#one was a graphic novel about father/son relationships

[freyadragonlord]

I read 4 books by straight white man this year i think I met my yearly quota...... I can just Not anymore now.... I did my diversity reading

[onyxisnotuniqueenough]

---WRITTEN A WHILE AGO AND KEPT IN DRAFTS FOR WEEKS UNTIL I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AGAIN---

i hate how comfortable most of the mouthwashing fandom is with calling a disabled burn victim "a baby", or making fanart of him BASICALLY representing him like some kind of pet. his wide eyes are not for your cutesy purposes. he does not look like "the autism creature" because of his limbs. you guys are infantilizing and absolutely dehumanizing this character, and through him, in a sense, showing a few of your unfiltered thoughts about the disabled community! he is not the silly mascot of the group!!! HE IS A FLESHED OUT DEEP CHARACTER WITH HIS OWN MORALS AND HIS OWN MISTAKES!!!! AND HIS STATE DOES NOT MEAN HE BECAME A THOUGHTLESS BLAMELESS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! HE IS NOT A PET NOR A MASCOT!!!!! JUST DRAW POLLE THE PONY (THE ACTUAL MASCOT) AS THE MASCOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what in the actual hell is wrong with you people.

to be CLEAR this isn't only about the fandom on tiktok : i've seen countless fanarts on here being like "he looks so cute here", or drawing the other characters "holding him" like a plushie or a pet (if you can visualize what i mean) and damn, unfortunately tumblr is just as bad as tiktok sometimes

ALSO this isn't either about being able to find humor in media that aren't comedies, because yes the babygirl/blorbo/pathetic meow meow thing is prevalent in every fandom imaginable and especially for older, "masculine/tough" male characters. Which I understand even if I don't partake in it, since it's all just one big joke. Hannibal Lecter or Gus Fring covered in blood is babygirl, let's put a bow png on him. hahaha. how novel. But this is not what's happening here. you guys are not calling him baby or babygirl because he's hot or the comedic effect of calling an edgy tough guy a baby. the joke is supposed to be about the absurdity/contrast of calling those kinds of characters (murderers, criminals, old mean guys, buff masculine superheroes, or in general "stereotypical" masculine guys) "babygirl". But here it seems overwhelmingly sincere. and that's extremely concerning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and if you want to look at it from a different/narrative perspective :

obviously there was thought put into why this happened to curly, why he looks like this, why jimmy's the one who put him through this, why it's jimmy that gives him the painkillers and why the painkillers are pills in the first place. there is thought behind his state and how it mirrors anya and what jimmy put her through. and not only is curly a metaphor for society IN OUR CURRENT MODERN WORLD in his reaction and INACTION towards what happened, the FANDOM/PUBLIC's reaction to curly and the overall plot is also a great mirror to hold up to ourselves. I won't go into detail about my full analysis of this BUT AlleyDreamer's "You Are Missing The Point of Mouthwashing" youtube video, and @/luckylefty's tiktoks about the games are both eloquent and clear and i highly recommend watching them.

SO....if you view curly's impotence, suffering, dehumanization. and overall physical state as something that can be meme'd or funny, you probably have not considered that part of the narrative that the game developers explored. and if you have and think that somehow it's still all good jokes to make EVEN when considering that joking about his state is also making a joke out of anya, out of women, out of disabled people, DAMN do you absolutely SUCK. is that really the best you can come up with?

SO. all in all. i understand lightening the mood of the fandom by ignoring the elephant in the room and choosing to just focus on jokes, but PLEASE stick to jokes about the group and their game nights and the shenanigans, daisuke and swansea's father-son relationship, or even the game's low-poly graphics and animation - hell, stick to replaying that swansea twerking clip again and again. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING ON THIS EARTH KEEP YOUR ABLEISM, SEXISM/MISOGYNY AND TONE-DEAFNESS TO YOURSELF !

ok rant over cough cough

[funkycatbruh]

jungkook recs 2

one shots y series sin terminar

INCOMPLETAS

SERIES

Dilf Iinstalments - @mercurygguk

SYNOPSIS. this series follows jungkook’s life as a divorced father. but wait, how exactly does one balance being a father, a boyfriend, a friend, and a respectable boss at the same time? read the installments below to find out!

GENRE. established relationship, smut/angst/fluff

♡ an ode to a broken heart - @smoochkooks

pairing ↠ jeon jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. you’ve watched jeon jungkook slip out of your reach your entire life. now it’s time for you to finally move on, bury the past and open a new chapter. however, you’re doing it in your own, unconventional way - by publishing anonymously a novel about your miserable relationship.

GENRE. unrequited love, best friends to (?), heavy angst, future smut

Colour Me In - @taegularities

pairing ↠ artist/fuckboy!Jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. Jungkook's door only opens for you when there's a barter: a trade of lust and haze. But today you knock for something more, as intriguing as it is frightening – and you hope it doesn't close his door forever.

GENRE. fwb, fake dating, college!au; fluff, angst, smut

Our Beloved Summer - @jeonqkooks

pairing ↠ producer!jungkook x songwriter!reader

SYNOPSIS. You made a vow to hate Jeon Jungkook ever since he packed up and left you without a single explanation, but when he shows up at your door after years of radio silence, it turns out that maybe your resolve isn’t as strong as you thought.

GENRE. exes to lovers, slow burn, fluff, angst, eventual smut; individual warnings for each part

Gold Is Dull - @kookluvre

pairing ↠ jeon jungkook x female reader

SYNOPSIS. your once-love abandoned you to chase his dreams as a boxer, leaving you and unknowingly, at the time, his son. as much as you want to forget him, you can't. you see him on the billboard, tv commercials, and in your son's room, reminding you of everything you once were.

GENRE. boxer!jk, dilf!jk, single mom! oc, heavy angst, ex-boyfriend, eventual smut, fluff

Bloodline - @jjkeverlast

pairing ↠ fuckboy!jk x fuckgirl!f.reader

SYNOPSIS. a relationship was the last thing you wanted, but having wild and experimenting sex? now that was something, and jeon jungkook is there to give you simply that. as long as either catch feelings... but that won't be hard for you knowing you'd never go for a guy like jungkook, although jungkook might have another opinion about you. let the (fun) begin!

GENRE. slow burn, smut , humor, angst and college au.

All I Want - @sxtaep

pairing ↠ fuckboy!jk x textbooknerd!reader

SYNOPSIS. you fall into the temptation of fucking your best friend, aka the biggest fuckboy on campus.

GENRE. bf2l, smut, angst, fluff, dom!jk, sub!reader, annoying jk, awkwardness, tension, some pining, teasing, making out

Tears Dry - @codebts

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader, ft. eunwoo

SYNOPSIS. he walks away, the sun goes down. he takes the day, but i’m grown. and in your grey, in this cool shade, my tears dry on their own.

GENRE. smut, angst; hybrid au, university au; one-sided love

♡ Hustlers - @jinconda

pairing ↠ Jungkook x Reader

SYNOPSIS. When Jeongguk’s girlfriend, Jihyo is taken by the Daechwita gang, everyone’s friendships are tested as Jeongguk does anything in pursuit of getting her back.

GENRE. : violence, killing , graphic themes, dark themes, swearing, angst.

Dilf jk series - @venusiangguk

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader / dilf jk x grocery store clerk oc

SYNOPSIS. you find a baby in your store and in turn, a dilf finds you

GENRE. strangers to lovers, friends with benefits, smut, fluff

♡ For What Its Worth - @citrustan

pairing ↠ student!reader x crush!jungkook

SYNOPSIS. you make an awful revelation about your crush of two years.

GENRE. angst, fluff (this comes in a bit later), light smut, college

♡ Love Lies - @kooktrash

HIATUS

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. an arrogant womanizer who’s spent his life numb to love. an unlovable romantic who’s been hurt one too many times. he’s your friend’s ex boyfriend but he tells you he wants you. he’s obsessive and you’re not as much of a victim as you make yourself out to be. you’ll both do whatever it takes to get what you want.

GENRE. angst. smut. future yandere jungkook. college student au. rich kid jungkook. f!reader. unhealthy attachment.. slutshaming. toxic friendships. implied emotional trauma from both ends

Paired and Pierced - @yoon-kooks

pairing ↠ hotnerd!jungkook x popular!reader(

SYNOPSIS.  When your professor assigns a collaborative midterm project, you’re paired up with Jeon Jungkook, the quiet grumpy smartass who keeps to himself and doesn’t fuck with popular kids like you. If you can win him over, he might give you a taste of the tatted and pierced body he’s carefully tucked away beneath those

GENRE.  smut, fluff, college!au

The Hit List - @whoretan

pairing ↠ Fuckboy!JK, introvert!Reader

SYNOPSIS. The Bangtan Frat is known for its prestige reputation of top GPAs, hosting the hottest most qualified students in the country, and above all: their undefeated list of heartbreaks. What happens when one of the seven ends up drunkenly at your doorstep?

GENRE. Smut (Future), emphasize on the Angst, and Romance

♡ Polarity - @darkestcorners

pairing ↠ yandere!jungkook x (f) reader

SYNOPSIS. Your best friend’s new boyfriend becomes infatuated with you…

GENRE. toxic relationships, unhealthy and obsessive behavior , mentions of mental health, manipulation, blackmail, cheating,

This Is Us - @btsgotjams27

pairing ↠ jungkook x f!reader

SYNOPSIS. after fighting to be in a relationship with jungkook, you begin to wonder if it's all worth it.

GENRE. drama, romance, angst, fluff, smut | est!relationship, age gap. cheating

If you love someone, say it - @letsstargaze

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. jungkook and you made a promise to each other five years ago, one you feared he would keep. now that the promise was close to being broken, shouldn't you feel relieved? why is it he's the happiest he's ever been, and you're wishing you were anywhere but here?

GENRE. angst, implied s*x, mentions of alcohol use.

♡ Ecstasy - @gdjyho

pairing ↠ jungkook x female reader

SYNOPSIS. jungkook fucks the reader completely dumb. you need him so bad. you can’t help it

GENRE. cheating, side chick au

»»————-　♡　————-««

UPCOMING

Wrong Time - @spideyjimin

SYNOPSIS. meeting ten years later the girl he deeply fell in love with is something Jungkook never thought would happen. but here you are, standing before his eyes with a bright smile on your face as you walk through the massive lobby of his company. at that exact moment, he realizes that the two of you fell in love at the wrong time but is now the right time?  

GENRE. parent au, exes to lovers, ceo au, angst, fluff, and smut

Over Wine - @koocycle

pairing ↠ husband! jungkook x ex-model! fem reader

SYNOPSIS. designer dresses, spa weekends and rare wines are no longer enough to keep your marriage afloat. with your husband gone from home and a marriage standing on shaky grounds, you stumble back to your neglected career in the hopes it’ll fulfill the void in your life. you’re ready to take the risk this time, whether that is with the emerald cut diamond around your ring finger, or without.

GENRE. rich couple! au, established relationship! au, married couple! au, semi sugar daddy! au, suburban couple! au, angst, fluff and smut.

TO BE READ

ONE SHOT

The Lines Between Us - @chateautae

pairing ↠ detective!jungkook x detective!reader

SYNOPSIS. you’re detective partners who hate each other’s guts and everyone knows it. what they don’t know however, is that there’s so much more between the lines, and he knows damn well how to rearrange your guts too.

GENRE. detective!au, partner!jungkook, e2l!au, fwb!au, slight fantasy!au, one-shot, smut, angst

SERIES

The Rule Book - @another-army-spot

pairing ↠ Jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. Despite being the notorious fuck girl on campus, you have morals and values that you stick to with a solid set of rules.  One of your rules excludes Golden Boy, Jungkook, from ever getting a chance with you, much to both of your dismay.  And he intends to change that, with one really irresistible bet. 

GENRE. friends-to-lovers, college!au, softfuckboy!jk, fuckgirl!oc, fraternity!au, eventual smut 

INCOMPLETA

Chasing Pavements

hiatus

pairing ↠ dad!jk/married!jk/bff!jk x reader (ft. taehyung) 

SYNOPSIS. But tonight, Jungkook is taking a different route. One that does not lead to his home, but to your apartment building instead. He never takes it unless it’s Friday, the day he drops Sunhi off in your care for a few hours while he pretends he wants to fix whatever marital issues he has.

GENRE. f2l, angst, unrequited feelings au, sad stuff, future smut, cheating

Hate At First Weeb

pairing ↠ weeb!jungkook x weeb!reader

SYNOPSIS. You just want to weeb in peace but your annoying downstairs neighbour just won’t let you bREATHE.

GENRE. college au, e2l, weeb!reader, weeb!jungkook, weeb!jimin, jimin is lgbt, taehyung is lgbt

You Belong With Me - @joonscroll

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. you’ve been in love with jungkook since the moment you first saw him. he's always seen you as a friend. watching him date other girls and having to pretend you’re not in love with him is killing you.  

GENRE. : angst, fluff

[honeyspotpie]

A thing I think about A LOT is the fact that when I started getting into dndads and was listening to season one I often doomscrolled the tags and I kept seeing Oakworthy content and didn't fully understand their dynamic/relationship bc I wasn't familiar with the characters so I developed my own mischaracterized interpretation of them based off the absurd amount of out of context fanart and posts I encountered HELP and then was quite disappointed when I reached season two and the canon didn't completely match my version... Current day me has a lot of all over the place feelings on canon Oakworthy tbh but I lowkey still hardcore vibe with my old fanon view on them? Let me explain (and expand now that I have the full picture) as much as I remember:

I knew Hermie was Scam's son and I thought this fact was clear from the get-go in the sense that the audience always knew but our protagonists weren't in the know until they actually met Scam. So I though Hermie was always this trickster type character who wanted to pull goofs and pranks to impress his father but lacked natural "scamming" talent and SUCKED at doing them and constantly failed - what is a REALLY silly concept tbh imagined it being a running gag or something... I always pictured him as a cartoony over the top theater kid villian cooking up evil Doofenshmirtz level schemes and I still wish he was that :(

Normal was always aware (or at the very least had a sneaking suspicion) Hermie wanted to steal the mascot suit (probably cuz I had this spoiled early on and didn't realize it was a twist) and had kind of an active distain towards Hermie because he knew he was from Chaparral and knew there was a constant chance Hermie would get his grubby little hands on the outfit. So that's right ladies and gentlemen I THOUGHT THEY HAD A SORT OF RIVALS SITUATION I STRAIGHT UP THOUGHT THEY WERE ENEMIES TO LOVERS FOR SOME REASON HELP... Hermie always wanting to steal the suit to the point of obsession, dubbing it as "his greatest scheme yet" only to always be stopped by Normal in some dumb, probably accidental way until Hermie realizes that he in fact was not obsessed with the mascot suit BUT WITH THE PERSON WHO WEARS IT and subconsciously always wanting to steal it was just part of his Joker persona and their romance blossoms from there.... Like imagine how hard hitting all the "we gotta stop meeting like this" and "I knew you liked me" teasing banter would be if they were on the brink enemies

And after Hermie gets involved in all the saving the world stuff, Normal lowers his guard and develops a genuine relationship with him thinking he has changed and genuinely wants to help our heros until BOOM! BETRAYAL! Because "it was nothing personal"

I don't think I understood what happened afterwards BUT I THINK YOU GUYS GET THE VISION YOU UNDERSTAND IT! Like it's not a huge change but this would've been so FUN... if season 2 ever gets adapted into another piece of media like a graphic novel or a tv show (doubt it EVER will but hey I can dream so let me dream) where they have more control over the writing I would love to see them rewrite their dynamic to be something more akin to this...

[sometimeswritingsometimesdying]

What's this Fence comic you're posting about? The art and the passion have got me intrigued.

ohohohohoho you don't know what floodgates you've just opened.

so basically it's a series of graphic novels (and 2 novels) detailing the life and times of nicholas cox, who is the illegitimate son of a US fencing champion and wants to become the best at the sport to be noticed by his father, but also its INSANELY gay and full of both sillies and angst and like gay people being crazy about having a crush

the main ship is between nicholas and his rival seiji katayama who is this perfectionist, overachieving (in my opinion) complex character with a dramatic backstory who doesn't really care for nicholas all that much UNTIL they end up being roommates (!!!!!). it's basically set up to be a rivals to lovers but since theres like 4 volumes a year its the slowest slowburn i've ever read. seiji is also my personal favorite character so im kind of insane about him. im also insane about nicholas but like in a hes so me way yk?

then you have like every other ship dynamic imaginable: childhood friends with seemingly unrequited love who try to ignore their feelings for each other, sunshine little dude and giant who doesn't talk to anyone, over-protective and super-supportive boyfriend with quiet, studious partner who has to keep him in line, and one that isn't really confirmed but i personally think it's gonna be canon: enthusiastic jock who loves his friends vs spoiled rich kid who is actually incredibly lonely (i hope they head this way with his characterization but i feel like we haven't seen enough). and all of them are queer!

it's also obviously a sports series, and as a fencer it's the first time i've seen the, i think, very complex dynamics that exist in this sport portrayed so well!!! i definitely identify with the characters a lot and i think they're easy to get attached to, and i feel like the sport is also well explained (except my qualms with the epeè slander, it's the best weapon). the writing is also witty and just plain fun. i know i focus a lot on ships here but there's truly a lot to mine about the importance of sports and team efforts and the relationship an athlete can cultivate with their desire to win that can either be positive or turn sour. or maybe i'm just hyperfixating

either way, if you have the chance, i'd definitely check it out!!! it's gotten me back into writing and has me in a chokehold rn. i love all the characters and theres a LOT of amazing works of writing and art in this tiny but mighty fandom!!!

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for a Fic...

~*~

1. hiiiii i hope all of you are having a wonderful dayyy! for the next itmf, could i request any modern zombie apocalypse fics? I just read The Edge of Night by Hobbsy3 and now i’m craving more 😅could wangxian be the main pairing and no character deaths between them? thank youuuu ♡ 

❤️ A Corpse Called By Name by jaemyun (Not rated, 60k, wangxian, angst w/ happy ending, zombie apocalypse, zombie WWX, yunmeng trio)

~*~

2. do you know any wangxian fics where Lan Xichen is also in love with Wei Wuxian? NOT WWX/LZ/LX, just where Xichen also falls for WWX

Melody of the Lost and Found by esama (T, 48k, WIP, XiXian, WangXian, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Grief/Mourning, YLLZ WWX, There are two WWXs in this)

Is this a Shakespearean Comedy, because I'm in love with the wrong person by firesonic152 (E, 7k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Adultery, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, Sneaking Around, Requited Love, Mutual Pining, Explicit Sexual Content, Bittersweet Ending)

Burning Bridges by Keysmashed (E, 12k, wangxian, arranged marriage, misunderstandings, pining, angst w/ happy ending, family drama, swordfighting, non-graphic smut, emotional rollercoaster, love confessions, everyone lives au)

Over and Over Again by Miss_Writers_Block (T, 1k, WangXian, WWX/Everyone, Everyone Loves WWX, Unrequited Love, except for one, and its the obvious one, Canon Compliant) there is this classic!

~*~

3. Hello there, I was wondering if there was any fanfiction [regardless of the website] about time travel to the past wei wuxian , but when he goes back the past mdzs has to deal with his depressing or suicidal side (here I mean wei wuxian becomes younger) , or yiling laozu time travel and meets his past self and family

How did I end up with this Frozen Heart? by Grace_ShadowWolf (TaubeLePigeon) (T, 53k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Fix-It, PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, YP!WWX, twin prides of yunmeng are horrified at the relationship between their future selves, YP!WWX has short hair, Canon Divergence, Self-Indulgent, wangxian get together early, Songfic, JC Bashing, LXC Bashing)

The Wild Geese's Tomb by The Feels Whale (miscellea) (T, 66k, WangXian, Time Travel AU, fixit, Temporary Character Death)

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4. Hi! "In the mood" ask...I was wondering if anyone knows of any fics where someone (I was thinking Lan Qiren but it doesn't have to be) starts having suspicions that Lan Wangji is "following in his father's footsteps" and that Wei Wuxian isn't a willing partner in their relationship - a wrong assumption, but I'd like to see people opposing LWJ to be protective on WWX's behalf! @therealscarymarlowe

Every Mother's Son by Chrononautical (T, 11k, WangXian, Madam Lán Lives, Madam Lán Deserves Better, Madam Lán Leaves Cloud Recesses, mentions of rape/non-con between Madam Lan & Qingheng-Jun) the former Madam Lan returns to 'rescue' WWX

Unbreakable Heaven, Luminous Earth by carolyncaves (M, 96k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Secret Identity, almost to the point of uncomfortable identity theft, Sharing a Bed, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Suicidal Thoughts, that's for WWX after Nightless City and is not pervasive throughout the fic, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Imbalance, mainly between WWX and JGY in an entirely nonsexual manner, oh jyl lives, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies)

Hold Truth to the Light by SoManyJacks (E, 15k, WangXian, Light Angst, Fluff, idiot plot kind of, switch!lwj, service top!wwx, Accusations of rape, False Accusations, nasty rumors, Alcohol, arranged marriage sideplot, Painful Sex, Anal Sex, POV Alternating, Light Dom/sub, Post-Canon, Based on the novel, Flip Fuck, gratuitous epilogues, uhhh also donkey)

~*~

5. Hii! I hope you are doing well, and Mod Kay, i hope you have a swift recovery!! So, I recently read a fic with wen xu being a decent guy and i was wondering if you had anymore fics where the wen sons aren't complete assholes and actually bond with wwx?? Thank you in advance!!! @flexible-racoon

All Things Belong by kuroi_atropos (M, 64k, WIP, WRH & WWX, WangXian, WWX is a Wēn, Abuse, Whipping, Manipulations, Warning: WRH, Smart WWX, Possessive Behavior, Warning: JGS, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Rape/Non-con)

~*~

6. Hi!!!! Any recommendations about wwx adopting a puppy/dog or wwx overcoming his phobia about dogs??? Thank you so much

Imprints by Lisa_Telramor (G, 47k, wangxian, post-canon, accidental puppy acquisition, humor, panic attacks, phobia recovery, JC & WWX reconciliation, poor life choices, self acceptance, developing relationship, fluff)

🧡 Rabbit Heart by Suaine (M, 56k, WangXian, during the separation in ep50, some animal cruelty (not committed by main characters), WWX adopts a puppy (YES I KNOW), Family Issues, Sexual Content)

I'm Alright 'Cuz I Have You Here With Me by wwx-lwj-ai-ni (TDKeh16) (T, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, Friends to Lovers, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Facing Fears, Supportive Friendship, Mention of childhood dog attack, Pining LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Sharing a Bed)

Must Love Dogs by northebee, wingedwords (T, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, Panic Attack, Hurt/Comfort)

Silver bells and cockle shells by teawater (T, 97k, WangXian, Family Fluff, JC's Birthday party, Reincarnations, Pets, Facing Fears, One-sided attraction, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Night Hunts, some actual Angst, I really mean it, mainly for side charas tho)

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation)

~*~

7. Do you have a list of stories with ‘modern/present’ Wei Wuxian and ‘ancient/xianxia’ Lan Wangji?

It doesn’t particularly matter if Lan Wangji meets present day Wei Wuxian thanks to being immortal, suspended animation, time travel, dimension hopping, or something else. It’s just the clash of modern and ‘ancient’ sensibilities that makes it fun. I’m delighted every time I come across one!

(I’m not really sure what I would search for to find more of that sort of story myself, since the mechanism of their meeting has been so different each time I’ve found one). @ladysunami

take me back to a time by DizziDreams (T, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Modern with Magic, Time Travel, Sharing a Bed, Angst with a Happy Ending, Student!WWX, Time-Traveling Wizard!LWJ, Slow Burn, Character Death, Angstreference to abuse, Canonical Character Death, Canonical Abuse, Canon!LWJ, Canon-Typical Violence, Mutual Pining, Chronic Illness, Not A Fix-It, Case Fic, implied 3zun, Transmigration, America, [Podfic of] take me back to a time by dreamhazer)

The Life Cycle of the Frog and the Fish by Aerlalaith (T, 53k, WangXian, Reincarnation, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Sort Of, Reincarnation, Mystery, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Illnesses Curses, References to Illness, Modern with Magic)

Wrong Turn, Right Place by diamondbruise (E, 71k, WangXian, Time Travel, kind of, modern wwx, cultivator lwj, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealousy, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Cultural Differences, Miscommunication, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Anal Sex)

an impromptu visit to the city by bosbie (T, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Fluff, Humor, First Meetings, Falling In Love, Getting Together)

That Nasty Wei Wuxian by Avescor (T, 38k, WangXian, Modern AU, Time Travel, shirtless lwj, Chaotic WWX, Disaster friend JC, Character Development, Pre-Relationship, Adorable teenage cultivators, WWX messes with Cloud Recesses, Unreliable Narrator, chaotic evil WWX, Smoll WWX, trying to cope LWJ, Life lessons from an internet troll)

the song remains the same by la_muerta (T, 4k, WangXian, Reincarnation, Post CQL-canon, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

8. itmf lwj breaks down crying in front of wwx, bonus point if we get to know wwx's reaction towards seeing the usually-stoic lwj suddenly showing so much emotion

Regrets by antebunny (G, 37k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Time Travel, Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Descriptions of Love, and other squishy feeling, Angst with a Happy Ending) maybe regrets by antebunny, towards the end lwj cries and they confess😊

~*~

9. Hi for itmf are there any fics that takes place after Wangxian marry and while on a night wwx gets hurt badly and this leads to jc and wwx reconcile with Lwj taking care of wwx

Thanks! @elainaparker

can people untie themselves, uncurling like flowers by annemari (T, 19k, JC & WWX, WangXian, Post-Canon, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Family, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together)

some good mistakes by Lise (T, 18k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JC & LWJ, Road Trips, (terrible road trips), Post-Canon, Rescue Missions, Hurt/Comfort, ish, Awkward Conversations, POV JC, JC & WWX Reconciliation, (ish they're working on it)

Hindsight by Unicornelia96 (M, 15k, JC & WWX, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, POV WWX, Hurt WWX, Burial Mounds, reference to possible cannibalism, Cannibalism, Major Character Injury, Serious Injuries, Angst with a Happy Ending, ish)

Although I'm not sure if any of my recs for 9 are specifically after they married. Pretty sure they're from before, but still post-canon

~*~

10. Can u pls refer fics which are similar to divulgences by ataraxistence

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11. For the next ITMF do you have any fic where both LWJ and WWX died and are brought back to life? Bonus points if their families feel guilty about what happened

The Young Masters of Four Seasons Manor by gaotamao (G, 91k, WangXian, WenZhou, YeRong, Time Regression fix-it, WKX raises monstrous sons, Not Jiang Sect Friendly, No Golden Core Transfer) but without the bonus point op mentioned

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12. hii! im itmf fics where wangxian kinda know the other likes them before Officially Getting Together, like in canon, or similarly if it's more of a gradual falling together than a big shocking confession. thank you!!

❤️ I Started From the Bottom/And Now I’m Rich by x_los (E, 58k, wangxian, incidental and hilarious wwx/others that only result in death not anything sexual) it is a crack fic kinda, with wwx time travel. But wwx acknowledges mentally their romantic tension and the potential for something, before a wangxian typical confession occurs

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13. I was wondering is there any fics where after getting told off by lwj to not pester him anymore wwx does exactly that and stops paying him so much attention but it bothers lwj for some reason and he doesn't. like. that. at all.

Twitter threadfic by @/Cosmicmilktea

The Taste Of Cherry by chiyukimei (E, 6k, WangXian, Cherry Magic AU, Not JC Friendly, Lots of kissing, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Soft LQR) has a brief (very brief) moment like that

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14. Hi i m in the mood for a fic for social media aus specially those that has those fake posts or smthing but any works thanks!

Gremlin BF twitter thread by nyanxian this one is one twt, but one of my faves (Podfic: Gremlin Twitter Boyfriend by bluegeekEM, cantarina, duckgirlie, EosRose, exmanhater, fleurrochard, GoLBCollabs (GodOfLaundryBaskets), Gondolinpod (Gondolin), isweedan, knight_tracer, nyanxian, Opalsong, RevolutionaryJo, Rhea314 (Rhea), Rindle, sisi_rambles, Syr, Vorvayne_reads (Vorvayne))

My mom says I can marry whoever I want, and I want to marry this random guy I met on tumblr by Admiranda, miixz (T, 45k, WangXian, WN/OFC, MM/MM's Husband, Modern AU, Social Media, Chatting & Messaging, Texting, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Falling In Love, Fluff, Female WN, Internet Fights, Implied Reincarnation, modern au with cultivation, not the jc friendliest because of our fandom opinions but he's not really here)

~*~

15. Yoooooo!!! Love you all, thankful for all the hard work you do for us fans! I don't know if this is ITMF or a compilation-related but I noticed the last time-travel compilation (part 3) is from over a year ago. Have any new time travel fic hit the charts over the past 12+ months? 😁 @kimboo-york

Never Again by Hauntcats (T, 67k, WangXian, WQ & WN & WWX, Canon Divergence, Angst, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Time Travel Fix-it, Not JC Friendly, Dark, BAMF WWX, mentions of abuse, Canon JC traits, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Cw for character death)

❤️ the thing with feathers by RoseThorne  (G, 43k, wangxian, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Fear, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Sexual Tension, Arranged Marriage, Grief, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect)

The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, possessive LWJ, oblivious WWX, fluff, romance, golden core reveal, golden core fix-it) 

Here With Me by iamwish (T, 58k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon-Typical Violence, Period-Typical Homophobia, Bad Parent YZY, POV WWX, POV LWJ, POV JC, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, WWX Has PTSD, and also depression sometimes, Unreliable Narrator) 

Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing) 

Pocketful of Soul by Jenrose (T, 182k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BAMF MXY, MXY Lives, Genderfluid MXY, MXY Backstory, POV MXY, If At First You Don’t Succeed Try Try Again and Again and Again, Wangxian Speedrun, times three because time travel, Found Family, Genius MXY, Genius WWX, Not particularly JGY friendly, CQL-based) 

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

16. ITMF Wei Ying raising jin ling canon divergence/ canonverse/ alternate Universe. All will do @whateverweilanlovechild

~*~

17. Hi!!! I hope you all doing well! I just wanna ask for a recommendations (if there is one) about Lan elders forcing LWJ to take in someone (a girl) to atleast bear his child (it doesn’t matter to them if LWJ is married to WWX as long as lwj bears an heir). Thank you so much for your hardwork!

The light of you will stay by orphan_account (M, 74k, WangXian, LWJ/OFC, Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage between LWJ and Fem!OC, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Canonical Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Wangxian is endgame, the consumation of the marriage is mentioned, there is no explicit het sex here, Implied Het Sex, because pregnancy)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what  you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack,  whatever - it’s all good!***

[theamityelf]

Ah, right. It has been a while now since Disney formally de-canonized the old Expanded Universe for Star Wars. So it's understandable the name might not be familiar.

Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, was the protagonist of two hit games back in the late 2000s called 'The Force Unleashed'. Compared to a lot of other EU stories, they were a bit "bigger" relatively speaking in terms of hype. Like they were the first Star Wars games with PS3/360 generation graphics and a physics engine. Even getting their own novelizations and LEGO sets.

It was built up as kind of a "bridge story" between Episode III and IV. Revealing that while hunting down and slaying a surviving Jedi Knight, Vader discovered the man had a son that he sensed an extraordinary amount of Force potential in. The kid actually managed to Force pull Vader's lightsaber to his hands. Vader decided to eliminate all Imperial witnesses present so that he could secretly take the boy under his wing.

It was both a strategic move, and also a small sign of Vader's remaining humanity. Having his potential for growth hard-capped by his injuries meant usurping Palpatine on his own was no longer a possibility. But if he had a fully-trained apprentice almost as strong as him, they might stand a chance in a 2v1 ambush. The other reason though is that on some subconscious level, Vader was trying to regain the child he lost.

The basic premise of the whole story really sprung from the question "What if Luke was raised by Vader?". Starkiller has a REALLY fucked up relationship with Vader, in that he's his apprentice who's been put through an abusive training regimen from hell to forge him into a mighty warrior. And at that same time, Vader is also the closest thing Starkiller has to a father. With him desperately trying to please him throughout the first game. Despite it becoming increasingly clear that the part of Vader that considers him expendable outweighs the small part of him that cares. Even Starkiller's best friend is a combat droid that was programmed to fight him with the full intent to kill. They have a morbidly hilarious "I thought for sure I'd get you this time" friendship.

So of course it's quite cathartic when you reach the endgame, and Starkiller proves to be one of the few people besides Luke who can overcome the mighty Sith Lord in a duel. Sam Witner's emotional performance also really helps sell it.

...Boy this went off into a tangent. Anyway, yeah so I just think it'd be hilariously on-point if Nagito somehow ended up in that kind of nightmarish life. The depressing mirror image of the setting's "Ultimate Hope"/"New Hope". But maybe with a happy "Starkiller Lives" AU outcome. Since I've seen some fans do that, and have him be one of the first people that joins Luke's Jedi Praxeum alongside the likes of Kyle Katarn and Kam Solusar.

Ahh, I wasn't into Star Wars yet, back then. I had played Lego Star Wars on X-Box 360, but that's it. 😁 It's always cool to learn about fan stuff I didn't know about.

That definitely does sound like a role that Nagito could fit into! (Or Izuru, honestly, but that's neither here nor there. The best friend training droid could be a canon Danganronpa character, too.)

[lestcat-de-lioncourt]

Reading list for this month!

(Rb or like if you decide to read one of these titles after seeing this, I love knowing if I’ve inspired anyone to read things I have! It’s fun)

Pond Snail Robber

“The delightful and brutal life of living with a robber! Ji Ho ends up missing the deadline to apply for a dorm due to a slip of carelessness but luckily a sunbae from his major helps him get a room nearby. Unfortunately, not even half a day after moving in he gets attacked by a robber. After managing to get away, Ji Ho later comes back home to see the robber shedding tears over the novel he wrote in high school...But this robber, with the reason of wanting to continue reading his unfinished novel, asks to live with him in exchange for taking care of the house?! The sweet and fierce life of these two has started!”

(I wouldn’t say the description is totally great at describing what’s actually happening but it’s good at hiding spoilers of what the actual circumstances ended up being and it’s kinda a funny joke about the “robber” part once you read it. Also, it has the cutest unique font design ever, a snail!”)

Boyfriends.

“Want a boyfriend? How about 4?! Meet Prep, Jock, Goth and Nerd -four boys with a lot of love to share!

A comic about getting yourself a boyfriend... or multiple boyfriends! Four college students begin a polyamorous relationship and navigate the adventure that is their dating life!”

(I freaking love this, it’s really smooth and fun, and wholesome. As someone who’s poly you don’t get a lot of kind depictions of poly relationships, or there’s only threesome, foursome, or more being writing about for kinks or open relationships that aren’t poly or about polycules. The graphics are great on the eyes with lots of pastels, and each character has their fun personalities, not to mention actually including a trans guy within a gay relationship! It’s grand. 10/10 love Goth or wanna be Goth ahaa. Nerd is too adorable. Really recommend.)

Minmotion Syndrome

"The 600 million that was left to you, I’ll pay it off for you." Seo Taeyoon, who was dragged into the situation because of his father's debt, got angry and sneers at Park Jaein for being an omega after the latter made a sarcastic remark. Although Taeyoon detected Jaein's faint pheromone scent, he was able to identify him as an Omega. Jaein found Taeyoon interesting, as nobody else can really detect his smell, so he offered to pay off his debt in exchange for buying him...! Thus, Taeyoon now wears a leash designed for dogs. How would their dangerous relationship begin and end?”

(So this whole thing is so tongue in cheek so far, and absolutely not digestible for everyone, though I’m only at chapter 9. but the art, is phenomenal and I adore the styles for both characters. And well, it’s nice to see omegas which are characters designed to always submit and be mindless totally being the top dog. I like it when things don’t fit into boxes, it’s kinda like in any nsfw circumstances where someone typically assumed as having to be subservient, isn’t, because it’s not as cut and dry as that nor has to for, for instant when people are like big macho bois can’t “bottom”… if you catch my drift.~ Park Jaein is pretty mentally whomped aha, his “crazy eyes” are spooky hot. I’m so bad. Taeyoon is an omega hating alpha son of a poor drug addicted male omega SW (adult worker). It goes into their stories about why they’re the way they are, and I guess I’m hoping it works out and they don’t hate each other anymore.)

The Pizza Delivery Man and The Gold Palace

“Woowon has spent his entire life repaying debts with his mother as a result of his father's irrational business investments and gambling. When his mother falls unwell, she retreats to the countryside, where she struggles by herself. One day, Woowon is fired from his part-time job, and while searching for a new job, he is introduced to one as a delivery man at a pizza shop in a wealthy area by a friend. Not only was the food delicious, but the staff was also known for being attractive. Woowon, who had a dashing appearance, goes to an interview and immediately passes. Seo-an has spent his entire life being swayed by his father's greed, who would not tolerate even the smallest flaw. That was how he lived, chewing at himself with bursting panic and constant avoidance of people. One day, everything came to a halt and Seo-an locked himself up at home. Then, a person who had done him a tiny favor appeared. After a long time, he was no longer afraid of others. A young love story in which two people who are tired of life fall in love.”

Lover Boy (Jeky)

(I really adore the art here and that a moan character is an artist, it’s a trialing story for both of them!)

Ongoing reading list still reading from month prior:

-

What's with this strange dream?!

“Jungoh was just expecting to take on a part-time job as an assistant. What he didn’t expect was working inside people’s dreams with a cute, but grumpy shaman named Ibeom. And he certainly didn’t expect Ibeom to be cursed by a nightmare seedling!”

(Sorry I had to use this image, it’s hilarious.)

Night by the sea

“Kim Euihyun, who had given up everything due to reaching his limits, ran towards the sea with a child in his arms and was caught by an alpha, Yeo Taejoo. Euihyun, who is left with only debt by his father running away, was given money, a house, by Taejoo and even a job if he gives his body..."

Intoxicated

“Omega Shen Tingwei wakes up after a traffic accident and soon realizes something is very wrong. The people around him have no idea what an omega is, the local pharmacy doesn't carry his heat suppressants, and no one - including the doctor at the nearest hospital - seems to understand the reason he is feverish is because he's going into heat. Enter Lian Jue, a wealthy man with Emotional Deprivation Disorder who is struggling to balance running his company, appeasing his difficult family, and caring for his adopted son, Kangtong. When he encounters the heat-drunk Shen Tingwei staggering around the city and saves him from getting hit by yet another vehicle, the two men soon become entangled in each other's lives. Shen Tingwei is lost and helpless in a world not his own, and Lian Jue can't help but be drawn to the unusual stranger...”

“Shen lived in a place as a lawyer where there are three gender known: alpha, beta and omega however an incident caused him to be transported in a society where there are only two gender recognized: male and female.”

Is there a love at first sight in e-sport

“The Asian champion is free to take the girl to score points in the game. Finally, he brings a girl to Kaimai but finds that the other party is a boy. Mr. Champion left behind the online dating that ended before it started. When he went to train with the club, he accidentally had a little friction with another team. When the opponent's deputy captain showed up, Mr. Champion was instantly tempted to doubt life. When the opponent spoke, it was the "girl" he personally brought that day. Is there love at first sight in e-sports? Exists.”

[taletheoldcrowtold]

Pride 2024 - Day 20

Movie: Wilde

Made in: 1997 – Set in: 1882 – 1897

Starring: Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Michael Sheen, Jennifer Ehle, Tom Wilkinson, Zoe Wanamarker, Ioan Gruffudd, Vanessa Redgrave

Rated R for: Sexual content and nudity (buns)

Based on the true story of Oscar Wilde, who, after starting an affair with family friend, Robbie Ross, begins his relationships with young men. But his romance with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas leads to a legal dispute that brings Wilde’s downfall.

It’s a pretty good biofic about a very talented man who greatly suffered due to love. His relationship with Bosie brought him his greatest happiness and yet his biggest sorrows. It’s heartbreaking but also entertaining and thought provoking.

Spoilers under Keep Reading Line

Nobody dies during the movie but the end credits mention when everyone dies and that Oscar and Bosie didn’t last long after reuniting.

I saw the movie a few years ago because Stephen Fry was in it (I’ve always been a big fan of his, I think he’s a great actor and a wonderful person) and I’ll be honest, I had forgotten most of it by the time I watched it again this time around. I think it’s a great movie that I would gladly watch again. Even though it had a lot of sex in it, it wasn’t anything too graphic and at this point in the review series I’m getting used to these movies having sex in them. I’ve always enjoyed Oscar Wilde’s quotes but have never had the chance to read any of his works (but I have seen the Importance of being Earnest) and I liked what of his work was included in the movie so I’ll have to look into his poems and novels. I feel bad that Oscar had to go through what he did and though I understand Bosie had been through horrible things due to his parents, his father especially, I think he treated Oscar terribly and thought the two should have just gone their separate ways. Seeing Oscar in the state he was in while in prison left me a little emotional and I felt really sad seeing how it all ruined him but it’s nice to see that his work is still greatly admired and he lives on instead of just being forgotten.

Mom’s Thoughts: The movie is a pretty good portrayal of Oscar Wilde’s life after he discovered he was a homosexual. He has already married Constance and soon has two sons with her. I’ve always been a fan of Stephen Fry and thought he did a great job playing the role of the Irish playwright. I’ve always liked the Oscar Wilde quotes I’ve heard and admired his wit. It was sad that people couldn’t let a person follow his own nature, no matter what it may be, and imprisoned a man of Mr. Wilde’s talent for being a homosexual. Even though it’s no longer a crime, there is still a cruel stigma associated with the lifestyle, one I would like to see end in my lifetime (and I’m pretty old). This is a good movie to watch even if you are not a fan of Oscar Wilde and I would watch it again, even knowing how it ends.

[brightbeautifulthings]

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

"The things which hurt instruct--Benjamin Franklin. That was one of Arnold's favorites. Not true, though. The things which hurt don't always instruct. Sometimes they merely hurt."

Year Read: 2005, 2015, 2023

Rating: 5/5

About: The Jarrets are a typical upper-middle class family living in Lake Forest, Illinois. Cal is a tax attorney and the provider for his family, Beth the organized, efficient housewife. They have one son, Conrad, although they used to have two. Ordinary People presents a family isolated by grief and learning to find their way through it. The following triggers play major roles in the plot/themes of the novel and are discussed at length in the narrative and the following review. Trigger warnings: child/sibling death, suicide attempt (graphic), suicidal ideation, drowning, violence, blood, depression, grief, guilt, self-loathing.

Thoughts: I read this for the first time in high school, and like most assigned reading back then, I adored it while everyone else hated it. After nearly fifty years since it's been published, there are certainly books out there that handle suicide, depression, therapy, and grief better than this one (I've even read some of them), but Ordinary People was the first book I ever read that talked directly about those issues. I've never forgotten it or the way it attempts to both bring attention to and normalize them--it’s right there in the title. These are ordinary people, struggling with things that could and do happen to anyone. Occasionally, it can come over a bit dated, but on the whole I think it's survived time really well. It's not hard to picture the Jarret family in any decade.

I've read this so many times that Guest's writing is like slipping on a comfortable sweater. I enjoy the way the narrative slowly uncovers the history of the Jarret family, how they got the way they are, and why they think and behave the way they do. The relationships are complicated and interesting, particularly among the three family members: Conrad, the teenage son, Cal, the father, and Beth, the mother. Their relationships with Buck, the older son who is no longer there, also play a major role in the story.

The narrative switches between Con and Cal (which I think was a mistake, making their names so similar; even being familiar with this story, I mixed them up a few times). As a teenager, I found it easy to relate to Con and the pressure of simply getting through a normal day. His arc in the story is arguably the best as we watch him work through school, home, and therapy in the wake of a suicide attempt. Guest makes no attempt to gloss over the grim reality of those issues, the fact that they may be lifelong struggles, or that they often don't end in recovery. There is a slight privilege issue, given that Con comes from a upper-middle class suburban family that can afford treatment.

I thought I would find myself relating more to Cal as an adult, but the character I actually sympathized with more on this read was Beth. We don't have the benefit of her perspective (for good reason-- she's as isolated from the reader as she is from her family) and she acts quite selfishly, but I could better see the way grief divides her from her husband and son. Sometimes, the only person you can save is yourself. I cry every time I read it because it's so personal and so human, but it's ultimately a book I reach for when I need to be reminded that there's hope at the end of grief. Anyone who has ever been through something similar will see something of themselves in it.

[unravelingthepages]

Maus- a memoir you should read

Hi! I read this graphic novel as a part of my english course and ended up reading its second half in the same sitting. Needless to say, I definitely recommend this to you.

Maus (Maus I and II), is a graphic novel in a comic strip format detailing Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust’s accounts of Hitler’s Europe and living through it. It also details the lives of Art Spiegelman, his son, as he deals with the guilt of being a second-generation survivor and not actually living through the horrors his parents had to endure.

The Plot

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice, the Poles as pigs, and Americans as dogs), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust” (The New York Times).

Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

Why you should read it

Let’s start with the format. The events seesaw with one side being Art, the son, talking to Vladek, his father, as Vladek accounts his life as in that time, and the other side Vladek’s life as he did his best to keep him and his wife alive. The formatting does not take away the truth and seriousness of the Holocaust, but it does balance it out with some much-needed lighter conversations where survival is not the only motive.

Its accounts of the Holocaust. This read depicts the Jews as mice and the Germans as cats (there are a thousand allegories you can take from that one), the Americans as dogs, and Poles as pigs. But despite this representation, it does not have any humour per say. It is a very much matter-of-fact recounting of starvation, survival, violence, and plain suffering.

The depictions of the Jews, especially Vladek and his family. Art’s parents, Vladek and Anja Spiegelman, were two Jews from Poland who survived through the Nazi ghetto of Sosnowiec and the extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. They were survivors and they bargained and used up favours in order to do this. Vladek saw the gas chambers used to exterminate Jews (like vermin, like mice, you can’t help but read into that one).

Vladek was portrayed as a very flawed man, whose flaws did not disappear with what he lived through and I loved his portrayal. He was not painted as a victim who gave into the sufferings of Jews, or a survivor who was a beloved hero or anything like that. He was a flawed person who ate snow for days to survive and more, and I loved that.

Art and Vladek’s relationship. I loved that this book delves into Art’s guilt of not living through all his parents survived, and his feelings of competing with his (dead) older brother. It makes Maus a very holistic representation of not only the Holocaust and Hitler’s Europe, but also the years long after that and the effects that proved to be lasting through generations.

Its important to know that, as talked about in the book, this book is based closely on the author, Art Spiegelman’s father’s memories of the death camps and Hitler’s Europe, hours on hours of research and took a total of whopping 13 years to complete.

All in all, I recommend you to pick this up, regardless of how old you are!

purchase this book here: https://amzn.to/45UuqZF [this is an associate link]

“Yes, life always takes the side of life, and somehow the victims are blamed. But it wasn’t the best people who survived, nor did the best ones die. It was random!”

[emnormington]

UPDATES FOR MY CHARACTERS

EMERALD: her mother has taken her off her visitor list and it's crushed emerald. she still tries to visit her though. she wants answers as to why. beginning of october ocean has been getting strange gifts and emerald has asked her to move in with her because she's scared it's her uncle. she's happy relationship wise.

REECE: his pr relationship has come to an end and he's dealing with the aftermath. it worked because now the girl is in the spotlight and he's gotten more viewers on his videos but there is also hate which he tries to steer clear from. back in february he had a dream for a community place that offers up gaming computers and etc for free and made a bid on a building four months later but now there's a construction snag. he has to rethink it all now but is not giving up. he's also been sleeping around, not looking for a relationship right now.

CLARE: visited her mother's grave to talk with her about her dad remarrying. she's been struggling with giving him her blessing and it's also been eating at her dad's girlfriend. they still don't see eye to eye after clare told her about her other daughters bullying of clare. clare has fallen for two people this year but they don't feel the same so they try to let her down easy. clare takes it hard each time. her photography career is also gaining less popularity than last year, clare's losing hope. right now clare's seeing a twenty nine year old who is no good for her but she's just looking for love in any way that she can.

CARINA: she's still dating around. things with opal have spiced up and she enjoys the adventure's she's having with her. opal is also seeing some other women and carina's trying to be okay with that. seeing as she's also seeing someone else too. akira and her have moved on the romance side of things. they have long nights together but it comes with another problem. akira is not sure he wants to be a father. he hasn't told her outright but carina is having a slight feeling everytime she tries to get them to talk and he says he's busy or he has to leave. she wants it to work out for the three of them so she's leaving it on the back burner. because matteo wants to move to another country and wants gabby to come live with him but carina's against that that they have started arguing about it now.

PAX: things with his brother and father never got any better. la brought out the worst in his brother seeing as he had troubled with substance abuse when they lived there in the past, now he'd fallen back into it for several weeks. pax tries to locate his whereabouts but no luck. eventually finding his brother one night high out of his mind, pax had some angry words for his dad. it landed with punches being thrown. pax left with brother to the airport with their mother following close by. she gives him money to take his brother to a facility but not before saying to pax that she's staying with her husband and that she's sorry but pax won't take that sorry and tells her off before leaving back home. since coming back he's been having trouble with his graphic novel/novel he's been working on that he's lost all focus on anything else.

PARI: last year her parents took all her savings for their oldest son, it was savings that she was saving for her youngest brother. she felt defeated but also blamed herself for her parents still having that much control of her life even with her being rebellious, that she ended up with her ex and a vial of coke. that night she made a spectacle at the party and ended the night pushing her mother into the pool and leaving with her ex and friends. they stole a couple of things from pari's parents place and sold them. a few nights with her pari came to once her younger brother phoned telling her she was no longer welcome home and asking why. hating what's been done she headed back barely. she's missed a couple of shifts at her work and came in once or twice tipsee. she tries her best to hide it with mouth mints. she has the whole house to herself with bear out of state and throws parties nearly every night. she sleeps around. she has also let out bear's cat one night and hasn't seen her since. she quit her job a week ago.

AMY: has been hanging with friends and kaia. because of past circumstances and feeling like everyone she loves dies or leaves she is pushing off asking kaia to go steady. she's also been trying to submit animation videos to places so she can start a career but nobody's getting back to her. the inn's been stressful for her too, another girl went on pregnancy leave and the woman that went on pregnancy leave decided to live a couple states away to be closer to husband's family, so amy's workload has doubled. barrett has also been mia, out on another tour. small one this time and promises to come back to help.

DEACON: he's been working as an EMS and loving it so far. he's been making friends. he tries his best not to check his ex fiancee's facebook or social statuses and most of the time he doesn't but when he does it upsets him. he tries to post about himself happy though, not wanting to seem like how he truly feels.

JAKOB: he's still somewhat homesick but is making the most of it. he wonders what the future of his relationship stands too. maybe distance doesn't make the heart grow fonder, maybe you realize a few things. or maybe someone who he thinks is his friend is just feeding him lies because she likes him. he also broke his wrist the other day and has a cast on.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 2/5

Book Blurb: Tag along as #1 New York Times bestselling author KAMI GARCIA (Beautiful Creatures) and artist GABRIEL PICOLO, the creative duo behind the New York Times bestselling TEEN TITANS graphic novel series, as they continue with the action-adventure of a lifetime. Raven Roth, Garfield Logan, Maxine Navarro, and Damian Wayne are on the run…from Slade Wilson, from H.I.V.E., and from the horrible experiments H.I.V.E. conducted at their expense. But where will they go? Who can they trust? Dick Grayson just wants to know what happened to his brother, Damian. Is Damian okay? Does he need help? Why hasn’t he been in contact? And why did his tracking device go silent? One thing is for sure—they all need answers and there is only one person that might be able to help the them defeat H.I.V.E. for good.

Review:

Picking up where the last three books left off, Damien, Raven, Maxine, and Gar are all on the run from slade Wilson and H.I.V.E.. This book then introduces Dick Grayson, Damien’s brother and Bruce’s adopted son. Dick wants a relationship with Damien and is worried about him, so he goes to search for him. This book mainly focuses on the brotherhood and relationship between Dick and Damien. I adored Dick and Damien’s relationship in the comics, with Dick being the almost father figure to Damien and constantly taking care of him despite his gruff and spiky personality. Let me first start off with what I think this book did well, it was take a new take on their relationship. Yes it’s been mentioned and done a few times, the strain on how Damien and Dick view their relationship in terms of being the son Bruce wanted and being the one he chose. I think its great that this comic highlights how much of a brother Dick is, he is caring and does want to build a relationship with Damien. I don’t know if this comic will further introduce Jason and Tim, the other Robins and sons that Bruce takes in, but it seemed kind of strange how Dick felt so much younger while Damien was aged up and how that impacted their portrayed relationship. I adored the batfamily and especially the relationships between the robins because at the end of the day they’re all brothers, they all care about each other despite the strain about who is a robin and who is the favored one from Bruce. Now onto the things I didn’t quite enjoy as much, the romance for Damien wasn’t really in my interest, and honestly the story has not progressed that much since the last three books. Damien felt a bit OOC but I guess that can happen when you age up a character and try and take a new spin on them. Overall the artwork was gorgeous but I think I might have to drop these comics because I love the batfamily so much and this just felt a bit to OOC for me to want to continue onwards with it.

*Thanks Netgalley and DC Entertainment, DC Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[bambazzle]

LGBT+ Fantasy/Fiction Books and TWs

1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell-

(Fantasy, Witches, Vampires, kind of Harry Potter-y, Romance, TW for mention of suicidal ideation/self-destructiveness, abandonment, foster care, neglect, murder/violence, gun violence and relationship issues in the second book. It has some heavy topics but is written in a pretty light tone.)

2. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston-

(enemies to lovers, about the son of the President and the Prince of England getting into a fight, they have to fake a friendship to fix their PR situation, TW for being publicly outed and semi-graphic sex scenes, also often politically charged discussions)

3. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller-

(Ancient Greece, demigods, exile, TW for war/violence and tragedy, homophobia, bad parenting)

4. The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic-

(It’s about the mafia/college sports and happens to have a compelling queer storyline in the process. Demisexual main character and other gay characters. (slow burn, it’s a trilogy and the romance doesn’t happen in the first book) TW for a lot of things, it’s about kids from broken homes and the mafia so there is abuse, self harm, murder, police intervention, organized crime, drug use, assault, rehab, all kinds of weapons, manipulation, slurs, etc. The second book has mentions of r*pe (not extremely graphic but it is mentioned a handful of times and there is one semi graphic scene), and torture. It is a great series but it has heavy content and is not light reading if you go in unprepared.)

5. The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune -

(MLM, fantasy, found family, heartwarming romance, magical creatures)

6. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman-

(MLM, graphic novel, slow burn, coming out TW for anorexia, self harm, suicidal ideation, homophobia)

7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater-

(Fantasy, about a secret private school, slow burn)

8. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera-

(Bisexual Latino characters, whole story takes place in 24 hours because at about midnight- aka the start of the book- they get a phone call saying they’re gonna die, TW for death, family in hospital, violence, police intervention, and foster care)

9. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo-

(queer characters (but no romance in the first book, TW for graphic depictions of violence, ableism, mention of abuse, mention of sexual slavery and assault, imprisonment)

10. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Historical Fiction Romance, Travel/Journey, Best Friends to lovers, MLM characters. TW for abuse, homophobia, racism, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, depiction of epileptic seizures, gun violence, and discussion of insane asylums)

11. In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens-

(Royalty, kidnapping, MLM characters not being released until April but it looks great)

12. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz-

(coming of age story, MLM, TW for violence/injury, surgery, transmisogyny, homophobic violence)

14. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra-

(coming of age, friendship and romance)

15. Love and Other Curses by Michael Thomas Ford-

(magical realism, a curse about falling in love)

16. More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera-

(MLM main character, YA, “it's about a boy who is considering a memory-alteration procedure to forget he's gay because leading a life as a straight teen would probably be way easier for him. It's about science versus nature, friendship, sexuality, and a quest for happiness.” About the happy ending and how even bad moments lead to good. Hopeful but despairing. TW for medical procedure to erase sexuality, internalized homophobia, homophobia from others, depression)

17. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver-

(Nonbinary main character, nonbinary muslim side character, romance/love and building a family out of people you care about. About finding your voice. TW for coming out and misgendering, family rejection/struggle)

18. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour-

(WLW, moving out and coming of age, self-discovery and childhood romance, TW for loss, depression, loneliness)

19. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness-

(Contemporary, about the normal people’s lives while living among Chosen Ones. Family/coming of age/acceptance story. TW for monsters, apocalypse, violence/explosions, anorexia, anxiety attacks, unrequited romance)

20. Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz-

(Dystopian story about a teenager struggling with their gender identity, TW for abandonment, oppressive government, outlawed homosexuality)

21. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas-

(trans main character, hispanic characters, paranormal YA mystery with MLM characters)

22. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat-

(Bisexual main character, TW for kidnapping/stockholm syndrome, abuse, sex scenes)

23. Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey-

(fantasy, MLM, supernatural)

24. Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becki Albertalli-

(romance, MLM, coming of age, TW for a closeted boy being blackmailed)

25. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel-

(WLW, graphic novel, coming of age, TW for csa, pedophilia, teacher/student relationships, none explicit if my memory serves correct)

26. George by Alex Gino-

(Trans girl, slice of life, coming out story, TW for deadnaming, homophobia, transphobia)

27. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield-

(WLW, supernatural, fantasy)

28. Witchmark by C.L. Polk-

(MLM, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, mystery, Alternate universe post WW1, TW for murder/war, depression/angst)

29. The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling-

(WLW, Sci-Fi Horror, dystopian future, fictional planet, TW for psychological/emotional horror, toxic relationship, death)

30. The Culling by Steven Dos Santos-

(MLM, Dystopian Fantasy under a totalitarian, extremely cruel government. People must undergo ‘the trials’ in order to work for a government task force- if you fail at any of the trials you are forced to participate in the Culling, where the member has to choose a family member of theirs to die. TW for death, extortion, brutal violence, murder, totalitarian government)

31. Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley-

(MLM, about a court case regarding the main character and his best friend- deals with breaking points in friendships and how people and perception change. TW for biphobia, gay bashing, legal trial, abuse, knives, violence)

32. Ziggy, Stardust, and Me by James Brandon-

(MLM, Gay main character, historical fiction (Vietnam war), about a character dealing with his alcoholic father and family issues who creates a fictional world to cope where he can be out and openly himself. Coming of age. TW for bullying, alcoholism, institutionalized homophobia, familial homophobia, conversion therapy, war mentions)

(this list is a WIP and anyone can add to it! If I need to add TWs or further explanations let me know!)

[jasontoddsguns]

I’ve read a fair amount with Talia (not a huge expert but good enough) and this is what I believe to be the situation as far as her age:

When she was originally created, she was SUPPOSED to around 18, yes. But in just the comics, I don’t believe it exactly got stated? We knew she was college-age, but not necessarily only 18. However, Dennis O’Neil stated in interviews that 18 was what he was going for. In my opinion, her behaviors in those comics, as well as her relationship with Ra’s, does make most sense with her only being barely an adult, even if obviously the fact that Bruce most certainly was in his late-20s or older is… not great, to say the least.

I’m not sure if saying they DATED when Talia was 18 would be accurate, though. In the early comics, their romance was mostly kept to Talia kissing Bruce on the cheek, and him smiling or blushing and complimenting her beauty/intelligence, while also trying to get her to understand that in the long run they weren’t going to work out. As far as Bruce’s receptiveness, he does kiss her (on the lips) once, but I don’t think much happened besides that.

Anyway, the whole 18yo thing got retconned around a year after her creation, in Marv Wolfman’s Lazarus Affair storyline (Batman #332-335), in which it’s stated that Talia is semi-immortal like her father, and (if I’m remembering correctly) around 150-200 years old. In this, they start actually dating for real and whatnot, but it doesn’t really matter since they’re both over the age of 25 (when brains are fully developed).

Her being immortal then gets retconned 6 years later in Batman: Son of the Demon, where it’s told that her mother most likely got pregnant with her somewhere around the end of World War 2. With today’s dates, she’d still have to be using the pit to look as young as she does, but this was in 1987, making her around 40. Probably not far from Bruce’s age, but possibly a bit older? (Also mentioned in Batman: Bride of the Demon, published 2 years later and by same writer, that no one but Ra’s has used the pit since Talia’s mother’s death, so she really couldn’t have used it before.)

Of course, this only lasts 5 years before Batman: Birth of the Demon, written by Dennis O’Neil once again, is published. In this, Bruce asks how old Talia is and assumes she’s immortal, admitting that he was hoping to get beauty tips from her on how to stay looking so young. Talia, although flattered, quickly denies this assumption and explains that she is “not yet thirty”. But obviously, when as young as 18 is a possibility, that’s pretty vague.

That’s where her parents meeting at a music festival comes in. Birth of the Demon was the original comic to include such a concept, with Talia stating that her parents met “in Woodstock, New York, during a music festival”. The confusing part is that I’m pretty sure Woodstock (1969) didn’t end up actually happening there? Either way, I’d assume that was probably still what she was referring to (most likely just an error on the writer’s side).

This, on its own, actually says a ton about her age. Birth of the Demon came out in 1992, which is only 23 years after the Woodstock festival. With pregnancy time in consideration, even if Talia was conceived at Woodstock itself, she couldn’t be older than 22. It also talked a ton in this graphic novel about how Ra’s and Bruce have known each other for a lot of years now, so… we’re back at the start. Yet again, Talia was canonically around 18 when they first met.

I haven’t read much from post-2006 (for obvious reasons), but between 1992 and 2006 the only age mention I can think of is Talia being younger than Nyssa, who… I believe is maybe around 200-300? Actually, just in general, it seemed like Talia definitely wasn’t immortal in Batman: Death and the Maidens.

Uhhh I guess there’s also Batman Odyssey to take into consideration? It’s one of the few things I’ve read post-2006, but I’m also quite confident it took place in a different universe. Anyway, it was a plot point in it that Bruce and Talia were friends as toddlers due to their parents being business partners. Since they were both toddlers at the same time, the age gap there really couldn’t have been more than a year.

That’s really it as far as my own information, so maybe someone else can add on to me as far as post-2006.

“Not an expert” bitch then wtf is this. Don’t sell yourself short.

[richincolor]

Jessica’s 2022 Favorites

It's been a fantastic year for YA, but now that the year is wrapping up, all of us at Rich in Color will be picking our favorites of the year. Of course, that's always difficult -- they're all so good! -- and this year is no exception. At the very top of my list of YA reads for 2022 are two YA novels and one YA graphic memoir, all of which I consider must-reads. Check them out:

A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea #1) by Judy I. Lin

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American by Laura Gao

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars--at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao's debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.

What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri

As the abandoned son of a Lascar—a sailor from India—Heathcliff has spent most of his young life maligned as an “outsider.” Now he’s been flung into an alien life in the Yorkshire moors, where he clings to his birth father’s language even though it makes the children of the house call him an animal, and the maids claim he speaks gibberish.

Catherine is the younger child of the estate’s owner, a daughter with light skin and brown curls and a mother that nobody talks about. Her father is grooming her for a place in proper society, and that’s all that matters. Catherine knows she must mold herself into someone pretty and good and marriageable, even though it might destroy her spirit. As they occasionally flee into the moors to escape judgment and share the half-remembered language of their unknown kin, Catherine and Heathcliff come to find solace in each other. Deep down in their souls, they can feel they are the same.

But when Catherine’s father dies and the household’s treatment of Heathcliff only grows more cruel, their relationship becomes strained and threatens to unravel. For how can they ever be together, when loving each other—and indeed, loving themselves—is as good as throwing themselves into poverty and death?