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#the graveyard queen series
leer-reading-lire · 1 year
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JOMP Book Photo Challenge
April 5: Cured A Book Hangover
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taomubiji · 2 years
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The Structure of the DMBJ Xisha Archeological Team
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Members: Zhang Qiling, Chen Wenjin, Wu Sanxing, Xie Lianhuan, Huo Ling, Li Sidi, Qi Yu, and four unnamed others.
I. Introduction
The Xisha Archeological Team was an archeological team that explored Wang Zanghai's underwater tomb in Xisha around 1985. You may recognize them as the young group that explored the underwater tomb in flashbacks in The Lost Tomb 2.
This post is based on the novels only and includes MAJOR SPOILERS from Volume 8. Ultimate Note does not cover fully what happened with this team and Sanshu lied. This post does not cover the team's entire history since it is quite complicated and long.
PLEASE let me know if something is incorrect or confusing. The structure of this team is extremely complex so I could have easily misstated something. I replicated the information from the wiki here in the hopes that more people can catch inaccuracies.
If you check out the wiki, let me know which photo of the team you think is better to use on the page.
Last edit made to fix inaccuracies: none
II. History
A. Beginnings
Even though the Xisha archeology team explored the underwater tomb around 1985, the composition of the group dates back to the 1976 Banai expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb.
In 1976, some members of the Mystic Nine's second generation (Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, etc.) went on an expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb in Banai. Besides Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling, it's not clear who all in the second generation of the Mystic Nine went. The team was organized by an unknown force, related to "It," to place a coffin in the tomb.
In 1978, the team found the place they were looking for and began their mission. While Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, and some unspecified others were exploring underground, Pan Ma killed the members of the team up top. When Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling returned aboveground, they found that Xie Jiuye's people had replaced their former team.
The real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling secretly managed to escape and flee Banai, but it's not explained how they got away. The people that replaced the team were wearing face masks in order to create the illusion that the original team never died.
B. Formal Creation
(this is about to get very confusing, I'm so sorry)
The archeological team had been formally created in the early 1980s under a research institute in Changsha. It consisted of the members who were replaced in Banai. By this time, they had also created a fake Huo Ling and a fake Chen Wenjin who joined the team. (we are not told who else had duplicates walking around beside Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling.)
i. The Real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling Join the Team
When the archaeological team was gathering its equipment in Xisha, the real Huo Ling and Chen Wenjin forged secret orders to send their doubles to Changbai Mountain. The real ones then mixed themselves into the Xisha archaeological team.
ii. Wu Sanxing Joins the Team
Chen Wenjin sought ought (actual) Wu Sanxing to gain his help and he joined the team.
iii. Zhang Qiling Joins the Team
Zhang Qiling was trapped in the Golmud Sanatorium but was transferred out by Xie Jiuye's insider. Zhang Qiling then joined the team.
iv. Li Sidi and Qi Yu Join the Team
We don't know when exactly Li Sidi and Qi Yu join the team. There are several theories, but we have very limited information about the two around this time. For example, we don't know if Li Sidi was even at Banai or, if he was, whether he was replaced. We also don't know if Qi Yu was at Banai but even if he was, he likely wasn't replaced. Either way, two people named Li Sidi and Qi Yu joined the Xisha team.
v. Xie Lianhuan Joins the Team
Xie Lianhuan, who succeeded his father (Xie Jiuye), made contact with Qiu Dekao/Hendry Cox. Hendry Cox gave Xie Lianhuan information about the Xisha tomb.
Xie Lianhuan thought something was wrong with the team and was puzzled by Wu Sanxing's appearance. So he started making plans to join the team and wanted to replace Wu Sanxing with a double.
In true DMBJ fashion, it's not clear at what point and to what capacity Xie Lianhuan joined the team. Chen Wenjin and Zhang Qiling have stated that he was originally part of the team. But on the way to the tomb, Xie Lianhuan took a boat in advance and followed the archeological team at a distance with the man who was ready to replace Wu Sanxing.
Despite the lack of clarity, it is confirmed that he was part of the Xisha team.
vi. Final Composition of the Team
The team that explored the underwater Xisha tomb included Wu Sanxing, Huo Ling, Xie Lianhuan, Chen Wenjin, Qi Yu, Zhang Qiling, Li Sidi, and four unnamed others.
It is confirmed that in the group, Wu Sanxing is from the Mystic Nine's Wu Family, Huo Ling is from the Huo Family, and Xie Lianhuan is from the Xie Family. 
Wu Xie suspects that Chen Wenjin is from the Chen family and that Qi Yu is from the Qi Family. Li Sidi (李四地) has the same last name as the Li Family, but Wu Xie never speculates that he's part of that family.
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highball66 · 6 months
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Movie/Show References in RE
(Note: This list is likely incomplete since this is kinda hard to keep track of. If you know of one that’s not on this list, feel free to reblog this post and add it on!)
Casablanca - Leon quotes Yvonee and Rick’s bar scene in Vendetta
Breaking Bad - Nadia and Damian are said to be fans of the show in Vendetta
Planet of the Apes - Eveline quotes “Damn you! Damn you all to hell!” from the movie in RE7
Pulp Fiction - Leon quotes the “go medieval on your ass” scene in RE4R, the handcanon was also likely named after a quote from the movie
Alien Franchise - Ripley’s tank top was named as the inspiration for Jill wearing a tank top since Capcom enjoys the “women in horror movies wearing tank top” trope, Sherry in RE2 was inspired by Newt, RE3R’s coffee shop "Coffee Shop Sigourney" was named after Sigourney Weaver and the logo is similar to the USCC’s from the movie, there’s a poster for it in the subway station in RE3R, both Luis’s death in the OG4 and Tyrell’s death in 3 are references to the Queen killing Bishod with her tail, Nemesis’s second form was made to resemble the Xenomorphs, Mikhail Viktor’s actor was in the movie.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The dinner scene in RE7 was inspired by the movie, the Hunter intro from the original RE1 was inspired by Leatherface dragging the bodies across the floor
Leon: The Professional - Inspiration for Leon’s namesake, both his name, his gun’s name (Mathilda), and his license plate for his jeep came from this movie
Terminator 2: Judgment Day - The shotgun reload animation from RE2 was the same way Sarah reloads her shotgun in the movie
Terminator 1: An edited parody poster for the first film is on the subway walls in RE3R.
Little Shop of Horrors: Plant 42 from RE1 was a reference to this film according to interviews.
Mission Impossible - Staff for Death Island were told that Leon can do anything Tom Cruise can do in the Mission Impossible movies
Jaws - served as the aquatic inspiration for Death Island
Alone in the Dark - was named as the inspiration for the Camera angles in the original 1996 RE1
The Shining - the Spencer Mansion was originally inspired by the Overlook Hotel from the movie, Leon stays in Estes Park in Vendetta which is where the Stanley Hotel is (the Overlook Hotel in the book/movie).
Dawn of the Dead - Mikami named this as negative inspiration for the series saying that he didn’t like aspects of the movie and wanted to make sure RE didn’t do that
The Thing - Quint references the movie in RE5 and the dogs split their heads in half the same way the alien dogs do in the movie
Sweet Home - Both the game and the movie are what served as the main inspiration for RE, which was originally intended to be a  sort of remake of the Sweet Home game, but then Capcom lost the rights to the IP and reworked some things, resulting in Resident Evil
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - the scene in Death Island where Chris and Leon defeat the mutated Dylan by shooting the gate closed was inspired by the way Luke kills the Rancor in Episode IV.
Return of the Living Dead - CV’s inspiration, especially with the graveyard scene
Evil Dead - Jack yells ‘Groovy” when he grabs the sheers in RE7, quoting Ash
Pet Cemetery - was the inspiration for the zombie dogs
Cujo - also inspired the zombie dogs
Top Gun: A parody poster for “Air Combat 1492″ is on the subway walls in RE3R.
Risky Business: A parody poster for it is on the subway walls in RE3R.
La Femme Nikita: Ada’s design was based on Nikita’s character, and the start screen for the original Separate Ways was a nod to the poster for the series.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers: When the Ganados point at Leon and tip their heads back, it’s the same way the aliens communicate with each other in this movie.
Speed: The bus in RE2 and RE3 is called “33 midtown” which is a reference to the bus being “33 downtown” in Speed.
 Lost Souls: The “Hook Man” character from a scrapped build of the original RE4 was inspired by Maya’s hallucination scene in the movie. This was confirmed in an interview with Yasuhisa Kawamura.
 Jurassic Park: Served as the visual inspiration for “Fused Dylan” in Death Island according to the movie booklet.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon: Inspired early drafts of Death Island where it was intended to be a “zombie shark” movie with elements similar to Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Species (1995): According to the production information from the original RE2, this film is where they got the inspiration for “male victims” to be used as “breeding tools” for the viruses.
Psycho II: Norman plays Moonlight Sonata on the house piano the same way Rebecca has to in RE1.
Black Hawk Down: Leon likens the Lanshiang mission from RE6 to a “zombie version of Black Hawk Down” in the Vendetta novelization
As previously mentioned, there is probably way more than what I have here, but there are the ones I picked up on. Feel free to reblog and add your own!
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frenchkisstheabyss · 6 months
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⛧Lilith's Daughter Pt. 1⛧
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⛧ Pairing: ot8!poly!demon!ateez x chubby!fem!demon!reader
⛧ Summary: 100 years ago you were banished to the darkness. The night before Halloween your lovers set out to resurrect you, pulling you all into a night of passion and jealousy.
⛧ Genre: demon au/angst/suggestive (no smut yet but part 2 & 3 shall be ritualistic filth)
⛧ Word Count: 1.2k-ish
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⛧ Warnings: demons (obviously), religious themes (hell), mentions of dead bodies/death, blood (not a lot), nudity, rituals, jongho's new bestie is a snake, sexual language, everyone's a simp for demon queen reader
⛧ A/N: Should I be working on my assassin series instead of working on a demon Ateez series? Yes but, like, it's demon Ateez. What was I supposed to do, just...not? Blasphemy. ⛧ Part Two's Here ⛧
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Twas the night before Samhain
And all through the woods
Not a creature was stirring
At least none that were good...
Deep in the forest where tree roots twist around your ankles like the claws of the damned threatening to drag you to hell, a fire rages at the center of a circle drawn with graveyard dirt. Its amber flames stretch high into the night sky, seemingly hugging the contours of the moon. Ancient symbols adorn nearby trees, written in the blood of victims whose sins in this life constituted such a sacrifice.
At least that’s the belief held by the eight men gathered outside of the circle impatiently awaiting the return of something long ago taken from them. “Men” could be the wrong word for what these handsome creatures cloaked in black, shadows between the trees if not for the light of the fire, actually are. Men. They look like them. Talk like them. Act like them. But human? They’re nothing of the sort and neither are you. 
“You’re so cute aren’t you?” a baby-faced Jongho coos at the small but highly venomous snake contorted around his wrist. It slithers up his hand, locking eyes as it inches closer to his face. Jongho blows a kiss at it, earning a disgusted glance from San. “You shouldn’t play with pests" San scolds through gritted teeth, raising a sharp brow in Jongho’s direction. “Last I checked we needed the snake for this ritual,” Jongho says, grinning mischievously at his new reptilian companion, “But we didn’t need you. Maybe you’re the pest.” 
In an instant San's at Jongho’s back, the blade of a knife he forged with his own hands held to his brother’s throat. “You’re a child compared to me. Don’t you forget that.” Jongho cocks his head to the left and San’s ear begins to ring on that side. It’s piercing. Torturous. The pressure expanding in his skull is unbearable, causing him to drop the blade and stumble backward. His nostrils are flooded with the scent of rusted metal. A nosebleed.
“I’m stronger than you. Don’t forget that” Jongho mocks before the wind is knocked out of his lungs, bringing him to his knees. “Both of you are weaker than me!” Hongjoong shouts, his patience for childish bickering growing thinner by the moment. The mental hold he has on Jongho’s lungs could last forever, keeping him in eternal suspension, gasping for air into the depths of eternity. “Clearly you’ve been in the human world too long because I never trained you to be this petty and weak. Let him go,” Hongjoong demands, “Now.”
Jongho relents, the pressure on San’s mind gradually fading. Wooyoung runs to San’s side, his own rage threatening to destroy his better judgment, “What the fuck was that? We don’t use our powers on each other. We agreed.” “This is not the time!” Seonghwa shouts, his typically gentle voice booming across the clearing.
Temporarily deafening himself to the chaos around him, Yeosang enters the inner circle, drawn in by a force he hasn’t felt in a hundred years. It calls to him, a siren song that breaks the barriers of his own abilities. A figure emerges in the flames. Soft. Feminine. Spellbinding. 
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You open your eyes as you awaken in the heart of the fire. The flames tickle the tips of your fingers and kiss the bridge of your nose. You stretch your aching limbs, your heart racing at the realization that you have limbs once more. Limbs and a heart? Your brain is foggy, a century of sleep having blurred memories with dreams. Voices and thoughts, comforting and familiar, seep in from the mystery realm beyond the flames.
A hand reaches in, skimming your soft belly. You take it, reading the pathways the veins take from wrist to fingertip. Yeosang. You take his hand and, as you do, you’re pulled free of the fire, your bare feet hitting the dirt. All conversations are hushed at the sight of you standing before them, your plush naked body bathed in moonbeams. Their blood runs colder than what’s left in the corpses that lay beyond the bushes.
They kneel in your presence, knees pressed into the earth as they gaze upon you, their eyes pools of shimmering obsidian. The air is thick with sadness, heartbreak, and, above everything, an all-consuming longing for you. “Yeosang” you smile, flashing those beautiful extended canines of yours, pleased at how deliciously built he’s remained after so long. “How I’ve missed you.” You cradle his cheek in your hand, deep crimson nails nicking his cheek.
He melts at your touch, lovingly kissing your palm, more grateful to be the first one touched by you than he’ll ever be for anything else in his afterlife. “I’ve missed you as well, queen. Painfully so.”  Looking out at the others, you count them down one by one, gradually recognizing the faces of your loyal soldiers. Your protectors. Your lovers. “Mingi” you hum, gesturing for him to come to you. Without hesitation, he’s at your side, desperate to be the next to feel your skin against his.
You grant his wish, raking your fingers through his hair to better admire his features. Bringing your mouth closer to his, you run your tongue along his soft pink bottom lip. The groan he lets out is a deep feral manifestation of his desire. “Tell me, have you been a bad boy?” you tease. “For you? I’m always a bad boy for you” he whispers between your lips, the bass of his profession reverberating through your core.
It burns you up inside in the most satisfying way to taste his need on your tongue. “Where is my other titan?” you press loudly enough for Yunho to hear, an indirect request for him to approach that he couldn’t fathom disobeying. “My queen, you are as radiant as ever,” Yunho says as he strokes one of two black horns that twist elegantly upward from the crown of your head. You purr at the moistness it brings between your decadent thighs, “Still a wolf in sheep’s clothing I see.”
Leaning in to kiss him, you sense that something’s not quite right. Jealousy and resentment loom overhead like phantoms, tearing you away from the tender moment. You sniff the air, tracing the scent straight to its source. “Hongjoong” you gasp, kneeling to meet his gaze, “My captain.” His stone-faced expression falters briefly, taken back by your decision to come down to his level. In all his centuries by your side, you’d never gotten onto your knees for any man. Not even in those brutal moments before you were threatened with exile.
A twinge of pain ripples through his chest at the memory. You feel it too, the sensation growing in intensity the further back his thoughts reach. “Come back to me” you whisper, guiding his hands to your waist and your lips to his ear. Hongjoong follows your lead, caressing your figure, savoring the way it gives under the pressure of his touch.
“I know you’ve been through so much. Fought so hard for me,” you whisper, grinding your palm against the bulge straining the zipper of his dress pants, “But you mustn't be jealous of your brothers. I am always yours before I am theirs. Take me, my love.” 
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lynxgriffin · 6 months
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Since we've got plenty of time to reflect, who do you the Knight is? (I'm very much hoping it's Papyrus)
Okay! So! 
While I uh, think that Jaru is super wrong on almost all his theories, I've got one major exception where I think he is correct, and that’s the identity of the Knight:
(This is kinda long, so going under the read more)
Namely, that the Knight is Gerson’s soul tied to a particular object and brought to life in the Dark World. Although for me personally, I’m going to tweak that idea quite a bit because I think it can actually tie in really nicely with my current theories on Ralsei’s identity and nature. 
We keep getting little references to Gerson brought up here and there in both chapters: there’s a drawing of a turtle monster in the abandoned classroom, done by Alvin. It’s presumably either Alvin himself or his dad, Gerson, and I’m guessing it’s the latter. We have books written by Gerson in multiple places, a memorial bench for him, and then Alvin’s conversation about him in the graveyard by his headstone. Alvin also mumbles something about “did I do the right thing?” to Gerson’s grave. As long as you initiate a conversation with Alvin, the game makes sure that you don't miss that extra bit, which is a little telling.
We know that Gerson was originally a historian, and then later turned to writing fiction, and wrote a beloved fiction series that fans still send his family letters about after his death. 
What do we know about the nature of the Dark Worlds? They’re basically imagination and fantasy brought to life. While they certainly seem to have a full history outside of what we experience, with characters that remember each other even from other Dark Worlds, they’re only “given form” when a dark fountain is opened. Any Lightner with determination can stab the earth, and a dark, inky substance can spew from it and give a world of fantasy its own form. The Darkners frequently talk about how Lightners give them direction and purpose in their lives.
So…question! How many of you have used a fountain pen?
I have used those before. They’re quite sharp, and using them very often feels like scratching or stabbing the paper. Black ink spews forth, and from this black ink…you can create whole worlds of fiction! Worlds that other people can interact with! 
We know that Gerson wrote beloved fiction well into his old age. What if he knew his time was coming, but still had stories to tell? What if he didn’t want to stop? Alvin says how his dust was sprinkled on a hammer and buried in the earth, and that this is considered the appropriate monster cultural ritual for helping a soul pass to the afterlife. But Alvin also appears to have done something that is still really troubling him. Maybe Alvin, either at his father's request or based on his own wants, didn’t actually follow the appropriate cultural funeral rites, and somehow helped his father’s soul attach to a different beloved object…a fountain pen that he’d use to write down his story ideas. And if that object gets brought to life with a dark fountain, you could get the Knight: the soul of a writer, filtered exclusively through their favorite writing tool, unwilling to stop creating.
I think it would make sense on a few logical and thematic levels:
It explains how the Knight is able to get around and open the fountains: the same way that Ralsei is able to do the weird things he does. They’re both Darkners carrying Lightner souls, so they can bend the rules.
It explains Queen’s insistence that Lightners are the ones that can create fountains, while King hates Lightners but seems to fully trust the Knight…a Darkner with a Lightner soul can meet both those people's expectations.  
It sets up the Knight as a foil to Ralsei: they’re both the same kind of special Dark World being, both believing that they are fulfilling their roles and serving the Lightners, but coming to vastly different conclusions about how to do that. 
It explains the Knight’s motivations: not that he’s actually trying to destroy the world or anything, but that he’s trying to serve the Lightners. He knows very well how much joy and positivity his fiction has brought to Lightners in the past. How could more of that be anything bad? This is his purpose, what he was made to do. Not doing it is virtually unthinkable.
And I think that in turn keeps him following in the footsteps of how Toby usually writes his villains…rarely if ever fully malicious, but utterly convinced that they’re doing the right thing, or that they have no choice in the matter. 
And of course that ties in with one of Deltarune’s themes: the balance between reality and fantasy. The Knight has no more ties with reality, and therefore is focused exclusively on creating more fantasy and having it supplant reality, upsetting the balance between them. 
And this is extremely speculative, but I've been thinking about how Toby mentioned that chapter three will be a bit of an odd one out, that it's more about trying weird things than advancing a lot of plot. Kind of an interesting thing to note since Kris just made a fountain that should take us into chapter three. If the Dark Worlds are in some way shaped by the will of the Lightner that makes them, then chapter three indicates that Kris's will manifests more as just...trying out stuff rather than something purposeful. Kris makes a fountain because they really want to keep up this special hangout with their friends. But the Knight? He's making narratives.
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heyo! i’ve loved the new chapter of your SAGAU series an i’m glad that you’re continuing it! don’t push yourself too hard tho! also can i send in a request?
whenever i pull on a banner and i get not the characters i want, like maybe ruined 50/50 or the 4 star characters’ con, i always say “WELCOME HOME AGAIN!” because i want every character to feel included and loved. and sometimes when playing the game i just bust into tiny songs depending on my mood. when weekly bullying childe “TAR-TAR-TAGLIA LOVER OF SHNEZNAYAN QUEEN!!” or “I see a little silhouette of a man! Scaramouche! Scaramouche!” after that cutscene from the Archon quest, Rises the moon, Love like you or Let’s go in the garden when strolling through peaceful places etc etc. how do you think the acolytes would react to this?
- that one graveyard visiting anon
Thank you so much! my goal has always been to finish this series :D that's what the blog is for :) meeting everyone and answering your request is just an amazing bonus! And yes! You can always request :D I went a bit over the place with this one, hope you still enjoy!
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As the shooting stars fly down, the acolytes look up and wish for your blessing. Just one more time to hear your voice; 'Welcome home.'
And truly, it's one of the best things a person on Teyvat can experience.
'You can do it!'; 'How are you guys today?'; 'Goodmorning everyone
Never before has there been a day where the acolytes feel ignored. You talk to them, you try to interact, even when they can't interact back with you. It's something they're extremely grateful for. This is your Teyvat, and you're not afraid to show your affection to the world you love.
✧ You greet each and every single one of them with the same enthusiasm.
When Qiqi once again reached out to the golden star, the others assumed you'd be upset. She tends to forget she already came home and tends to reach out more often than any others. But still, each time you greet her with open arms; 'Welcome home Qiqi!'
Oh - and when you sing,
Your voice is angelic, although, a bit hazy through the layers of code.
✧ Certain acolytes try to memorize the melodies and words you sing. Venti claims to know every song on Teyvat, but you still come up with unique ones - ones he's never heard before.
✧ And too in the golden house, an energetic ginger awaits the neverending battle between you and him.
Venti shoots another arrow, his body is following your movements with ease, but his mind is too occupied. He tries to follow the melody of your ballad to him.
Sometimes it's an energetic song. Other times, it's slower - more focused on emotion and filled with important words. Surely, if he can remember this song he can be one step closer to understanding you!
Tartaglia feels your aura through the acolytes in front of him. Your voice is guiding them, and he can hear a familiar tune. Could he really be 'Snezhnaya's greatest love machine' in your eyes?
✧ And lastly, the one thing better than anything said above,
'I love you.'
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checkoutmybookshelf · 9 months
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The Immortals Quartet
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Time to chat about another of Tamora Pierce's beloved heroines and one of her early quartets. This is also the quartet that--in my entirely subjective experience--catches a lot of guff for its romance subplot. But we'll get to that. These are some of my favorite books of Pierce's, and I'm pretty sure that I read these after the Alanna and Kel books, although they were her second published quartet, coming before Kel. Let's talk The Immortals Quartet.
Veralidaine Sarrasri, unlike Alanna and Kel, is not originally Tortallen. Our girl is Gallan, and when we first meet her in Wild Magic, she is recovering from bandits sacking her village, burning down her house, and killing her family and all their animals. She's also desperate to hide what she thinks is a form of madness from every human she runs across, which gets really complicated when Numair starts teaching her how to harness her wild magic. And for just a hot second, can I say how much I love Numair in this series? He has just as much character as Daine and I am never NOT here for phenonemally powerful mages who are also basically oversized puppies.
Getting to watch Daine develop relationships with Numair, Onua, Alanna and George, the royal family, and the Queen's Riders is such fun, and so well done that when Daine finally feels safe enough to explain why she sometimes seems recalcitrant about her magic lessons it feels immensely earned. These relationships also become immensely foundational to the rest of the series, as does Daine's b-plot but still really compelling arc about hating Stormwings.
The Stormwing arc really finds traction in Wolf Speaker. In my experience, most people say that In the Realms of the Gods is their least favorite Immortals book, but for me, Wolf Speaker takes that prize. Not at all because it's a bad book, but for me it's the most forgettable of the four. Daine and Numair are investigating sus nonsense in Fief Dunlath, and there are blood rain and shape shifting/mind riding shenanagins and Daine begins to have holes poked in her Stormwing prejudice courtesy of Rikash Moonsword. It's a fine book, and the subplots with the wolves and ogres are compelling, but for whatever reason this book does not stick in my head.
The book that does stick in my head and is unequivocally my favorite of this quartet is Emperor Mage. This book follows the Tortallen peace delegation to Carthak, and geopolitical and divine shenanagins ensue. Dain's relationships with Kaddar and Ozorne--and particularly how Numair and Ozorne's history colors both those relationships--are again central to the plot. The Graveyard Hag is also actively throwing broom handles between the spokes of Daine's wheels by giving Daine the power to bring skeletons to a seeming of life.
That gets absolutely amazing because the Graveyard Hag wants Daine to reanimate human skeletons, but Daine makes the PHENOMENAL point that humans forget literal walking nightmares really fast. What humans don't recover fast from is when you literally raze their centers of government to the ground, including food stores, records of all kinds, and the freaking treasury. So instead of making human skeletons dance through the streets, Daine reanimates DINOSAUR SKELETONS and wrecks absolute shop. It's amazing, I wouldn't change a thing.
The other thing I love about this book is Numair yo-yoing between being an experienced intelligence operative and black robe mage and a complete idiot. He is tangled up in plans to free slaves and overthrow Ozorne and yet he still somehow manages to forget all of that and swing at Ozorne when he suggests that Numair is banging Daine. Numair. Honey, sweetie, friend, you cannot be THAT much of an idiot. And the best part is, at least three other characters call him on that idiocy. This book is fantastic.
In the Realms of the Gods is the book that, in my experience, gets the most flak from fans. My experience has been that people object to the student/teacher dynamic between Daine and Numair deveoping into a romance and the significant age gap between the two characters as the romance develops. People also seem to feel that this book is too long and drags in places. I don't tend to find that the book is draggy and long, but that tends to be a very "your mileage may vary" thing for readers.
In terms of the age gap and student teacher dynamics, I want to start off very clear: In real life, student-teacher relationships are never ok, are always predatory, and I do not support. However, to paraphrase Red from OSP, not every book that shows things that aren't unequivocally morally good do not need a "Do Not Try This At Home" sticker on the cover. Books don't have to be morally instructive, they don't have to show the best possible healthy relationships, they just have to be interesting. And honestly? I find Daine and Numair interesting. On top of that, Tamora Pierce is aware enough as an author that Daine and Numair actually do (however briefly) discuss the potential pitfalls of the age gap between them. They don't address the student/teacher thing, but then I wouldn't expect them to because that's not the relationship they have in this book. They are more partners than student/teacher. All this to say, I can understand why people dislike this romance, but I'm not here to throw shade, because honestly I enjoyed it.
I also enjoyed meeting and learning about Daine's parents, exploring the literal Realm of the Gods and all the wibbly wobbly timey wimey chaos shenanagins, and the conclusion of Daine's Stormwing arc. (And how dare Pierce make me cry that hard over Rikash. That was uncalled for.)
Overall, I deeply loved this quartet, and Daine is a welcome change from the very martial Alanna and Kel. She also represents an evolution of the magic systems in Tortall, which was really compelling and refreshing.
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cloudofash · 29 days
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Kingdom Hearts is Like a Chess Game...And It Explains the Characters' Story Arcs
If you've played the series up until KH3 you should know that the story of Kingdom Hearts and the characters within our current tale are likened to pieces on a chess board an ample amount of times, especially where Eraqus and Xehanort's chess-like game are a literal re-enactment of the events of the KH3 Keyblade Graveyard war between Light and Darkness.
Despite Kingdom Hearts' chess-like game being well...chess-like and and not an exact 1:1 of chess, we know at the very least that there is a "King" piece within the Kingdom Hearts' chess game. With the introduction of Verum Rex (Verum meaning true Rex meaning King) in KH3 as well as one of the secret endings with Yozora in Re:Mind being titled "Falsus Rex" (False King) entertains the idea that our KH chess game maintains the same (or similar) chess pieces that regular chess has. That is, a King piece, Queen piece, 2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops and 8 Pawns.
This being said, I want to explore which Kingdom Hearts character is which chess piece.
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We know there is a Verum Rex/True King and a Falsus Rex/False King. Yozora is the True King of his Quadratum Universe. The Kingdom Hearts universe is the unreality-reality mirror to Quadratum, meaning that there must be a True King in the Kingdom Hearts universe as well. The true "King" of the KH Realm is most likely Riku, the Keyblade's original and true chosen and he looks nearly identical to Yozora as opposite Kings on a chessboard would. The False King, in this particular case, would be Sora since he wasn't the Keyblade's true chosen and only obtained the power because Riku fell to darkness and his heart's light passed the Keyblade to Sora making him the replacement/fake. However, I don't believe being a False King is Sora's true role in the Kingdom Hearts game of chess. I believe that if Riku's heart never fell to darkness, Sora would be a completely different chess piece that I will get to later.
The other pieces contain a Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns, giving us a 15 pieces (16 total if you include the King). Now in the Kingdom Hearts game of chess there are only 7 (original) Light Guardians, however in the final battle there are actually 10 Total Guardians: King Mickey, Sora, Aqua, Ventus, Axel, Kairi, (and Riku) are the original 7 and then Terra, Roxas and Xion join the fight after being saved. 12 if we count Donald and Goofy and 13 if we count Riku Replica, but it doesn't stop there. Namine made an appearance as well and helped shift the tide by finding Terra's Lingering Will and connecting him to the battle, and Master Yen Sid also joined the fight in the graveyard. The final piece and final character to help in the war is the light from the past, Ephemer.
In other words, we actually have all 16 chess pieces present in the Keyblade War (on both sides if we include Demyx, Vexen and the Xehanort Replicas as the final 3 to the 13 Darknesses). If we match the pieces with the characters I believe it goes something like this based not only on their role within the War but also their importance and contribution to the overall story. Please know that some of these positions can be debated:
Terra - Rook. Terra reconnecting with his Will and Body drastically alter the events of the Graveyard. TerraNort single-handedly defeated all of the Guardians and Terra's intervention stopped them from losing and altered the timeline altogether. Plus, Terra was also carrying the Heart of Master Eraqus who ultimately ended the war by stopping Xehanort. Considering Terra's value to the War, I can't view him as any piece less than a Rook.
Ephemer - Rook. Though he plays a minimal role in the entire Keyblade Graveyard war and no role at all in the entire Xehanort Saga, his small appearance is what saves the wielders from total demise yet again to the Giant Demon Tide. Since he saved Light from expiring at the part in time where they were destined to expire he is a crucial chess piece. And for those who know chess, the Rook piece is required for a "castling" a move that saves the King (or again, the False King) which is exactly, to me, what Ephemer did.
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Namine - Bishop. Her action of calling Terra changed the tide drastically. However, I will place her position as debateable as there may be others who you could count as a Bishop.
Yen Sid - Bishop. He saves the wielders from the Heartless Army, ultimately saving Light from expiring making him a key player in the War. Without him they most likely would have lost the war or would have been severely weakened and incapable of winning the war.
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Mickey - Knight. I give Mickey Knight status due to his Last Stand where he single-handedly pushed back all of the 13 Xehanort Replicas and saved everyone. It may not be timeline altering but it is still a contribution nonetheless.
Aqua - Knight. Debateable position, however Aqua took the lead at several points in the battle and barked battle instructions, almost acting like a military general. Thus I rank her above some of the others.
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Roxas - Pawn. Originally a pawn to Org 13, although he went through an incredibly journey he ended up locked away back into Sora's heart and wasn't able to participate or contribute to the war or storyline until he received a Replica body and Sora's connection.
Xion - Pawn. She was used as the 13th Darkness until Sora connected with her and helped Axel remember her.
Ventus - Pawn. He contributed to the war as an Original of the 7 Lights, but he did not alter the timeline nor save the Lights from expiring, nor did he take any lead during the war thus can only be considered a Pawn piece. Not to mention, he took an enormous backseat as a character after being asleep for 11 years. As such he hasn't had much time to shine since his Union Cross days. That may change in the next Arc, especially since he has ties to the Lost Masters.
Axel/Lea - Pawn. A literal Pawn to Org 13 for most of his story until the end when he final joins the the Guardians of Light. In fact, Xemnas even makes a chess analogy when calling Axel a "pawn" during his fight against Isa and Xion.
Donald - Pawn (extension of Sora)
Goofy - Pawn (extension of Sora)
Riku Replica - Pawn (extension of Riku)
And I know many will not like this, but I place Kairi as a Pawn. The reason isn't to shoot the character down, but I believe within the story she is literally treated like a Pawn. Her entire story begins with Xehanort treating her like a Pawn to get to the Keyblade Wielder. Narratively she is only used to push the stories further, constantly getting kidnapped or harmed. Some of the other characters are debateable but I stand firmly in that Kairi is a Pawn piece and it explains why she feels lackluster. She is meant to be, it's simply her role in the KH Chess Game. This doesn’t mean she'll stay a Pawn, as the Lost Master's Arc is starting a "new" KH chess game and thus the roles of many of the chess pieces (sans Riku and Sora) will change. I believe she'll be a Bishop in the Lost Master's Arc but as of the Xehanort Saga Kairi is only a Pawn.
But if Kairi is not the Queen piece, as I'm sure many of you initially thought, then who is?
I'm sure you noticed I skipped a character. That's right: Sora. Sora is the Queen piece in this game. A Queen piece acting in the place of the King, a false king. If you know chess you know that the Queen piece can move in any direction she wants as many spaces which is exactly what Sora is and what he can do. Sora is ridiculously OP as a character to the point he is often considered the most powerful and it's the Queen piece that is the most powerful, not the King piece as some unfamiliar with chess may believe. Sora can move any which way he pleases, even traverse time, travels worlds through hearts and hearts through worlds and even moves between Realms to save Riku from Dark Aqua as a Queen piece would rush to the save the King piece. All of which is reminiscent of a Queen moving all around a board in any way.
Riku is the King piece which is why the battle in the Keyblade graveyard wasn't considered over until Riku was defeated or checkmate'd. After Riku was defeated by the Demon Tide Storm, Sora was instantly knocked off the board. Also again, he is a mirror of Yozora much like the White and Black Kings in chess mirror each other. And if we think about the King piece in chess, Riku makes the most sense. The King is the most important piece and often times Riku is the most important to the story (especially Dream Drop Distance and now post Re:Mind) hence his character development and getting more development than Sora in many ways. In the Keyblade Graveyard War, he IS the most important as its his sacrifice that changes the timeline altogether and saves Light from Expiring. Without his sacrifice, the 13 Darknesses would have won and Light would have remained expired. It doesn't get any more important than that. In addition, if the Crown Necklace theory is proven true and Sora acquired his crown necklace chain from Riku, that means Riku was the original bearer of the Crown and most likely descends from Ephemer's Royal Line (which is all but confirmed, he literally looks like Ephemer) making him make even more sense as the King Piece.
Sora and Riku are the only two who I believe will keep consistent Chess roles as the King and Queen pieces. That's what their relationship is to one another. The only change I can see is Riku and Sora themselves officially swapping roles, with Sora becoming the True King and Riku relinquishing his role as King to become Queen. Considering the way Riku rushes to save Sora and how he travels to all ends to do so (including traveling to an entirely new universe just to save him once more and traveling between dreams to become a Dream Eater to save Sora), it almost is like he is beginning to move all around the "board" and could very well be showing signs of becoming a Queen piece to protect Sora, who would then become the new King piece.
We will have to wait and see which way this chess game goes in KH4 and beyond to confirm or deny any of this theory.
Anyway, that's all I have I hope you all feel free to share your thoughts. If you have alternate Chess Rankings, please feel free to share!
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lillywhitefield · 3 months
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✧・゚: *✧・゚:*New and Improved*:・゚✧*:・゚✧
✧・゚: *✧Lilly Whitefield's Fanfiction Masterlist✧*:・゚✧
Bridgerton
Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
Doja Cat Modern Songfic Series
Penelope Needs to Know - Explicit, Size Kink, Love Confession, 7/7, 25.6k words
Why Don't You Say So, Colin? - Mature, Masturbation, 2/2, 7.5k words
They've Been Feelin' Freaky Deaky - Explicit, One-Shot, Mirror Sex, 9.1k words
Polin Week 2023
Love Island and a Little Magic - Mature, Modern, Love Confession, 2k words
Rent is Due - Explicit, Modern, Roommates With Benefits, 1.6k words
A Pen Pal Called Pen (or, The Missing Letters) - General Audiences, Regency, Epistolary, 2k words
Never Turned You Off - Explicit, Modern, Flirting Help, Wall Sex, 2.1k words
Olive Like No Other - Teen, Modern, Olive Puns in Greece, 1.5k words
A Visit From Sir Richard - Explicit, Regency, Dildos, 3k words
when you and I collide - Teen, Modern, Intimacy, 1.2k words
Polin Month 2023, Ed Sheeran Edition
learning to speak - General Audiences, Modern, Meet-Cute, Speech Disorder, 2k words
a million more first times - General Audiences, Regency, Developing Friendship, 2.2k words
I see my future in your eyes - Explicit, Regency, Kitchen Sex, 3.4k words
this love won't ever go away - Explicit, Modern, Disney World with Children, 9k words
you will still love me the same - Explicit, Regency, Older Couple, A/B/O, 3.7k words
Complete Multi-Chapter
Santa Baby - Explicit, Modern, Santa Kink, Lap Sitting, Pregnancy Sex, 3/3, 22k words
It Was a Graveyard Smash - Various Ratings, Halloween One-shots, 21/21, 35k words
Bloodlust - Explicit, Regency, Vampire AU, Blood Drinking, Check Tags and A/N for CW, 4/4, 22k words
Romancing Captain Bridgerton - Explicit, Regency, Mermaid AU, 21/21, 100k words
Summer Afternoons - Explicit, Regency, Coping with Heat, Semi-Public Smut, 4/4, 16k words
One-Shots
Falling for You - Explicit, Regency, Amnesia, Valentine's Day, Love Confessions, 11.2k words
Love in Bloom - Explicit, Regency, Sex Pollen, 5.2k words
you are impossible - Mature, Regency, Love Confession, 2k words
Switch It Up - Explicit, Modern, BSDM, Restraints, Latex, 1.9k words
Kissing the Kettledrums - Mature, Regency, Masturbation, 1.4k words
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Explicit, Regency, Pregnancy Sex, 4.5k words
All's Fair in Love and Pall Mall - Explicit, Regency, Sexual Frustration, 7k words
Works-in-Progress
A Poison Tree - Explicit, Regency, Forced Marriage/Proximity, Only One Bed, Rebuilding Relationships, 16/18, 119k words
The Christmas Cake-Off - Teen (for now), Modern, Christmas Hallmark Movie, 2/3, 14.7k words
Twelve Years, One Night - Teen, Modern, Rom-Com (based on Six Days, Seven Nights), 4/?, 11.9k words
Made of Honor: A Polin Love Story - Mature, Modern, Rom-Com (based on Made of Honor), 1/?, 1.8k words
Other Fics
Lord Fife
In His Wildest Fantasies - Explicit, Regency, Fife/Ben but also one-sided Fife/Colin and one-sided Cressida/Pen and also Colin/Pen in the background and ends with marriage of convenience for Cressida/Fife, M/M smut, 5.6k words
Queen Charlotte
Agatha Danbury/Lord Ledger
Come With Me - Explicit, no PIV but it's hot I promise, 4.3k words
Call the Midwife
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may God hold you in the hollow of his hand - Teen, Grief, Loss of a Parent, 4k words
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Talking - Explicit, Married Life, 2.5k words
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banefolk · 3 months
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Next in the christmas botanicals series is the deadly poisonous yew tree (taxus spp.) with its shiny evergreen foliage and bright red berries. Yew’s association with christmas is documented back to 1605 in Germany where a bough of yew (or other evergreen) was brought indoors and decorated with candy, nuts, and fruit. Queen Charlotte was German and brought her regional custom of decorating yew boughs to England creating a sensation at court. In 1800 she used a full tree instead of just a bough. That tree was a yew, making the earliest christmas tree in England a yew tree. Over 50 years before Prince Albert’s “first christmas tree”.
Yews have been venerated by many peoples for thousands of years because the trees live for thousands of years and are technically immortal. Yew fossil records date to 200 million years ago. It’s kind of a big deal.
Yew is heavily associated with death and resurrection. The trees are in a perpetual state of simultaneous decay and new growth. It is the real life tree version of the Dionysus-Osiris-Esus-Jesus resurrection myth. Yew is the deified world tree and greenmantle ruling the dark half of the year. It is the literal Holly King.
Yew’s use to decorate for the winter solstice very likely dates back to prechristian times. Poisons are often considered some of the most powerful protection herbs in traditional folk beliefs and it’s no coincidence many botanicals used to make christmas wreaths and garlands are poisonous. Our animistic ancestors across the northern hemisphere were using them to protect their homes and the people within from winter’s ghosts and ghouls. Yew has long been believed to protect from ghosts and the restless dead, hence its use in graveyards ancient and modern. Today evergreen garlands are used for decoration but their origin was magical protection.
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britany1997 · 11 months
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Dine N' Dash pt. 2
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So excited to share the smutty part two to this collab with @misslavenderlady We put equal work into this so show some love by liking and reblogging both of our posts! Lave is such a queen and I really enjoyed working with her on this series, it was so much fun:):)
Warnings: SMUT minors DNI, cunilingus, p n v sex, nipple play, first time, semi public sex
Tyler x fem reader (implied plus size reader)
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Coming to the diner with his buddies was the best decision Tyler had ever made. Back at the beginning of summer, he had fallen hard for you. The beauty who served them all lunch prepared by a short-order cook. Ever since that fateful day, he made a point to come by and get seated in your section whenever he wanted to visit and get some grub. 
The two of you always shared some kind of dessert whenever he came by. Ice cream, pie, cake, whatever delicious treat was on the specials menu for the day. You both giggled and flirted over your treats and when it was time to call it a day, he promised to come by again soon.
During your off time, the two of you went on dates full of excitement and fun. Whether it was skating together at the rink or just walking side by side on the beach, Tyler had the time of his life with you. 
Even if you two had only been an item for a few months, he knew he was falling in love with you. You found yourself feeling the same way. There was just something about Tyler that was absolutely enamoring. It made him incredibly easy to fall for.
You could tell he cared deeply for you. When he picked you up for dates he was a mess of compliments and adoration. He’d babble on about how pretty you were, how perfect your hair was, how amazing your outfit looked. If there was something Tyler liked about you, he never hesitated to tell you exactly how he felt.
He was such a gentleman, always offering you his jacket when it was cold out, or holding doors for you whenever you entered a building. And he always wanted your hand in his. The feeling of your fingers laced with his made you feel close to him, and you knew he felt the same. You loved kissing him. He was somehow simultaneously passionate and gentle. Like he wanted to show you how much he adored you but didn’t want to break you when he did.
Every moment you spent together was better than the last, but lately, you’d found yourself wanting even more, wanting to be even closer to him.
You had that thought on your mind when Tyler came to visit you during a graveyard shift. Today had been surprisingly quiet, as some kind of event on the opposite side of the city had lured all the patrons away. That didn't bother you though. At least the two of you could spend more time flirting. 
"Can I pretty please get another coke from the most beautiful waitress in the restaurant?" Tyler cooed, holding up his empty glass. 
"I'm the only waitress in the restaurant, you goof," you teased him as you poured the pitcher of soda over the cup. 
While your coworkers were pretty much done for the night, you had been given the job of closing up after all the cleaning was done. Time just seemed to fly by whenever Tyler came to visit. He was also a generous tipper, but you adored him for plenty of things that had nothing to do with money. 
“What you up to after this, babe?” he asked as he helped you wipe down tables. Whenever Tyler came by to see you during late shifts, he always helped you close up. You’d never ask him to clean for you, but you’d never have to. 
“I don’t know, maybe I’ll go over to my boyfriend’s place, and see what he’s up to,” you teased as your cheeks flushed pink. 
Tyler smirked, “so this boyfriend, babe, is he cuter than me?” he asked.
Your face twisted in mock consideration. “Hmmmm~ Well I’d say you’re about the same.”
He inched closer. “Is he as good on a board as me?”
You shrugged and fought a smile. “You’re about the same.”
He moved even closer until he was standing right in front of you, his blue eyes gazing lovingly into yours. 
“Is he as good at kissing you as I am?” he whispered as he leaned in. Having him so close made you sigh dreamily.
“Only one way to find out,” you whispered back before pressing your lips to his.
With just one kiss, you were already relaxing into him. He was just so warm and inviting, it made you feel incredible. The sweetness of his drink was on his lip, and it only made you want to kiss him more.
You threw your arms around his neck, completely forgetting about your cleaning duties. All you could focus on was running your fingers through his blond hair. The sunkissed locks were so soft to the touch. You found yourself twirling a strand around your finger as you kissed him deeper. 
When you finally broke free for some air, you both were slightly out of breath. Kissing Tyler made you dizzy in the best way possible. 
"So…" Tyler sighed. "Am I better than this boyfriend of yours?" 
A snicker fell from your lips as you embraced him tighter. He was such a ham and you loved it. 
"Oh he doesn't even compare to you, cutie," you teased. 
Something familiar was tugging at you. A need. A want. A craving for something even sweeter than just smooches. Something that made you squeeze your plush thighs together and squirm as warmth started to build in between your legs. 
He was just holding you so close and he smelled so good. That cologne he doused himself in after skating was so delicious. You wondered if he could tell what he was doing to you. Tyler sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around your waist and nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck. 
“For the record babe? No one compares to you either.” 
You could have melted in his arms right there. He pulled back, one hand still around your waist, the other sliding up to cup your cheek and caress your skin with his thumb. 
“You’re so pretty, baby,” he chuckled to himself in disbelief. “My pretty baby.” 
Your lips parted in surprise at his words, what was meant to be an innocent kiss had turned into something a bit more…intimate. 
“Tyler…” you breathed as you bit your lip. 
“Yeah, baby?” he whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
For a moment you weren’t sure exactly what to say. Words were failing you, all because Tyler was staring at you with those gorgeous baby blues. They made you feel dizzy. You just wanted to fall into his arms and let him take you wherever he wanted.  
By some miracle, you got yourself to gather the strength you needed. While still watching him with desire, you slide a hand over his chest, caressing the muscles underneath his t-shirt. He really was so sexy. 
“I want...I want to do...more with you...~” you admitted.  
His head tilted to the side in curiosity. Between the pose and the blond hair, it reminded you of a golden retriever. How fitting considering he was your golden boy.  
“More?” 
“Yes, more,” you said, cheeks growing warmer. “I wanna....do it...with you...~”
Tyler’s breath caught in his throat. Every day when he woke up he had to convince himself he wasn’t dreaming. Remind himself that you were real and you were with him. 
Now with you standing in front of him, asking him for more, he struggled not to pinch himself. Visions flashed through his head of your plush thighs wrapped him, your pretty lips parted in soft moans, you hand held in his as he pressed into you. His cheeks reddened as his jeans tightened.
“Baby, you’re my whole world,” his eyes flickered back and forth as he sputtered out his feelings. “I want that too I um- I wanna make you feel really good babe.”
He laced his fingers through yours. “Wanna do that when you’re really ready, baby. Don’t wanna pressure you into anything. You’re sure you want that? With me?” 
You blushed, the corners of your lips turning up in a nervous smile. “I’ve never been more sure of anything Tyler.”
He could have swooned and melted into the diner’s linoleum floor right then and there. God you were perfect. And you were his.
There was a newfound hunger growing inside you. Seeing him so eager for such an idea was making you feel all warm and tingly. You brought him close so you could press your pillowy soft lips to his, moaning as your deep kiss enchanted him. 
Ever the one to be good at multitasking, you untied your apron and tossed it aside while you kissed Tyler some more. One hand caressed his stubbled cheek while the other began to undo the buttons on your work dress. You wanted to give your boyfriend all of you. 
"Tyler~" you sighed into his mouth. "I don't think I can wait. Please…please touch me"
The skater's cock was getting harder and harder by the second. Seeing you get so hot and bothered here and now was driving him wild. He longed for this day for so long. 
"Fuck, baby," he moaned. "Right here? Right now?" 
You giggled, pressing your bra-clad breasts up against his strong chest once your dress was opened up. It was always fun to get him all flustered.
"Why not? We have so many sweet memories in this diner. Let's make a very special one to add to the list~"
As you shed your dress, Tyler groaned with anticipation. “Shit babe hold on,” he reluctantly pulled away from you to lock the diner’s front door. He flipped the switch on the open sign off, killing its bright neon display. He pulled the screens down on the windows, keeping your perfect form from prying eyes. 
When he’d finished he eagerly returned to you. He gripped the counter behind you, his hands on either side of your waist, boxing you in. 
“God you’re beautiful,” he breathed as his mouth watered at the sight of your full chest.
His hands traveled from the counter to wrap around your waist. “Hop up for me, yeah?” he asked.
You nodded shyly as he lifted you up to seat you on top of the counter.
Tyler took the elastic of your panties between his fingers and rolled them down your legs. A blush rose to your cheeks as you were left on the counter in only your bra and Tyler stood before you fully clothed, and eyeing you hungrily. 
You expected him to pull his shirt off or roll down his shorts, but your lips parted in a gasp when he instead sunk to his knees and shimmied in between your parted thighs.
Never before had you ever been so excited for something in your whole life. Your heart was pounding as you watched your boyfriend licked his lips with ravenous need. He gently pushed your knees further apart so he could fully see you. 
"Fuck, look at you. Such a pretty pussy for a pretty girl~"
In that moment you opened your mouth to express how embarrassed he made you when he said such things. But you didn't get the chance. Any control of your voice was lost when Tyler dove in.
His tongue slipped from the bottom of your pussy to the very top of your clit. The shriek that came from you was so sudden and loud, showing off how utterly surprised you were. 
"OoHH!" you squealed out. 
"Fuck, I KNEW my girl was gonna be so yummy," Tyler said with a smirk. His lips glistened from your wetness, already making such a mess. He went back in for an even deeper taste of you. It was like watching an addiction build up within him. 
“Mmm babe, how’s it feel knowing you’re the tastiest thing that’s ever been on this counter,” he spoke into you as he lapped at your folds like a man starved. 
He pulled soft mews and moans from your full lips as he devoured you. His lips pressed against your clit, kissing it softly. His hands wrapped around your doughy thighs, kneading the flesh with his hands as he sucked your clit into his mouth. Your thighs squeezed his head at the feeling, prompting him to moan into your sopping heat. 
He moved one hand from your thigh to press two fingers into moving them in and out slowly as he continued to suck. He crooked his fingers, rubbing you in just the right place. You felt your orgasm threatening to burst out as you moaned at his repeated ministrations. 
“Tyler,” you whimpered. “Gonna cum!”
“Cum on my tongue, babe. Bet you taste so sweet.”
His words pushed you over the edge. Your thighs squeezed him tighter as your release soaked your boyfriend’s pretty face.
"H-Holy shit!!" you cried out. It wasn't the first time you'd orgasmed, but it was certainly the most intense one. Your legs trembled around him, the aftershocks rendering your body to a weakened state. 
Meanwhile, Tyler was looking pretty damn proud of himself. He smirked playfully up at you as he slowly ran his tongue across his lips, savoring every last drop. Seeing him so cocky from making you cum on his mouth was only turning you on more. 
"Aww baby, look atcha. So hot and bothered and ready for more," he cooed. 
The two or you watched each other carefully as he tugged his shirt over his head. Seeing his perfectly toned body and full chest of hair reminded you of how lucky you are. You had the sweetest, funniest, most jaw-droppingly gorgeous man in all of Cali as your boyfriend. 
Tyler leaned over you, pressing you down against the counter more as he kissed you. The intoxicating taste of your juices was lingering on his mouth, and it made you shiver with delight being reminded of what he did to you. 
Your hands traveled up his back, caressing every inch of his muscular body while he moved in closer. The thick, hardness of his erection was pressing against your bare thigh. Fuck, he was so big~
He pulled his pants and boxers off, allowing his cock to spring free. You drooled at the sight, it was pretty, just like everything else about him. 
Tyler gently positioned you how he wanted before climbing over you on the counter. He took your hands in his and threaded his fingers through yours, pinning them on either side of your face. He loved holding your hands. Even now, he wanted to be close and connected to you in every way possible. It had you swooning. 
He pressed a kiss to your lips, then to your cheek, then to your neck before moving down to pepper kisses along your chest. Still hungry for more, he sucked your nipple into his mouth as he massaged the other. 
“God, you’re so gorgeous,” he whispered in between smooches. “I musta been a saint in a past life to deserve an angel like you, babe.” 
You gasped and arched your back into his touch. All of this pleasure had you wishing you two had done this much sooner.
“Love these perfect tits baby, they’re so soft,” he released your nipple with a pop, moving to suck the other. He moaned as he caressed you. Tyler was making it quite clear he planned on being a very giving lover to you.
“Tyler,” you mewed. “Aaahh….this feels amazing…mmmh…so good Tyler, so perfect.”
His heart leapt at your words and he felt himself harden even further. He would do anything to hear more words like that fall from your lips again. He wanted to please you, he wanted to love you, he wanted to worship you.
"I got something just for the occasion, baby," Tyler said, releasing you for just a moment in order to grab something from his pants pocket. He fished out his wallet and plucked out a foil-covered item from the inside of it. 
He tore open the material, revealing a clear condom. 
"Right after you and I met, I was tellin' the boys about you. Corey slipped my one of these in case I ever got lucky. I was embarrassed at the time, but now I wanna thank the guy."
You giggled at the story, amused by the others being so enthusiastic about Tyler's love life. With burning anticipation for what was to come, you watched him carefully slip on the condom, making sure it was secure. It was all really happening. You were going to go all the way with Tyler. 
He smiled sweetly as he wrapped his big hands around your hips and gently tugged you closer to him. His cock was throbbing hard as it teased your entrance. Feeling the length rub against your folds but not yet enter was making you squirm. 
"I'll be gentle, honey. Just lie back like a good girl and let me take care of you, okay?"
No words came from you. Just a simple nod and a soft smile. You trusted him with all your heart.  
Your breath caught in your throat as you felt the tip of him press in slowly. He bit his lip as he restrained himself from just plunging right in. You felt so warm, so wet, so tight, so absolutely perfect. He inched in slowly, allowing you to adjust to his size as you stretched around him. Your hands wrapped around his back, gripping him close as he slotted himself between your legs.
“God, you feel incredible, honey. Squeezing me so tight, like you were made just for me. Mmmm can’t believe you’re mine, baby,” he moaned as he bottomed out.
You gasped at the feeling of his hips pressing against yours and his length filling you to the brim. “I am yours, Tyler. All yours completely.”
He growled at your words, leaning forward to capture your lips in his as he began to move slowly. Your legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust into you in long, slow strokes. You were as close as humanly possible, but you wanted to be even closer. You wanted to melt into his embrace.
"Oooooh God, yes~" you sighed out. Your head fell back, your muscles relaxing all over from the absolute bliss that he gave you. 
Tyler was filling you so easily. His cock stretched and throbbed inside your cunt, rubbing every sweet spot within. Many a night had been spent with you touching yourself to the vision of what your first time with him would be like. 
Safe to say it was better than anything you could have imagined. 
His hand grazed over your bare skin, dancing over your body before settling on your hips. Strong fingers wrapped around you and pulled you in closer, holding you still as he fucked into you. Every time he touched you it made your heart beat faster. 
"Look at you~" he moaned, rolling his hips into you. "So fuckin' gorgeous. Wanted this….mmmh..for so long~"
"Really~?" you cooed. 
A newfound fire was burning in his eyes. The passion was completely taking over your boyfriend, and it only fueled your excitement more. He spoke again, his voice going lower than before. 
"The day after we met I went home and stroked my dick to the thought of what we're doin' right now. I've wanted you more than anything….fuck~"
“Never wanted anything as much as I wanted you,” he breathed deeply as your orgasms built up together. “How could I not?”
You shivered at his words. “I wanted you too, Tyler. You’re so handsome, so sweet, so perfect for me.”
You cried out in pleasure as he hit your deepest sweet spot. A deep moan fell from his lips. 
“Baby, you’re so amazing, I care for you, I- I love you,” he confessed as he reached his peak. 
His confessions threw you over the edge, and you came all over his cock. He held you close and peppered kisses all over your face as you road out your highs together.
“I love you too, Tyler,” you said breathlessly. “I….I love you….so so much.”
He smiled blissfully as he nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck. “You make me so happy, babe. You have no idea.”
The two of you were practically swimming in the dopamine caused by your afterglow. Tyler gazed at you with such intense love and you were sure to return the look. 
You held one another closely. He was snuggling up with you while you slowly ran your fingers through his hair. Every once in a while you would share a kiss with Tyler. Soft and sweet, just like him. It was pure heaven. 
After a little bit of relaxation, he reluctantly pulled his softened cock out of you. He slipped the filled condom off, tying it and grabbing a nearby napkin to wrap it up before tossing it into the trash like he was throwing a basketball. It made you giggle. 
"As much as I love admiring how perfect and smokin' hot you look naked and spread across the table, I can't imagine we can spend the whole night here."
That was certainly true. You let out a sigh before getting off of the surface in order to find where you had discarded the work dress.
"I gotta clean up the mess we made before we head out, baby~" 
Tyler’s lip turned up in a half smile. “In that case, let me help you, honey.”
You blushed and thanked him as you pulled your dress back on, sliding the buttons back into place. Tyler pulled on his shorts, electing to forgo his shirt, much to your delight. He picked up a cloth and spray bottle and began to wipe down the counter. You joined him, your own rag in hand.
He kissed you in between lazy swipes at the counter. Since you’d told him you loved him, a soft smile had been etched onto his handsome face, and his newfound joy didn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
After a while, you were left with a sparkling clean counter top and a fully clothed boyfriend. He slipped an arm around your waist as you headed out the front door, switching off the light and locking up as you left.
He pulled you towards his car. “You taking me home?” you asked.
“Actually,” he said, “Was kinda hoping I could take you to my home? If you don’t mind, of course.”
“Already thinking about round two, baby? You’re insatiable,” you giggled.
He gave you his boyish grin in return. “I just can’t get enough of you, honey,”
Tyler kissed you as he held the car door open for you to slide in. This really had been a perfect night. 
🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹🛹
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leer-reading-lire · 1 year
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Last read:
Title: The Abandoned
Author: Amanda Stevens
Rating: ★★★☆☆
First published: 2011
Read: 7 - 9 November 2022
Thoughts:
I really liked the first half, but the second felt rushed, which is a shame because I think this story had a lot of potential.
Ree Hutchins is a compelling protagonist.
I think Hayden Priest is a truly fascinating character and I wish Stevens had developed him more.
It was interesting to see Amelia Gray through other's characters eyes. I always had the feeling she didn't see herself clearly. But I guess we all are unreliable narrators.
I was enjoying the alternating narration between Ree and Hayden. However at the end a lot of the action was omitted because the writer decided to skip Hayden's point of view of the events and Ree was unconscious.
At the end, it didn't sit well with me that Ree was somewhat scared of Hayden. It was the ghost possesing him, nevertheless a great part of what happened wasn't explained to Ree.
I also wanted to know if Hayden and John Devlin knew each other already or how they got to trust the other and work together. There was plenty to write about and the story, although enjoyable, could have been better developed.
The most important criticism that I have is that this story can't be understood without having read the other Graveyard Queen's books and several remarks about Amelia or John are superfluous. Even though this is a prequel I think one should be able to read it and understand it independently.
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idledee · 8 months
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I’m a viet diaspora and seeing your oc’s have me over the moon!! I adore them and your art style! I also wanted to ask what the general plot synopsis of ve sầu song ca is? (I’m a bit obsessed with chích choè and quỳnh liên-something about sapphic narrative foils just Get to me- and would very much like to know what their roles in the story is)
oh ty for the question!! vssc is kind of...hand-waivey plotwise. sorry its quite long! lol premiseis basically a couple generations ago, the royal family of a declining kingdom evokes a forbidden ritual to summon a primordial god and a few hundred years later, its time to pay the price. the kingdom is once again in decline, and through a series of unfortunate events, a political marriage is dissolved, the royal couple passes away leaving the kingdom to their young children, and the royal siblings, who had once been inseparable, became fractured. chaos reigns for sometime. 5 years down the line, through the iron-fisted rule of the new queen, the previous crown princess, the land is relatively peaceful. but suddenly, rumors began circulating that the ghost of the second princess had started to appear in graveyards across the land. more under cut because it got long oops
chich choe is actually this "ghost princess", and shes not dead. she was originally left as infant at the palace's gates and was raised as a stand-in for the actual second princess, who's chronically ill and weak, to protect the royal family's image. she was the one sent away in the political marriage, and per tradition, when her husband passed away shortly after, she was supposed to be killed but managed to escape. she had grown up playing a role her whole life but genuinely loved her royal siblings and wished to stay by their sides, so when she was sent away, chich choe became increasingly bitter and disillusioned, especially towards the crown princess/now queen. the reason she became the "ghost princess", was honestly, for fun, and to torture her oldest sis :-)
quynh lien on the other hands, is the daughter of a seamstress who would come to the palace to serve the royal family. due to her abusive father and detached mother, ql doesnt put a lot of stock into the idea of "family." she's seen cc from afar as a child and has always thought she was very delulu to play so much into the fantasy of belonging. ql is pragmatic and believes in never dreaming of the impossible, never working yourself up over things that can't be changed, because you'll just tire yourself out. they meet again as an adult when cc is playing in a graveyard and ql is under an assignment from her mysterious employer. cc's dramatic flare is at first just very amusing to her, but turns infuriating, and then infuriating (because i care for you) when cc would inadvertently gets hurt over emotional matters. they become accidental partners in investigating the weird paranormal events that begin to happen across the land.
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emrystheedgedancer · 4 months
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Do you have any recs for any other fantasy books that someone could enjoy if they liked mistborn & storm light archive ?
Ooo I love this question!
Okay here are some of my faves in no particular order:
-The GrishaVerse world by Leigh Bardugo. The Shadow and Bone trilogy are pretty good YA fantasy but the Six of Crows duology hits it out of the park.
-The Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos. It’s sort of a mash up of Victorian steampunk, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic that is just really cool and really well done. Fantastic world building and really good characters.
-The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini aren’t the BEST fantasy books every written but goodness do I love them. Again it’s very YA fantasy and uses a lot of common tropes but the world is cool and also you can rarely go wrong with dragons.
-The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner isn’t *technically* true fantasy but I consider it fantasy adjacent enough to recommend it to fantasy lovers. I love this series and the twists and turns in each book will catch you by surprise.
-If you’re into more gritty adult urban fantasy then the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are pretty good. I haven’t read all of them but the ones I’ve read have some really cool world building and interesting stories.
-Most things Neil Gaiman writes but most particularly The Graveyard Book. It is my favorite of his books but I don’t see people mention it much.
-Okay and finally this is a series that is definitely geared towards younger readers (like 12-13) but I absolutely love it even as an adult- The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. She wrote this series before she wrote The Hunger Games and I happen to like it a lot more than The Hunger Games. It’s more fantasy-esque and it deals with the morality of war and child soldiers and prophesy in the guise of an underground adventure.
I’m sure there are more I’m missing but those are my top recommendations that come to mind.
-Additional bonus rec: the How to Train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell are delightful. They’re also aimed towards younger readers for sure (like 8-12 year olds) but the audiobooks have David Tennant reading them and they’re just fun fantastical popcorn kind of listens where wild things happen that are silly but still emotional.
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best-childhood-book · 10 days
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For fantasy books: THE CHRONICLES OF CHRESTOMANCI by Diana Wynne Jones, TEETH by Hannah Moskowitz, the FURTHERMORE series by Tahereh Mafi, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman, AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor, THE QUEEN'S THIEF series by Megan Whalen Turner, THE STARTOUCHED QUEEN series by Roshani Chokshi, DRAGON'S BAIT by Vivian Vande Velde?
Added them all! (I love Chrestomanci!!)
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dreamlandcreations · 8 months
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Moodboards masterlist #2
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This is (the continuation of) my graveyard for the moodboards I will not write about… no, I will not… well… maybe…
• Moodboards masterlist #1• Main Masterlist •
Aleksander Morozova
Dystopian AU inspired by @marvelmusing's Rebel Hacker!Alina
His Dark Materials AU
Star Trek AU (The Darkling as Q) inspired by @oeuryale's comment on Balance Between Forces
Peter Pan AU (Captain Hook!Aleksander x Tinkerbell!Reader)
Red Riding Hood AU (wolf!Aleksander x red riding hood!Reader)
Stargate: Atlantis AU - wraith!Darkling x ex-Runner!Reader
Tradition - warlock!Aleksander x witch!Reader
Tidelands AU - tidelander!Aleksander Morozova x tidelander!Reader
Timetravel AU - Darkling x Grisha!Reader 100% inspired by @marvelmusing’s amazing In Another Life series
Secret Sweet Tooth - Darkling x chef!Reader
Stardust AU - warlock!Darkling x star!Reader
A Midsummer Night’s Dream AU - fairy king!Aleksander x fairy queen!Reader
The Maze - fae!Aleksander x Reader
The Wedding Planner AU - modern!Aleksander Morozova x Reader (Aleksander x Alina)
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor-ish AU (“Mummy”!Darkling x reincarnated Shu princess!Reader)
Anime AU - fox demon!Darkling x half deity!Reader
Underwold AU
Meet Joe Black AU - Death!Aleksander Morozova x doctor!Reader (Billy Russo x Reader)
Alfie Solomons
Magic Academy AU - headmaster!Alfie x student!Reader
Oceans Thirteen AU - casino owner!Alfie x thief!Reader
Modern Gangster AU
You've got mail AU
Grimm AU - blutbad!Alfie x grimm!Reader (fuchsbau!Tommy)
architect!Alfie Solomons x artist!Reader
Supervillain roommates AU inspired by @creativepromptsforwriting's list
Tidelands AU - smuggler!Alfie Solomons x tidelander!Reader
Timetravel AU - King!Alfie Solomons x archaeologist!Reader created for @raincoffeeandfandoms ‘s 1800 followers celebration
The Mentalist AU - mentalist!Alfie Solomons x D.D.A.!Reader x detective!Tommy Shelby
Sabotage - chef!Alfie Solomons x manager!Reader
Men (modern AU) - Tommy Shelby x Reader x Alfie Solomons
S.O.S. love! AU - Alfie Solomons x Reader(+Tommy Shelby x May Carleton)
The Illusionist AU - Illusionist!Alfie Solomons x Duchess!Reader
Billy Russo
Star Wars AU (Emperor!Billy version) Star Wars AU (ex-smuggler/criminal version) inspired by @marvelmusing's Jedi!Billy and Sith!Billy
Star Trek AU (Billy as Borg) inspired by @oeuryale's comment on Balance Between Forces
Castaway AU
Arranged Marriage AU - mob boss!Billy Russo x Reader
The Vow AU
Pirate AU - pirate!Billy Russo x mermaid!Reader
Pirate AU - pirate!Billy Russo x princess!Reader
Pirates of the Caribbean AU
Surprise baby inspired by this which was inspired by idk what
Vampire Hunter AU - hunter!Billy Russo x vampire!Reader
Grim Reaper AU (Kdrama style) - grim reaper!Billy Russo x deity! Reader inspired by the Goblin, Hotel Del Luna, Tomorrow
Supervillain roommates AU inspired by @creativepromptsforwriting's list
Tidelands AU - tidelander!Billy Russo x siren!Reader
Madripoor - powerbroker!Billy Russo x extremis powered!Reader
The Invitation AU - Billy Russo x vampire!Reader
The Siren and his Pirate - siren!Billy Russo x pirate!Reader
Underworld AU
Meet Joe Black AU - Death!Aleksander Morozova x doctor!Reader (Billy Russo x Reader)
The Last Witch Hunter AU - warlock!Billy Russo x witch!Reader (witch hunter!Frank Castle)
Billy Russo x Daredevil!Reader
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