#set before the epilogue of the novel When He Was Wicked

[morlock-holmes]

I think I've come to the conclusion that the reason it kind of never appealed to me is that Baum himself wrote a bunch of sequels to The Wizard of Oz which very specifically dealt with dangling plot threads from the original book including dangling moral threads.

Like, the sequel book that has stuck with me most is The Tin Woodsman of Oz.

See, the Tin Woodman used to be a human man, and his tin character came about because he was in love with a serf of the Wicked Witch of the East named Nimmie Amee, and the Witch, concerned lest he marry her and take her away, cursed his axe so that when he went into the woods to chop down a tree he would chop off his leg.

This happened, but the Tin Woodman knew a miraculous tin-smith named Ku-Clip who made him a tin leg which worked as well as the real one that had been chopped off.

The witch just cursed his axe again, to chop off his other leg, and Ku-Clip made him a new one, and this essentially kept going until all of him had been chopped off and he was all tin, ship of Theseus style.

At which point, as we all know from The Wizard of Oz, he no longer had a heart, so he could no longer love Nimmie Amee, so he went in search of a heart, got caught in the rain, and rusted, which is where Dorothy found him.

So, 11 novels later a guy called Woot the wanderer goes to visit the Tin Woodman in his palace in the Winkie country, and hears this story. The Tin Woodman also tells him the story of the Wizard of Oz, and how he got a Kind heart from the Wizard, but since it was a Kind heart rather than a loving heart, he still could not love Nimmie Amee.

At which point we get the following exchange,

"It seems to me," said Woot, musingly, "that the Wizard fooled you. It can't be a very Kind Heart, you know." "Why not?" demanded the [Tin Woodman] "Because it was unkind of you to desert the girl who loved you, and who had been faithful and true to you when you were in trouble. Had the heart the Wizard gave you been a Kind Heart, you would have gone back home and made the beautiful Munchkin girl your wife, and then brought her here to be an Empress and live in your splendid tin castle." The Tin Woodman was so surprised at this frank speech that for a time he did nothing but stare hard at the boy Wanderer. But the Scarecrow wagged his stuffed head and said in a positive tone: "This boy is right. I've often wondered, myself, why you didn't go back and find that poor Munchkin girl." Then the Tin Woodman stared hard at his friend the Scarecrow. But finally he said in a serious tone of voice: "I must admit that never before have I thought of such a thing as finding Nimmie Amee and making her Empress of the Winkies. But it is surely not too late, even now, to do this, for the girl must still be living in the Munchkin Country. And, since this strange Wanderer has reminded me of Nimmie Amee, I believe it is my duty to set out and find her. Surely it is not the girl's fault that I no longer love her, and so, if I can make her happy, it is proper that I should do so, and in this way reward her for her faithfulness."

So, they go on a big quest to find her, and on the way discover a Tin Soldier, who was also in love with her and also lost all of his body to the witch, and at the end of the book they do find her.

And it turns out that Ku-Clip kept a bunch of the meat parts that were chopped off the Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier, and sewed them together into a sort of Frankenstein's monster, and Nimmie Amee married said Frankenstein.

And so when they finally find her she's like, "Oh, yeah I kind of moved on, this guy was kind of a combination of both of you, so that was kind of hot, and since you both just suddenly up and left me without warning I married him. " and the Tin Woodman is like, "Uh, that's just left-over bits of me, do you want to divorce him and marry me and be Empress of the Winkies?"

And she goes, "Nah I'm good."

And everybody involved just goes back home.

And there's an epilogue where Dorothy says, "Well, I'm glad those extra bits of you that got chopped off were put to good use instead of being wasted" and everybody who actually went on the quest more or less goes, "I have no idea what, if anything, we learned from this but everybody is happy so I guess we call that a win."

I cannot emphasize enough that this is the actual factual plot not only of a canonical Wizard of Oz sequel, but a sequel written by the original author, L. Frank Baum. That's one of the books that really stuck with me.

I guess what I've realized is that since Baum himself often went back and took a second look at dangling plot threads and or morally confusing bits of the earlier cannon, revisionist takes on the original novel don't interest me too much. And in terms of dangling threads left that might get a revisionist take the treatment of the Wicked Witches is like, 9th after a ton of other stuff, just off the top of my head like setting the land of the gargoyles on fire, or Glinda's banning of magic, or forcing the Nome King to drink from the river lethe, like there's actually a bunch of stuff that you could revise, but the Wicked Witches were pretty much reviled for actually being huge jerks, there's not a ton of moral greyness there.

I'm watching "Return to Oz" and realizing that despite enjoying "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and all of L. Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz" novels I am really okay with revisionism of Alice in Wonderland but I have a great deal of issue with Wizard of Oz revisionism.

I've specifically stayed away from Wicked because in cannon they didn't dislike the Wicked Witch because she was green, they hated her because she was a nasty dictator. But if you wanted to make a revisionist take on Alice where the Red Queen was very sad and discriminated against I'd be totally down with it.

I don't know why. Maybe because Baum himself wrote books that complicated the morality of his own novels.

[crying-over-spilled-feels]

I’m Here, Don’t You Fear

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF MISCARRIAGE AND FERTILITY PROBLEMS! 

Disclaimer: The characters in this drabble are owned by Julia Quinn, Shondaland, and Netflix and are thus not owned by me. In addition, I am also not receiving any monetary gain from this drabble. Based on the drabble prompt: “You are enough.” Warnings of miscarriage and fertility problems. 

Word Count: 667

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        When her courses came for the thirty-sixth time since they were wed, Francesca bawls into a pillow, the tears hot, heavy, and thick against her cheeks. She and Michael had been trying dutifully for three years to have a child with one another, and yet, their countless efforts had still not been rewarded. It was beginning to seem, in Francesca’s eyes, that she was simply not meant to be a mother and was instead simply meant to be the loving, adventurous, and rule-breaking aunt who visited from Scotland and allowed her nieces and nephews a place for respite and mischief. Then there was Michael, handsome, strong, charming Michael, her dearest husband who always did his best to comfort Francesca during these times of self-doubt and self-loathing. This is one of those such times.

“Francesca, my darling?” Michael softly speaks as he cracks open the door to their bedroom. “Oh, Francesca,” he continues, scooping his redheaded wife into his arms, pressing tender kisses to the top of her head and her cheeks, hugging her close to his body. “I am here, love. I will always be right here,” the Earl of Kilmartin assures, running his large, muscular hands through Francesca’s hair and trying to keep the tears from pricking his own eyes.

 ----------

      As much as it hurt him knowing that he had not managed to get Francesca pregnant yet again, it hurt Michael Stirling much more to know how absolutely heartbroken his wife was and how she always blamed herself for their inability to conceive during that month.

“Michael, I---” Francesca sobs, her entire body wracked with the force of her tears. “I thought this time we could manage it! We were so active this month, I thought for sure that I would…”

“Francesca, love, look at me,” Michael softly commands, smiling softly as Francesca’s deep blue eyes met his silver ones as she brushes his jet black hair off of his forehead. “None of this has ever been, nor will it ever be your fault. Do you understand me?” here the Earl of Kilmartin pauses, his voice suddenly thick with all of the emotions he has tried to hold in for his wife every month during their marriage when she is crestfallen to find out she is not with child. “You are enough for me, Francesca Bridgerton Stirling. If we never have a child, as much as I know you desire and crave for one, I will remain happy so long as I have you in my life. Your miscarriage after John died, I…”

Francesca’s breath hitches in her throat at this and Michael simply tightens his grip on the love of his life as he continues to hold her.

      “I was scared half to death that it meant we would lose you, too like we had lost John. I know you desperately want to be a mother, love, but I truly do believe that the time will come for that,” he continues, and Francesca nuzzles her head up under Michael’s neck, entwining their fingers together. “The Lord knows that three Bridgerton babies next year is far too many for one clan to keep up with,” and here Michael lets out a light chuckle, which actually makes Francesca quirk her lips in a half smile.

“I just wanted to give us children of our own, to build a family of our own, my dear,” Francesca admits, her blue eyes gleaming with tears but also with love for Michael. “But I must say, I am extremely thankful for all of this time we have gotten to spend together with just the two of us. When the time comes, I know you will be a wonderful father, Michael.”

“And you will be an outstanding mother. I just know it! Now, then, I will see about drawing you a hot bath and we shall spend the night together eating some supper and relaxing by the fireplace.”

“That sounds lovely. I love you, Michael.”

“I love you, too, Frannie. Always.”

 ----------

Author’s Note: Yes, this is one of my first angst pieces I have written during my return to writing for fandoms. Michael and Francesca were such a steamy, emotional, and dynamic couple in their book that When He Was Wicked is my second favorite of the Bridgerton novels right after The Viscount Who Loved Me! I adore their pairing so much, and I really hope we get to see the two of them in their own season of the show together, especially since Netflix’s version of Bridgerton tends to throw Francesca into the background and forget about her. Anyway, I wanted to write a drabble for each one of the siblings for the March Drabble Challenge I am participating in, but instead of the happy-go-lucky one for the other siblings, I felt that this topic needed to be touched on for Francesca and Michael since it is not really brought up in the book, save for in the second epilogue when Francesca finds out during her and Michael’s stay at Aubrey Hall that she is expecting. I have interned/externed at two hospitals in Labor and Delivery and sincerely hope to make that my permanent job once I pass my NCLEX exam over the summer, and so I have seen several mothers who have suffered miscarriages and stillbirths, and it is imperative that they have someone in their lives to comfort them. I promise I will one day write some happy Francesca/Michael stories, but I felt this one needed to be told. As always, thank you all for the support and until next time, dear readers! Have a wonderful day, afternoon, or night!

[michaelbjorkwrites]

Should that be a twist or not?

As a teenager, I used to drink deep from the well of plot twists.

From movies and anime, to comics and novels -- I loved nothing more than a reality shattering twist. It's why my favorite author was Ted Dekker, whose book bios always promised "adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists."

I ate. It. UP. And stuffed my own stories with twists, too -- until they buckled beneath the weight of their convoluted outlines.

Eventually, however, I burned out.

I grew disillusioned about twists. Stopped reading Ted Dekker. And when I sat down to write a twist, I paused to ask, "Wait, why am I doing this?"

I started getting choosier. Rather than packing my stories to their breaking point, I started investigating what each twist contributed to, and took away from, the experience of my stories.

That's how I landed on these three questions -- to help decide whether something should be a plot twist or not.

1. Does the twist dilute, or enrich, the rest of the story?

The joy of a twist is often the surprise -- the sudden pivot into a new, captivating direction that enriches and makes you reevaluate everything that came before.

But to write a twist is to withhold information. And when you withhold information, you sometimes miss the opportunity to inject vital energy and depth throughout the rest of your story.

Take, for example, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. The novel begins as a first-person account of an English boarding school with a dark, mysterious secret. Early on, however, we learn the truth: the narrator and her fellow students are clones who are being raised for their organs.

Pretty juicy twist, right? Many writers would hold on to that bomb until the end (gasp!) for a shocking reveal. But by sharing that information early on, Ishiguro is able to add tension, dread, and insightful contemplations throughout the story. If he'd hidden the truth, so many of the novel's scenes would have lost their teeth.

That being said, your story may be different. Your story might benefit from teasing readers with a secret, or startling them with an end-game revelation. Just remember to consider the information you withhold, and decide whether it bests serves the story out in the open or held back for a twist.

2. Does the twist break, or reinforce, your contract with the reader?

In every story, there's an implied contract between the reader and writer -- a series of expectations you implicitly and explicitly promise, ranging from your story’s tone to its genre.

For example, Fifty Shades of Gray is an erotic romance with a focus on BDSM. Knowing that, if Christian and Anastasia only ever indulged in butterfly kisses, readers would be rightfully disappointed. That would be a breach of contract.

Or imagine a Pixar movie ending in a bloody, John-Wick-style shootout.

(I'd watch that movie.)

Big twists can be fun, but if they’re too severe, they run the risk of breaking the writer-reader contract. Ted Dekker's Skin, for example, sets itself up as a supernatural thriller set in a desert town, but the twist at the end (I don't feel bad spoiling it, because it's not great) is that they're in some sort of virtual reality program. The twist is shocking, yes, but it's too drastic of a turn to feel satisfying.

So keep your contract with the reader in mind. Aim to preserve it, and if you want to push its limits, just be sure to plant enough seeds along the way for the development to feel natural.

3. Does the twist invalidate any important themes, characters, or relationships?

As you progress through a story, themes develop, characters grow, and relationships gain meaning.

But certain plot twists can undo that work.

For example, in the Harry Potter series, Harry's emotional drive comes from the death of his parents. With that in mind, imagine if J.K. Rowling revealed (in the books, not on Twitter) that his parents were still alive, preserved in a magical stasis field. That would have diluted Harry's grief and motivations.

Or imagine if Ron turned out to be a Death Eater. That would have invalidated so many aspects of his relationship with Harry and Hermione, and it would have detracted from the theme of friendship.

Or imagine if the epilogue showed Harry's parents standing over his hospital bed, where he's been in a coma for seven years imagining a world of magic. With teary eyes, they finally pull the plug -- and the whole series of events is invalidated, because it was all but a dream. (And also, Harry's dead.)

Now, these kinds of twists can work in the right context (though the dream one almost never does). But it’s important to pay attention to the ripple effects of your twists, to be sure they don’t clash with important parts of the story.

In summary?

Just remember to think about your twist in context.

That's the through-line here. If you love twists, write them! (I sure still do.) But always remember your twist isn't an isolated thing -- it's a single component of a larger story, with benefits and consequences.

So weigh those prose and cons.

And write some wonderful twists.

— — —

Hey there! My name’s Mike, and I’m a writer & copywriter with an MFA in fiction. For more tips on how to hone your craft and nurture meaningful stories, follow my blog.

[365days365movies]

January 17, 2021: Atomic Blonde (Epilogue)

I genuinely really enjoyed this film! And then...about 2 minutes after it ended...I started to think. And I continued to think. I wrote those two posts, and then took a little bit more time to think.

And then...I came to my final realization.

John Wick REALLY screwed this movie. Because the perception of this movie for most, myself included, was that of a new John Wick, with a female protagonist. A lot of people referred to it as “Jane Wick.” But it’s definitely not John Wick. It’s trying to be a spy movie, especially like James Bond films.

But the problem is...it isn’t either. To be a spy movie, it tries a little too hard with a pretty standard plot. And then, it intercuts that with John Wick-caliber fight sequences, detracting from the spy movie aesthetic. And then, because you do have those fight scenes, but still need to fit in the spy stuff, it creates a distinct disparity in tone and pace throughout the movie.

In other words...let’s get to the Recap. I have some more thoughts. And don’t worry! Many of them are positive. Just...not all of them.

Recap

Cast and Acting

Let’s start, of course, with Charlize Theron. Outside of the action sequences, Theron goes well as Broughton, portraying the tough character traits we see in spy characters like her and James Bond. And with the character she’s given, Theron does wonderfully. James McAvoy, on the other hand, seems like he’s having a HELL of a lot of fun with his role. He’s an underrated actor, honestly, and it’s very cool to see him play this sort-of anarchist punk spy. Sofia Boutella also deserves a shout-out for Delphine, playing her character’s naivete well, as well as remaining likeable. Also, Bill Skarsgård deserves a shout-out! I liked Merkel a lot, even despite his shorter screentime. Goodman, Jones, Marsan all do fine in their roles. The USSR characters...eh. They aren’t really given much spotlight...which is weird, given the fact that this is a Cold War drama, but OK. Basically, we’re going with an 9/10. Great; not the best I’ve ever seen all around, but still great!

Plot and Writing

Yeah...here’s the thing. I might like this movie, but the plot’s kind of a massive mess. Writing’s fine, but the plot is both extremely cliche spy movie, while also being extremely muddled in terms of story. Remember what I said up there about this film trying to be both a spy movie and John Wick, and that not working really well? Yeah, basically that. It attempts to balance the two concepts, but also corrupts what makes those concepts work in the first place. The Bourne Identity is arguably a better version of that combination. It’s too bad, because elements of the plot really take away from the rest of the movie. 

And then...there’s the tacked on ending. Because, yeah, the whole American spy thing? Wasn’t in the original graphic novel. What I genuinely think they should’ve done was end it RIGHT at the interview’s terminus. Or, at least, right as she greets Bremovych as Satchel, as is done in the original novel. And, just to be clear, I thought this BEFORE reading the book. That ending feels...pander-y, for lack of a better term. I realize that we always want our protagonists to be heroic, but how great would it have been if Lorraine actually was kind of a villain? I dunno, I think not adding that extra twist at the end makes the movie stronger and more provocative, in a good way. Sorry, Kurt Johnstad, I know you did a good job on a technical standpoint, but...5/10 here.

Directing and Action

David Leitch, Jonathan Sela, and Sam Hargrave, the director, cinematographer, and stunt coordinator/fight choreographer, respectively. Full points for the action sequences, because MAN, those were some good action sequences! Rough and gritty, but extremely well-choreographed and shot at the same time, the action deserves the praise that it’s gotten. How about the cinematography? Stylistic, and very bold colors make this film very memorable. But...they don’t have much clear tie-in to the theming, and I think there’s some missed opportunity there. And the direction overall is great, even if I don’t think it’s perfect. It is Leitch’s first film as solo director, after all. 8/10!

Production and Art Design

Changed the title of this section! Turns out that I’ve been conflating the two concepts, so let’s include them both from now on, shall we? But OK, what did I think of it? Costume design was iconic...in the case for Charlize Theron, at least. James McAvoy a little bit, too, but it’s clear that Cindy Evans focused more upon Charlize than anyone else in the film, really. Which, for a spy, isn’t the best of ideas. Still, that combined with Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner’s art direction for the sets and set pieces (almost all of which are splashed with graffiti, in a very 1980′s flair) do bring you back to the time period in which the film is set. This, of course, is also due to the work of David Scheunmann, the production designer who’s actually from Berlin, and whose experiences were vital into making this film look as good as it does. If you’re not sold on the set design, check out the differences, obvious and subtle, between West and East Germany in the film. While some of it is clear, some of it carries some surprisingly subtle messaging (Stalker and Tetris, for example). So, even if Charlize got most of the costume attention, a lot of credit should be given to this movie. 8/10 for this one!

Music and Editing

Maybe the most well-known aspect of this movie, outside of the dramatic lighting, is the ‘80s soundtrack. Some love it, some criticize it quite a bit for overwhelming the film. And honestly...I think they’re both right? Here’s the thing, the music is great, and some of it is used in unexpectedly creative ways that critics didn’t seem to pick up on. Biggest and best example of this is Nena’s 99 Luftballons. That song if you didn’t know, is inspired by the separation between East and West Berlin. It’s literally a song about the cost of political strife, leading to war between countries over something as trivial as a red balloon. And when do they play it during the movie? When Bremovych is waging interrogating young East Berliners celebrating the culture of the west. It’s surprisingly profound! However...using Flock of Seagulls’ I Ran during a chase scene is...less so. That’s one’s a little on the nose, let’s be honest here. And that basically sums up the music for the movie. It’s all good music, but it’s either used well, or it just isn’t. Also, there actually is music composed for this movie, by Tyler Bates, and it is good...but I had to listen to the soundtrack to remember that it was even in the movie. So, yeah, not fantastic.

OK, how about the editing? The flashback sequence intercuts as part of the movie have been criticized by some for interfering with the pace and tone. And...eh. Wasn’t too much of a problem for me, to be honest. And other than that, it didn’t stand out too much to me. I’m finding that editing is the hardest thing to judge in these movies, but who knows? I think this little project might improve my film judgment skills. Also, those long shots? Not true long shots, as they were edited in post. So, good job to Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir! Overall, though, this category’s getting a 7/10 from me.

That’d be a...68% Really?

I’m legitimately surprised, because I do like this movie! Really, I do! But breaking it up piece by piece...it’s only really OK. My personal preference doesn’t necessarily dictate my score, and vice verse. So, I like this movie...even if it’s not as good as it can be. It’s a distinctive and stylish film with great action, and if you wanna see Charlize Theron be cool and kick ass, then WATCH THIS MOVIE! 

And by the way, I didn’t touch too much upon the fact that this is the rare bisexual protagonist, and this is Tumblr, so I know that that’s something you guys know. And honestly...eh. Fact of the matter is that it’s a part of her character, but...we don’t really get to know the real her throughout the entire movie, so...is it? I’m honestly not sure. But, representation is representation, I get it. Also, fun fact, Delphine actually is in the graphic novel, but as a guy. So, interesting change, that!

OK, I think we’re done with the spy movies for a bit, now. Let’s switch subgenres a day. Let’s inject a little more adventure into this month, and let’s trade fists...with swords. It’s swashbuckler time.

January 18, 2021: The Mask of Zorro

[its-ashleyreads]

Finished: 16/01/2021

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

“[He] took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and so hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing.”

Rating:  ★★★★☆

Summary:

Michael Stirling, London’s most notorious rake, has finally fallen in love. The trouble is, the object of his desire, Francesca Bridgerton, is married to the Earl of Kilmartin, John Stirling, Michael’s cousin and closest friend. But when John suddenly dies without an heir Michael finds himself being thrust into John’s exceptionally large shoes. Francesca needs him now more than ever, but Michael doesn’t want to eclipse John’s life with his own and vows to, from then on, always keep a distance between himself and Francesca. If only it were that simple…

Review:

If Romancing Mister Bridgerton is the standard for heartwarming romance, then When He Was Wicked must be the standard for steamy romance. The last third of the novel was pretty much just sex – and I’m not mad about it. The rest of the story was a beautifully complex coming together of two grieving hearts, and after knowing so little about Francesca from the other novels, When He Was Wicked shed some much needed light on the most overlooked Bridgerton.

The way Julia Quinn wrote the grief of both Michael and Francesca broke my heart. Before John’s death they were all so young and carefree. Michael only worried about his feelings for Francesca, but at that point they were manageable. After John’s death, those same feelings were unbearable and he’d aged, what felt like a decade, in only a day. It was clear why he had to get away, from both his home and Francesca. Losing someone as close to him as John had been, someone as good as John had been, was a loss of innocence and it changed everything for him. And with Michael, who had been bottling feelings inside since the jump, Quinn wrote his grief as logical, matter of fact. Michael felt his grief deeply, but he was processing it by ignoring emotion, which is why Francesca was such a trigger for him. She was feeling everything that he couldn’t allow himself to, but once he returned from India and saw her again, the emotional aspect of his grief demanded attention, and after four years he finally processed it. Once he’d finished processing and realised that his life was meant for him, not for the memory of John, he became a much lighter character, but he also became impatient with Francesca who was still stuck in the middle of her heartache, when he himself had only just worked through his own.

Francesca’s grief was a lot more traditional in the way we see grief. She wailed, she wanted her closest friends and family surrounding her, she demanded the answers to impossible questions, but Francesca’s grief was also the perfect antithesis to Michael’s. While he was rational, she was irrational. He wanted to see no one; she wanted the comfort of her loved ones. He was able to find ways of working through his grief; she set up camp and lived in hers. And this is in no way me trying to disparage the way she dealt with her grief, I have done the very same thing, which may be why I sound more critical. But she grew comfortable in the knowledge that she would never be as happy as she was with John ever again. She went on her walks and ran the estates and spent time with her family, but all the while she was resigning herself to the fact that her happiest days were behind her. Sure, she still wanted things, she wasn’t unhappy, but she was holding herself back. So, when Michael showed up, essentially demanding that she get over it, she was paralyzed. Because she wanted Michael, and she wanted to move on, but grief was comfortable, it was safe. Not to mention the fact that he was Michael. Michael who was so closely tied to her life before John’s death, when she was still young and carefree, and it felt like a betrayal to live that life without John. So, she pushed all feelings she might have had for Michael aside, until he was sick, and she couldn’t anymore, which is when she broke free of the grief that was holding her down and was finally able to live her life as her own and not as a dedication to a man who was no longer there.

The emotional complexity of both Francesca and Michael, their love of John, and their love of each other, made for the steamiest sex scenes in the Bridgerton novels thus far. They were desperate for each other in a way that went beyond passion and devotion, it was instinctual. It was like they needed each other to breathe. The fact that Michael was always so insistent to get a clear ‘yes’ from Francesca before anything happened between them, because he wanted to make sure that she couldn’t brush it off later, because he wanted her to know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, made their wicked dalliances vulnerable and sweet. The power that Francesca held over him during their forays, made what could have been just another sex scene, enthralling. When the two of them were together intimately, it was impossible to stop reading, not just because of the sex, but because of the love and the need that was between them from the very first.

I had so few issues with When He Was Wicked that I barely even remember them and they’re definitely not worth the time of me adding them to this review. Francesca Bridgerton surprised me, and I found myself liking both her and her story more than #2 himself, Benny Bridgerton. Her second epilogue in particular, was fantastic. But even so, Colin and Anthony remain untouchable at the top of my list.

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance Novels for Winter, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Christmas 2019 - Updated Dec 17th!


A Very Surrey SFS Christmas by Nicola Davidson (m/f, m/m, f/f, bisexual, and poly)

- Welcome to the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society - where unconventional and uninhibited ladies and gentlemen discuss all matters erotic…


It’s Christmastide in Surrey, and the Society members have gathered at Lady Portia and Denham’s estate to host a magnificent masked ball. Alas, not everything is going quite to plan, as a curmudgeonly duke, England’s naughtiest cat, a viscount with writer’s block, two newborns, and some colorful local residents conspire to turn order into chaos. But with those you love all things are possible, and it wouldn’t be A Very Surrey SFS Christmas without madcap mischief, banter, and a whole lot of wicked fun…

This series of extended epilogues include Beatrice and Amelia, Madeline and Ethan, Clayton, Susanna, and Joseph, Lady Portia and Denham, and Fairfield.
Please note this book contains explicit language and sexual content.

Peter Cratchit’s Christmas by Drew Marvin Fraye

- Peter Cratchit, a young lad preparing to make his way in the world, is the eldest son of Scrooge’s lowly clerk Bob Cratchit. Peter flourishes under the tutelage of his “Uncle” Scrooge and seeks to make his mark as a man of business, like his uncle before him.

One Christmas Eve, as Scrooge lays dying, Peter embarks on a risky ocean voyage that he believes will secure the future for his family. Onboard, Peter finds love, happiness, and success, only to lose it all by the voyage’s end. Returning to London, Peter shuns his family and instead finds himself living on the streets, haunted by his failures and his dead lover, selling his body just to survive while he waits for the winter cold to claim him once and for all.

But winter snows also mean Christmas is coming, and for the Cratchit family, Christmas is a time of miracles. Can a visit from three familiar spirits change Peter’s life again? Is there one more miracle in store for the lost son of one of Dickens’ most enduring families?

Yuletide Treasure by Eliot Grayson

- There’s not enough Yuletide spirit in the world to fix this holiday disaster…

Eben Sypeman’s world is falling apart. It’s two days before Yule and his business partner is dead, leaving behind empty accounts and looming bankruptcy. And if that isn’t bad enough, his patron goddess is irritated with him. It seems she’s tired of his tendency to mince words and avoid conflict. She’s insisting—quite forcefully—that he start being totally honest with everyone, including himself. Divinely enforced honesty couldn’t have come at a less opportune time, especially when his clerk’s tall, dark and distractingly handsome son enters the picture.

The last thing on Tim Pratchett’s mind is romance. All the former soldier wants is to fill in for his sick father at work and recover from his war wounds in peace. But there’s something about the grumpy Eben that confounds and entices him in equal measure. Their timing couldn’t be worse. They’re complete opposites. And yet … none of that matters when he’s with Eben.

But if Eben and Tim have any hope of finding their very own happily ever after, they’ll have to survive a dickens of a truth curse and the machinations of a trickster goddess—all while searching for enough yuletide treasure to save them all.

A joyous, relaxing Yule indeed. Bah, humbug.

This is an M/M romance with explicit scenes, a voyeuristic pagan goddess, and an odious nephew. Despite any other possible similarities to A Christmas Carol, there are neither ghosts nor geese, but readers can expect a happy ending and at least one use of the word “dickens.”

The Stonecutter Earl’s First Christmas by Adella Harris

- Nathan Fitzroy hates the holidays. Estranged from his family for refusing to marry, he’s still expected to keep up appearances, which means attending their holiday celebrations. And that means that, from the beginning of December until the middle of January, he needs to find work that will let him take off almost as many days as he works there. For him, that means working at a molly house called the Goat’s Horn.

Owen Landon was quite content to be a stone cutter. It was what he’d trained for, and it earned him enough money to pay his brother’s school fees and still live comfortably enough in a cottage in their village. He’d always been told his father was distantly related to nobility, but he’d never thought much of it, until a solicitor came to tell him he was the new Earl of Morebrook, a position he has no idea how to fill.

One night in December, when Owen can’t stand his new role another moment, he sneaks away to the seediest molly house he can find, the Goat’s Horn, for a distraction. And find one he does, a beautiful fellow with just the accent and bearing he’s supposed to be learning. When he sees the man again away from the molly house, he comes up with a plan to both spend more time with him and learn to be an earl. Owen offers him a position tutoring him before the start of the Christmas parties he’s supposed to attend.

Nathan’s worst nightmare comes true when one of the clients of the Goat’s Horn recognizes him outside of the molly house. But the man offers him a position that will allow him to earn money away from the Goat’s Horn until Christmas. If only he can remember he’s supposed to be tutoring the fellow, not bedding him, and certainly not falling in love with him. A steamy Christmas romance with hints of Pygmalion.

Approx. 50,000 words, 200 pages

Tinsel and Spruce Needles holiday series by Elna Holst (f/f and f/non binary MCs, MCs with disabilities !!!!!)

Candlelight Kisses

- Malmö, Sweden, 1994 Erika Stolt is a feminist activist, and not one of the slick, lipstick lesbian variety. She’s the kind who trashes beauty contests, who graffitis her own subversive messages over commercial billboards, and who fucks people mainly as a political statement. But then a community service sentence lands her a spot as the unlikely new assistant of one of the candidates for the Malmö Lucia contest, and the world as she knows it is promptly turned on its head.

Little X

- Malmö, Sweden, 1996 Sofie Andersson is a dyslectic born under the star sign Aries, who drives the local buses for a living. Her hobbies include knitting terrible hats and intermittent lesbianism. This December she is on the point of moving into her first flat of her own, figuring out her place in the world, when an instant attraction to a handsome stranger leads her to question everything she’s taken for granted.

Wild Bells

- Lund, Sweden, 1998 Mia Andersson is not a nice person. She is a sharp, sensational-looking, aloof lawyer-to-be, and the busiest sapphic player in town. Mia Andersson takes no prisoners, tells no tales, and if you gave her your number, chances are she won’t call. But this holiday season, at age twenty-seven, wheels that are out of her control have been set in motion, and it looks like she might just get caught in the spin.

February and December: Dominus Calendar Series I (Volume 1) by JP Kenwood

- As a lifelong passion continues to fade, another love deepens… two stand-alone m/m stories of love, lust, and friendship in ancient Rome featuring characters from JP Kenwood's Dominus series. February: Home from the first war against the kingdom of Dacia, Gaius Fabius ignores his obligations in Rome and returns to his secluded seaside villa in southern Italy. Under the pretense of a holiday trip, his best friend and secret lover, Lucius Petronius, surprises him with an unexpected visit. Later that evening, the lusty masters share the delights of Gaius’s blond pleasure slave, Nicomedes. December: With whispers of an embezzlement scandal floating through the capital, Lucius Petronius and his beloved concubine, Bryaxis, celebrate the raucous winter solstice festival of the Saturnalia with Luc’s family. After a joy-filled evening of food, gifts, and stories, Lucius and Bryaxis reverse roles in the master chamber. Warnings for explicit language, filthy loving, and daft shenanigans.

Christmas for a Vampire by Ruby Moone - Because even Vampires deserve a second chance.

Companion story to The Christmas Curse.

Recently turned vampire Ellis Davenport faces another dismal Christmas. His new life is filled with riches but is cold, lonely, and empty. Refusing to acknowledge his vampire self or to participate in any kind of vampire society, he skirts the edges of that world and has done so since the man he loved chose death rather than spend eternity with him.
As far as Ellis is concerned, Quinn Fordham died on the battlefield in Badajoz. But, as he circulates at yet another tedious Christmas party, he hears piano music, someone playing the Moonlight Sonata like Quinn used to play for him. Entranced, he finds his lover but just as their lips touch, Quinn disappears.
Before Ellis has time to resolve this odd hallucination, he and his friend Trent sense the approach of Lord Heath, their vampire sire. Yet, before their sire arrives, Ellis is stunned to find Quinn not only alive, but a vampire, and furiously angry with him. Can they move beyond the lie that separated them and find each other again?

Dances Long Forgotten by Ruby Moone - Coming December 19th! Per Ruby: Ghosts of past romance Second chance love Gentlemen dancing with gentlemen Long buried family secrets

On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.

In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school. As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.

Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?

Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian

- A jaded spy and a shell shocked country doctor team up to solve a murder in postwar England.

James Sommers returned from the war with his nerves in tatters. All he wants is to retreat to the quiet village of his childhood and enjoy the boring, predictable life of a country doctor. The last thing in the world he needs is a handsome stranger who seems to be mixed up with the first violent death the village has seen in years. It certainly doesn’t help that this stranger is the first person James has wanted to touch since before the war.

The war may be over for the rest of the world, but Leo Page is still busy doing the dirty work for one of the more disreputable branches of the intelligence service. When his boss orders him to cover up a murder, Leo isn’t expecting to be sent to a sleepy village. After a week of helping old ladies wind balls of yarn and flirting with a handsome doctor, Leo is in danger of forgetting what he really is and why he’s there. He’s in danger of feeling things he has no business feeling. A person who burns his identity after every job can’t set down roots. As he starts to untangle the mess of secrets and lies that lurk behind the lace curtains of even the most peaceful-seeming of villages, Leo realizes that the truths he’s about to uncover will affect his future and those of the man he’s growing to care about.

If anything else becomes available, this list will be updated, and the date listed at the top–after the post title.

A Christmas Cotillion by Ellie Thomas

- England, 1820. Bachelor Jonathan Cavendish has become reclusive in the years following a failed romance with the love of his life. In the years following their split, he has thrown all his energy into restoring the small estate he inherited from a great uncle and has put aside any thoughts of romance. Although he’d rather remain at home alone for the festive season, this year he’s accompanying his cousin Freddy to a Christmas country house party. Freddie seems to be constantly falling in love and, on this occasion, he is infatuated with a young lady called Belinda. Jonathan is asked by Freddy’s anxious mother to accompany him to the house party to keep an eye on the situation, in case the young lady turns out to be an unsuitable choice. Despite this inauspicious beginning, Jonathan catches the eye of Nick, the handsome son of a local well-to-do farmer, who is a constant presence at the holiday entertainments. Nick is intrigued by Jonathan’s kindness and also by the sadness he hides from public view. The initial attraction between the men seems to be mutual, but can Nick break through Jonathan’s defences and teach him to love again?

2018′s More Extensive List

[twatd]

Once Again

We return. WicDiv is in the final stretch, and so is TWATD. The first of our two essays on #44, focusing on the issue’s echoes and callbacks. Spoilers – like oh so many spoilers – below the cut.

Alex: Remember issue #14 of The Wicked + The Divine? The Woden remix issue? I reckon, with a bit of ingenuity, you could use the same method – cutting up panels from elsewhere in the series, pasting them in new contexts – to make a fan edit of #44, front to back.

The issue is crammed tight with echoes of old images. It put me in mind of Avengers: Endgame, the way it’s constantly calling back to moments from the past twenty-one movies, and the criticism of that tendency as ‘fan service’.

In WicDiv, this echoing feels inevitable. The series has always had its repeating motifs. Going  back to the very first issue, we get a whole host of phrases we’ll be seeing over and over: “Once again, we return.” 1-2-3-4. “I’ll miss you.” “Don’t.” Kllk. And images, too – from that very first cover, with its carefully-framed headshot echoed on the first page inside, something the first arc plays with again and again.

But what is the purpose of it, other than reminding us of something we’ve seen and loved in the past?

To answer that, let’s look at some specific examples – beginning, as the issue does, with Lucifer. From the very first panel of her, stood in a variation on her classic power pose, Luci is pretty much playing the Greatest Hits here. She lights a cigarette on her own inferno, holding a familiar eyebrow-cocked expression. She teases a finger-click, taking us back to the courtroom. Her threat of violence to Laura, framed side-on, recalls Lucifer’s murder in issue #5, and Ananke’s millennia of practice for that moment as seen in #36.

Lucifer wraps herself in motifs and echoes possibly more than any other character this issue, and it feels like armour. She’s the one member of the Pantheon clinging on to the lie of godhood, playing her role because it protects her from the consequences of what she’s done. She’s perpetuating Ananke’s cycle, and so she reaches for the easy iconograpy, the tropes, of the Lucifer myth.

It’s worth noting that most of these images are inverted. In that last example, Lucifer stays on the same side of the panel, but switches her role, from victim to the position of power. Even the colours of her outfit are flipped – white to black, blue to red – and her pose too, with arms up rather than down. Tim is going to be exploring the Two Girls in Hell sequence in his essay, so I won’t go too deep on that, except to point out that when Laura saves Luci, it’s by taking Ananke’s “I’ve missed you” and making it sincere.

#44 does this over and over, taking a familiar motif and inverting the meaning. We’ve heard a lot of variations on “it’s okay”. Minerva, begging Ananke to tell her it’s going to be okay, a conversation we’ve likely all had with ourselves at some point. Its answer at the end of that arc, laid out in black and white: “It was never going to be okay.”

Here, it’s Dionysus who wields the phrase, and for the first time “it’s okay” isn’t a lie. Dio isn’t pretending that death won’t come for us all, or that Minerva’s situation is anything less than fucked. Instead, he’s encouraging her not to fear the inevitable. He isn’t offering denial, but acceptance.

Then there’s the other character interaction Minerva has this issue, which inverts something familiar in a much uglier way – her relationship with Baal. Time and time again, we’ve seen Baal wrap his arms around Minerva’s tiny frame. It’s indicative of the role he thought he played in her life, somewhere between bigger brother and father figure, but he now knows this was just a way of manipulating him.

In #44, Baal takes Minerva in his arms one last time, with very different intent. That big hand, able to cup her entire head, used to comfort or protect her, is used instead to smother. That tight embrace becomes a murder weapon. The contrast turns what could be a triumphant moment – this is the defeat of WicDiv’s big bad, after all – into an unsettling one.

Of course, it wasn’t much better the last time WicDiv’s big bad got taken out, as #44 is ready to remind us. The issues it draws from more than any other are the series’ first, and its midpoint. #22 and #44 are both stories about what happens when you beat the minions and get to the dark lord in their tower to find them helpless.

Here the repeated image – Laura with arm outstretched weighing up whether to kill the villain – acts as a kind of mental hyperlink. We’ve been here before. Twice before, in fact, just a couple of issues apart. (The second also introduced the idea of Woden’s kill-switch video release, which is vitally important to where this issue ends up.)

Both times, Laura hesitated – and then acted anyway. Our expectations are primed for the same thing to happen again. But, as any comedian will tell you, you set up pattern on the first and the second beat, then break it on the third.

This time, Laura hesitates – and is talked down. We see how much she’s grown as a character, because she’s put in the exact same situation, right down to the composition of the image and the people around her – Cassandra always hovers over her shoulder like a goth Jiminy Cricket – but the outcome is different.

I’ve mentioned fan service already, but there’s an alternative term I’ve been skirting around: payoff. A good final chapter (depending on how you view the epilogue) should bring together the threads of the story up to that point. That’s as true of WicDiv as it is of Endgame, as it is of a Dickens novel.

I do still worry about accessibility – how much of this comes across if you’ve only read each issue once, like a normal person – but maybe that’s not giving enough credit to the fantastic work of Jamie McKelvie + Matt Wilson making these images so immediately iconic, so mentally sticky, that you can recognise their vague outline five years later. As Tim suggested when I raised this question, these connections are likely kicking around in the subconscious of a more casual reader, even if they couldn’t put together the full serial-killer wall I’m making here.

There’s another thing, too. The fact that all these echoes are backing up feels indicative of what Laura is trying to do: breaking the cycle. Ananke’s six millennia-long plan is in its death throes, and this is one final twitch. Over and over, the issue shows that while the circumstances and tools might be the same, intent can change the meaning and outcome.

I suspect we’ll be free of echoes next issue, for the first time. I wonder if I’ll miss them.

Enjoyed this essay? You’ve got like 24 more hours to throw a bit of cash our way over at patreon.com/timplusalex, before we close down the Patreon in August. Think of it as a going-away present. Or a tip.

[kiyoitsukikage]

Akatsuki Hiden: chapter 4 and epilogue

'Sup. So, some time ago an Anon asked me a question that made me remember I had a copy of the Akatsuki Hiden novel, and since my shinden novels haven't arrived yet I read/translated it.

I noticed there's a Reddit thread where you can find all the chapters, but the last one and the epilogue are just summaries.

So, hoping you'll appreciate my effort, I decided to post the missing parts. You can read the novel till chapter 3 following the link above, and then read chapter 4 (it's the shortest chapter of the novel, it's about Konan) and the epilogue here.

Akatsuki Hiden by Shin Towada

Chapter 4: Flowers that don’t wither

1

The memories have always been in the rain.

Konan took a step forward to the window as if she had been called by the voice of the rain that was pouring down. The things she could see were a tower that was rising up to the sky, and the water channels that received the rain and increased the volume of their water.

A scenery with no positive changes, a world with limited colours, this was the Village Hidden in the Rain.

It was surrounded by three countries that had a great military strength (the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind), and it had been involved in many conflicts. They, which were great countries, had used this land as a battlefield.

The lives that had been trod on by this unreasonable violence were uncountable. Also Konan was a victim of these conflicts.

She had lost her parents. She had lost her house. She also didn’t have enough food.

The only thing she could have obtained was her own death. Then, in such despair, a person had rescued Konan.

“…Eat.”

He was blunt, but despite that he had a warmth that gradually permeated her.

The boy had smiled broadly at Konan’s surprised look.

—Yahiko.

The person that had given Konan, who had lost everything, something important again.

«—Konan.»

Then, somebody suddenly called her name. When she turned around, a man was standing there.

The Rinnegan, with deeply inserted piercings. An expression that had lost any human emotion.

Pain’s Deva Path, Yahiko’s body, who didn’t smile anymore.

«It looks like Madara is heading here.»

The one that was talking to her through Yahiko’s voice was Nagato, a person as important as Yahiko for Konan.

«Got it.» Konan nodded, and turned her back to the rain.

 «I’ve heard there’s someone that has information about the Tailed-Beasts in the “Valley of Lies”.» the masked man, “Uchiha Madara”, who was sitting on a chair, said looking at Pain and Konan.

Madara. One of the shinobi who had become a legend, whom any ninja had heard of at least once. He was also a man who was supposed to be dead.

«…have you heard that Kakuzu and Hidan destroyed it without leaving any trace?» Pain raised his doubtful voice at Madara’s words.

The Valley of Lies, which was called “Paradise on Earth”, was a village where people that had an illegal bounty on their head and whose lives were targeted lived avoiding the public gaze. They had heard the report that said Kakuzu and Hidan had found it and destroyed it completely a little while before, though.

«Apparently, there is a guy who ran away from the village and survived. I’ve already checked.»

«That guy came from the Village Hidden in the Stones, and there’s the possibility that he was a close associate of a Jinchūriki.»

The one who replied instead of Madara was Zetsu, who looked like a being that was beyond human.

His left half, who always chattered merrily, was the talkative White Zetsu. The cold and wicked-tongued was Black Zetsu, the right half. While they had two personalities, they moved through the earth, had the special ability of turning into trees, and their strong points were things such as intelligence and logistical support.

«That’s right. Tailed-Beasts and Jinchūriki are a confidential matter of each village. They’re not information you can obtain easily.»

«Does it mean that we need to gather the information that leaked outside?»

«That’s right. For our goal.»

To Madara, who had underlined it, also Pain agreed: «Yeah.» Madara nodded looking satisfied, and «And yet.» he continued.

«I intend to make an “Akatsuki” member go towards the Valley of Lies, but…»

Madara’s gaze suddenly turned towards Konan.

«This time, you’re going, Konan.»

«…!»

Konan’s body, who was sitting deeply on the chair, leaned forward unconsciously.

«What… I can’t leave this place.»

Konan had various duties related to Pain and the Village Hidden in the Rain. Especially, she had to protect Pain — Nagato.

«It’s a village Kakuzu and Hidan found to begin with. You should leave it to them.»

«Right now, they’ve started another mission.»

«But another member…»

«Konan.»

Madara interrupted Konan’s speech with an emphasised tone of voice.

«I’m telling you that I want you to contribute as an “Akatsuki”, too.»

At his stinging way of talking, Konan furrowed her brows.

«What’s the meaning of this?»

«While “Akatsuki” members are active in various ways, you’re always by Pain’s side. This way, you’re setting a bad example for those around you.»

Madara’s Sharingan glared at Konan. Nevertheless, Konan glared back at him without assenting, but «Konan…» Pain interfered.

«There’s no problem here. It’s for peace’s sake.»

They were short words, but they had the power to silence Konan. Pain was telling Konan to go. Konan pursed her lips and answered «Got it.» Madara stood up, looking satisfied.

«Zetsu will show you the way till the Valley of Lies.»

«Zetsu,,,?»

When he was nominated, White Zetsu shook his hand saying «Nice to meet you, hahaha–» looking amused, and Black Zetsu scolded him «Shut up.»

«What, it’s not even a dangerous mission. I’m expecting a good report… start out.»

When his task was over, Madara promptly left. Konan glared once again at his back.

Uchiha Madara. It’s not that Konan trusted him.

 After Madara left, Konan went back to her own room to get ready for the mission. According to what Zetsu said, it took five days at least to go to the Valley of Lies from there. Ten days to come and go. It could take more depending on the matter. During that time, she couldn’t stay by Nagato’s side.

—Concentrate your feeling of worry all on him.

It’s something Yahiko told Konan, who was worrying for him, back when Yahiko was the leader of “Akastuki”.

‘Him’ was Nagato. Yahiko believed that Nagato was the man that would become the bridge to peace. However, he always used to tell Konan to give priority to Nagato. Despite the fact that also Yahiko was an important person for Konan. No, maybe Yahiko told her exactly because he knew the feelings Konan had were like that.

«…»

Konan fetched some thick Japanese paper she was hiding in her chest. She folded it in two, and when she opened it softly a tattered pressed flower appeared. The edges of the petals had changed colour into light brown, and also the colour of the flower had yellowed with age.

Konan inhaled it a little, and after putting the pressed flower back into her chest she left the room.

«Ah, Konan came. Let’s go, quickly!»

When she returned to the room, White Zetsu, who was waiting for her, raised his voice cheerfully. Also Pain was there, and he looked at her in silence.

«Well then, let’s leave this shoddy Amegakure.»

«Ahahaa, we’ll go ahead–»

Saying so, Zetsu disappeared. She should have followed him right away, but Konan met Pain halfway, and looked at his Rinnegan.

«Nagato, be careful.» she transmitted to Nagato, who was on the other side of those eyes. It’s not that she doubted his strength. He was invincible, and he surely was an existence that would bestow peace onto this world.

However, since he pushed himself hard to shoulder everything by himself, she was worried of leaving him alone.

«I understand.» Nagato answered simply, and kept silent. Even if she felt a slight pain in her chest, Konan answered «I’m going and coming back.» and left the tower.

Also that day, rain was falling in the country.

 2

A short time after she left the village Hidden in the Rain, the rain disappeared and the blue sky began peeking through.

The sky, which wasn’t being closed by rain clouds, was thoroughly wide and high. Then, the light of the sun was dazzling, and illuminated the land as if to say it was impartial to all the living beings. It was a little bit odious.

The world without rain was flooded with so many various colours.

«Ah, Konan, here here–»

Konan and Zetsu had met at the feet of the mountains that led to the Valley of Lies. They were already assimilated with the trees.

«There’s still the mountain road here. Advance to the summit of the mountain with that as a landmark.»

«…Got it.»

They kept their conversations at minimum. Konan tried to reach the next meeting point quickly, but White Zetsu suddenly screamed «Aaaaaah!»

She was on guard, wondering if it wasn’t the enemy, but his gaze was turned towards the root of a tree somehow near them.

«…What’s the matter?»

«Konan, Konan, look at that!»

«…?»

Zetsu’s body moved towards the root of the tree, and White Zetsu pointed at something saying «That, that.» Without lowering her guard completely, Konan looked at that. Then, she unconsciously stopped breathing.

«Isn’t that the spitting image of the flower you’re carrying, Konan?»

The thing that was there were white flowers. As Zetsu said, it looked like the flower hair ornament that Konan made out of paper.

However, Konan had a reason to be more surprised by it.

It had a sweet scent. It awoke Konan’s memories.

 It was something of when Yahiko was still alive.

Konan had stopped by a village near the country border with him. Their goal was to buy provisions.

This village, in which a light rain was falling, was a strategic position for traffic, and it was a place with various people coming and going. Also curious items of different countries were lined up in the shops. There were both shops with ordinary people as their target and shops that were armed for the frequent wars, and sold ninja tools for shinobi.

«—Konan, there are explosive tags and smoke bombs.»

Having found a shop that sold ninja tools in an innermost place, Yahiko peeked at the items.

«But they’re expensive.»

The price tags affixed to them were a little too high for Yahiko and her to obtain, since they had scarce funds. Not only for Yahiko and Konan, the amount of money was quite out of hand for the people of Amegakure.

«…we’re near the Land of Fire here. Apparently there are also shops that are purveyors to the shinobi of Konoha. They also intend to force a high price to the Konoha shinobi.»

At Yahiko, who made a frustrated expression, the shop owner that was inside declared: «If you’re just looking at the goods without buying, you can go home.»

Even the owner of that shop didn’t think that they were of his own country, even if they were people of Amegakure. Probably, if the shinobi of Iwagakure or Sunagakure invaded them, he’d live licking their feet as well.

And then, the ninja tools bought in this village of Amegakure would kill other people of Amegakure.

In a small country like Amegakure, something like the dignity of a country didn’t last. Looking at Yahiko’s frustrated expression, also Konan got worried.

In the end, the only thing she realised was that they couldn’t buy enough, and Amegakure’s relentless current condition. Then, when he was about to leave the village dropping his shoulders, Yahiko had suddenly stopped his feet.

«What’s the matter, Yahiko?»

When she had tilted her head, thinking it was weird, Yahiko said «Wait a second.» and started running. She followed the direction he was heading to with her eyes, and Yahiko looked back in midway and said «Turn around!». Konan asked herself why, but she obediently turned her back on him. She heard in the distance the voice of Yahiko talking with someone or about something. Finally he became quiet, and she heard the sound of him running back to her.

«…?»

However, the sound of his footsteps stopped in midway.

«Yahiko?»

When she called his name, still turned back, he started walking as if he had taken a resolution, and he passed next to Konan at a fast pace.

Yahiko held out something he was holding behind his back to Konan, who had followed after him, surprised. Konan instinctively opened her eyes wide.

In his hands, there was one white flower.

«Yahiko, this is…»

«Apparently, it wasn’t for sale.»

While he said so, he advanced at a fast pace. Also the flower he was grabbing was swaying hectically up and down. If she looked at it carefully, the stem was bent, and there was a cut on the petals.

Konan secretly turned around. Thereupon, there was a flower vendor.

When that flower vendor was about to prune the damaged flower, Yahiko had called out to him, and surely he had conceded it to him for free.

Even if it was damaged, flowers were a luxury item for Amegakure, where the light of the sun was scarce and it rained endlessly.

She could understand the situation objectively. However, the only thing she could do was staring dumbfounded at that flower for that unexpected thing.

Thereupon, Yahiko suddenly stood still, still not looking at her, and tendered the flower to Konan. It had a soft, gentle scent.

«It looks like your hair ornament, Konan.»

Yahiko kept talking rapidly «It’s unlike me, but it was too nice to be thrown away.»

Then, he gave a fleeting glance to Konan, and turned his eyes away immediately once again.

Because he had noticed that Konan’s cheek had blushed.

«Uuh, aah, this, what…»

Also Yahiko’s face had turned red. Konan gulped firmly, and gently stretched her hands to the flower.

When Konan accepted the flower, Yahiko immediately started walking. Both his hands and feet were moving together.

Just by looking at his back like that, Konan’s heart became full, and when she wiped the corner of her eye with the point of her finger she said to his back: «…Thank you…»

Yahiko, without turning towards her, nodded «Yeah…», his ears still red.

 «…mh, Konan, what’s the matter?»

Thereupon, she suddenly went back to reality. The dull weather and the rain that were in her memory disappeared, and her eyes got blurred for the dazzling light.

«…I was…»

«Lost in idle thoughts. What were you doing?» Black Zetsu scolded her. Konan instinctively lowered her head, and meekly answered «I’m sorry». As if he thought it was an unexpected reply, Zetsu’s eyes went round with surprise.

Konan lowered her hand, and looked again at the flowers that were blooming at the root of the tree. The beautiful blossoming flowers were very similar to the one Yahiko gave her that day.

«If you care about it, why don’t you take it?»

Seeing Konan, who was looking at the flowers, White Zetsu rudely pulled out the white flowers.

«Yes.»

A rough bouquet of flowers was handed out to Konan. Even if she was bewildered, she accepted it for the time being.

«Well then, we’ll go ahead.»

«Make sure you come quickly.»

Zetsu merged into the land.

They left, and Konan fetched the pressed flower she was concealing in her chest. She put the white flowers next to it.

«…»

Her heart was throbbing painfully, and Konan instinctively hid her face.

 3

«From here, advance for a short while with the mountain you can see at north as a landmark. The meeting point is when you cross three rivers.»

«It’s a territory of beasts, so make sure of not being eaten.»

On the summit of the mountain she had finally arrived to, she was pointed out the new path by Zetsu.

Honestly, moving according to their indications was unpleasant, but she answered «Yeah», and aimed to the place of destination.

As White Zetsu said, it wasn’t a path, but a territory of beasts. While she moved jumping the branches, she paid attention to her surroundings.

She immediately crossed the first river, and ran without rest, but sometimes the scent of the flowers came from inside her clothes.

She couldn’t throw away the white flowers she found at the base of the mountain.

When she sniffed the scent of the flowers, another memory was brought back.

The conversation of when she had received the flower from Yahiko.

 «The flower…»

After several days had passed coming home carrying the flower, the flower gradually withered. Unlike her paper flowers, the life span of a plucked flower was short. Maybe it was the fact that they were coming back home or the road, but Konan didn’t want to lose that flower.

«…»

Then Konan, when Yahiko and Nagato were all out, had wrapped that flower with paper, and tried to make a pressed flower putting a stone weight on it.

«…I made it.»

It was four days after she had put the stone weight on it. When she had some time alone, she had secretly checked the flower. It was the first time she did that, so its shape had turned out a little bad, but even so she was satisfied. Then, she could keep it with her for much longer.

«…it’s pretty.»

«!!»

Thereupon, the one who spoke peeping at the pressed flower from Konan’s back was Nagato.

«N-Nagato.»

She had come back home before she had noticed. Seeing Konan, who was strangely flustered, Nagato smiled.

«It seemed that something was on your mind, Konan, when you came here for several days, but it was that.»

Turning the hop-in plank that was on the wall of their hideout, Nagato sat next to Konan. Konan put the pressed flower back into the paper that was wrapping it and placed it at the corner of the desk trying to conceal it.

«You weren’t injured?»

«It’s all right. Yahiko will come home soon as well.»

«So. In this case, we should prepare some meal.»

«That’s right.»

When they met, Nagato was so thin and weak that he looked like he was about to die at any time.

He had special eyes, the Rinnegan, and was also afraid of the greatness of his power, but now he was a fine shinobi, mind and body.

«…for some reason, I suddenly remembered about Jiraiya-sensei.»

While they were preparing the meal, Nagato looked intently at the hop-in planks.

Jiraiya was a shinobi of Konohagakure who had taught Konan and the others ninjutsu.

And not only ninjutsu, he had taught them many important things to survive.

«When sensei left, you, Konan, comforted Yahiko, who was crying. Saying that we’d meet again one day.»

«Yeah.»

«I’ve made sensei a promise. That’s why… after I catch hold of it, I want to meet sensei once again.»

They had become adults, but there were things that didn’t change.

The kind-hearted boy from the first time they met was still holding that kindness in his heart even now.

Catching hold of a world without wars. That was his wish.

It was the same for Yahiko. He’d fight giving his best to help Amegakure.

And their dream was also Konan’s dream.

«That’s right. Even I… want to catch hold of it with you.» Konan said, nodding as to confirm their dream. Thereupon, for some reason Nagato giggled.

«Nagato?»

«…no, somehow… there’s something I noticed these days.»

«Something you noticed….?»

Nagato’s expression was peaceful.

«Now, in this country that is still full of things it misses, while we’re fighting at the risk of our lives, it’s no time to think about such a thing, but… yeah, I couldn’t realise it, though.»

«?»

«Konan, unlike us, you could catch hold of something.»

Konan looked at Nagato in puzzlement.

«I? What…?»

Nagato’s gaze went towards the pressed flower.

«Say, Konan.»

Nagato smiled, as if he was teasing her.

«Flowers bear fruit some time.»

At that time, she hadn’t understood the meaning of those words.

«If the clouds that shed tears of blood disappear, and the light of dawn shines impartially on all the things, and the flowers bloom in profusion also in the land of Amegakure, maybe it will come also the day in which the people that are important for me, the people I want to protect, will increase.»

 «…»

Konan had unconsciously stopped. Her chest hurt.

That warm recollection caused pain in the current Konan. She leaned on the tree trunk and pushed her forehead against it, and sweat gradually beaded it.

In those painful circumstances, even if she tasted the despair, Nagato’s wish crawled up to her.

He, right now — he was confined in a dark room, inside Amegakure’s tower, suffering alone.

His cheeks were hollowed, his rib cage was showing, and the peace he was aiming to while turning chakra into life was completely different form the peace had aimed to that time.

«Fu…»

Konan sighed deeply and wiped her forehead. When she suddenly looked down, there were flowers blooming near the root of the tree.

«Those are…»

She jumped from the tree, and when she looked at them closely going down to her knees, the flowers she saw at the base of the mountain were blooming there.

Konan asked herself why, thinking it was suspicious, but she immediately noticed.

«This is…»

When she looked carefully, there was a plump fruit on the tip of the stem. When she took it in her hand and split it, seeds were tightly packed into it.

Probably, the flowers here had bloomed before the ones blooming at the base of the mountain, and then they bore fruit, and were tied to the next generation.

Then, the wind blew through the forest, and the seeds placed on Konan’s palm fall onto the earth as the trees swayed.

«…»

Next year, those seeds would sprout, spread their leaves, bloom flowers, and bear fruit once again.

 That night, on Konan’s hand, who was resting with the branches of a tree as a bed, there were the seeds of the flowers.

—Flowers bear fruit some time.

She remembered Nagato’s words. Now Konan understood what Nagato had dreamed of that time.

Konan grabbed the seeds tightly.

«However, now, no more…»

She was a flower that didn’t bear fruit anymore.

 4

«You’re late.»

When she finally passed the third river, Zetsu was waiting for her, looking bored. Apparently her pace was too slow.

«From here, you should just head upriver.»

As they said, apparently the upstream area became a valley, and the Valley of Lies was a village built at the centre of this valley.

However, apparently it had been destroyed by Kakuzu and Hidan, and had caused a large-scale landslide.

«It’s another half day from here. The valley has become hollow, so I think you’ll understand when you see it.»

«Our guidance ends here. The rest is left to you.»

She had thought they’d accompany her till the end, but apparently she was wrong.

«I’ll finish this quickly and come back to Amegakure.»

«…I’m expecting as much.»

When she ran along the river, the valley gradually became deeper. Wind was blowing through the ravine, and sometimes it carried off the water of the river. It was whirled up and touched Konan’s skin like mist. For Konan, who was used to rain pouring down incessantly, it made her feel more relieved than the piercing sunrays.

Also the forest gradually became thicker, and there was not even one sign of human presence. She wondered if there were really people in a place like that.

«…»

The flowers she had plucked at the base of the mountain were already starting to wither. Surprisingly enough, they had still their scent. Every time she breathed that scent, she remembered about the past.

Her memories were always in the rain, and Yahiko and Nagato were there. However, the memories of when the three of them could laugh together disappeared with that day as a turning point.

That day — the day Yahiko died.

Hanzō, the leader of Amegakure, had tried to get rid of Yahiko and the others, who aimed at a peace that didn’t rely on military power and had gathered some supporters.

And the reason why he snatched away Yahiko’s life was Konan. Hanzō had captured Konan, and had used her life as material to his tactic.

Hanzō told Nagato that if he wanted to save Konan, he had to kill Yahiko.

—Forget about me, you two run away from here!!

The words she had yelled while she was getting wet for the rain; she had thought so from the bottom of her heart.

Her life didn’t matter, it’d be alright as long as the two of them survived.

However, Konan wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Grabbing Nagato’s hand, who was trembling holding a kunai, Yahiko sacrificed his own life without hesitation.

Then, Yahiko died.

However, Konan thought that Yahiko wasn’t the only one who had died that day.

Also Nagato, that day, that moment, had died.

Nagato had killed his human self.

Nagato, who was kinder than anyone else, more sensitive than anyone else, and who tried to fight risking his life, had given up both his dreams and his wishes, and became “God”.

—The real pain to this world, in which hatred runs rampant.

Humans were foolish animals that don’t learn. There was no other way besides training them giving them pain.

And create a temporary peace, this was Nagato’s dream.

Nagato had joined hands with Madara.

It turned out that “Akatsuki” was joined by shinobi that were the exact opposite of Yahiko’s ideology.

As long as it was for their goal, they killed anyone; as long as it was for their goal, they destroyed everything.

And the point they ended up—

 —Is it really okay?

 Suddenly, she felt like she could hear that voice.

When she raised her head in surprise with a start, a light appeared on the other side of the trees, which were lying one on top of the other. Then, there was the gentle scent of the flowers.

When she advanced, perplexed, a flowerbed was spreading at the end of the forest, which she had thought it would continue persistently.

«That’s…»

There weren’t clouds, the sky had cleared up, and white flowers were blooming on the whole surface of that place illuminated by the sun.

The scent of the flowers was gentle, sweet, and it enshrouded Konan.

—It looks like your hair ornament, Konan.

She recalled Yahiko’s voice. Yahiko, who had given Konan the flower while blushing to his ears.

—If the clouds that shed tears of blood disappear, and the light of dawn shines impartially on all the things, and the flowers bloom in profusion also in the land of Amegakure, maybe it will come also the day in which the people that are important for me, the people I want to protect will increase.

She could hear Nagato’s voice. His gentle and calm voice.

And the memories of the past urged Konan.

 She wondered if she should let Nagato walk the path of destruction, as he was.

 They had strayed from the path Yahiko wished for, they snatched away lives that they couldn’t snatch away, and now they were walking down an evil path.

—Yahiko had never wished for something like that.

She had mixed feelings, and she felt nauseated. Regret was crushing her chest.

Yahiko’s figure passed across her mind.

“…Konan.”

His honest eyes were staring fixedly at her. His figure was still younger than her.

“I understand that you’re suffering, Konan.»

From that day on, Konan had always been thinking it.

That she should have died.

Things wouldn’t have turned out that way if she had thrown away her life and Yahiko and Nagato had escaped that day.

If Konan had died, they would have suffered.

But they surely would have stood up to their feet.

In Yahiko’s case, he would have led Nagato to a bright world.

And one day they would have catch hold of peace, and they would have talked together inviting Jiraiya in that hideout the three of them used to live in.

It would have been nice if Konan’s name had come out there as well.

But even so, it would have been nice if they two of them had smiled together.

However, Yahiko had died. And Konan couldn’t take Nagato along on the right path.

Konan was the one who had distorted everything.

“Let’s stop already.”

Yahiko made a painful expression, and held his hand out to Konan.

He had said it.

 “Save yourself at least, Konan…”

«…who’s there!!» Konan yelled. She brought her hand to his hair ornament, pulled out one of the papers and threw it right in front of her. The paper became a paper shuriken and pierced a white flower that was blossoming — or so it seemed.

However, the flowers were blooming without change and without even suffering damage, scattering their petals. Konan, who was sure of it, joined her hands.

«Release!!»

At the same time, the world was distorted.

«This is…»

The blooming flowers disappeared, and one step ahead of Konan’s feet there was an abyss that continued to the ravine.

In the place where there was the flowerbed the cliff had crumbled down, and a wide hole had opened. Near the hole, earth that had become as hard as clay had showed up.

Konan was sure of it. It was the “Valley of Lies”.

«Tch, she released the genjutsu!»

Thereupon, someone swooped down on her from behind. The foothold was unsteady there. Konan jumped towards the other side of the valley.

Only there, in the wide forest, large trees had fallen and were buried by earth. Maybe they were the traces where Kakuzu and Hidan had fought.

«…you’re an enemy of the village, I won’t let you get away!»

The enemy was only a man. Surely this man was the shinobi Madara had told her about. Konan took a breath and focused her strength. And when she was about to fire paper from her body a voice echoed again I her mind.

—Konan, that’s enough.

It was Yahiko’s voice.

«…»

This time it wasn’t only that.

«…! Yahiko…»

He was standing in front of her.

—It’s enough, Konan. I beg you. Save yourself at least.

There was that sweet and gentle scent together with his voice. That sweet, sweet scent—

«…is it this!»

Konan fetched the white flowers and the seeds from her chest and threw them away. The scent of the flower became distant, and Yahiko’s figure faded away. However, it didn’t disappear completely. Konan discarded her “Akatsuki” clothes as well, in which the scent of the flowers had soaked.

—Konan.

Despite this, she could faintly hear Yahiko’s voice. His extended hand.

Konan took a resolution, and fetched the handmade Japanese paper that wrapped the pressed flower.

«Don’t insult Yahiko!»

Moulding chakra in that paper, she threw it at Yahiko’s illusion. It turned into a paper shuriken and slipped through the illusion, and then—

«Gyah…!»

It had stabbed the man, who was about to swoop down on Konan from behind the illusion, between his eyes.

Konan, who had released the illusion completely, brought forth a large quantity of paper and swooped down on the man.

«Iih…!»

The paper was clinging onto the man’s body, and the man, who had his body wrapped just like a chrysalis, collapsed on the spot.

«Shit, how could you break my Scent of Illusionary Flowers Technique*…!»

Konan looked down on the man that had collapsed at her feet.

«A hallucination by means of the stimulation of the sense of smell?»

Surely that man could put a hallucinating scent into the flowers. Apparently, it wasn’t limited to living flowers only. However, if the scent was far away, also the genjutsu faded.

«Why did you perceive it! This genjutsu traces memories, it’s a technique that makes everybody lose their fighting spirit!»

«Because it’s full of lies.» Konan said as she was spitting it out. «It’s impossible to pretend that Yahiko would make me abandon Nagato.»

Since she had seen that white flowerbed, there had been a bunch of lies.

Of course, Yahiko had died for her fault. She regretted it. The fact that she’d rather have died, she had also thought so.

However, she absolutely didn’t blame Nagato.

Konan trusted Yahiko and Nagato. No matter what path they were walking on, she would keep approving them. Because they were everything for Konan.

Konan looked down on the man.

«You’ve contaminated an important person for me.»

Now, also Konan was completely wet with blood.

 5

Konan began walking with the corpse that had turned into a lump of meat on her back. Apparently, the man was an Iwagakure shinobi and was acquainted with the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, as Madara had said.

However, apparently he wasn’t that much close to him, and he didn’t even know where the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails was. In the end, she had gone there for no reason.

«…»

Her pressed flower, the one Yahiko had given her, had fallen on the ground.

Memories were sweet and beautiful. The bright coloured world illuminated by the sun, the beautiful flowers in full bloom whispered to Konan that maybe there was another path.

However, the flower that Konan thought was the most beautiful was in the country where rain poured down incessantly.

Konan ran, treading on the flower.

Because her feelings for Yahiko and Nagato hadn’t withered yet.

 «…setting the table with just that is pathetic.» White Zetsu muttered while watching Konan’s back, who had left, showing his face from the ground.

«Eh, Obito?»

At the calling, Obito, who had been watching the whole scene inside the forest, showed himself.

He had taken the name of Madara and was secretly manoeuvring things, but that was a fictitious and fake figure.

«I’ve been wondering if Nagato’s hatred would become much stronger if Konan died, but…»

Behind the mask, his Sharingan eye didn’t reflect his emotions.

«Konan was somehow rebellious towards us.»

«When we met them for the first time, Yahiko had told Konan that she shouldn’t approach me. Probably Konan keeps it in mind.»

The only people she trusted were Yahiko and Nagato.

«However, I know that as long as there’s Nagato, she would never betray us.»

Even if he had attacked the part that was probably her weakest point, she hadn’t wavered. There were no worries, probably.

«This matter is over. There are a lot of things to do. Go.»

«Yes, yes, I got it.»

«Geez, you’re such a slave-driver, Obito.»

At Obito’s words, Zetsu disappeared.

The wind was blowing, and Obito’s clothes swayed.

«Everything is on the palm of my hand…»

He stretched the palm of his hand he was looking down to towards the midday sky where the moon couldn’t be seen.

«Wait for me, Rin…»

 Originally, the light was for shining on a country that cried a rain of blood.

Before they became aware of it, it changed its meaning, changed its form, and changed into the deepest darkness.

—“Akatsuki”.

Its carved name would probably be left forever as evil together with its heroes.

“Akatsuki” — wouldn’t disappear.

NOTE:

*花幻嗅の術, kagenkyuu no jutsu.

Another side note: the hop-in planks are those cards Jiraiya invented when he was training the Ame orphans. The wikia called them 'hop-in planks', but I just noticed the lame pun in it: in Japanese, they're the かえる板 kaeru-ita. Ita means 'plank', and kaeru can mean both 'turning over' (in fact, you turn the plank) and 'coming home', as a verb. But as a name, kaeru means 'frog' (in fact, there's the image of a frog on the back).

Epilogue

«…our family has been killed by “Akatsuki”.»

The young brothers he met in the middle of his travels, Ōmitsu and Komitsu.

Solicited by Komitsu, the younger brother, Sasuke had taught him about the paper shuriken.

Remembering his past self and Itachi thanks to the brothers’ figure, he had felt calm, but at those words, muttered while staring at the setting sun at west, Sasuke’s chest tightened.

In those days Sasuke, who was tainted by darkness, killed a lot of people. He didn’t remember all the lives he stole and the names.

Perhaps, it was possible that Sasuke had stolen an important person for those brothers.

Was it a crime he was responsible for? Sasuke was bitterly self-conscious.

«Oi, little devils!»

Thereupon, he suddenly heard a shouting voice coming from behind. Ōmitsu and Komitsu turned around in a hurry.

«I always tell you not to tread on the flowers!»

The one who had appeared was a man, maybe older than Sasuke.

«Ki-Kiiro-niichan…!»

Apparently, those two had another elder brother. The two checked the ground at their feet in a hurry, and avoided the flowers. Kiiro said «Alright.» turning his eyes towards Sasuke.

«…!»

Then, he made an astonished expression.

«You… no, that guy must be dead…»

Seeing Sasuke’s face, apparently he remembered about “someone”. Sasuke immediately inferred it. That man knew Itachi. A certain possibility budded inside Sasuke.

«Kiiro-niisan, this guy… Sasuke rescued Komitsu.»

Without perceiving the stinging atmosphere that flowed between Sasuke and Kiiro, Ōmitsu introduced Sasuke to Kiiro.

«Komitsu…?»

«Komitsu has nearly fallen from the cliff.»

«Aaaah, Ōmitsu-niichan, fhush about that, fhush!»

«It’s ‘shush’.»

Komitsu tried to dodge the matter in a hurry, but then he gave in to Kiiro’s sharp eyes and hung his head saying «I’m sorry».

«…you rescued my little brother. Thank you.»

«No…»

Looking at Sasuke, who had shut his mouth without knowing if he should receive those thankful words directly or not, apparently also Kiiro felt something. He raised his voice at Ōmitsu and Komitsu saying «Go fetch that from home.»

The two of them ran saying «Got it!», their expression cleared in a flash.

Just Sasuke and Kiiro were left. There was no need of unnecessary conversations.

«Do you know Itachi?»

When he asked him going straight to the point, «Yeah.» Kiiro nodded.

«Once, I’ve been living as a shinobi with my older brother in Kirigakure. That time, it happened we fought with the mysterious person of Kirigakure, Hoshigaki Kisame. Uchiha Itachi was there.»

The one Itachi had been partnered with in “Akatsuki” was Hoshigaki Kisame. The image of the two of them when they formed a duo floated in Sasuke’s mind.

«Ōmitsu said your family had been killed by “Akatsuki”.»

«…yeah. That time, it was my brother.»

Listening that, Sasuke regretted it. The fact that he had to do with Ōmitsu and Komitsu. Playing merrily with the younger brother of the man who had killed their family, wasn’t a truth nothing but painful for him?

Also Kiiro, who had personally fought with Itachi, maybe was thinking that an old wound had been reopened, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke knew the size of the things Itachi had taken responsibility for. However, he no longer felt inclined to tell those brothers, whose family had been killed by Itachi, to understand that. Because unlike when he secluded himself in his own world, the current Sasuke could sympathise with those brothers’ pain, too.

But still, when he thought about Itachi’s position, Sasuke’s own chest hurt. And more than anything, Sasuke himself had enrolled into “Akatsuki” for his own goals. It didn’t change the fact that he was part of the existence that snatched their family away.

He wondered if a person like him shouldn’t get in touch with people easily. Sasuke thought so because of the depth of his own crimes.

«However, the one who killed my brother is me.»

But, thereupon, Kiiro said some unthinkable words. His gaze, which had unconsciously fallen, rose.

«I’ve told Ōmitsu and Komitsu as well. It will still take some time until they understand it.»

«What do you mean?»

«I, who was overconfident in my strength and desperately tried to gain fame, without listening to my older brother’s warning, challenged Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame in a fight. As a result, my older brother died. No matter what you think about it, it’s my fault, right?» Kiiro said, and took a breath.

«Niisan protected… his foolish younger brother, risking his life.»

His gaze moved towards the glowing sky at west, as if he was remembering his older brother.

«My older brother was special. Since he was born he’d been raising bees inside his body. Poisonous bees that attacked those who tried to cause harm to him… inside my brother’s body, there were honeybees that made a special honey using my brother’s chakra as feed.»

Sasuke imagined that they were like Konoha’s Aburame clan.

«It’s called royal jelly though. The honeybees ate my brother’s chakra, and stashed their royal jelly in the source of his life… that is, in his heart.»

Kiiro pointed to his own heart, tapping it with his thumb.

«It’s something like vital energy that they kept stashing it since he was born. My brother, in order to fool those two “Akatsuki”, poured that into me with the poisonous bees, creating a situation of apparent death. From my brother’s heart, to mine. With that, my brother died.»

Life poured from the older brother to the younger brother. Around Kiiro, who was narrating, many bees were flying. Maybe, that strange technique had been passed down together with it.

«That’s the reason. I’m not saying that “Akatsuki” did this and that. Besides…»

Kiiro’s gaze, who was staring at the sky at west, slowly went back to him.

«Probably, Itachi noticed both the fact that I was still alive, and what my older brother was trying to do. Because he had the Sharingan, at any rate. Even so, he didn’t finish me off.»

Kiiro looked intently at Sasuke’s face.

«Maybe he thought that I’d die if he left me alone, but he didn’t seem a shinobi that would have let something like that pass under his nose. I’ve always been thinking why he did that, but I have a hunch that the mystery is solved.»

A gentle breeze was blowing from the bottom of the valley. The petals of the white flowers were flying. Kiiro laughed.

«Because Itachi had a little brother, too.»

At those unexpected words, Sasuke opened his eyes wide. «As for me…» Kiiro continued.

«That day on, I’ve retired from the world of shinobi, and kept travelling together with my younger brothers protecting the nectar of the flowers. Right now, we’re living here taking the nectar of these flowers.»

Kiiro knelt down, and softly brushed his hand against the flowers.

«The nectar of these flowers is very rare and becomes also a medicine. By nature, it grows in places much more down the mountain, though. Maybe because birds and animals bring the seeds even here, I found out that they grow en masse. I’ve been enlarging it and now it’s a flowerbed. Well, I can take only a small quantity, so we can barely survive, though. Now, you know, I’m living feeling okay.»

As Kiiro said this, vitality filled his expression, as he said.

«So, the fact that I’m living in this way is thanks to my older brother, and your older brother. Even if I didn’t know him, an unexpected thing connected us. I’m thankful.»

Although his own inexperience had led his older brother to death, it was surely “Akatsuki” that had snatched his older brother away. Even so, the fact that he could say he was thankful maybe was a proof that he was living facing his own crime. Moreover, he had frankly opened his heart to Sasuke, who was Itachi’s younger brother. What was the source of his strength? When he thought about it, suddenly he could hear the sound of an explosion, doooong, coming from under the cliff. He was on alert wondering what the hack had happened, but «Ahh, it’s all right.» Kiiro replied, with a look that he was accustomed to it.

«Down below, there are the furnaces of ceramics.»

«Furnaces of ceramics…?»

«Yeah. With special ceramic items. They make them using a sticky earth that looks like mud, which curiously is only around here.»

Even if he said so, he peeked down the cliff as if he was worried. He noticed that on the fourth finger of his left hand, he had put a white ceramic ring.

A beautiful flower pattern was on that ring.

«Niicha–n!»

The sun was setting, and the sky was gradually turning indigo. Ōmitsu and Komitsu were returning back to them.

«…?»

When he looked at them, Ōmitsu was carrying a baby on his arms.

«Oi oi, why did you bring him along? I had finally lulled him to sleep.»

Apparently, the one that Kiiro said to bring wasn’t that baby.

«I thought he’d be lonely, alone at home.»

At Ōmitsu’s words, Kiiro said «Well, you’re right» with a bitter smile, and picked the baby up. Yet different from the expression that showed he was a sibling, he had a trustworthy face somehow, the face of a father.

«We’ve brought also that, percisely!»

«It’s ‘precisely’.»

Komitsu raised his right hand high from behind Ōmitsu. He was clutching a small bottle on that hand. Kiiro took it, and handed it to Sasuke.

«This is…»

«Hachibe’s honey. An expression of gratitude for saving my little brother.»

«If you have just one lick, you’ll become extremely healthy!» Komitsu said, without slips of tongue this time. The honey was sparkling in the transparent bottle. The baby was sleeping in Kiiro’s arms. Seeing the brothers, who were making a merry smiling face, Sasuke took the bottle, and bowed his head.

During the Great War, many people lost many things.

But people were living earnestly like this.

«Come here again, Sasuke niichan!»

«Thank you very much!»

On parting, Ōmitsu and Komitsu were still shaking their hands at Sasuke, who was leaving.

Next to the two of them, Kiiro raised his voice.

«Hey, Sasuke!»

At the last moment, Kiiro asked: «Was your brother kind as well?»

At those words, he had a thought that made his heart tighten.

However, Sasuke answered looking firmly at the brothers.

«Yeah!»

 Also “Akatsuki” had a family.

Also “Akatsuki” had loved ones.

They too were shinobi, and were human.

(end of the novel)

...There. The chapter I liked the most was Hidan and Kakuzu's, but this one has an intrinsic beauty imo (and lots of feels). Anyway.

I intend to keep this chapter here indefinitely, if you agree (so that you won't have to worry about expiry dates or something).

For those who'll inevitably ask me: no, I won't post the whole novel (because there's a translation of it already, and mine would be redundant plus sometimes I feel like I'm stealing other people's spotlight if I do so and I absolutely don't want that), but I've translated it all nonetheless, so if you wanna read it you can use the usual method (send me an e-mail address) and I'll give it to you (just gimme some time to edit/fix the whole thing - like, I have to fix the names according to Narutopedia, and such).

[aion-rsa]

How Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon Revives His Rejected Star Wars Project

https://ift.tt/3qR9uQ6

Zack Snyder’s newfound partnership with Netflix will soon yield more than burgeoning franchise Army of the Dead, as evidenced by the streaming giant’s official reveal of sci-fi movie Rebel Moon. Interestingly enough, the space-set project will allow the oft-discussed director to finally manifest his ideas for a Star Wars movie. Indeed, it appears that Netflix is facilitating the realization of the Star Wars Snyder Cut—well, at least an approximation of such a concept.

Rebel Moon’s very title may sound like a mishmash of Star Wars concepts, and that seems to be by its very design. That’s because the project is essentially a repurposed platform for a story Snyder conceived a decade ago for a pre-Disney pitch to Lucasfilm for what the director described as “a mature” take on the space epic set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Now, Snyder is set to direct his own Star Wars-esque adventure, which will work off a screenplay he will co-write with familiar collaborators Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad.  

Brandishing a yet-to-be cast female protagonist for a familiar-sounding premise, Netflix’s official logline for Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon teases, “When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.” Indicatively, the project—adding the element of space—will adhere to the now-conventional story of a warrior forming a ragtag posse to stand up to bandits besieging a small village, which was historically popularized by the classic Japanese cinema of director Akira Kurosawa, specifically 1954’s The Seven Samurai.

Kurosawa’s 1958 adventure epic, The Hidden Fortress, alsp presents a story of accidental antiheroes who stumble into the rescue of a princess from an intimidating enemy stronghold, and—among other familiar-framed scenes—even closes out with a wide-shot ceremony that continues to leave uninitiated Star Wars fans doing a double take, wondering if Chewie will somehow show up to finally get his medal.

The director’s Edo-period-set masterpieces not only famously inspired the Western genre’s rise stateside, but would become one of the main aesthetic influences for George Lucas’s original concept for Star Wars. This was notably evident by the fact that Lucas originally wanted esteemed actor Toshiro Mifune—who starred in many of Kurosawa’s classics, including the aforementioned films—to play Obi-Wan Kenobi well before Alec Guinness entered the picture.

“This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan,” Snyder explains to THR of Rebel Moon’s influences. “It’s my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”

Of course, Snyder rose to prominence off different, more crimson-spilling fare in 2004 remake zombie epic Dawn of the Dead and 2006 Frank Miller graphic novel adaptation 300, moving on to loftier comic book movie tasks starting with his 2009 take on Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Yet, his appetite for franchises increased even after he became Warner’s appointed visionary for its DC Extended Universe films with 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and—by way of a Joss Whedon pinch-directed 2017 theatrical release—the March-dropped Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was a lengthy, non-canonical epilogue to his tumultuous tenure with said studio. However, Star Wars has long-been the white whale of a film franchise that frustratingly eluded his grasp, and he never quite let go of the plans he unsuccessfully pitched to Lucasfilm, which similarly bore no fruit after Disney’s 2012 acquisition.

Read more

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“We talked about it, but it never [happened],” Snyder stated of his pre-Disney pitch on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via The Playlist) this past May. “I’ve been working on it away from the Star Wars universe, on my own, as a sci-fi thing…It’s still a sci-fi thing. It’s the same story. Now, I’m just going to let Star Wars be Star Wars.”

Indeed, with the franchise having undergone an immense multimedia evolution under the purview of Disney, Snyder is now resigned to the fact that Star Wars—if it ever had any interest in his ideas to begin with—has clearly passed him by, fortuitously affording him this chance to create what could become an original franchise altogether, albeit one that’s loosely derivative. In fact, he acknowledged the notion of a potentially problematic oil-and-water relationship with the Star Wars franchise overseers of Disney in a May interview with the UK’s The Times, in which he stated, “Like, I would love to make a Star Wars movie, I know a lot about it—but I don’t think I would survive that.” After all, Snyder essentially had creative free reign over the DCEU going into Batman v Superman, and, while his methodically dark style certainly agrees with his vocal fandom, it created animosity with Warner Bros, a dynamic that would likely have been replicated exponentially with the detail-oriented Disney.

Consequently, while Rebel Moon will be the de facto Star Wars Snyder Cut, it will nevertheless take shape as a showcase of the director’s altered vision, for which he tells THR is now “pretty far along.” He’ll have plenty of familiar faces helping in that process, since the task of penning the script puts him with Army of the Dead writer Shay Hatten, who, having co-wrote John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum, has also been tapped to work on two back-to-back entries for the Keanu Reeves-starring action franchise. The film’s other co-writer, Kurt Johnstad—who, alongside Snyder, nabs a “story by” credit here—previously worked with the director on 2006’s 300 and 2013’s Noam Murro-directed sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, and comes into the project having most recently worked on the screenplay to 2017 Charlize Theron actioner Atomic Blonde.

Netflix’s Rebel Moon doesn’t have a release date as of yet, but it is expected to commence production sometime in early 2022.

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[healthycoffeeguy]

Check out SIN CITY Deluxe 2-Di… on Mercari!

Check out what I just listed on Mercari. Tap the link to sign up and get up to $30 off. https://item.mercari.com/gl/m57215796352/

This Recut & Extended Edition is the ultimate SIN CITY DVD Collection and features a new, never-before-seen extended version of the original motion picture, the original theatrical release with three new commentaries, and extensive brand-new bonus material! Also included, a complete SIN CITY graphic novel: "The Hard Goodbye." The acclaimed hit from director Robert Rodriguez delivers explosive stories straight from the pages of Frank Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels ... and stars Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Jaime King, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Amazon.com

The two-disc edition of Sin City easily makes the earlier single-disc theatrical-cut release obsolete by including the regular theatrical cut on the first disc, recutting the movie into four extended segments on the second disc (separated by story line), then piling on an impressive load of bonus features. But there's a catch. Billed as "Recut, Extended, Unrated," with "over 20 minutes" of new footage, the new set's four separate stories are extended by only about 6.5 total minutes of movie action (see details below in "What's New"); the rest of the added running time is the splashy new title shots (named by the title of the story or book) and the four minutes of credits that run at the end of each segment. Each addition makes the movie even closer to the comic books, and these extended segments are generally preferable to the theatrical equivalents (unfortunately, there's no Play All option), but don't expect the same impact as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings extended editions. And although this version is unrated, the only risqué addition is a bit of violence from Miho that's no worse than the rest of the crazy violence in the film.

How Are the Bonus Features?

Robert Rodriguez has always loved DVDs, so the bonus features are extensive. On the first disc, there is somehow room for the theatrical cut of the film with its DTS track (the extended versions have only Dolby 5.1), two commentary tracks, an alternate audio track with a live audience in Austin, Texas, an interactive map of characters and locations, and 47 minutes of featurettes covering Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, cars, costumes, props, and special effects. The first commentary is Rodriguez and Miller discussing the concepts and the cast. The second commentary is mostly by Rodriguez, but Tarantino drops in briefly for the scene he directed (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro in the car), as does an enthusiastic Bruce Willis for his segment.

The Tarantino scene gets a lot of attention on the second disc as well, in a 14-minute take in which he can be heard coaching the actors. Also on the disc are Rodriguez's usual "flic school" (among the topics is how scenes were created by merging footage of actors who never actually met), footage of Bruce Willis's band performing in Austin at the time of the shooting, and another Rodriguez cooking school (this time it's breakfast tacos). But the most interesting feature is the "green screen version" of the film: the entire film as it was shot in front of the green screen, sped up to play in only 12 minutes. You can see the actors (in color!) interacting only with the props and each other. Last, there's a DVD-sized complete comic book of The Hard Goodbye.

What's New in the Extended Version?

"The Customer Is Always Right" (the opening sequence with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton) has no new footage, but now goes straight into the one-minute epilogue with Hartnett and Alexis Bledel that closed the theatrical cut. "The Hard Goodbye" (with Mickey Rourke as "Marv" ) has two new sequences totaling about two minutes: Marv encounters his mother and finds his gun, and talks to Weevil in the club. In "The Big Fat Kill" (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro), some short dialogue is restored, along with another wicked slice by Miho (Devon Aoki)--about a minute total. "That Yellow Bastard" (with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba) has about 3.5 new minutes: there are more visitors to Hartigan's hospital bed, including his wife and a nurse; Carla Gugino's Lucille character comes to assist Hartigan when he wants to get out of jail (probably the best addition); and Mr. Shlubb and Mr. Klump have some more lines. 

[littleartistthoughts]

Red Leather

I first discovered this book when I was in the 8th grade, back when I was obsessed with Wattpad. It’s a sequel to another book I like, called “White Lies”, but I find myself returning to this story more often. I reread it every couple of years for fun. I get captivated every single time. 

I recently reread the story again while my family was vacationing in Hawaii, about a week ago. It’s just as dark, twisted, and genius as I remember. 

The Story: 

So, the book is told in the perspective of a teen psychopath. 17-year-old Renee Griffin is beautiful, popular, cunning, and murderous. 

Her first victim was her next door neighbor’s bunny, which she mutilated to death when she was 6 years old. Ever since then, her victims have suffered worse and worse fates, and the monster inside her grows ever stronger and ever darker. The story follows Renee’s journey as she moves to Alistair (where her cousin, Jessabel, the heroine of the first novel, lives). Here, in this fresh new city, she ensues in a grand, wicked scheme to cause chaos and destruction. 

She details all her plots in a red, leather-bound book (hence, the title), which she nicknames “Genesis.” 

Renee’s plan before moving to town was to befriend Jessabel and use the advantage of her highly admirable reputation to tear the city to bits. Things don’t go as planned. Renee, clever as she is, isn’t the best judge of character. Jessabel instantly senses something off about her, and they don’t become as close as she hopes. They don’t even become friends, really. Worst of all, Renee develops a crush on Jessabel’s boyfriend, Nathan. We see this small crush turn slowly into obsession throughout the book. 

At school, Renee befriends many of the younger siblings of Jessabel’s classmates. However, “friends” to Renee are merely means to several ends. She has different uses for her classmates, like obtaining information, learning the ropes, and sabotaging. Reneee chooses several lives to destroy, and she does so successfully. And the city falls into insanity, just as she planned. 

One of my favorite dynamics in the books is that of Renee and her relationship with her father, Ted. Ted is Renee’s single father, who has loved, spoiled, and cherished her all her life. He’s the only person in the novel that Renee feels true, human love for. Albeit a touch toxic and many touches obsessive, he’s a very humanizing presence in Renee’s life. The best irony is that he’s a doctor who sometimes must fix the people his daughter wrecks. But he’s aloof to it all. Renee, who he nicknames “Poppy,” is an angel in his eyes. After the death of his beloved wife, he’s devoted all his love to Renee, giving her everything she’s ever wanted and more. Blinded by his love for her, he’s completely oblivious to all the pain and destruction she’s caused. 

Renee’s safety is Ted’s drive to move states and start a new life. He wants nothing but her happiness and safety, but he doesn’t realize that all the chaos that happens around them is because of her. 

Another interesting character is Eli Lincoln, another psychopath, who Renee finds intriguing. She trusts him almost right away, without question, especially as he begins helping her with her schemes. 

Back in her hometown, Renee left behind an enemy, a girl named Chloe. Renee murdered her boyfriend and got away with it by framing it as a suicide, but Chloe was there that night. She knew the truth, and she set forth to bringing down Renee, once and for all. Her whereabouts remain unknown to Renee, which infuriates her. Despite her attempts to stop the threat before it happens, Chloe seems to be three steps ahead, always. 

Confident as ever, Renee and Eli design a scheme to accomplish everything she’s aiming for -- kill Chloe, kill Jessabel, kidnap Nathan, bring chaos, and escape to another country. Everything goes as planned. 

Except that Eli didn’t kill Chloe as Renee thought he did. She failed to kill Jessabel. Nathan wasn’t in love with her. And Aurora Hockley, her host (and the main mastermind behind the kidnappings in the first novel), was never on her side. Neither was Eli. 

Chloe had planned it all along -- Renee’s downfall. With Eli’s and Jessabel’s help, Renee is defeated, expunged from her throne of deceit. It’s very, very satisfying to the readers. Once again, good prevails. Evil is defeated, just as it’s destined to. 

Despite losing it all (including the love of her father), she manages to put herself in control. Before her trials can happen, she kills herself and her father, with the audience of her dreams. 

It’s infuriating that her death happened at her own hands, but I can see how it’s a fitting end to her character. If it is the end. The author once promised us a third installment to the White Lies series, but it never came. And as of now, there’s no promise that it’ll ever happen. There was an epilogue to Red Leather in Eli’s perspective, where there was small indication that Renee wasn’t dead after all. But, I guess we’ll never know. The author has fallen off of Wattpad, unfortunately. And so that’s simply that. 

I find myself returning to this story because of how captivating and clever it is. Stories are traditionally told in the perspective of the heroes, protagonists who represent good and fairness, people whose shoes we can fit into, people who represent more good than they do bad. This is changing, now, in recent times, but this was the very first book I read that was in the perspective of the villain. 

It’s interesting how you learn to love and hate Renee. Her crimes are heinous and unsettling, but you find yourself somewhat rooting for her. Renee goes through something like an anti-arch. The story is all about her downfall, even though we don’t realize it until the end. 

Renee frequently flashes back to different parts of her life, and she tells about her past schemes. She tells us about her transition from her old self, Rhea, to her present self, Renee. Rhea, to her, was the part of her that was impulsive, sloppy, and miscalculating. Vicious, yes, and cunning, of course, but also prone to mistakes. So she adopts a new persona (and a new name) which she calls Renee. Renee is like a mask to her. Renee is kind, sweet, funny, popular, generous... nothing short of angelic. This is the face she wears in public to gain favor and trust. But Renee is also very murderous. Renee knows how to keep her hands clean. Renee manipulates and destroys from a distance, staying careful not to raise suspicion. Renee is smart and calculating, organized and well-spoken. 

Throughout the story, we kind of see this resolve fade away. With Eli’s (unknowing) help, she makes more and more mistakes. She also grows more and more enraged, darker, more unhinged. The less sane she gets, the more Renee fades away, eventually giving way to the monster inside, her true self, Rhea Griffin. And she topples down until she’s ultimately defeated. She accepts her fate, but she now also accepts who she truly is. 

As Renee, she constantly refers to the darkness within her as the “monster” that lurks beneath her skin. By the end, she fully embraces that she, Rhea, is the monster. 

And despite it all, we’re captivated by Renee/Rhea’s confidence, her cleverness, her vulnerability. She’s a villain, through and through. Even on a gray scale, she falls very, very dark. But her novel gets us thinking, about morality, about our friends, and about ourselves. And that’s the true genius of the novel. 

I can’t wait to give it another read, sometime later in the future. 

[readingraebow]

The Death Cure Section Three

Chapters 47-Epilogue

1. Why is the Right Arm collecting Immunes? They're doing it to mimic WICKED. They're planning to sell the Immunes to WICKED so the Immunes can get inside the compound and they can take WICKED down from the inside. They have a contact inside WICKED who they're planning to sell to.

2. What is the Right Arma’s plan to take down WICKED? A woman named Charlotte created a device that will stop all weapons from working. The plan is to get the Immunes inside WICKED and have them plant the device so it will take out all the weapons. That way, they figure, they'll at least have an even playing field. When all the weapons are disabled then the rest of the Right Arm will break in and have an old fashioned hand to hand combat fight with WICKED's guards. From there, they plan to use the Immunes who were part of the Trials because they know the layout of WICKED's headquarters.

3. How did Newt get his limp? He attempted suicide back in the Maze. He said he climbed up one of the walls in the Maze and just jumped off of it. He said Alby found him and dragged him out before the doors closed. But he hated every single second of the Maze and life hasn't been much better since he left it =/

4. What happens at the end of chapter 55? Newt begs Thomas to kill him since that's the one and only thing he's ever wanted (apparently even before he was infected). Newt has already succumbed to the Flare but it comes and it goes. But, still, the one thing he asked Thomas to do is to kill him and even though Thomas doesn't think he can, he ends up pulling the trigger. I'M FINE. (Not.)

5. Why is Thomas the Final Candidate and what is the last thing WICKED needs from him? Thomas was the strongest throughout the Trials and responded strongest to each of the Variables. In the end, it came down to Thomas and Teresa. But they said Teresa followed the rules too easily and it was Thomas's desire to rebel that made him the Final Candidate. And what they need from him now is his brain. Basically the Trials were a way to see if they could map the brain without killing anyone but, if not, they were a way to decide whose brain they would need to study. So basically they're asking Thomas to donate his brain to science so, hopefully, they can use it as the final piece needed to create the cure.

6. What does the letter from Chancellor Paige say? Where has WICKED hidden the Immunes? Basically that she's stopping the Trials. She says that the Trials have served their purpose and they have more than enough data to map the brain and find a cure. She says that her colleagues disagree and that's why they were trying the procedure on Thomas. She, however, intervened in time to save Thomas's life and will force them to use the data they have to find a cure. She then requests that Thomas take his friends and leave for what will, hopefully, be a better life. She provides a map with directions to the Right Arm's headquarters inside the compound, where the Immunes are being help in the Maze and to the backdoor which exits through a maintenance closet which leads to the Flat Trans which goes to that better life she's promised.

7. How does the novel end? They manage to get the Immunes to the Flat Trans and start getting them through but then Janson appears one last time to try to stop them. All of the ones from the Trials take them on and win the last battle. But the Right Arm is blowing the building up around them so as they all start heading back to the maintenance closet and the Flat Trans, pieces of the building are falling all around them and one lands on Teresa, killing her =// But everyone else manages to make it through the Flat Trans to Paradise. About 200 make it out and they end up in a world that wasn't supposed to exist any longer. But it does and now everyone who lives there is Immune so basically they can start over and be the survivors and keep the human race going while the rest of the world will, presumably, die. But, as Chancellor Paige says in her last memo, the purpose of WICKED was to save the human race and, in the end, it finally served its purpose.

8. What did you think of this book and the series overall? Well. I honestly don't know what to think. I really wish I hadn't waited quite so long to read this book because I honestly don't remember anything about the other two books. Though I think I remember liking the first one better than the second (isn't that the way it always goes?) and I honestly really did like this one. Though, as a whole, I'd say this series is good but it wasn't spectacular or life changing. It didn't blow my mind like the Hunger Games and I don't feel the need to sing its praises from the rooftops and make everyone I know read it like the Raven Cycle (hi if you still haven't read the Raven Cycle, PLEASE DO THE THING. IT'S SO GOOD. Though. Actually, now that I think about it, when book club comes back and starts reading new books, we should read the Raven Cycle. I'll host???) Anyway, this felt like just another dystopian series. It was good and I enjoyed it but it didn't really earn its place in the hall of fame. At least not for me. I'm glad I read it though and it was a fun ride!!

  Section Three Reading Journal

Well, here we are on the other side. So. What else can I say about this series? I didn’t love it more than other dystopian novels but I can definitely list all the ones I hate (and didn’t even finish because I hated them so much) and while this definitely had elements of some of them, I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t exactly love it either. So it falls pretty much firmly in the middle?

I honestly really loved the ending though. I loved Chancellor Paige’s last memo in the epilogue saying that while they had failed miserably with the Trials and the last thing they ever needed to do was more of them, that by sending the Immunes away, they had saved civilization and done what they set out to do. But that also makes me wonder, why didn’t they just do that in the first place? As was said earlier in the books, WICKED’s entire involvement in “finding a cure” was shit show from the get go. They contained the virus so poorly (hi Denver) and then Immunes were so hated they were literally being rounded up and routinely killed. And they were literally humanity’s last hope. Why did they funnel all their money into finding a cure when they could’ve started rebuilding civilization with those who were Immune while working out better plans of containment and sending those who were showing no signs of infection, off to live with those who were Immune so, maybe, they wouldn’t also catch the virus. Because it’s airborne so cities are the last place that would be safe.

Basically, the Trials were completely unnecessary and they could’ve fixed things a long time ago. But there at the end, this was almost like a zombie novel and we all know how those turn out. By the time they figure out how to save anyone, almost everyone is already dead. So I guess that’s why I didn’t really love this series??? It seemed like it could’ve so easily gone a different direction.

Plus a lot of the main characters were, um, awful??? I remember really, really hating Brenda in Scorch but she didn’t really seem to have as much of an ~active role in this one. I guess I just missed the Gladers being front and center and that’s definitely why the first book is my favorite.

So. I’m glad to be done with this series. I did enjoy it and I’m glad I went back and finished it but I’m ready to move on to other things. I will definitely be watching the last movie. (I watched the first two but apparently I never wrote comparisons for them, oops. And now I think it’s too late because I don’t really remember anything about the books.) But I do remember the movies being wildly different than the books. So maybe I’ll like those a little bit better. But we all know why I signed up for those *winks at Dylan* haha. Anyway, if I do manage to watch it before it leaves HBO, I’ll try to remember to write a comparis here.

But glad I’ve finally come back and finished this one! And now I can’t wait to go and read another catch up book! Yay!

[mllemaenad]

Personally... I feel that WEaWH tries to remove itself from TME because it realizes that TME is fucking irredeemable garbage, and tries to make its WLW representation less appalling. So I'm entirely willing to overlook continuity errors for the sake of one relationship between women in the entire series that can go well.

I’m sorry, but I don’t believe that. I’m not going to argue with you on the merits of The Masked Empire, as you’re entitled to like or dislike any media you choose, but I don’t think Bioware is trying to distance itself from the novel. I also don’t think their motive is positive representation, or that they’re seriously suggesting a happy ending. However, even if they were I would call the choice to reunite Celene and Briala without any serious examination of the issues that drove them apart … disquieting.

1) On distancing themselves from the novel.

To begin with the obvious, several of the Dragon Age novels provide not only context for the quests in Inquisition, but also promotional material maintaining audience interest between games.

It’s hardly an accident that Asunder is a prequel to In Hushed Whispers/Champions of the Just, The Masked Empire is a prequel to Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts (as well as giving you a roundabout introduction to Solas) and Last Flight provides you with some context on why Weisshaupt is just no help at all during Here Lies the Abyss.

They do kind of want you to buy all their stuff. And if you started with Inquisition and liked what you saw, they want you to run back and buy all the earlier stuff for context. Video game tie-in novels aren’t generally considered high art, so they’d need serious reasons to want to reject the novel as part of their canon. Just in case, I checked The Masked Empire’s Amazon page, and it’s currently got 4.4 stars – so it doesn’t look like something they’d be particularly desperate to ignore. They’d rather you bought it and gave them money.

To move more to the specific, the game references the novel constantly. In addition to devoting a whole main quest to resolving its plot, it also includes cameos from Mihris, Michel and Imshael, which really serve no other purpose than to provide a bit of closure to the people who read the novel and wondered what became of them. This is actually more than it provides for, say, the characters of Asunder: Rhys and Evangeline appear only in a war table mission, Adrian doesn’t appear at all – and who knows where Shale has wandered off to.

It also references the murder of Briala’s parents directly:

Cole: She’s still behind the curtains in the reading room, watching the blood pool on the floor.

Briala pulled the red velvet curtain aside. Her hands shook as she did. There was a pool of red on the floor of the reading room, staining the rich Nevarran carpet. It had spread almost to the curtain.

At the other end of the pool were Briala’s parents.

– The Masked Empire

If they really wanted to distance themselves from The Masked Empire, they wouldn’t put that in there. If they wanted to say that that this didn’t happen, they’d have retconned the story – or at the very least not mentioned it.

In fact, the choice of words is particularly distressing. Cole senses pain. When he says Briala is ‘still behind the curtains’ he’s emphasising that the trauma and anguish are still very much with her, making a reconciliation, particularly a reconciliation that utterly fails to address a thing that they have confirmed happened, even stranger.

 I would say that one motive for their choice to reconcile the two characters is simplicity. I like parts of Inquisition, but honestly it’s over ambitious. They set up a series of continent-wide catastrophes, each one intensely political: the mage rebellion, the Orlesian civil war, the collapse of the Chantry.

Each one probably requires its own game for a satisfactory solution. I realise they were probably going for something similar to the galaxy-wide political collapse in Mass Effect 3, but the Dragon Age games are at a serious disadvantage because they lack continuity of characters.

Mass Effect 3 had its own problems, of course, but for example – I think most people have fun curing the genophage for the krogan. But what they remember is Mordin Solus and ‘There’s a reaper in my way, Wrex!’ When it worked it was able to build on characters who were present across the series.

Inquisition is faced with trying to find resolutions for groups of people that have no direct connection to each other, and whom the protagonist has never seen before (even if they player has). This is hardly the only time their attempt to fix everything in a single quest ends up making no sense.

2) On positive representation

I’m afraid I don’t think what we get in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts is especially positive. I think it’s … kind of infantilising, really, and has a whiff of sexism about it. I mean – again, I’m not asking you to like The Masked Empire. But this:

“It would have been a locked suite in the palace for a few years, nothing more!” Celene kept her voice low, aware that Michel and Felassan had stopped planning and were looking their way. “It would have changed nothing for us.”

“Your hair still stinks of the smoke from the people you burned,” Briala said. “That is a change.”

The dead leaves crackled under Celene’s feet as she stepped forward. “How many wars can our empire survive in such a short time? I wanted my legacy to be the university, the beauty and culture that made us the envy of the world. Instead I may be known as the empress under whom Orlais fell. You have the luxury of mourning Halamshiral’s elves and holding my heart hostage. Sitting on my throne, I see every city in the empire. If I must burn one to save the rest, I will weep, but I will light the torch.”

Briala swallowed. “You’re not weeping, as far as I can tell. Nor are you sitting on your throne. She stepped away, her movements fast and jerky. “With your permission, Your Radiance, I shall go indulge myself in my luxury.”

– The Masked Empire

… is at least an argument between adults, with the details of what they believe laid out. Celene honestly believes that the empire and her legacy are worth 'a few thousand elven lives’: she believes that maintaining the strength of Orlais is worth thousands of lives in sacrifice, as is the vision she has for the country’s future. Briala is facing up to the fact that this is the bargain she’s made: stay with Celene and she might see an elven scholar graduate from the university – but she’ll likely also see elves burn every time there’s a crisis, because elves are the most expendable people in the empire.

Briala wavers throughout the novel, obviously, because there is genuine feeling between herself and Celene. But the discovery that this has all happened before, that this is not the first time Celene has shed elven blood to impress her rivals and gain power, and that her own parents were among the victims, brings her to a decision.

You don’t have to like it, but these women are serious about what they want and believe.

But in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts we get stuff like this:

Sera: Elves-elves-elves, but it’s really a pissing match with an old lover. Don’t know the rest but that explains a lot.

It’s hardly coincidental that they chose Sera to say this. Sera the commoner, who despises the nobility. Sera the Red Jenny, with contacts in every corner of Thedas. True, Sera’s background has led her to reject a lot of elven culture, but her biggest objection is usually to ‘moping’ about the past. This:

Briala thought for a moment. “Celene and Gaspard saw an army, but that would be fighting their fight. With the paths, I could get food to alienages where elves would otherwise starve. They would let me move ahead of an oncoming army and warn the target, or move behind them and attack their supply lines.”

– The Masked Empire

… sounds more like the practical stuff she favours: she’s said getting revenge would be a preferable option, and this is getting food to the poor, terrorising the nobility and giving little people a shot at being part of something bigger. But now we can’t take it seriously, because Sera has reduced it to a lovers’ tiff.

That isn’t meant as a criticism of Sera, to be clear. They do this when they want a mouthpiece. This is the equivalent of having Cole approve of Cullen.

And as for it going well, this is their epilogue slide:

Where once war raged, there is now a shaky peace. Orlais is resurgent, the empress a patron of arts and culture.

Many attribute this recovery to her lady love, though others wonder how long their reunion will truly last.

– Epilogue (Inquisition)

I mean – maybe they’ll forget about this. They have been known to forget their epilogue slides. But it doesn’t read as though the intent was to write a strong and loving partnership. Rather it looks as though they are selling the relationship as tempestuous.

That’s one place where I am very uncomfortable. This is the revolt of an oppressed people, and the politics an empire. And there’s a sense that they’re saying ‘Oh, those women and their emotions! Today they love each other; tomorrow they’ll hate each other; the day after they’ll probably love each other again. You never know, with women.’

I appreciate that Bioware is fairly progressive, for a game company: the character choices, the romance options, the NPCs – they are trying to represent a variety of races, genders and sexualities. But it doesn’t mean they never fuck up. I mean, there’s a bit in Mark of the Assassin where Isabela tells Hawke that Gamlen has been sexually harassing her and two responses blame her (You find something inappropriate?/Break him. And wear pants.).

Given that they are already struggling to resolve a massive plotline in a ridiculous amount of time, I’m not surprised they fell back on this. It’s narrative shorthand, and that can be handy for desperate situations. But it’s still sexist shorthand, and I very much wish they hadn’t done it.

3) Removing The Masked Empire from the equation doesn’t solve the problem

I mean, it makes some of the bigger issues like Briala’s dead parents a little easier to miss, sure, but it doesn’t make the problems go away.

I appreciate that representation is important. I do. But romantic relationships between women are not the only representation issue at stake, here. There’s no single source for the elven people, of course, but it’s easy enough to see that Bioware has borrowed from the experiences of Jewish, Romani and aboriginal peoples living under empires and/or colonialism.

And have we ever established that it is shit to be an elf. The city elf origin story in Origins is an abduction/rape/murder combo. The Dalish clans in Origins and DA2 can be slaughtered. It’s terrifyingly easy to kill off clan Lavellan in war table missions, and even though this is the protagonist’s family the game doesn’t make a thing of it. There’s a whole side quest in DA2 about a serial killer who targets elves, and who keeps getting away with it because no one gives a shit. We are up to our eyeballs in codex entries on the treatment of elves.

And here we have Briala, the leader of a rebellion in Orlais – one of the nations best known for oppressing the fuck out of the elves and trying to destroy their culture.

Even without The Masked Empire this is:

a) providing only the most minimal description of the nature of her rebellion and what she hopes to achieve.

b)allowing her to be dismissed as primarily involved in a lovers’ tiff.

c) pairing her with a woman the game actually says massacred the Halamshiral elves.

d) using the massacre as evidence against her because she was sleeping with Celene, rather than as evidence against the woman who actually committed it.

That’s … all pretty shitty, even at the simplest level. The game doesn’t address any of this. It doesn’t even force the characters to discuss what happened before throwing them back together. It spends as much time tsking at Briala for destabilising Orlais as it does Celene and Gaspard. It loves the idea that they’re all as bad as each other – which allows the player to justify just about any ending.

And this is a thing they do repeatedly: they tsk at the mage rebellion as well. They seem to be very good at describing the sufferings of the elves, the mages, the casteless dwarves … but don’t approve of them actually doing anything about their oppression. At least not anything more forceful than writing a stern letter of complaint (for those lucky literate characters!) to the local lord or revered mother.

And so minimising the problems of Celene and Briala’s relationship, and waving a locket around (which, even out of context, does not seem like a forceful enough declaration of love to startle Briala) does … not strike me as very respectful of peoples who have suffered under empires, and who have had to fight tooth and nail for every sliver of justice.

It’s not that I want to exclude a healthy, positive romance between two women in order to have Awesome Revolutionary Briala. I just don’t understand why we couldn’t have both.

Couldn’t Briala show up with a new girlfriend? Do it properly: give her a codex entry and make her active and important in the quest. Show the two of them both being affectionate and working together for the cause. Make sure that at least some of the possible quest endings leave them alive, together and continuing to better the lot of the elves.

I can understand that you may not like The Masked Empire and may want to exclude it from your personal headcanon. That’s absolutely fine, obviously. But I do not believe that was Bioware’s intent in writing the the Briala-and-Celene reconciliation, and I still have serious issues with it.