#book references

[ma-1-s]

I love how the book describes her not giving af about the fact that there's a white rabbit that talks, but the rabbit having a pocket watch is a mind-blowing experience for her.

[anaxibiavasa]

Armand's flex, after Lestat beats him to a bloody pulp then takes him back to his lair, is to grab the iron bar of Lestat's gate, pry it out of the stone slab ever so slightly then bend it to prove to Lestat that he could have broken into his lair anytime he wanted to.

I so hope we get this in season 3. I need to see Armand showcase his vampire strength a little more. Picking up a flipped table with one hand isn't enough for me.

[ilyashaneconnorhudson]

x

[excerpts-blurbs-art-concepts]

Excerpt

Stephanie suddenly grew silent, her eyes tracing the scant blades of dried grass in the backyard, which was as shriveled as its owners.

“Course I can,” Alexis replied, interrupting the silence. “What about you, Sleeping Beauty? Can you drive, or were you counting on Miss Prince Charming?”

Stephanie didn’t look up, but redness dotted her cheeks.

I felt my stomach churn. “Alexis, stop,” I ordered, shooting him the glare that had made most quail.

The teasing grin thankfully slid off his face, but he didn’t stop talking. “That kiss happened, you know.”

“And I am sorry about that. Had there been any other way to wake Stephanie up, to wake you up,” I turned to her, “I would’ve done it instead.”

‘You’re sorry?” Stephanie whispered, finally looking up. Her hazel eyes had a wet sheen. “You—you regret it?”

“Stephanie,” Alexis said, laying a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. He turned to me and said, “Adelyn,” gesturing wildly.

I remained silent.

Stephanie opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. She brushed off Alexis’ hand and stormed off, tears streaming down her face.

I felt something in my chest tighten, but I trampled it, letting my irritation and anger surface instead.

“We don’t have time for this. We need to leave.”

We did. We’d already spent five hours here. If Julius and Katy came back, or if anything else caught up with us, we’d be too drained to fight them off.

 Alexis said nothing for about a minute. The tension in the air was thick enough to be sliced off with a butter knife and spread on a slice of bread—though, I didn’t think anyone would choke it down unless they wanted a heart-attack.

Finally, he said, “Tell me, Lunatic, what the hell is wrong with you!” His eyes glowed golden.

I glared back, crossing my arms. “The only wrong thing here is that you both seem to think you can force me to reciprocate her ridiculous feelings, when I don’t! I can’t! All I felt when I kissed her was awkward. And even if I had felt something, I still wouldn’t have gone out with her, of all people.”

He blinked, staring at me for a few minutes. “Why not?”

“I value her,” I admitted, and paused, because it wasn’t a lie to get Alexis to calm down. It was true. I meant it.

“But she’s spent years fighting me. Before you say anything, I minded my own business until it got too much for me to bear. And yes, she has crossed lines before. I don’t care if this was jealousy, or a classic pulling the pigtails case.” 

I didn’t know why I defended my actions—I was beholden to nobody. Maybe to strengthen my case?

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. 

“I know people who are ready to tear me down, Alexis, and I've thrived despite them, not because of them. And I’m okay with it; I can fight back. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t want people who’ll build me up. Like you do. Whether it's in a romantic or platonic relationship.”

He looked at me for a moment, and then his lips stretched into a grin. “Well, I guess daddy issues doesn’t always mean mental issues.”

I stared at him, trying to process what he’d just said, when a laugh escaped my throat without my permission. And it didn’t stop. I threw my head back and laughed as I’d never laughed before, a weight draining from my shoulders. My heart was lighter, and any lingering aches seemed to vanish.

My stomach hurt, and so did my cheeks, but I felt better than I had in years.

Alexis just watched me with a smile that was as bright as the sun, until my laughter died out, which was when his smile softened.

“You know what, Adz?”

I hummed.

“I’m glad that I helped you see that, even though I’ve got no clue what I did. And I’m sorry for pressurizing you—that wasn’t my intention. And for the record, you and Stephanie would make a terrible couple”

“Thank you.” 

He deserved gratitude. He might have overlooked my feelings, but he had apologized for it. It was beyond what anyone had bothered to do before.

“But you could be good friends.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

He smiled. “I’ll go find Stephanie. Will you come?”

I shook my head.

He left without another word, calling for her.

We spent the next few minutes in awkward silence, and I made it a point to avoid looking at Stephanie’s face, examining the motorcycle instead.

At least until she blurted out, “Are you straight? Is that why you don’t like me?”

I finally turned to her. Her eyes still looked a little red, but she seemed calm. So I said, “I like you well enough.”

“Not like that, you know—”

“I don’t. Stephanie, I don’t know. I’ve never liked anyone romantically. No crushes or anything like that whatsoever. And you know what, I’m glad. Because if having a crush on someone made me behave the way you used to—”

“That’s not why I acted like that,” she cut in, taking a deep breath. 

“I—I was jealous. I was jealous that you have freedom, that you somehow did everything right, and the constant comparisons my Dad made, but I still liked you, and I’m apparently gay, which I know would disappoint both my parents, and not just Dad, and I hate it.”

I blinked, staring at Stephanie, whose eyes were wet again, shining with unshed tears.

“It doesn’t excuse it. I didn’t deserve it,” I said. “I’m not Alina Starkov, Mrs. Bennet, Isabella Linton, Bella Swan or,” I shuddered, “The Archeron Sisters.”

“Who?”

I ignored her question. “You were horrible to me. And I can’t lower myself by overlooking that. I refuse to.”

‘But what if I could?’

I waved the thought away as soon as it strayed in.

My closest friends, the friends who had never let me down, were my mind and my pride. I might lose everything, but I wouldn’t lose them, no matter what.

She pursed her lips but nodded. “Thanks.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“For answering me. You didn’t have to.”

“No, I didn’t,” I agreed.

(Excerpts from Hail the Mortal-Born Queen; check out my blog for the link to the novel)

[kudo-i-guess]

I've never gotten more book recommendations than from a bat-fic from Jason Todd's perspective

[nonofyourbiznuess-blog]

winter and moon

I made this piece on Krita and I have been working on it for a month ATLEAST. I am legitimately so proud of this art. I have a new perspective of Moon and Winters relationship. so I decided to bring this scene to life.

"""All right," Moon said. She hesitated, then took a step closer to Winter so that their wings were nearly touching. He felt his breath catch in his throat. She was made for moonlight, all silver and ebony, or moonlight was made for her. He could imagine her in the Ice Kingdom, silhouetted against the vast whiteness, dark as the ocean and glittering like the moonlit snow."" - Tui. T. Sutherland (Winter Turning book 7) pg. 158, chp. 12..

5 hours and 51 minutes

yall pls appreciate this because it was a nightmare to try and upload cuz it was massive TwT

and it stripped some quality

[their-eyes-were-watching-god]

I would literally eat you out whenever, wherever 👀👀

Oh yeah??😩👀

Even on a boat with a goat? In the rain in the dark on a train? In a car? In a tree? In a box with a fox? In a house with a mouse? Here and there and anywhere?