#◆ DEAR DIARY ﹎ tanya / in character

[deadguydeathmatch]

Welcome to the Dead Guy Death Match Elimination Round!

Due to the broad nature of death as a concept, most of the submitted characters only received a few votes each causing a massive tie. I figured the fairest way to sort out this issue would be to hold an elimination round to let you guys vote on who you want to make it into the bracket.

There will be two elimination rounds the first of which will start on Monday the 3rd of April at 3pm BST and the second will start on Saturday the 8th of April at 3pm BST.

Elimination Round 1 will feature polls of 5 or 6 unrelated characters (all of the matchups were generated randomly) for you to vote on. The lowest voted character will be eliminated and all of the remaining options will progress to the bracket.

Elimination Round 2 will feature polls of differing numbers of characters from the same or similar media and only the highest ranked character among them will progress to the bracket, all of the others will be eliminated.

Both sets of polls will last 24 hours.

I've tried my best to only include official images for all of the characters on the polls but I'm not familiar with every series listed so, when the polls go up, if you notice I've used a fanart or cosplay image without permission or credit please let me know and I'll add credit and correct it for any future appearances of that character.

The matchups are listed under the read more and hyperlinked to the polls

I apologise if I’ve accidentally spelled something wrong or used a wrong name for something, I’m not familiar with every series listed.

There will be spoilers for many series ahead.

Round 1-

Poll 1-

Leif- Bug Fables

Claire Foley- Professor Layton

Magne- My Hero Academia

Koki Kariya- The World Ends With You

Matsuri Kanroji- Demon Slayer

Tiso- Hollow Knight

Poll 2-

Polly Geist- Monster Prom

Beetlejuice- Beetlejuice

Kim Namwoon- Omnicient Reader’s Viewpoint

King Arthur- King Arthur

Chidi Anagonye- The Good Place

Duncan- Dragon Age

Poll 3-

Breakdown- Transformers

Varl- Horizon

Captain Orimar Vale- Skyjacks Podcast

Deep Throat- The X-Files

Connor Murphy- Dear Evan Hansen

Poll 4-

Catherine Earnshaw- Wurthering Heights

Johannes Cabal- Horst Cabal

Mr Boddy- Clue

Galivar Kholin- Stormlight Archive

Seth Gordon- All For The Game

Poll 5-

Jay Gatsby- The Great Gatsby

Billy Loomis- Scream

Esmeralda- The Hunchback of Norte Dame Novel

Kili- The Hobbit

Charles Vane- Black Sails

Poll 6-

Ned Stark- Game of Thrones

Hua Cheng- Heaven’s Official Blessing

Skelly- Hades

Nate- Levarage

Owen Carvour- Spies Are Forever

Poll 7-

Andre Grandier- Rose Of Versailles

Ash Lynx- Banana Fish

Jade Irinka- Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish Granting Engine

Hugo Oak- Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Evelyn Hooper- Less is Morgue

Poll 8-

Pandora Hearts- Xerxes Break

Bow- Inanimate Insanity

Sam Cortland- Throne of Glass

Matoro- Bionicle

Tigerstar- Warrior Cats

Poll 9-

Deadman- DC Comics

Bunny Corcoran- The Secret History

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight- Saw

Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne- The Inheritance Games

La Signora- Genshin Impact

Poll 10-

Erik- The Phantom of the Opera

Diggory Graves- Hello from the Hallowoods

Max- Sam and Max

Nicholas D Wolfwood- Trigun

Pip Pirrip- South Park

Poll 11-

Pedro Madrigal- Encanto

Midori- Your Turn To Die

Charles Foster Kane- Citizen Kane

Rufus Emeterio- They Both Die at the End

Tuuri- Stand Still Stay Silent

Poll 12-

Manny Calavera- Grim Fandango

Howard Hamlin- Better Call Saul

Tanya McQuoid- White Lotus

Diallos Hoslow- Elden Ring

Sayaka Miki- Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Poll 13-

Meiji “Menma” Honma- Anoha: The Flower We Saw That Day

Chiyoko Fujiwara- Millenium Actress

Mari- Omori

Simon Karin- Pathologic

Lee Everett- The Walking Dead

Poll 14-

Rachel Amber- Life is Strange

Jason Grace- Riordanverse

Violet Harmon- American Horror Story

Vylad Ro’Meave- Minecraft Diaries

Chara- Undertale

Poll 15-

River Song- Doctor Who

Queen Serenity- Sailor Moon

Sliver of Straw- Rain World

Manny- Swiss Army Man

Mr Nobody- Transistor

Poll 16-

Shizu- Slime Tensei

Michael Afton- Five Nights at Freddy’s

Neil Perry- Dead Poet’s Society

Silhouette- Watchmen comics

Garret Jacob Hobbs- Hannibal

Poll 17-

Junpei Yoshino- Jujitsu Kaisen

Okudera- Yakuza 5

Shinichiro Sano- Tokyo Revengers

Yuri Nakamura- Angel Beats

Emily- Corpse Bride

Round 2-

The Owl House-

Flapjack

Caleb Wittebane

Star Wars-

Kanan Jarrus

Obi Wan Kenobi

Fives

Torchwood-

Owen Harper

Ianto Jones

Ace Attorney-

Mia Fey

Deid Mann

Critical Role-

Laudna

Mollymauk Tealeaf

Star Trek-

Jennifer Sisko

Spock

Tasha Yar

Hamlet-

Hamlet

Ophelia

Dracula-

Quincey Morris

Dracula

Marvel-

Loki

Tony Stark

Natasha Romanoff

Final Fantasy-

Haurchefant

Aerith Gainsborough

Ysale Dangulain

The Last Of Us-

Joel Miller

Sarah Miller

Riley Abel

The Vampire Diaries-

Nora Hildegard

Stefan Salvatore

Klaus Mikaelson

Avatar: The Last Airbender-

Avatar Kyoshi

Avatar Roku

Jet

Hatoful Boyfriend-

Nageki Fujishiro

Ryuuji Kawara

Black Butler-

Grelle Sutcliffe

Angelina Dalles

How To Train Your Dragon-

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock 2

Stoick The Vast

Les Miserables-

Gavroche Thenardier

Eponine Thenardier

Supernatural-

John Winchester

Castiel

Buffy The Vampire Slayer-

Jenny Calender

Tara Maclay

Arcane-

Silco

Vander

Infinity Train-

Tuba

Simon Laurant

Sally Face-

Sal Fisher

Larry Johnson

Ghosts-

Pat Butcher

Pete Martino

[deathwis-arc]

* STARTER / @farriman » for anthony !

she doesn't think anything of it at first ; ballerina feet carrying her from room to room in a daze. dolled up eyes fluttering around, perfectly curled lashes batting like butterfly wings. mystical green orbs reflecting an array of items in them, mirroring the mess that is her family with a tinge of disgust layered over it. just a casual stroll ( taken to remind her why she wants to escape this hell in the first place, she can't let herself forget ) while she bides time. wasting it as if it was nothing but air drifting between manicured fingers. always feigning the airhead when it came to ignoring her sisterly responsibilities. frankly, tanya is more than a little irritated to be assigned megan duty. skin crawling at the nerve of it all. doesn't she do the heavy lifting enough around here? out of three, the only one you see holding a secure, shitty job is her. working overtime at that shady diner down the way, dusty uniform adorned and skating around on wobbling knees to fake a smile and coo at strangers. hear the old men whistle for her and put up with their incessant pawing … then she's forced to deliver greasy food that totally slips under freshly done black nails. it's so grody! when mom drones on about how a woman's work is never done, tanya has to admit she's right ; if her unfair position had anything to say about it. yet under all the vast attitude is a heart that still wrings whenever she sees her baby brother worried. if anthony's that concerned over their basket case of a sister then fine. she'll do what their parents and dennis won't and take care of everything. a faded routine to fall back into, except now her muscles ache and her patience is already spread thin. anthony better not get used to how she bends for him, though … especially since she's still ditching this town.

vague thoughts that orbit around how he'll fare skirt around her head while she moses around his bedroom. an invasion of privacy on her part, although the waitress is certain anthony won't mind nearly as much as dennis. and what the rockstar doesn't know won't hurt him, she decides. besides, there's no way in hell he's not the one who's been snooping in her diary. it's only fair she invades the shared room for anything that might benefit her later. to bring up and weaponize if dennis gets too bleeding hearted on her about the vince thing again. still, the girl opts not to touch anything despite her peeved nature. deciding she can't be bothered with such brutish methods anyway.

which is how tanya finds herself here, in a room that reeks of sweat and another scent she can't bring herself to place -- in a place wholly unfamiliar to her. gazing at everything with fading interest and a smidge of caution. holding back a scoff at the macabre posters plastered on the walls and briefly toying with the puritan figurine on the guys' shared desk. never understanding anthony's boring fascination with this stuff ; a thought she actually whispers into existence without knowing. for a split second, or maybe a split millionth second, tanya tries to understand her brother. wondering what he gets out of hoarding so many freaky books and knick knacks that get him into nothing but trouble from mom. but the thought process trails into not understanding why anthony cares so much about this cage they've grown up in, which is anything but good for her to think about. anger is quick to lick at her throat, hot coils binding around the juncture and squeezing, and in a slight fit she slams down the figurine with a little more force than necessary. ears deaf to the way the desk rattles with the slam, teetering on olden wood legs. unable to recognize it, or maybe tanya just doesn't like to see it. either way, she turns away from it in a flurry of green cloth and attempts to quell the anger with distractions. sucking in breath the moment her throat loosens and allowing air to pass through again. chest hungry for it more than she knew. trying to pay the emotions no mind ( they won't help her, they'll make her reconsider what she decided forever ago ) she brushes past the blue twin bed to make way for the exit. more than ready to deal with megan and get it over with. although, well, she actually thinks something of it this time ; when her dismissive gaze falls on it once more. at first, the eldest clarke daughter only meant to glance at the guitar propped up against dennis' bed. mental imagery tinting scarlet and flowing towards the boy in the attic. the flashy instrument isn't in its usual spot, tanya embarrassingly notices, so was he practicing earlier? she knows there wasn't a showing for his band tonight ; the posters hung around the town are old, date all wrong, yet she wonders if he went out. if he went and goofed off with that loser pack of his. it makes her more upset than it should, like everything here these days. that very idea pairing up with the fact he didn't spend all night downstairs waiting for her -- and that's when she sees it. actually sees it and registers the object, now being gently folded and tucked away into a compartment in her brain.

it's enough to make a sure stride falter. slender jaw dropping an inch when she recognizes the once foreign object that's draped over the bed in such an uncaring manner. she had seen it briefly upon entering, hard not to notice a blue as vivid as that, but it hadn't crossed her mind as significant. and now here she is! gawking at it, with moon wide eyes that accompany the immediate weight that sinks her heart. dropping into the dread pools forming and splashing along the stomach lining within -- in a way that makes her queasy and leaves her grimacing. bones aching to their very marrow with the striking alert sense that something about this is very wrong. for the life of her, though, she can't grasp why. the implications failing to register with the hippie just yet, not while fear jostles in petrified veins and the confidence arch of a perfect back begins to hunch. shoulders ( broader than they should be, she knows, an insecurity too damning now ) trying to squish together in discomfort, almost as if she's subconsciously trying to shield her eyes a little too late. that uneasy feeling quickly turns into paranoia by her own volition. after all, who likes sitting with an emotion they can't understand? whenever tanya can't get something, it frustrates her and turns her into a woman on a mission. determined to find out what's up, to uncover any secrets being kept behind her back. it's hard being a girl in times like these, having to fend away men and women alike in the name of getting by. she knows, in a violent burst of clarity, that secrets hurt like a bitch when they're not yours ... and sometimes? even then.

trembling fingers inch towards the article of clothing. running along frayed strings of wool with an impulsive urge to grip a strand and start pulling ; to unravel the damn thing! a passion that unsettles her and forces tanya to take a breath. trying to get a grip on herself at least, all while soft hands gently pick the item up. thumbs running over the distinct pattern, eyes diverting to the bed. plump lips pursed into a thoughtful frown even when gorgeous eyes remain squinted with suspicion. looking to the red duvets ( which are clean, another thing that strikes her as off ) like they'll take on dennis' voice and, loyal as ever, give her the answers she seeks. a stupid wish that wouldn't come true even if she tried to use some sort of magick. that's a waste of good materials for starters, and completely absurd in conclusion. this isn't worth the effort. who cares about her little brother's silly laundry? and even more pressing, more obvious, who gives a rat's ass about dennis' lame stuff? she's just in a funny mood tonight … didn't she act cold with vince tonight too? twisting kind words for no reason other than to be a pain in the ass? right, that's – yeah, she's having a day. that's all.

with everything wrapped into a perfect ( shabby ) little bow, tanya should've just dropped it. kicked it to the side with everything else that bothered her and go on her merry way. yet when the waitress finally exits the room, the blue sweater remains tucked under her arm. stolen away in the night like the princesses in those fairytales. though in her proper opinion, anthony couldn't be a maiden so beloved, couldn't have items so reverently desired or of high importance. he's too oddly shaped and awkward, never knowing when to speak or when to remain quiet. freckles have never been in, either. he'd have to cover those up with concealer to score any man, and probably get a change in wardrobe too. play fixer upper with the angled brows and finally lose the extra weight in his stomach. thoughts like these continue to infect her head even when she bothers with megan, words slipping out without thought. pointed in a way tanya can't control. she thinks about anthony, back when he was messed up, and how he could be in an asylum right now if it wasn't for her honeyed words and sharp eye. accidentally blurts that out but warping it to make it relate to megan. unable to stand looking at her little sister who's so like anthony it's sometimes unbearable. she can't stop, can't press the breaks and force her thoughts elsewhere, because the sweater beneath her arm seems to burn. forever reminding the eldest daughter of the idiotic feelings buzzing like raw energy in her chest. reminding the girl of anthony, and stupid fucking dennis. curses flow easily now, tanya too concerned with other things to reinforce the femininity she lost tooth and nail for to embody. by the time she hastily exits her little sister's room, more than unimpressed by how the conversation went, she's heading downstairs before she knows it. body moving on its own accord and mind already made up the moment she kept the sweater close. rationalizing an answer to every probing question the heart throws her way. like the good big sister she is, she took the sweater so anthony wouldn't get beaten to a pulp later if dennis found it. protective of anthony even when her foot's halfway out the door. doesn't that boy know how touchy the rockstar is about his things? especially when it comes to said things being touched by anyone but him? and, yeah, maybe the two boys have become chummy lately … hard not to notice the melting of two presences when it's happening before your eyes. spotting the two in the living room, holed up together, had struck a cord in her, sure ... but it's only because tanya's been real firm with keeping her distance from the both of them. they're lonely! that's all! if anything, the sudden buddy buddy is pathetic, isn't it? it should be something to snide at! but ...

( “what crawled up his ass?” / a smile, lovesick in nature, the same expression anthony takes whenever she hassles him about this mysterious crush he has ; then the tender way he answered, “just dennis doing what he's good at. being really dennis” )

when tanya finds who she's looking for, her expression is anything but kind. a warning sign from a mile away with the pinched smile she takes up, the searching look scorching. it's odd how her body feels suspended in air while the rest of her feels like it's sinking further into the depths, drenched in inky blotches that make the insiders wither. how she can still function despite the turmoil within. the way she can appear so unfazed with the way tanya throws wavy, mauve bangs back over her pierced ears. hair having been mused with the way she flew down here. the importance of appearance is strengthened more than ever, for reasons she can't understand, so she takes time to brush through it with a free hand. taking calculated steps into the bar room and trying not to feel ill when she spots anthony curled up on one of those creaky, decrepit chairs. cup of tea on the table beside him and a green book of all things in hand. salvia in her mouth churns sour until it's a bitter aftertaste, bottom lip trembling, and hands uncertain as she tries to unfold the bundle of cloth that had been smothered beneath a motherly arm. exposing it to it's full extent for those matching blue eyes to see. with a clipped tone, she jumps straight into the water. patience and kindness all worn out by the day's events.

“care to explain to me why i found this on dennis' bed?” god, she sounds too upset. doesn't mean to sound like she's condemning him for something she feels in her gut, but tanya can't help it. tiny clues that were once ignored now built up into a knot that's slowly loosening in her chest. heart crumbling and aching to the point it spreads to the pulse in her wrists. it's neverending ; the mean thoughts, the images, the orchestra of feelings. the sudden stench that burns at her nostrils, emitting from the sweater. knowing what it is and having to keep stewing in the denial to stay sane. cheeks flaring unflattering red. what's next, she thinks tiredly, steam coming outta her ears? she can only muster out another bite of, “like, seriously, what's up? you know he hates this crap, so explain!” and then, in an instant, words come out of her in such a rush that they hiss together, “and don't lie to me, because if dennis doesn't kick your ass, i will. that's a promise.”

[theromanovsisters]

GRAND DUCHESS TATIANA NIKOALEVNA ROMANOVA (1897-1918)

When the second girl arrived, Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra Fedorovna named her Tatiana, or Tanya, like Tatiana Larina in Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin. The Duchess, however, had nothing in common with Pushkin’s character. Olga was romantic, while Tatiana was full of energy and zest, good at riding and, additionally, proud to be head of an Uhlan regiment.

Tatiana took after Alexandra Feodorovna, and out of all the children she had the closest relation with her. The retainers pointed out that Tanya possessed graceful beauty and nobility and was resolute and practically acute. When the Tsarina was ill, it was Tatiana who took control of family business. She was sometimes jokinlgy called a governor. She would often go for strolls with the Tsar. The girls were perfectly aware that Tatiana would be the best to ask papa for something if they should need anything.

In September of 1911, the Grand Duchess witnessed Pyotr Stolypin’s assassination. Tsar Nicholas and Tatiana were at the Opera House when they heard a gunshot. The girl saw blood on his jacket and heard his last words. “It left a deep impression on her, she was weeping for a long time”, wrote the emperor to his mother.

In September of 1914, the Grand Duchess suggested that a committee on providing aid to victims of the war be established. General Alexander Mosolov would later recollect that the seventeen-year-old Duchess took part in all the affairs; she was “active, conscious and shrewd.” At that time her gift for generosity revealed itself. She assisted during serious operations and bandaged severe wounds with confidence and skill. The doctors stressed that they rarely happened to see such a calm and skillful nurse.

A person of strong character, Tatiana became a real help to her mother. When the family was arrested and lived in exile in Siberia, Tanya took care of Alexandra Feodorovna: She assisted her in getting dressed, did her hair, and tried to distract her from oppressive thoughts. She presented her a beautiful notebook for a diary on December 31, 1917, writing inside, “To my dear, beloved mama. I wish you a happy New Year! May God bless you and always protect you!”

On July 16 1918, Tatiana was reading the Bible to Alexandra Feodorovna until very late at night. A few hours later, they would be woken up and ordered to proceed to the basement; the family was told that they would move to a different house; but, in fact, the soldiers wanted to take photos of them. The Romanovs were asked to stand in a line. The executioners would later say that Tatiana was behind the Tsarina, very close to her; that was the last thing she could do for her mother.

[bookgrotto]

Okay, I got tagged in two of those awesome “11 Questions” posts (aaaages ago, oh dear.) and I will cheat a bit and answer them all in one go. Mostly because I probably wouldn’t be able to come up with 22 questions. Or 22 people to tag.  Will put most of it under a tag, though... because I know long text posts can be super annoying. 

First, the questions by @theweirdwaysoftheweylandsreads (Who I just saw tagged me on my birthday without knowing, ha!). Thank you! 1. Ents or Golems?

Ents. Way comfier to sit on, better protection when it cains and the chances of seeing fluffy baby birds is probably higher.

2. Water sprites or forest dryads?

Water sprites. I’ve covered the forest with the Ents. Also, they might know mermaids.

3. Favourite film?

Uh. I’m not like... a film-fan or anything (more of a casual watcher) but I don’t think I can narrow it down to one. It also depends on my mood, since I mostly watch movies when I’m sick.  And the more I think of it, the more come to mind (Lord of the Rings, Les Chanson’s d’Amour, A League of Their Own, Practical Magic, several Disney, anime and superhero movies...)

4. Do you read/write fanfiction? And what fandom? I read fanfics for basically every fandom I’m in. Or at least I try, but sometimes there either aren’t any or I don’t like the ones I see (especially in anime fandoms). I used to write a few fics ages ago (for Lost, Naruto, Captain Tsubasa, Kyou Kara Maou and a German tv series called Doctor’s Diary) but I haven’t written anything in probably a decade? 

5. Art? yay or Nay and what type?

Yay. I guess? 

6. Favourite music genre?

Uh. I’m not a music person. I like music. I appreciate music. But I don’t have some vast collection or anything. I don’t really care about artists (I do get sad about thinking some who died way too young). I don’t have a favorite. I just have favorite songs. And most of those are somehow related to movies/tv shows and stuff like that. If I had to guess, it would probably be pop?

7. Last song you listened to?

Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is A Season) by The Byrds was on the radio earlier before I turned it off. (See? I LIKE that song. I’ve listened to it quite often... because of a tv show aka Cold Case. I still had to google the title and artist.)

8. Audiobooks? I use them to fall asleep. Which is also why I only listen to books I’ve already read. Who could fall asleep to a new story? One would need to pay close attention to not miss anything!  Sadly, this is also the reason why my collection is still quite small. There are a lot of books I’d love to have as audiobooks, but they simply... don’t exist. Or are just for download. I want them as CDs.

9. Film or tv adaptations of books?

Depends on the book and who does the adaption/how much money will go into it. I mean, in general I would say “TV show!” but then I think of some of the ones currently on TV and go “Let me adjust that a bit.” ... aka I would prefer all books to be adapted into mini-series of 4-12 episodes (per season if it’s a book series) depending on how much one would need to do the story justice.  And then let me rent a cinema and watch them on the big screen. 10. Video games?

I don’t own any... except Final Fantasy X-2. So random, I know. I assume that I could get really into them, if I ever started but I don’t think I will.

11. Your worst injury.

Luckily, I’ve never been seriously injured. I did fall down a stone stair case when I was 18 once, though. As in, I slid down the stairs on my shins all the way down to the bottom. I still have a scar, but it could have been way worse.

And now to the question @bibliophilecats came up with! Thank you! 1. Do you listen to music while reading?

Only if I have to aka when I’m in the living room and my mother is listening to music and situations like that. Never when I’m on my own.

2. Do you keep a list of all the books you own?

No. I mean, Goodreads counts I guess? But I don’t have all my books added there.

3. First-person or third-person? Third person. There are of course a few books in first person that I love, but it takes a special kind of author/story to make it work for me. 

4. Do you find it easier to identify with a main character of your own sex?

No.

5. If you own an eReader, what do you like most about it (especially if it’s something that is not usually advertised)?

*shifty eyes* I can put my favorite fanfics on it and carry them around.

6. If you own an eReader, how do you decide if you get the physical copy or the ebook?

Sometimes I can get an e-book really cheap and use that opportunity to check if it’s worth starting a series, because just having the first book in a series standing around on the book shelf just looks weird if I don’t like it. 

7. If you know you’ll be reading in public, do you try to take an “impressive” book?

No. I’ll take the book I’m currently reading with me. Unless it has an embarassing cover. Why do erotica books for example have those horrible covers? 

8. Do you listen to audiobooks? Radio dramas?

Since I already answered the audiobook question above, I will just add that yes, I also listen to Radio dramas (sadly not as often as I’d want to). I just listened to some of the Torchwood ones for example.

9. If you do listen to audiobooks, which is an audiobook everyone should listen to? My favorite audiobooks (because BOTH the story and the voice acting are A+) are: The Fire’s Stone by Tanya Huff (read by Bill Hensel) and Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh (read by Gabra Zackman and Jonathan Davis) Tintenherz/Tintenblut/Tintentod by Cornelia Funke (read by Rainer Strecker) I actually wish Goodreads would allow a seperate ratings for audiobooks, because I think a narrator can make or break a story. (If anyone has listened to the audiobook of a book I have given 3 stars and more to on Goodreads and loved it, please tell me!)

10. If you could decide on the new cover of any one book, which book would you choose and why?

Oh, there are several actually (basically almost every fiction book with real people on the cover)... but I’d probably have to go with the Tony Foster books by Tanya Huff. Every time I rec them to people (which is a lot), I tell them to ignore the new covers, because they’re so generic and nondescript. The old ones were better, but could still use a makeover.

11. Is there a poem you really like? Which one? I like them when I see them... some move me more than others... and then I usually forget the title/author and never see them again. So yes, I like them and respect the people writing them a lot (I have zero talent in that area) but I’m not INTO them. As in, I probably wouldn’t buy a book full of poems (never say never, though.)

Phew, okay that was a lot. Now my questions:

1. If you could bring one (or three if that makes it easier) dead character (book, tv show, movie) back to life, who would it be? (Don’t forget to spoiler tag of course) 2. Do you think there should be age restrictions on books, like there are on movies? 3. If you could change the ending of one book, which one would it be? 4. Do you include books that you don’t own (yet) on your TBR? 5. We had vampires, werewolves, zombies etc. Which fantasy creature do you want to be the next big THING? 6. Was there ever a hyped book that you disliked or simply refused to read because you knew you wouldn’t like it? If yes, which one? 7. What book (series) deserves a bigger fandom (or one to begin with)? 8. What magical creature would you NOT want to run into? 9. Would you buy a second (or third, or fourth...) edition of a book you already own, because you like the cover better? 10. What author (dead or alive) do you want to meet the most? 11. Assuming they’d be well written, which tv show should have a book adaption?

Tagging some people on my dash: @riversrunningfree @just0nemorepage @bookscatsandprettythings @munakatareishi @bookandwords @buttermybooks @beckisbookshelf @bookstacksonstacks​ @faerielament @happybibliosaurus @jaimedsworld

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 7/31/19

SEAN: Most of the rest of Yen is next week, though some got delayed to August. And lots of other publishers as well.

Dark Horse has the 3rd volume of Mob Psycho 100. Actually, that may have come out this week. Dark Horse release dates are ephemeral things.

MICHELLE: This is a pretty fun series.

ASH: I really like it so far!

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us To-Love-Ru Darkness 11.

J-Novel Club only has one release next week, but its title is so long it counts as three. Seriously Seeking Sister! Ultimate Vampire Princess Just Wants Little Sister – Plenty of Service Will Be Provided! (Tonikaku Imouto ga Hoshii Saikyou no Kyuuketsuki wa Mujikaku Gohoushichuu) is a one-volume light novel about a vampire princess and her desire for a cute little sister. It sounds dire, but who knows?

MICHELLE: Dire, indeed.

ANNA: I feel confident about forgetting this exists.

SEAN: Kodansha, in print, has UQ Holder 17.

Kodansha, digitally, has much much more. First, we have a debut, The Slime Diaries. This is a comedy spinoff of the Reincarnated as a Slime series.

ASH: I did enjoy much of the original series more than expected.

SEAN: Also debuting in volume form (individual chapters have been released previously) is Farewell, My Dear Cramer. A sports manga that’s a sequel to Sayonara Football (which got no attention over here) and by the creator of Your Lie in April (which certainly did), I’ve heard good things about it. Girls’ soccer, in case you were wondering.

MICHELLE: I hadn’t realized the history of this series or its creator. I was just, all, “Ooh, sports manga.”

ANNA: Did someone say sports manga?

ASH: Indeed!

SEAN: And we have new volumes for Asahi-sempai’s Favorite (5), Back Street Girls (12 and final), Domestic Girlfriend (19), Drowning Love (13), Hotaru’s Way (10), Kakafukaka (8), and My Boy in Blue (11). Kakafukaka is hard to read but highly underrated.

MICHELLE: Hooray for more digital josei!

ANNA: One day I might catch up….one day…..

SEAN: Seven Seas makes up for barely having any releases at the start of the month. Debuting is the manga version of My Next Life as a Villainess! All Routes Lead to Doom!, based on the light novel. I love Katarina, and want to see her in any format. (Also, anime next year!)

We also see D-Frag! 13, Fairy Tale Battle Royale 3, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash 10 (print version), Harukana Receive 4, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 8, Mushoku Tensei’s light novel 2 (print) and 3 (digital), and the 4th Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General.

Sol Press announced something that’s out this week, but I wasn’t able to get it into last week’s MtWo so here it is. Two manga titles. How to Treat a Lady Knight Right (Ima made Ichido mo Onna Atsukaisareta Koto ga nai Jokishi wo Onna Atsukai Suru) runs in Kodansha’s Suiyoubi no Sirius, and is about a knight who’s always been seen as a muscley sort getting treated as an attractive women. She spends the next 3+ volumes of the manga looking shy and blushing heavily, from what I can tell. This screams “not for me”.

ASH: I mean, I’m definitely a fan of knights who are women, but…

SEAN: They also have The Ride-On King, from the creator of Golosseum, which is about a Putin with the serial numbers filed off and his adventures being awesome. It’s for those who want more titles like Golosseum or those who think Russia is awesome.

Vertical has the novel version of Voices of a Distant Star, subtitled Words of Love/Across the Stars. I seem to recall this wasn’t as depressing as the creator’s other movies. Slightly.

JY, Yen’s young adult line, has the Little Witch Academia light novel. Enjoy Akko being Akko in prose form as well!

ASH: I somehow missed or completely forgot that Yen has a young adult line???

SEAN: They also have the 4th Zo Zo Zombie.

Yen On gives us three new debuts. Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is for all those who want gaming but without the fantasy isekai aspect. Tomozaki is an awesome gamer, but fails at real life, which he describes as a horrible game. Then he meets a girl who’s not only as good a gamer as he is, but explains how to win at life too. Fans of My Youth Romantic Comedy Etc. should like this.

The Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’s Heroes is not as naughty as the title makes it sound. A demon King, who wants to live in peace but heroes keep attacking him, hires a Japanese boy to take care of them. This proves to be a mistake, as the boy goes a bit overboard.

ASH: That could be entertaining.

SEAN: Last Round Arthurs: Scum Arthur and Heretic Merlin has a very Magical Index feel, possibly as they share the same artist. Our hero is tired of his boring life, so teams up with a girl to become the next successor to King Arthur.

There’s also another Final Fantasy tie-in novel, Final Fantasy XIII-2: Fragments Before, as well as The Saga of Tanya the Evil 6 and Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 4, which starts a new arc.

Print manga debuts. There’s The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life (Ikinokori Renkinjutsushi wa Machi de Shizuka ni Kurashitai), whose light novel is out in September. It’s about a run-of-the-mill alchemist who ends up in stasis to save herself, and after coming out of it finds there aren’t any more alchemists in the world! How will she live her quiet, boring life? Sounds like it’s for fans of Killing Slimes for 300 Years. It runs in B’S LOG Gomic.

ASH: This could be interesting, too.

SEAN: Secretly I’ve Been Suffering About Being Sexless (Jitsu wa Watashi Sexless de Nayandemashita) is done in one, and ran in Comic Flapper. It’s about a married woman trying to figure out what to do when her libido is much larger than her husband’s.

ASH: I’ll admit, I’m curious to see how this premise is handled.

Manga Bookshelf’s Pick of the Week (OK, I’m just guessing, but pretty sure I’m right) is debuting next week as well. Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san (Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san) already has a cult classic anime, and this is the manga, which ran in Gene Pixiv. It’s about… well, the title says it all. This looks fantastic.

MICHELLE: Well, your guess is right on my end, at least. I’ve only seen a little of the anime, but it is charming and I’m really looking forward to reading this.

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: I am so, so looking forward to this series!!

SEAN: We also get first volumes of light novel adaptations with Torture Princess (an omnibus, done in one) and Woof Woof Story.

A lot of ongoing titles moved to August, but we do see Interspecies Reviewers 2 (bleah) and Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts 6 (yay!).

ASH: Shoujo fantasy for the win!

SEAN: Lots of new series next week. Perhaps you could ask a skull-faced bookseller what works for you?

By: Sean Gaffney

[deathwis-arc]

@pseudoneiric wished » tanya has always been something like a safe harbour for anthony. she’s headstrong, good at speaking her mind, and she’s a pretty admirable person. ever since he was little, he’d looked up to her, and out of all the clarkes, she feels the most like family to him. of course, he’d known her the longest, so it makes sense. but there’s something more than that. something deeper. right now, he’s kneeling on the floor before tanya, doing her nails before she goes on a date with vince. he’s gotten used to doing this for her, since she claims that his hands are way steadier than hers. anthony doubts it, but he never refuses her. still, though, he’s solemn tonight — not inherently out of the usual for him, but this time, it’s because he has a weighty confession on his chest.

“uh, tanya?” he swallows, palms suddenly sweaty and his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. “can i… tell you something?”

maybe it’s the misplaced guilt he feels over pining after both of the men she loves. maybe it’s that he wishes he could reciprocate when she gushes about her romantic life. or maybe he just trusts her, more than anyone else. if there’s anyone who’d understand, he thinks naively, it’s tanya. “i-i, um, i think i’m… gay.” the words are so quiet she might not even have heard him, but shame burns anthony’s cheeks and ties his tongue so he can’t possibly repeat it. he moves back — the nails are all painted, and he focuses hard on screwing the lid back on.

the only times this madhouse even scratches the foreign feeling of homeliness is in instances like these. with her legs tucked under her and short hair brushed beautifully to one side - perfectly soft hands gently gripped by another's. prettying herself up has its perks, allowing tanya to feel as though she's the rising starlet in some cheesy flick. preparing for a night on the town that'll change her life in all the best ways. so, in all it's rarity, a genuine smile is pulling at her face while anthony dutifully tends to her nails. green eyes observe, blissfully spaced out as he adds the final layer of the shimmering coat. nail polish the exact color that reminds a girl of sparkling champagne. vince is bound to love it given his fascination with liquor based vices. and even if tanya herself can't stand that, she has no qualms using that interest for her own whims.

her expectations of anthony stand firm when the colored brush remains confined to her nails, and not her dainty fingers. he never fails to rise to the occasion with these kind of things. tanya's personal girlfriend stand in when jeanie wavers to her bad side. anthony's always been the right replacement for girl time with the way he's a little more ... feminine then most guys she knows. is that the nicest way to put it? it doesn't matter, the woman supposes, since it's only the truth. obviously, she's endeared to the younger boy for a plethora of reasons outside of his quirky, girlish charm - though she can't deny that plays a big part of it. he's sensitive, compassionate, malleable ; and best of all, tanya can wax poetic about her romance endeavors without anthony making a big show of annoyance or disgust. he'll watch her gesture with his hands folded in his lap and a wonder in his eyes. dazed like he's playing her life like a movie in his head. she almost pities him, it's hardly easy to live as a girl in times like these ... but it's even less easy to skirt by as a boy with heart bled sleeves. you have to be funny like her sunlit vince, or horrifically defensive like dennis, in order to make it as a man.

“mhmm, least i can offer for all your help tonight.” tanya responses easily. it would've taken her hours to get ready on her own! no need to be stingy. still, the girl can't help but let her lack of interest be known. “but maybe skim past all your nerdy little details? you need to hear what happened during my shift today! you'll love it, i know.”

always the confident ( self preserving ) sort, she doesn't entertain any doubts that anthony might not like her tale tell of the night. out of everyone here, the girl knows anthony best. not a secret of his is unknown to her prying ears and suspicions. tanya constantly working to ensure anthony's never given a reason to randomly shut her out either. they've been dragged through hell and back, from home to home ; yet they remain a solid pair, a set. you don't get one without the other. and though she drifts from the clarke house with each passing day, chasing her own dreams, she's never stopped believing in that. it's only a quieter fact that's sheltered away for now, that's all. tanya waits with thinning patience for whatever's to be said. at first, the red haired girl focuses purely on her nails as anthony finishes up. moving her hands about to air dry and to admire the artisan talent with a quirked, freshly glossed mouth. but in the silence, tanya looks back up to hurry him along, only to be met with sudden blossoming cheeks that give her pause. sisterly ( motherly? ) instincts flare up in the way her bold brows furrow - worry creased between. “what's -?”

admission tumbles out in such an awkward, childish way that she'd expect from megan or dennis, hell, even dad. though any judgement dims when she registers the confession with moon wide eyes. the way anthony shies away further wrings her heart like a discarded towel and makes her purse her lips. debating on what to say as she keeps steady eyes trained on him, scared that he'll flee if she gives him the opening. the thing is? tanya isn't as surprised as you'd probably think. maybe everyone else was fooled into the belief that anthony was only a late bloomer, but she's always known better. comes with the territory of a woman's naturally open mind to things shunned. as his heroine, tanya's tried to be sensitive about it. gender neutral terms being the only ones she uses when joining in on nosing into his love life. she'd been too hesitant to properly ask before ... but ...

how can she approach this? tanya's not one for sugar coating things that don't warrant it from her, though this does require some fragile handling. it's hard to comfort when she's so prone to fueling flames ; tone forever dripped in sarcasm. okay, no pressure, anthony's gonna be just fine in her care. she can handle this without too much worrying. “i've suspected as such, honestly. call it sisterly intuition but ... yeah, not as much of a confession as you think it is.” her tone is light, a little thoughtful, as she easily extends her newly pedicured hand outwards. pinching anthony's cheek affectionately. “thanks for finally telling me though. i know it probably wasn't easy.”

she falls quiet for a short moment as she shuffles closer to the boy, still perched on her knees. though she settles for wrapping an arm around him for an honorary side hug. buttering him up in ways she can't with her words so she can finally get into the juicy parts about this new information. suddenly, tanya could care less about her own story - it was so yesterday compared to this. after a beat of silence, not bothering to pamper anthony with compliments that'll come out jaded, her real intentions shine through like moonlight. sly sparkles reflecting in her crescent eyes as her pearly teeth flashes in a smile. looking like those girls you see huddled in groups, with ammunition loaded behind pretty, dolled up mouths they're just waiting to pierce their target with. in this instance, it's light hearted and a genuine interest that she's struggled to feel towards anthony in a long time. all questions perfumed into the air in the name of idol schoolgirl gossip. shark circling blood misted waters after starving for something sustainable for months.

“not to be pushy, but i feel like it's only fair you cough up some of your own experiences. i've shared enough about my love life as it is,” she makes it sound like she's oh so charitable while indebting anthony to her in the same breath. truly a girl of many talents. “soooo ... what's your type? wait, don't tell me! um ... okay, actually go ahead. i can't pin you down. oh, and i need to know who you're crushing on at this very moment. it's my sworn duty to work my magic and get you your dreamboat man!” she sounds excited, lighting up and easily getting carried away. romance is always a swoon worthy topic for her, and she's certainly intrigued when it comes to meddling in anthony's now exciting love life. but she genuinely cares for helping him as well, in ways she could never help before. maybe withstanding his old violent breakdowns hadn't been her area of expertise ... but romance was. nobody in little hope knew how to reel them in quite like tanya, the eldest ( not legitimate ) daughter of the clarke family. certified spell caster with the way she easily bewitched men. magic that would now be extended graciously to anthony, when he finally spills the beans about everything else.