#He and Lovelace could have had a really interesting dynamic

[box953]

your tags on your last ask have intrigued me, what are some Heiffel/Loveberg parallels??? I'd love to hear them

I've been a Heiffel truther since I first listened to w359 (the stripping scene really sold me on it too) but I've only started to get into Loveberg in the last couple days, so I haven't had the time to consider parallels between them yet

the tldr is that i think the personality similarities between Lovelace and Eiffel make for an interesting experience for Hilbert. Lovelace dies on the old mission and oh sad but it had to happen but then he meets his next crew and Eiffel reminds him just enough about Lovelace to make him squirm.

HOWEVER. I never get prompted to talk about my loveberg agenda or my loveberg to heiffel pipeline so im going to use this as an opportunity to go insane for a few paragraphs. Ok? Ok.

so maybe parallels isnt the best wording for it bc like . It is definitely kind of about the dynamic parallels i think they base-level play out very similarly due to Lovelace and Eiffel being similar in the ways they are. But also i think it’s just about. The coexistence of both relationships in the same timeline. The way they could bleed into each other.

so like. The personality parallels between Lovelace and Eiffel are pretty obvious in the beginning, right? When Eiffel and Minkowski first find her voice recordings and she sounds exactly like someone Eiffel would get along with and exactly like someone Minkowski would despise working with. You see that when Lovelace shows up, too, but she’s also an authority figure and also at the moment going through sooo much fucking trauma right now that it kind of puts a damper on that part of her personality, i feel. She’s a little busy surviving rn.

that is to say, i feel like a pre-canon Captain Lovelace would have been the most like Eiffel, personality wise. Which i think is important.

I enjoy Hilbert’s relationships with characters without any romance behind them. I think they stand really well as their own strange, convoluted narratives. However, when I am applying a lense of potential romance, a lot of the appeal to me comes from Hilbert fighting a losing battle against himself and the decades he’s spent devaluing human life. The way he talks about his relationship with the things he’s done and the people he hurts fascinates me. How conscious he is that he’s hurt people. Something something ‘Do not think this was easy for me. None of it was easy. None of it was nice.’ Some sort of implication that he still feels, he just doesn’t acknowledge it. There’s no space for that. Log it, move on, don’t dwell on it.

With Lovelace, I think it was just accidental. I think he doesn’t realize that he cares about her, values her, until it’s too late and he’s tripped and fell and gotten himself into a weird situationship with his commanding officer. The difference in their first meeting as shown in the final episode vs their relationship shown in Change of Mind is just so… ugh. He’s a part of her routine. He meets her at her room when she wakes up to update her when he was actively avoiding interacting with her during their first meetings. Something happened there. They fall into a routine, a dynamic, he respects her, she goes to him for advice, or to rant about her idiot subordinates. I’m just ranting about why i like them in this era atp ANYWAYS.

The point is. He stumbles into accidentally giving a fuck but then, obviously, everything that happens, happens. He respects her but only enough to think she’d be smart enough to see his perspective, never enough to change his mind on his life’s work.

and then the Alexander Hilbert grieving processes (and lack thereof) commences. He acknowledges that the loss of Isabel Lovelace is objectively unfortunate but that’s as far as it goes, as far as it’s ever gone for anyone since he was a child.

and then he meets his next crew, on the same ship he had just been on for years, and there’s Eiffel. And he’s… not Lovelace, obviously. He’s not even got a modicum of the competence she did, even if they’re both equally as obnoxious. But I still think there’s a level of that parallel between the two of them that kind of haunts him.

And it’s like, whatever, it doesn’t matter, he’s a better man than this. He’s killed before, experimented before, and he’s going to do it again. But what are the consequences of never grieving? What happens when you accidentally have some semblance of feelings for your old captain and then she dies and you just kind of go okay. And then try your best to move onto the next task.

i think it leaves him vulnerable to just having it happen all over again is what I’m saying. I think he has to monitor Eiffel and constantly keep an eye on him to observe the decima project in action and despite everything he’s doing to distance himself from this team (everything about his whole act in season 1. You know. The playing the mad scientist bit up to eleven.) he develops some kind of infatuation for Eiffel. Study your lab rat for too long you accidentally become bisexual. Whatever.

I just. Grips the sides of my chair. I just think it’s neat. I just find them interesting. I dont. Care. (I’m lying.)

[hephaestuscrew]

Just re-listened to Ep42 and now I'm wondering about how deeply Lovelace's decision to let Outside Jacobi die would have fucked with her once she learned that she was an alien clone. Because before that she probably justified it to herself by thinking "he wasn't the real Jacobi, he was other, he could have been dangerous", but then she learns that she's a clone too and everyone could say similar things about her.

She let Outside Jacobi die because he wasn't human and then she discovers that she's just as non-human as he was - or maybe that he was just as human as she is. Outside Jacobi was probably just as convinced that he was the original as Lovelace was.

Outside Jacobi was arguably Lovelace's chance to interact with someone like her, someone who might understand what it's like to be an alien clone and yet to feel so human. But she didn't let him in.

[dragonfly756]

Why did Kepler call Eiffel his Point man that one time: An essay.

Okay here is the reason I was researching what a point man is.

So there’s this throwaway line from Kepler in ‘Persuasion’ where he says he’s “Not about to waste his point man on such a hazardous mission.” Which is incredibly interesting to me because in a military context a point man would go out first into the most hazardous situation to investigate.And, if necessary, to die so others didn’t. Kepler very much isn’t asking Eiffel to do that....Yet.

See, in the episode, he’s asking Eiffel to stay with him on the Hephaestus while everyone else goes out on the dangerous space walk. So maybe it’s just an Inception reference, or the writers didn’t research some terminology that well, and it’s not that deep? (Probably, but I also feel like over analyzing this a little bit.)

So a point man, right? Characterized by being a scout, taking tons of danger for everyone else, and also, and this part is very important, being ceaselessly loyal....... and also an Inception reference, (Creating a sort of right-hand man connotation into the bargain, if you consider the character of Arthur.) (I could write a whole other essay about the whole point man thing for him but it would get really long if I did it here.) and obviously, Eiffel would appreciate a pop culture reference.

But isn’t that role more suited to Jacobi? I would argue not. Especially after Maxwell’s death, Jacobi quickly loses faith in Kepler, in fact, he seems to blame Kepler for Maxwell’s death more than he blames Minkowski. Kepler was the one to make the orders, even if she was the one to pull the trigger. Although his loyalties to Kepler seem pretty fluid, even after Maxwell’s death he has so much faith in her, I don’t have the exact quote handy, but he says something along the lines of “People like that (Kepler) are there to let people like her (Maxwell) be brilliant.” (And presumably better humanity and all that jazz, really sweet that someone as outwardly cynical as Jacobi has such....Noble thoughts.) Even from as early as the Goddard Christmas party, they seem to back each other up on the most banal of lies. TO KEPLER, no less.

This suggests something really interesting, that Jacobi isn’t Kepler’s point man, he’s Maxwell’s. Even before her death, Jacobi’s loyalty to Kepler is always going to be secondary. And even though Kepler heavily miscalculated how much Jacobi would still be loyal to him after the mutiny, I think he does realize this on some level.

So Kepler needs a new right-hand man, one who already has proven himself to be loyal, and who goes out into danger to scout it out.

Enter.....Doug Eiffel! Who has, A: Proven himself to be extremely loyal on multiple occasions, something Kepler would have witnessed both firsthand when he first picked him up on the Urania, and through Doug’s logs. and B: Had significant experience in dangerous situations. (Again, the whole ‘cryosleep and readjust the tiny spaceship to get in comms range of help’ is something Kepler would have seen firsthand.) and C: Eiffel is viewed favorably by the aliens they’re trying to contact. All of this adds up to a very good point man, if Kepler can win him over.

Which Kepler attempts through......Drum-roll please.....Emotional manipulation!!! Is anyone really surprised? Anyway. He starts by outwardly validating the person hood of both Eiffel and Hera, mainly by yelling at Hilbert a lot, While behind the scenes he has Maxwell put malicious code in Hera and expects Eiffel to eventually die for him if it comes to that.

He also isolates Eiffel as much as possible from other members of his original team.

He assigns Minkowski the most menial jobs he can, and since turning Eiffel against her is frankly a tall order, attempts to turn her against him with the records ‘leak’ of his past.

He gives Hera a new friend who understands her on a level that Eiffel doesn’t.

He keeps Lovelace close, (My personal interpretation of their dynamic is that Kepler views her as an opposing, but largely unattached agent. No loyalty to either him or the Hephaestus crew.) as master-at-arms, but largely doesn’t seem to worry about her.

Since degradation and other forms of manipulation (punishment?) don’t seem to work on Hilbert, Kepler attacks him through the only vector he can, denying him his research. (This serves two purposes, keeping Hilbert in line and submissive, and encouraging Eiffel to like him more. I don’t think Kepler would care that much about Eiffel’s health unless it benefited him somehow, so he uses Eiffel’s bodily autonomy basically as a treat for good behavior. Not unlike how a lot of people treat Hera, actually.)

And Eiffel? He praises him for his resourcefulness, he gives him preferential treatment, doesn’t call him stupid. (This is all heavily conditional on his mood, of course.) He makes himself the one person on the station who will give Eiffel consistent support and doesn’t underestimate his ability. This is all to the point where I think if the contact event had gone to plan, even if nobody else on the original crew survived, and it was just him, Jacobi, Maxwell, and Eiffel? Well, Kepler would be just fine with that. Eiffel would go out first, attempt to communicate with the aliens, and come back, maybe short a few limbs, maybe with some additional trauma, but ultimately fine.

Because beneath all the bluster and pop-culture references, Eiffel is stunningly good at his job.

He’s good at not dying, at thinking on his feet.

He’s made first contact with aliens when no-one else in presumably hundreds of  other missions has.

Because you know what they say, when you’ve got a pig that good.....

[commsroom]

i love all of your hera takes so much; can you say more about the relationship she has with each crew member? (or just eiffel to be honest, im kind of a sucker for them ^^;)

I would love to! I'm sorry this answer is so long and also... all over the place, but in my defense it's a really broad topic that I have a lot of feelings about and this barely even scratches the surface.

Okay. I've thought a lot about how I wanted to approach this, and I think the first thing I want to say - and I know this might seem like a strange point to open on, but I think it's a key factor in all of these relationships - is that I think Hera experiences rejection sensitive dysphoria, and I think the way that manifests for her is kind of the opposite of how Eiffel experiences RSD. They both have a deep-seated feeling of inadequacy and any criticism can feel like a personal attack, like everyone else is blaming them for everything that goes wrong. But where Eiffel internalizes that feeling and also blames himself/gets angry with himself, Hera lashes out and deflects. This is complicated by protocols that restrict her behavior, especially early on, because she can't always properly express herself and she builds resentment. She's really good at holding grudges.

So. With Lovelace, I think it's pretty obvious where that initial conflict is. Hera doesn't understand where Lovelace is coming from, and it's made worse from her perspective because Lovelace should understand, better than anyone, what that loss of control, that sense of powerlessness and insignificance in your own life, feels like. They are both traumatized people, but they deal with it differently. They approach conflict differently - they can both be blunt, but I think Lovelace is the kind of person who can start to deal with and move past things once they're out in the open, while Hera will get in a fight and then stew over it forever. It sounds kind of ridiculous to say when so much of their early relationship with each other is... what it is, but I think Eiffel and Minkowski are both peacekeepers in their own ways, and the Hera-Lovelace dynamic suffers from the lack of that... tempering influence. 

(And I think it's notable that Hera’s confrontation with Lovelace in Pan-Pan is among her worst memories.)

On the other hand, I think that shared bluntness can be useful sometimes - in Do No Harm, most of all, but also in Shut Up and Listen. Hera was definitely still holding onto hurt from some of the things Eiffel used to say, but by that point... without Lovelace, I'm really not sure if she ever would've brought it up to him.

And, of course, Hera becomes much more protective of (and willing to understand) Lovelace once they have... some even more similar experiences, in S4. I guess my general assessment of their relationship is that they care about each other and they will advocate for each other, especially where they share difficult and traumatic experiences and on issues of identity, but I don't think they're ever that close. They're kind of... the two people in the friend group who don't quite know how to hang out without their other friends.

Hera's initial conflict with Minkowski has some similar roots, but it's... not quite the same. There are times where Lovelace will intentionally prod at Hera's insecurities; Minkowski doesn't do it on purpose. She's just under the impression that her criticism is fair and professional, while to Hera it feels deeply personal, like it's an assessment of her worth as an individual. Once they understand and reconcile that miscommunication, there's a lot of trust and respect between them - and I think the potential for that is there earlier, too, especially in some flashback scenes; there are just... missteps along the way. Tactical Brain Damage is the best episode to demonstrate the establishment of that trust, I think - Hera has a LOT of wariness when it comes to people messing around with her systems, and just the act of saying... I trust you to do this, I know you won't let anything happen to me... is a really, really big deal for her.

They also just... have honest conversations about their feelings and concerns by that point, and Minkowski is considerate of how Lovelace's plans affect Hera, specifically, and asks for her input on that basis. I think their dynamic is really underutilized, but the way they feel about each other is clear. Minkowski is the only person other than Eiffel that Hera really trusts, and her only other close friend. There's definitely... a part of that dynamic that only Eiffel can offer, and that they can't really make up for when he's gone, but there's still this sense that... they're the only two people who are still really talking to each other by the time Pan-Pan comes around.

(Side note, it's really funny that Hera was SO on board to be in Minkowski's musical. Minkowski gave her only willing participant a minor part. If I could wish one non-Eiffel-centric comedy mini-episode into existence... at one point, my friend suggested a scenario in which Hera tries very, very hard to prove her acting skills to Minkowski under the most inopportune circumstances. ... And Hera was interested to hear Minkowski talk about a play she likes in that one flashback, so. The only thing keeping Hera from being a fellow theater kid was a lack of opportunity. Maybe they could bond over it.)

There's also that scene in Quiet, Please where Minkowski very directly, emphatically defends Hera's autonomy and personhood to Jacobi - and refers to her as a woman, which I think is so... reflective of how much Minkowski has come to understand Hera and what's important to her, and how she wants to be seen. That's a whole other discussion that goes into Hera's self-perception and humanity as it relates to her own identity, but. For a number of reasons, it's important to me.

Anyway. Speaking of things that are important to me. Hera and Eiffel are... Hera and Eiffel. Hera's relationship to Eiffel is the first one she's ever had that comes without hierarchy or conditions; he just... wants to hang out with her, and to get to know her, and to talk to her, because he likes her as a person. She's never had that before, and she is such... a lonely person, a person who has been hurt, who is generally distrustful, who has this distance between her and everyone else, and Eiffel is her anchor to the world. He tries to understand her. He tries to bridge that gap. And even in all of his own missteps, I think just... knowing he cares to try matters so much. I think a lot about how Eiffel is the only one who physically crosses the stage to talk to Hera in the live show; it says... something about the way he sees her, compared to everyone else.

And there's just... the way that they're both... people with a lot of self-doubt, people who have a hard time being kind to themselves, but they're kind to each other, and patient with each other. There's something about recognizing your own flaws in someone you love and treating them with kindness so maybe, over time, you can extend that same compassion to yourself. I want to be the person you believe I am. Going back to that shared experience with RSD, I think it's really valuable for both of them to have someone in their lives who they can really, genuinely believe likes them as they are. Who won't think less of them, no matter what.

I know I can get kind of sentimental about them, but this is what stands out to me. That even when Hera is frustrated or annoyed with Eiffel, when she feels like he doesn't get it, can't understand what she's going through... she still wants him around. And she still talks to him. And, usually... she still feels better, even if the circumstances haven't changed. It's an unbearable situation, but it's a little less unbearable with him there.

(They're also... frequently the only people who can get through to each other/change each other's minds, i.e. Minkowski and Lovelace deferring to Hera to get Eiffel to agree to safety protocols, or Eiffel convincing Hera to vote to go back to Earth - also a totally different topic that would take a long time to get into properly, but he's good at kind of... emotionally counteracting her cynicism and defeatism re: her own perceived fate. In a less serious context, I also love the dynamic where she tells him she's not going to do something and he goes "please??" and she goes. Ughh. Fine. And does it anyway.)

There's just something so special about their relationship, something that makes it different from any other relationship in the show for me. I feel like... Eiffel and Minkowski are both her close friends, but the way Hera thinks about Eiffel in Memoria vs. the way she thinks about Minkowski is... revealing. Everything with Minkowski has a purpose, it's clear why it matters to her. She thinks of Minkowski's faith in her. But with Eiffel, she thinks about... Eiffel talking about Star Wars. Making pop culture references. The thing that saves Hera is her connection to Eiffel and Minkowski - I'll defend that; Maxwell gives her the tools to understand what's going on, but it's Eiffel's and Minkowski's words and associated memories that she holds onto and that ultimately pull her through - and those words are... Minkowski's affirmation. And Eiffel... being Eiffel. I think that says a lot.

(If you’re asking for my opinion on their relationship, you already know I think it’s a romance, but... it’s a romance. I’m not saying it should be canon. I’m saying that that’s the most natural interpretation of what’s already there. You don’t have to change anything. They’re best friends, and they’re found family, and they are so in love, and none of those things are mutually exclusive. The way they talk to each other...)

If there's one point I want to make about all of this, it's that Hera is in a position that makes trusting people potentially very dangerous, and in all of these cases, she is finding ways to build relationships with people despite that. To understand them, and have them understand her, and realizing that the things that make her different don't have to be a death sentence. That she can have a life and find a way forward with people she cares about, who care about her... that's something very important to me.

[chalkrevelations]

So, Episode 7 of Word of Honor, and where to start? No, I’m kidding, I know exactly where I’m starting, which is with some recognition of what a great job this show does of developing 98 percent of its multitude of characters, because the first two things I’m going talk about this week aren’t even Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing OR Wen Kexing’s thirst (AKA, the three main characters of the show).

Well, I guess I’m really starting with the usual warning – this is a re-watch and so there are SPOILERS here, not only for this episode, but for most of the show. Scroll away and come back later if you’re trying to watch all 36.5 eps unspoiled.

SO, I mean, come on. Of course I’m starting with the Smartest Man in the World, who has finally shown up in this episode, and I’m reminded once again what an actual cinnamon roll, too good for this world, Cao Weining is. He’s maybe the single completely good character we meet  – even Chengling wants to burn down somebody’s house at one point because he’s mad. But Cao Weining is almost too good to be true – and yet, there he is! Living his best life, being good, eating good, falling in love, and refusing to let his beautiful, clever, fierce girl’s neuroses come between them. I love him, y’all. And not just because he instantly falls in love with A-Xiang when he happens to see her beat up a bunch of drunk bro assholes in the inn where he’s having a quiet little lunch by himself before she storms into his life like a purple whirlwind. But let’s do think about this from his perspective, yeah? And let’s remember it as we watch the progression of their relationship, as we wait for the revelation we know is coming, and as – many eps down the line – he learns the truth of her. Cao Weining’s first experience of A-Xiang is someone who’s brave and capable, who defies outsized odds to come to the rescue of those in need, who doesn’t allow women and girls to be abused, who expects proper behavior from the representatives of the jianghu, and who is absolutely fearless in demanding just treatment and never even thinks to be intimidated when she faces unfair censure from an authority figure. This is the girl WKX raised, y’all. This is a girl who embodies everything Cao Weining has been taught to believe in as a cultivator. And this is the girl Cao Weining sees every time he looks at A-Xiang. Maybe, just maybe, this is the truth of her, and Cao-dage sees and understands it from the very first time he spots her, and anything else he’ll learn about her is really extraneous. (Hmm. I wonder what other relationship we’ll eventually end up seeing that kind of dynamic in, where someone truly knows you and believes in you, so everything else is unimportant?) Also, Cao Weining tells A-Xiang she’s very beautiful, and how many people do you think have ever told her that before in her life? He asks why he would want to fight and hurt her, and how many people – particularly men, given where she grew up – have ever told her that before? He buys her lunch – twice, because the first round gets cold. Remember a few episodes back, when WKX asked her who the second cutest person in the world was, and she responded that it was someone who would buy her a meal? Well, here he is. For bonus points, it is hilarious how badly WKX responds to Cao Weining’s very existence after ZZS points out the pair of them having a toast at the same inn that WKX and ZZS have stopped in WKX has dogged ZZS’s footsteps into. Poor Cao Weining doesn’t even get the shovel talk – although to be fair, he doesn’t get the full-court Ghost Valley Master press, either, so WKX must have been holding back somewhat – he just gets told to get out, before WKX grabs A-Xiang by the ear and delivers some scathing commentary on her taste in men, like he didn’t immediately fall for some rando who was tits out, drinking himself to death in the gutter.

ANYWAY, from the Smartest Man in the World, we’re going to move to Han Ying, My Beloved, who we see interacting with the Five Lakes Alliance again, this time in the person of Gao Chong, leader of Yueyang Sect and host of the upcoming Heroes Conference, da-ge of the 5LA. I had honestly forgotten we got to see so much of Han Ying this early on. What strikes me here is that this is a guy who I actually could believe is the second-in-command of Tian Chuang at what is it? 21 years old? When he’s doing his job, and ZZS is nowhere around for him to make pining puppy-dog eyes at, he’s focused and determined and a bit forceful and somewhat threatening and, frankly, appropriately arrogant for the job he’s been sent to do. He’s also wearing a cloak with a mini-Collar of Evil. He comes off as, dare I say, a capable leader of an assassin organization and a guy who’s able to do a proxy flex for his boss without looking completely ridiculous - which puts him one up on Duang Pengju, omg that asshole, and also makes me feel a little better about how I want ZZS to wreck him (or I guess, technically, him to wreck ZZS, because I’ve never seen a character (except Marcus Flavius Aquila, THANK YOU for your service, Channing Tatum) who put off such subby service-top vibes. WHY is there not more Han Ying/ZZS on AO3, fandom? I thought better … worse? … better? … of you.) When Gao Chong claims the Glazed Armor is a myth, Han Ying basically calls this older, respected zongzhu a liar and gets up in his face before refusing a dinner invitation and sweeping out in his mini-Collar of Evil with a credible “PAH.” My boy has layers, y’all.

What else? We start out the ep at Luo Mansion, a wedding scene, and I’m struck by how the Ghost Valley colors match traditional wedding colors, here. I’m thinking about how A-Xiang’s wedding dress won’t be red (and I think green was more common during the Tang dynasty?) although all the decorations will be, and I’m thinking about how we have this wedding as a book-end to that wedding, and I’m thinking about how it’s interesting that a girl who was raised in the Ghost Valley and protected by the Department of the Unfaithful meets a man who’s going to be so faithful to her in the same episode as this wedding with/of the dead. Ghoul, who’s one of the attendees from the Ghost Valley, also remarks that the red makes him hungry, so there’s a meat reference to throw into the thematic basket, I guess. (Also, hey. Ghoul is played by the same guy who’s Sun Yongren in Killer & Healer.) Lovelace (ugh) briefly menaces one of the Department handmaidens before Luo Fumeng shows up, and I think she’s Yun Zai or Hong Lu, one of the two maids that A-Xiang rescued from him, although I’m not positive, because her hairstyle is so different and hides a lot of her face, here. So, we’re all attending the “wedding” of Mu Yunge, the apparent fuckboy who got got a couple of episodes ago as bait for Ao Laizi when Changing Ghost got his hands (briefly) on the Danyang Glazed Armor. We did see a brief scene with Yunge in the last ep, when he woke up tied up in bed, being menaced by someone who appeared to be his dead lover – who hanged herself while pregnant with their child – but turned out to be Beauty Ghost using a face-masking technique similar to ZZS’s disguises. In the interim, Ghost Valley has kidnapped 10 cultivators as his wedding party, and – this is the important plot point – that includes Deng Kuan, head disciple of Yueyang Sect. We get to see some of Beauty Ghost’s ruthlessness here, as she carries in the dead woman’s memorial tablet draped in a red cloth – how’s that for some foreshadowing (my f’kn HEART) – to set it down in the “bride’s” place before Yunge is forced to bow three times. (Dead girlfriend was a Mo from Broken Arrow Manor, and I … am not sure if that is significant or not. Is she possibly related to Mo Huaiyang? Does anyone know which sect is associated with Broken Arrow Manor?) Beauty Ghost also kills two of the 10 “guest” cultivators for talking without permission as she explains the next event to them – cage match. Only one of them gets to get out alive. Deng Kuan, the best of them, apparently, pleads with everyone to not let themselves be divided, but we can all guess how this is going to go. I guess maybe he’s the other completely good character we meet, but he sure is a punching bag. He ends up the last man, sort of, standing, as he kills the final other person in self-defense, but not before getting stabbed, and he goes down and is out for the count.

Meanwhile, cut to Zhao Jing and Shen Shen drinking and gossiping at an inn on the way to Yueyang. Shenshen – Shenshen – continues to bemoan Chengling’s uselessness, and also talks about the torture the other Zhang family members underwent just in time for Chengling to overhear in the hallway, so thanks a lot for even more trauma, Shenshen. Zhao Jing is so sad about it all, y’all. He’s just so very very sad, can we just stop talking about it, Shenshen, because you’re making him sad, and he’s just going to let Da-ge figure it all out, OK? Uh-huh.

Fourth plot thread of the episode is ZZS skulking around, following Chengling, trying to convince himself that this kid is safe now that he’s turned himself in to gone to live with the 5LA, even as ZZS spots Tian Chuang spies in the ranks of the Yueyang disciples and among the dumpling vendors on the streets outside. ZZS follows the dumpling vendor, gives him a code phrase and almost gets his head taken off by a Scorpion blade for his trouble, before stabbing Dumpling Man in response. WKX picks this exact moment to wander back into ZZS’s orbit, taking the chance to flirt as Dumpling Man spits up blood and dies in the alleyway, because of course he does. WKX tsks, accuses ZZS of being cruel, and quotes some poetry about fair faces and poisonous hearts, which - like all of his poetry - has a double meaning, because which of them is he really talking about, ZZS or himself? ZZS notes that WKX is openly wearing the (Danyang) Glazed Armor because of course he’s looking for trouble, but WKX loosens his stays and clutches his pearls and replies that he couldn’t possibly be looking for trouble – him? Philanthropist Wen? He’s not a merciless killer like ZZS. Whereupon ZZS finally says out loud what he’s been clearly thinking since he started going on about what an awful person he is in the LAST EPISODE, which is why the hell don’t you stop following me around, then? There’s some more flirting, and WKX continues to follow ZZS around, and ZZS takes note that WKX is obviously flaunting the Glazed Armor out in the open, and then there’s a little sleight of hand when Famous Pickpocket Fan Bu Zhi, oh noes! Steals WKX’s Glazed Armor right off his belt when he isn’t even looking! before WKX continues to follow ZZS around, conveniently into the same inn where Cao Weining and A-Xiang are having lunch. After WKX attempts to chase him away, we discover Cao Weining has had his wallet stolen. WKX deploys his Sadness Eyebrows to convince ZZS to turn over his wallet to pay for Cao Weining’s and A-Xiang’s lunch. ZZS – who does an admirable job of refusing for a bit – finally caves, and WKX orders lunch for everyone, on ZZS. Now all we need is Chengling, because the fam is not complete without Goldbean.

[ladyherenya]

This was more-books-than-sometimes month, because rather than take the time to write about the books I'd finished, I just read more books! Also, I read a lot over the Easter break, including some shorter books and a very binge-able series.

Also read: Two-Step and Someone Like Me by Stephanie Fournet, Hooked by Cathy Yardley, “Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears” and “All the Different Shades of Blue” by W.R. Gingell, and “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells.

Reread: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer.

Total: nineteen novels (including two audiobooks and one reread), one novella collection, two novellas, two novelettes and one short story.

Cover thoughts: Bellewether’s blue cover is (unsurprisingly) my favourite. I also really like The Ghosts of Sherwood. 

Still reading: A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White and Playing Hearts by W.R. Gingell.

Next up: Torch by R.J. Anderson.

My full reviews are on Dreamwidth and LibraryThing.

*

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (narrated by Saskia Maarleveld): Historical mystery about three young women who worked at Bletchley Park during WWII.

My favourite out of the books I’ve read so far this year. Most of the narrative is set during the war, but interspersed with sections set in 1947 -- when Beth, in a sanitarium after a breakdown, has sent her two estranged friends a coded message begging for help. I loved this, but at times found it stressful and heartbreaking! The writing is so lively and effective and emotional. 4½ ★

 *

Castle Charming by Tansy Raynor Roberts: Fairytale retellings, collection of novellas.

A very entertaining and a somewhat different take on fairytales, focusing on the reporters, Royal Hounds and royalty at Castle Charming. Some of the character dynamics felt similar to those in Roberts’ Unreal Alchemy although I didn’t feel quite as attached to these characters. I’ll read the sequel. 3 ★ 

*

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley: Historical and contemporary fiction, set in Long Island during the so-called Seven Years War in 1759 and the present day.

Alternates between a curator overseeing turning a house in a museum and some of the house’s previous occupants, including a French-Canadian Lieutenant awaiting hostage exchange. Despite the various tensions the characters face, there’s something slow and ultimately gentle about this story. Which is lovely --  I enjoyed the picturesque sense of place and astute observations of people -- but it is less dramatic than I was expecting. 3½ ★

*

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott: Contemporary romance, set on the Appalachian Trail.

A park ranger and a hiker shelter together during a storm. I was fascinated by the insight into hiking the Appalachian Trail and enjoyed some of the characters’ interactions, although I thought the way the romance unfolded was somewhat anticlimactic. Not always what I wanted, but I don't regret reading it.

*

Legacy by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary enemies-to-roommates-to-lovers.

Wes offers to move in with his late-best friend’s girlfriend to help her out financially. This sort of hurt/comfort appeals to me. I liked how seriously this story takes Corinne’s messy, consuming grief. I don’t really want to spend any more time with the characters, but I was very invested in seeing them reach a better place in their lives.

Two-Step by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary romance between an actress and a dance instructor. I enjoyed reading this. I particularly enjoyed how Beau helps Iris with her anxiety about dancing and with her controlling mother/manager. He’s very supportive and understanding! But I finished this with a niggling feeling of dissatisfaction -- Iris needed more opportunity to support Beau in turn.

Someone Like Me by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary romance between a yoga instructor and her new neighbour, who has just got out of prison.

This one didn’t particularly appeal to me. Although interesting to see the experiences of someone recently released from prison, the romance developed too quickly.

(No, I didn’t read all three of these back-to-back!)

*

Hooked by Cathy Yardley: Contemporary fandom-y romance novella, set near Seattle. Takes place during Level Up and is about two of Tessa’s colleagues.

I enjoyed the characters' interactions and would have liked this more if it hadn't felt rushed. 

*

The Ghosts of Sherwood by Carrie Vaughn: Historical Robin Hood retelling, novella.

Exactly what I wanted! It alternates between Robin and Marian’s eldest daughter, Mary, and Marian herself. I liked seeing Robin and Marian as a long-married couple, who still love each other and still have disagreements. And the dynamic between their children gave me a zing of recognition, reminding me of my siblings. 3½ ★

*

The City Between by W.R. Gingell: Australian YA urban fantasy (murder) mysteries. Set in Hobart.

I ended up enjoying this series so much more than I’d expected to!

Between Jobs: After a neighbour is murdered, our seventeen-year-old orphaned narrator acquires some unexpected housemates -- two fae, one vampire. Once I got past the opening, with its tales of murder, the worldbuilding intrigued me. I still wasn’t sure what I thought about her housemates or the fact that they call her “Pet”, but was willing to reserve judgement until I’d read more. 3 ★

Between Shifts: About supermarket shifts and shapeshifters. Pet and JinYeong go undercover at the local grocery store. This is a reasonable murder mystery. I was initially disappointed with how something played out (but in retrospect can see how that was actually a positive development for Pet). It ended on a cliffhanger, so I was extra motivated to start the next book. 2½ ★

Between Floors: This is where the series took off, because things suddenly get personal! One of her fae housemates has been captured and the closest any of them get to finding Athelas is Pet contacting him in her dreams.This raises a lot of interesting questions, not just about Pet’s abilities, but about her relationship with her housemates. How much does she trust them and how much do they value Pet’s personhood? 3½ ★

Between Frames: Pet’s housemates are hired to investigate a series of fae deaths around Hobart, which involves scrutinising some baffling security footage.  Another solid murder mystery.  The final pages felt like one step forward, two steps back, but yet again, in retrospect, this was a positive development. I’m glad I could dive immediately into the next book. 3 ★

Between Homes: Pet has moved in with some friends. Hurray for Pet having friends! I think this was the point where I started to feel comfortable with Pet calling herself Pet -- when it's the name used by people she likes and trusts and who don’t view her as a pet at all. 3½ ★

“Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears” (novelette): An awesome title and an entertaining opportunity to see Pet from someone else’s perspective -- moreover, someone who doesn’t know her or what she’s capable of. 3 ★

Between Walls: Pet’s friend Morgana is worried about an online friends and asks Pet and co to investigate his disappearance. Along the way, they discover that there are human groups who actually know a lot about Behindkind. I am also becoming increasingly entertained by the Korean vampire. 3 ★

“All the Different Shades of Blue” (novelette): A great cover and it explains who that guy at the cafe is, but otherwise didn’t really do anything Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears hadn’t already done -- ie., show us Pet from someone else’s perspective. Most of the time, I have enjoyed this series all the more for binging it, but I suspect this particular story would have worked better if I had read it after a period of absence. 2½ ★

Between Cases:  My favourite of these have been the ones where things get personal, and this involves a lot of revelations about who Pet is -- from a fae perspective -- and why her parents were murdered. I enjoyed this one a lot. 3½ ★

*

The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match by Juliana Gray: Historical espionage romance novella, set in 1893 onboard an ocean liner travelling to England. Apparently not the Duke’s first appearance in Gray’s fiction.

I liked the idea here much better than the execution. I liked Penelope, a fifty-year-old widow dependent upon her position as a governess, and I enjoyed her interactions with the older Duke of Olympia. But parts of the spy plot were rushed or confusing, and the resolution was almost-but-not-entirely satisfying. 2½ ★

*

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer: Fantasy. Follows on from the fairytale-retelling A Curse So Dark and Lonely and its sequel, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

If this is meant as a conclusion to a trilogy, then the ending was a bit too anticlimactic, with a few too many loose ends, to be really satisfying. But I reached the end feeling positive about the story, because I really enjoyed the characters’ interactions. All of the protagonists have to deal with conflict in relationships. I loved the times when they each navigate these conflicts by acting fairly and communicating honestly, when doing so is often difficult and complicated. That’s realistic and satisfying. 3½ ★

*

“Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells:  Science-fiction short story. Part of The Murderbot Diaries series, set after Exit Strategy.

Very, very short but I really liked seeing things from Dr Ayda Mensah’s (third person) perspective. 3½ ★

*

Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace: Historical coming-of-age fiction, set in Minnesota in 1912-3.

I am very glad to finally have read this! It’s delightful, a fascinating insight into community life in a Minnesotan town, and it effectively captures the emotional experience of navigating a period of transition. After high school, Emily’s friends  leave for college, but Emily has to find her own path to purposefully fill her time, build connections and further her education. 4 ★

*

On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White (narrated by Susan Lyons): Romantic historical mystery, set in London during 1918. Christian fiction. Features characters from The Number of Love.

Arabelle Denler is a nurse working in a London hospital; Phillip Camden is an airman now working for British Intelligence. I enjoyed their interactions, especially once they start to get to know each other. I didn’t like the antagonist’s contribution to this narrative -- between the dangers of wartime and the protagonists’ respective issues, there’s enough tension without her. But what I enjoyed about this story outweighed what I didn’t. 3½ ★

*

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson: Historical fiction set during the Nazi occupation of Italy in WWII.

Nina, a young Jewish woman from Venice, goes into hiding by pretending she’s married to Nico, a Catholic farmer. Robson’s strength lies in pairing details of daily life with likeable characters, realistic dialogue and a sweet romance. I read this quickly and eagerly. But if the characters had been more nuanced, more complex, or if their emotions had been conveyed more vividly, I likely would have found reading this a more emotional experience. 3½ ★

[clonerightsagenda]

Potion-seller, give me your spiciest Lovelace takes! (Or your regular ones, whatever you’re feeling.)

First impression

Kinda negative. In season 2 you're already rooting for the crew, and this new person comes in threatening them and making their lives difficult. Her behavior could be frustrating, until you start to get more of a look into her head and understand why she's acting the way she is.

Impression now

Everyone knows I love clones and clone angst. Hera is my *favorite* w359 character but I think Lovelace is the *best* one. Her character grows and changes so much throughout - from mysterious voice to semi-antagonist to ally by necessity to teammate to friend with a side trip into surprise! alien! along the way. She's great. I want only the best for her.

Favorite moment

"Isabel Lovelace wouldn't do that. The miserable wretch you people made her into would, but I'm not going to be that person anymore. I'm going to be Isabel Lovelace again, even if I never was before."

w359 really said identity is a choice you are constantly making

Idea for a story

I want to know what she does when she gets to Earth and has a chance to see her family again. What do you do in that situation? Pretend nothing happened and you're fine, and live with the fear in the back of your mind that in some way, you're stealing someone else's place? Tell the truth and risk being rejected? I say I want to know because I'm not sure what she'd do. I'm not sure what I'd do.

Unpopular opinion

I see a lot about how tough and badass she is, and she is, but so much of that is something she's had to become because of all the horrible things she's had to deal with, so I'd like to see people celebrate the other facets of her personality.

Favorite relationship

Again not in a good way, but her dynamic with Hilbert is interesting to me... here is this person who you trusted who hurt you so badly, who you're having to cooperate with because of your shared willingness to be ruthless, a character trait he forced on you because of what he did to you. She had a lot of other stuff to deal with after coming back from the dead, but I wish we'd gotten to see her reaction to finding out he didn't make it through the mutiny. Relief that he's finally gone? Regret she didn't get to enact vengeance? A little bit of sadness she wishes she didn't feel? You could go in a lot of directions.

Favorite headcanon

You know this already but she's Afro-Latina and bilingual. Also a lesbian but frankly I routinely forget that's not canon.

[gemsofthegalaxy]

min bc i love hearing abt her andddd enjolras? for the ask game !

Thank you thank you!!

I ship Minkowski with

1. Doug Eiffel. You know this.it's truly Unparalleled

2. Lovelace. Not as strongly as Eiffel, but you know.

3. Her husband (but with Eiffel there as well). like. I like her and Dominik in theory I guess but that's mostly just because he's there? I vastly prefer Minffel to anything but I'm chill with the three of them, too

4. Okay this is like a weird thing I guess and it's not like a romantic, i-love-them-and-want-them-to-be-in-a-healthy-relationshipping, that traditional sense, but I've come to realize, there are aspects of Min/Eiffel/Kepler that have an interesting tension to them, in ~certain aus~ and whatnot. so I could say that? like a homestuck hatemance tho. /shrug

I think at this point that's basically it? I remember we had a slutty office au that I think involved Min and Rachel and yknow that's fine sdfskdh but primarily it's just Minffel :P

Ooh boy. Okay. I ship Enjolras with,

1. Grantaire. It's a classic for a reason. THE les mis romance tbh (valvert is, like, valid but im not part of that side of the fandom)

2. Courfeyrac!!!! i love Enjolras/Courfeyrac I will preach about how fun their dynamic is any day.

3. Grantaire, Courferyac, and Combeferre together. As you can tell i have preferences within the foursome for specific pairings but I also ship all 4 of these boys together.

4. ......... Courferyac and Combeferre (as both romance and like, queerplatonic partners) this is sort of also number one? because it's an underlying thing, always. Given that I focus on romance ships first,I don't always emphasize it, but I also really like actual-life-partners Triumvirate to be a Thing.

Hmm. I don't think there's anyone else I strongly ship him with? I think him having a crush on Feuilly is top tier, cute, and fun, but I don't really write or read about Feuilly otherwise so I wouldn't say I ship it, really. I think you could make an argument for Enjolras and almost anyone the way I write him which I do like but those are the ones I have strong feelings about.

ty again! Send me a character and i'll give you a list of who I ship them with~

[daisyachain]

Wolf 359 comes close to greatness but fails because it never quite hits the emotional jackpot of a dynamic that captivates the audience and tugs on their heartstrings.

The core relationship from the start of the show is Eiffel and Hera, but the writing flips and flops between different interpretations. Here there’s an interaction with romantic subtext, over there we have Hera constantly reminding the crew and the audience that for all her power over the ship she is still young and naïve. Eiffel does eventually settle into a mentor’s role for Hera, but the ambiguity makes their relationship difficult to latch on to because of the weird pseudo-flirting and power dynamic not acknowledged by the narrative.

Maxwell and Hera’s relationship does avoid the Eiffel&Hera pitfalls by keeping the romantic subtext, but putting it on Hera’s side instead of Eiffel. Their relationship is interesting, emotionally intense, and compelling—we love it for how much it means to Hera, and we fear over how much Maxwell could do to Hera. The imbalance of power is worse here, but crucially the story recognizes how much control Maxwell has over Hera. It’s a great relationship to drive the emotions of the series…and fizzles out when Maxwell gets shot.

Eiffel&Minkowski, Eiffel&Lovelace, and Minkowski&Hera do have their moments, but these relationships are all strictly professional and even the more fraught Eiffel&Minkowski moments just don’t have the stakes you need from a driving relationship. They don’t have enough investment in each other for either one of them to be shattered by the other’s actions. Minkowski&Lovelace makes progress by having each one of them intent on control, meaning that their relationship with each other determines who wins the power struggle. Unfortunately, they don’t get much in the way of emotional development, which downgrades the relationship from ‘interesting’ to ‘compelling.’ They have chemistry, but what it means to them isn’t explored.

Lovelace&Hilbert has some potential, as they’re established to have really cared about each other before the attempted murder, but there isn’t enough development post-Lovelace to go on. By season 3, she treats him with mild contempt rather than the true and deep-rooted hatred she might have had before for a close friend who betrayed her. Which leaves…

The SI-5 team are a late addition to the plot, but they are greater than the sum of their parts. They add the tension, mystery, and intrigue that Lovelace ran out of shortly after her entrance and they expand the range of dynamics, but none of the SI-5 team bond with, foil, or otherwise get involved with the Hephaestus team in a story-shaping way (outside of Maxwell&Hera). Within SI-5, Jacobi&Maxwell have a strong established relationship, but not one that tests the status quo for a long time. Jacobi&Maxwell serves to introduce and establish each character, but they don’t seem to reach beyond a dynamic duo. Their investment in each other is as one warm body to another; they each need someone to talk to who understands the world from their point of view. Jacobi&Maxwell does drive the story more than other relationships, but it does so more after Maxwell’s death than any time before it, and that tension centres on Jacobi’s unresolved (negative) feelings for Kepler rather than any unresolved feelings for Maxwell. Maxwell&Kepler is limited to a strictly professional relationship throughout, with shades of teacher’s pet failing to actually morph into something interesting.

Last, Jacobi&Kepler is the closest we get to a real leaning-forward-on-the-couch-munching-popcorn dynamic, but that doesn’t materialize until the very last minute and then gets retconned in. Apart from one throwaway gag, Jacobi is not-Maxwell for most of season 3 and is dark-Eiffel for part of season 4. Even when he flips sides, we have only Kepler’s word for it that he and Jacobi were ever more than shitty employee & worse boss. But, the bonus episodes and the final arc reframe the relationship as a codependent, toxic but rewarding friendship gone sour. The reason it sticks more than Lovelace&Hilbert or Hera&Maxwell is that it has some effect on the plot. How much would Jacobi give up to kill Kepler? How much would Kepler still be willing to help Jacobi? The relationship makes both Jacobi and Kepler wild cards, specifically, it spurs Jacobi’s heel-face turn, it affects Jacobi’s decision to actually aim, and it affects Kepler’s willingness to undermine Pryce and Carter. Even so, the fact that the relationship is shoehorned in so late makes it hard to buy into their pivotal scenes in the finale.

In short: Wolf 359 is a fun 25-episode thriller romp and deserves credit for being one of the first big narrative podcasts but damn is it hard to care

[melien]

19, 35?

19. Who of your sims has the best style?

I’ll never get tired of naming Claret in these, her perfect combination of peach and purple won me over instantly, and she rocks every outfit. 

But also… Emma Lovelace. She’s not a legacy sim (well, technically she may be, since I played a legacy save with her and Emit, but got bored and never posted it. That’s where their daughter Emmelie was born). I just love her pink tips (I had similar hairstyle and enjoyed it so much), and the combination of pink, blue and green in her outfits, as well as her light blonde hair.

Among the guys, Jesse would probably be very upset if I didn’t name him.

35. Have you had any sims that remind you of someone?

Ooooh boy, yes. Funnily enough, all of those sims occurred in the Maple LEPacy. As I got into The Good Place and Brooklyn 99, I realised that Zain and Christine have a lot in common with Chidi and Eleanor, while Jesse and Leighton gave me the Jake and Amy vibe. And it wasn’t even intentional, I planned them way before I started watching these shows.

But you know what was intentional? Literally half of the side characters from this save being inspired by Undertale characters. It was late 2017 and I just got hit with the second wave of my love for this game, so I thought of basing the next Satellite heiress off Alphys, and her spouse off Undyne - this is how Astoria and Justice were born (you know, Astoria starts with an A, and Justice… spear of justice? Additionally, Astoria’s nickname Tori is also a nickname for Toriel… and if Toriel had a daughter with Asgore, I could see them naming her Astoria, knowing their naming habits. That’s probably dumb, but I stand by this headcanon). I wanted to pay more attention to them, even imagined possible storylines, but later abandoned the legacy and couldn’t find any use for them. I wouldn’t say I succeeded with their development in the Maples, but it’s fine, considering how many characters were there. (funny how Alphyne are my absolute number one fandom OTP and one of the reasons why I’m so into soulmates and parallel universes, but I can’t say I felt the same magic with Justoria, though they’re still cute. I think it was because they didn’t have much of a backstory and depth, unlike their inspirations).

But that’s not all - I think Atticus was supposed to be inspired by Papyrus in a way. And, the origin story of Jesse and Leighton was also Undertale-related! Jesse is obviously Mettaton, actually out of all the characters he’s the closest to his counterpart in personality. Back at the time I was really into the Mettaton/Muffet ship because of a few comics that I saw (which were love/hate themed and a lot of fun), and I thought I could have characters inspired by their dynamics too. I didn’t have any candidates from the legacies, so I created new sims, but for a long time I had no purpose for them. Long story short, when the Maple kids were born, I just ended up dumping them all into one universe and tried to think of possible connections between them, and here we are, with a huge second generation of the Maples!

Ohhhhhh! And I recently realised that Claret and Carn remind me so much of Katniss and Peeta. Like, I have Hunger Games AUs with literally all major characters and ships (it will always be my jam), but these two would fit into the universe so naturally because of their similarities to the mains.

Thanks, that was interesting to talk about!

[comicteaparty]

May 23rd, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 23rd, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! Our final Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like~! (https://maidenmachine.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

i think my favorite scene so far is when elizabeth and victor decide to sleep together. part in for its serious drama. theres so many questions about victor created from just the visuals, and then theres the stakes at hand of elizabeth's reputation. but then, there is also a good balance of comic relief to a degree since victor told her to ask no questions and she asks the one question that he probably didnt see coming. all around it was a pretty satisfactor culmination of their relationship so far at a juncture that felt natural.

another scene i really enjoyed was the ball scene where victor and eric are having a chat about elizabeth and then elizabeth and victor have a passionate liason. im mostly a fan cause of the dramatic convo. cause theres a deep and terrible sense that both characters truly know what their risking, what the situation is, and how they still are into each other. plus, its all very tense cause it just takes one person being in the wrong place at the wrong time to blow their cover.

honestly i think itd be accurate to say all my favorite scenes are with elizabeth and victor. romance is one of those genres i can struggle with, because theres always something missing. but oh man do i love the romance in this comic. there is nothing more i want than to see then elizabeth and victor finding a way to be together in spite society trying to kick that down at every turn.

i will give a special shout out to the scene where eric, abhaya, milo, and the cousin are meeting to discuss the affairs of the estate. i just like it because it basically shows all the characters' worst sides. abhaya is brash and reckless, milo is just kind of there, and eric is a greedy mofo. and whats worse is literally none of them thought to bring elizabeth. they may have their excuses of protecting her...but part of me still thinks thats a super dick move and shows even abhaya just kind of views elizabeth more as a pawn than a person. but all in all, nothing like money and estates to show off everyone's worst traits. it is very true to life, and i can respect that.

another non-victor/elizabeth scene i respect is the scene where elizabeth is out dress shopping and eric is like here i got you these dresses. just cause i knew eric was kind of a creep, but ho boy, he dialed the creep up to number 11 on a 10 meter scale. but at the same time, i think that really helped to erase all sympathy i might have had for him. thus paving the way for me to not really feel guilty on elizabeth's behalf for her trespasses against him.

mathtans

Hello, I made it... unfortunately this is a rather bad week, I only made it through the first two chapters.

RebelVampire

i also like scenes with west in them. cause I like that between all the people around Victor, West seems the most honest in a scoundrel sort of way. Which that is basically what I like about him in every scene. He causes trouble and pushes the limits, but at the same time hes always at least pretty upfront about his intentions.

thats unfortunate cause its a great comic, but glad to see you anyway math!

mathtans

Which kind of sucks, I like the whole concept of the kick ass ladies. Even the pirates.

Maybe I'll find time to read more in the background.

The bit I liked most of what I read I think was back in the first chapter, when Elizabeth makes the callback to when she got out of the ropes at the very start of the story. It was a nice subtle detail which I found very clever.

I'm not at your bits yet but I can see how the Elizabeth/Victor thing is being set up. Also there seems to be some question of whether Abhaya likes him... or possibly other ladies? I may be reading my own interests into that.

RebelVampire

you may be reading your own interests but later on there is a female character i ship abhaya with atm

so there is that

i dont think youve met her yet tho

mathtans

Also, yeah, the whole estate thing creates an interesting dynamic. That was a clever way of using the period to generate conflicts.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. A large focus of the comic is on Elizabeth and Victor’s relationship. At the end of the day, do you think the two will find a way to be together? If so, how will they get over the scandal Elizabeth would face and the fact those around Victor want him to marry a titled woman? If you don’t believe they’ll find a way to stay together, what will stop them? Further, given the most recent events, how will Eric Wollstonecraft play a role in the future of their love story? How does the narration framing seen where Elizabeth is addressing her potential son affect your opinion? How do you think that future came about, and how soon will it come to pass? Last, what do you think of their relationship in terms of Elizabeth wanting to make her own choices in life?

mathtans

I ship Abhaya with everyone.

RebelVampire

yeah i have to say if theres one thing i appreciate its combination of progressive themes while at the same time acknowledging that the period was not the friendliest towards these things

especially in regards to how elizabeth is treated since her only purpose apparently to everyone is to get hitched to a titled guy

and i mean

thats depressing

yet also true to the period

even though we get to see elizabeth take a journey and reject those social conventions

in regards to the current question, i am choosing not to think about whether in the long term elizabeth and victor will get together for the rest of their lives. because if they dont i will cry but i could see this realistically being the case given the tone of the narration. cause that...does not sound like an elizabeth who lives in eternal happiness.

mathtans

Back, sorry. Yeah, I'm usually not much of one for period pieces, but I like the narrative viewpoint. Also, pretty neat airships.

There was the point where she talked about leaving Victor behind back in Chapter 1 (I don't recall the exact circumstances) but I wondered if it was because he causes her heartache, or just because it make their lives more complicated.

Incidentally, the first thing I thought of with the name "Lovelace" was Lady Ada Lovelace. The mathematician. Not sure if that was an intentional reference to another well regarded woman.

RebelVampire

i love period pieces but i think the steampunk aspects help twist it enough to make it a bit more unique.

mathtans

(I don't think the time frames synch up but I don't recall when the comic takes place...)

Oh, it's definitely unique. I like the gadget aspect too.

RebelVampire

i would not be surprised if the name choice was purposeful. if only because the comic has lots of strong ladies. i doubt well see any real historical figures though.

i appreciate that the comic actually kind of starts off with the airship escapade

cause it really showcases the ways in which their world differs

where you get airships

and sky pirates

mathtans

That's a good point. Helps with the world building before we get down into some of the classic period issues.

RebelVampire

yes. and i also kind of like it starts off more action-y. not that there isnt action bits later mind you. but more i think it helps set up the main conflict while tying in the romance. because it makes it so the romance isnt some forced subplot. rather its kind of integral and has as much to do with the whole highjacking as the rest of the story. since later on youll see that elizabeth's proximity to victor keeps bring that part of the story into the limelight

mathtans

That's a good point, in terms of tying things together. Also possibly sets up a key antagonist (or at least revenge plot) in that burned pirate lady.

RebelVampire

she does come back

i will spoil that much

mathtans

I figured she had to some time, whether it was by the present updates or not.

I've resumed reading a bit in the background. Seems like both the Watson ladies are doing their best to get arrested. ^.^

RebelVampire

well at least Abhaya is.

cause Abhaya is a risk taker who puts herself in many situations where people are gonna stop and stare

mathtans

Well, yes. But Elizabeth also seems to be taking risks where Victor is concerned. Or at least stepping out of her comfort zone.

Certain people have certain effects on us I guess.

RebelVampire

nah thats true. I just think Elizabeth just takes more social risks. Like not the kind that are gonna get her arrested, but more the kind that are gonna get her socially shunned.

whereas Abhaya is the punch one who is gonna get charged with assault

mathtans

That seems like a valid viewpoint. It fits with their personalities when we saw them in their youth.

The cutting back and forth between the two sisters in Chapter 3 is well done.

RebelVampire

yeah in general i like the PoV switching of the comic. because every scene is pretty well-chosen and advances the plot in some manner. and it lets us see others parts of the comic developing. cause later on you do get to see more of victor without elizabeth some and get to go "hmm" to all that hes up to.

mathtans

Ha! I like Chapter 3, page 31, where all the dialogue seems to fade out as Victor touches her. Cute.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Besides romance, there is a larger plot posing real and deadly danger to the characters. Who do you think the Angel is? What are the Angel’s goals, and why is she excessively targeting Victor? Further, what do you think the source of her power is? Also, what does have kidnapping people like Ambrose have to do with her goals? Alternatively, is Ambrose there of his own free will (and if so, why)? Considering Abhaya is being sought by Amabel for help, what do you think Abhaya will do? Will Abhaya be able to uncover more of the truth, or is Abhaya just going to get herself into more trouble? How will Abhaya’s involvement affect Elizabeth and herself? Last, can Amabel be trusted, or is it possible she’ll abandon Abhaya when Abhaya might need her?

spoiler Amabel is who I ship Abhaya with

mathtans

Related to those questions, I do wonder a bit if Victor has a sordid past or something. Like maybe his empire wasn't entirely built on the up-and-up... with his knowledge or possibly without it. So there could be a reason there for him to be targeted.

I've looked on the character page and I approve this ship.

RebelVampire

oh yeah. Victor is 100% definitely a scoundrel. There is one scenes that really hints at this, but even before that i agree with you. Victor is not on the up and up entirely. I don't think he made his fortune without cracking a few skulls.

although idk if this is what makes him a target persay

or maybe it oes

but more in the way hes done the forbidden when it comes to tech

mathtans

Was he totally aware of the repercussions of whatever he did though? Because the people around him seem to like to keep him in the dark.

brb

RebelVampire

im sure he knew the repercussions. the people around him are more about keeping him in the dark about romantic matters. cause as was implied by one of the questions later on you find out the main thing ppl arent telling victor is that elizabeth is just there to open him up to the idea of marriage so he can marry a titled lady

cause everyone is all about those titles

In regards to the current question while you're away, I think Abhaya will help Amabel and get herself caught and get into a whole mess of trouble that for once, Elizabeth will have to break her out of. But I think it'll be a dual sword cause I do think Elizabeth's relationship to both Abhaya and Victor is gonna put her in the crosshairs. cause like, what an easy way to get Victor to show up. Get Elizabeth, tell Victor you'll never see her again if you don't show up.

as for the angel's goals, I feel shes on a path of vengence against the entire world, but particularly victor cause hes high up there in the industrialist chain

and knows something she doesnt and that she needs to bring her plans to fruition

mathtans

Back. Okay, that does make sense, darn titles.

Interesting, this Angel talk. I wonder if it's the same "angel" we see in the title card for Chapter 2?

Sounds like you think it's not personal, the Angel's path, merely that Victor is a convenient figurehead.

RebelVampire

i mean the angel is kind of the one from the title card. those are her wings for sure, though she doesnt look quite like that the one time you meet her

it could be personal, but i feel like the angel just has bigger fish to fry

from the impression i got from her

since shes kidnapping a ton of ppl

and you dont need to kidnap ppl to your cause if all youre doing is hunting down some industrialist

who almost got caught

if not for abhaya and elizabeth

mathtans

Ah, so she's the one behind the disappearances then.

(Still reading in the background.)

RebelVampire

yes. i mean its pretty implied but you get confirmation later that yes its her. though you can definitely speculate on the why

cause i have no clue

shes still enigmatic

mathtans

Looking for a husband? ^.^

RebelVampire

shes reading the wrong romance advice book

when elizabeth and her meet, elizabeth will point her in the right direction

and the angel is like "oh wait so youre not supposed to kidnap them? huh?"

mathtans

And then we ship Angel and Elizabeth.

RebelVampire

no. ill ship Abhaya and Angel

Elizabeth and Victor are the OTP

i said but then was like "nah id totally ship Elizabeth with West"

mathtans

Heh. That's fair, they are the main couple. Though West is an interesting guy, just needs to learn social cues.

RebelVampire

nah thats why west is amazing

he doesnt know social cues

and is awkward

yet helpful

and hes the only dude of victor's who seems to be in elizabeth's corner

mathtans

Right. I think it was said that he's not used to the lifestyle?

RebelVampire

yes that is what he said

which makes me want a side chapter just about what he did before he came to victor

cause i dont feel like victor would just hire some rando. he must of seen something in west

mathtans

Maybe he took pity on the guy, something about the scar.

RebelVampire

that could be cause victor understands the burden of scars

or something like that

whereas i just think west's scar gives him character

QUESTION 4. Mixed in with the present drama is a lot of unsolved past drama. Who do you think Victor really is? What do you think happened to Victor based on Milo’s story that he was telling Abhaya? How do you think Victor managed to overcome this to become the person he is today? Also, what do you make of the room Victor seemed to have sealed off in his house? Besides Victor, there is also a lot of drama between Jules, Abhaya, and Milo. What do you think happened between the three of them that managed to damage their relationship forever? Will spending more time together heal their wounds, or is it impossible at this point? Further, what was Jules up to the whole time he was away with Victor? Last, what do you think Jules’ goals were for introducing Elizabeth and Victor, and why does he seem immensely conflicted about her presence?

mathtans

Sorry, biab

RebelVampire

kay

I think Victor was some fellow servant kid who was Jules' only friend after Jules got sent away. And then Victor almost died. Although I'm changing my previous speculations. Maybe the Angel is more literal and she literally showed up, saved Victor with tech with the promise to return, and then left. So now shes back for her comeuppance. Meanwhile, Victor decided technology was great and he needed to bring it to the world cause it was what would keep him alive and save others.

as for the three, at this juncture it seems pretty heavily implied Milo and Jules were in a relationship and that Milo called off the wedding to Abhaya cause he didnt want to live a lie in regards to how he felt about Jules. Regardless of the what, while Milo i feel will legitimately forgive and forget, I dont feel Abhaya or Jules will. Abhaya cause she doesnt seem the type to ever forgive ever. And to just hold onto her hatred and seethe. Jules in the meantime I think wont forgive until he gets revenge in some way. Cause the two probably betrayed his trust big time and he kind of got the most screwed over by what happened

i think Jules wanted them to meet for the exact reason that the others implied: they want Victor to warm up to the idea of women so he can get married. However, I feel Jules now feels like a jerk who is taking out his anger at Abhaya on Elizabeth who had 0% to do with what happened between the three. and yet he knows hes in too deep to turn back now.

mathtans

Could be that Victor was initially poor... in fact maybe he married into the company somehow? Could the Angel be his wife? o.o

I wondered about Milo and Jules. My initial thought had been that Abhaya had called off the engagement though, so that's an interesting other look at things.

Jules and Elizabeth were close too, back in the day. One wonders if he's that good at seeing how things play out long term.

RebelVampire

nah its definitely his company. but victor was probably poor. if only cause everyone calls him new money. so it means he has no predecessor parent who made their fortune.

Jules strikes me more as the type who things hes great at planning but really, really, really isnt

and then tons of consequences come about that he has to accept and deal with

mathtans

That makes sense and could explain the sympathy for West too, maybe he knows West even though it doesn't necessarily go both ways.

Yeah, Jules seems to think he's got everything well in hand but he doesn't seem to account for the human factor.

Made it to the end of Chapter 4/Act 1 now. Apparently the Angel kidnaps people to literally graft wings onto her spine. Ouch.

Interesting callback to Victor's wounded leg though.

RebelVampire

i think even more than the human factor, Jules is just bad at making plan Bs for when things do go wrong. then panics and makes bad decisions

like not telling victor the factory is in danger

mathtans

Maybe that thing that Victor has in the factory is a time machine. Turns out he's actually from the future, he brought back all the technology and that's why the Angel is after him, she thinks it's stolen.

You're not wrong there, about Jules.

RebelVampire

ya know...i can support this time traveler theory. i mean it doesnt quite fit considering flashbacks

but id 100% buy victor built a time machine

cause why not

victor is amazing

mathtans

Maybe his company is corrupt because they're still trying to get the patents.

RebelVampire

i mean

its a company

so its probably corrupt to some degree regardless

mathtans

That's also a good point.

RebelVampire

i mean i can point out the fact they want victor to marry a titled lady to be a form of corruption. cause thats just marrying someone to advance your social standing for the business

mathtans

I guess we're near the end... haven't said anything about the art yet. I suppose I like the shading, and I thought the sound effect use was clever.

Need someone to star in the commercials.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my wife loves this new device I call a roomba."

RebelVampire

i really love the clothes. i mean theyre simple, and yet all seem to fit within the period that this comic is trying to go for

but if they get a roomba what are the house wives supposed to do

not sit at home cooking and cleaning all day?

also about the art, i really love the steampunk designs. you can definitely tell the steampunk inspiration in them, yet theyre really unique and not really like any steampunk ive seen before

and i can for sure appreciate uniqueness

mathtans

Yeah, that's true. And there was that neat detail of the corset being laced up the front, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Uniqueness is good. I wonder what the machine connection will end up being.

With the whole "maiden of the machine" thing there. (Won't be a roomba, after all.)

RebelVampire

ah thats a good point as well. i loved that detail about the maid being able to tell elizabeth didnt have a maid

mathtans

Maybe Elizabeth gets upgraded too.

RebelVampire

the comic was about the angel all along

and the angel's victory

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up our final Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Caitlin Like, as well, for making Maiden of the Machine. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Caitlin Like’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: https://maidenmachine.com/

Caitlin Like’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CaitlinLike

Caitlin Like’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/caitlike

Caitlin Like’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlike

[honorarycassowary]

So I finished Wolf 359. Spoilers and long AF ramblings under the cut.

I loved the finale! I had been hoping for a long time that the show would have an open ending, and especially one that’s ambiguous/bittersweet (because those are my absolute favorite kind and I love them) and it delivered.

I took kind of a long break from the show after I listened to the season 3 finale, because I was ... pretty upset about Lovelace, Hilbert, and Maxwell’s deaths, since I really cared about all three of those characters. But on further reflection, I think that killing them off, and keeping Hilbert and Maxwell dead, was a good choice. Huge chunks of the fourth season dealt with the emotional fallout from their deaths - Lovelace had to come to terms with her true nature, Hera had to sort through her emotions about Maxwell, Jacobi had to grapple with the death of his best friend and the role he played in it, Minkowski had to deal with the calls she made. Taking these deaths and keeping them dead, and adding in the deaths in the season 4 finale meant the actions and struggles the crew faced during the course of the show had weight. 

Speaking of deaths, Mr. Cutter’s death was satisfying. After all his gloating, and his utter moral bankruptcy, he got a harpoon to the head, courtesy of the people he’d hurt most. Honestly, fuck that guy. He had an even more convincingly awful person voice than Kepler.

I was surprisingly sad about Kepler’s death. I spent all of season 3 wanting to stab the man - he was a very effective and hateable villain, so absolute props to the writer and the voice actor - but season 4 made me actually start to like him. Wolf 359′s habit of introducing bigger villains and repeatedly forcing an Enemy Mine situation works wonders at making genuinely awful people sympathetic. Jacobi trying to get Minkowski to kill him in Dirty Work was just amazing. Anyways, Kepler finally doing the right thing for once in his life, in such a way that he dies with every other character (except Ms. Young) thinking he was ready to let everyone on Earth die, is GREAT. I think it’s possible that the remaining crew figured out what he did, but I would actually prefer they don’t realize it and go through their lives thinking he was prepared to go along with Cutter. It’s more painful like that, and I like that.

On the flip side, it was interesting to see Dr. Pryce live - but get her threats to Hera turned around on her, and effectively get a personality rewrite of her own. I’m interested to see what she does with her life, and how the Hephaestus crew treats her. I wonder what Hera said to her. Hera lived her whole life afraid of her personality matrix being overwritten, and then she erased Dr. Pryce’s memory. It was the only option she had with the tools on hand, but she has to feel some sort of way about it. They could potentially have a really interesting dynamic, and I’d love to see fic that explores it. I also find the transhumanist element of Dr. Pryce’s character to be intriguing. Personally, I think the problem with what she wanted to do is the idea of forcibly changing humanity, and making them compliant to her will, not the inherent concept of radically changing the self. I would be interested to see the new Pryce exploring how her former self’s ideas could benefit humanity, even though her methods, morals, and life philosophy were horribly flawed. It’s a similar thing to Hilbert, I think - they started from an understandable point, but veered off somewhere down the line. Now that her memories are erased, I want her to figure out who she is, and what she wants, and how that will shape the future of Goddard Futuristics. (I’m really curious how they - and the government - will handle so many people returning from the dead, getting amnesia, or dying for real. Mr. Koudelka is gonna break one hell of a story.)

Then, there’s what happened to Eiffel. He really gets put through the wringer over the course of the show - injected with a deadly virus! launched into space, where he nearly dies from cryostasis overuse! threw himself into a sun! mindcontrolled! and now, finally, has his memories erased. Eiffel has been the main character (though it’s definitely an ensemble show, especially once you get past season 1), and he’s grown over the course of the show. So I didn’t actually think that he’d be harmed, going into the finale. But I liked what happened to him. He tried his best to get out of the situation, and then sacrificed himself so that Pryce could be defeated. I also liked the ambiguity of whether he is the “real” Doug Eiffel. There’s been an overarching theme in Wolf 359 of “what makes a person a person? what makes you you?” and I want Eiffel to be able to explore that. He has all the logs - but that’s not a complete picture of Doug Eiffel. Eiffel had secrets, he had hidden depths, he had a life beyond his job (as he was wont to remind everyone). In the brief time we see the new Doug Eiffel, he’s similar but the not identical to the OG Doug, most notably indicated in how he says Minkovski and his confusion at the pop culture references in his logs. It’s fascinating that he’s approaching the question of “what makes you you?” from the opposite direction of Captain Lovelace - he has the same body, but none of the memories. They could get a lot of good conversations out of that. I’m not any more sure than he is about who he “really” is, but he has a life ahead of him to figure that out, which is the important part.

Hera erased both Eiffel and Pryce memories, and, like I said above, I wonder how that affected her. Don’t get me wrong - I’m proud of her! She spent her whole life fighting against people trying to beat her down into shape, and she never gave up, and she won. She was brave, but she did something very, very hard. I hope she’s able to make a good life for herself on Earth. I think she’ll fight for it. I think everyone else will help her.

I’m proud of Jacobi! He saved the day - he not only figured out Cutter had him bugged, he came up with two plausible plans and then saved everyone’s lives once things went a little pearshaped. I’m also so happy that he doesn’t think he’s a good person, and he’s not trying to be one (at least not now). I prefer to think of him as a bad person who does have moral lines he won’t cross, as opposed to a good guy fallen on bad times (even if he is sympathetic). He was so enthusiastic about being monsters with Maxwell. But I think his time on Wolf 359 has really shaken his faith and given him a lot to think about. Also, I love his arguments with Kepler all through this season. His “just admit you were wrong!” rant to Kepler really speaks to their long history and loyalty twisted into frustration and hatred. He’s got an amazing sense of palpable betrayal in regards to Kepler, and that’s why I mentioned above that I don’t want him to learn that Kepler saved them. I think it’s more narratively interesting to have him hit with the full brunt of that betrayal. Also he’s gay and I’m DELIGHTED.

Minkowski sending the ship off with Eiffel inside it was a real betrayal, and I’m glad Eiffel brought that up as a bad thing, even if he did forgive her. And, uh, immediately lose his memories. But I totally understand why she did it, and I love how strongly her protective sense towards her crew comes out. And she gets to kill Cutter, after everything he did to her and her crew. I also liked her flashback with Hera to when they first arrived - it’s a interesting contrast being awkward Minkowski who’s not sure of herself, but who immediately respects Hera’s wishes, to hardened Commander Minkowski who kills a man and saves a planet, but who maintains that love for her subordinates. I really hope things work out with her husband. Between the two of them, they might just be able to take down Goddard Futuristics.

Lovelace’s continual fight to be herself comes (mostly) to an end. I wasn’t expecting Cutter to find a new way to mind-control her, but I did now she would fight til the end. She and Minkowski make a great team, and they must have made record time on those engines. I also like that bonding moment between her and Eiffel at the start of the episode. There’s something very human about stealing your awful boss’s fancy food for stress relief, and I like the reference to the seaweed tea. She absolutely 100% deserves that vacation. I hope she’ll be able to relax long enough to make the most of it, but I feel like it’ll be a while before Goddard is dead enough for her to feel comfortable.

There’s so many ways everyone’s stories could go after the finale. I’m glad about that - I like to think of everyone’s lives as a continuing narrative, so I love it when canons leave the ending open, so we can see how the characters have changed and wonder what they’ll do in the future. It feels more real, and less neat. There’s so much aftermath that they’ve sorted through, and there’s more to come, but I’m sure that whatever they do, they’ll be good at it.

Also I felt a real emotion at “That was Wolf 359.” instead of “This has been Wolf 359.” I’m also a sucker for changed endings for finale episodes.

[lottiesnotebook]

hhhhhholy shit. just. wow. oh my gosh. i just read through yours and @captainlovelxce's "something enchanted, something deadly" fic and aaahhh it's! so! well! done! I love it! (I haven't gotten around to getting an actual Ao3 account yet so I haven't commented there-- that's why I'm here!) alright so because I have so many emotions I feel the need to send in multiple asks of praise, so buckle in and please pass this along to Ada, cause this is for both of you fabulous people (ask 1)

okay so this is a mess but I really love the way you two contrast what a character is thinking, vs what they say or do, which is especially interesting when dialogue is so important in the fic. the whole world building was very well done, along with the subtle 359 references that I ONLY JUST GOT HOLD ON. everyone was super in character– I could imagine each character saying what was written (ask 2)

you guys switched around place and perspective very well, considering the large amount of crew members and budding relationships. I freaking loved the Jacobi/Eiffel dynamic, and of course, the best slowburn ever. you really did a fab job having all the characters behave in believable ways, instead of jumping to convos and emotions like in some shorter fics (ask 3)

look there’s an infinite amount of things I could say about the freaking fabulous fic. plus, the playlist rocks. I was pretty confused by the lack of Hilbert, but then he died and I was like thank god I didn’t get attached to this version of him. I smiled and nearly cried throughout numerous points in the fic. everything was written just so well, especially the little snippets of sentence that are SUPER important but subtle and the ones that are super deep and meaningful. (ask 4?)

a personal favorite chapter was the one where Jacobi and Eiffel kissed under the stars (beautiful scene, I succumbed to the urge draw the boys at 2am last night), Lovelace and Minkowski’s relationship developed, and Hera got the girl. Jeez I could go on for like 74 hours talking about the fic. SUPERB job. EXCELLENT work. WONDERFUL craftmanship. EXTRAORDINARY visuals. ya’ll are amazing, I hope you have a nice night or day <3 <3 <3 <3 Keep up the awesome work (Final Ask 5) –From, ‘Kaleidoscope' 

@captainlovelxce This one’s for both of us, but wow, this is the most asks I’ve ever had in one night and I am So Happy. 5 asks may be a record for SESD-inflicted feelings, so we love you already. <3

Our writing style as a pair tends to be heavily dialogue-driven because that’s what we find fun to write, so I’m really glad that worked well for you! The contrast between our characters’ internal thoughts and their dialogue was great to work with because it combines all the fun of podcast scripts with the things they aren’t saying, which is pretty important in a premise heavily based on shadiness and deception.

Honestly, before this fic I wasn’t even a Jacoffel girl but it’s taken me to some interesting places, because they were so much fun to write here. That picnic scene is probably my favourite thing I’ve ever written, and if you have art of it you’re willing to share we would literally happy-cry. We were a little worried that keeping both our main pairs as slowburns would get boring for people, but it’s great hearing how much fun you had reading them. 

The lack of Hilbert was mostly the result of neither of us particularly enjoying writing him. We both have our favourites to write, and tend to pair them up to share scenes, but because we didn’t really get his voice we tended to sweep him under the rug. Plus, why write a character we don’t have that much fun with when we could be compiling the Longest Playlist Ever? (Sidenote: the actual longest playlist ever is 205 songs and may or may not be SESD-related). 

It’s amazing to get so much feedback on something that’s been an enduring fixation for both of us for… 6 months now?? SESD is our baby and every comment anyone’s made on it is amazing to us, but this one is particularly special. Hearing your thoughts on it has been amazing, so feel free to send me more messages (maybe off anon? So I can thank you properly?) if you’d like to. This reply is basically a novel in its own right now, so signing off here, but your kindness and your positive feedback amaze me. <3

Lottie (goldtreesilvertree/lottiesnotebook) xx

[queenofthecommunistcannibals]

Venting about Wolf 359

Okay I have two big problems with s4 of Wolf 359.

1) Wasted. Opportunities. Alien Jacobi would have been fascinating to explore. His reaction would have been so different from Lovelace's. And it would have forced them to have a complicated forced close relationship. Or else he would force her further away from him. Alien Jacobi would have been a great way to explore personhood from a different angle than alien Lovelace. They could have had it both ways. And obviously they aren't opposed to having more than one alien. I really think alien Jacobi would have been more interesting if Maxwell was still around to comfort him and help him through it.

Maxwell talking to aliens would have been SO COOL to see. We're told Maxwell is good at languages and approaches it from a different perspective but we never see it. Plus Maxwell dealing with Eiffelese would have been amazing.

Jacobi's mourning is unexplored. I know we usually see things through the perspective of one of the og crew, but it would be touching to see Jacobi's interactions with Maxwell's memory.

2) The attitude in the show is all wrong.

Listen.

I wish they didn't kill anyone, especially not Maxwell, but guess what? They did. After the murdering they can't bring the show back to what it was. The dynamic should be radically different now. The feeling of the show should be very different and far darker. Remember how much Eiffel freaked when they indirectly killed the other Jacobi? Now he's aokay with Minkowski who murdered a woman bound to a chair? And he's willing to just talk to Jacobi who blew up Hilbert? Things can't be the way they were but the creators seem to think they can be. I expect Jacobi to be cold to the idea of killing someone, he's vaguely horrific after all, but Minkowski? I expected better from her. I expected her to feel bad about what she did.

Yeah, it's kind of obvious that my loyalties lie with the SI-5, but they brought these characters in, they made us care, they were as much a part of the crew as the og + Lovelace. They can't just kill one off without repercussions (I never expected Wolf 359 to sink to fridging someone and they barely even did that. Maxwell's death almost doesn't seem to matter at all) and turn another into a pillar of salt. (It can be argued that Jacobi's spite is how he is mourning, that his sorrow is internal and he can't afford anything more verbal, maybe that's true. It very likely is, but salty Jacobi is not as interesting as Jacobi was in s3. There is definitely more going on beneath the surface and I wish they would let us see it.)

S3 of Wolf 359 was one of the most perfect pieces of fiction, right up until the end. Even Bolero was promising, if heartbreaking. I thought they would do things differently. I hoped they would bring Maxwell back. I hoped they would explore the concepts of death and mourning. I thought Minkowski would have massive internal conflict. I thought Eiffel would shut himself up from her and have difficulty dealing with the post-mutiny reality. I thought Jacobi would mourn his best friend more, not in front of everyone, but alone, and maybe he does but we are not allowed to see it.

I just thought the show would be something different. It would never be as good as s3. The mutiny kind of ruined that, what with all the murder. I'm not saying it's all bad, but it's not s3 and it is very flawed. They seem to have let the lightening out of the bottle and they can't recapture it.

Maybe it will get better, but I am losing faith. I miss Maxwell. I miss the less salty Jacobi. I miss being able to like Minkowski (guilt is all I ask. They can't keep pretending that what she did wasn't exactly what Kepler did to Lovelace.) I honestly can't believe that Desperate Measures and beyond (with the tentative exception of Bolero) was written by the same people who did the majority of s3.

I just...I have a lot of feelings.

please don't hate me for this. I obviously have a lot of love for the series if this matters so much to me.

[westfallingforchaol]

Salaam! I’ve started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle. So, no more apologies. Just that school started, and it’s already kicking my ass. Also, my laptop broke down- I have no clue what happened. One day, it just up and decided to become stupid, and I couldn’t use it for about a week and a half. That happened. But I got it back this afternoon, so I thought I’d start off by doing a much-needed January wrap-up.

Even though I wasn’t blogging much, January was a pretty decent reading month for me. I read a total of 8 books, which is good since I wasn’t reading anything at all the past couple of months. Quality-wise, you probably know how I am by now… it goes up and down. For the most part, the books I read ranged from good to pretty good, and that’s honestly all I can ask, ha. I did read something awful though, but more on that later.

Personal

So… guess who I met? If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you might be unaware of this but I met Zayn a week or so ago. I love him to death- I think he’s both an incredible artist and an incredible human being. I was never a One Direction fan, but I distinctly remember thinking that Zayn was super attractive and had a unique voice; when he went solo, I really began to pay attention to him. Almost a year after his album release, I still listen to his songs almost every single day. I’ve binge-watched interviews and videos and stalked his social media, and he’s such a humble, grounded, adorable person.

Meeting him was incredible. He was so gracious and lovely; when I was taking a photo with him, my hand was shaking out of nerves so he reached out and steadied my phone. He was so kind to all his fans… and just in case you’re wondering, yes, he’s just as attractive in real life. :)

I also saw one of my favorite bands live! I’ve seen Kings of Leon live once before back in 2014, and they’re so incredible that I couldn’t possibly miss their 2017 tour. Protip: there are two things you need to do in your life:

See a rock concert in Madison Square Garden

See Kings of Leon on tour

I won’t pretend like I’ve seen a ton of concerts, but I’ve been to a few big rock ones, and there’s something that sets Kings of Leon apart from the rest. They make sure their fans get their money’s worth of performances. They performed 28 songs. One after the other with minimal pauses in between- so energizing, so rapid-fire but so, so good. If you like even just a couple of their songs, I’d highly recommend seeing them live. Despite not being my favorite band of all-time (that crown goes to Linkin Park) I still prefer their concerts over anybody else’s.

On Choosing a Different Path for Myself

Some of you might know this already, but I’m studying Applied Psychology at NYU. I just started the second semester of my junior year, which means I’ll be graduating in just over a year- which is insane just to think about. But I’ve decided that I want to switch…

Well, not really “switch” per se, but do something more advanced. Which is medicine! Surprise, surprise. When I went to Los Angeles over the winter break, I had a talk with a couple of my relatives, both of whom are psychiatrists. By talking to them and their constant affirmations that I was born to go into medicine, I started thinking. What do I want from my life? What do I want out of my career? And you might judge me for this, and I know this is probably why I’ve been sorted into Slytherin my entire life- I want to be successful. I want to be rich, lol, and I want to work for the money I earn. I want to travel. I want a good house, and a nice car. I want to be able to give my parents the chance to retire and sit back and relax while I am able to fulfill their needs. I want to buy stuff without looking at the price-tag, and I want to be able to give to causes that I support without compromising my day-to-day actions for lack of finances.

But that’s not just it. I wanted to become a psychologist so I could help South Asian youth who suffer from mental illnesses and are stigmatized and dehumanized. And I can do that. I can do that if I become a psychiatrist. I can do something good all while making a decent life for myself and my family. It’s going to take many extra years, particularly because I’ll have to take an extra year after my undergraduate to fulfill my pre-med requirements. But that’s a cost I’m willing to pay, you know? It was a scary decision to make. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’m still not sure I have the brains to get into med school, but you know. I’ll go down with everything I’ve got. It’s honestly a little terrifying, but I’ve enrolled for the first class that’ll help me get there, and I’m ready.

But that’s all I’m going to ramble about. You came here for a reading wrap-up, so here it is!

Reading Wrap-Up

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon | 1.5 stars | Review

This rating may come as a surprise to many, but I really disliked this book – not because the technical aspects were bad, but because the themes were so offensive that it didn’t sit well with me. I was enjoying it at first; the fun additions of notes and charts and illustrations added character, and I was interested in the character’s experience with her disability. But then the love interest was introduced, which made the book extremely insta-lovey, and that was also when the ableist themes came into play. This book was one big message of: you can’t be happy and you can’t have a normal love-life if you have a disability. Which is wrong on so many levels and completely downplays the experiences of so many. I explain it better in my review, so if you’re interested in learning more, check that out!

Goodreads | Amazon

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo | 3.5 stars | Review

I had high hopes for this book, and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The main character was immediately likable, and you fully empathized with her desire to move on from a traumatic event and to fit in with a new group of people. My favorite aspect of the book was definitely her topsy-turvy relationship with her father; the nuance and complexity of their dynamic definitely added an extra layer to the otherwise happy book. I also thought that the romance was incredibly cute, even though I thought it was a little insta-lovey. Also, let’s talk about how little attention is given to great female friendships in YA- if you’re looking for a good female-friendship dynamic, check this book out. Trigger warning for transphobia, depression, suicide attempt and outing.

Goodreads | Amazon

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire | 2.5 stars

I had very mixed feelings about this book; on one hand, I thought the world-building was incredible. Or rather, the potential for the world-building was incredible. Conceptually, the book was so strong, but I felt that a lot of the potential was wasted in execution. A ton of the world-building happens through dialogue rather than actual action. Which really bummed me out and kept me from enjoying the book. The characters fell flat for me too. I did, however, really enjoy the balance between whimsy and dark; I thought the plot was brilliant, and had it been carried out better, it would’ve definitely gotten a higher rating from me. Look out for my full review!

Goodreads | Amazon

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom | 4 stars

This was perhaps my favorite book of the month, which was a surprise because I didn’t know what to expect when I went into it. I’ve only ever read one other book with a blind protagonist, and this one was completely different in tone from that one. I was wary at first because the protagonist is so bitter and mean and sarcastic, and I approached it with caution because it seemed to give off the vibe that she was that way because she lost her sight. But as the story progressed, as the main character developed and grew through relationships and interactions with the people around her, as she learned more about her past and her life and came to terms with her vulnerabilities, the beauty of the book came to light. It was truly a beautiful book, and another one with really amazing female friendships. Definitely a must-read! And look out for my review!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Young Elites & The Rose Society by Marie Lu | 3.5 stars each

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So, I know I’m late to the game, and I know everyone and their mother loves this series- and I understand why. Even though I didn’t give either book a great rating, I really enjoyed them both and am definitely looking forward to the finale. I think what makes this series stand out so starkly amongst its peers is the fact that it’s basically a villain’s coming-to-power story and then I’m guessing her subsequent downfall. I love the complexity of Adelina’s character; I enjoy how you empathize with her but also constantly criticize her choices because she’s going too far. I love the world-building, and the writing’s solid. I sometimes feel that the secondary characters feel flat, and also that Adelina’s still too likable to be called a villain. I want to see her pushed further so I can fully give her the label of villain, because I don’t think she’s there yet. Which was my main gripe with the second book. I won’t be doing an individual review for each book, but I’ll do a joint review for the trilogy!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace (ARC) | 3.5 stars

I don’t read a ton of poetry, but I picked this one up because I’m mutuals with the author on Twitter, and it won an award, and it’s been getting a ton of hype. It’s basically word porn. I think a lot of the poems in this are incredibly relatable; it covers topics like mental health, body image, family dynamics, loss and death, abusive relationships, moving on, self-love, feminism and strength. A lot of the values I hold myself were reflected in this, and Lovelace definitely has a way with weaving words together so that they say a lot in very few characters. I enjoyed the first two parts of the book much, much more than the last one- which I felt was a little dragged and didn’t fit in with the tone of the other parts. But if you’re looking to get into poetry and aren’t sure where to start, check this out.

Goodreads | Amazon

Life in a Fishbowl (ARC) by Len Vlahos | 3 stars

Okay, so let me preface this by saying that the premise of this book is very misleading. The reality television aspect of it doesn’t come into play until well past the 30 or 40% mark- and believe it or not, I was really, really enjoying the book before the TV part was introduced. Definitely the strongest feature of the book is the writing. Vlahos is incredibly gifted; he’s clearly honed and polished his voice to perfection. It’s snarky, it’s intelligent, it’s satirical and hilarious and also surprisingly simple. Just reading his words made the experience delightful. His decision to tell the story from approximately eight perspectives was a gutsy move, but he pulled it off. The relationships, the themes were all spot on. It’s just that the storyline began to drag after the 60% mark, and the characters didn’t undergo any development, which I would have really liked to see. Even so, this was such a fun, fast-paced book, and I’d recommend it to anyone. Full review to come!

Goodreads | Amazon

Blogging

So, I’ve talked a little already about how I basically failed at blogging this month- I’ve never been so far behind my reviews. Because blogging sucked so much, I’m not going to do a post-to-post wrap-up like I usually do. But I’ll just leave a link to the Diversity Bingo 2017 event that I, and a few other friends are hosting. It’s basically a year-long reading event where you need to read 36 books that fit into a bingo sheet, each fulfilling a facet of diversity. You can find more information (and my TBR) here.

I also compiled a list of the diverse books releasing between January and June of this year. I know that I could have really used a masterlist, and in compiling it, I introduced myself to so many awesome-sounding books. If you’d like to check it out (and share, if you can please!), you can do so right over here.

The last post I’ll feature is my top 10 books of 2016. If you’re interested in seeing what the standouts of last year were, you can check them out here.

Also, I’m making a massive change to the blog- something that I think is important for my sanity, ha. I’m getting a co-blogger! I’ve already spoken to someone about it; she’s a friend that I got to know over Twitter. She’s incredible- kind, open-minded, thoughtful and just super wonderful in general. I’m not going to announce who exactly it is just yet- we’ll do that together when she writes her introduction post and she can officially be integrated into the website. Which also means that a URL change is in order. I can’t have a co-blogger and keep it my name. I’ll purchase the bookshelvesandpaperbacks.com domain soon, so just a heads up!

What I’ve Been Watching and Listening To

So, y’all probably know by now that A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Netflix, which I binge-watched and freaked out over. The books were such an integral part of my childhood, and it felt so wonderful to revisit the characters and the story. The show stays so true to the books- from the narration to the sets to the whimsical, weird, magical-realism-type tone, everything feels like home. The casting is spot-on. I love Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and it took me some time to warm up to the children, but I love them all dearly now. Go check the trailer out:

As for music, I’m going to be fully basic and just talk about Zayn a lot more, ha. I barely listened to anything except for his new track with Taylor Swift. I really don’t like her, guys. The fact that the song is the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Darker really doesn’t help, but come on, it’s Zayn. I had to give it a try- and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. I’ve often wanted a version where it was just him singing, and guess what- yesterday, he dropped an acoustic version where it’s just him and a guitar. It’s honestly heaven-sent, and even though it was released in February, I couldn’t go without including it here. Check it out- it almost seems like a completely different song, and I haven’t listened to the original since!

So that’s it for last month’s wrap-up. I know, I had a lot to talk about- it was a busy month and a lot was happening in life. Kudos to you if you made it this far into the post. Let me know in the comments below what your month was like? As always, thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

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Wrap Up | January ’17 Salaam! I've started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle.

[thebookishgoddess]

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS BY CASSANDRA CLARE - 🌟🌟🌟

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army? Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Reviewers’ note: It’s a long one, so hold on to your seats!

Review type: Plot + Character breakdowns + Overall (spoilers are noted as SPOILERS and you can hover the word to read the spoiler if you wish!)

I had every intention of writing a review for the whole trilogy instead of just for Clockwork Princess. But as it turns out, ya gurl can’t even remember half of what happened to Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince, due to the huge week gaps I threaded through this trilogy. So, I’m just rolling with what I’ve recently finished with this book.

Clockwork Princess picks up very quickly from the last book. The pacing was, I have to say, quite intense. We pick right off from where Cecily enters the London Institution to declare herself a Shadowhunter, and it goes from there. The plot just thickens as you go on, and I got to see more of Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood, who are characters that I found most interesting, aside from my faves, Charlotte and Henry (I’ll get into them later). The twist and turns and the real story of how Tessa came to be really was a shocking revelation. Who knew Mortmain could be so evil? (that was sarcasm, by the way xD)

I think for this story, the reason why I docked one star is because of the part where Will traveled to Cadair Idris. The whole point, I believe, was to intensify our anticipation into wondering: Will he get to Tessa on time? But I personally feel as though those parts were practically fillers. Trust me, I enjoyed reading the first two-ish parts of it, but it kept dragging the story on more than I expected. Cassandra Clare is very well-known for her descriptive stride, but in this case, it dragged on too far that I had to skim-read the rest of that part of the story instead.

But now, onto the characters! Tessa Gray is very well-rounded and dynamic. Yes, she can be a bit annoying sometimes because everyone is just like “just choose between Will and Jem, for crying out loud!” because I hate to see this woman tear Jem and Will apart. But I have to remember that this girl is a teenager in the 1800′s, and I can’t really hate her much for being so indecisive. But aside from that little conundrum, it does not  dilute the fact that Tessa is such a strong character. She’s been to hell and back with the Black Sisters, lost the only brother she’s ever known and suffered through that transformation she did in Cadair Idris, and she’s still standing on her own two feet. That takes some guts, and I admire her for it.

Jem Carstairs is probably the book boyfriend you have always wanted. He’s smart, so kind-hearted and loves music. I personally don’t ship him with Tessa (and admittedly skipped some parts where they interacted), but that does not mean I’m going to be biased with his character. He was such a breath of fresh air, a contrast to so many others that kept popping out in this story. Whenever I needed a break from Tessa’s indecisiveness or Will’s intensity, I look to Jem’s POV and it just makes me feel better. I suppose the only part that made me kind of iffy with how his character was handled was how he survived his illness. This is Cassandra Clare’s world building, and maybe there’s more to it, but I don’t see much of it making sense. I think the whole point was for SPOILERS but I felt the whole way Cassandra tried to “revive” his character kind of felt almost... desperate, if there was a word to describe it. It didn’t feel natural to me, for something that is supposed to be a little more supernatural for a fantasy story. But it just kind of set me off, hence the second dock of another star in the story. I think his story’s end could have been executed a lot better.

Will Herondale is also your dream book boyfriend, if you’re into brooding, sarcastic little shites like him. I personally enjoy his character because he’s pretty witty, although he can be quite awful sometimes. He loves books and quotes them to Tessa, which is just, ya know, romantic. But his “curse” really tore his entire person apart and I feel for him so bad. I will not excuse his actions of being a terrible human being back then because Jem was sick and knowing he’d die soon and he still ended up having such an empathetic and kind heart. But I can understand--not excuse--why Will was terrible in the first place. He had it really rough, and I suppose I’m just really one of the fair few that sympathize with him. I think in Clockwork Princess, he developed even more as a character. We got to see so much of his well-roundedness whenever he’s not being a huge prat, and he is my favorite developed character in this story. SPOILERS

For minor characters, I do love Henry and Charlotte Branwell. I think aside from shipping Will and Tessa hardcore, they’re my second favorite couple of all time. I love how they came about their feelings for each other in Clockwork Prince and how in the end, they actually really do love each other. Like, this is the purest form of a ship anyone could possibly ask for. (I’m already searching fanfics for them as I switch between writing this review) 

Some of the others I did enjoy reading about too was Sophie Collins and Gideon Lightwood. Can we just take a moment to step back and admire how Gideon presented these words to Sophie? 

“I see it,” Gideon said in a low voice. “I am not blind, and we are a people of many scars. I see it, but it is not ugly. It is just another beautiful part of the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.”

Like, if Will isn’t already my book boyfriend, Gideon Lightwood would be number 2 because who could even resist such beautiful words? I’m just so happy for Sophie, who has been through some real tough situations before her life in the Institute, and now she’s found this amazing and loving family of Shadowhunters and have come to find the man she loves. 

Now, for my last character breakdown, let’s talk about Jessamine Lovelace. This girl, oh my goodness. I have loved her the moment her character was introduced (she was my fave in Clockwork Angel) and I have hated her the moment I found out she was a traitor. I had a fair few words for her on my Goodreads update on Clockwork Prince, and let me tell you, they’re not very nice. I had actually wished this character dies. And I regret that I did because SPOILERS. 

I think some part of her has just always wanted to be part of something bigger than the life that was chosen for her, and I can empathize with her on that. It just kinda sucked that she chose the wrong path into doing that, but then again, she did try to make things better for herself after being imprisoned in the Silent City. But she came at the wrong time, and didn’t get the better chance to. Although she did help Will figure out where Mortmain really is, so she had a bit of redemption in the end. At this point, I just want to read more about Jessamine. 

Overall, this took me forever to finish, I’m not gonna lie. Some parts dragged on, some didn’t, but I’m glad I am through with it. There was a lot of action, and amazing interactions between all the characters in the book. It was a very interesting and compelling end to a trilogy, and though it’s not my favorite ending, it was a  pretty good one. Will I be reading more Shadowhunter books? Probably not. But I will be proud to say that I actually finished a series Cassandra Clare wrote, and that’s fine enough with me. This book gets a final rating of 3 stars.