#The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected In Water

[a-ramblinrose]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge || April 29 || Freebie:    The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

[thegirlwiththelantern]

WWW Wednesday | 29 November

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam of Taking on a World of Words. To take part you answer three questions, which are: What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next? 📖 What did you recently finish reading? School Rumble by Jin Kobayashi I’m really happy that this manga opened with a quick rundown of honorifics and a cultural note. They’re…

[booksandwords]

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

Read time: 2 Days Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Quote: Like the first bandit, he had an outlaw's air and wore clothes that had seen a great deal of contact with the elements, but he was not at all beautiful. If the first bandit was a pocelin vase, this one was an everyday clay vessel, suitable for holding water or budu or rice wine, as the occasion demanded.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is a stunning book, it's been a while since a book this short bowled me over to this extent (Sherrilyn McQueen does not count). It's easily readable in a day. There are some twists and turns and nothing is what it initially appears. But it is always written with full positivity and the conclusion or end-game in mind. I would consider it somewhat advantageous to have some understanding of wuxia but not requisite by any means. For those familiar with wuxia the honorifics and chapter titles will be familiar, simply numbers in Chinese.

This is a female-centric work with intensely queer themes. The women in this world are intelligent, strong and use their skills to protect what they value. For protagonist Guet Imm that means her faith and the deity. For Madam Ooi, her family. Potentially unusually for well any work, any author Zen Cho is frank and open about Guet Imm's menstruation, it is a breath of fresh air. Tet Sang is a charming character. The sort of character that makes you think and wonder what if. Read on at your own risk as a delve into queerness.

Have some quotes I quite liked.

Fung Cheung loved being gazed at adoringly—ideally by handsome young men, but a pretty woman would do in a pinch. — This made me smile, it just works for me. Especially when you realise that Guet Imm is using this to her advantage knowingly and that Fung Cheung is quite attractive in his own right. (Tet Sang, p.30)

"Everyone pretends Brother Lau is the boss, but you're the one he listens to." "You're seeing things that are not there, sister," said Tet Sang, amused. Guet Imm raised an eyebrow. "I'm a nun. Seeing that aren't there is my speciality." — It's that last line, the seeing things that aren't there. Guet Imm knows how Fung Chueng and his motley crew see her. Her personality means she can make light of her faith, she isn't a preacher even if she is a true believer. (Guet Imm & Tet Sang, p.87)

The scriptures say there are souls who lose their way after they die. They go into the wrong body by accident when they are reborn. There was a nun at my tokong like that. She was a son to her parents before she decided to follow the deity. — This is a discussion of trans existence in faith and religion. (Guet Imm, p.87)

Finally, I need to comment on the physical book itself. The cover is a wonderful representation of Guet Imm and Tet Sang. A snake, a moon, a river, florals and a pleasing mix of colours. I think for me the cover may have been more influential than I wanted to think. There is beauty in the hardback in the edition I read. At under 160 pages the hardback will protect the story. But it is more than that. There is a slight texture to the pages, they look like there is ink splashed on them. Just tiny droplets like those from calligraphy. Then there is the deckled (uneven) edging. It all combines to become a bit of an experience. Something you definitely would not get from an e- or audiobook. TBH I think it almost gets an added star for the edition alone.

[rocaillefox]

just finished reading the order of the pure moon reflected in water by zen cho, and it was def an enjoyable read! a good balance of funny and sad. a bit short, but still well-structured.

[madcat-world]

Work Collection IV (4 of 9) - Sija Hong

[llycaons]

annoyingly my credit hasn't renewed even tho it's supposed to be today BUT annihilation by jeff vandermeer is in at libby!!!! wheee!!!

[lilareviewsbooks]

April Reading Wrap-Up

I've been in a bit of a reading slump – I took a look at my GoodReads, and it turns out I didn't completely read anything in March. That's pretty crazy for me, since I've been getting through one book a month since I can remember. But April was a better month for my reading. It was the calm before the storm – read, the no assignments before finals week. 

Royal Assassin, by Robin Hobb

3/5 stars

675 pages

Contains: following the story of someone's life through the years, a wolf (but like, a cute one) and betrayals!

This is the second installment in Ms. Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy, a fantasy classic. As I mentioned before, it was a reading resolution this year for me to read as many of those as I could, and continuing on with this series demonstrates my commitment to that promise.

It's not that The Farseer Trilogy is bad – it's very good! It just so happens to be boring, as well. And, don't get me wrong: there's absolutely nothing wrong with being boring. It's very much the contrary: I think Ms. Robb's intention, here, is to lead us through the upbringing, and eventual adult life, of FitzChivalry Farseer. That includes painstakingly going through his every move, decision, thought… And I think Ms. Robb knows how boring that might be, and she simply doesn't care.

And good for her! People love this trilogy – and rightfully so, it's a feat of character and world-building – and so it's clear that it's working for her. However, I did find it hard to stick with this one. 

The book just spends so long with things that end up being meaningless, except for the character development they produce, which leads me to wonder if there weren't more efficient ways of achieving that same result. So many pages are spent on Molly and Fitz's relationship, for instance, and it's hard not to feel tired after a while. The main conflict, and its subsequent aftermath, is squished at the end of the book, the result of an endless build-up that, although well-executed, is just so very long… This is a problem I had with the first book, as well, and I wonder now if I'll finish this series, or if it will be best not to.

 The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, by S.A. Chakraborty

3/5 stars

483 pages

Contains: pirates!! Let's go pirates!!; queer people; religion seamlessly integrated into the plot and world-building 

I originally began The Daevabad Trilogy a couple of years back, and DNFed at the 50 page mark – the characters just weren't compelling to me. When I heard the synopsis of this one, though, – which features a middle-aged, Muslim pirate on her final quest – I couldn't resist. And thankfully, the Library came through, and I got to read this quite soon after its release, in February 2023.

I honestly had a very good time! I had low expectations considering how I'd felt about Ms. Chakraborty's previous writing, but Amina Al-Sirafi managed to hook me and get me addicted! 

I will say, though, there's something off about the pacing. Things move at a weird pace. But it's hard to put my finger on it. 

My favorite part, though, was the care that went into building the historical background for the story. I knew Ms. Chakraborty was an Islamic historian before picking this up, but if I didn't I definitely would have learned that once finishing Amina Al-Sirafi. The research is palpable and the result is stunning and believable. The attention to detail, here, is insane! And so, if you're a history nerd, I'd definitely say to give this one a read.

(Also, did anyone know this was queer? Because I swear it was not advertised as such, and it was such a welcome surprise for me!)

She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan

5/5 stars

416 pages

Contains: murderous queers; a fisting scene??? And it makes sense???; oh the gender

This one was amazing! She Who Became The Sun is a multi-POV story spanning two different nuclei. One follows Monk Zhu, who assumes her brother's identity, sure that she is destined for greatness, and the people she meets in her quest to achieve this. Another focuses on Ouyang, an eunuch general who serves – and is lowkey in love with – Esen, the son of a province's Prince, and the war they're involved in.

She Who Became The Sun makes you feel so many feelings. This is in part due to the gorgeous writing, and in part due to the constructions of beautifully complex characters that evolve with the story. Ouyang and Zhu, in specific, shine as protagonists. And, oh my God, are they insane. They're my favorite types of characters – the ones that are problematic as fuck and would blow up the entire world just to achieve their goals (I'm looking at you, Rin from The Poppy War). Their struggles with their own gender identity – Ouyang being an eunuch, and Zhu being born a girl, but living her life as a man – are skillfully woven into the plot, making this a killer queer fantasy that, I think, is a must-read.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water, by Zen Cho

2.5/5 stars

176 pages

Contains: a group of bandits; a funny nun (personally I love funny nuns); a war wagging in the background

I listened to this one while I packed for summer, making it the first audiobook I listened to all the way through! Yay! Thank you, Libby!

I don't know if that hindered my enjoyment – it was hard to keep track of the names, as I wasn't seeing them written down, but I think this was the only way listening affected me. Maybe, then, the fact that this wasn't my favorite is just due to the nature of The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water, itself.

The novella brings powerful and interesting characters, but fails to put them in any situation that brings out the fun in them. The plot is weird and wobbly, wading in multiple directions while the characters move along with it, changing in order to fit into whatever is happening in the story. The ending makes sense with what has been set-up, but is still off, as what motivates the characters' final choices seems to come out of nowhere.

But most of all, and unfortunately, I think this one just isn't quite as memorable as it should be, and falls a little flat. I was disappointed, as I was expecting a bit more from The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water.

[sophia-sol]

yuletide fic rec (Order of the Pure Moon)

Beneath These Sparks and Stars, by Shadaras

➜ yuletide fic - for The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

➜ post-canon, Lau Fung Cheung runs into Tet Sang and Guet Imm at a festival

➜ lovely voice and povs! I really enjoyed this glimpse into their lives after what happens in canon

➜ 1k words in length

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday with 54 Queer Fantasy Books!

Today, January 3rd, is J.R.R. Tolkien Day—the day we celebrate the legend’s birthday. It’s hard to imagine the fantasy genre without Tolkien’s influence on it. That’s why, we figured, what better way to celebrate than by having an adventure with an awesome fantasy book? And, as this is the first time we’ve done a queer fantasy rec list, our reccing crew got very excited, with the result that this is one of the longest lists we’ve ever posted. We asked our contributors for great queer, fantasy recommendations, and boy, did they deliver! We collected a list of whooping 54 titles, all thanks to Sanne, Kelas, Shadaras, Nina Waters, Shea Sullivan, E. C., Adrian Harley, Alex, D. V. Morse, Zel Howland, Shannon, Dei Walker, Linnea Peterson and an anonymous contributor.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Witch King by Martha Wells

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know by Cyan Wings

Ruin of Angels by Max Gladstone

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Ash by Malinda Lo

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Reforged by Seth Haddon

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

The Bone Doll’s Twin by Lynn Flewelling

Umineko: When They Cry by 07th Expansion

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

First Test by Tamora Pierce

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

What are your favorite queer fantasy books?

You can find all these books on our Goodreads bookshelf of queer fantasy books.

Did something here spark your curiosity? You can buy it through the Duck Prints Press Bookshop.org affiliate shop. 

So many books means so much to talk about! Come, join our Book Lover’s Discord server to chat with us about aaaaaall the books!

[judesmoonbeauty]

Jude Jazza's "The Past Records": A Ruthless, Arrogant Man, & An Unfulfilled Promise - Record 6

This is a fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors and translation inaccuracies. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not post my translation elsewhere. Thank you for your support! ☾. CW: Mentions of Child Death, & Death Wish

Please read chapters 1-3 here.

I entered school where I further studied business administration and economics.

I acted like innocently in front of those I could use.

This line literally translates "I wore a cat in front of others I could use. 猫を被った "Neko o komutta" means 'to wear/put on a cat'. This is an idiomatic expression. It means one feigns friendliness of a cat while hiding their fierce claws.

The only ones who go to public school are rich kids.

To them I was just an overreaching no body who didn’t know his place.

— I was also subjected to vicious bullying.

Their methods were cowardly, under handed, and they harassed me daily.

Rich Student 1: Your Irish accent is repulsive. Can you not speak again?

Rich Student 2: Just breathing the same air as a poor person can contaminate you like them.

Everyone seemed to hate me.

That hatred became power.

And as I studied, I relentlessly looked for information on those who killed my sister.

(…..Found ‘em, these are the ones who killed her.)

They were from a prominent, respectable noble family.

When I told that shitty doctor about it, he said that the nobles would soon fall to ruin on their own due to taxation.

I guess he wanted to prevent my revenge.

(Idiot. “Soon” is too lenient, it isn’t enough, ya nutter.)

I’ll  completely torture ‘n kill ‘em socially.）

(They’ll experience a livin’ hell)

And then, several years after my sister was killed

My revenge was complete.

The nobles I killed, my father, and my older brother, I ensured they suffered and died.

I didn’t do it directly. But….

(一I killed ‘em all.）

Afterward, I repaid that shitty doctor every last bit of the money he lent me with interest.

(It’s all over now）

As I wandered around London that night, I took smoke break on the bridge.

Jude: Ahhh, how refreshin’.

Jude: Sent ‘em all to hell. Well, they had it comin’ to ‘em.

Ever since that pure black hatred bloomed inside me, I’ve lived only for this day.

I dragged all of those who looked down on us to hell.

Because of that I was certain that I’d feel peace.

However -

(…..Haaaah…..)

(…..I feel empty.…..lonely…….and bitter)

(I’m jealous….of other happy people)

I could hear the sounds of laughter of families walking behind me.

I could hear the sounds of laughter of friends and couples.

Everyone was laughing with someone.

And all I had was the reflection of myself on the water’s surface.

(My health’s better ‘n I got money)

Jude: I’ve got nothin’.

(Ah, that’s right. Once somethin’s lost it can’t be replaced…that’s how it is.)

Filled with hatred, memories that I didn’t want came flooding back to me.

Jude’s Mother: ….Please, take care of your sister, Jude.

(…..I couldn’t keep my promise)

To protect my sister’s life.

I couldn’t even keep that promise — living shamelessly.

As my cigarette smoke drifted up towards the moon, I recalled a trivial promise made to my sister.

That was when she was alive.

In order to gloss over the pain of a fever, I asked a question.

What would you like to do if you were rich.

So, my sister answered,

Jude: “When ya get rich, take me to the moon.”

All I had left was that small promise.

But at that moment, that’s all I had.

Jude: Wanna go to the moon?

Humans going to the moon is pipe dream.

With that alone, I started walking once again through the depths of hell.

Unaware that eventually I’d meet a woman who wouldn’t laugh at my dream, but would join me in making it come true.

[Past Records Master List] [710 Bonus Story]

Dividers: @.natimiles

Tags List: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @velisle @nateko @greatwitchsongsinger @cosmowgyrall. @lunaaka @rosalyne08 @8the-perfect-lie8 @injudescoat @aeyumicore @complexivelovely

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to my tags list! Please specify the suitor or if you want all IkeVil translations.

[a-ramblinrose]

7 books 7 days day 5

Rules: every day, I will post the cover of a book that I love and nominate someone new to start the challenge

Tagged by @booksandrandomfandoms

Tagging @therefugeofbooks

[thegirlwiththelantern]

Insta: @ littlepiscesdreaming

[nightmare-grass]

Odd Moon-related Connections in Genshin Lore

- Glaze Lillies and Nilotpala Lotuses only bloom at night

- Glaze Lillies may have been the favorite flower of Guizhong, who’s hair was grey/white and who’s outfit had stardust on it (she was the god of dust, so unless she was a god of stardust specifically that’s some odd things about her)

- Nilotpala Lotuses bloomed at the bleeding feet of the Goddess of Flowers after being cast out of Heaven in the wake of the Seelie disaster

- There is at least one account in Sumeru that claims Liloupar came to the people in a moonbeam. Quote: “Our prayers to the Goddess of Flowers have borne fruit. Her envoy came to us in a moonbeam, granting us life-saving medicine and clean water … …She called herself Liloupar, born of the lilies” and later in that same passage, Quote: “At moonrise, she warned us that the water from the canal may carry disease.” So many mentions of the moon in one text about Liloupar and her relation to the Goddess of Flowers.

- Seelies seem to have a moonlit sky with sparse clouds reflected in their bodies, the bright orb in their heads looks like a moon.

- Guizhong’s death produced a cloud of dust that blocks out the sky and creates a darkened area in Liyue.

- Istaroth was said to be responsible for the Sin Shades, who only show up in Evernight in the dark.

- Nahida has some moon connections in her titles, and she has white hair and pale skin, like Paimon, who has a starry pattern on her scarf like Guizhong had on her robes.

- The Goddess of Flowers built a city for her offspring, the Jinn, and she called it Ay-Khanoum, translated to English that’s the City of the Moon Maiden.

- You can link the mythologies of the Goddess of Flowers and King Deshret to King Solomon and Astarte, who was a version of Ishtar, who is the root for the name Istaroth

- The power of the Aranara is the power of dreams, they exist in the dreamscape. And with how much we use a harp to connect with Aranara, it’s just as likely that music is linked to dreams. And Venti, one of Istaroth’s thousand winds, is a bard who knows all songs past and future, and plays a harp.

- The moon sisters were named Aria, Sonnet, and Canon, literally musical terminology.

- There’s probably a connection between the three moon sisters and Teyvat’s concepts of Time, Memory, and Dreams

- One of Venti’s powers is that he can pull up memories from the far flung past

- The quest for Time and Wind has these sun dial looking things that are actually moon dials since the puzzle only activates at night

- Seelies make a jingling tune, Nahida makes a jingling tune, the Goddess of Flowers taught Rukkhadevata the “source song” which birthed the race of Aranara, and the Pari fought the abyss using the Great Songs of the Khavarena, which seem to summon pure elemental energy aligned with Dendro.

- One of the fairytales that was weirdly important to the Abyss Order before we learned that fairy tales could hold the truth about the past if it’s been rewritten/deleted in Irminsul was the Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies. I’ve already noted a few pale characters with crowns or royal status but there was also a character called the Night Mother, who seemed to be the villain of the story. Another odd Night connection.

- Andersdotter wrote The Boar Princess, her signature rose design is on the cover. A rose is also on the cover of The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies, so could she have written that too? As a member of the Hexenzirkel, it’s pretty likely.

- The Seelies were said to be beautiful pale people, and Rukkhadevata is pale with white hair, as is Nahida. Another trait they share are elf ears. Klee is pale with fair hair, and she’s an elf; from what we know of Alice, her mom, she could look much the same. Although he’s old, Pulcinella of the Fatui Harbingers is also an elf with white hair and pale skin, fitting the description. Seelies are fairies, and elves in real world folklore are considered fae, so could the Seelies have given us the elf race in Genshin? Or the Moon Sisters, who presided over the Seelies? Elves seem to be as long lived as gods, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

- I think Aria, Sonnet, and Canon represented Memories, Time, and Dreams, symbolizing the past, present, and future respectively. I don’t know the order of the goddesses in their roles, but I do know they had a fight and two died, leaving only one, and wouldn’t it be something if that surviving moon goddess became Istaroth, the god of Time? Maybe even Irminsul came from the death of the moon goddess of Memory? I don’t know what could’ve happened to the goddess of Dreams, but maybe her death caused the constellations that are canonically made up of the crystalline fruits of Irminsul in the sky box of the Firmament.

(If I could post more than 10 pictures I would but you have the internet, you can look up photos of the stuff I’m talking about.)

[mxqdii]

hiiii i saw ur chris fic with 'I can see you' and was wondering if u could write one for matt with the song 'you are in love'

I love ur writing so much hope u have a good dayyyy 💗

you are in love - m.s

pairings: matt sturniolo x reader

summary: after dating for awhile, the little moments make reader realize, she's in love.

warning(s): kissing, fluff.

a/n: absolutely sobbing i love this song and thinking of MATT WITH IT??? thank you for requesting this love<3

not proofread

i groan, sitting up seeing the time 11:47PM

there's no use, i just can't sleep. i look over to my boyfriend matt, sleeping peacefully, making me smile.

i get up to put my shoes on but feel someone grab my wrist, looking back seeing matt, sitting up and looking at me.

one look in that dark room is all it took, matt grabbing his keys as i grab my coat.

the car ride filled with his lighthearted jokes and small talk as he pulls up to our usual coffee spot, the time now being midnight.

we order and sit down outside, admiring eachother.

i look down at his chain seeing how bright the light is reflecting off of it, confusion filling my eyes.

"look up" he says, snapping me out of my trance seeing the bright sky filled with stars and a full moon.

the drive home was filled with a silence i could feel, something felt different.

we get home to the completely dark house, giggling our way upstairs, trying to keep quiet.

we make it to matt's bedroom finally, that silence, his arms, everything overtaking me

one of those feelings being realization, i would never tell him this but i knew what it was.

i'm in true love.

the next morning comes sooner then expected, except i wake up alone, and not in matt's arms.

i smell breakfast cooking downstairs and i check my phone seeing the day sunday.

i put matts shirt on heading downstairs.

"goodmorning, you sleep well?" he says with a smile and i laugh at the catastrophe he's made in the kitchen

"is that my shirt?" he says and i ignore his question by asking him one.

"so you kept your word huh? you making breakfast every sunday?" i ask with a smile and he nods, handing me a plate

i smile at the burnt toast he hands me.

finishing breakfast, we take a walk on the sidewalk of the beach, bickering and talking, our hands interlocked the whole time.

we walk for what feels like hours, not even noticing that the sun has started to go down.

spending the day with matt being all i've ever wanted.

we continue our walk, heading to the beach instead of walking on the sidewalks.

we sit on the sand, overlooking the water together and i start to think about us, me and matt.

i think- i think i love him, but does he? is it too soon to say it?

i get snapped out of my trance by matt tackling me, us rolling on the sand together in a fit of laughter.

"matt! stop!" i say in between laughs as he hovers over me with a strange look on his face as our laughter dies down.

"what?" i ask, quietly.

"you're my best friend" he says, looking me in the eyes with pure passion.

and even though i didn't wanna get my hopes up, i knew what it was.

he is in love.

that was yesterday.

my feelings scare me, i can't put them into words, so i've been at my house avoiding it all.

checking the time, it's now midnight. i can't do this anymore, i need to tell him.

driving to matts house, the only sound being the pouring rain, the roads being completely dark, the adrenaline and need to see him and tell him

i pull into the driveway, getting out of my car and making view with matts window

i know its cheesy, but the only thing i could think of doing was throwing rocks at his window.

i grab ones small enough to make a noise, but not enough to break the window.

after a few rocks hit the window, i see him open his window looking down at me with sleepy eyes and a smile

"matt i- come down i feel like an idiot." i yell and he closes his window.

the front door opens after a minute and i run up to him hugging him.

a hug that didn't make me realize anything, a hug that confirmed everything.

the picture of me in his phone case, the midnight coffee runs, it was all so simple i've just never seen it.

i can hear it in the silence, i can feel it when he drives me home, i can see it with the lights out, i'm in love, true love.

the rain falling down my face mixed with the tears aren't much, but it said enough.

"matt i love you, and i didn't know how to put it into words but now i see how clear it is, it's you matt, it always has been, i love you, i'm in love with you." i confess.

" i know baby, i love you too, more then you'll ever know." he says, cupping my cheek and kissing me.

the kiss feeling like the first one i've ever had, a kiss i'll never forget.

i pull away, him putting our foreheads against each other.

i laugh, my tears having a different meaning then they did before, walking up to my car playing the first song i can think of

you are in love by taylor swift

i look over to him and he rolls his eyes

"really?" he says in a sarcastic tone

"cmonnn you know you want to" i tease and he laughs

we interlock hands, dancing, completely drenched at midnight, having the time of our lives.

kicking water at eachother, laughing, dancing, yelling.

this is all i'll ever needed.

we're in love.

[ivycova]

She must be aware of this in order not to follow.

Let's break down that phrase everyone thinks they understand so well:

"Sometimes, to find the light, we first need to touch the darkness."

Though honestly, I'd swap "find" for "define."

Again, it’s about not being able to tell the difference. One is real, the other is just a reflection, a imprint.

This ties back to the idea that evil doesn’t create anything new; it only distorts what’s already there. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist on its own? It’s real in the same way water is real—it’s the medium that reflects the light.

So evil can’t create, only mirror what already exists?

In this sense, light is the ability to see things as they are without changing, despite your nature or the nature of others. It’s a pure mirror that reveals the truth.

Kind of like light itself, a mirror. But the light isn’t the mirror only, but the observer. The one who learns, like Perceval, the knight from Arthurian legend, who has to find the Holy Grail to heal the king and the kingdom. (Ring any bells?) More on this symbolic coherentes in this post.

By the way, the symbol of water is the same symbol of the spirit realm and the afterlife that we see in films like *Blade Runner* or *Dune* by Denis Villeneuve. Water is portrayed as a source of initiation, but at the same time, it's a barrier that separates two worlds — the living and the dead.

Once again, the representation of Good and Evil as a pair — Man and Woman. The woman symbolizes the ability to create life (power? light, the eternal flame of Eru Ilúvatar? inspiration?). And the man, as the one who plants the seed, inspires? motivates? tempts? (guides or implants ideas?). The man's role as the embodiment of Evil/darkness in *LoR* is not entirely clear. But perhaps we can say that he initiates into the unknown, embodying the same element of water.

"He offered me wine, red as a blood moon. He offered me wine, and on that dark and nameless peak, I drank it. I drank it all."

The quote from Adar talking about his initiation in to a darkness from the season 2.

And once again, these contradictory and controversial terminology :

light and good, evil and darkness—words that aren't true synonyms but are often linked, simply because they represent opposing pairs.

Was he truly after that particular power she possessed as a woman/light—the ability to create life (not in the literal sense of childbirth, but symbolically, as light, inspiration, energy, and consciousness)? And perhaps she didn’t value or realize this power within herself?

It’s an interesting thought, that maybe, in a way, he freed her from darkness by taking on that function himself (became a villain), fully allowing her to be herself, embrace her lights within herself?

But of course it's all just a speculations.. eh

Etc..etc..etc...

Realization or the awareness of something is a huge change in a person's consciousness. After that, you won’t be the same as before because you will never— and I mean never—repeat old mistakes again, because you know. Not just some made-up idea or personal decision; no, this is knowledge. And along with knowledge comes peace and confidence. Confidence is the opposite of contradiction. That’s what was boiling in Galadriel's blood from the first season because she had unresolved inner issues with evil within herself, and in the second season, she had unresolved problems with love to the same evil.

If Sauron used love to penetrate her mind and bind them together without her consent, then Galadriel needs to figure out where the evil is and where love is so she can rid herself of those ties to evil without opposing love.

So, the true motivation for fighting against evil is a kind of loyalty to love. And for that, you need to separate one from the other, define it, understand it, and gain confidence. How does confidence come? I think it’s a reward for the trials you’ve been through. And you can’t rush or cheat that process.

Dedicated to the very darkness of Charlie Vikers, Happy Birthday my lovely villain!🎈

[heavenlyyshecomes]

can you recommend me some books? i'm looking for something gentle and hopeful without being saccharine? i just can't bear to read anything dark right now

sure !!

ms ice sandwich, mieko kawakami tr. louise heal kawai

the summer book, tove jansson tr. thomas teal

the order of the pure moon reflected in water, zen cho

concerning the book that is the body of the beloved, gregory orr

tweet cute, emma lord (this is like the one romance novel I've read so adding it)

a month in siena, hisham matar

still life with oysters and lemon, mark doty

goodbye tsugumi, banana yoshimoto tr. michael emmerich

schoolgirl, osamu dazai tr. allison markin powell

the rest are from my tbr:

summer of salt, katrina leno

meet me at the museum, anne youngson

the liar's dictionary, eley williams

also check out my book recs + ref tags for better recs!!