#ask game(book edition)

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT,

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but I absolutely love the recs you've given (you've introduced me to tomione, and I love it!) and I was wondering if it's possible to give you some recs in return? There are some books and fics that definitely have dramione / got vibes, and I was wondering if I could share them with you!

So glad you've enjoyed them! Feel free to rec me anything you want. I've read most of the classic recs in terms of fic and adjacent content (Cruel Prince et al), but I'll try anything that's well-written. My tastes run towards weird and/or audaciously creative stuff, and I can forgive a lot of weaknesses in plot on the grounds of (1) ambition or (2) character work. My turnoffs are instalove, protagonists who can't fail, and most Y/A (I'm not a hater, I swear, I just need characters who can say "fuck" when their leg gets chopped off.)

I'm also a fan of weird and fucked-up dynamics.(Wuthering Heights was my favorite book for a while, and as a teenager I wrote an AU in which the book ends on a long sex scene where Heathcliff fucks Cathy's ghost and then immediately gets murdered by Catherine 2.) Obviously, I am very normal.

[chanrizard]

hi sa!! 🐮+💐💐 if u may,, <3 (@chanquokka)

hi juni!! 💙

[ladywatereton]

♡*.✧ 🐭 ✧.*♡

📺 Time to Hunt (2020).

🎶 Charcoal Baby, Dev Hynes.

[throughtrialbyfire]

Director’s Cut!

"It's a rare edition these days. Keep this between us, but with Whiterun's neutrality, my buyer can't exactly come marching up the city steps."  "Stormcloaks?" Wyndrelis murmured, stepping closer. Belethor shook his head. "I'll give you a hint, if you're so keen to know." He made a sweeping motion with his index finger along his ear, bringing it up high along the side of his head. Emeros' blood ran cold. "Thalmor," he whispered. He'd recognize the Breton sign that indicated standard Thalmor earcuffs anywhere, the shape of an eagles wing that would arch out from the ear of whatever Justiciar wore them.  Belethor nodded gravely. "And if he doesn't get what he wants, well..." Belethor trailed off. Eventually, he turned on his heel, murmuring about writing a letter, something about a delay in the shipment, no problem, he'd miraculously get his hands on another edition, leaving the three to watch him as he shut the door to his shop. Athenath looked from Emeros to Wyndrelis, then back again. Wordlessly, the trio split to wander separate parts of the city, the conversation repeating in their minds like a stanza in a particularly cruel poem.

OOOOOOOOOHOHOHO okay there is a lot in that scene and i love it, thank you for sending this! >:3c

alright. with this scene, my main goal was to show that, well, there are consequences to not getting enough information and just grabbing whatever was wanted (whether to themselves or to others). athenath's actions in the previous chapter - stealing the Book of the Dragonborn - was done with good intent at the end of the day (hey, you and your new friends were just told you're dragonborn? okay, cool, get information on what that means), but… well, it was impulsive. and dangerously so.

this scene is like a warning, in a way. athenath stole something that was being sold to a thalmor justiciar (ondolemar, actually), but had no idea that was the case because they didn't even bother to search for information, didn't think this through, just went "i need this, he has it, i'll take it". if athenath had more foresight, they would have thought to check records in the shop, and while this wouldn't have changed their mind right now in the story, it would make him think this over a bit more. he would have hesitated.

it also acts to prop up the next chapter's conflict between emeros and athenath, two people who despise the thalmor for different reasons. some personal, some moral, and gives me a great way to show their perspectives. and it shows that while athenath is a damned good thief, that doesn't mean he always makes the best decisions. in my notes on this chapter, i have the sentence: "With how severe the consequences for Belethor could be, Athenath's impulsivity has the potential to cause genuine harm to others."

also it gave me a chance to give a nod to my headcanon thalmor jewelry >:3 which i need to draw more art of, bc it's very fun.

thank you again for sending this ask!!!! <33333333333

director's commentary

[allylikethecat]

Hi!! Hope you are having a good day/night: the worst book u have ever read? and the best book u have ever read? 📚

Hello Book Anon!! I hope you are doing well! I am having a good day thank you for asking! How is yours?

Thank you so much for asking me a BOOK question from the ask game(book edition). If anyone else wants to chat books the list can be found HERE.

10. the worst book u have ever read?

I'm just going to go off of 2024 so far because of all time is a hard question lol. I read Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher earlier this year and I am still angry about it. The sprayed edges? Stunning. The concept? Amazing. The actual book?! I wanted to toss it into the fire never to be seen again. However, I told myself I had to finish every book I started so I forced myself to suffer through it. I'm still angry about it though.

11. the best book u have ever read?

I'm going to answer this as the best book of 2024, because all time is HARD. But apparently of 2024 is hard too... I know I've said it before but I really, really enjoyed Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo this year. I know it's not for everyone but that is one book that had me in an absolute choked hold and honestly still does.

Thank you SO MUCH for these super fun asks! I hope you are doing well and have a fabulous rest of your day!

❤️Ally

[pallases]

man litblr is so dead nowadays... tbh i kind of miss it

i do miss it 😩 we used to be a society

[hook-on-fandoms]

The Strings of Fate

[figurativepieceoftrash]

i picked up the silt verses cause of your propaganda and now i’m making all my friends listen to it and then i’m gonna make them make all of their friends listen to it. it’s gonna be a shitshow :3

Literally so happy to hear this I'm mega insane about the silt verses and it's such a solid way to traumatize your friends <3

Thank you sm for spreading the good word srsly it's wild that more people haven't read this and I'm beyond thrilled that my propaganda worked on you lol

[tartagilasdefenseattorney]

new hunger games book was announced and it’s about haymitch’s game, and on one hand I’m excited for my old hyperfixation to get new content and excited to obsess over a new political commentary in an interesting story but on the other hand it has already reignited the demands for a book about finnick’s game that I never ever want written

[lairn]

Ask game: 1, 2, 3, 4, 20:D

:D

Your top 5 reads of 2023 Answered this one, but I'll elaborate a little: Hikaru no Go: I'm a sucker for sports/game stories when they keep the game play relatively grounded and focus on realistic efforts people take to improve. All the character work is very solid too, and the story arc about grief and loss makes me cry. Inside Mari: I was uneasy to read this one because of its subject matter, but I thought it handled things in a successful way. I'm always in love with this author's art style (see question 3) and even though I thought some of the ending was weak, the story was still good. Dungeon Meshi: I did not like the beginning much, but as the characters fleshed out and the world grew, I became much more impressed. I like the art style and I like the comedy. I haven't quite finished it yet. Blue Period: This comic does a good job capturing what it's like to engage with art through academics and the tension between art as expression and everything else art can be. I like the diverse character designs. Chainsaw Man: The anime dragged me back in to the comic. I reread part 1 last year and have been sticking with the updates to part 2 fairly regularly. There's just something compelling and sad about the protagonists. And a little action and silliness is fun too.

2. A series you'll keep up with next year Chainsaw Man, Kekkaishi, The Summer Hikaru Died, Kaiju No. 8 (maybe)

3. Your author of the year Shuzo Oshimi. I read Inside Mari, Blood on the Tracks, and reread Happiness. This author always deals with dark, sad subjects, but often pulls out uplifting aspects of humanity even as he is breaking people down. I love his art. Every time he stops using midtones I get so excited, haha.

4. An underrated gem This is tough. I feel like I read some underrated gems last year (anything by Taiyo Matsumoto). The one I'm picking isn't really a gem, just more of a manga I haven't mentioned yet: Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun. The art is okay and the story is okay. But the protagonist is sweet. I haven't looked at it in months, but I could still see picking it up again when I want something cheerful that scratches a specific itch. I think what I like about it is that in a world of demons, the human Iruma has a power-creep trajectory that still feels attached to him being a human.

20. Drop your 2024 reading list 💗 Ones I've paused that I mean to finish: Goodnight Punpun, Dungeon Meshi, The Land of the Lustrous (if I can tough out the despair), Dorohedoro, To Your Eternity (if I can get through without crying every 10 chapters)

Ones I want to reread: Our Dreams at Dusk, Ajin, A Silent Voice, Mob Psycho 100 (waiting for all the books to publish in English), Homunculus

New Reads: Flowers of Evil, Tomie (and other Ito works), Sunny, The Book of Human Insects, Solanin

Always open to recommendations!

[gcldensnitch]

☀️ + nymeria, please!

moodboard game: my muse's favorite weather/season — rainy autumn.

[howaboutcaptainwesker]

besties you have GOT to start fact-checking those 'RE fact' posts

[outeremissary]

🌙👑❇️ for Balthazar please?

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

Balthazar would define his greatest wish as being powerful on his own terms, able to do anything he wanted without consequence or being beholden to anyone. Wealthy with political power, maybe, or better: possessing fearsome arcane ability to make people afraid to cross him. Maybe even eternal life, right...? He's willing to go a long way for it: he never in a million years would have gambled his life in some shitty backwater doing some ridiculous, stupid, dangerous adventurer thing without the temptation of that sweet, sweet title at the end. Stupid, risky bullshit to possess or preserve power is him all the way down, no matter how many times it gets him hurt. It always just feels like this is the time the gamble will pay off without loss.

Of course, if you want the secret answer of god... Perhaps, deep down, what he wants more than any of that is the chance at a peaceful, ordinary life he was robbed of by the circumstances of his birth. The chance to just be human and live life without worrying about whether other people see you or some nameless ancestor in your place.

👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

Well, he certainly doesn't want to be remembered as an aasimar. I'd say he wants to be remembered for something he did himself, whether it's good or bad. A legendary ruler or powerful archmage would work. Or the one whose hubris or tyranny instated a new age of horror. Also fine. He doesn't have any truly concrete thoughts on his legacy, but there's definitely appeal to being something truly infamous. He would absolutely love to have the reputation Areelu Vorlesh enjoys.

The why is pretty simple. He just loves to make a scene.

❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value?

Hm, an interesting question, because I think possessions are of surprisingly little value to Balthazar. He's lost almost everything he owns more than once in his life, and that kind of reduced the sentimental value of objects for him. I suppose his most prized possession is be whatever his favorite piece of clothing or jewelry is at the moment- a status that can be rather ephemeral. At the beginning of Kingmaker, it was probably a doublet embellished with golden embroidery that he managed to hang on to over the many, many months of wandering after fleeing Absalom. If he'd traveled any further he probably would have had to sell it as well. It was the most valuable thing he still had. Over time the token given to him by Nyrissa also becomes very valuable to him- he has it on his person practically all the time after her death. Nothing has sentimental value quite like the memory of a worthy rival, right?

(And if something, say, befell Tristian, as has been known to happen, I'd say that without question the most important possession would be Tristian's holy symbol.)

[vaugarde]

why is giving family members a small wishlist so much more tedious than it has to be

[i-wear-the-cheese]

Question: what are you reading at the moment?

Valid answers: novels, poetry, fan fics, mass non-fiction, journals, TTRPG sourcebooks (basically any text that you've had to put down and will pick back up, including digital or audio renditions of the same)

Invalid answers: films, podcasts, radio, mysterious glyphs you found on the street corner

Question: what book are you reading?

Valid answers: a book (including digital and audiobook)

Invalid answers: anything that is not a book, yes including fan fic and the mysterious glyphs again, (leave those alone the rats have plans)

[isadora-greenhall]

For the ask game: pink!

Ask game

Yay yes please icy let’s do it