#or maybe i just repressed the memory of her 😉

[generalgrievoussummerbod]

Comfort Character Tag Game

Tagged by @turbulentpumpkin43, thank you 😊! I'm incapable of shutting once I start talking up so have a mini blurb on each ahaha

Anakin Skywalker—the little bastard deserves anything but this spot and yet here he is (Star Wars)

Daeran Arendae—“smile, the world isn’t ending just yet” always has me 🥺😭😍 (Wrath of the Righteous)

Steris Harms—Bands of Mourning gets me good I love that dork (Mistborn Era 2, haven’t read The Lost Metal yet tho 😅)

Navani Kholin—unhinged engineering grandma so good 😍 (the Stormlight Archive)

Rava, my wizard/psychic/artist/time traveller Pathfinder OC—he’s a messy disaster I keep coming back to year after year, his stories are so fun to tell (Pathfinder ttrpg)

Tagging @ssvnormandysr-1 and @purple-sage if you want to 💜!

[ddwcaph-game]

Hi! It's super late, and I should probably be sleeping right now! I wanted to wait until I played through EVERYTHING (and I do mean everything. I'm trying multiple playthroughs and different paths to try and see all the different traits, secrets, and extra scenes I can find). I'm not sure if it counts as spoilers now, but I'm giving a heads up just in case. SPOILERS

@hypr-nova First off, sorry for the very late reply! Second, thank you very much for sending this in! I really appreciate it. ❤️ I hope you don't mind that I split up your ask so it's easier to answer.

So far, it looks like the story the twins' mom told them was true! And the power of the lockets?! Rosie almost got hit by a truck - but we can rewind time to make it so that didn't happen?!

I wouldn't say that it's rewinding time exactly (it'll make more sense later), but that's a very interesting idea, since a full day reset was one of the main plot points in the older versions of the story.

Also, it was a school bus, not a truck. That detail is very important. 😛

And the conversation with Rosie's parents, about the mystery man who dropped her off with them than disappeared? Is he also from that other world? Seeing as the story "we" as the main characters choose to write has some bearing on our traits, dies that mean we (including our friends) have repressed memories of the world we cane from previously or is our imagination effecting the real world in some weird inverse reality type thing which makes the impossible possible?

Hmm, I can't answer this properly without spoiling stuff, but some of your questions will be answered if you read IAC! 😉

I do find it weird that a good portion of our friend group is orphaned or missing a parent (like, they just dropped of the face of the planet like the twins' mom).

Yup, Wayne also pointed this out in Chapter 2, and there's a plot-relevant reason for it. I wouldn't say that's what happened with Maggie though (since she still calls the twins every so often), but that's sort of true with MC's dad and JM's mom.

And what's up with JM's stepmom and the weird conversation she was having with (I think?) JM's dad?

Yup, that was JM's dad. You'll get some extra information on the convo if your MC has [Enhanced Senses], but if not, it'll be easier to get the trait from the new Ancestry Traits in the next update. Either way, he is very suspicious, isn't he?

And I'm pretty sure this was in the last update, but I just realized Paddy said they didn't know about us until we got there. Like, before that they had never heard about us and didn't even know his mom had a sister. So, does that mean they're not actually? And what about what Paddy's parents were hiding? Are they also from the other worlds?!

No, Maggie and Julie were just estranged from each other, and they didn't want their kids to ask where their aunt is. So now you have to wonder what happened for Maggie to ask Julie a favor and leave her kids with her.

As for what Julie's hiding... I'll just say that she has a cameo appearance in IAC. 😉

Wait wait wait - and Ma'am Bianes said she was going to be working close to the twins' mom! OMG IS MA'AM IN ON IT?! IS THE PLACE THEY EVEN LIVE IN REAL?! ARE THEY EVEN ON EARTH ANYMORE?!

Hehe. I'm really excited to write Chapter 8 now. But yes, they're technically still on Earth. I think. Maybe.

So is this like a pocket dimension and that's why odd things are starting to happen? Like the weird weather and our weirdly smart dog?! - AND WAS THAT ACTUALLY MY DOG I SAW IN THE RAIN OR WAS MY CHARACTER MISTAKEN?!

Okay, I don't think this counts as a spoiler, but all the weird things happening are because of the "plot hole" that's mentioned in the title.

And I dunno, why do you think MC's pet has a "Secrets Discovered" section in the diary? 😛

I'm sorry if I'm rambling! I have more questions, but I think I'll let you answer these first, lol. One of the things I love the most about this IF is how it seems like a light-hearted slice-of-life game, there's actually things to uncover if you're paying close enough attention. I know it should seem obvious since we can gather secrets, but despite some of those secrets seeming childish at first glance, I feel like they might actually be leading to something bigger. I definitely had to take a second look at them. Even the treasure might be pointing to something - I'm looking at you hairclip/barrette in my favorite color!

Hehe, don't worry! I'd say rambly feedback is the best kind of feedback to read. This was a real delight to read the first time. 😄

And yes, that's why I hesitate to call DDWCaPH! a kids story. It just happens to have kids as the protagonists.

Anyway, whether or not you choose to read IAC, I'm very much willing to answer any other questions you have! There's a lot of hidden details and foreshadowing scattered around the story. 😉

(Also, I don't think there's anything suspicious with the hairpin. It's probably wise to keep a closer look at some of the other trinkets though, hehe.)

[azuisreading]

Misdirection by J. M. Leigh

Madi Hayes has a lot of secrets. But one she can barely remember has haunted her nightmares for years and left her scarred inside and out. Now, she’s a Seattle SWAT Officer masquerading as a dispatcher for her overprotective family. She tries to make the best of an awkward family vacation, but when Madi finds herself in the middle of the action and old pains flare to life, she, and the mysterious definitely-not-tour-guides, find themselves locked in a struggle of truth and lies that leaves Madi’s life hanging in the balance. Theo Boudreaux is a former Army canine handler who joined Anderson Security when his dog, Elke, was injured and retired. Now he leads a team of special operators filling the gaps between the law and justice, with a little help from the Anderson’s government connections. But he’s getting restless, and a suspicious freckled blonde with green eyes that don’t miss a thing is exactly what Theo doesn’t need as his team faces their biggest case yet. As Alpha Team struggles to decide if Madi’s an innocent caught up in their case or the guilty party they’ve been looking for, Madi and Theo discover that a little trust can move even the iciest of mountains. It’s up to Theo and Alpha Team to uncover the secrets that lie buried beneath the snow.

Review

I’m giving this review because I was blessed enough to be part of J. M. Leigh’s awesome ARC Team; I enjoyed this book and I hope to be able to enjoy many more.

So… secret agents. And spies, uh? My cup of tea even when I know nothing about them and I don’t always understand what they’re doing or how they did what. But is that I just can’t stop! They’re so… interesting. And how things unfold! No one trusts each other and the lack of communication creates unnecessary issues! It drives someone a bit mad when we know they should be talking. But is even worse when the information they need is nowhere to be found, not even in the only person alive involved.

Have you heard about selective memory? How about repressed memory? I know very well the second one, but the trauma that our female protagonist suffered is indescribable, mostly because is nowhere too. It’s a thing of them, the secret agents and spies, their records aren’t easy to reach.

But what is easy is how fast you can love the male protagonist’s team! Maybe not all of them (because what would be the fun in having a whole team of approachable, reachable sex appeals?) but the vast majority… if you have my taste. If not, they’re still pretty diverse.

It doesn’t come without some content warnings… Just think about it, the background of those agents isn’t the prettier. But aside from the bad and the drama (that can be good, but is also bad), there are some spicy, some spy moments and reminiscences, very much some flirting, and a whole lot of action. The action just steps aside a little bit during the whole book, so…

If that’s your thing, why not give it a try? 😉

Phrases that I liked so much that I marked them while reading

«To the storytellers and the dream chasers. If you ever wanted to, you should.» — Dedication.

«and he’d go through hell and back before he let any one of us down.» — Chapter Two.

«Obviously she was one of those people who didn’t scream when they were scared, probably taunted by her older brother too much as a kid. That same thing happened to me, it turned out to be pretty useful later on. Tactically speaking.» — Chapter Four.

«But I loved my job. I loved my work at the Agency, too. The thought was sobering. I spent the rest of the day curled up in Teddy’s bed. I was grateful for the privacy of a door.» — Chapter Twenty-Two.

«“It’s too much of a coincidence. If I was reading this book, I’d roll my eyes.”» — Chapter Thirty.

[clotpolesonly]

You had to know I'd eventually ask... in a dark rise/teen wolf au (to which degree is up to you) how would you handle which characters are which? Same idea as when I asked about merlin/teen wolf au 😉

ahh yes, you've given me an excuse, bless you 😂 spoilers obviously, nobody read this if you haven't read the book in full yet

the thing i'm most certain of is that Theo is James. not inherently bad, but taken in and raised by people who encouraged darkness and violence to the point of internalizing it. clever and good at manipulating those around him to his own ends. defensiveness and provocation to cover up insecurity and a fear of vulnerability. encouraging good people to hurt him so that he can feel validated in his belief (born from experience) that their goodness, and in fact "goodness" in general, is a charade. has done horrible things, the circumstances for which are complicated, but the path for redemption is open.

and i went through 90% of the book with Scott as my Will, but then the ENDING happened!!!! and flipped the script so hard that now i think my Will has gotta be Stiles, with Void as his Sarcean. inhabited by a pure manifestation of evil, constantly plagued by flashes of memory from that life and the fear of whether he's his own entity at all or whether he's merely an inevitable recreation of that evil. how much is Stiles and how much is the Dark King? how will he ever be able to separate them out, to trust himself and his own motivations? he remembers everything he did, and he remembers liking it..... also his mother tried to kill him. the intense denial and repression of that knowledge, coupled with the kinda cold-blooded revenge plan (that started out as just wanting to ruin Simon's business but ended up with a sword in his gut), and the way he grapples with his dark impulses and also feeling guilty and afraid of them. wanting to be good but feeling like it's not in his nature and he maybe doesn't have the option.

Malia as Violet maybe?? she's got the right GNC vibes, the strength obviously, and i think the right heart underneath it all. she's loyal and brave and she wants to be good. my other thought for Violet is Allison, as someone who gets the rug pulled out from under her where her family and their allegiances is concerned, but i don't completely vibe with that. i actually kinda like the idea of Allison as Tom tbh, but i can't say for sure before i know where Tom's storyline is gonna end up. but Malia brought in by the Argents and raised by Gerard for the purpose of having Allison kill her one day is a set up that i kinda like.

but i also like Kate as Simon and Gerard as the mysterious Earl that we found out at the end was the one who was actually raising James and who actually had Eleanor killed (and who was, thus, far more involved than we knew and presumably the main antagonist of the next book).

Peter could also be Simon maybe, but then who would be his even more mysterious and malevolent father? Deucalion?? that feels kinda weird. maybe, though.

my first thought for Cyprian is Derek. dead older sibling that he was devoted to, last one standing after a massacre, little bit of a dick but ultimately a truly good person who will fight to the death for his loved ones.

but my second thought for Cyprian is Jackson, not gonna lie, cuz i feel like he matches up better personality-wise? it doesn't quite line up with TW canon obviously, but like, if Jackson were raised in the Hall, i think that's exactly how he would turn out. cuz canon TW Jackson isn't a bad person, i don't think, but his circumstances allowed him to end up really self-centered, and i think a Jackson raised with strict discipline and a deeply ingrained cause would turn out more like Cyprian: perfectionistic, goal-oriented, self-righteous, a little arrogant, but also truly believing in his cause and determined to uphold it at all costs. i'm also not sure yet, cuz we haven't had Cyprian's POV, but i get the vibe that he struggled to live up this father's high expectations. Cyprian is adopted (like Jackson) and living in the shadow of James, for better or for worse, so i feel like a lot of Cyprian's striving for excellence might stem from that, which mirrors a little bit of Jackson's deeply-seated insecurity. i kinda like the idea of Allison being Jackson's Marcus, with Jannick as Chris. (what is it with me just wanting Allison to be somebody's big brother? 😂)

my initial thought for Katherine was Lydia, of course, with the preoccupation with vanity and status. but knowing now where Katherine ends up, i'm not sure i can stick with that, if only because i want her to live alkdfgh. if Stiles is my Will, i feel like Heather would make the best Katherine. she was so unsuspecting, she had no idea what she was getting into, and she just got taken out so quickly and unceremoniously. rip Katherine and rip Heather.

Lydia could be Grace! we haven't gotten much of Grace, but we have gotten shows her to be strong, composed, and knowledgeable. and she was included in the pre-order art package alongside all the mains, so i imagine she's going to be more of a main character moving forward.

i have no idea who Elizabeth would be, but i'm not gonna lie, my first thought was Liam 😂 tiny little ball of rage and judgment. could also be Cora though, maybe?? Laura as Katherine and Cora as Elizabeth?? (where would that leave Derek though.....) IDK

ooh wait, maybe Scott could be Elizabeth!! i cannot think of anyone else Scott would be (i don't feel like he fits with Will anymore), but if Elizabeth does actually end up being the chosen one, it could work.... 🤔 or else maaaaybe Justice.

i was thinking that Jordan could make a good Justice too. strong, reliable, principled, and compassionate. he's a soldier, and that requires a certain amount of practicality to be balanced with those principles, which i think fits him. it's hard to cast characters that i know are gonna end up dead so quickly 😭

on that note: Isaac, Boyd, and Erica as Emery, Carver, and Beatrix. rip @ the beta trio.

and either Deaton or Satomi as the Elder Steward. maybe Satomi as her and Deaton as Jannick? that feels like it fits decently until i remember what Jannick did to James, and i'm not sure that Deaton would take that route.....not that we know 100% what went down there, but i definitely got the impression that Jannick was going to kill his own son for his reincarnation status and that doesn't vibe with Deaton imo. feels more like an early season Argent thing to do (and then spend the rest of his life doubting and regretting it). (yes i have considered Allison as James, but i'm not sold on it.)

.........Meredith as Devon????