#NOT super fun for people who enjoy fantasy for other reasons

[greenerteacups]

All this talk of HOTD convinced me to finally watch the show, so I put on the first episode. Fifteen minutes in, I had flashbacks of all the violence and mistreatment of women that went on in GOT, and I had to pause because, damn, does it get intense very very soon. I haven’t watched anything intense in a while, so steeling my heart and taking a couple of breaths before diving back in. Wish me luck.

Yeah it's a very graphic show. Like the books, it's trying to explore the way that classic "medieval fantasy" would realistically operate and, for HOTD in particular, how women would fit into that picture. If that's not your usual palate in terms of media, I can see how it might not be for you! I'm a sucker for thick worldbuilding and a low magic system, and even by its own standards I do think the writing is a cut above what you get on most "prestige" TV. But it's probably the most violent show on mainstream TV since AGOT/TWD.

[munchkin1156]

Mycelium Menace

Well, first time writing hermitcraft g/t, and I’m still pretty nervous! I hope you enjoy it anyway :D

@arc852 hi I’m that sparkly anon who offered you cookies here it is

Word count: 1,266

(editors note: A SMALL PART OF THE BEGINNING IS MISSING. WILL BE FIXED WHEN PART TWO COMES OUT)

. . .

Well, the humans, who had taken to the name ‘hermits’ instead, so that is what we’ll call them, think the two are ghosts. Ghosts who left sticky notes for reminders or shopping requests, ghosts who took random small items with no explanation, ghosts who found lost keys and earrings when needed. Which they just accepted, and moved on with, so that already gives you some idea to what these hermits are like.

The hermits just… Hadn’t been surprised in the slightest from what they thought was paranormal activity, since any person, living or dead, who had the guts to stay anywhere near the place, must be pretty brave. After all, the amount of fires, pranks, wars, redstone, and summoning rituals that went around, meant that most people wouldn’t touch the place with a ten meter pole. Honestly, it was likely that one of the hermits had accidentally summoned the ghosts and they just couldn’t leave.

Since the two ghosts hadn’t destroyed or taken anything of too much value, they counted as friends. Sorry, the ‘so called’ ghosts. The hermits had never seen these ghosts, and the conclusion they had drawn was inaccurate.

Grian and Scar weren’t ghosts. They were borrowers, but it was obvious no one had guessed that. No one was supposed to know what borrowers were!

What were borrowers then? Borrowers were… Well, think of fairies. Remove the wings, the magic, the fake, naive, fantasy aspect to them, and make them live in the walls. They ‘borrowed’ things from humans, taking stuff they wouldn’t miss. Scraps of food, bits of cloth… The bare minumum to live, to survive.

They weren’t supposed to get found, seen or caught, but those rules, the Code, hadn’t said anything about leaving sticky notes out. Even if that technically showed the humans they existed. Even if Grian kept getting tangled in the sticky notes. In case you were wondering, he was a bit shorter than one, unlike Scar, who was significantly taller.

And true, it was a lot more terrifying than most human houses to live in, but there was stuff that would go unnoticed if taken everywhere. And it was so much more fun, more exciting. Oh! And the fact they could actually ask for their own food from the heavenly place the hermits got their food from, called a ‘super market’, which was the best thing in existence, also significantly benefitted them.

Everything had been going great for them so far. Nothing had had any reason whatsoever to be changed. Everyone was perfectly content with the situation at hand.

…Until Grian started planting mushrooms, that is.

Scar didn’t understand from where Grian had gotten mushroom spores, and at this moment, he didn’t want to know. But now there were purple mushrooms growing all over the little room in the walls that he called home, and something needed to be done about it. Especially since they’d started growing in the hermits’ apartments as well.

First he’d complained to Grian about it. Grian had listened carefully as Scar explained about the inconvenience of it all, the danger of maybe getting caught, and the sheer reason that he didn’t like mushrooms. His friend had told him to hold out his hands. Then he’d dropped a mushroom in them.

That was where Scar had drawn the line.

He had paced the floor of his mushroomified abode, muttering and thinking. It hadn’t been the first time they had pulled pranks on each other, having stuck together for over ten years now, and they’d been inspired by the residents of the apartment complex they lived in, but Scar had a feeling this was going to be a little more extreme than your typical scheme or trick. This would be a prank war.

A war. He liked the sound of that. And from what little Scar knew about wars, he knew that he needed recruitment to help him win.

So the next day, several hermits woke up to a blue sticky note on their desks. The groupchat, which, while supposed to be used for important things, ended up being literally anything anyone thought was interesting, discussed this.

. . .

XisumaVoid: [insert image] anyone know what this is?

FalseSymmetry: I got one of those too!

ImpulseSV: I haven’t… Can’t read the writing in the image. What’s SG saying?

Mumbojumbo: Who’s SG??

ImpulseSV: Scar Ghosts!

MumboJumbo: Is Grian GG then…?

ImpulseSV: …

XisumaVoid: It reads: Mayor gtwScar needs YOU to stop the mycelium that’s spreading throughout the apartment complex! The ~bor~ ghost known as Grian is the one causing this spore infestation, and that needs to be FIXED immediately! Sign below if you agree and want to join:

XisumaVoid: I think I know why some of the hermits haven’t gotten one… he’s picked smartly

BdoubleO100: Yeah, I see it clear as day!

RenDog: Hey! Rude

ZedaphP: Hi! Why have only some people got a letter then? (Won’t sign mine because my house is still recovering from the last prank war we had)

BdoubleO100: Because MOST of you WANT another war instead of peace and prosperity from our amazing ghostly mayor!

ZedaphP: Thanks!

StressMonster101: Wait who’s mayor? Xisuma??

CubFan135: Scar is apparently

TangoTek: eyyyyyyyy war!!! Are we only fighting G-ghost?

ImpulseSV: Why are you on Scar’s side!?

XisumaVoid: Judging from past experiences Tango, no.

GeminiTay: I know I haven’t officially moved in yet but why can I see a window burning? Standing outside btw, can someone let me in?

XisumaVoid: That’s a good question Gem

XisumaVoid: I don’t know

RenDog: Be right there Gem!

XisumaVoid: @DocM77

DocM77: Don’t put it out! It’s all part of the process!

GeminiTay: …

XisumaVoid: …

MumboJumbo: …

FalseSymmetry: Meeting dismissed?

XisumaVoid: Right. Meeting dismissed.

. . .

While Grian didn’t have access to the Hermitcraft groupchat (as it had been dubbed), being a bit on the small side to use phones, he did know Scar was up to something. And he definitely noticed the removal of his beautiful mushroom gifts in some of the hermits’ apartments. What did Scar take him for, some kind of fool?

It had taken a couple of eavesdropped conversations to figure out the gist of it, but only once he’d found one of Scar’s extra sticky note copies did he properly understand what was going on. His eyes shined, reflecting the chaotic fire that had begun to burn inside of him.

Scar wanted a war with the mycelium? Then Grian would happily oblige. Jimmy would be glad to know the spores of his had not gone to waste. And if the next day, several handpicked hermits received their own special sticky notes? That was none of Scar’s concern for now. Grian was ready for a resistance. As he grabbed some supplies to go borrowing, as he was beginning to run low on some items like string, and oh, some paper clips would be nice, he heard voices on the other side of the wall. Voices who were discussing the right kind of thing, not whatever Scar was calling his thing, the HEP or whatever. Voices that were discussing the mycelium, and in a good way too.

Grian was ready for a resistance. And as he shouldered his satchel, he knew the hermits were too.

. . .

I should tag my taglist………

@i-am-beckyu , @da3dm , @brick-a-doodle-do , @faeiyn-cant-write , and please tell me if I’m missing you or you want to be added!

[bunnysdollette]

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ you start living your best life when you stop taking everyone else’s shit. let’s just be real 💭🎀

‹𝟹﹒HOW TO LET GO OF OTHER PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS ABOUT YOU

Hey everyone, it’s me bunnysdollette and this is my secret hideout where I ramble about the events of my life while simultaneously trying to share my advice with you on how to get your shit together aswell. This is completely raw, super-introverted, awkward, anti-social thought daughter shit. This is the only corner of the Internet I feel safe being 100% myself and I’m glad to be sharing that side of me with you today.

Anyway, today’s subject is going to be on learning not to take anyone else’s shit and learn to start putting yourself first. The way you carry and regard yourself ultimately determines how others will view and treat you in life.

As always, my inbox is open and I’m still on the hunt for moots. Getting back into blogging has been so fun and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m looking forward to meeting new people through this blog. So let’s be friends! I don’t bite. Just remember I’m a minor and I don’t tolerate weird shit either.

‹𝟹 HO, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY

If you are constantly comparing yourself to others and living in a world of paranoia and frequent embarrassment just for showing a fragment of your true self, you will in turn cultivate an environment that is harsh and unforgiving because you have written this code into your mind that says that will be the result all the time no matter what.

We are all human and we are all imperfect, but in order to reach our full potential we have to take our suffering and mistakes and in turn use them as helpful tools for acquiring our dream lives. What has happened to you in the past was truly terrible, but without that you wouldn’t be the person you are today. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. If we are constantly living in a fantasy world, then there is no opportunity for personal development or growth.

Everything is okay now and things will only get better from here. You have to realize that now you are taking the time to invest time in yourself, soon you will experience much happier moments and achieve bigger and better things. Never doubt yourself. ☆

‹𝟹 HO, IT IS WHAT IT IS

You should never worry about what others think. I know it sounds much simpler in theory, but it’s the golden rule of anything that you have to learn to be a more successful and level-headed person. If you are happy and your needs are fulfilled, you shouldn’t give a fuck about what anyone else has to say because they are just looking from the outside in. They are a stranger to you. Their opinion doesn’t hold any value, and your life will go on despite their comments.

Here is how you should look at things. The reality of it is that most of the things you think others think about you are just in your head. I went at my school for years thinking everyone secretly hated me, but that wasn’t the case. I was making it up.

Most people didn’t really have a reason to dislike me, I’m generally liked and regarded as a kind and pleasant person and I know I deserve that. but I would take small interactions and blow it up and overthink. When I started to say negative things to myself, I would notice them coming true. When I would come the next day and instead put more effort into my studies and ignore what others may think of me, I feel much lighter and things generally work out.

Even then, I know people dislike me for whatever reason but it doesn’t bother me anymore because I know who I am and I’m too focused on my own life to cry over it. I can’t change how they feel about me. I can only change what’s in my control. Everything else is just what it is.

thanks for reading

[partyanimal167]

Never a Shortage PT 2- Miguel x F!Reader

Chapter Two: Too Old to Make the Same Mistakes

The voting was SUPER close with this chapter, but I'm excited to indulge into my salt-n-pepper Miguel fantasies. Low key at work, there's an older guy who looks almost how I imagine old man Miguel to look (like 60). We're shooting for like mid 40s with this one (not that that's old), but reader is def older than 21 so

Any way! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy~

PT 1

CW: SMUT, mdni, black fem reader in mind, older!Miguel variant, mild cussing, dirty talk, jealousy trope (not crazy toxic), praise kink, age gap, almost bed breaking sex, brat taming, author knows some Spanish

Life had a funny way about making things work out even when it seems like it isn't. You had the plan , but duty still called. However, maybe by the grace of the universe and LYLA, things could work in your favor.

In the moment was the idea to prove to Miguel that you had plenty of options great? Yes! However, you were now pondering how that was going to even happen when things in the Spider Society had been so busy that you and Miguel only had time to brief missions and work.

Boo! Work! Potato!

Things had gotten like this before, but that was when canon events and universes were at stake. This just seemed like an uptick in anomalies and necessary research. Which, hey, is not as stressful, so there's that. But you had fun to plan.

Things had finally been quiet for a couple days when your gizmo (watch) went off and Lyla popped up.

"Hey girl hey~" You could never truly be mad when she sounded like that. You stayed slumped in your bed and threw up a peace sign. "Wow totally unenthusiastic."

You laughed as you sat up and gave her more of your attention. "My bad. You know I've been running around everywhere." you sighed. "Don't tell me there's an anomaly here. Please, I'll cry."

Lyla's face glitched into a laughing emoji before she waved her hand while giggling. "No, silly! Pierre on Earth-161 needs some assistance on a recon mission. It's just some fancy party, but he'll need some close support if things don't go well."

It seemed easy enough, so you nodded along. "Miguel's sending me?"

Lyla popped her gum before shaking her head. "Nuh uh, he actually went home for once, so I'm just helping with the little tasks. Hopefully, he can get some rest. He was being a bit grumpy--well more than usual." You hummed as your brain was starting to roll with ideas. "Anyway, I'll send you some information while you rest. Party's tomorrow. Bye~"

You laid back down once Lyla was gone. You hadn't gone on many missions with Pierre, but he seemed like the strong, silent type. He mainly nodded and worked without comments. It kinda reminded you of those silent films except there were no text cards to see what he says or thinks. However, you never really heard Miguel complain about him, so that was something.

Speaking of Miguel...

You were a bit stuck on how to poke back at him for his little comment. You weren't lying when you said there were definitely people willing and waiting to bed you (some even again), but for whatever reason, a piece of you wanted a bit of a chase, a thrill, something new it seemed. You briefly thought about flirting with Pierre, but while you are curious to see if it got a reaction, you didn't want to accidentally hurt the guy's feelings. Who knows how he'd react?

You groaned as you swiped through wardrobe suggestions Lyla sent over and let your mind drift off.

~~~

The night was smooth-sailing as you looked around the buzzing gala hall as people spoke amongst themselves while others danced.

The mission's setting was safe and secure. You knew that Lyla and Miguel did their best to avoid sending people to universes where they could easily run into and/or interact with that universe's variant. You knew that there were no canon events at risk on this mission, but Lyla assured you that seeing another you wouldn't occur. It did bum you out though sometimes. It was nice to see the other versions and traits of a person. How were they living elsewhere? Did they pursue a dream that another had given up for something else? It seemed that the paths of life were literally endless.

For now though, you just surveyed the area while Pierre swept the building in search for some files and data. You sat pretty in a strapless navy blue dress with white fingerless evening gloves and gold accents from your earrings and necklace and hair pinned up. You weren't really a fan of dressing up, but it was nice to play the part once in a while. You also didn't mind the fun, consequenceless flirting with people who stopped to talk to you. You easily gave a fake name and believable backstory. The night was turning out to be more fun than work, and you wouldn't complain.

You glanced at your phone and saw a message from Pierre saying that he was transferring a large amount of digital wares to his base and it would take a decent amount of time. You chuckled that he texted; even earlier, he had only quietly thanked you after you confirmed the details with Lyla.

A server walked by with a tray of champagne, so you decided to take one and head outside for some fresh air.

The moonlight was bright with clear skies above. You hummed quietly to the distant music from inside and relaxed. Your body swayed along as you listened and melted into the moment. These moments were always nice to get lost into.

Suddenly, that familiar tingly flashed too late, but you barely gasped when large hands held your hips and your back met the hard chiseled chest of the stranger behind you.

"Ah, you're usually so much easier to scare. I must have lost my touch with time." the voice rumbled through you--deep and husky, but a light playfulness that made your heart skip and brain pause for a moment.

You decided to play innocent instead of going into fight mode. After all, this was a simple mix up. You weren't from here. You didn't turn towards the man but giggled sweetly in your hand. "Uh sorry, I think you might have the wrong person sir." You turned then and were surprised by the sight seemingly as much as the man was with you.

This was definitely Miguel O'Hara, but not the stressed out, authoritative boss of Spider Society. This man was an older version--modest sections of gray hair and a charm in his eye that came with time. He was still fit and large, but there was some taut skin that highlighted full veins on his neck and hands. There was a deeper set of brown in his complexion from years in the sun, soft lines around his mouth and eyes. You blinked a couple times seeming to want to capture this appearance permanently in your mind.

The gentleman spoke first. "Mi querida, you're so young."

The softness in his eyes and tenderness in his voice caused your brain to pause. It was very...sweet. You had those moments with Miguel of course, in the after glow. But the man seemed as if he would build the world from scratch for you. Fight battles for you. Destroy and create life for you.

It was shocking.

So you quickly turned away and ran.

It wasn't your best moment, but you made it back into the crowd before the man could stop you. You were thankful that you could walk comfortably enough in these shoes to get away. This wasn't really the place to shoot off a web and fling into the air. For a moment, you thought about calling Lyla to see if you could cut your mission short, but maybe you were being dramatic. Nothing was disrupted, and you got away. If you were lucky, this Miguel was just your average citizen.

You made your way to a secluded area of the building where small groups of people chatted quietly and took a breather from the fun. You stood by a pillar that faced one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and let out a deep breath. For now, all you needed to do was keep a low profile until Pierre finished up.

That tingly feeling again appeared; your eyes flashed open when a large presence blocked out the moonlight and loomed over you. Two arms caged you in, and you squeaked in response to the seeming growl that emitted.

"Amor, you should know better than to run from a retired leader of the Spider-Force." he looked down at you amused. It was just your luck--an older, wiser Spider-Man of course. Wait! Why didn't Pierre tell you anything? You were so going to cuss that sneaky quiet man out later. You pressed a little more against the pillar and felt the stone slightly give from your unrestrained strength. The man grinned. "So what game are we playing now? Is someone trying to tempt me with delusions? A clone from the past?"

And even if those were apparently threats, you could tell that man didn't mind at all. Even from the way he eyed you in place felt full of confidence. Not quite the same as with the other "main" Miguel. This felt more like control and assurance than cockiness. If anything, you felt more captured than him.

"Uh, no, sir," your brain randomly landed on that term, "this is really all a big misunderstanding. Um, maybe Spider-Man, Pierre, can clear things up; I'm not who you think I am. I'm from-,"

"Oh jeez, please don't tell me this is related to that dimension-jumping shit. I told those young ones to focus on what's happening here." the man grunted as he leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked more annoyed than anything. You stayed pressed against the pillar unsure of how to proceed. He kissed his teeth before taking a look at you. "Excuse me," he held out his hand, "Miguel O'Hara--retired Spider-Man, decrepit geezer who now just gives back to the city and fusses at the new kids." his smile made your heart flutter.

You took his hand and shook it firmly. "I'm y/n, Spider-Woman to Earth 1019. Pleasure to meet you, sir." Miguel chuckled at you calling him that. "And well, I must say you're definitely not decrepit." Wait why did I say that?

"You're a Spider-Woman and a flirt now? And I thought I had you all figured out." he grinned. Your eyes flicked down to the canine that peeked before meeting his eyes.

Crisis averted, so you could at least relax a little. "Well I'm sure you know, but I'm not exactly the same as the...me who lives here. I'm sure there are things you don't know about me."

And for some reason, that felt like a challenge. "You sure, princessa? Maybe I know things about you that you haven't realized yet."

You huffed out a laugh. "Like what, sir?" It didn't surprise you that a Miguel seemed to think they had you figured out. It'd be fun to see even this one be shocked.

You gasped as your chin was tilted up, and that gentle calloused thumb rubbed your bottom lip fondly. Miguel rocked a little to the side as if examining you. The moonlight reflected and sparkled on some of his gray locks. You bit your cheek to stop from whimpering. "Well an easy one is that language kink of yours. Sabes que te puedo a decir las palabras todas a hacer te mojada." he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "And you only call me sir when you're being a brat, so maybe it's been awhile since you've been fucked properly." the moan slipped past your lips before you could even process it. "Mmm, so that's it. La princessita necesita mi boca a sentir bueno. Have you been a good girl? Maybe I can show you what you get when you behave."

It felt weird to be told about yourself. As much as you wanted to argue and fight it, the things he said felt too sure and real to ignore. Plus, your body made it very clear that he was telling the truth too. You hummed as you stick your tongue out and lick his thumb before nibbling. "You can try your best."

~~~

It was crazy; everything was crazy.

Nearly everywhere that handsome man touched felt as if it was on fire. Whatever challenge you threw his way, he eagerly matched it. You thought it'd be polite to warn him about your superhuman strength, but all Miguel did was chuckle and wink.

He was gentle with easing off your dress and mindful of your hair--all an illusion. Because as soon as your hands were on him, it seemed to have awaken something feral that was hidden beneath. You devoured the sight of brown skin with its own scars and stories of the past. The moon's glow made a nearly ethereal image which threatened your bratty nature.

And Miguel noticed it all. He pushed his soft hair back before reaching down to removing your heels. He knelt down at the bed before kissing at your ankles and caressing your calves.

"You look good down there." you taunted before gasping into a moan after a sweet spot of yours was nibbled.

"Behave," was all that was said before Miguel continued to kiss and lick up for legs. He fawned over your thighs and mumbled to himself. "La reina de mi sueno, you look so delicious." And you couldn't hide the shiver that went down even if you wanted to. "Mmm, I know mami, thanks for my meal." And the man tore off your lace before beginning to devour you messily.

You immediately begun to thrash and shake a bit, but your body seemed to barely move with how easily this Miguel held you and kept you connected to his mouth and tongue despite your best attempts. You moans bounced off the walls and grew once Miguel so graciously gave you a thick finger to stretch you out. You bit your lip and threw an arm over your eyes feeling that rare shyness make an appearance.

That earned you a slap on your thigh. "Ah ah, no you don't. I get to see how you feel pretty girl. Keep those eyes on me." And you so obediently listened.

Miguel continued. His tongue traced over your clit and sucked at your lips. He built more of a rhythm and fucked his fingers deeper inside. You didn't care about being loud anymore. The room was far away from the festivities any way. You groaned and held on tight to the man's shoulder and nearly anywhere you could get your hands on.

Soon, your orgasm was approaching; you chocked on your whines and sobs not even being able to hold out longer as Miguel sped up. "Come on my face reina, give it to me." The order was simple, and your body listened. You gasped as you gushed and clenched on Miguel's fingers. You nearly whimpered as he continued through your high, but you didn't want to fight. Even as it felt nearly too much, you still wanted more.

Your chest heaved up and down trying to get air in your lungs. Your mind was fuzzy, and you could barely make out that that slick that decorated Miguel's handsome mug. There was that cocky expression. "Aww bebita, I haven't even fucked you dumb yet." And if it was even possible, you felt wetter. You made a half-assed attempt to turnover, but a lazy flick of the wrist kept you on your back and looking up at this handsome man. Miguel simply kissed his teeth at you. "No, no. You don't get to hide from me. I wanna see those pretty tears, reina." He brought one of your ankles up and rested in his shoulder. He gave it a light peck. "Been dreaming of wrecking you for years."

And even though, you knew he didn't really mean you, you couldn't help the shiver that shot through or the whimper from your throat. "Fuck me sir...please."

And Miguel's grin in response was nearly feral. "Good girl."

It seemed as though both Miguels' knew that you could handle a bit of teasing. This one rubbed his tip on your clit and only chuckled as you whined and shifted--though his tight grip on your hips let you know that he could handle all that power you kept control. Whether you were super strong or not, Miguel could keep up and more.

A complaint was just on the tip of your tongue before you gasped at the sudden full penetration that made you melt. His member was in deep and pushed against your soft soaked walls. You groaned aloud and immediately went to grip on the headboard. The needy, lustful gloss in your eyes made Miguel fill with pride. "Hehe, don't go breaking my things, reina." And with that, he started a full and steady pace that had you split between losing yourself and minding how you only aided in the bed's abuse. Then, he started speaking again. "Damn, you feel so fucking good." and if you paid more attention, you'd notice how the sweat had Miguel glowing and how his hair flowed a bit more into his face. He was groaning and panting with how delicious you smelled and the softness yet fire in your eyes. Miguel knew he was whipped from the moment he met your variant all those years ago, but seeing you like this just like when you two met had him nearly blushing and busting from fulfilling that secretive long-time fantasy.

Those deep strokes continued as Miguel leaned forward and hungrily captured your lips. You were gone at this point. It was too much; everything was burning, yet you still wanted to keep going. Your eyes glossed with tears once Miguel started hitting your g-spot over and over. There wasn't enough air in your lungs as you panted and moaned feeling something give a little under the weight of your hand. You were clueless as Miguel brought your hand into his while the other started playing with your clit. He growled in your ear.

"Naughty girl, you're starting to break the bed," but he didn't sound upset at all, "maybe next time I'll web you up." He kissed right below your ear. "Mmm, but you're a strong girl. I'll keep you nice and cozy and bound. You don't get to escape me." He took in your hazy expression and bit his lip. So beautiful. "Now, let me feel how this pussy cums on my dick," he huffed and panted "now reina."

And you barely let out the broken cries of his name as you came and felt such a stretched out orgasm. You were floating yet sinking at the same time. You hummed and moaned as you came down and barely heard the praises or felt the gentle rubs in your hair.

"Good girl. Now's time for round two."

~~~

You sat blushing as you peered over the unfamiliarity skyline and sipped your tea. The warmth of the cotton robe was enough to keep you comfortable, but your heart occasionally skipped a beat when you caught the broken bed that was favoring one side. (Definitely not your fault).

You also pondered what you were going to say to Pierre once you saw him. In the heat of your...side quest, the man had reached out letting you know he was done. However, he sent a message thanking you once he didn't get a reply after thirty minutes. You couldn't remember if your gizmos were connected, but you hadn't been woken up by an irritated call from boss-Miguel, so hopefully Pierre had your back in the end. I'll need to get him a little gift or something...I'll ask Lyla what he likes.

A large hand pressed into a sore spot in your shoulder, and you were reminded of the exact events that lead to your..side quest. You couldn't totally feel bad. You got a good look as this Miguel took a seat across from you with his own mug. The soft sunlight was warm against his skin; he certainly looked gentler than last night.

"Sorry if I kept you from your mission. That definitely wasn't...professional of me." He chuckled lightly and even seemed a bit shy from the night's events. It was cute.

You smiled and shook your head. "Ah no worries. I wasn't really needed any way." You leaned forward and placed a kiss on the man's black and gray stubble. "It was fun."

The man took your hand and pecked it. "It was."

You two sat in a comfortable silence for a while before your thoughts kept poking at you and you finally gave in. "Well I do wanna know, uh, well. I mean I'm not complaining. Last night was great. And I'm sure you're attracted to me, but why-"

Miguel's hearty chuckle cut you off, and you awaited eagerly. "Why am I not with this earth's version of you?" He smiled softly and you peered a little to see the soft blush poke from under the stubble. "I just get incredible shy when I look at you, her. She's seen me through all my mess and problems. I could never do anything to lose her. She's...precious." you blinked for a moment before giggling lightly. "Nena, behave."

You smiled and waved your hand. "No, I'm not laughing at you! It's just so sweet." You hummed and stood to stretch. "I mean, you certainly care for her, and if she's been single for awhile, then who knows? You'll be a lucky man."

There was a sparkle in Miguel's eyes as he looked at you fondly. "Maybe you're right. Do you think Miguels and yous are meant to be?"

Miguel was amused by the pout on your gave after that question. "Eh, I don't know. The Miguel I deal with on the regular is an asshole. He just doesn't realize what a catch I am." You then posed.

The older man laughed fully before winking. "Well shame on him. I'll be around if you ever need a reminder." And there was a flash of hunger in his eyes.

Your face warmed up and you turned off to the side. "I will need your dimensional number if you have one...to send you some money for the bed."

"Haha, nonsense. It'll get replaced soon and it'll be a good reminder. I've got some work to do." He paused and your gazes met again. "Besides, I hope you don't mind, but I put it in there already--under my name and everything." You were about to point out the obvious problem with that, but Miguel had it covered. "Trust me, you'll know it's me." You hummed in response.

After trying to tidying up and some light conversation, you two Spiders said goodbye, and you opened a portal to your room.

You flopped on your bed and sighed deeply. That was surely not how you expected your night to go, but damn if it wasn't amazing either. You decided to check in with HQ later since it was still a bit early in the day. You'd at least reach out to Pierre for sure though.

The morning went on with you swiping at your phone and reading random stories when a notification popped up on your screen.

Sexy Señor Papi Miguel: Stay in touch, reina 😉

You laughed loudly before humming and replying. He was definitely a sexy Miguel, but corny like an old man too.

~~~~

Whew! I'm actually proud of this chapter. Smut takes me forever to write bc I get in my head about it 😅🙃

I think I have an idea for the next chapter, but feel free to drop some ideas here or in my dms. I'm gonna try my best to get it out before my vacation ends 🙏🏾

Thanks for reading!!!

Taglist: @sukunash0e @jinnieminniemoon @turtlegreentia

[fizzingwizard]

I was genuinely looking forward to Lupin vs Holmes in part 6, but what a disappointment it was. Actually, disappointment is too weak a word. In my opinion, it was pretty much a disaster.

There were so many reasons to be hyped for that crossover. You've got Holmes, the greatest detective of his time, and Lupin, the greatest thief of his. They're both canny, eccentric, and always a step ahead of everyone else. They're also both independent and live by their own set of morals. Holmes picks which cases he'll take without concern for money, and lets people go even if they're guilty if his own convictions say they don't deserve punishment. Lupin always does what he wants, doesn't let himself get pushed around, and enjoys wreaking havoc among inhumane criminals just as much as he enjoys flouting the law.

They're even perfectly matched in the ways they're different. I was open to them either liking or disliking each other (though I feel convinced they'd definitely have respect for each other), because I can see either take making sense. Holmes is calculations with a pinch of chaos, Lupin is chaos with a measured dash of calculation. Holmes eschews relationships aside from a very few - Lupin enjoys social interaction (but prioritizes just a few). Holmes is functionally asexual. Lupin is never not horny.

Even the supporting cast was so promising! To tell the truth, from watching previous seasons I didn't really think the rest of the Lupin gang or Watson would have much to do. But I hoped they would because there was so much potential.

I mean Jigen and Watson are both war veterans in their own way. It's not the best comparison (Watson was a doctor, and got shot almost immediately... but he is also a "man of action" and does have a lot of fight and pluck, even if he's not going to be a match for Jigen in terms of marksmanship). And they're the right hand men of two pretty difficult geniuses... couldn't they spend a moment commiserating lmao.

It could have been awesome to see Fujiko interact with Holmes because her usual tricks wouldn't work on him. I admit it isn't unlikely the show would have been like "Ahh, but this time they do work on him, just like Irene Adler!" and totally ignored that book!Irene impressed Holmes with her wiliness and not her sexiness... But I'm talking about my fantasy here. And in my fantasy, Holmes would have had a similar reaction to Fujiko's manipulation and acting skills similar to how he did with Irene. It would have been pretty cool to see Fujiko interact with a man who was NOT into her, but was just as smart and brave and perhaps wiser than Lupin.

Even Goemon would have had something to do. He could have had a super cool kenjutsu vs baritsu ("what even is that?") battle with Holmes. Extra points if Goemon walks away saying "I respect the skill of that fellow warrior, even if he can't spell his own martial art correctly."

And of course Lestrade and Zenigata's shenanigans at Scotland Yard are a nobrainer. But serious bonus points if they both pine away with equal envy and admiration for their respective smart ass thorns in the side hahahahahahaha.

I mean. There was SO MUCH there. How, HOW do you mess that up???

(Answer: By knowing absolutely nothing about Sherlock Holmes to begin with and basing everything on your memories of inaccurate movies from fifty years ago x'D)

So instead we got: perpetually sad, somber Sherlock Holmes, who isn't working the job that he literally loves anymore in favor of looking miserable a lot and raising a child. And the child is Watson's kid, who Watson can't raise because he's fucking DEAD, and mom can't raise because SHE'S dead (just say Holmes is her mom. Come on. We're in the future. Just say it). Also Watson is dead because Lestrade killed him like WHAT. Of all the twists they could have gone one, they definitely surprised me with that one. Was it a fun surprise though? ... No, no it wasn't.

Add to that the extremely dull characterizations of everyone, the heavy reliance on the danger to a little girl who isn't even a canonical character but is very cute, and the slow, slow pace of the episodes... What a mess. It was memorable, sure, but for the wrong reasons.

Like the only thing I can think of that I didn't hate about the whole arc was Lily taking her first steps as Holmes's assistant at the very end. Fine, that's adorable, and makes me feel ever so slightly better about Watson being dead. And I'm desperate for something to like here so let's go with it.

("It's not really Sherlock Holmes anyway because of the generational difference, it's his great grandson who has his exact same name and job! Same with Watson and Lestrade and sexy Mrs Hudson and and and-" I'm gonna stop you right there we all know it's Holmes. Whatever excuses they make, no matter how they have to bend time and physics to make it happen, it is Holmes Prime in every way that matters lol.)

A melancholy sigh for the Coolest Crossover Ever That Wasn't. As a Lupin fan and a Sherlock Holmes fan, I'll regret it till the day I die.

[lexalovesbooks]

So I saw your tags on that reblog and as someone who is always on the lookout for books that share Qualities with The Locked Tomb series, I would LOVE to hear your pitch for A Chorus of Dragons!

Ooh hi! Okay, so A Chorus of Dragons is a five-book fantasy series, and it’s kind of hard to give a neat and simple summary just because there’s So much going on and imo half the fun is finding out all the plot twists and what the story is really about as you go, but here goes:

The first book in the series is called The Ruin of Kings, and it follows Kihrin D’mon in alternating POVs at two different points in his life: in the first, he’s a fifteen-year old thief and musician who lives with his adoptive father. The two of them get caught in a demon attack, and the resulting chain of events reunites Kihrin with his birth family, a group of royals who each have their own plots and schemes and none of whom can be trusted. Needless to say, their interest in Kihrin can only be bad for him. The second timeline is set about six months in the future and follows Kihrin after a badly-failed escape attempt from said royal family that ends in him being sold into slavery. The book actually starts here—with him on the auction block, watching as two characters get into a bidding war to buy him. I won’t share what happens from here, but needless to say that Kihrin is doubtful that either of these two people winning will be good for him in the long run. The entire series is told like an in-universe chronicle compiled by the characters, complete with footnotes to add extra information (and also leave snarky footnotes making fun of other characters) and a beast of an index at the end of the book (have you even seen a family tree so convoluted that it requires two full pages? You will if you read this series!).

As for why I think people who like the locked tomb would also like these books: first, the level of complexity. Reading these books absolutely feels like trying to put together a puzzle at times, and between body swaps, reincarnation, immortality, and other conditions keeping track of who is who can become an Olympic sport. There’s also a lot of different POVs and jumping between different points in time, which I know isn’t for everyone but personally I almost always enjoy in books. Other reasons: unreliable narrators, straddling the line between fantasy and sci-fi, the fact that no one in this series has a normal relation with death, the theme of self-made gods and exactly how dangerous it is when you start believing you know what is best for the world that both books share too. Also, the past is so incredibly important in these books. All the main characters (Kihrin isn’t the only one, we meet the rest later) have ties to events that happened long ago, and one of the best parts of the series is seeing how these events connect to, and in many ways are still affecting, the present.

Overall, it’s a super fantastic and underrated series! If anything in this sounds interesting, I’d encourage you to check it out :)

[leserattevirginie]

Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman

Genre: Sci-Fantasy Star Rating: 4,25 ⭐️

Plot: ⬜️ Plot holes big enough for a herd of elephants ⬜️ I think I’ve read this before. (Unoriginal to the max.) ⬜️ No plot, just vibes ⬜️ Enjoyable but not super memorable. ✅ You have my undivided attention. ⬜️ Mind = Blown

Characters: ⬜️ Mary Sue is in the house! ⬜️ These are cardboard cut-outs. ⬜️ Good main cast, but the rest is forgettable at best. ⬜️ Generally well written. ✅ Complex ⬜️ What do you mean characters? These feel like real people!

Personal Enjoyment: ⬜️ DNF ⬜️ Somebody free me from this hell (but also no, I won’t DNF) ⬜️ WTF did I just read??? ⬜️ I don’t like it, but I also don’t hate it. ⬜️ It’s a good book but I just never want to pick it back up. ⬜️ No strong feelings either way. ⬜️ Enjoyable read ✅ What a page turner! This is fun! ⬜️ I think I’m in love ⬜️ (new) all time favourite

World Building: ⬜️ This takes place in our world. ⬜️ Worldbuilding what worldbuilding? ⬜️ This feels like a TV set. ⬜️ Not super deep, but present. ✅ Detailed, believable. ⬜️ You bet every single ant has its own 100 page backstory!

Pacing: ⬜️ drags/is rushed in all the wrong places ⬜️ Inconsistent ⬜️ something undefinable feels off ⬜️ I don’t love it it but it fits the book perfectly. ✅ Good/no complaints ⬜️ Amazing! Could not put this down!

Writing: ⬜️ This is painful ⬜️ I’m cringing ⬜️ Not great, but not bad either. ⬜️ Neutral (Didn’t really notice.) ✅ Elegant but not overly flowery. ⬜️ So beautiful I actually stopped and noticed it. ⬜️ I’m not sure if this is just a bad translation. ⬜️ I’m not confident enough in my language skills for this language to comment on the quality of the writing.

Wow, I can't believe I've finished the series this fast! That alone says a lot about how much I liked it :) As usual, here's a bunch of rambly thoughts:

For the most part I feel like I did about the other two books - plot is fine but character work and world building take the cake. The plot was still fairly straight-forward, but I will say that it was a bit more complex with the dual plot-lines. A bit I don't think I've mentioned before that I love: due to the set up we get sorcery and sword type stuff but also tourism, instant soup, insurance companies, etc. (Did I imagine the aspirin?) The mix between modern and old timey things is great!

Unfortunately I also still feel the same about the treatment of women within the series. Sure, the argument could be made that maybe it's just Damien who's a bit misogynistic in his POV, and Gerald is just generally The Most Terrible Person ™ around, but it still doesn't sit right with me. Especially since we start the book with Gerald's lunch committing suicide. Was that weird bit about Damien's landlady necessary? Was there no other way to explain how Iezu perceive the world other than "Holy shit can you believe that middle aged lady dares to think of herself as attractive, lol what a hag" ?? But hey, Narilka is still alive! I suppose if you exist to redeem the Gerald clone you get to live. (I can't believe I forgot poor Almea in my last rant. The fridging that started it all! ...is it still fridging if the man murders her himself??)

As for the plot lines, on one hand I really, really enjoyed getting more POVs! ...maybe just not the ones we actually got xD The patriarch was probably my favourite, even if almost every second I spent inside his head was incredibly frustrating. Some of that may be due to Calesta's influence, but for the most part it's probably just him being the fantasy-pope. There's a reason I left the church xD That being said, I appreciate that he actually whole-heartedly believes what he is preaching. The thing that confuses me the most about the church is its stance on working the fae. As I understood it, it was designed to focus the fae, making it a bit less dangrous for the general population. And also providing humanity with the concentrated power of the beliefs and faith of thousands if not millions, which could eventually be used for space travel. (Or something in that vein.) Anyway, I thought it was very clear that they are still manipulating the fae, just on an enormous scale, and disapproved of private sorcery. But at times it kind of felt like the patriarch sort of forgot that (or deliberately repressed it?). All those "no, this isn't witchcraft, this is a miracle from God!" moments felt so odd because - of course its the same thing? You literally created your God yourselves by those exact same means??? Oh well, church is hypocritical, fork found in kitchen.

Andrys and Narilka I actually liked well enough, as long as they weren't on page together. Or thinking about each other. Actually, scratch that. I liked Narilka when she wasn't being compared to teacups or dolls! But then she had to fall in love with Andrys after talking to him...twice? Andrys... I mean he was there and relevant to the plot. I do feel bad for him, but there wasn't really that much to him other than (admittedly horrific) trauma and an uncanny resemblance to his great-great ....-great grandpa. And drugs to cope with all of that. Small pet peeve: the nickname Andri. WHY. You're literally just taking of one letter (and changing the other because....aesthetics??)

On to more enjoyable ramblings!!! The Damien-Gerlad dynamic in this book was just *chef's kiss* You can't just hit me with the "You changed me" speech that early in the book, I was not prepared xD The many ways in which we see the depth of their...friendship... were just sweet (especially post-hell), and such a contrast to the first book! (Well, Damien still tells us constantly how hot Gerald is, that hasn't changed at all xD My dude literally described his very platonic bestie as "aesthetic perfection". A few pages after Karril rerminds us of how very straight he is, of course.) Now maybe at this point my rose coloured shipper glasses are just glued to my face, but that moment when he tried to explain how Almea supposedly feels also slightly came across as him projecting just a bit. (Gerald is right, Almea (or the Almea-thing) has every right to be pissed, honestly she should have shown up with ghostly divorce papers. Or maybe Damien was right and she just wanted to see him jump into a volcano for a good cause, who knows.) There are some things I would have loved to see more of: - the mental link between Damien and Gerald was criminally under-used, imo. Did it change Damien physically somehow, since Gerald no longer felt cold to him? Is he now part vampire for ever xD (And dear god that whole bit about taking the Hunter into his body, whyyy xDD) - honestly I would have loved to see Gerald readjusting to being human (and being incredibly annoyed about it) a bit more. It's been 900+ years, surely there's stuff he's forgotten? I mean he spent the vast majority of his life being the stuff of nightmares! - Gerald honestly wanting and trying to redeem himself (sure, he was ready to sacrifice himself in the end, but it kind of struck me as a last minute decision. And you can't tell me being the first to kill a Iezu and saving the world didn't also appeal to his ego). But I get that that would take another 10 books, minimum

Damiens break with the church was a long time coming, and handled well, I think. Oddly enough, priest never struck me as a job that you can just quit.

I just remembered about Gerald's apprentice (Amoril?). What an idiot. I would have loved to know how he came to be the Hunter's apprentice though. Can you apply for scolarships? Anyway, trashing a library is unforgivable in my book ;)

Oh, and Hell! Hell was surprisingly meh to me, but I did appreciate the insight into how the Iezu operate (which was probable the main point of that scene anyway). Love that Damien could just reason with the literal devil. (But the concept of the Devil as a non-unified entity was actually cool though). How did it take Damien so long to understand what the mountain of dead women could possibly be. Neither he nor the reader are stupid enough not to get it. Friedman usually doesn't hold our hand and over explains in the series, why start now?? Shock factor? I doubt anyone cared enough about Sisa? Sasi? for that to work.

OK I promise I'm coming to an end soon but guys. Guys. The epilogue. The freaking epilogue. What a trip that was xDDD 1) The Wedding. Karril POV was... certainly something! We now officially know that not only women find Andrys attractive. (Take that, Damien "idk, he's probably attractive to women but also aesthetic perfection" Vryce. Did I need to know about potential Iezu sex that only benefits the (currently presenting as) male partner? No, not really. Also WTF was that scene with Andrys' ex lovers. I know we're supposed to see and rejoice in the fact that Andrys is no longer a playboy, but did we really need that "women hating women for the benefit of some hot guy" thing in here? I swear there were bits in the series where I could have sworn it was written by man (derogatory). At least Narilka remained unbothered. Presumably moisturised. Very happy and in her lane. Focused on her wedding, as she should be. She gets to live on to be compared to countless fragile things made of porcelain, whether she wants it or not. 2) Freaking Riven Forrest. I was cackling throughout that whole bit. Not only does he get to hunt and terrify people just like his father, he also runs a successful (?) fishing rod business on the side. (I know, I know, hunting supplies in general, the rods just kind of stuck out to me). The fact that the intelligent prey he looks forward to hunting the most is once again a woman (even if it is an abusive, horrible woman) tells us exactly what part the Iezu mother chose to take from the OG Hunter, huh. Which is great for Gerald, but a weird choice on her part?? But dear God the last bit. He keeps a portait of Gerald above his fireplace??? I finally completely lost it at "Here's to you, dad" xDDD 3) The "dark haired youth". Of course he survived. I was suspicious as soon as we didn't actually get to see Andrys kill him. As for the new persona - I suspected who he was, but the moment I was really sure was when Damien started describing him in loving detail. For an entire paragraph. That was half a page long. But the ending. WTF. I could have accepted Gerald's Death, but this? You're telling me after all they went through together, and after he basically just risked his life again by saying hi to Damien in the most cryptic way possible, they just...never talked again?! Nah, in my expert opinion they just met up in the next bathhouse. Also I wanted to see the guy suffer be annoyed a bit more because he can no longer Work to maintain his image. (I'd also have loved to know Geralds criteria for his new body, vain as he is. What was his thought process? "Oh no, the wonderful world of magical horse-breeding is now lost to me! Guess I'll just have to make sure that from now on I have the most majestic ponytail out there!"? Although, come on. He might be willing to risk his life for a horse.) My last words: I enjoyed this series so much more than I ever thought I would, and these idiots now live rent-free in my brain. Also how the f- are we supposed to read these books as an entirely platonic relationship? The most I'll agree to is some weird, slightly cursed QPR. But come on. COME ON. Even if they are both heterosexual (notwithstanding Damiens constant thirsting casual descriptions) they are definitely in love. Or just so deeply obsessed with, and at this point, sort of dependent on each other (Gerlad's words, not mine. sort of) that it makes little to no difference.

I know there's some prequels (?) I think I might check them out sometime.

[xproskeith]

can you tell i'm bored-

please answer those. i also drew a ghost for you. because i'm bored. i'm gonna answer my asks too lmao HAVE FUN!

Lmao ok but I actually love this. The you wrote it out AND the ghost! Tis the season!! 👻🎃 Now let's begin!

11: best friend?

My best friend is awesome! His name is Ben and we've been friends since we met at college for our first degrees (we'd both end up going back for nursing later. He ended up following me on that front). But we really started to get closer after we both graduated and especially after I moved back to New Orleans after moving home after graduation for a year and a half. He's just a really cool and chill guy who has always been there for me and been super supportive. We've both helped each other through some really rough times in our lives and really supported each other. He's pretty introverted, tho if you met him you might not realize that at first. It's a hilarious contrast to my extreme extroversion. I also owe meeting my wife to him. He pushed me to finally get on the dating apps and I met my wife on hinge. He also encouraged me when she and I started talking and dating seriously. He also knows how to deal with my anxiety very well and respectfully, tho my anxiety has gotten immensely better than it used to be. Still, worth mentioning. He's also said on multiple occasions how much he appreciates and like how I am just unapologetically me and an unapologetic nerd. To quote him, "genuine folks are hard to find." So that was also really cool to hear from him and just reaffirmed that being myself is the right move. When he lived in the city with me, we'd hang out at least once a week. But we text daily for the most part and still try to see each other as much as we can even tho he's 2.5hrs away now. He was my best man and gave an amazing and touching best man speech. Now, almost a year later, people still talk about it and quote him, "IDK how else to describe him other than he's aggressively friendly." it's accurate and everyone who has heard that agrees lol. Anyway, he's great and I'm blessed to have him in my life. Here's a pic of us at my bachelor trip and before my wedding. As you can see, and as I've mentioned before in various other posts, the dude is built like a Greek god lol

15: favorite movie

This is actually a hard one lol. I enjoy a lot of movies, but have a hard time narrowing down a fave. Hmm. Deadpool and Wolverine is certainly up there for very obvious reasons, but a movie that has always stuck with me since I was younger is The Prestige. It's a well done film whose twist really got me at the end. It's rare for me not to figure out a movie twist before the end and this one I did not see coming.

18: most traumatic experience 

You're gonna get 2 for the price of 1 lol. 1 childhood trauma and 1 adulthood trauma. Both cover a span of time instead of one specific incident.

First is childhood. From pretty much 1st - 4th grade, I was bullied pretty often. I was a very big and fat kid who was also nice and didn't exactly fight back, so I suppose in retrospect that made me an easy target. But beyond that, I was often made the butts of my peers' jokes or would be asked to do something silly or embarrass or the like and they'd say stuff like "of course we're you're friend!" and "if you do it, we'll be your friend." so this went as well as you can expect. It got so bad and took so much of a toll on me that my mom literally pulled me out of school to homeschool me from 5th-8th grade. This would eventually become repressed as the mind often does only to rear its ugly head later in adulthood when my friends wanted to institute a "punishment" for whoever placed last in our fantasy football league. I had always opposed this idea, but they we were really pushing for it that year. Didn't help I was dead last, but I was having such a visceral reaction and didn't know why. But I was literally about to drop out of the league because of it. Then all of a sudden the memories came flooding back and I finally understood the why. I explained it to 3 of my friends in the league, including the guy in charge, and they abandoned the punishment idea. They said they hoped they knew that this was very different and that no ill will was meant. I did, but it didn't stop how I felt. So the punishment idea was dropped.

Now for adulthood. That would be working through COVID as a nurse. This was traumatizing in many ways, but in particular there were 3 key points. The first was watching patients deteriorate and die so rapidly. Like I would leave in the morning and come back to find out my patient coded and died 3 hours after I left. They were fine before then. We also called so many rapid and codes because people would deteriorate so much and so rapidly. Despite everything I knew and docs and nurses way more experienced than me knew, we couldn't save them all or stop the rapid spiral.

Secondly, every time a code blue or rapid response is called overhead, it's preceeded by a beep on the intercom. I would hear that so many times during that time that I found myself to physically flinch and tense and my heart would race whenever I'd hear it. Even a year later when it was just happening to make an announcement. Didn't realize it was legitimately a PTSD response until I was talking to an army buddy who was like "Yeah dude that's what happens to me when my PTSD gets triggered." I overcome that by becoming the code and rapid nurse for my icu when I moved. So I just threw myself headlong into it and overcame it by exposure and desensitization.

Lastly, there was the whiplash of being called a hero and having my knowledge and insight respected only to be called a liar months later. By my own family even. I still remember making a lengthy thoughtful post about the importance of making and explaining why surgical works for day to day vs the n95 masks needed in hospital and the same day my mom made a post about how covid is a lie and masking is just the government trying to control us. My family has on multiple occasions told me my experiences weren't real and I was exaggerating, especially because I'm liberal. After many fights, we all finally agreed to just never talk about it around each other. An uneasy peace, but better.

So there you have it. My two biggest traumatic experiences lol.

21: what I love most about myself

My kindness and willingness to help people

28: a description of the person I dislike the most

Hmm I don't really dislike people. But I suppose this one older lady at work. Kind of short, white, fading blonde hair that's always short. She's always unhappy lol. Mostly dislike her bc she gatekeeps certain patients and has full control over the schedule despite not being the manager.

42: last thing I ate

Greek yogurt and pumpkin seed granola

[kozh-lucium]

Warning, a rant of BG3 fandom (and of astarion)

BG3 and Astarion stans TM (not normal fans, mind you) made me realize I'm too old for fandom like...this.

Idk if I'm just unlucky or something like that, but the amount of people who equates "nuance" with "let's go full genocide bcs it's fun and to troll wyll/karlach" is too damn high.

Aaaand not surprising, almost all of them are astarion stans tm. Look, I'm not saying all of astarion fans are like this, but forgive me for getting more and more uncomfortable with how some people are acting. So apparently I am not allowed to complain about how astarion keeps being a dick in act 1, but they're allowed to hate karlach and wyll so much because they're "goody two shoes"?

Sorry, it sounds like hypocrisy.

Just the other day i had a fight with several people, over discussion of Gandrel (the gur we met in the swamp). It's crazy for me how they feel the need to invent ridiculous just to justify killing him. I can respect if the reson if "It's more pragmatic" (I mean, i still disagree since we can just lie to him), I even respect more when someone said "lol i did it because I'm an astarion simp, I'll do whatever he ask me to". But to say that gandrel is an amoral character who needs to die because he will make a deal with the hag just to find astarion? Or that he doesn't have proof that astarion is hurting people?

Are these people serious??

It's extra ironic how one of them just before this claim that I imposed modern morality for finding their action to be not neutral, and that faerun being medieval dark fantasy setting is suppsed to be more lenient to evil actions, elyet in the same breath accusing an NPC as amoral for trying to strike a deal with the hag, enought that it's okay to kill him.

For some reason, to them, not liking evil run meams you're media illiterate and can't handle nuance.

Look, i can't handle it, i wouldn't enjoy witcher 2 writing and def. will stake astarion the first chance i got.

Sorry for the long rant. I'm super cranky right now. I hate edgelords like them.

[4th-make-quail]

May I ask a clarifying question on your boundaries? I don’t consider myself “proship” or “anti” as I think those terms are reductive, and two people who may both fit under one label could have incredibly different opinions. However, I believe that the way I interact with media could be something that someone would call “anti”, in that I find it more interesting to look at fiction through the lens of reality rather than “fiction doesn’t effect reality”, by which I mean when reading Lolita I like to go “okay so what is this saying about how the psych profession saw csa at the time?” “How was this influenced by Nabokov’s own experiences?”, I see Marius and Armand as a reflection of child sexual abuse and enjoy analysing it under a more realistic lens, and would find wincest more interesting as a look at enmeshment between siblings under an abusive parent, rather than a ship (although what people mean by the term “ship” is also really vague and can differ wildly).

Based on that, and what you say in your pinned post, would you prefer I don’t interact? I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable!

Okay so to preface this, I don't go into much detail in my pinned because I hate the whole thing, and I hate spaces which are super dedicated to the pro/anti discourse. I try to keep my online spaces free of discourse and drama because its simply not fun! I don't want to spend my days steeping in negativity.

This got very long, so I'm gonna put it under a cut!

So. The thing is anon, the proship label originally came about as a response to antis, to describe people who don't actually care what other people ship ("ship and let ship", "your kink is not my kink and that's okay" and all that), but it's been massively conflated these days and now people take it to describe what they call problematic ships or art. You're right about them being reductive terms - and in fact, I have a lot of freak friends who are super into things I personally dislike or am outright squicked by (and vice versa), because we're not a monolith.

My stance entirely is this: I don't care what other people ship. I don't care how they ship it, or how they want to analyse and engage with that source material. I think what people ship and what art people enjoy has no say at all in what their morals might be.

What you describe as how you engage with those pairings is a completely valid interpretation! Preferring to look at a relationship through those lenses is perfectly fine, and in fact lots of people do this under the umbrella of meta.

What I personally mean by "ship" is the usual description - I want those two characters to have a romantic and sexual relationship. However, I also have no issues with people who don't have that viewpoint because it quite literally doesn't affect me unless they go about harassing others.

Liking a "problematic" ship dynamic doesn't mean you also condone that thing in real life. There's a reason one of the top sexual fantasies is noncon (see: any women's magazine list of these), and it's not because the person secretly really wants to be raped in real life. It's because human beings enjoy exploring taboo subjects in a safe and fictional environment.

Where my opinion stands on this is simple. If you think it's okay to harass people for the ships they like, if you think it's acceptable to write call out posts and smear people's names because of the ships they like, then I don't want to know you. If you think liking Marius/Armand makes that person a paedophile, or that liking underage ships leads to the person eventually moving on to real life kids, or that being an incest shipper means you're gonna go fuck your own sibling, again, I don't want to know you.

The same goes for both sides of this frankly stupid issue - far too many people who call themselves proship proudly love to dunk publicly on antis or people who don't share their viewpoints, which imo makes them just as bad! If someone's out there being awful to people who don't ship their problematic ships, then it's just as bad!

This is also why I don't do any DNIs or anything like that. If I see someone start to follow me and they have big obvious "PROSHIP DNI" in their info, then I will go ahead and block them, but otherwise I'm not interested in policing who can interact with me in that way. It's not for me to decide whether someone else wants to interact with me, it's on you to decide if you want to.

I'm not gonna be going out and ripping on people who dislike a ship I like, or who engage with art in a different way to me. However, if I come across posts in my tracked tags or on my dash expressing anti sentiments, or going on a negative rant about something I love, then I will also probably unfortunately be blocking that person. I don't like seeing negativity about shit I love on my dash or in the tags (really, does anybody? lol) so I'm proactive about that because a) it depresses me, and b) I spent a long time in the ffxiv fandom, where people think liking Garleans makes you a nazi apologist, and where they love to go on ranting screeds about how my favourite characters should die painfully, and I'm honestly not about that in my fandom life.

Anyway, all this to say: if you're comfortable interacting with me, a Marius/Armand bitch who does indeed enjoy their fucked up relationship because of how fucked up it is (and finds it incredibly sexy, actually), then I'm fine with you interacting with me. I'm not gonna be sharing or posting about that specific ship anyway, and I'm certainly not gonna be awful about people who find it distasteful or triggering or even just plain don't like it for whatever reason. It won't make me uncomfortable in any way to interact with you because you engage with those things in a different way to me, as long as you don't also engage in the other activities I discussed further up.

Sorry this got so long, anon! Hopefully it all makes sense. As an aside, I'm not interested in having any debates about these issues with anyone and will not be engaging with arguments about it. Sensible discussion, yes. Arguments, discourse and wank? No. Thank you for understanding! 💚

[mlmshark]

For the soft asks (I picked a lot, answer whichever ones you like the most)

1, 8, 9, 12, 13, 18, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29

1 - what song makes you feel better?

I really like forwards back and rebound by Adrianne Lenker. It’s soft and something nice to listen to when I’m upset

8 - tag someone (or multiple people) who make you feel good. 

Well, there’s you, @achilleanauthor and some others I love seeing post are @ace-up-your-sleeve @rowans-blues @ilovespidermansomuch and @pigeonpawz

9 - what calms you down?

I’m autistic, at least I think (my results were inconclusive and the doctor told me I “don’t fit into one box” so I have no idea what that means) and i usually have a bead lizard I carry around to help keep my calm when I’m having sensory issues or overwhelmed. The beads are fun to play with to calm me down, but also keep me focused. His name is sleepyhead and I made him myself :)

12 - how are you?

I’m good. I had a hockey practice this morning so I feel very accomplished. I’m also uh very because I’m cooking my lunch now as I’m answering

13 - what’s your comfort food?

Either maruchan ramen or fried chicken, specifically the kind my mom makes

18 - do you still love stuffed animals?

I love stuffed animals sm. I have way too many and that’s not gonna stop me from getting more. The one I sleep with is a red panda squishmallow my brother got me in middle school, and my childhood stuffed animals which is a cat, or I guess I called him a cat when I was younger but looking closer he looks more like a husky, named Shasta and a pink turtle named Shelly (creative, I know)

21 - if you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

Kind of a downer, but I’d tell myself to avoid one person. In freshman year of Highschool I had a very bad friend that would get very physical with me, and I do anything to go back and never be friends with them. If we’re talking more advice, I’d tell myself that I should just be myself and be unapologetically cringe because at the end of the days there’s always gonna be someone that doesn’t like you

23 - favorite piece of clothing?

My favorite piece of clothing is a hoodie I got from camp. It’s super comfy and I wear it almost all the time. It’s also super comforting. I’ve wrong it to different medical emergencies to help me feel more comfortable, and since I got it from camp, it reminds me of one of my favorite places

26 -what movie would you want to live in?

I love fantasy so maybe the hobbit. I’d also love to live in a ghibli movie because everything looks so nice there, as long as it’s one of the safe ones like Kiki’s Delivery Service

28 - hugs or hand-holding?

Definitely hugs. I love hugs and I’ve been told I’m a really good hugger. For whatever reasons, sometimes hand holding can make my hand feel weird, so hugs all the way

29 - morning, afternoon or night?

Probably night, it’s when I’m most productive and get the most work done or just enjoy myself. I do think the morning can be nice too though, it just depends on how early it is and how well rested I am

[cartoon-buffoon]

We got the first casting announcement for the new Oswald horror movie and I'd like to share it on here as well as other news relating to this film that we have so far + my take on this entire thing.

I know Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters... That's about it? I'm not a big film guy as I struggle to watch movies unless I'm with friends and I haven't seen any of the Ghostbuster films since I was super young so I have no opinion on him as an actor.

Next up we have a plot summary of what the film is gonna be about, this screencap is taken from this horror film reporting website: https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3798317/oswald-down-the-rabbit-hole-announce-trailer-new-horror-movie-features-the-original-mickey-mouse/ this description of what the film is about is from their IMD as well so ya know, not much spread here other than notes from the director.

The website they list is also worth noting as so far all that's there is this screen that replays Oswald's Trolley Troubles on loop on the TV screen yet maybe we should keep an eye on it for teasers in the future.

Now this is also just word of mouth and I have no source for this other than some Twitter posts I saw awhile back which I did NOT save yet I heard this movie is supposed to incorporate live action with animation similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Take this info with a grain of salt and this is a "dude trust me" moment.

Now I know people will dislike this film for well, obvious reasons ya know public domain kids property turned edgy and scary horror movie character, yet I'm fairly optimistic about this film? Do I believe it's going to be good? Oh abso-fucking-lutley not! However I still thinks it's cool Oswald is getting back to the big screen even if it means he's going to be a part of a horror film where he's the villain. The film is set to release in 2025 and I have no idea when it started production yet it's interesting to know they are holding it off until next year and it makes it seem like they actually care about this product. I don't think we should set any expectations for this film yet I think it's good to be hopeful at least for it being fun. From the descriptions we got it's gonna be a Alice in Wonderland inspired story where we—well—go down the rabbit hole into a world that Oswald (or at least this demonic version of Ozzie) comes from and he likewise is going to hunt down the cast of characters. It's stated to not be pure horror and it'll have fantasy elements which I'm excited for, I can hope this isn't like the Winnie the Pooh horror movie and this film will be more light hearted and take itself less seriously. At the end of the day I'm just excited this could get more people into Oswald, even if they only know of him from this movie they could take interest in his character and do research on Oswald himself and end up liking his old cartoons or his newer stuff like EM. I think we should just see what comes of the film while being respectful to the creators and all those involved, even if this movie does come out bad we can also hope it's going to be the good type of bad. I want a movie I can sit down, watch, get some laughs at, and not expect much from, I feel like that'll truly capture the feel of classic cartoons where the entire goal was to have fun and enjoy some goofy on screen characters.

[liauditore]

Thought I might say hello and make some small talk, seeing that I'm camping on your trafficshipping tag and all.

Well hi! Lovely place you've got here. Fantastic art, GREAT vibes, very nice. I'm specially enjoying your character rambling; your takes on them are super interesting and they tickle my brain 👀

May I send Divorce Fource/Quartet and Majorwood for the shipping bingo? Divorce Fource were a right mess (affectionate <3) and a perfect one at that, but I can't help but wonder how the recipe would have turned out if the soul ties were Cleo-Pearl, Martyn-Scott.

Also there is so much potential in Limlife Majorwood for eroguro if you're nasty. Which I am. Time cannibalism, respawning mechanics, birthday time... blender go brrrr 👀

!!!!!!!

y'all are really enabling my habit of long ass posts huh 😭😭

OK SO first off thankyou so much?? thats so sweet?????? 😭😭 i really don't think my character ramblings are anything special, but i like reading other ppls insane takes so i thought i'd provide others with the same 👍

not to get too into it but i feel like a series like life smp is best enjoyed with your own crazy delulu takes (similar to touhou if anyone heres familiar w/ that fandom). and it makes me kinda sad to see ppl arguing abt whats 'canon' or 'correct' cus that's no fun lol

ANYWAY yeah uh im glad u like the vibes!! :J

TREEBARK

this one first cus chronology. I honestly don't know if there's anything I can say here that hasn't been said before? But yeah they're. tasty. something about martyn waiting the entirety of third life to betray ren and never getting the chance and now longing to have him back. lots of regret but regret. for what. yknow. and ren always looking out for martyn even from a distance. and then martyn losing that connection in limlife.

yeah i can see why people ship lmao

uhh i don't really know what else to write here so have some of my insane ramblings copy+pasted from my shipping doc 👍

Martyn fancies himself a schemer, someone who's not afraid to play the game the way it's intended. If that means earning a powerful ally's trust only to shatter it then he was going to do it. Only, Martyn's bark is worse than his bite, and every night he spends in lying awake in those soft, warm sheets that Ren had laid out just for him (freshly washed too, he might add. Smelled like sunshine) he wonders if he can do it. He can, of course. (he can't. he won't. he's too soft. soft and useless.) He'd cut his head off already. (he wants to vomit) (this is why no one needs you. wants you. loves you) Who cares about other people anyway? He is the only one who really matters. (the thought of being alone makes him want to cry) Ren, on the other hand, is a capable leader. The definition of loyal and dependable, if not a bit dramatic. He struggles with self-worth, being good enough, useful enough, powerful enough. But to others, he's the opposite, caring and protective of any who would ask for his aid. After all, every citizen deserves to live in safety and comfort, and providing that is what a good King would do. ~ Martyn's not as sneaky as he thinks he is. Ren knows. Ren sees the signs. It's a death game for a reason. But he doesn't let Martyn know. He doesn't even hold it against him. He doesn't see the bloodthirst anymore, only the broken pieces lying underneath. ~ or the King's Hand, it was the thrill of feeling Useful, Powerful, Feared (loved). He was going to miss it after he betrayed him, the high of bloodlust, the smell in the air as he charged into battle. (the way his hands held him so gently) For the King himself, deep down he knew it was never to be. He had met a monster, but he hoped his efforts calmed the storm ever so slightly. On some days, he pretends to forget about the death game entirely and imagines the speech he'd give to retire his Hand. "You don't have to fight anymore," he'd say, "I'll take care of you from now on, I promise. So put the sword down, okay?" But in the end, it was all a fantasy, wasn't it?

^ yes this is so cheesy but so are they.

Cry with me again Smile with me again Scream with me again Sing with me again Dance with me again Talk to me again…

"Lower One's Eyes" (Oktavia translyrics)

MAJORWOOD

I think.. I talk too much abt scott seeing as that's who everyone points out when it comes to my headcanons 😭😭 but uh i swear everyone else is just as messed up. and martyn is like. just as bad if not worse (if that wasn't made clear from my ramblings before)

anyway uh say it with me rebound 👏 relationship 👏

i think they're both.. very numb to it all once limlife rolls around. they're just tired and have this mutual understanding and both think they're horrible people. martyn just wants to play the game. scott doesn't even know what he wants anymore.

but ofc, they're both still human and want love and comfort, so they try to seek that from one another. even if it's fake. even if it doesn't matter in the end.

Baby, though I've closed my eyes I know who you pretend I am I know who you pretend I am

Washing Machine Heart (Mitski)

We’re the Delusioned Victim Cash-in Union Praise to the “love” that will bring salvation!  Two fools singing to a shallow melody Restart, reflation, teleportation Time and again we’re stuck in rotation Circles inside a love without any ending

MKDR (SirHamnet Lyrics)

Scott uses Martyn as a replacement for Jimmy and Martyn uses Scott as a replacement for Ren. they know they dislike eachother (see: all of double life) and that only one of them will make it out alive. but they can't get that love and comfort from anyone else now.

also uhhh eroguro my beloved...... im assuming this is getting brought up cus of my mentions of loving eroguro in the past. and yes to all of that very much i agree. but i do have kind of.. a limit to what i do w/ these characters specifically because of the fandom/ccs (at least publicly). if i ever do decide to share the nastier stuff in my head or go into detail on gore and whatnot i'd probs make a sideblog and tuck it away and maybe block scott and martyn for always somehow showing up on my posts lmao

[eccentric-nucleus]

sorry i'm still posting about progression fantasies

anyway one story i've been reading and actually enjoying is super supportive.

this got long so i'm putting it behind a readmore.

the setup: it's 2040. aliens contacted humans in the 1960s and were like "hey we'll give you superpowers and magic technology and access to our multiworld government. all you have to do is sign this contract. its fine. just, all the superpowered people are our property and we can summon them up as servants whenever we want to do whatever we want. you'll be obligated to provide some humans to do this. we'll pick who gets superpowers and no they cannot refuse. its fine." one other alien is like "it would be more easier if i explained (the my boss, the alien) that your friend was your pet or your property b/c 'friends' isn't really a reasonable category for them."

the degree to which the aliens are, you know, clearly and obviously taking advantage of humans cannot be understated in the initial chapters. there are supervillains too, and the aliens are just like, yeah we don't care if they murder some humans it's fine. there's a lot of intentionally-jarring narration about characters with skills going between "powerful superhero" and "forcibly-conscripted alien valet" depending on whether they're talking about their image vs. what they actually do. plenty of heroes get summoned out into the universe and are then never heard from again. the secretary at the alien consulate the main character goes to is a prisoner/slave who is under a geas so strong that he can't express food preferences. there's a short little aside about how "stat boosts" to your "appeal" stat also involve mental manipulation to make you more personable and agreeable, and yes yes technically forced mental manipulation usually isn't allowed according to the alien contract but by selecting points in appeal you implicitly consent to it! and yes you could technically say, every time you want to (or are forced by class requirements to) put points in appeal that you don't want any of the mental stuff but really that's just being stubborn and digging your heels in and people won't like that. etc.

it kinda reminded me of uhhh becoming alien in that it is about a human going "wow cool scifi adventure!" and then slowly realizing that the political & bureaucratic structures in play basically make it a meat grinder for idealists. that's fun.

anyway so it's a little jarring when we get introduced to some of the high-powered alien paladin-wizards and they're all perfectly noble and self-sacrificing. or, there's (to me) a very noticeable point in the story where it shifts from Initial Premise mode into This Is A Long-Running Serial mode, and it kinda jettisons some of the existing tensions so it can introduce new concepts. story elements that were introduced early on and connected to hazy, unclear corners of the worldbuilding get resolved in a way that sidelines them (like e.g., alden's gremlin stops being so much a thing with a story connection and a mystery around it to mostly just being a power he has. "hey why does this make me better at wordchains?" gorgon: "weird it's more fragmentary than i thought; it isn't supposed to do that; well, w/e")

i mean yes it is in-progress and it's clearly setting up for the eventual fallout of alden's whole pseudo-knight thing getting revealed (probably like another 100 chapters on), but i would be shocked if any of the actual knights objected to it in a meaningful sense + we have not actually seen any of the exploitative aliens we were promised with the introduction. like, ro-dan maybe. i'm sure artonian politics is gonna come up eventually but as it is currently a whole hunk of that was jettisoned w/ one conversation that's like "well okay maybe we do have this extremely exploitative contract system for all our resource worlds and maybe you are all effectively slave labor who can be compelled by the contract to do whatever we want but actually it's just messy political design-by-committee so it's not like they're all evil or anything. no further questions."

so like i'm sure there will eventually be a "let's talk about artonian politics" arc, probably around whenever alden's whole secret gets blown up, but the nature of serial fiction means that we're gonna be hearing about his time in superhero school for quite a while.

(long-running progression fantasy serials have these two moves that show up again and again. the "let's do a dungeon-crawl" arc and the "let's go to magic school arc". just like, these enormous filler arcs that don't really do much aside from consume the word quota for a while. i mean, super supportive's superhero school section is fine; it's more engaging than most. given the initial concept of the story it's both inevitable and also a natural part of the whole narrative; it's not shoehorned in. i'm just saying, it's an extremely common narrative chunk to throw into all sorts of progression fantasy stuff for no reason. it was very funny when i went to look up what books 3 and 4 of sporemageddon/spores and sorcery were, and the answer was: all of book 3 is a dungeon crawl arc where the only important or interesting thing happens at the very end; all of book 4 is a magic school arc where the only important or interesting thing... actually i don't think anything really happens the entire book. the mc assassinates some people b/c that was the entire point of going to magic school and then they leave and it's like oh okay this could've been a one-paragraph summary of doing a job for the union. anyway this is a tangent.)

anyway i think super supportive is already like 500k words or something so maybe by the time it hits a million words i will have been exhausted by the premise and be done with it. but maybe not!! it's been okay so far!!

[unmellowyellowfellow]

writer tag game!! <3

tagged by @at-thezenith !!! thank you i loved these questions

1. what was the first piece of writing you did where you thought "wow I'd love to be a writer"? i wrote a silly lil fanfic about my favorite bass player and had more fun doing that than any other hobby i've ever had, and then i started to read pretty avidly to help me escape my reality and that made me finally decide to write; because i wanted to help others escape their own reality.

2. how do you gather inspiration for your works? (pinterest boards, writing prompts, etc) usually either from pinterest or dialogue prompts! but sometimes the right song on the radio will also inspire something:)

3. what genre is easiest to write? what's the hardest? why? fantasy is by far the easiest to me. you can create anything you want for whatever reason you want no matter how historically accurate or downright silly. i think that romance is the hardest to write (personally) because it is really hard to be able to convey a person being in love in words; the feeling exceeds words. also my relationships in the past were all VERY toxic so i keep a lot of my stories platonic so i don't project into my writing lol (which is fine to do! i just don't want to write and relive all my relationship trauma. maybe one day)

4. what does a typical day of writing look like for you? a LOT of pinterest, lots of music, i clean my entire house because i can't write in a dirty environment; i get all stressed about cleaning. i can usually push out 3,000 words per writing session in a pretty quick fashion because i work best without preparedness and just spit whatever comes out of my brain instead.

5. free space! ramble about a character you've most enjoyed writing about. i think that emilio is my current favorite to write about and build around. he is my first diverse character to put up front, and i am loving it. i am doing as much research as i can to be as accurate as possible. i haven't done someone diverse in lots of detail before because i've always felt very uneducated and did not want to risk being offensive or inconsiderate. i do feel like i've grown in my writing enough now though:) he's super goofy and very strong willed and needs to be protected because he is precious to me.

6. if you could pick the brains of one author, who would you pick and why? CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE. her writing is my BIGGEST inspiration. i love her details and her characters (Saturday from tgwcf is my BABY). i was just telling my fiancé last night that i would sell my kidneys to go to a writing class if she offered one. that woman is a god

7. what's one writing tip that has stuck in your head? my answer is pretty vague but LEARN TO WRITE LIKE YOU. writing rules are cool and all but they are made to be broken. there are books out there, BESTSELLERS, with run on sentences that go on for pages. people publish with millions of commas or semicolons. do not let the writing "rules" hold you back. your story deserves to be told the way you want to tell it!!

this is SUPERRR OPEN TAG!! but (no pressure) i'd love to tag @avi-why @anonymousfoz @leisoree @moonlitinks and @daisywords !!!!

here are your questions!!

1. spill. who is your favorite author, and why? and what book is your favorite of theirs?

2. which book have you read that you dislike the most? why?

3. which wip (current or past) is your absolute favorite that you've written/are writing?

4. have you written a series? if no, would you ever consider it?

5. what do you hope your readers will take away from your wips?

6. would you allow a movie adaption of your wip?

7. brag about your current wip!! :) (if no current, brag about your favorite one you've ever done! or both hehe)

[leserattevirginie]

When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman

Genre: Sci-Fantasy Star Rating: 4,25 ⭐️

Plot: ⬜️ Plot holes big enough for a herd of elephants ⬜️ I think I’ve read this before. (Unoriginal to the max.) ⬜️ No plot, just vibes ✅ Enjoyable but not super memorable. ⬜️ You have my undivided attention. ⬜️ Mind = Blown

Characters: ⬜️ Mary Sue is in the house! ⬜️ These are cardboard cut-outs. ⬜️ Good main cast, but the rest is forgettable at best. ⬜️ Generally well written. ✅ Complex ⬜️ What do you mean characters? These feel like real people!

Personal Enjoyment: ⬜️ DNF ⬜️ Somebody free me from this hell (but also no, I won’t DNF) ⬜️ WTF did I just read??? ⬜️ I don’t like it, but I also don’t hate it. ⬜️ It’s a good book but I just never want to pick it back up. ⬜️ No strong feelings either way. ⬜️ Enjoyable read ✅ What a page turner! This is fun! ⬜️ I think I’m in love ⬜️ (new) all time favourite

World Building: ⬜️ This takes place in our world. ⬜️ Worldbuilding what worldbuilding? ⬜️ This feels like a TV set. ⬜️ Not super deep, but present. ✅ Detailed, believable. ⬜️ You bet every single ant has its own 100 page backstory!

Pacing: ⬜️ drags/is rushed in all the wrong places ⬜️ Inconsistent ⬜️ something undefinable feels off ⬜️ I don’t love it it but it fits the book perfectly. ✅ Good/no complaints ⬜️ Amazing! Could not put this down!

Writing: ⬜️ This is painful ⬜️ I’m cringing ⬜️ Not great, but not bad either. ⬜️ Neutral (Didn’t really notice.) ✅ Elegant but not overly flowery. ⬜️ So beautiful I actually stopped and noticed it. ⬜️ I’m not sure if this is just a bad translation. ⬜️ I’m not confident enough in my language skills for this language to comment on the quality of the writing.

I think this is the first series where my favourtite part is just the world itself! I certainly haven't ever enjoyed reading about fantasy-christianity before xD

Somehow this continues to be one of the gayest fantasy series I've ever read, even if it is all unintentional (how?!?!) subtext.

One burning Question I have left: does the author just hate all her female characters? Last book, Ciani was amazing, but the majority of the time the readers get to spend with her she had the personality of a wet towel. (Yes for plot reasons, and maybe only because Damien just started to see her that way, but still.) Then she regains her personality and we never see her again. This book, pretty much all named women who had more than half a page of "Screen Time" died. Jenseny was a surprise for me because I usually don't enjoy the random overpowered child who is there to further the plot, but I really liked her. And then she died. (With style, and very heroically, but still.) Which leads me to Hesseth. Justice for Hesseth, she was way too cool to go so soon! Badass explorer Rasya? Dead to make Damien and the new Patriarch sad. Even the Matrias were all burned at the stake (or worse). I think the only one who survived is the one that Gerald brings along as a snack. I can only hope that she gets the opposite character arc, and starts out as sad, scared vampire food only to become an interesting character later? Oh, and I suppose Narilka - whose great deeds amount to *checks notes* not being brutally murdered despite being pretty - is still around somewhere, hopefully living her best life.

oof this came out as more of a rant than I had anticipated 😅

I'll end this on a positive note and say that I absolutely LOVED seeing how Damien and Gerald are starting to influence each other in their actions, their little moments throughout the book were a delight. Especially that one time when they looked at a random valley and went "You know what would improve this place by 200%? HORSES." Gotta love that Gerald is pretty much evil incarnate and yet somehow such a horsegirl at the same time xD.

Oh, and the Unnamed One made me laugh. I know he probably shouldn't but here we are xD There's just something about Gerald (understandably) panicking at the end of the book, and the Big Evil Entity probably wouldn't even have noticed anything was amiss for years if it weren't for Calesta. (And even then there's that one stray thought that insists that Gerald has been doing a great job overall xD)

Oh well, that's all from me until I get the 3rd book.