#I'm off to fight nyx guys today is the day

[yuseirra]

someone told me AGES ago that the protag put ryoji's music box on the top of his bed (I went and checked and it was @lapinparka, thank you very much!!)

I remembered about it but I KEPT forgetting about it when I actually turned the game on

today I finally checked: it is there

[1800naveen]

It's funny when I see Tik Tok slideshows with High Lady Feyre and how her title is so cool.

Since she got the title, has she done anything besides painting with people? Rhysand does the work while she paints?

Isn't she being a housewife with this? No offense but... Actually, fuck it. Full offense, take it with a pinch of salt or a hand full and shove it up your ass.

How about helping out in Illyria or Hewn City? They got slums in Velaris but these guys are building their sixth mansion or some shit. SLUMS.

And the stupid death pact. "But after everything they went through" Zip it. Yes, they went through stuff but it's a dumbass decision to decide on a pact that if one dies, the other dies too. This is fucked up what I'm going to say (like the most fucked up thing I'm going to say) but on one day, I was thinking about this death pact and it was reminding me of something. After some time, what it reminded me of was Adolf and Eva Bruan killing themselves on the same day. I'm aware that I'm fucked up for thinking of this, don't comment it out. (I felt some regret for even thinking it the first time). Here's a better alternative: Bonnie and Clyde.

You leave your son an orphan. Who the fuck is going to rule after they're gone? None from the inner circle can, I assume. And if they can, don't because they're going to immediately mess it up.

And how the fae age and stuff, Feyre being in her twenties when she was with child is odd. Is that the fae version of a teenage pregnancy? She should've been in the club.

Remember when people were hyping up Crescent City 3 and expected Aelin to be in it so that we would have the main protagonist trio all fighting? Where's it at? Aelin is chilling in her world (Good for her. She shouldn't have to suffer dealing with Rhysand). I heard that Feyre wasn't even in the book because she was taking care of Nyx? Haven't read Crescent City so correct me if I'm wrong. And then, we have big daddy Rhysand taking the spotlight and acting like a prick towards Nesta, Ember, and Bryce. He says to Nesta that she should've taken Bryce's head off??? What the fuck?

Nesta saying that she wouldn't be killed or executed, at least not now or not today makes me sad for her. She deserves so much better, I'll shout it to the rooftops.

TLDR: Bonnie and Clyde did it better than Feysand ever could.

[starjunco]

It's a three-for-one drabble deal today, so I'm going to put them under a line to help not clog anyone's feed. We have...

Day 24: Anticipation -- Libertus Ostium, Tredd Furia, Pelna Khara, Crowe Altius, Nyx Ulric, Glauca

Day 25: “Shouldn’t You Be Happy?" -- Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum -- Parental fighting

Day 26: Free Falling -- Nyx Ulric -- Heights, explosions

*******



Day 24: Anticipation (Ao3)

“What do you mean ‘explode’?!” Libertus yelled over the comm.

“That’s what ‘engine overload’ means!” Tredd yelled back. “Explode!”

“This hunk of metal is too big to just fall from the sky,” Pelna said. “There has to be life pods -- shuttles -- drop ships -- something! Just give me a second…”

“60 seconds! Get away from the back of the--” Tredd’s line shrieked and died. Not a second later an explosion shook the ship -- not the big one, not yet, but it had to be starting.

“Fuck fuck fuck…okay, emergency pods! Third and sixth levels, either side!” Pelna instructed.

“Probably not happening, got a problem,” Nyx said, his comm half static.

“What kind of ‘problem’?!” Crowe demanded.

“I’ll catch up, don’t worry,” Nyx said.

He clicked off the comm. Before him, in the center a hold full of empty daemon cages, stood the armored figure of Glauca.

*******

Day 25: “Shouldn’t You Be Happy?" (Ao3)

Hey, this gala is boring. Wanna play Knight’s Tale?

Prompto stared at the bright phone from under the blankets of his bed.

Not right now, sorry. Not really in the mood.

He had told them he was tired, that he should just head to bed. Him leaving hadn’t solved the problem though.

It’s Solstice, shouldn’t you be happy?

A cabinet door slammed shut downstairs. Voices raised again, bickering back and forth.

Of course I’m happy. Got lots of cool stuff.

Prompto made himself smile, trying to convince himself. There was a loud crash downstairs then someone opened the outside door. The car started up a minute later.

“Who wouldn’t be?” He turned the phone off and tried to actually sleep.

*******

Day 26: Free Falling (Ao3)

Continued from Day 24.

------- Someone, Nyx thought, was whistling. Not the pleasant tune kind, but the long, annoying shriek kind.

Couldn’t people just let a guy sleep?

Ugh, and it was cold too. He reached for blankets and found none. His hand only found air. Air that felt like it was moving.

Nyx opened his eyes and stared up at a blue sky, at the very center of which was a large, cylindrical piece of metal that was being torn apart by blooms of fire.

Pieces of that metal were falling. Toward him.

He grabbed at his kukri and threw it instinctively to the side before a chunk twice his height barreled through where he had just been. The lack of impact, of either him or the debris confused him, until he looked toward where the debris was headed.

The ground. So small, yet growing oh so very quickly.

Oh…oh fuck…

Would warping even save him here? Sure they warped off buildings but usually that was measured in stories, not thousands of feet!

You can do this, Nyx told himself firmly. You’ll just need to time it right. The anchor has to stop before you warp…

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 5

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be lots of Viren deets, Best Boy Soren deets, some writing/continuity stuff, worldbuilding appreciation and half of a theory, Detective Rayla, Moon Temple geeking, Claudium and dark magic, and more!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

(I know for darn sure that I wrote up a post for chapter 4, but I can't find it anywhere so I guess Tumblr ate it and I'll have to redo it at some point, but today is not that day)

Viren, my evil dude, my bad guy, coming in clutch with the worldbuilding and backstory again! If you want to know decades of information, you gotta talk to Viren. Or read his scenes, at least. Here, he seems to not sleep much when he has a big problem to analyze his way through. Solutions trump pretty much everything else in this guy's life, and he's had a really hard week with a lot of new and complicated problems. Of course he's getting sleep-deprived trying to find his way through them all.

Harrow put so much trust in Viren when he made him High Mage! He just threw himself extra hard at that Lady Justice blindfold, didn't he? Didn't really want to see what Viren was doing in his magic study, so he left Viren to his devices. And Viren has a lot of devices.

Also, this is fascinating: Viren made the secret passage to his "less official study" in Katolis Castle! And he was inspired to do so by the way his own mentor kept the Puzzle House. What else could a Puzzle House be, except a place with secret passages? Yay! secret headcanon that "the Puzzle House" is just "Katolis Castle" from Kid Viren's perspective tho

So either Viren built all of those passageways, or at least the ones to his dungeon. Which means he has to have, or know where to get, a stash of those glowing blue Moonshadow crystals. Hmmm.

I can't wait to learn more about Kpp'Ar and young Viren, btw. From this description of Viren and all his literal secret ways, it feels like another parallel between Viren and Runaan, with the whole "secretive paths, members only, insider knowledge" type stuff. Only the really cool members of this cult club get to know the secrets, and guess what, kid, you're cool now but you can never tell anyone, okay? Our secret.

Yeahhh, that'll never backfire in any way for either of them.

Kpp'Ar calling puzzles and secrets "man-made magic," though. Yes sir, knowledge is indeed power.

This chapter mentions Runaan by name, from Viren's perspective. Generally that would imply that Viren knows his name, even though assassins do not share their names, and Runaan didn't seem to give his to Viren in the first book. However, there was a scene in book one where the last paragraph switched perspective from Viren to Runaan - a technique that's very common in visual media like movies and shows and gives you that "ohoho they left the room and didn't notice this, but you do!" vibe. Using Runaan's name there in book one, where Viren couldn't see it but readers could, helps them keep track of the assassin's story arc while maintaining Viren's racism.

So in book two, in which Runaan has no onscreen scenes (alas), using his name in a scene that calls back to the events in book one helps us remember what happened in that dungeon cell. It would be a bit muddier to recall the specifics if Viren kept thinking about Runaan as "Elf." So I'm cool with the perspective nudge because it serves a narrative purpose: clarity. But I'm also enjoying the angst of considering that, somehow, Viren learned Runaan's name either during or after the coining spell. Mwa ha ha haaa. (Obligatory "Keep my pretty name outta your mouth" goes here)

Okay, back to Viren's scheming! He took the mirror because it was human-sized in a dragon lair. He knew it didn't really fit there, and that made it interesting, so he stole it. But he realized it was really powerful when Runaan wouldn't tell him squat about it - the assassin's instinct to protect Xadian secrets from human hands meant that Viren was holding a very powerful Xadian secret. And that just made him want it all the more. Ah, Runaan, if only your relationship with lying was, like, the exact opposite of what it is. Nyx could've spun Viren a believable tale in 2 minutes flat.

Also of interest: Viren considers his cursed coins to be a final fate. He expects Runaan to remain in his coin forever. With the Chekhov's coins still extant in the storyline, we can assume that they'll come up again eventually, but Viren has no current plans to do anything with his elf money except carry it around.

It's worth noting that Viren admits that he got impatient when he trapped Runaan in the coin. Runaan's first fate in Katolis was supposed to be death at Soren's hands, but Claudia "saved" him from that. His next fate was to become spell components, but Viren's frustration with his stubbornness "saved" him from that fate, too. So now he's in a coin, where no one can chop him up at all. Yay? No, boo!

We get one last line about Runaan before Viren shifts gears: he makes a point of noting for us that Runaan's shackles are still locked shut. However much of Runaan made it into that coin - body, soul, hair care products - he was magicked there, pulled right out of his restraints.

The creepy black liquid that Viren pours right into his eyes is the last of a powerful potion he got from Kpp'Ar, and its recipe is ancient! Humans used it back in the age of Elarion to see through the illusions of the world. And we get a delightfully creepy bit of description about the preparation of this serum, which makes it abundantly clear that it's a Moon magic-based concoction, harvested from eyeless vipers on a moonless night, with the threat of irrevocable madness ("madness" by whose definition, though) if it's done wrong-

Hang on. Hold up. This is a Plato's Cave reference. OH MY GOD.

No no I'm fine, this is brilliant. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't figure why there was so much description for a potion prep that Viren didn't even have to perform himself. But now I get it. I see the light. HA. I should make a separate post for this, it's amazing.

Anyway, for reference, the humans who used this serum were called the Oracles of Ophidia, and Ophidia is a taxonomy group that includes all modern snakes. Can you say "creepy ancient snake rites"? I can! Woo!

Viren activates the serum with a spell, but apparently he's never done it before. He's not sure if it's supposed to be hot and bubbly, and he worries that it's been tainted by moonlight.

Oh, I do hope so.

The magic potion hurts, a lot. Viren will do just about anything, to himself or anyone, to do what he believes is necessary. He just risked madness and blindness to find out what this mirror does! Viren. Can you just. Take a nap or something. Have a Snickers.

This chapter gives us a fun clue that I don't remember from the show: when Viren's vision clears and he can see, his reflection has white pupils and the room reflected in the mirror has inverted colors. You know where else has inverted colors?

You know who else got white pupils for a hot second?

Okay, now it makes sense! Viren and Lujanne were both seeing into the realm beyond life and death. Him with his moon magic potion, and her with her moon powers on a full moon night at the Moon Nexus. Which is Very Interesting! Is it a direct hint about Aaravos's location, or just a separate cool detail? Orrr, does it look like a direct hint because Aaravos is actually trapped in the world beyond life and death, but it's actually separate and we'll see something about white pupils again later on?

Viren really does have self-esteem issues, we all picked up on it with his rant at his reflection. He throws a fit when he catches himself wondering if he's actually worthless. In the book version of his tantrum, he shoves the mirror and hurls a candelabra instead of flipping a table. He didn't need to shove the mirror to set the fire, but it's in here. Foreshadowing that perhaps, if push comes to shove, Viren will choose himself over Aaravos? Giving Aaravos time to peek through and see that the coast is clear?

Soren, my boyyyyy. He has a rough night at the Moon Nexus because two sides of him are fighting with each other. He struggles to understand Callum's friendship with Rayla, and he also fantasizes about chopping off Rayla's head. One of these is a pretty ordinary thing to do. The other is Soren's internalization of what he needs to do to gain his father's approval. If he brought his dad a chopped off elf head every week, he'd probably feel a lot more confident because Viren would praise him a lot more.

Okay, okay, omg, is it just me, or does the "Moonshadow Madness" story, as it's told in the book, seem like Soren just doesn't know what a monsterfucker is? He thinks an elf bite puts humans under a spell. But vampires are sexy, and some people want them to do more to them than just bite them. A passionate kiss under the moonlight could look very bitey, especially if one of the participants has horns and you're already culturally trained to hate them. No yeah, I'm already headcanoning an actual human-elf kiss that got misunderstood by an observer long ago.

it's Lujanne isn't it, we all know, because what is a love spell but a sweet soft illusion, I mean how else does she get supplies for her Caldera, I ask you, and also Corvus was totally sent to investigate once and he told Soren at camp what he saw

And then back to magefam angst: Soren pretending that his sister's nose-tapping is stupid, even though he actually thinks it's cool, just because their dad thinks it's stupid. Viren, istg. Let your kids like harmless things. It's so cute that Soren taps his nose back at her, though! Like they have their own sibling code. I hope we get to see the nose tap again, especially now that they've chosen different sides. It could mean so much, that they're not too far apart yet.

Rayla knows what buttery pancakes smell like. I love this. Do Moonshadow elves have butter and pancakes, does Rayla eat a stack of eight giant pancakes in the morning? Orrrr it is just illusion food? I don't care, let Rayla have pancakes! Everyone loves pancakes. Pancakes will save the world. this message brought to you by the fact that I can't eat pancakes rn, send help

I love that Rayla is both sus of the pancakes and hungry, and that combines into a very motivated "I will get to the bottom of this" attitude. She kind of goes into Poirot Mode when she inserts herself into Soren and Ellis's conversation about Ava, explaining about the wolf's illusion leg and segueing into her claim that the pancakes taste sus. Claudia confirms she used dark magic, and Rayla is furious. It's different than the show's version in that it puts Rayla in detective mode, as the only Moonshadow elf in the scene, and boy does she take that role seriously. Also, she doesn't actually swallow the dark magic pancake bite. It ends up on the ground just like Lujanne's grubs from that earlier meal. These poor kids are so nutrient-starved. You guys gotta eat!!

Rayla's determination and prejudices and the fact that she super knows Harrow is dead all dovetail to make her try repeatedly to persuade Callum that Soren and Claudia are Not To Be Trusted. It's nice that the book keeps taking the time to point out that Rayla is Well Intentioned But Flawed, just like Callum and pretty much every other character in the show. No one is Right All The Time, no one Knows More Than Everyone Else.

Callum loving the sound of Claudia's unique voice is so wholesome. When you like someone, it only makes sense that you like all the things about them that they can't change - like the sound of Claudia's voice. Her choices with dark magic, not so much!

Claudia seems to have the same concerns Soren does about Callum's relationship with Rayla, but she comes out and asks him. The inherent possession implied in "your elf" is interesting, though. Elves are not people to Claudia. They're enemies who can be disassembled for the magic inside them. So maybe more like robots than living beings, if she knew what a robot was. Maybe she heard Soren's "Moonshadow Madness" story and realized he totally missed the kissing implications - but she didn't, and now she's genuinely worried that Rayla could kiss Callum under a full moon and enchant him to do her will. Good thing it's only a half moon, then!

Okay, Callum nervously making a puppet hand and then not knowing what to do with his hands and freaking out about itching and moving and pointy elbows is such a ND mood. The sudden stress of knowing that someone else is noticing your existence and maybe you're Not Existing Right, amirite? Ugh, poor Callum.

The Moon Temple! Omg it's so pretty in the description! Made to be beautiful and useful, full of knowledge but also allowing light and life inside (butterflies and vines). Lujanne, when can I move in, please? Also, it's all the more angsty because Lujanne is the only one who gets to see this beautiful place, but it has lots of chairs and shelves and tables, and it was meant to be used by lots of people. :(((

Claudia knows some of the runes on the walls. She isn't in a hurry to copy the rest of them down or anything, either. Her spellwriting is very precise, and she's a skilled mage. Her father would have made sure she was aware of the dangers of drawing sloppy runes, as much as he made her aware of the dangers of doing dark magic wrong. And the whole point of dark magic is that it's easier to learn than primal magic. Claudia supports her dad and their shared knowledge and life path. She's not gonna go nuts over an elf library she can't translate.

Side note: Between Claudia knowing some Moon runes and Viren building a secret passageway and a dungeon and lighting it with the same blue crystals that Lujanne and Ethari use for light--and Claudia exclaiming that she loves ruins--I wonder once more if there are really Moonshadow ruins somewhere in Katolis, which Viren has found and looted. Father-daughter relic hunting trip, maybe while Soren is away at camp? Omgsh that would be so wild!

Callum out here having a Viren moment with his "I feel powerless unless I've got magic that lets me help" vibes. God. I love their complicated mirroring. One of the hard differences between them is that Callum is very sure dark magic is bad because you have to kill stuff and take its power to cast spells, and he doesn't want to be a person who kills and takes like that. The line he walks to be nice to Claudia on their tour of the Cursed Caldera because he likes her, while telling her that he doesn't want to do her magic, like, ever, is so fine that it might as well be a shifting shadow on the ground. It's a very fitting conversation to be having during the half moon, with its tricks and little white lies.

Callum being out of the castle and his comfort zone, having to deal with the fact that the Claudia he loves is not quite the Claudia who's chasing him down across the kingdom, but of the two of them, he's the only one with a problem with this.

They say that if you really want to get to know someone, you should spend time with them outside their comfort zone - in heavy traffic, with a small baby, taking care of a new pet, trying a new skill, following unfamiliar directions, etc. While the castle is familiar territory for them both, Callum's never really found his comfort zone yet, while Claudia is pretty comfortable with her growing skill set. The creepy part starts to kick in when Callum begins to realize that Claudia's comfort zone encompasses a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it should make her uncomfortable... but it doesn't. But that'll be for a future chapter!

[patchdotexe]

doip. / 9.13.21

I WAS LOOKING AT THE MAP AND PEPPER STARTED EATING MY SKETCHBOOK

today we are in "o- WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THIS SCREENSHOT

WE'RE IN ORRE BUT THE TEXTURES ARE FUCKED UP, BUT THEN PASTING THIS INTO WORDPAD FUCKED IT UP EVEN MORE??????????????

jorb did the math and the candy i'm eating is literally 50% sugar

maybe i shouldn't do my notes in wordpad actually considering it's weird all the time

good news: this time i think my headset is set up so i'll be able to hear the dbz music

oh there's nyx! he feel asleep. jorb: i was nearly gonna say "i'm gonna inject you with caffeine", but i almost said "i'm gonna inject you with cocaine". i think I'M gonna feel asleep.

PREVIOUSLY ON DRAGONS ON ICESPIRE PEAK: oh man the dbz music is so crunchy we cleared out a temple from dangerous oozes so that the dwarves at the excavation could hide out there from the dragon! also some other stuff happened. i think i maybe shouldve reread my notes

jorb: so you're gonna head to the inn? [water noise] michael: yes. jorb: WHO PEED?

michael is talking abt his friend's cat <3 luigi................ he is very afraid of everything and michael is trying to feed him, which is a problem bc he keeps hiding "like a little bitch"

OKAY we're gonna be escorting Don-Jon Raskin somewhere! he's been decided to be australian. jorb: oh god i don't know how to do an australian accent leo: YOU'RE AUSTRALIAN,, jorb: i'm a non-practicing australian.

jorb: --and two things of oil, which you should not eat. alidaar: but what if i did jorb: i think that'd be bad for your health. nameless: but what if i want to jorb: ..the crates--

michael: how much does an ox cost jorb: don't tell me you're gonna fence the ox! michael: no i'm gonna see how much an ox costs in case the dragon shows up and [the ox] doesn't make it

escorting a man, escorting an ox! are any of us good at animal handlOH OF COURSE THE DRUID IS michael: nyx is currently a binturong. jorb: you could stop being a binturong! nyx: no <3 this can only go well.

the ox is now tobias's new best friend OH, RIGHT, TOBIAS CAN TALK TO ANIMALS. he probably just talked to vincent (the ox). tobias: hi vincent! my name is tobias [silence] jorb: .........i don't know what an ox would say,

michael: new plan, i'm the decoy for the dragon

oh hey a pile of dead orcs. that's definitely not ominous or anything they died from extreme cold! dragon was here 3 days ago. uh oh. also i think it's fun that ali would recognize Death By Cold = Dragon considering their own breath weapon is cold fhglkxdfhk oh hey silver battleax!

oops i missed some exposition bc i was adding my shiny new battleaxe i stole to my sheet

heading into the mine! BIG RAT GUARDS? we don't know what these are bc ali and lil guy don't have great arcana and tobias, the guy who DOES, rolled a nat1 don-jon is now the overseer of a mine of rats (don-jon was sent by the owner of the mine to take over, but now it's been taken over by Someone New who has, uh, weird rat guards? this may be an issue.) This Is An Issue the mine has been commandeered by the whiskered gang! (ali: that's a stupid name.) they got chased out of their old territory by orcs so they've decided to turn the mine into their new base of operations. however, IF we take out the orcs, then the gang will leave!

oh apparently jorb had to add in the silvered axe i picked up bc uh. these guys are were-rats! so they're immune to everything that isn't silvered or magical! OOP

jorb: [doing scene description] ..why is the barrel crab typing?

hm. okay so we found an abandoned place with horses. specifically this whole place has gotten burned down. Not Good. time to keep moving on!

i spaced out and heard the phrase "bubblebutt ranch" and i will never be free again

nyx: I CAN BE A CATERPILLAR jorb: i highly don't recommend it

WAIT WHY DOES INVISIBILITY LAST FOR 1 HOURS little guy is now invisible! and scouting the shrine of savras. oh turns out binturongs can Open Doors. like, irl. sorry jorb :V

jorb: okay, you're touching the altar? nyx: i touch the altar. oh nyx is having an out of body experience! little guy is seeing a fortress on icespire peak, which appears to be where our bastard dragon is living!

jorb: luckily none of the orcs have moved from the spot you last saw them in, as if they're glued to their spots until they're engaged with in some sort of combat

oh we're doing combat now ALL OF THE ORCS TAKE THEIR TURNS AT THE SAME TIME?

HELP GIRL WE'RE IN COMBAT AND I JUST GOT PINGED IN THE TACO STAND TO EXPLAIN WHY HORSES AREN'T ALLOWED IN EMBLEM WARHORSE

leo: im using this orc's head as a golf ball. jorb: okay! you use this orc's head as a golf ball! it's.. it goes.

jorb: you can high-five the bear as a free action.

I Am Losing All Of My HP In One Turn

finally getting to use my runes! fuck yea. also i'm very tired and kinda distracted bc of Taco Stand Horse Discourse but mostly i'm just tired

tobias: i put myself facedown in defense mode and end my turn.

alidaar finished combat by climbing up a PILE OF BODIES and LUNGING AT THE OGRE to SLICE ITS HEAD OFF WITH HIS BRAND NEW BATTLEAXE and then used his morningstar to fucking golfclub that head out of sight. hell yes

alidaar: poggers. "you say that from 3 rooms away?"

WE STOLE A BELL THATS WORTH LIKE 2.5K GOLD?????? jorb: you gotta sell it though, it's not gonna just turn into money alidaar: what if we stare at it for a really long time

man. this is really different from arvus in structure. like this is a premade thing and its very much like . phandalin is the quest hub. go to a place! fight mobs! find treausre! go back to phandalin! which is kinda boring but also I Get It bc its premade. HOLD ON WHY IS MICHAEL TALKING ABOUT ORCS FUCKING LUIGI MARIO

[nadinenthesun]

Hope Wears Red Lipstick

Looking at my new liquid blush from NYX I was suddenly but briefly overcome with a longing to put on a full face of make up. I miss my morning routine. And then my inner Church Lady woke up and said "TSK TSK, how shallow you are, wanting make up when your husband is struggling to get better, what kind of person are you?". OUCH.

But wait a minute Church Lady. That's a good question, what kind of person am I to think such a thing at such a time?

8 days ago my husband tested positive for Covid-19. It's been a roller-coaster ride ever since. The first thing we did when we got home was get him set up in his new home, the bedroom, and me in mine, the living room. We had been through this before when I had it. I filled the spritzer bottles with a 70/30 mixture of 99% alcohol and water for us to use on all surfaces we, especially him, touch. I pulled clothes and bed fixings for myself out and into the other part of our 2 bedroom apt. (Our extra bedroom is occupied by my son who moved back home at the beginning of the outbreak last year). And we waited.

We didn't have to wait long. Average flu symptoms turned within a day or two into low oxygen levels, lack of taste and smell, dehydration, rapid pulse etc etc. Life had begun to revolve around Covid. What is it doing, is it serious, what can we do about it? Monitoring, meals, medicine. Monitoring, meals, medicine. Oh and cleaning. Cleaning and sanitizing. Work, errands as necessary and back to monitoring, meals and medicine, all while constantly staving off fear and doom and worst case scenarios from strangling me alive. The last trip to the ER finally seemed to help. I'm cautiously optimistic. And that's the woman who suddenly saw her make up this morning and thought "I miss that".

Yesterday, my husband joked around for the first time in a week. Him asking "What's for dinner?" was a victory. The medicine from that ER visit seems to be giving him an advantage, at long last. God knows we've thrown everything we have at home at this virus; vitamins, herbs, homemade teas, medicine, hourly breathing and physical regimens and of course lots and lots of talking to our Higher Power. Covid just gave us the middle finger and said "I DO WHAT I WANT!!". To finally gain even an inch of ground is a huge victory. We both feel like we can breathe just a little. For my husband, that's literal.

I'm reminded there is almost always a thought behind the thought when my inner shitty committee drops one of their thought bombs. "What kind of person thinks that at a time like this?" indeed. All right Church Lady in my brain. Here's your answer.

I wasn't really missing make up, I was missing fighting with my husband for counter space in the mornings now that we share a bathroom again. I was missing dinners together, hugs and evening Netflix and chill time. I was missing things I didn't even know I took for granted a mere 9 days ago.

That's the woman who stood there at her bathroom counter thinking "I miss my make up" with her sick (but getting better) husband in the other room just waking up. A woman, with hope prying open the window just a wee bit and making room for a thought that wasn't Covid related, allowing herself the slight luxury of wanting normalcy again now that it seems within reach, now that it looks like her loved one is most likely headed for the finish line with this horrible asshole virus. The makeup was just symbolic.

Last night, my hubby called me into the bedroom because he needed to tell me something. With tears in his eyes he said he doesn't know what he would've done without me. That I am amazing and that he's sorry he didn't listen about vaccination before when I tried to get him to consider the possibility that he could actually get sick like other people, regardless of his inner conviction that he was somehow immune to it. That he loves me very much and doesn't tell me enough.

THAT'S the voice that matters. Not the inner Church Lady that perks up when she thinks she can nail me on some moral failing and definitely not the voices of anyone in our lives who judged, criticized or sneered at us from the cheap seats during this time, because there were some that did.

Nope, the voice that matters is his and mine to him, letting him know I too came to a deeper understanding of all he means to me this last week as well. The other voices that matter are our friends and family who pulled with us to get to the other side. Who showered us with love, encouragement, wisdom, useful information and support. And that Inner Voice that doesn't come from my twisted brain but from Something Deeper. The One that Guides and has our best at heart. That loves us in all our humanness.

I am cautiously hopeful today. I know, from watching this virus work, we can't turn our back on it. We can't let up yet. But we both feel we are gaining an advantage at long last. We understand it could turn but right now, we are headed in the right direction. We can afford to laugh a little, joke a little, think a few frivolous thoughts. I may even put on a little lipstick today. Something hot, red, and sinful. Something a Church Lady could really appreciate.

Love you Skye Guy. Can't wait to plant these red lips on you in celebration of your full recovery. Got your vaccination appointment already scheduled. ;)

[thegabecole]

Somehow, the fall 2017 publication season is not that far away. Earlier in the year I did a diverse books for 2017 post, but I only covered the first half of the year, so now it's time to take a look at the books going forward that sound amazing.

I've been psyched about most of these for quite some time. Because they sound incredible.

Without further ado, here are seven I'm looking forward to:

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke (September 1)

YA Historical Fantasy

Goodreads summary:

"When sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels via red balloon to 1988 East Berlin, she’s caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. She meets members of an underground guild in East Berlin who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall—but even to the balloon makers, Ellie’s time travel is a mystery. When it becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history, Ellie must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the process."

Diversity note: Ellie is Jewish (#ownvoices).

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (September 5)

YA Contemporary

Goodreads summary:

"On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day."

Diversity note: Mateo (and possibly Rufus?) are Latino, and I'm guessing they are queer boys too (#ownvoices).

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller (September 5) 

YA Fantasy

Goodreads summary:

"Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.   When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive."

Diversity note: Sal is gender fluid.

27 Hours by Tristina Wright (October 3)

YA Sci-Fi

Goodreads summary:

"Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish. But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them. Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother's shadow, and to unlearn Epsilon's darkest secret. They’ll both have to commit treason to find the truth. During one twenty-seven-hour night, if they can’t stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, the things they wish for will never come true, and the things they fear will be all that’s left."

Diversity note: I've heard the representation includes characters who are bisexual (#ownvoices), gay, pansexual, asexual, trans, deaf, and POC.

Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee (October 5)

YA Fantasy (Graphic novel)

Goodreads summary:

"Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he’s got it covered. But that was before he became the country’s most-wanted villain. After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Meanwhile, power-hungry former hero Captain Orion is on the loose with a dangerous serum that renders meta-humans powerless, and a new militarized robotic threat emerges. Everyone is in danger. Between college applications and crushing on his best friend, will Bells have time to take down a corrupt government? Sometimes, to do a hero’s job, you need to be a villain."

Diversity note: Bells is a trans guy.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (October 10)

YA Fantasy

Goodreads summary:

"Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute."

Diversity note: This is an #ownvoices East Asian fantasy reimagining.

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi

MG Fantasy

Goodreads summary:

"Our story begins on a frosty night… Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear. But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appears, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship. "

Diversity note: This is an #ownvoices dark Persian fantasy.

So that's a sampling of the books I'm psyched for this fall. What diverse falls books are you looking forward to?