn my mother's death. I was only 14 back then. In front of my classmates, I did not cry. The teacher, however, I think she knew I was very sad that day. She tried to comfort me. I smiled at her and said, "Thank you. I am okay now." That was probably the first time I lied to myself. I lied and said I was okay. Deep inside, I was so hurt. My mom. She was the best family, parent, friend, and supporter in my life. No matter how dumb I was, she always supported me. After she was gone, I was so afraid. I was scared of this world. What should I do if someone hurt me? I used to tell my mom everything. She always gave me gentle smiles. Whenever she smiled, even though she did not say anything, it made me feel safe. I knew she would always be there when I messed something up. After she was gone, this world became a lonely place. I had to face the fact that I was alone. Ever since that day, I kept lying to myself.

Did you know? After experiencing something so painful, you could not tell the difference between happiness and sadness anymore. It wouldn't matter if you were happy or sad. You'd smile. You'd deceive yourself and try to laugh it off. You'd become someone nice, so nice that you wouldn't want to share your pain with anyone else. Even though it hurt, you'd say "Haha," and everyone would think you were alright. It's so tiring, isn't it? You just don't want anyone to know that you're not okay because you know no one is going to save you. No one is going to help you. The help you need, the someone you truly care about, is no longer here. She was gone. I guess this is what I am feeling right now. People cannot really tell whether I am happy or not, whether I am okay or not. This is so painful. If you feel the same way as I do, I guess we share the same pain. I guess that was why we could get along so well. We were both hurt. We were surrounded by friends, but none of them was the one we were looking for. I was looking for you, and you were looking for me. We were so lonely, but together, we forgot about all that. We became less lonely. We forgot all the painful things. With you, I was so happy.

Recently, I've been a bad liar. I actually do not know why I am doing this. These writings, I don't even know if this will last 10 years. The me from the future would probably find his happiness and forget what happened here. Isn't it sad? The thought of you being forgotten by yourself. It sounded more painful than being forgotten by someone who cared about you. That thought alone has made me scared. I guess I am not as strong as I thought I was.

God, after all this time. After what I've been through, I still cannot face the truth. Every night, I feel like screaming. This emptiness is so suffocating. I wish I could find something, someone genuine, to help me uncover my mask of lies. I am a miserable man, aren't I?

I know a good solution. I should try to reach out to my friends. However, what rights do I have? After so many times, I ditched my friends to catch butterflies. These butterflies, they kept flying away and never looked back. They did not even know I was right behind, trying to catch them.

I am a bad friend, aren't I? I wish I had treated my friends better. Perhaps, perhaps, I wouldn't be so lonely now. What do I get from catching butterflies? Nothing, and in the process, I've lost so many good friends.

God. Not too long ago, you met me with someone so perfect. We spent precious moments together. She accepted me for what I am. She listened to me. After getting to know her, my mind and my heart were set for her. Completely. I had regrets about ditching my friends, but for her, I'd do it over and over again. She was my everything.

However, she did not do the same thing, but I could understand. She did the right thing. She should not ditch her friends the way I did. If she wanted to spend time with her friends, she should do so. Again, this is another lie. I wish she could've spent time with me all the time. I wish to have her for myself. I am a terrible person, aren't I? I knew I was wrong. When I finally found someone so genuine, my ego was not ready. And once again, I messed it up.

God, she was truly my everything. She was my world. After learning the harsh truth, my world crumbled once again. I tried to convince myself that there must be a reason for this. I lied. The truth is, I love her so much. My heart, I am not ready to move on. God, she was the one I'd been looking for. With her, I forgot about painful things. Every time spent with her was happiness. I pushed her away so I could move on. It was also a lie. I did not want to move on. I love her so. She is so perfect. I wish things would work out between us.

God. I love her so. I love her so much.

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quoteablebooks · 1 year

Text

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3 out of 5

Trigger Warning: Child death, death, blood

Summary:

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the five remaining gates that guard the earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silver Bloods. Back in New York, Mimi has been elected Regent of a crumbling coven. Struggling with her heartache over the loss of Kingsley and with her overwhelming desire to destroy Jack, she must focus all of her energy on a perilous new threat. Vampires are being abducted and their captors are planning to burn them alive online...for all the world to see. Help arrives in the form of Deming Chen, a Venator from Shanghai, who must untangle the web of deceptions before the killers strike again. As the young vampires struggle for the survival of the coven, they uncover a deadly secret, a truth first discovered by Schuyler’s mother during the Renaissance but kept buried for centuries. And as the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler to a terrible choice that will ultimately map the destiny of her heart.

*Opinions*

So apparently the last time I read this novel, I found it unbearably boring and annoying. However, upon this read through I did not find it as painfully annoying and hard to get through as the previous novels have been. In fact, this was a solid three star book when taking into account that it is very much a Young Adult book of its time (2010). Not perfect by any means, but less annoying than previous novels in the series have been. As always, I found Schuyler and Jack’s part of this story insanely boring and absolutely no chemistry between them at all. In fact, there was more chemistry between Mimi and Oliver than there is between the couple that is breaking bonds and risking life and death for each other. While they were on the run, I could ignore how dull they both are, but when it is focused on their relationship I can’t help but roll my eyes. Once again, I have seen nothing to explain why these two are in love with each other. While these series suffers from a lot of insta-love, at least with Mimi and Kingsley we saw that relationship progress and the insta-love couple in this story we at least saw them interact on page before this “love” formed. Jack and Schulyer bore me and I have no investment in whether they end up together in the end. The first third of this novel was the most boring part. While Schuyler was the main female lead in the first couple of books, I feel as if Mimi has taken over that role in this novel. Gone is the vapid socialite that only cares about herself, though she is still selfish, arrogant, and impulsive at times. Instead we are given a vampire that is grieving, angry, and set with the impossible task of leading the Coven when the vampire’s way of life is falling apart. Mimi is downright likable in this novel, which is something I wouldn’t have said at the start of the series. I know that in the previous read through I was obsessed with Oliver, but he isn’t really anything but a walking plot device. Again, he isn’t given enough page time for me to see why I was into him to begin with. I don’t dislike him, but he is just kind of there to help the story progress. Deming Chen was a new perspective as Bliss is out of this narrative due to having her own spin off series. As we are just getting to know her, I really didn’t have anything to say about her almost nonexistent personality. If she wasn’t thinking about how silly and ridiculous other women are, she was attempting to figure out what was going on with the missing vampires. That being said, as the insta-love portion of this story comes up in her section of the novel, I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. It is truly one of my least favorite troupes. Again, this series is not raising in my esteem, but I have no idea why I hated this novel so much when I read it the first time. I have seen some reviews complaining that it doesn’t push forward the overall plot of Lucifer’s return forward, but I think it shows that he is building an army and has been for years. It was a fine read for what it was, but not a series I will revisit once I complete it.

#Misguided Angel #blue bloods series #book review #booklr

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moonlit-mizukage · 3 years

Text

Chapter twenty seven: Looks like your bitch is back

Summary: Y/n and Tendou are deeply in love. Living on the other side of Tokyo now, the Monsters are still up to their old shit. They even opened a few businesses for Tax reasons. Even though it’s been almost three years later, Y/n still has never been able to understand how they have avoided the law several times. When Tendou’s Mother reappears in his life, Y/n is confused as Tendou claimed she is dead. Finding out Tendou is being forced to take over the family business by his Mother, she soon learns the truth behind Tendou’s reason he never gets in legal trouble is his family business. His mother is quick to decline Y/n as his future wife and tries to set up Tendou with someone she sees more fit. What will happen to Y/n and Tendou? What will happen to Tendou’s “family business”? What does this mean for the future of the Monsters

TW: DEATH! BLOOD! DROWNING! GUNS!

AN: only 4 more chapters of this series!!

Third Person POV

Y/n rushed onto the pier where Tendou was still fighting HInata. Both had blood on their hands and cuts randomly placed on their uncovered skin.

“Looks like your bitch came back.” Hinata said with a laugh.

“Don’t talk about her like that you fuck.” Tendou spit back.

“After I kill you, I think I will take your bitch as my own.” Something snapped inside Tendou upon hearing this as he lunged at Hinata. He grabbed his hand and slammed it repetitively into the pier boards. Tendou was screaming things that the others didn’t catch as it was too fast. Kyotani arrived at the scene again. He saw the people around look down at the two leaders fighting. He grabbed the knife from his pocket and screamed at Tendou. He tossed the knife to him.

“Prepare to say goodbye Boss baby.” Tendou whispered to Hinata, who was barely conscious now. Tendou took the knife and as he was about to slide it across his throat a bullet knocked it from his hand. Looking up at the shooter he was met with the eyes of Kageyama.

“I won’t let you guys win. No matter what.” He took a shot at Tendou as Y/n kicked him in the back of the knee, knocking his shot off track. “Do I have to kill you too like the others?”

“Fuck you! You killed Hanamaki when he just wanted everything to be okay again!” She yelled angrily. Kyotani called her as he tossed her a crowbar from behind his jacket. She looked at him confused only to snap back into the reality of things and turn back to face Kageyama.

“I killed Matsukawa too!” Suna came running up at this time, out of breath.

“He’s wrong. He’s still alive but in rough shape. Kyotani, we need your help.” Kyotani ran off with Suna back to where Matsukawa was. Shirabu was waiting with him as they were heading back to the van.

Y/n ran towards Kageyama as Hinata stood up.

“Looks like it’s a fight to the death now.” Hinata said as he coughed out some blood.

“We won’t lose.” Tendou and Y/n said at the same time.

Tendou and Hinata began to throw punches at each other once again as Y/n and Kageyama now stood only a few meters apart.

“I have a gun and you have a crowbar, I wonder who will win?” He mocked.

“Me bitch.” Y/n said as she swung the bar. Immediately it caught on the gun, but Kageyama’s iron grip would not shake. He shot at her once he regained his balance. Hitting her left arm again as she wailed out.

“Y/n!” Tendou screamed as he was distracted, Hinata hit a solid punch in the back of the head. He knocked him down flat on his face. Y/n started to rush to him only to crash right into Kageyama.

“Your fight is with me.” He said. He wrapped an arm around her waist and began to drag her. He walked to the end of the pier as he forced her off the end into the water. Kageyama jumped into the water after her. She swam up to the top as he swam underwater. He grabbed her ankle as he pulled her down and farther out into the deeper water.

Y/n could feel the air leave her lungs as she was kicking at Kageyama. He stopped finally after what felt like forever. He let go of her ankle and swam up a bit, grabbing her wrist. She responded with a kick to his groin. When he opened his mouth to scream, she grabbed his throat and began to apply pressure. She could feel herself fading out as her grip slowly became looser. Kageyama was able to break free as he swam up to the surface. Y/n used her remaining strength to head up for air. As she popped out from below she searched around for Kageyama. He was not too far away coughing as well for air. Y/n was quick to move as she swam to him. She grabbed onto his shoulders and used the strength she didn’t know she had to hold him below the water. She felt his hands dig into hers, but she would not let him loose.

Y/n began to feel less of a fight from Kageyama as she held him still. She took a deep breath and ducked her head below the water. She lifted her one arm and checked him for a pulse. She could barely feel one. Noticing he wasn’t fighting back she let go of his body and watched as he sank lower and lower into the water below. She swam up to the surface again, seeing how far away the pier was, she sighed as she began to swim back.

Y/n made it to the pier as she collapsed below on the sand. Shirabu came rushing to her side before everything went black.

Tendou was still on the pier punching Hinata’s assumed dead body now. Kyotani stopped him just to alert him that Y/n was back. Tendou stood up and kicked Hinata a few times.

“Help me toss him in the water.” Tendou said to Kyotani. The two picked up his lifeless body and tossed it below. “Is anyone from their side still alive?”

“They are all fucking dead that came here now. Knema tracked them all down thank fuck.” Kyotani said. Tendou walked to the side where the stairs were to help lift Y/n back to the car.

“She will be okay, just exhausted from that water fight. She also has two bullet wounds. I will have to take a better look once we get home.” Shirabu told Tendou.

“Let’s go. Tonight we are victors, tomorrow we have one more enemy to face.” Tendou said.

“Who the fuck is left?” Kyotani asked.

“My mother.”

Prevous | Masterlist

Taglist: @satan-ruler-of-hells @atria-avior @freakydeaky226 @ems1des @idontknow-whatto-callthis @maer-333 @bruh-kill-me @elianetsantana @tanakasimpcorner @babyshoyo @ash-levi @ifilosemyselfagain @wisteria-wooseok @ashytoes101 @fantasycantasy @angstyclowns @johnnysactualgf @putmeinyourdeathnote @sunflow3rbab3 @black-rose-29 @sageinlove @mykuronekome @mus1caln0tes @stormcastello @zlatanakermann

#tendou x y/n #tendou mafia #tendou x reader #tendou x you #haikyuu mafia au #haikyuu mafia #haikyuu mafia smau #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x you #haikyuu x reader

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burberryfaerie · 3 years

Text

HC : If Tonks had a younger sibling : Part 1.

gryffindor female reader!

Fandom : Harry Potter

Warnings : angst?? , swearing?

A/N : I know this is quite long, that's my first time writing a headcannon, hope y'all enjoy!

That's not my best, but let's give it a try.

Let's start off by saying that 6 years old Dora would be absolutely flabbergasted with the thought of having a younger sister.

You're born and Dora carries you in her so-not-little arms.

Her hair turns pink and so does yours.

but she can't help but being jealous since your parents are spending more time taking care of you.

Over the years, you always looked up to Dora, I mean, she's fantastic.

You bawling your eyes out when she leaves on the hogwarts express for her first year at hogwarts.

Grinning at the letters she sends you telling you about how she morphed into Snape and took points from slytherin.

Fast forward 6 years later you get your hogwarts letter.

Bumping into the Malfoys who mercilessly mock the family but manage to make fun of them behind their backs.

Realizing that Dora is no longer interested in you because she has alot of friends.

Searching in the compartments until you bump into Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

You three instantly become friends.

Getting sorted into Gryffindor (Main Character Energy lmaoo).

Your hair changes into red.

Dora being absolutely proud of you.

Writing to your mother asking her to make extra special cookies for Harry.

Later this year, a bushy haired Hermione Granger befriending you, Ron and Harry after an unlikely encounter with a mountain troll.

Saving the philosopher's stone at the end of this year and earning house points.

Dora tears up and pulls you into a hug telling you how proud she is.

“I'm so proud of you.”

Ranting about the event all summer to your family.

Next year you go to hogwarts without Dora.

You're completely devastated.

“But you have us.” Ron reassures you.

Going to school with a flying car and almost dying.

Secretly thinking this is the coolest thing you'd ever do.

Andromeda sending you a howler telling you how disappointed she is.

“At least I'll have good stories for my grandchildren.” you grin

Dora sending you a letter gushing about how she'd die to do this.

“Literally you and your friends are bloody wicked.”

Morphing into Gilderoy Lockhart and mimicking him with Fred and George late in the common room.

The chamber of secrets has been opened.

Not being scared but you're anxious.

Malfoy calls Hermione a mudblood.

Standing up to your friend and slapping him on the face.

Ron casts an unsuccessful spell on Malfoy that backfires on him.

You helping him up and making sure you bump Malfoy's shoulder.

Muggleborns are being petrified.

Morphing into Pansy Parkinson so you'd interrogate Malfoy about the chamber of secrets.

Standing up for Harry whenever someone mocks him or blames him for the muggleborns who are being petrified.

“Shove off before I kick your arse.”

Saving Ginny after being dragged to the chamber of secrets.

Earning special services awards this year.

Murder on the loose.

Seeing a big black dog in your backyard.

Andromeda ushers you away before she whispers something to the dog.

The dog runs away.

“Wasn't he a gryffindor mum?”

“Yes dear, but not all gryffindors are good”

“But he ran away from the family”

“He betrayed me”

Dora is still in auror training.

You rarely see her.

You write letters that she doesn't always return.

But no matter what, she's still in your heart.

The dementor on the train revives memories of last year.

Your hair turns white from pure fear.

Professor Lupin being the best DADA teacher you've ever had.

Your boggart is a woman that resembles your mother alot, but she's nothing like her.

Your heart sinking when Bellatrix Lestrange steps out of the wardrobe.

“She vowed to murder all of us.” your mother's voice rings in your ears.

“who the hell are the marauders?”

“We don't know, but we owe them alot.”

Wanting to use the marauders map for pranks.

Hermione disapproves.

“You'll get yourself into endless trouble.”

Hermione motherfucking Granger slaps Malfoy, yes please.

“THAT'S MY GIRL!” you cheer

Buckbeak is getting executed.

The dog reappears but drags Ron to the whomping willow.

Guess what? sirius-motherfucking-black is here bitches.

Absolutely terrified but standing stiffly.

And Lupin too??????

“Well well dear cousin, Andy's beautiful child.”

“You're no cousin of mine, and don't you dare speak my mother's name!”

Uncovering the truth.

He's a good man.

He's innocent and went through alot.

It's all the rat's fault.

Lupin's a werewolf.

He almost murders you.

Turning the clock back to save the prisoner.

He's free.

He wants you and your family to live with him.

Lupin's leaving.

Still no sign of Dora.

Quidditch world cup here we go.

“shit that's diggory”

head over heels for him.

you knew him before but you never noticed how handsome he was.

Ireland for the win!

chaos erupts.

you can't find your friends.

you can't find your wand.

a death eater is right infront of you.

you're pushed aside.

“Stupefy” the familiar sound says.

it's Cedric.

He saved you.

“You okay?”

“I think I am”

Triwizard tournament?

“Wait, so there are OTHER SCHOOLS?”

“beauxbatons students are so stuck up. ”

“wait, is that MOTHERFUCKING VIKTOR KRUM?”

Cedric puts his name in the goblet.

Fred and George TRY to but they fail miserably.

Viktor Krum, champion of durmstrang.

Fleur Delacour, champion of beauxbatons.

“The hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory.”

You taken aback by his heart-warming smile.

“Yay, seems like an amazing year.”

“Harry Potter”

“Not”

Being worried for both Harry and Cedric in the first task.

Yule ball is coming up.

“I'm too clumsy to dance..”

“Viktor asked me to the ball.Why would he ask me?”

“C'mon 'Mione, you're absolutely gorgeous. ”

“D-do you want to go to the ball with me? As friends of course”

“Abso-freaking-loutely Cedric!”

Looking absolutely breathtaking that night.

Writing to Dora about it.

Hoping she'll somewhat reply.

“HE TOOK YOU TO THE YULE BALL?? I SHIP IT. ”

she replies.

tears of joy in your eyes.

Being Cedric's treasure in the second task.

him can't take his eyes off you after.

“I'm so sorry, so, so sorry you had to be put in this situation.”

Skeeter writing about your 'secret' relationship with Diggory.

Third task is here.

Giving Harry a big hug.

Kissing Cedric on the cheek before he enters the maze.

They're back.

Something's wrong.

Harry and Cedric are crying so hard.

“H-he's b-back, I s-saw him.”

“Shhhh, it's alright you're home.”

You don't question Cedric nor Harry about what they saw.

“Who the hell agreed to host this.”

Unfortunately, not everyone believes them.

Voldemort is back. Your family is in danger.

#nymphadora tonks #harry potter #cedric diggory x reader #marauders #tonks #andromeda tonks #ted tonks #ron weasley #hermione granger #draco malfoy #fred weasley #george weasley #hogwarts #gryffindor

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gaymer-hag-stan · 3 years

Text

Lara Croft's Biography

This is my attempt at consolidating Core Design's two biographies for Lara Croft as well as Crystal Dynamics' revised version for Legend into one, cohesive background story that includes all key events from her past adventures. Certain elements of the first nine games and their backstories are bound to be included in the new, unified timeline so any Reboot fans that are not as familiar with Classic Lara may find this interesting to read :) Hope you like it!

Name: Lara Croft

Nationality: British

Date of Birth: 14 February 1968

Birthplace: Wimbledon, London

Marital Status: Single

Blood Group: AB-

Height: 1,75m

Weight: 58 kg

Hair Colour: Brunnette

Eye Colour: Brown

Distinguishing Features: 9mm Handguns

Bio

Lady Lara Croft is an 11th generation Countess. The Croft family was granted the title and rights to Abbingdon, Surrey by King Edward VI in 1547. The Croft Estates are comprised of three separate manor houses, two of which are maintained by the National Trust, and the third is home to Lady Croft.

Lady Croft herself has suffered several personal tragedies, including the deaths of both parents on separate occasions before she came of age. Reputably an accredited genius and Olympic-standard gymnast, Lady Croft is the focus of wild speculation and intense debate in both the scientific and political communities in addition to the popular press. Idealized and vilified in equal measure, she is perhaps one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of our time.

Lara Croft was born in Surrey's Parkside hospital on the 14th of February in 1968 to Lady Amelia Croft and the notorious archeologist Lord Richard Croft, the late Earl of Abbingdon. She was raised to be an aristocrat from birth, and had lived in luxury and security aloof from the world at large. Between the ages of three and six, she attended the Abbingdon Girls School, where it quickly became clear that she was an exceptionally gifted child.

At the age of nine she survived a plane crash in the Himalayas that took the life of her mother. In perhaps the first story of her prodigious indomitability, she somehow survived a solo ten-day trek across the Himalayan mountains, one of the most hostile environments on the planet. The story goes that when she arrived in Katmandu she went to the nearest bar and made a polite telephone call to her father asking if it would be convenient for him to come and pick her up.

For six years following the plane crash, Lara rarely left her father's side, traveling around the world from one archeological dig site to another. During this period she was ostensibly given a standard education from private tutors, but it would probably be more accurate to say she was her father's full time apprentice.

When Lara was fifteen, her father went missing in Cambodia. Extensive searches by the authorities and Lara herself turned up human remains that could not definitively be identified. Since Lord Croft's body was not officially recovered, Lara could not directly inherit the Croft title and Lara was thrust into a bitter family feud over control of the Abbingdon estates with her uncle Lord Errol Croft. Lara eventually won the legal battle, and took possession of her inheritance but at the cost of a deep rift in the Croft family that left her estranged from her living relatives.

At 16 she began studying at Gordonstoun, one of Britain's most prominent boarding schools where she discovered the mountains of Scotland. One day Lara came across a copy of National Geographic on the hall table. The front cover featured a familiar name - Professor Werner Von Croy. A respected archaeologist, Von Croy had once lectured at Lara's school to pupils & parents alike.

The experience had a profound effect on Lara, triggering a desire for travel to remote locations in search of adventure. In some ways Von Croy had become an inspirational figure for Lara. As Lara read further, she learned that Von Croy was currently preparing for an archaeological tour across Asia, culminating in a potential new discovery to be made in Cambodia. Unable to pass up this opportunity, she walked over to the desk & penned a letter to Von Croy. She Introduced herself and offered financial assistance in exchange for her place on the expedition. Von Croy's reply assured her that the territories were friendly and that he had ample experience to look after both his & Lara's well being.

Lara's company as an assistant would be welcome, as was the offer of such a generous cheque. He remembered Lara from his lecture - her incessant yet insightful questions had made quite an impression upon him. And so it was agreed that Lara would accompany Von Croy for the duration of the tour.

At 21, while in college, she was part of a team of aspiring archaeologists in charge of a dig in Paraiso, Peru. Her closest friends, Amanda Evert, aspiring anthropologist, and Anaya Imanu, engineer, among them. They were attempting to break through the tomb of the Queen of Tiwanaku. The expedition was cut short however, as a tragic accident led to the deaths of most of Lara's friends and colleagues, including Amanda, with Lara and Anaya emerging from the dig as the only two known survivors.

Lara probably should have died there, as most did, instead she learned how to depend on her wits to stay alive in hostile conditions a world away from her sheltered upbringing. Her experiences had had a profound effect on her and in that process transformed herself as well. Her Peruvian odyssey was both miraculous and enlightening, as the young woman not only survived, but gained a perspective on herself and the world that made her past appear shallow and naive. Out of the darkness of her ordeal, she saw her future reflected in a different light.

She felt profoundly that there was more for her in this life than the coddled existence that had become her numbing habit. Unable to stand the suffocating atmosphere of upper-class British society any longer, she realized that she was only truly alive when she was travelling alone. Over the eight following years she acquired an intimate knowledge of ancient civilizations across the globe. Despite this drastic life change, Lara still retains the essence of her upbringing - most notably with her polite, upper-class accent. She turned to writing to fund her trips.

While in England, Lara lives in a mansion in Surrey which she inherited many years ago. At one time she saw little use in it but now realises that, if nothing else, it is at least handy for storing all the artifacts she has acquired on her travels. She has also had a custom-built assault course constructed in the grounds for training purposes.

Lady Lara Croft has already eclipsed her father's career; as of this writing she is credited with the discovery of some fifteen archeological sites of international significance. These sites are still yielding new and exciting insights to the past on an ongoing basis. No one can deny Lady Croft's incredible contribution to the field of archeology, however she is not without her detractors.

Lara's methods have been frequently called into question by government officials and other practicing archeologists. She has been described variously as anything from cavalier to downright irresponsible. Some scholars have suggested that her notorious lack of documentation and brute force methodology have contaminated countless sites and done more harm than good. There have even been (unsubstantiated) allegations that Lara actually takes items from these sites before informing the international community of their locations, and that she is nothing more than a glorified treasure hunter.

Despite the tabloid press's infatuation with her, Lara Croft guards her privacy with complete determination. She has never granted an interview nor made any personal comment to any of the rumors associated with her, preferring to express herself through brief formal statements given by the family solicitors, Hardgraves and Moore.

Predictably there have been a number of unofficial biographies printed about the young Countess, that attribute wild and fantastic feats to her exploits, ranging from the discovery of living dinosaurs in the Congo to infiltrating the infamous Area 51 in Nevada. The official line from the Croft Estate to these works is simply that "...these books are utter rot: disgraceful, trashy works of total fiction."

Nevertheless if you even make a cursory search on the Internet for the Unexplained, the Mysterious and the Downright Unbelievable, time and again you will find Lara Croft's name appearing. She appears to be a hero to conspiracy theorists and alternate history aficionados alike.

It seems the further you dig into Lady Croft's life, the more bewildering and mysterious she becomes. Perhaps like the archeological sites she discovers, we have only scratched the surface of this incredible woman and the complex and inscrutable secrets buried deep within her.

Lara Croft became the seeker of truths, both large and small, and in that pursuit she continues to this day.

Employment

Lara doesn't consider tomb raiding as a job, merely a way of life - although she has been known to uncover archeological artifacts on commission. To fund her radical lifestyle, Lara writes travel books. Titles so far have included 'A Tyrannosaurus is Jawing at My Head' and 'Slaying Bigfoot'. Her common complaint though is that she doesn't have enough time to put pen to paper.

As well as uncovering many notorious archeological sites - including the Atlantean pyramid and the last resting place of the dagger of Xian, Lara has found fame in other areas - she has driven the dangerous Alaskan Highway from Tierra del Fuego in South America in record time (although this was later denounced by the Guinness Book of Records due to her "reckless driving") and she hit the headlines again when she hunted out and killed Bigfoot in North America.

Sports

Not much of a team player. Discovered rock climbing while at Gordonstoun and used to set off into the hills alone during netball practice. Also took up shooting as an extra-curricular activity but was instantly banned for showing "too keen an interest'. However, the strength that climbing gave her fingers was to become useful when she started pulling triggers for real.

Music

Lara was brought up to appreciate classical music but having been a guest on U2's Popmart tour, has since become a fan of their music. She has also been introduced to the sounds of Nine inch Nails by her Aunty and considers it "good easy listening". Finds trance music, in general, good for training.

Food

Despite being a proficient cook from her days at finishing school and having sampled most of the exotic delicacies of the world, Lara usually opts for beans on toast when at home.

Hobbies

Any challenging sports. Has a particular interest in experimenting with different, often extreme forms of transport. Has also once admitted to stitching a kind of Bayeaux tapestry of her own adventures while at home.

Ambition

With her unique physical abilities, Lara is certain of being able to break many world athletic records and so sees no challenge in this herself. Her main ambitions still lie in the undefined world of tombs and the past. She has also however, developed a personal regard for Brian Blessed's attempts to climb Everest. If he never succeeds, she is determined to piggy-back him up there.

Heroes

All the great ancient figures who respected themselves enough to design such intricate tombs to be buried in. "Nobody goes to trouble like that anymore..."

Fears

Her Aunty's Corgi which has bitten her on several occasions - about which, for once, there is little she can do.

Lucky Charm

Any gun at hand.

#Tomb Raider #Lara Croft #Lara Croft Tomb Raider #Lara #Video Games #Gaming

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keen2meecha · 1 year

Text

I posted 3,963 times in 2022

That's 177 more posts than 2021!

120 posts created (3%)

3,843 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@zmwrites

@karolinarodrigueswrites

@ink-flavored

@cream-and-tea

@magic-is-something-we-create

I tagged 2,151 of my posts in 2022

Only 46% of my posts had no tags

#tropes - 323 posts

#asob - 225 posts

#others writing - 172 posts

#reference - 129 posts

#lits - 98 posts

#advice - 92 posts

#bos:fig - 77 posts

#gifted - 69 posts

#not technically writing - 66 posts

#sos - 60 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#(regency for middle class every day wear. edwardian for upper class every day wear. victorian for upper class formal occasions like balls.)

My Top Posts in 2022:

See the full post

14 notes - Posted March 31, 2022

Trying to whittle down the word count of gifted

16 notes - Posted July 25, 2022

A Scandal of Blood

↬ I mean, you know the drill at this point

✯ Genres: Fantasy Romance (like historical romance but in a fantasy world), Adult (but YA friendly)

✯ Concept:

✯ Tagged As: originally [unfortunately i have a new idea] now changed to #asob

✯ Characters:

More information (about the supporting cast and the general world under the cut!

Sir Thaddeus Salae: a bodyguard, 20s, hired by Rosalia following a break in at their country home; takes his job protecting Rosalia very seriously.

Varun Das: a tavernkeeper, 20s, who is friends with Rosalia but unaware that she's a duchess; is her confidante nonetheless, and is always happy to offer her a free drink.

Lady Cressida Morgenstern: the second sister, 21, not entirely "there" but observant to a fault; has a magical affinity for plants and animals.

Lady Violet Morgenstern: the third sister, 18, quiet and fatigued; is studying to be a scholar of magic and is vehemently against marriage.

Lady Lillian Morgenstern: the fourth sister, 16, fiery and free-spirited; has a magical affinity for creating magical perfumes with the flowers Cressida grows.

Lady Dorothea Morgenstern: the youngest sister, 14, sickly but bright; has magical abilities, but is unable to use them due to her illness.

17 notes - Posted June 17, 2022

A well-meaning someone: your manuscript is a little too long, maybe try editing? :)

Me, who has been editing this damn book for at least two years:

[Id: a gif of John Mulaney saying "and I also don't want me to be doing what I'm doing]

19 notes - Posted January 31, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Introducing Fall Into Grace

(Book One of the Blood Oath Saga)

In the passenger seat of his truck, Uncle David said, “Tell me again.”

Tessa had told him four times in this trip alone. But she didn’t sigh, or complain. She knew better.

“Always have a coat. Keep your pockets full. Count your exits. Count your obstacles. Shelter first.”

Next to her, he nodded with each rule, just a little. Just enough.

“One pill in the morning, one pill in the evening. Don’t panic, ever. Use fire for vampires. Silver for monsters. Question everything.”

“Okay.” He finally put the car into park, the clicking of the gearshift sounding awful final to Tessa’s ears. “I’ll be back in November with your refill. You have a year here. Listen to what Esther tells you.”

“Yes, sir.” She wrapped her hand up in the strap of her backpack until the ribbed cloth was biting into the palm of her hand. “...I’ll miss you.”

“One year,” He repeated, as if she hadn’t said anything. “Check in November.”

“Check in November, one year before we leave.” She bit her lip and pushed the door open. Having already pushed her luck once, she didn’t wait for any kind of proper goodbye — which turned out to be for the best, given that her feet had barely hit the road before he was shifting and pulling away, letting gravity close the door for her.

Away from her uncle’s all-knowing eyes, Tessa took a breath and hunched her shoulders.

Check in November. One year before she left.

One year in Colorado. Then she could go back to Russia.

Genre: Queer Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Major Themes: Learning To Be A Person Not A Tool, Found Family, Healing, Love As Safety, Genre-Typical Violence

Synopsis: After spending most of her life in the wilds of Russia, being raised by her Uncle David to be the ultimate weapon against the undead population living under humanity’s noses, Tessa Popov finds herself abruptly relocated to a foster home in America for the last year of her adolescence. Surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar environment, she fully expects to be counting the days until her uncle picks her up again. That is before she meets Selene Grace and her unusual family. Unusual in that they’re remarkably close-ranked, all living together despite most of them being old enough for college or work — and, of course, they are all very, very clearly vampires.

What stymies her, however, is that Selene is clearly not a vampire. Under strict orders to do no hunting while in America, Tessa instead dedicates herself to getting closer to the Graces in order to figure out what, exactly, is Selene’s deal.

When she finally does uncover the truth, however, she finds herself in the middle of a conflict much larger than she could have imagined — and much more personal. If she wants to save herself and these people she’s come to care about.

Tag: #bos:fig

Status: Very first draft, sort of outlined

One-Time Tag (send me an ask if you want to be added to the wip taglist!): @nothingisliteral, @adaparkwrites, @humour-and-hyperfocus, @ahowlinwolf, @alcego-writes, @zonnemaagd

29 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #how the fuck did lits make this list #thats a brand new wip #what the fuck have i been doing this year aklfhjgsadjkl

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celticcrossanon · 3 years

Text

BRF Reading - 8th of April, 2021

This is the third of three spreads that I have drawn on this topic.

This is speculation only

Cards drawn 7th of April, 2021

Question: Does Archie exist?

Background: As per the first two readings on this question, I am looking for pregnancy cards, to say a pregnancy occurred, children cards (the pages), childhood (the Six of Cups), cards like that. The absolute ‘yes I exist card’ would be the Page of Pentacles (an earth sign child).

Yet again, as per the first two readinsg on this question, I seem to be wandering off into ‘crazy theory’ territory. I take no offence if you have trouble believing this reading or the previous two, as I am having trouble believing them as well.

You can find the first reading I did on this topic here: https://celticcrossanon.tumblr.com/post/647808015142125568/brf-reading-7th-of-april-2021

and the second reading is here:

https://celticcrossanon.tumblr.com/post/647818008562188288/brf-reading-7th-of-april-2021

This reading was done a week after the two above.

Interpretation:

Card One: The Queen of Wands. This is a fire sign person, particularly an Aries, or a person who is passionate and determined, but who also can be self absorbed, jealous, and vengeful. The person very confident and will focus on a goal and then use their strengths to achieve that creative goal. The Queen of Wands person is very happy with herself as she is, and will not change herself to fit in with other people's expectations. They may have a busy social life and lots of connections that they will use to achieve their aims. They usually enjoy being the centre of attention. They may be spendthrifts.

For me, in this spread, this card is Meghan. The lioness and the lions on the throne just jump out at me, so fire sign plus lions is Leo, and Meghan is a sun sign Leo. The card tells me that Meghan was very focused on a goal, specifically a creative goal (i.e. something that involved a certain amount of imagination or following a not-usual path), and she was confident that she would achieve it. She may have had to do a lot of work in a short period of time to achieve her goal.

Card Two: The Knight of Swords. This has appeared in a previous reading. As before, this is an air sign person, particularly a Gemini, or a person who is ambitious and motivated, and who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, but who also is quick to take action or react to events, and who does not plan ahead. The Knight of Swords person is fast thinking and quick to take action, especially when reacting to other events, but they do not take the time to think through all the consequences and ramifications of their plan, so things can go awry for them.

This is the energy of this card in this spread - a hastily thought out plan, rushed into execution, where the ramifications and long term consequences of the action have not been thought through at all. This is a card of jumping into action and then thinking about the long term implications.

Card Three: The Page of Swords. Finally, my child card! Except that this is an air sign child, and Archie is an earth sign child. :( Swords as suit represent thoughts, ideas, so the Page of Swords can be the thought or idea of a child. The Page of Swords can represent the start of a new idea, or a new way of communicating, or a new way of thinking. Like all the page cards, the energy is very new, tremulous, and fresh; it has not yet grown into the more mature forms of the Knight, Queen and King.

One of the ways that this new idea expresses itself is as gossip. The idea is tried out and tested on other people by talking about it. The gossip may be critical of someone, or it may be generous, but it involves a lot of talk with many different people. You can see this in the cloud of wind the person on the card is expelling from their mouth - you need a lot of talk to test out an idea via gossip, and it can be as sharp as the sword the young man is holding.

For me, this card reads as gossip, especially gossip around a child, a similar energy to the Four of Cups card in the last reading. The hastily executed plan of the Knight of Swords caused so much gossip around a child or the idea of a child, especially gossip that could be seen as critical in some way, and/or gossip about medical issues (swords are the suit of medicine).

Card Four: The Ace of Wands. This card always impresses me as very phallic, with all that creative energy bursting forth from a wands held by Zeus, the chief of the gods and known via many myths for spreading his seed everywhere. This card could be saying that Harry is not the father of the child, as Harry is not a fire sign and Zeus did cuckold husbands.

The Ace of Wands also represents a burst of imaginative/creative energy, a sudden inspiration, that the person must work to bring to fruition if they choose to act upon the inspiration. Wands are the suit of PR, and this card says to me that there was a burst of PR, especially creative PR, designed to shut down the gossip of the Page of Swords and support the hastily conceived plan of the Knight of Swords. It could also have been another idea that was not the usual way of doing things, conceived as a result of the gossip around the child. The gossip at the time of Archie's birth was that Meghan didn't give birth, Archie was a doll, etc and so forth. This creative idea would have involved refuting that gossip in some way.

Card Five: The Moon. We have seen this card in the previous spread on this topic, and the energy is the same. Deceit, illusions, distortions of the truth, nothing is as it appears and trying to find the truth would drive you crazy. The card has Hecate on it, the goddess of childbirth who dwells in the underworld, thus linking Archie to the underworld, but the surrounding cards aren't supporting that energy. Instead, the energy I am getting from this card echoes the energy from the bottom of the deck card (the Seven of Swords) - an energy of illusions, distortions, lies, deceit, and the truth buried so far under the layers of secrecy/illusion/deceit that the people involved hope it is never discovered. The truth about the hastily conceived plan, the truth about the creative PR idea to support the plan and stop the gossip, the truth about Meghan as the person involved in all this, even perhaps the truth about Archie's father - all of this is hidden under layers and layers of illusions and distortions. The Moon card says to look beneath the surface of things, and to keep looking, for nothing is as it appears.

Underlying Energy: The Seven of Swords. Secrecy. Guile. Deceit. The cards shows Orestes sneaking int the city in the dead of night, with the aim of murdering his mother to avenge his father (his mother murdered his father). This is something that Meghan (the person appearing in the spread) wants to stay very, very secret and very, very hidden, as if it was uncovered the consequences would be disastrous for her plans (the same as they would be for Orestes if he was caught). She is using guile, deceit, secrecy, lies etc to make sure the truth about Archie stays buried. There is a slight hint here that Harry is not the biological father of Archie (as the mother murdered the father in the myth behind this card, so similarly Harry could have been dispensed with as Archie's biological father).

Conclusion: Well, I do have a child card, except unfortunately it doesn't read as a real child, more as gossip around a child. :(

The underlying energy of the spread is secrecy, lies, deceit (the Seven of Swords), supported by the only major arcana card in the spread (the Moon), also a card of secrecy, illusions and deceit. Both of these cards also have links to death, Hecate the goddess of childbirth in the underworld linking the child with death, and Orestes sneaking into the city linking the mother with the death of the father and her own death. Being supported by this energy we have Meghan (the Queen of Wands), a hastily thought out plan (the Knight of Swords), gossip around a child (the Page of Swords), a burst of imaginative inspiration (the Ace of Wands), and more secrecy, illusions, and deceit, with the secrets being buried far from the light of day (The Moon).

So does Archie exist? The mother, Meghan, does not birth a child, but instead actions a hasty and not well thought out plan, which leads to gossip around a child, she then has a burst of inspiration, most likely involving PR, and that inspiration leads to many illusions and secrets, with the truth hidden very far from the light of day. There are hints that Harry is not the father of the child, and a vague echo of the death energy that was so strong in the second reading.

The cards are swords and wands - wands are creative inspiration, swords are ideas, thoughts, strategy. The only major arcana card gives a message of illusions and secrets. I don't want to say that Archie does not exist, but I have no energy or message from the cards that definitely says 'yes, Archie as presented to the world via photos and videos, does exist as a single living child'.

After these three readings, I am done with this topic. It is going in the 'not to be looked at for a very long time, if ever again' basket. I am no closer to a conclusion than I was at the start, mainly due to my unwillingness to accept any message other than 'yes, Archie is a living child and he does exist' (I am sorry, cards, I just can not fully believe what you are showing me). I will conclude that there are layers and layers of deceit, illusion, and guile around Archie's birth, planned and put in place by Meghan, that Meghan does not like the gossip around Archie's birth at all, that there were hastily conceived plans around Archie that were rushed through without thought of the consequences, that there was a very strong death energy in the second reading, so something came to an end, and that we have to look deeper than surface appearances, as they are an illusion. For anything after that I will leave it up to everyone to decide for themselves. :)

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skullsandwineglasses · 3 years

Text

The Rebel Princess - Final Review (SPOILERS)

I tend to be quite critical right after I watch the finale of a drama since emotions are high, so my review might be a little harsh. My feelings might simmer over the next few days while I digest things, but for now, I’ll break down my impressions into 3 parts: The “Good”, The “Didn’t Make Sense”, and The “Could Have Been Better”.

The “Good”

The final scene. That’s the first immediate good thing that comes to mind. That’s probably the only good thing tbh. To be clear, these last 5 episodes weren’t bad. Everyone got their comeuppance, our leads live happily ever after, and Wang Su finally sees the light and goes against Daddy Wang by saving baby Jing’er. But, there were quite a number of things that frustrated me while watching.

I will note one other good thing, which is that we got to see our favourite OTP act out a show to misdirect the rebels in hiding and lure them out. We finally get to see our leads collaborating and putting their smarts together! But, this meant that they had to separate again for the millionth time in this drama. And even though it was just an act, the fake confrontation scene between them still stung. As a trashy romantic, I wish we got to see more scenes of them together, especially towards the end of the drama.

The “Didn’t Make Sense”

But because we finally get to see them work together, I wished we got to see more scenes with them plotting together. This is the first time that they’re working together to uncover a political plot, and yet it’s only relegated to one short conversation scene between them after Awu returns from meeting with her brother who refuses to tell her who’s behind the scenes pulling the ropes.

ALSO, the drama never really addressed how Xiao Qi kind of handwaved Zitan’s involvement in the Neem Yu Shan plot. How did Xiao Qi go from “I need to have vengeance for my betrayed fallen soldiers” to “I need to help uncover the plot against the crown”. It’s kind of implied that Awu might have already told Xiao Qi about the truth before Song Huaien does, but the drama never makes that clear because we never see that scene if there was one. If Xiao Qi learns about the truth from Song Huaien first, does he then talk about to Awu? Again, we don’t know because it’s never shown to us. Instead, right after we see him learn about it from Huaien, it then immediately cuts to the confrontation scene with Awu. BUT, since this confrontation scene was revealed to be planned by them, it means that they’ve already discussed the Zitan problem in private beforehand, and Xiao Qi already knows that Awu knows, but we never see this conversation. It’s also revealed that they’ve long been suspicious of Huaien, but when did this suspicion start? Again, we don’t see this conversation. We just have to guess.

This is just one example of how these last 5 episodes made it VERY obvious where scenes were deleted. A lot of scenes were cut abruptly where one scene would suddenly cut to the next, and you kind of had to infer what happened between those scenes. Things still made sense and you could still follow along, but you could tell that they cut out scenes that would have helped flesh things out and make the transitions smoother.

Villains: Nearly every villain in the drama (Jin’er, Zitan, and Song Huaien) turned back into their “good” old selves again during their downfall. And because of this, it made the finale of the drama pretty underwhelming. Jin’er expressed how she misses the old days to Awu and calls Awu one of the most important people in her life, Zitan sees the light and promises to yield the throne to his nephew and face punishment for his actions, and Song Huaien uses his last dying breath to ask Xiao Qi to take him back to Ning Shuo and how he doesn’t want to be in the capital anymore (when he literally has an arrow to the heart while sitting on the throne he just stole). These characters take an abrupt 180 degree turn when they’ve been blind with envy and hatred for most of the drama. Just moments ago they were shooting daggers out of their eyes, and then suddenly they regret everything they’ve done. Their downfall felt too easy, and their redemption felt even easier and unearned. And Awu forgives all of them (as expected). When she pitied Zitan, I was like, girl, he doesn’t deserve your pity. I get that she needs him to sober up in order to discourage the rebels, but still. He had his own brother killed and tried to have her husband killed. Instead she consoles him like a lost puppy. I know that Awu’s a saintly character, and I’ve talked about the virtues of her character before, but sometimes I wish she’d be a little less saintly.

I think Daddy Wang’s final scene fit most well with his character. He’s defeated, but doesn’t entirely express regret for his actions. Which makes sense for his character. He’s never doubted his decisions all throughout the drama, so why would he start now. Even when Awu asks him if he ever loved her mother, he doesn’t answer her. Instead, he deflects the question back to her to ask if she loves Xiao Qi or Zitan, which is such a laughable question. How is Zitan even still considered a potential love interest for Awu at this point? In response, Awu tells him “此愛非彼愛”. Which I’m still trying to interpret?? To directly translate it, it would translate to “this love is not (comparable to?) love”. I’m having trouble interpreting 非彼. 非彼 means “not comparable to”. Is Awu saying that this love isn’t comparable to another love? Is she saying that this love isn’t considered love? Love for whom? Is she taking about her love for Xiao Qi and how it’s not considered “love”. Does she mean what she feels for him is more than love, or different from love? Or, does she mean her past love for Zitan isn’t love? Why is her response so vague? Her dad asks her if she loves Xiao Qi or Zitan, and she instead gives him such a dense, poetic response. Maybe my mandarin isn’t up to par to translate these historical dialogues, so I’ll be curious to see how the subs translate this line. Anyway, in the end, Awu asks her father if he would agree to being buried next to her mother, and after ignoring the question for a bit, he finally says that he wants to be buried next to her.

The treatment of women: The Elder Princess and Yu Xiu both sacrificed themselves in hopes of getting their loved ones to stop rebelling. And then Awu pulls the same move with her father in order to remind him what her mother had done in hopes of stopping him. And this was after we see Hu Yao and Nanny Xu needlessly die in the previous episodes. So all these female deaths and sacrifices made it feel like the female characters in the drama are disposable and can be easily killed off by the writers. It just didn’t really sit well with me that on 3 instances in this drama, a female character tries to use herself as leverage against a male character who’s about to commit treason. I’m also still not over Hu Yao’s death at the hands of Song Huaien, and we never get to see a proper burial for her because she’s a minor character, so the drama couldn’t be bothered to show it. The Dowager Empress also had a very anticlimactic end. She was such a major player pre-episode 50, and then suddenly she was bedridden and only heard about palace news from her maid and wasn’t able to exert much influence over the court. It was a little disappointing that we don’t get to see her wield any of her old power again after episode 50.

The “Could Have Been Better”

This might be unpopular opinion but, I think Awu and Xiao Qi kind of lost their spark in the last couple of episodes, or at least, it’s more subtle now. Probably because the plot was focused on bigger things, which I understand. These are the final episodes after all. They’re also a long-married couple now, they don’t need to constantly reaffirm their love to us. And the final scene was sweet, so I shouldn’t be complaining, but I wish we got more scenes of them alone together. I said this in a reply on another post, but their sexual tension peaked during the early episodes of the drama. It’s too bad we don’t see that level of chemistry again.

Something that I found funny was how we see Awu stand next to Zitan by the throne twice to protect him. The setup was almost exactly the same between the two scenes where Awu stands to his right. It was like the writers couldn’t figure out a new configuration for how to block the scene. The first time was during the “pretend confrontation” with Xiao Qi, and the second time was against Huaien. I just felt the the repeat setup of this scene was kind of boring and uncreative to watch. It was like the writers couldn’t come up with another way to stage a potential rebellion, so we’ll just have Zitan be cornered around on the throne twice.

Also, Huaien wanting to suddenly take the throne and also Awu as his Empress? First of all, I don’t understand why people, who don’t have the approval of the masses, always want to become Emperor. Do they not realize that by forcibly seizing power, you’re going to lose it just as quickly because no one likes you and they’ll try to take you down? I have the same criticism for Daddy Wang and Zitan. But does Huaien think that he has enough military power to become Emperor? And unlike Daddy Wang, Huaien doesn’t have any significant political impact over the lords. Also, does he think that Xiao Qi would just never come back? Second, him asking Awu to become his wife? We don’t really see him feeling tortured over his affection for Awu again since his wedding with Yu Xiu, and now suddenly, years later, it’s revealed that he still yearns for her? And he declares his love right after stabbing her dad? I mean, writers, please. I know you want to create drama, but it has to make sense.

To be honest, I’ve always found Huaien’s character arc a little hard to believe. He’s such a noble character for the first third of the drama, and then it’s revealed that he’s always secretly harboured a greedy side. A side that craves status and recognition. He then downward spirals into this monster who kills nannies and female comrades and wants to be emperor. We see small hints of his desire for the throne, like when he eyes Daddy Wang’s tailor-made royal robes. But this desire is not fleshed out enough. Huaien’s arc could have worked, but because the drama didn’t focus enough on his internal struggle at the beginning since he isn’t the main character, the change felt abrupt. I don’t know how the book handled it, so I can’t speak to that.

Things just escalate so quickly in this drama. I can now see AvenueX’s criticisms about the political plot of this drama and how it looks like it could have be written by a 10 year old. The writers seem to want to make things as surprising as possible, while also using a lot of old tropes that it becomes predictable. It’s very unrealistic. And the villains’ motivations and ambitions seem limitless. It felt like anyone could lay claim to the throne.

The political scheming in this drama has never impressed me, so I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that these last few episodes were just as lukewarm. The problem with the political plot of this drama is that there were no smart characters except Daddy Wang. It’s just a bunch of drama queens(TM) who want power, but do a poor job of thinking things through.

The highlight of the drama was the romance, which was a huge surprise since I didn’t start watching this drama for the romance. And yet, despite the romance being the highlight, the OTP is constantly being separated, and we barely got to see them together in the last few episodes. And the scenes that they did have together in these last few episodes weren’t memorable. If anything, their chemistry kind of fell apart during these episodes because we barely see them communicate directly with each other.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d still recommend this drama just for the leads alone. You don’t see that kind of chemistry in idol dramas, and I don’t know when we’ll be able to see this level of acting between two well-matched actors in dramas again. Watching them is almost like a once-in-a-life-timeline thing. However, I think the average viewer might become frustrated with Awu halfway through. The drama’s also very bingeable (in fact it should be binged, instead of dragged on for almost 2 months). I think I would have enjoyed more if I watched all the episodes at once, instead of waiting for episodes as they came out every week, which meant that while waiting, I started to pick apart little issues that I had with the drama.

#monarch industry #the rebel princess #上阳赋 #cdrama #cdrama review #zhang ziyi #rant #cdrama impressions #i wish i could watch Awu and Xiao Qi fall in love again for the first time #sigh #i only watch like 3 dramas a year #so i guess imma be dramaless for the next 6 months

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