Y’all lie so bad. It was this scene where Serena checked Kordell after Casa Amor. @VanityFair tell Anna Annie to get it right and she better watch those b words tf.
For fans of Gen V who may now be looking for something to scratch a similar itch, I highly recommend reading the Legendborn Cycle novels by Tracy Deonn.
A YA contemporary fantasy series with an authentic black female lead grappling with the recent loss of her mother and adjusting to a new academy environment far from home. It isn’t until she discovers a secret society of Arthurian descended demon hunters hidden at the edges of campus that she begins to link their existence to her mother’s death, infiltrating the group and learning more about herself and her magical lineage.
It’s a very character driven story with a diverse cast coinciding with detailed and layered world building and magic systems, exploring themes of grief, romance, systemic racism, and generational trauma.
The title is currently in development for a live action series adaptation since 2022 after the rights being acquired by Black Bear Pictures, but news of production has been very slow since. Whether it releases or not though, the series currently has 3 published novels with the fourth and potentially final installment coming soon, making now a perfect time to jump in and fall in love with the series and its characters!
(Aside from Gen V, this series can also appeal to fans of Percy Jackson, Legend of Korra, ShadowHunter Chronicles, Twilight, and all lovers of Black Girl Magic!)
It was my birthday last week, and I was sitting in the breakroom at work when a younger coworker asked what my partner had gotten me. She already had her phone out, completely ready to see a picture of a designer bag, a massive $500 floral arrangement, or a viral-worthy dinner receipt.
I told her the truth: He spent his entire weekend covered in grease, replacing the alternator and brake pads on my car, and then he quietly paid off the remaining balance of my student loan that had been giving me rolling panic attacks for six months.
She gave me this deeply tragic, pitying look. “Oh. Well, that’s practical, I guess,” she said. “But you deserve to be spoiled. You know, the princess treatment. A man who really loves you wants to show you off, not just do chores. That's kind of the bare minimum.”
I just stared at her.
What she didn’t see was that for the last half of the year, I had been losing sleep, my hair was thinning from financial stress, and I was terrified to drive my car on the highway. My partner took his only two days off from his own grueling job, completely wrecked his hands under my hood, and drained his own savings, just to hand me back my peace of mind.
The internet has completely rotted our definition of romance. We have been brainwashed to believe that if a man isn't performing his love for an audience, buying things that look highly aesthetic on a TikTok reel, then he isn't doing enough.
We are out here casually calling a man's literal blood, sweat, and absolute financial sacrifice "the bare minimum" just because it doesn't come in a shiny box with a ribbon.