#is she someone who has been transported into a novel

[majunju]

I wanna know how the duke the south's fiance looks like

they live a very happy n peaceful life together <3

[assortedshrift]

Twst Otome Isekai AU

Reader used to love isekai but became sick of all the terrible ML’s and annoying FL’s. There is nothing worse than getting into a series with an immersive setting only for the author to waste it on terrible main characters.

Eventually you give up on the genre and focus on getting her business degree. A year after graduating things are actually pretty good, you survived the terrible job market and landed a pretty sweet gig with a decent paycheck. Now, on the anniversary of your decision to drop all light novels, manhwa, manga, etc… you decided to celebrate your good fortune with a treat from your favorite cafe. You'll never guess what happened while you were crossing the street…

So yeah, Truck-kun sends you to Twisted Wonderland, which happens to be the last isekai you read. Ugh.

Okay, so it wasn't the worst offender, there were plenty of trashier light novels out there. you were actually pretty invested in the story’s world. The MC Allison (Call me Allie!) is a down on her luck woman from the modern world who died from tripping into traffic, only to wake up in the world of Twisted Wonderland. Through her the audience meets the characters and learns about their lives. The overarching issue is the mysterious condition known as ‘Overblot’ that occurs when someone uses too much magic. Allie is taken in by the Royal Sowards Association (RSA), a multinational group dedicated to helping others. They discover that something about being from another world allows Allei to purify blot, and she saves the ML’s during their adventures.

You honestly liked the novel at first. The worldbuilding was captivating and the characters were interesting. Unfortunately as the story progressed the MC became increasingly disappointing. Allie is first presented as an average, innocent young lady who just wants to do good, but you can't think of her as anything other than a loser. It’s understandable how someone transported to a new world would start off with little agency, but despite many opportunities for character growth the MC only seems to get worse. 

Allie claims to have big dreams but never works towards them. She touts the value of being independent but stays reliant on handouts from the other characters. When faced with the suffering of others Allie cries about the unfairness of life then just… moves on. It was so frustrating for you to be shown glimpses of an interesting world while stuck with the viewpoint of such an agentless character. Considering all this, it would be an understatement to say that you were upset upon waking up in the headquarters of Night Raven Collaborative (NRC), a dark counterpart to RSA. 

If there were a need to describe NRC in one word, that word would be ‘petty’. Some time after RSA’s founding a group of villainous individuals realized that the united heroes were causing all their schemes to fail. The group reluctantly learned to work together which led to the founding of NRC, a secret society dedicated to the destruction of RSA. Now, millennia later, the heirs of these dark legacies are still trying to defeat RSA. 

But that's enough exposition, back to Reader.

You are quickly discovered by Dire Crowley, a dark fae who was tasked by the original founders to take care of the organization as a sort of regent in their absence. In the present day he is the public face of NRC’s leadership. He questions you using magic to determine who you are and why you're here.

Now, at this point it's been years since you last read Twisted Wonderland, and a lot has happened since then, so you have no idea what's going on. This is actually a good thing as your genuine confusion convinces Crowley you aren't some sort of infiltrator. He is quick to focus on the fact that you came from another world, and like Ambrose did with Allison, Crowley suspects that your trans-dimensional travels may have imbued you with special abilities. It's pretty lucky that the man got so caught up in fantasies of exploiting your potential power, because the more he spoke the more you realized exactly where you were. 

Yeah sure, as far as post death situations go it could probably be worse. But seriously? It couldn't have been a story that you actually finished? Isn't the protagonist supposed to be an expert in the fictional world? Well at least there are some secrets that you know about.

Thanks to some quick thinking, you manage to convince Crowley to give you custody of an estate that NRC owns but has mostly forgotten. It's obvious that he intends to keep you close for observation. But thanks to the novel you know that the head of NRC is a lazy penny-pincher who will take any chance to offload work onto others. From his perspective it must have seemed like a deal, you stay close while also taking responsibility for something he considers a waste of resources.

 The Ramshackle estate was originally a neutral ground for the founders to meet in. but once they built a more grandiose HQ the place was abandoned and left in disrepair. The only reason you thought of it was due to a couple chapters where junior members of the RSA  tried to investigate rumors of an evil organization, but had to stop and rescue Allie from the ghosts. There was a short interlude where the shadowy leads of the evil organization had a group call to complain about the heroes and mock them for going after such a useless place. 

Except the joke is on them because later Allie and the juniors return to discover a magic mirror that does… something. You had dropped the story before they revealed that part. The point is that there's something valuable in Ramshackle and it now belongs to you. Initially you intended to pawn the mirror and gtfo. Too bad grim had to go and ruin it. A talking monster who, as far as you remember, never appeared in the novel, but somehow managed to break into the building and worm his way into your heart.

Ugh, whatever. You can improvise.

[vickyvicarious]

Ooh any thoughts on the pairs chosen and their tasks, for the final hunt?

I actually think I have a half-written post about exactly this lurking in my drafts from last year, though I will warn you that it contains spoilers for the journeys. Let me see if I can find it and finish it/clean it up a smidge... Ah. Yes. Here it is:

So, let's take a look at our travel arrangements. The team almost (but not quite) split up into the exact three options Mina listed for Dracula to follow. The only difference being that instead of "by road" we have "along the river." But still it's pretty close.

Each group has a sort of designated scribe who has historically been one of the main writers of the novel (more a meta necessity this, but given the heroes making such use of records it is still helpful to them if they wish to compile an account afterwards as well) as well as someone who will probably take the lead on vampire hunting, though where they can everyone will surely assist. They also have at least one person per group who can presumably make themselves understood by locals. I also added a 'caretaker' category because they're all running low on steam and it is an important consideration character-wise.

Basically this is just me taking a look at how each team is divvied up and why/what meta we could get out of it.

By Rail: Van Helsing and Mina

Scribe: Mina

Fighter: Van Helsing

Languages: Van Helsing

Caretaker: alternating

The two leaders. The brains if you will. They are heading straight to the castle. Van Helsing wants to kill the vampire women, and if he can get the jump on them/ambush them in their coffins it makes sense for him to do so rather than the younger men, whose strength is better saved for a possible direct confrontation with Dracula. And if anyone dies doing this, Van Helsing basically says better the old man who has already lived a long life. Keeping Mina further away from Dracula for as long as possible makes sense too in order to minimize what influence he can have upon her. Having her along to help find the castle as well will be useful, though it does mean she'll be brought in closer contact with his seat of operations and other vampires. But they've planned not to bring her into the castle itself.

The mode of transport is fitting for both of them. Mina of course IS the train fiend and so it's perfect for her to ride a train there. But Van Helsing too has spent a lot of time riding trains back and forth in the book to acquire information that can save a woman from becoming a vampire. Now his last train journey is in an effort to put that information into practice as he tries to save Mina from becoming a vampire/stop the spread by killing the other vampires. Not to mention of course Mina isn't really well and he is older so letting them take the relatively less taxing forms of transportation (train then carriage) makes sense. They both express concern for one another and work together to make sure the other is doing as well as they can throughout the journey as well.

Mina specifically traveling this way makes for a really cool transition from her utilizing the ultra-modern method to then traveling into the past almost as she echoes Jonathan's journey from the beginning of the book and also becomes more and more connected to vampirism/the vampire ladies (and by extent the ancient opposite of the modern civilization that the train represents). This rush to get there first also could reflect the two of them, but especially Mina, outthinking Dracula as they are ready to ambush him upon arrival.

Finally, Van Helsing was the most concerned over Mina's fate and was the one she put most in charge of deciding when she be killed... but he was meant to ensure Jonathan did the deed. So it makes for a really interesting pairing to put him there to make that final judgement but his own promise inclines him to put off action even if he thinks she's passed the point of no return. That said he still is trying really hard to have faith in her despite his doubts and fears, not just because of the promise.

By Land: Quincey and Jack

Scribe: Jack

Fighter: Quincey

Languages: Jack

Caretaker: none

Quincey volunteers early for this job. And Jack speaks up to join him because they work well together and have done things like this before. This actually makes them the only team to both do that, as Van Helsing argued for where Jonathan and Mina should both go. They are also the only pair who already know one another well pre-vampire hunting together.

While this is perhaps the least likely route to meet vampires (second-likeliest route to encounter Dracula, but the other group will almost certainly meet the vampire ladies) it is probably the most physically taxing. They're riding all day. Jack could theoretically be the caretaker here, as he is the doctor, but in reality they both are pressing on really hard and neither one is shown to be making sure the other gets enough rest or whatever. It kind of seems like they're setting a pace where they're both tired enough to just drop off when they get a chance.

Quincey is the leader among the two of them. He's the first to volunteer, and he seems very comfortable with horses and leading a hunt. However, in the larger context of his role in the group as a whole, he is very much the support, and while Jack has had a much larger role, when in the group he's generally support as well (though his trust with Van Helsing means he is usually more involved in discussions than Quincey). So it is fitting that these two are taking the "just in case" route - especially Quincey, who often does this sort of filling in where needed. Also fitting that they are bringing along horses for the others should they be needed. They're being the support team.

One more kind of interesting detail... this is the only group to actually travel with other people for a while, but also the group who talks to locals least. No meta point to this, just noticed it.

By Water: Arthur and Jonathan

Scribe: Jonathan

Fighter: Jonathan

Languages: Jonathan

Caretaker: Arthur

This list of roles makes it sound like Arthur isn't doing much. But that's far from true. It's quite possible he can communicate with locals as well (I just put Jonathan down as we know for a fact he can, though stiltedly) and he's proven himself in defeating a vampire in the past. Jonathan however is the main fighter, shown multiple times not to hesitate to attack Dracula. In fact though, Arthur's most important role here is as the caretaker and transport. He ensures that Jonathan gets the rest he needs, and he's the one not only to acquire the boat but the one who knows how to operate it. Not flawlessly, as we are told when there's a crash, but he's still essential in getting them up the river.

These two men following what seems to be the specific route Dracula took makes for some really interesting continuation of Jonathan's book-long acquisition/mimicry of Dracula's traits. The boat in the first place and then their impersonation of Romanian officials also is another instance of the repeated contrast of Arthur as the good (vis)count using his money and status to help, as opposed to Count Dracula or his alias De Ville using his status and money for evil.

It also is really fitting to pair Jonathan and Arthur together as the two husbands of the women Dracula has attacked. Arthur's reality could become Jonathan's future if they don't succeed here. There's some psychopomp imagery that got talked about a few years ago which can add another fun layer. The linked post there is focused mostly on Greek mythology, and talks more about this, but these two being the ones to travel up a river into a symbolic land of the dead (Dracula's land) is fitting in a couple ways too.

When convincing him to go with Arthur, Van Helsing invokes Jonathan's right to revenge as well. Mina aside, both of these two are the ones who have the most 'right' in that sense, as they've been most personally harmed by the Count. Arthur has gotten some measure of closure when staking Lucy at least, but Jonathan hasn't had anything of the sort. They're both "young and strong" and highly motivated.

.

Not to be reductive, but there's kind of a fun thing going on with head/hand/heart here if you want. Mina and Van Helsing are the new/old brains and each leaders in their own right. Quincey and Jack are both more supportive characters at least by this point in the book and one is shown to be a protector physically while the other is literally a doctor. Jonathan and Arthur are the lovers of the women attacked by Dracula, and also represent two different approaches to the idea of said love becoming a vampire (though again it's never fully realized in Jonathan's case, so presumably he could have gone either way should he be forced to actually make the choice).

Another fun detail when comparing all three... In each case, one person or another takes the lead at least some of the time. Mina and Van Helsing are the ones who alternate that role most. They both take turns looking after one another, driving the horses, and we even get written accounts from both of them. Jonathan and Arthur both take turns on watch but Arthur is the one who knows what he's doing on the ship and looking after Jonathan who is totally focused on leading the hunt. We don't hear much from the other two on their journey, but presumably Quincey is mostly in the lead - I say this because he historically has been in such circumstances (which Jack specifically mentioned when agreeing to go with him).

[alexanderwales]

Pitchposting: Tradwife

Alright, usually I do pitchposting when I think a concept has legs but I don't have the time or inclination to actually write it. I'm not sure about this one though.

The premise is that it's an isekai, but our protagonist is a Gen Z late-teenage girl who is deep into a neo-conservative neo-traditional mindset that she's picked up from TikTok or whatever. She gets thrust into a fantasy world with their own conservative traditional gender roles, and the story happens from there.

I guess I have to start with what appeals to me: this is a fish-out-of-water clash of cultures story that's premised on the protagonist assuming that this is what she wants. It's "weeaboo goes to Japan". That basic pitch is a classic one, though much more rare than "naïve fish-out-of-water knows nothing", and usually the narrative path is disillusionment followed by some kind of synthesis where either the world changes because of the protagonist or the protagonist realizes that the world has its own merits that are different from the naïve notions that they came in with.

And I think you certainly could tell a story where our tradwifelette protagonist was instantly disabused of the notion that tradwifery was what she was imagining, or where it's instantly shown that she doesn't and cannot fit in, that she is ill-prepared for this world she's been dreaming of, simply does not have the material and emotional skills that she needs, etc. And I think that this would be somewhat boring to me.

So what I'm pitching instead is the textured approach, one where we try to slowly pick apart our protagonist's psyche rather than flash-boiling her. We're not ripping this sweater in half, we're pulling at threads until the whole thing is undone. She gets courted (somehow), and gets married, and her husband is not abusive, and she isn't locked away, but there are expectations and she is confined in the way that she had wished to be confined.

(The central example of an aspirational tradwife wants to be transported into the world that mostly existed in 1950s adverts for kitchen appliances. It's a fantasy that's at least partly about prosperity and leisure, and having someone take care of you. I think "woman transported back to the 50s" is something that could work, but is not to my tastes for a variety of reasons. The central example of a tradwife influencer has a bunch of kids, lots of support, puts on a happy face, and hustles like hell to work on photos and videos and stuff. The difference between the influencer and the false reality the influencer is peddling is interesting, but beyond the scope of this idea.)

Anyway, I feel like there are a ton of romance novels featuring women transported back in time so they can get in romantic entanglements with brooding, muscular men, and the romance genre is so wide that there are many different types of men, and many different types of protagonists. So probably this has been done, and been done many times. But there's something that tickles me about giving our hypothetical Zoomer everything she wants and then watching the ways it makes her dissatisfied.

There are obviously some pitfalls to watch out for here, and I think if I were writing this, it would be with the intent that I get at the fantasy and what makes it appealing, then at specifically the ways in which that fantasy offers its own internal paradoxes, rather than the ways in which it's unrealistic or impossible or whatever, the external paradoxes.

And this would take a lot of research, I guess, because I have some inklings about what makes the Zoomer wannabe tradwives tick, but the point would be to deconstruct it from the inside (hard), rather than from the outside (easy).

[luv-indigo]

okay so, redesigning nadine for the third and (hopefully) final time. i felt she looked too similar to soraya (my keyframes fall mc) so i changed nadine up a bit. also!! i was trying to find oc templates to fill out for my visual novel ocs and although there’s so many out there, none were exactly what i was looking for soooo…. I made my own! i’ll post my other our life ocs with them soon but first, nadine ! (again)

I’ve also changed my own mind. Nadine will be my MC for Qiu’s route.

Nadine introduction <3

Nadine spent much of her early childhood moving from place to place, all within her home state of California but oftentimes in different cities. Moving around so often made it hard to keep in contact with friends and after a while made it especially hard making friends in the first place.

When Opal tells Nadine they‘re moving once again, Nadine is surprised to learn they’re moving to Oregon, their neighboring state. This time, she learns it’ll be a more permanent location. Nadine doesn’t know exactly how to feel. She’s so used to moving around that being in a place for so long sounds foreign, weird and new. However, part of her can’t help but feel excited, especially since she gets her own room now! But no matter what, she knows mama will be with her every step of the way.

Upon meeting Qiu and Tamarack, Nadine quickly feels they can be the best of friends. Nadine has always been more of a quiet person but not necessarily shy. Spend enough time with her and you’ll find she can talk quite a lot. Yet she’s perfectly content with simply listening as well.

Nadine is mostly a rule follower. Rules are there for a reason right? She prides herself on being neat and orderly. All her belongings are pristine and in their place because that’s just how she likes it. During step 1, Nadine strongly dislikes getting dirty. Which can be difficult to avoid if you’re playing outside in the woods.

Step Two !!

After four years, Nadine has adjusted well into her new home. Although Nadine needs glasses she very much prefers to use eye contacts instead. It’s also the most convenient when ice skating. She’s taken on ice skating as her main past time and she’s fairly good. Her transportation of choice has been rollerblading so it makes sense she got into ice skating as well.

Her other hobbies are more on the creative side. She enjoys crafting and drawing on occasion. Cosplaying is also one of her major hobbies. For years she has worked on making her Halloween costumes with the help of Mama.

During this time Nadine becomes more of a shy person. During her earlier childhood, she had no problem voicing her thoughts and opinions but it seems now that sort of thing gets harder to do as you age. Thankfully, she has her two close friends to turn to whenever she needs a hand, and in turn she will be there for them as well.

Step Three !!

Nadine has less and less time to do things she wants. If this is how adult life is she wants zero part of it </3

Nadine has always prioritized their studies (although that became much harder to do when middle school started due to her procrastination habits). Now college is weighing on their mind. Nadine still very much enjoys ice skating yet she struggles to make time to practice. Similarly, cosplaying has turning into a year long project (for Halloween of course). Doing multiple cosplays a year is something she doesn’t have time for anymore. Although they are often busy, Nadine will always make time for a special someone and her best friend, Tamarack.

Step Four !!

Nadine’s all grown up </3

Throughout many years Nadine has learned things about themselves and grown into the person they are today. Her experiences and the people she has been around since she was ten years old have impacted her life to mold her into who she is, for better or worse. And honestly, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

And finally this little thing I made with all of Nadine’s doll icons. I had to edit many of them to fit the hair style and clothing options I wanted and it literally took forever </3 ouGh

Also, I apologize for the quality. I tried to preserve it as I was inserting the drawings into the template but resizing may have messed up the quality </3

[sepublic]

I have to wonder about Camila's life and backstory, leading her to the beginning of The Owl House; For example, was she the (grand)daughter of immigrants, or an immigrant herself? For what reasons did she come to the U.S.; Was there a promise of adventure and freedom that didn't entirely pan out? I could see there being additional parallels between Camila and Luz, if they both came to another 'world' and met someone who really made them feel at home, with Camila's person being Manny.

It isn't exactly canon, being revealed in a unreleased episode that no longer fits with established lore, but Homesick (which seems to have been originally written as a Season 1B episode) reveals that Manny was a hospital driver. Now this is also mentioned alongside Camila being a nurse, when we know now that she's a veterinarian.

But the idea could still be repurposed into HC territory; Camila met Manny, as someone who also shared in the same career. Given her compassion towards animals, it seems Camila chose being a vet because she genuinely enjoys and believes in that work, so it makes me think of how Luz wanted to become a witch, and then found belonging in fellow witches like Eda or Amity, who helped to validate that choice for her by participating in it with Luz. Maybe Manny did the same for Camila, as someone who was also compassionate in helping transport people to medical assistance, and I assume ambulance drivers must also be knowledgeable themselves too!

Looking at it from one perspective, you could say Manny was Camila's Eda, as someone more confident who helped encourage Camila into being her fullest self, making her feel at home as a fellow weirdo, etc. And by extension, Luz is her King; Someone younger that she helps guide and look after, a kid with lots of big fantasies they want to play out. And on Manny’s end, he could be Luz, while Camila is his Amity, as someone less confident about embracing herself, only to find that courage upon meeting Manny. He too would share in the immigrant experience of coming to a new world, and maybe he did so with reckless enthusiasm, like his daughter did?

And if Camila's an immigrant, I wonder what sorts of mixed feelings she might have about Gravesfield, and the U.S. as a whole. How does she feel about the Dominican Republic, if she's ever been there? Thinking of those Mother-Daughter parallels, this new home isn't exactly the nicest, and it has many of its downsides; Like the Boiling Isles for Luz, it suffers from the influence of racist Puritan white guys, which exacerbates a hostility to outsiders. But as I've mentioned with Manny, there are still people to find there, and the existence of kids like Masha further cements that because even if viewers can't find a Boiling Isles, they'll rest assured knowing there's still others like them in this world particularly.

Not to mention, Vee! Adopting Vee, who much prefers the human world, could help Camila appreciate her own home by looking at it from that angle, and relate to her new daughter as a fellow immigrant to Gravesfield. Camila still seems somewhat beholden to the human world, since she and Luz still live there; A part of this could probably be attributed to Vee, but I wonder if there are other ties as well, such as Luz and Camila's Dominican heritage?

Do they have other relatives that they're still in contact with, and how do they feel about them? I don't think they're necessarily on bad terms, seeing as how Luz herself struggled with being a loner while still having loving and supportive parents, and her feeling complete with her found family doesn't negate those pre-existing relationships at all; People simply need as many friends as they can get.

Plus, Camila might still enjoy other aspects of the human world nevertheless, such as her Cosmic Frontier novels, or even something as simple as her latin music. Maybe she isn't entirely comfortable with the isles either, given how four years later she's still a bit grossed out by certain aspects of Luz's new Quincenera, but Camila's still open-minded enough to be accommodating and respectful.

And again, that makes me think about how the Boiling Isles has its ups and downs, as well as locals who are cruel without needing the influence of outsiders. This is part of Luz's arc in Witches before Wizards, acknowledging that, while still being able to love it, warts and all. And I wonder if Camila feels similarly about the world she moved to (while also sharing an unambiguous distaste for the government), if there's a lot to Gravesfield and the U.S. as a whole that she doesn't like.

But there are still good parts and good people, hence Vee's friends, her own relatives, and of course Manny. Vee herself likes it, fellow migrants have a lot in common! So there’s an almost begrudging love, like Eda and King talking about their home at the end of WBW. Maybe like Luz, Camila realized the (American) dream she wanted when she came to this new place wasn't going to play out exactly as she expected... But in many ways, it still did, especially because of people who made it feel complete.

So Camila really is like her daughter; A weirdo who felt the need to suppress herself, only to find people who gave her the encouragement she needed. Someone who moved to another place that wasn't exactly perfect, but there was so much to still appreciate, and it's how she met someone who also moved and loved it there, like the Collector for Luz, or Vee for Camila. Two outsiders wandering and looking for a home, and when Luz found hers, she really cemented Camila rediscovering that belonging when she felt emboldened enough to continue where Manny left off, without him.

It'd have been so easy to just have Luz and Camila both renounce the human world, but that would be cultural whitewashing, and keep in mind the antagonist of the series is colonialism. There’s a lot more nuance in them having connections in both worlds that they want to maintain. And I think Vee helps to cement this for Luz and Camila; The latter would otherwise sacrifice staying in her human home for Luz if she had to, but Vee can function as family in the human world to stay in touch with AND a parallel for Luz to reflect on her choices, etc. Mother and daughter navigating two different worlds that they feel beholden to is the immigrant experience; They're still allowed to hold onto their heritage that way, just as in real life they would be considered both Dominican AND American. That's part of the larger theme of not having to choose nor settle for strict binaries, while maintaining your own identity as you explore entering another community.

[talshiargirlfriend]

Remember when I said I’d been thinking about how (some) other Vulcans (mis)treat T’Pol? This…

— post Terra Prime ficlet

“Perhaps the kin-kur-savas would be more to your liking,” the Vulcan steward suggests.

T’Pol’s lips tighten fractionally before she quietly responds, “Thank you for the recommendation, but I am content with my choices.”

The man turns slightly to include Trip in his blandly disapproving stare.

There’s some Vulcan social subtext Trip can’t parse, so he just stands sternly at T’Pol’s side. She has hardly eaten a thing since Elizabeth died, and if this jackass puts her off her meager breakfast Trip’s gonna put him out an airlock. Mentally, of course, while outwardly observing appropriate decorum on the Vulcan transport delivering the grieving parents to Vulcan for an acknowledgment and internment rite with T’Pol’s clan.

Enterprise had been ordered to remain in-system around Sol tying up Terra Prime loose ends and doing coalition schmoozing. Blessedly Trip and T’Pol have been spared any more Earth media scrutiny for now.

Shran had actually offered to give the pair a lift to Vulcan on his way back to Andoria to continue rallying support for the fledgling Coalition of Planets, but T’Pol was insistent they travel via Vulcan ship. At Trip’s questioning she’d reluctantly admitted that her ties to Vulcan society were somewhat tenuous, and there were many who would view her arrival on an Andorian vessel as evidence she no longer belongs to her home planet at all.

Trip quietly wonders if it was worth the trouble given their reception aboard the T’Mara. For every “I grieve with thee” there’s been a haughty look or three. He’s doing his best to be a perfect guest and support T’Pol. Most of the time he wants to scream, cry, hit someone, or all three.

The steward has thankfully left to go be dour elsewhere, and he and T’Pol take their breakfast trays to a table near a window.

T’Pol glances at her food and drink and then stares out at the passing stars.

“You wanna tell me what that was about?” he asks her gently.

He can see by the tightness around her eyes and mouth that she very much does not “wanna.”

“Kin-kur-savas is a Vulcan stone fruit. It has variegated skin of yellow, green and red, pale yellow flesh, and a small deep red pit at the center. You once likened them to Vulcan peaches.”

“I remember.”

She hesitates, “It was an insult meant to imply that while I may still appear Vulcan I am human at my core.”

Trip inhales sharply and bites down on his anger.

“Additionally, his use of English gave him the plausible excuse of deference to your presence while effectively… alienating me further,” T’Pol finishes.

He doesn’t insult her by asking if she’s sure she’s not reading too much into it. It doesn’t surprise him that Vulcans can be just as bigoted and cruel as humans, but it’s still hard to see it directed at T’Pol, especially when he knows how hard she’s working to hold herself together right now.

Trip is absolutely not going to do anything that will bring shame to his daughter (may she rest in peace), or her mother (may she live long and prosper), so he breathes in a controlled manner and tries to keep all traces of what he’s feeling off his face.

He reaches for a utensil and casually touches T’Pol’s hand. When she makes eye contact he thinks as clearly and deliberately as he can: What an asshole. There’s a flicker of amusement in her eyes. Whether she understood his thought or was just entertained by his pathetic attempt at telepathy, he’ll take the win.

“I’m sorry if my presence is making this worse for you,” he tells her with sympathy.

She gives him a long look. “Trip, his actions reflect only on himself. Your attendance is appropriate and necessary as Elizabeth’s father,” she looks down briefly before continuing, “and I personally find your presence… beneficial. As I said, I am content with my choices.” Her voice is soft but firm.

It may not be a romance novel confession of love, but Trip is moved nonetheless.

“That’s good. I … I feel better when you’re around, too.”

T’Pol gives him a soft look and sips her tea. Trip flashes her a quick smile and takes a bite of the strange but not unpleasant plomeek porridge in front of him. Silently he rejoices when she follows suit, and they finish their meal together in companionable silence.

[fishing-lesbian-catgirl]

do you have any mech pilot oc's

Yes! I actually have an entire Mech pilot setting that I’ve been wanting to write about for a while. And since I can’t think of a better opportunity to talk about it I’ll do that here. Warning for lots of text and infodumping below, also all of this was originally an idea for a novel so if this sounds a bit like reading the back of a book or like the setup to something that’s why

The story takes place in an huge city in America, where the entrepreneur who invented* zero gravity technology got so wealthy off of it that he decided to build an enormous tower that now has 7 ringed districts floating around it, with each one getting more wealthy and fancy the higher up the rings go. Besides its bizarre structure, the city’s other claims to fame are being the birthplace of Mechs that use zero g technology to function efficiently and being the place where Mech combat as a sport, which is played in large zero g arenas, is played. Mech combat is primarily a sport in this setting, although combat Mechs do exist that are used by the oppressive US police forces and militaries (it’s a bit of a dystopian setting) but the focus is primarily on the sport part in the story I want to write. There are also Mechs used for construction and other practical uses.

The main character of said story, Wormgear, is a mech mechanic who lives in “the underworld” which is the poor city that is beneath the floating ring districts. Wormgear grew up in her moms’ mechanic shop learning directly from her mothers how to be a mechanic for servicing primarily construction mechs and other vehicles. When one of her moms caught a lucky break and got an offer to move to another city to work for a big construction vehicle company, their moms moved away, while they stayed behind and took over the shop. Living alone and working in a poor part of the city, they struggled to make ends meet servicing just construction Mechs and transport vehicles, but once she found her way into being a mechanic for Mechs used in underground illegal combat sport that is even more dangerous than the official leagues played up on the rings, she finally found her true calling. She built her own Mech and became a successful underground prize fighter while also advertising her business to everyone in the scene. Things are going well enough for her, until a masked stranger in a machine far fancier than most underground fighting Mechs shows up and starts dominating the scene. After one particularly grueling match, when Wormgear gets back to her shop, she’s surprised to find the masked stranger in here garage.

Penelope Darlington, is the daughter of a wealthy businessman who had early on invested heavily into the zero-g corporation that now owns the entire city and the technology used in half the machines in the country. Being passionate about the gravmech sport, her father invested all the best training and equipment in the world for his son to be one of best pilots in history, and when said beloved son changed her gender and began going by the pilot moniker “Darling” it was such a good idea for her personal brand that he never even thought of opposing her. Now a national celebrity and a rising star predicted to earn titles and break records in the sport, Penelope should have had everything she ever wanted. But when the off-season comes and she can’t get that exhilarating thrill of piloting, the boredom drives her to do something stupid and illegal. Anonymously commissioning the creation of a new Mech, she enters the gravmech underworld with a mask and a pseudonym. She had never anticipated that anything would go wrong with her plan, and after weeks of wiping the floor with her competition without a scratch on her paint she got too comfortable, and some punk in a hunk of scrap landed a blow that disabled some of her engines. She didn’t lose, but she now needed to find a mechanic that could be discreet. Following the advice of someone in the scene, she found herself in a Mech garage of the very punk who damaged her precious machine in the first place, and what’s worse is the lifts to the higher levels are shut down this late at night!

Gonna stop my early plot synopsis there I think. If you couldn’t guess from everything I wrote here, these are my lesbian mecha pilot ocs who I love very much and hope to be able to actually write the story for some day when I can actually finish or even just continue working on a writing project for once.

[bethanydelleman]

Jane Fairfax and Emma Woodhouse have never been friends. Mr. Knightley says it's because Emma is jealous, but she doesn't act jealous. She is quick to praise Jane's accomplishments (when they aren't being bragged about by Miss Bates) and prior to age 8, Jane would not have had a good education. The only time she is somewhat jealous is when she's slightly worried that Knightley might actually like Jane. So why weren't the girls friends then in childhood? We know they grew up together until Jane left to live with the Campbells.

I think Miss Bates is probably a huge reason, Emma cannot stand her and her constant bragging about Jane. Even without jealousy, that would get old very quickly. I mean we all know this lady, who brags about their family member, it's awful. So being friends with Jane is a package deal of seeing Miss Bates far more often.

Secondly, children hate being told to be friends with someone, adults hate it too. Everyone always saying Emma and Jane should be best friends just because they are the same age gives me flashbacks to forced friendships in my own childhood. It rarely works.

Thirdly, this is a two way street and Jane gives nothing. Emma tries, she makes a resolution that it will be better this time and is met with vague, short responses. Now was Emma being somewhat nosey? Yes. But she wants to hear about Weymouth and gets almost nothing. It's natural to talk about a trip! It doesn't even seem like Jane offers another subject:

She was, besides, which was the worst of all, so cold, so cautious! There was no getting at her real opinion. Wrapt up in a cloak of politeness, she seemed determined to hazard nothing. She was disgustingly, was suspiciously reserved.

However, I think the real problem is the social discrepancy between Jane and Emma. We know Jane thinks about it; she brings up her fate frequently. Emma doesn't even need to marry, Jane is to be a governess. She is at the bottom of the gentry and Emma is near the very top. The only time in the novel that Jane comfortably talks to Emma is when her engagement is finally public and secure and she has assumed Emma's level in society.

And that makes sense! Emma is supposed to act like Miss/Mrs. Bates is an equal (roughly) but she sends the women charity food and transportation. It is inherently awkward. It's actually no wonder they've never been friends.

I hope you enjoyed my random, jumbled TedTalk.

[lyricthecat-12]

Why is Tyrian a better fighter than Neopolitan?

Ok, a week ago I did a poll for fun about who would win in a Vs between Tyrian and Neo, however the result left me a little perplexed. So to complement it, I would like to offer my own point of view and why I think Tyrian could beat Neo in a fight;

(Small Warning: English isn't my native language, so if there are any grammar errors I'm sorry and I would appreciate it if someone would tell me)

First of all, I won't allow myself to be corrupted by fanaticism, I know and emphasized that Neo is a skilled fighter and shouldn't be underestimated in the slightest. Outside of her amazing semblance, as revealed in the novel Roman Holiday, she briefly received training from a special assassin training program shortly before joining Roman and also receiving his tutelage. In addition to the fact that throughout the show, she demonstrated that she could stand up to characters like Yang or Cinder, who as we know shouldn't be taken as a joke either, and in recent volumes she also demonstrated that she has a certain manipulation skill, which combined with her semblance, makes her especially unpredictable against vulnerable opponents, as seen in his fight against Team JNOR and, above all, in Volume 9 with Ruby.

However, there is a crucial detail in his record that is the reason why I believe he wouldn't emerge victorious in a fight against Tyrian. Most of his combat exploits and victories were against fighters in training, also skilled but young after all. The closest thing he ever faced to an experienced fighter was Cinder; At the beginning of this fight, Neo was on par with Cinder mainly because she was taken by surprise, but as the fight progresses you can see how Cinder is progressively gaining ground, even when she is holding back since, in addition to having not interest in fighting her for being out of his priorities, in between he tried to talk to her before resorting to using weapons and his Maiden powers.

But when we get to the V8 E5 something quite unusual happens. In her brief fight against Maria Calavera, a veteran and widely experienced huntress, María proved to be able to overcome her without problem and was even able to mock Neo like she usually does with others, and everything seems to indicate that he could have won if it hadn't been for Cinder's distraction.

Now speaking of Tyrian, while we don't know how he acquired his abilities, it has been made very clear as the story progresses how formidable and lethal he is, both implicitly and directly: As revealed in V7, he was a criminal and serial killer who became recognized and feared outside his kingdom, to the point that it was necessary to carry out a joint operation between Atlas and Mystral to stop him. Until his transport was intercepted by Salem, who generally prefers others to do the legwork and has only been seen personally gone out to take over the Kingdom of Atlas once the scene was secured, to recruit him herself.

Already from volume 4 you can see his incredible skill. In episodes 6 and 7, we can see how he was able to track down Team RJNR in a matter of days and once he reached them he was able to subdue them without any problem, even being able to easily stop a hammer blow from Nora loaded with his semblance, which was previously able to knock out a entire team and was then able to send Hazel flying.

He practically would have won if it hadn't been for Qrow's intervention and when they get into a fight, Tyrian proves to be on par until the end with Qrow, sober and serious, a member of Ozpin's inner circle and who is considered one of the best, if not the best huntsman in Vale and even with the external intervention of Ruby, Ren and Nora. The only time where he seems to have the advantage is when Tyrian is distracted by Ruby's gunfire. To explain this moment, there is a theory that Tyrian, as he is a scorpion faunus, has poor eyesight or is directly blind, since in real life scorpions are myopic, especially in light, and therefore depends on his other senses as well as his ability to feel the pulsations of movement, which could actually explain his great reaction time and how he was able to stop Ruby's shots without even looking, among others. Although theories aside, despite this brief moment of disadvantage, Tyrian recovers the moment Qrow retrieves his weapon, even to the point of weakening his aura.

Then, in episode 11, when she suffers a mental breakdown and attacks an Ursa, we can see how Cinder's expression is one of absolute horror, which says a lot if we talk about Cinder precisely; megalomaniacal psychopath who doesn't tremble the time to kill and confront opponents like Raven (who had previously made Neo retreat), who has only been afraid of Salem and who later confirmed to us that she knows Tyrian's capabilities and therefore, it is not unreasonable to think that her reaction is It owes, in addition to the impact of the scene, to the extremes to which it knows it can go in its maximum madness.

In fact, later in V5 E11, she revealed that it was him and Hazel who killed all the huntsmen and huntresses at Haven Academy, something they could have done even without the information Leonardo gave them, which makes sense seeing how effective he is Tyrian as a tracker and hunter, to the point that Salem gave him the task of tracking down the Spring Maiden, who was missing, in addition to his feat in the previous volume, of course.

Go back in Volume 7, the CRWBY attempted to show more clearly how formidable he is by putting him in a fight against Qrow accompanied by Clover, an elite agent and Ironwood's right-hand man, and Robyn, leader of an operation. Although he ended up losing, it doesn't take away his impressive physical demonstration in terms of strength, speed and reaction, not to mention that this event would give rise to showing his tenacity now not only physically, but also psychologically during the confrontation between Clover and Qrow. Not only was he able to quickly take advantage of the conflict between the trio to crash the ship and then pretend to be unconscious so as not to be taken into account and thus finish freeing himself, but he was then able to identify the situation of his opponents, he perceived that Clover's priority was blindly Qrow on him so he quickly took advantage of their conflict, he managed to subtly manipulate both Huntsmen so that they only focused on each other until they forgot about him for a moment, taking advantage of it to kill 2 birds with one stone: kill Clover and he frames Qrow for it.

(I'll pause for a moment to say that I personally love this sequence. It clearly has its questionable decisions, but in addition to being wonderfully choreographed, it perfectly exemplifies Salem's main modus operandi: Divide and conquer)

In general, this isn't the only display of emotional intelligence on Tyrian's part, it could also previously be seen in his talk with Mercury and Emerald in Volume 6, being able to identify the true connotations behind Mercury's words and mocking his insecurities not recognize.

Making a more direct comparison between both fighters, Tyrian far surpasses Neo in terms of strength, speed, reaction and durability: he was able to support from an impact that caused him to destroy a house without being minimally affected, he was able to easily stop a charged hammer blow from Nora, he withstood an explosion in the mouth that weakened him but he didn't knock him out, he moved fast enough for Penny to lose sight of him, and he demonstrated enough combat awareness/reflexes to fight in the dark, catch projectiles or casually block a sniper's bullets without looking, as well as having an absolute and versatile control of his 5 limbs.

He was also able to take down an angry Mercury, who had previously been able to pick a fight with Pyrrha and Yang while he was holding back and was literally able to dodge lightning bolts from the previous Autumn Maiden, and he was shown to be able to hold a fight against multiple targets at once as seen in his fight with Qrow and Team RJNR and later, against Qrow, Clover and Robyn for a time.

Neo on the other hand, it wasn't until Volume 8 that she was shown to be able to defend himself against more than one fighter as before that, she was unable to secure the relic against JNOR until Atlas' agents created a distraction. Her perception in combat isn't bad at all but she was taken by surprise when Ruby opened his umbrella and took her out of the airship at the end of V3, she was unable to dodge the badly injured Oscar's blow when she encountered with the JNR and it was also shown that she isn't immune either to manipulation, since during his fight with Ruby at the end of V8 where she was able to trick her into attacking her and then make her fall over the edge using his semblance.

His durability hasn't proven to be a big deal either due to the lack of feats, at most he could resist Yang and Cinder's fire projectiles although for this required Hust and also depended on the setting and context, not like Winter, for example, who had to withstand direct blows. As for speed, it is somewhat doubtful since at first, she was able to evade Yang's attacks in V2 but when she fought against Ruby armed in V3, she proved to have more difficulty until she was assisted by Roman and couldn't keep up with Cinder when she went completely on the offensive and even without using her semblance, powers or weapons, although she was then able to defend herself against Ruby and Blake at the same time, which implies an improvement but going back to her fight with Maria, despite being an old lady, she was able to stop all of their blows and even return a couple.

In terms of fighting style and weapons, Neo has shown a preference for blocking and dodging blows, when he has tried a more direct combat he has shown that he loses advantage, Tyrian on the other hand is someone who is direct in his attacks but also very agile and brutal in his movements. Neo has a Hust but Tyrian has the Queen's Servants and his stinger that give him range options that Neo doesn't have, in addition to Neo usually taking advantage of his combat style to tense his opponents, taunting and making them impatient so that they lose focus but knowing since he is Tyrian, it would hardly affect him and he is more likely to continue fighting without loss his mind (more, I mean) unless she managed to hit accurately him like Qrow.

Now here comes the main course: Neo's semblance, the reason why I think she won the poll. In itself, it was already amazing but with the evolution it had in Volume 9, as I said, it makes it super effective against vulnerable opponents like Ruby or Curious Cat but it also depends on the context. Ruby was caught by surprise being alone while she was going through her lowest moment, it is assumed that Cinder was the one who provided her with information about her history with characters like Pyrrha or Clover, while Curious Cat had just been crushed by Team RWBY, leaving them in a state of weakness and vulnerability where theirs would have succumbed to anyone's attack. [PLUS]

Even if Neo would create clones to help him, again, Tyrian has proven to have not problems fighting several people at the same time, he has a 360° defense thanks to his tail, his long-distance weapons would allow him to ward off or even destroy opponents and surely it wouldn't affect him to slaughter someone just for looking like his companions, at most Salem could make him doubt but Tyrian isn't naive, as I have said, he is more cunning and perceptive than he appears, for not to mention that we don't have indication that Cinder may have shared information about him with Neo as he clearly did with Ruby, so even if he became aware of his devotion to Salem, he hasn't way of knowing the lengths to which he goes or his previous failures to use against him.

Honestly, I think that a fight between these two could be very interesting because, without a doubt, both are notable in their own right: both are cunning, agile, sadistic and very maneuverable but not exempt from being carried away by their emotions, but returning to the initial topic my conclusion it would be this;

If Tyrian and Neo had a fight before the events of Volume 9, Tyrian would win without a problem, perhaps with more or less resistance but in the end he would overcome her, especially if he uses his own semblance with her, since then he would only need to land an accurate blow to Neo to leave her defenseless, injured or out of combat.

But if they were to face each other after Neo's semblance evolved, things would become more complex as additional factors would now have to be taken into account, such as the context of the scenario, as it could be a great advantage for Neo if he managed to catch Tyrian off guard as happened in his confrontation against Qrow, Clover and Robyn, but it depends on the strategy he applies as he could progressively lose that advantage as happened with Cinder if he doesn't take proper advantage of it, so she would have a better chance of putting up a longer fight.

Still, based on all of the above, I still hold my position and consider Tyrian a superior fighter in almost every aspect. This is just my opinion so if anyone wants to add anything else, they are free to do so as long as they are respectful.

[joysmercer]

post-season 3

Terri will freely admit that she wasn’t overly enthusiastic about her daughter suddenly deciding (with less than a month’s notice) to spend two weeks of summer at a camp run by her boyfriend and otherwise minimal adult supervision. Yes, a lot of it was because she (selfishly) wanted her daughter to spend that time with her after not being together for half a year, but she was also concerned on a more general level: across the country with no cell phones? The summer before her junior year? Terri would much rather she stay home, focus on SAT prep if anything, and prepare for her future—not go to some theatre workshop where she’s unlikely to learn anything of value. 

It did help to find out that Gina has been cast as the lead in the first-ever stage production of a wildly popular Disney movie and will also be starring in the associated documentary. This is a novel experience, can go on her college apps and résumé, and really, who is she to judge when all expenses are paid in exchange for signing a few release forms? 

Still, she misses the days she could hear about each rehearsal straight from the source instead of random teasers dropped on the Disney+ twitter account, and she especially hates that she has to work and miss Gina’s big debut. By the time intermission is called on the livestream, Terri (ever-so-grateful for the weekend off) is already en-route to California. 

Terri pulls into the Shallow Lake parking lot and spots Gina immediately among the throng of campers checking out and saying their goodbyes. She’s grown at least an inch, Terri realizes with a jolt. Gina is nearly seventeen now, on the brink of adulthood, and the way she’s carrying herself now demonstrates a demeanor entirely different from the teenager she’d dropped off at MSY just a few months ago. Why does time always move so fast with these kids? 

Gina whips around as soon as Terri slams the car door shut, as if she was able to hear it from all the way across the yard, letting out a loud squeal of delight that sends Terri’s heart melting before launching herself straight into her mother’s arms. Terri is instantly reminded of a five-year-old Gina doing the exact same thing at kindergarten pickup.

“Hey, sweet pea,” she whispers, returning her daughter’s tight hug. Some things never change. 

“Mom? What are you even doing here? I thought you were closing on the house? Oh my god, I had no idea—"

“I finished all that yesterday, and since I have a free weekend, I thought we could take a mother-daughter road-trip back home – just like old times.” While their last few moves had been too far apart to drive, she and Gina used to spent nearly every school holiday or long weekend transporting their lives across state lines while eating their fill of fast food and pancakes, touring random obscure roadside attractions, and making some of their fondest memories. 

Gina beams. “I’d love that,” she says, bouncing on her heels excitedly. “I finished packing, actually, so I just need to take care of one thing real quick and we can head out.”

Then she smiles big and wide again, an expression she saves for truly special occasions (like, apparently, 10 hours with her mother in a car), and quickly kisses Terri’s cheek. “Love you, mommy. Be back in a bit.” 

Gina sprints off in the direction of, according to a nearby sign, a “Yurt Locker”. Strange name, Terri thinks. She doesn’t have a chance muse on it (or what the hell it even means) further, though, because someone bellows GENEVIEVE MARIE! so loudly that both Gina and Terri, now at least 20 feet apart, jump at the sound. 

The source of the voice appears a second later—or at least Terri assumes that’s who the curly-haired boy with a shit-eating grin on his face now standing in front of Gina is, given her daughter’s currently crossed arms, flushed cheeks, and, surprisingly, equally playful smile. Terri eyes the boy curiously. Gina doesn’t give out her full name to just anyone and rarely allows anyone to use it (Terri can’t remember the last time she herself even said the word Genevieve, let alone added her middle name to the mix). But Gina seems entirely unfazed now, as if having this boy yell it for all to hear is a regular occurrence. Who is he?

Then she notices the acoustic guitar he’s clutching, and it hits her. Kristoff: Ricky Bowen.

It had been a while since Gina had mentioned Ricky in their weekly FaceTimes. His name had only ever come up in relation to Ashlen’s role of Belle in the spring musical, and even then, it was mostly to complain about his two left feet. If it weren’t for a panicked text conversation on Valentine’s Day (Gina’s teddy bear got lost in transit, long story), Terri would have entirely forgotten about him.

Clearly, not only has his dancing greatly improved this summer (if yesterday was any evidence), but so has his friendship with her daughter.  

Ricky pulls out a set of keys and gestures to the parking lot, fanning his face with his free hand, and that’s when Terri realizes he’s wearing…a pink-and-blue snowsuit. Gina laughs and rolls her eyes at him, clearly teasing him about his ridiculous attire for an LA summer, but when he says something else, Gina suddenly shakes her head, pointing straight at Terri. 

Terri gives a small wave to the kids, and Ricky immediately waves back excitedly.  Okay, then. 

Turning back to Gina, Ricky says something else and Gina smiles shyly and nods. Terri watches as the pair hugs goodbye, a motion that is simultaneously so natural neither think twice about it—falling into a tight embrace that nearly lifts Gina off the ground—but so awkward when they separate that Terri can feel the tension from all the way over here. Okay, then, indeed. 

Ricky meanders toward the bright orange bug almost double-parked in the last slot of the lot. Terri recognizes the car from her driveway last fall – but also remembers Gina mentioning that Ashlen’s boyfriend also drives an orange bug that the three of them and EJ would carpool to school in, leaving Terri to wonder which possibility is weirder: that Ricky and his friend got matching ugly vehicles together, or that Ricky transported his friend’s car across state lines for two weeks and his friend actually agreed to it. 

There isn’t much she knows about Ricky Bowen, actually, except that he has an apparent penchant for nabbing lead roles out from under everyone else’s noses and—surprisingly—actually justifying those casting choices. Gina’s scene partners are often so dry she has to work double-time to make the chemistry believable. Last night, however, Ricky showed a level of talent that nearly matched her own daughter’s in the way he was able to hold the audience captive even without Gina on stage with him. There was one solo of his in particular that had actually caught Terri’s attention (she had taken the opportunity to answer some emails) when, right at the end, he suddenly directed the final line of the song away from the audience and into the wings: you’re what I know about love, he sang, straight to Ana. Straight to Gina. It was not only a genius move but one she doubted he was directed to do—he must have come up with it himself. 

Still, something about him sets Terri on edge. Questionable decisions (seriously, snowsuit?) aside, he has the demeanor of a class clown, someone who stays while it’s fun but bolts when things get hard. It makes Terri uneasy, especially since it’s clear that this is someone Gina cares deeply about. 

“Sorry about that.” Gina’s back, suitcases in hand, shaking Terri out of her reverie. “I had to tell Ricky I didn’t need a ride first.” 

“Oh, I thought EJ was giving you a ride home,” Terri says, taking one of the suitcases from Gina. 

A tense silence. “Mom, I told you we broke up, remember?” 

“I know, sweetheart,” Terri quickly assures her. Gina had called early yesterday morning from Kourtney’s phone, relating the news with a quick “it was a long time coming, we’re still friends, prom was super fun otherwise, see you soon” and hanging up before Terri could even get an I’m sorry out. “I just assumed you’d keep the same arrangement since Ashlen and your other friends are there, too.” She winces. “I see how silly that sounds out loud, though.” 

“Yeah.” More silence. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Terri asks gently. 

Gina shakes her head no emphatically. “I told you, it wasn’t really a surprise. I’m fine.”

“Okay, okay, got the hint.” Terri laughs, sighing internally with relief when Gina gives her a (albeit watery) smile. She opens the car trunk and shoves the suitcase inside.

“So, why was Ricky wearing a snowsuit?” Terri asks as they settle in and buckle up, unable to keep the question to herself any longer. 

“Oh, he wasn’t supposed to be at camp at all, and showed up without a ton of clothes, so he mostly borrowed from others I think, and got pizza all over his laundry yesterday, too.” she giggles slightly, then continues, “plus the guys dumped ice water on themselves last night and he put is wet towel on top of his open suitcase, like an idiot.” She says all this with the nonchalance of someone explaining 1+1=2, not…whatever she just said about sudden enrollment, pizza, and ice water. 

“That doesn’t explain the snowsuit,” Terri says, now even more confused. 

“Rumor has it he was supposed to go skiing with his ex? he didn’t say, though." Gina shrugs. 

“that girl Jamie’s working with?” 

“No.” Gina doesn’t elaborate. 

“Well, regardless, he’s very talented,” Terri supplies. “I did enjoy that one ballad of his yesterday, the one with the guitar and lights.” 

“Oh.” Gina smiles softly, almost to herself. “I liked that one too.” 

Terri’s stomach twists, like they’re about to go barreling off a cliff they can’t see and can’t stop. 

“Is he doing the fall musical as well?”

“I dunno. Probably. It’s his senior year, he won’t have many more chances.” 

“I didn’t realize he’s a year ahead of you,” Terri says, surprised. “How are his college apps coming along?”

“Mom,” Gina groans. “It’s literally summer vacation, and believe it or not, I didn’t ask. He probably hasn’t even started thinking about them yet.” 

“Fair,” Terri says, although, internally, she disagrees. if Ricky were truly serious about his future, he would have had his summer plans set in place long ago, and a solid school list by now. 

I can tell you like him, Gigi, she thinks. And then, suddenly, I wish you didn’t. 

It’s a strange thought, and a foreign one—Gina has yet to make a friend that Terri straight-up disapproves of.  What Ricky does with his life is really none of her business, and Gina’s a smart girl—she won’t go rushing into poor decisions even if her friends are walking bundles of chaos. Plus, from the little she’s seen, it’s clear he cares about Gina, too. Maybe as much as she does him. 

But Gina in a relationship is…different. Gina in a relationship was more carefree, a little less focused. She begged to go to prom despite having an exam the next Monday, she shifted her summer plans around for a camp she showed no interest in before, and she prioritized FaceTimes and texting every night over reading or sleeping. there were no lasting negative repercussions for any of this, but if there was ever a time for Gina to conserve her extra energy for something worthwhile, it’s now. 

Ricky a good friend, Terri decides. As friends, he keeps her grounded—but anything more than that? She’s just not sure. 

[fearthefluff]

Fantasy Romance Recommendations Pt.1

I'm a big fan of Fantasy Romance books but I've noticed that a lot of recommendations lists have the same books over and over again. Nothing against Sarah J Maas, Jennifer Armentrout and Holly Black, but I have read their books already and I'm looking for new suggestions. And thus, I decided to make my own little list (with help from @housebaylor and @shirewalker). Maybe it will help someone somewhere. XD ***Some of the books listed here are not Romance novels officially but all have romance and have HFN or HEA endings Fantasy Romances The Fallen Empire Trilogy by Grace Draven The Kraelian Empire has ruled with an iron fist for centuries, its grip unyielding until the power of three women, and the men devoted to them, break it.

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden Vasya Petrovna is a young woman gifted with the Sight which allows her to see spirits who inhabits the world. The arrival of Christianity spells trouble for her and the world of the spirits at large. This story has her rebel against her fate as a woman in medieval Russia, go on a great adventure and meet amazing characters.  One of my favourite.

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher A subversive take on Fairytales! After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra―the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter―has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.  It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. Celia and Marco's beautiful story of challenges, love and magic. Beautiful haunting magic. Radiance by Grace Draven Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart. The Bird and The Sword by Amy Harmon Magic is forbidden and gifted people are sentenced to death. Lark, a voiceless young woman, has a gift she must keep hidden. The day her mother was killed, she told lark's father she wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if Lark's died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky. A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K.A. Tucker Portal Fantasy! Gifted thief Romeria is transported into another world into the body of a treacherous princess. Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom. Only read the first book so far Married to Magic Trilogy by Elise Kova Shared Universe, Fantasy Romance, Stand Alone Novels About Young Women and their Unexpected Romances with Magical Men Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer and everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. Only read the first book Promise of Darkness by Bec McMaster Princess. Tribute. Sacrifice. Is she the one prophesied to unite two warring Fae courts? Or the one bound to destroy them? If you like S.J.Maas you might like this YA Fantasy Romances Uprooted by Naomi Novik Agnieszka lives in a quiet village bordering a corrupted Wood. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Multiple POVs fairytale Miryem gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. The Girl who fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh Mina's people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering. An Enchantment of Raven by Margaret Rogerson With a flick of her paintbrush, Isobel creates stunning portraits for a dangerous set of clients: the fair folk. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—Isobel makes a deadly mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him his throne, and even his life. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson Elisabeth was raised in a magical library where dark magical grimoire are kept. She hopes to become a Warden whos job is protecting the Kingdom from their powers. Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. Shielded by Katlynn Flanders Hidden Princess, arranged marriage, yearning! A kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs. A Crown of Wishes by Rosha Chokshi Book 2 of a series. A captured princess and a wise prince team up and to win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. ****Part 2: Urban Fantasy recs to follow.****

[ladyloveandjustice]

Summer 2023 Anime Overview: Undead Murder Farce and My Happy Marriage

Undead Murder Farce

Premise: Our story takes place in Victorian times/the Meji Era. Tsugaru is a half-oni (demon) and half human as a result of a mysterious man doing horrible experimentation on him. He’s approached by Aya Rindo, an immortal woman who has been reduced to a head (transported in a birdcage by her combat-saavy maid Shizuku) because the same man beheaded her and stole her body. They agree to team up to find the man and hopefully get Aya’s body back. As they look for the man, they travel Europe and to solve mysteries related to monsters and inhumans.

Undead Murder Farce was definitely my show of the summer season. It’s a fun mystery series starring three asshole weirdo protagonists, it’s bursting with monsters and demons and bizarre people, full of references to Victorian literature and rakugo and all kinds of nerdy stuff, it’s got stylish, slick direction from Mamoru Hatekayama (you know him from Kaguya: Love is War, and Rakugo Shinju) and it’s really gay.

The trio of Aya, Tsugaru, and Shizuku all have really have a snarky comfortable friend dynamic and their banter as they solve vampire murder mysteries, try to outsmart Arsene Lupin and a gang of Victorian literary monsters, and investigate a werewolf village and it makes for an entertaining watch. Aya will never stop making stupid jokes about how she’s just a head in a cage, and we love her for it.

The “let’s stuff in every Victorian public domain character we can” arc is where the show really starts to shine (though unlike some others, I do still really like the vampire murder mystery arc a lot—I just love the idea of a vampire murder mystery, and we really get a good feel for the cast. It’s definitely the weakest arc of the series, though). UDM gets to whip out all its literary nerd credentials. The case involves: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Arsene Lupin, The Phantom of the Opera, Carmilla, Frankenstein’s Monster, Aleister Crowley, Phileas Fogg and two surprise characters.

And yes, they remember that Carmilla is gay, which automatically puts in above 99.9% adaptations of the character. They do make her older and WAY more of a sexpot than the novel version, which, eh,  but she’s 100% the ultra-campy Blueprint Problematic Lesbian Vampire she deserves to be. Like in the novel, she exclusively feeds on and seduces women and she gets into a deeply sapphic rivalry with Shizuku, who she tries to subdue and toy with using her vampire powers. (As you can expect from the character, there is the assault stuff that comes with that territory, though they don’t go too far with it, she kisses Shizuku's neck and messes up her shirt a bit).

But also, we find out Shizuku is used to making love with someone who has “centuries” on Carmilla and is “far more experienced ”, which can only be Aya. This is further confirmed when Shizuku shows jealousy over Tsugaru and Aya’s transactional kiss in the next arc and Tsugaru has to reassure her. And then Shizuku just CONTINUES to stumble into sapphic situations. She gets surrounded by naked ladies and bonds with them like twice in the last arc. It’s great. Everyone thought it might be be Aya/Tsugaru at the beginning, but turns out UDM is For the Gays and it straightbaited you. Amazing.

It's not just Carmilla that UDM shows off its nerd (and gay) credentials with—there’s the interesting choice to make the Phantom of Persian descent, which is clever as a reference to the Phantom’s time in Persia in the original novel AND adds an extra layer to the “unfairly treated as an outcast” element of the character. (Lupin and the Phantom also team up in the story and give off such strong gay energy (Lupin especially) that a lot of people ship them). And like in the novel, Frankenstein’s Monster is smart and even functions as the more level-headed one in the villain gang.

All of that stuff is catnip to me, but the best part of UDM is following it’s convoluted mysteries and seeing Aya strut her stuff figuring the them out while everyone gets in cool fights. It’s very good at what it does, and it’s a fun romp with some interesting themes about being on the margins of society and what makes an outcast simmering underneath. I had a great time with it, and I’m aching to see more of these scrappy misfits and their adventures. If you’re here for a campy but intelligent mystery series about lovable weirdos with a side order of gay, absolutely check this one out!

My Happy Marriage

Premise: Miyo was born without supernatural talents despite her father's expectations, and after her mother passes away, her father and stepfamily treat her abusively and use her as a servant. Miyo's family sticks her with an arranged marriage to Kiyoka Kudou, a man with a reputation for being cold and cruel. However, she quickly finds he’s not what he seems, and she slowly begins to gain confidence in herself.

My Happy Marriage is a straightforward Cinderella story, but one that actually focuses on the psychological effects of being abused and the slow recovery and healing journey of its protagonist. Even if she's not with her abusive family anymore, Miyo still has completely shit self esteem and even just running into her Evil Stepsister ™ in the street sends her reeling back to where she started, consumed by fear and sadness. The story is about her finding a place where she’s loved and supported, and slowly gaining confidence, and her and her husband learning to communicate. She’s still shy, domestic, and very devoted to being proper for her husband throughout, and sometimes needs help, but her learning to let herself be loved and learning to find her own strength and power is the focus of the story. It shows how many obstacles you have to bravely face just to move forward after trauma. And in the end, Miyo finds her own way to save the day. I think that’s really valuable.

Though, like in the original Cinderella story, there is the issue of the pure, domestic woman being contrasted with evil, conniving, social climbing women (though at least there’s no “and they’re also ugly” thing going, and they have her dad be shitty too). It wasn’t bothering me too much--even the ‘training to be a proper wife’ stuff Miyo decides to do since it wasn't out of place in the Meiji era setting-- until Miyo met her sister-in-law. Sis is a divorced woman and a little more “modern” and forward than Miyo and I was excited at first, because hey, a woman in this story who doesn’t fit either the ‘demure’ or ‘evil’ archetypes. But then it turned out her tragic backstory was that she’s a shitty cook and therefore failed to be a proper woman for her husband’s family and her in-laws drove her to divorce, which she 100% blames herself and her lack of domestic skil and 'unwillingness to compromise" with her mean in-laws for. She’s not challenged on this attitude at all. I can easily see a future plotline where she reunites with her ex-husband and he reveals he didn’t mind the cooking or something, but as it stands, it’s pretty disheartening and I don't see why it was a thing.

Still, Miyo’s arc is cathartic and well done, and the animation absolutely beautiful throughout. It’s nice seeing a story focusing on recovery that focuses on the small triumphs that come with learning to see your own value after being told you’re worthless. The supernatural element is a fun touch. It’s already been renewed for a second season and I’m definitely here for the rest.

[asteroidtroglodyte]

[what am i]

Mutant

It is 2004. Is the Geiger Counter heavy because it’s Old Tech, or because it’s a Geiger Counter? I do not ask the question aloud. My father is talking. I rotate it in my hands, examining it. He is talking about his father. The Geiger counter is a relic of my grandfather’s military service. It is older than me. It is older than my school. It is older than my father. I turn it on. A red light glows. The dial fidgets. “Are we safe?” I ask aloud, as it softly, slowly ticks. “Are we ever?” My father answers. My look of horror is met with laughter.

It is 1999. There is a photo of a mushroom cloud rising out of a deep blue ocean. It sits inconspicuously in a wooden frame near my grandfathers chair. I stare at it. I have recently learned about atomic weapons in an abstract sort of way in school. My grandmother speaks. “Your grandfather took that picture.”

It is 2002. “These are some of my favorite books.” My father believes I am old enough for his old novels. The entire John Carter of Mars. Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke. Foundation & Empire. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan.

It is 1971. My father hunts wild pigs. Dogs he has raised from puppies explicitly for this purpose rustle through the jungle ahead of him. He is like the pigs, the descendants of Europeans on tour, left behind by boats bearing death. He is armed only with a large knife and his dogs. He survives.

It is 1955. My father plays with the Geiger counter that I will hold in my hands one day. It is humid and hot inside the Quonset hut. My father points it at my grandfather. The dial dances; the machine goes tickticktick. My grandmother is sleeping, or trying to; migraines take her out for days at a time, sharp pain and vivid halos exacerbated by the tropical sun. The noise wakes her, and my grandfather takes the Geiger counter away.

It is 2009. “Weird.” Not the sort of thing you want your doctor to say. “Has your heart always done that?” I ask him to explain what he means. “Oh, it’s just, it’s… beating… funny?” He indicates some squiggles on a monitor, as if I could see the patterns as he did. “Do you mind if we run some tests?” I would be a fool to decline.

It is 1977. My father watches the stars. The sea is still. He has turned off the lights on his boat, and the nearest artificial light is over the horizon. He eats fish he caught during the day. He comes to land to get the supplies he cannot catch; tools made of metal; rope, line, medicine. He spends seven years on that boat, going from island to island. He survives.

It is 2019. My father puts dilute hydrogen peroxide in his water bottle. We dress and depart. He hike through the craggy desert highlands, rich browns and ambers of the desert varnish broken by the occasional brilliance of a tarantula hawk. The local wildlife is smart enough to seek shelter at this time of day, but we are Sons of Empire and ignore the sun, like Adam turning his back on God. We traipse over broken boulders, fighting gravity for a scenic view. He tells me about the past between breaths; this mountain was sacred, once. Those who sanctified it are dead now. The way he talks, you would think that he killed them himself. The breeze is hot and dry on the ridge top. Looking down on the valley below, he drinks deeply from the bottle. He offers me some. “Extra oxygen” he says, with the air of someone sharing valuable advice. Tentatively, I take a sip: It is slippery, and burns slightly. My 70 year old father climbs back down from the mountains with me. We pretend the desert sun does not exist.

It is 1946. The War is Over. The Good Guys have won; or so the story goes. My grandmother is newly married, and loves her husband very much. Once, she had been a daydreaming farm girl, a fan of the Wizard of Oz books; She feels like Dorothy, transported, when her husband’s work whisks them away from rural California to The Pacific. They’re working on something big, he says, but loose lips sink ships and he says nothing else.

It is 1949. The migraines are paralyzing. The doctor tells her she is pregnant, and her mind fades to static. This is the 5th time she has been told this in her life, but she has yet to give birth to a single living child. The Geiger counter ticktickticks whenever her husband is near.

It is 1950. My father is born.

Mutant

Survivor

Son of Empire

Human

[cecexwrites]

Novel November day 1

Prompt: Write a Journal entry from the POV of your character words: 520/500 @novelnovember

Dear Diary

It came, the letter came! I got in!

I did it, without my family's name, without their influence I got into my dream school. Phase two of the plan is now complete. I do hope that a college degree gotten under a fake name still counts. I do plan on legally changing it but I can't, not yet. I'm sure I could google the answer to that but I'm sure he's watching what I do online. I know there are programs on my computer that aren't meant to be there. Spyware that he uses to keep an eye on me. Make sure his perfect princess isn't, horror of horrors, watching porn or DMing strange men. 

I'll have to get a new phone that isn't on his plan. A new laptop too. The next part of the plan is going to be harder than that last. I have to set up everything without him catching wind of my plans. I have to get plane tickets, arrange transportation for my stuff, make sure everything is lined up and ready to go so on move in day I can step out of this life and into my new one. The life where I am free. 

I know it's dramatic and most girls would love to live the life I have but I am so fucking tired of being His daughter. Of being under His thumb. He caged my mother and now she's gone. I won't let him do it to me. 

Aiden is his heir, his perfect little clone. I don't know what his plan for me is but it would only go one of two ways, either I would be a prisoner, living under his roof until I die or he will use me as a pawn, marry me off to some other family in his circle. He tried to do it to Aiden, who's to say he wouldn't try it with me. I refuse to marry someone I don't love. 

I should see if someone in town can check the computer for monitoring software, but maybe I shouldn't. If I were to disable it he'll get suspicious. Everything is so precarious. If I get too cocky, if I let anything slip slightly out of place it will all come tumbling down. 

Six months, six months and this is all over. I'll no longer be Sloane King, I'll be Sloane Sterling, a nobody from some part of England that no one cares about and a student as Ashmere university. No one will care. 

No one will care. 

I didn't realize how much I craved that before. How much I desperately need that anonymity that I've never been able to have before. I mean from day one everyone has wanted to be my friend, to get into my circle, to get close to me because who doesn't want to be one degree of separation away from Jonathan Fucking King? 

Me. I don't want to be connected to him. And I won't be, not anymore. 

Six more months and I'm out of here. 

[jakesnymos]

Duskwood is Calling (SNEAK PEAK)

A/N: Hi friends, hello. Here's the start of the novelization I talked about a while back. This is just the intro to the first chapter, so think of it almost as a prologue, if that makes sense. Obviously spoilers through chapter 10 of the game, so don't read if you're avoiding those. Anyways. Here it is:

You don’t know how you got here. Not really. 

 If they asked you- everyone, all of them, Thomas and Cleo and Dan and Lilly and Jessy and Hannah and-

 And not Jake. Not Jake, because Jake was stuck in the mines. Stuck with Richy, and the fire, and the unstable mineshafts and the dark and the cold and-

 “(Y/N).” Alan breaks you from your train of thought. “(Y/N), I’m sorry. But I need to ask you a few questions about tonights events.” You nod. “How did you get here?”

 I don’t know, you think. “I took a train.” You answer, because Alan means ‘What was your mode of transportation to Duskwood?’ and not ‘How did you come to know these people so intimately that thier loss has shattered something deep inside you?’

 “I took the earliest train I could get out of Grand Central Station to Duskwood.” You pause, thinking of the frantic way you’d run to the ticket booth, of how the minutes it took to get your ticket felt like hours, and how the couple of hours on the train itself felt like eons. “It was only a few hours.” You continue, “I didn’t tell the others I was coming. They didn’t know until-” You gesture vaguley, still not comfortable acknowleding the nights events outloud. 

 “You didn’t tell any of them?” It seems to have genuinely shocked him, and that, in turn, surprises you. “Not Jessy, or Thomas?” You shake your head. “Why?”

 “I didn’t want to worry them.” You shrug. “After everything else with Richy, and you finding Hannah, I didn’t-” You swallow against the lump in your throat. “I didn’t want them to worry about someone else being in danger.” 

 “But someone else was in danger, (Y/N).” Your eyes close against the harsh truth of the words, and you force yourself not to respond. “Jake Donfort was in danger.”

 “I don’t know who that is.” You lie. You open your eyes again. Sitting before you is still Chief of Police Alan Bloomgate, this time looking much more sympathetic. He nods. “I don’t, Alan. I don’t know who Jake Donfort is.”

 “I believe you, (Y/N).” He pauses, making sure to hold your eye contact. “I think that’s all we need from you, now. End of interview.” The click of the recorder puncuated the following silence. You stare at Alan in confusion. 

 “What-”

 “You should get some rest, (Y/N).” He fixes you with a stern look. “You’ve had an emotional night.” You nod. “Do you have somewhere to stay?” You nod again, though this time it’s a lie. You didn’t think about what would happen after the mines. You didn’t think about anything but getting to Jake. “Miss Hawkins is outside.” 

 That grabs your attention. “Jessy is here?” Alan nods, collecting the files and paperwork from the interrogation table in front of you. “I’ve been told she refused to leave when she learned you were being detained for questioning.” You manage a small laugh. “She’s worried. Perhaps you should stay with her tonight. I’m sure the motel will keep your booking.” And something in his voice tells you he knew you were lying. 

 “Yeah, thanks.” You agree, finally standing from your chair. It bothers you, though. The fact that he didn’t push you about Jake. About knowing him. “Detective Bloomgate-”

 “It doesn’t matter, (Y/N).” He cuts you off again. “No one could have-” He pauses, seeming to think over his words. “I’m sorry. But no one could have survived that fire. And even if he could, those shafts were unstable before the fire. I can’t imagine thier state now.” He shakes his head, sighing to himself. “I’m sorry. I truly am. But he’s gone. It doesn’t matter if you knew him on record or not. Jake Donfort is dead.”

 He’s right, and you know it, but you don’t understand. You can’t understand how this could be happening. 

 I don’t know how I got here.