#I am also definitely rereading these books again haha

[shiftingtomydrs]

Marauders DR

sooo yeah this is gonna be confusing probably and definitely not organized but if youve read some of my rants youll be used to it by now haha

alright, so similar as in my golden trio dr, im the same person i am in my cr (like name, family, looks) plus the whole witch thing. i am also part of ravenclaw and a muggleborn. my s/o is james potter and i did kinda script out voldemort bcs we dont want that. james and i have the friends to lovers slowburn angsty arc and im not quite sure if i should script im related to lily / my last name is also evans bcs hear me out, someone asks james who he has a crush on and he just says evans and people start assuming its lily but its me and so he goes with it bcs he doesnt wanna ruin our friendship. so yeah. thats gonna happen now bcs now that i wrote it out loud i love it. i again dont play quidditch bcs scared of heights and stuff haha soo idk yet if ill do any sport (is there another sport?). i also wanna be an animagus but idk yet what form bcs i like the 'soulmates have the same form' headcanon but i also wanna be a cat. soo yeah. idk. ideas would be great. i scripted that i can be in the gryffindor common room / i never get caught doing it (idk if its actually forbidden or not tbh but id say yes) and im kinda the typical nerdy good smart girl soo i can pull of shit and teachers dont suspect me so i get away with it haha. james thinks its unfair. i also scripted in this one fanfic i once read and keep rereading bcs its so good (its a german translation and i cant find the original one sadly) and its basically the marauders finding a magical book with fanfiction about them inside it. its hilarious soo yeah i put that in it was like the first thing i put. i have two sisters but both of them are muggles. after hogwarts idk yet what i wanna do, maybe become a healer (no but fr what can you do except work in the ministerium, teacher, healer, journalist, or open a store or smth? jobs are limited in the wizarding world imo) or an auror (thats what you can do lmao but it kinda falls into ministerium i guess?). i dont have a pinterest thing for this dr yet but i imagine my aesthetic is kinda light academia / dark academia (idk the difference but i like both) and yeah. from the 3rd year on i do arithmancy, runes and care of magical creatures. i also do apparition classes in year 7.

idk what else i can say atm haha but if you wanna know more pls dont be shy to ask questions <3

[dizaryswrites]

I have a confession to make!

I don’t know how obvious it is, but I actually haven’t read any comics 😅 I know, I know haha, it’s just I haven’t had the time! Luckily, I mostly follow blogs that I know are comic readers so I know what’s fanon and canon mostly. But since I will have free time in the summer, I was wondering if you have any recommendations on what to read and where to start?

Oh man I WISH I could be one of those blogs who snaps out the long scroll that just rolls down the hallway with a concise cross referenced list of top hits from every era and where to start with each character! But I am a book hoarder with not enough time on my hands so I haven't even read half of what I have, let alone all the back issues 😅

Here's some stuff that I really enjoyed as a new-to-comics-and-DC reader and in general (in mostly chronological order because that's how I arrange my comic books):

Batman: Dark Victory

I really enjoyed the mystery and early Batman days, plus Dick Grayson's debut! He is a delight. I didn't read Long Halloween which comes before this so I missed some context but I picked it up easy enough (also according to some reviews the mystery can be repetitive if you have read Long Halloween sooo win for me ig?)

Robin: Year One

I am determined to read this one soon. I've heard great things about it though so it's being added

Batman: Prodigal

I read this without reading a single page of Knightfall because I was getting interested in Nightwing and this was the earliest book that my library had available (I have given up on a chronological reading order since those early foolish days). I knew nothing and still really enjoyed Dick!Bats and Robin!Tim together. I need to reread this soon

Formerly Known as the Justice League

A limited run, 6 issues I think. Honestly I should just say Justice League International in general but I started with this mini for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle after seeing some funny panels online and I fell in love with that whole cast of losers (affectionate). It's not BatFam but so so fun to read (and JLI has some really poignant moments too)

Young Justice: A League of Their Own

SO FUN. Tim and friends dealing with just ridiculous scenarios LOL I'm only halfway through but it's great

Batman: Hush

I haven't read a lot of just Batman titles but I enjoyed Hush. It had some good character moments for Bruce that helped me understand the way he thinks a little more. I also hear Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive is very very good but I haven't gotten around to it yet (a running theme)

Batgirl: Point Blank

Cass is a treat. This was the first volume I found of her's, haven't read the others yet, but even lacking context I really enjoyed her as the main character and her interactions with Steph, Babs, and Bruce.

Teen Titans (Geoff Johns)

This was one of the first series I started reading and it was a good intro for me, a completely new DC fan. It's Tim and his friends but more serious than YJ. I've read vol 1-2 and part of 3

Under The Red Hood

Classic for good reason. I haven't finished it yet (teehee) but the first half has been entertaining. Jason has had some um... interesting writing in his time. But I really enjoy the way he's written here. It's a good baseline imo. I've heard Lost Days is also good

Nightwing (Tomasi run)

I love Tomasi and this run was a lot of fun. Dick is funny while not losing his serious, capable edge, he interacts with people in his circles, and has some interesting introspection moments. There's a weird part of the plot about midway that definitely uses bad Asian stereotypes which is so disappointing. But after that it gets normal again 😅

Batman & Robin

This comes right after Tomasi's run and it's a mixed bag for me. It's definitely interesting seeing Dick and Damian learning to work together but I was still new to DC with little context for things and was also *so* put off by the art style that I don't remember it well. But I thought I'd add it anyway since it's an iconic moment for Dick!Bats

Batman and Robin (Tomasi)

I adore Bruce and Damian struggling together to discover what being father and son looks like for them. I adore Damian having growth. That's volumes 1-3. 4 is post Damian's death (and damn issue 1 is a well written look at grief), I haven't read 5 or beyond yet.

Nightwing (Rebirth)

The first Nightwing title I read. Looking back, the characterization is a bit weak in some areas, doesn't quite match how he's written in older runs, but it had good moments and kept me entertained. Especially!!! In vol 3 with Humphries's Judge arc

For more current runs, I'm really enjoying World's Finest. Waid's writing is good and Mora's art is just *cartoon heart eyes*. Bats, Supes, and teenage Dick Grayson are a fun trio. Amid other runs that had me tearing my hair out in disappointment or frustration, WF is a breath of fresh air.

Titans United: Bloodpact is a 6 issue limited that was also a really nice read. It's Dick's Titans but Tim is there too and I enjoyed everyone's writing.

The Human Target (Tom King) but honestly I was just losing my mind over Greg Smallwood's art and paneling the entire time. A masterpiece. I want to frame every page. I cheered when he posted inspiration threads on Twitter.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen

It's not Batfam but hear me out!!!! This comic had some of the sweetest moments between Supes and Jimmy and I wanted to grab literally anybody by the shoulders and shake them until they looked at the Lois, Clark, & Jimmy in the helicopter panel and GOT IT!!! Also it is so delightfully wacky and funny, I was genuinely laughing out loud. Steve's Lieber's art is the perfect pairing with Matt Fraction's writing.

AND SPEAKING OF!

This isn't DC at all but it's the series that made me (and so many others) really love comics and their storytelling potential. Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, volumes 1-4. Between his writing and David Aja's artwork and color theory (and Steve Lieber's guest issue that literally gut punched me and changed how I saw later parts of the story, it was never just a filler issue to me, Steve) you get a great story that says so much with so little (in the best way) and is a visual treat as well. Chef's kiss.

Some other non-DC comics I really enjoyed are Die (imagine Jumanji but D&D and novels and oh look the consequence of your actions has grown up), Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 (I am not a horror girly but I really enjoyed this, in no small part because of Dell'edera's art), Eight Billion Genies (the world population hits 8 billion and now everyone gets a genie, what could go possibly wrong), and Paper Girls which I'm about 2/3 through (picture stranger things but with time travel, spaceships?, and oh shit is future me lying??)

Damn, I guess I really did have a scroll's worth. 😭 Anyway, my recommendation for where to start with this list is...what does your library have available? Don't forget about the Hoopla app too, that's where I read some of these digitally. Or the used bookstore which is where I got 90% of my comics from.

But seriously! Just pick whatever sounds the most fun or has the character(s) you're the most interested in and go from there. Skip around on the timeline or go in chronological order. Whatever floats your boat! I think that's the really unique thing about comics. Plus if you can't figure out the context of what you're missing or what is happening simultaneously (because writers & editorial used to care a little more) you can do a quick google or (and I wish I had this with Batgirl) @cephalog0d has a pinned timeline master list. Incredible.

[therealv1]

Some ultrakill headcanons

Gabriel has a lichtenberg scar from a fight with a fellow angel or heavenly entity that he was not on good terms with. - - Also generally a lot of scars. A fuckton. Metric ton, even. Eleven donuts worth, if we're going American.

Mad levels of anxiety. He struggles with GAD + panic attacks on a regular basis but has been able to maintain it after a while especially with the help of his husbands / start of living with them and working out the past issues.

I really like the idea of Gabriel being deeply into gardening, knowing the meanings of SO many flowers and sketching various things, don't get me wrong (+ he DEF has impostor syndrome) but. But hear me out.

TEA ENTHUSIAST! (I love tea, so I'm def projecting some.) And I love the idea that he just has a stash of tea + books he has found lying around about herbalism, medicinal properties of herbs, etc. Definitely has a mortar and pestle, makes his own spice mixes, has various tea strainers (maybe he'd find or make some cute ones, IDK) and so on

I go back and forth on his appearance, if it is even visible at all, so on. I like the idea that he is half oriented around the whole "biblically accurate angel'' portrayals but also has the head of an animal, specifically slightly lamb-leaning. I have more reasoning that it just being for religious symbolism, but I also won't deny that plays a part in it.

I also based his appearance somewhat off of the black and white art of the gate guardian from the SCP universe / Dr. Clef's Proposal for SCP-001 <3

Gabriel is intersex in my au

(This totally has nothing to do with my love of lichtenberg scars + lightning and storms or anything... /s)

V1 (humanoid ish/prime soul adjacent, I ought to get into detail about the AU but... bla bla, brevity bla bla, I digress) has a deeply uncanny face / appearance on the reg. It can't fully control it but even in the few moments where it has more power over its body it just typically chooses not to. It does get hurt though when people immediately get startled by its appearance but it "got used to it after a while"

Because I'm evil and a massive faggot V1 is in a harem w/ like. 99% of the ULTRAKILL cast. (Ignoring filth, sentry's, maurice', drones, virtues, et cetera/anything similar) - - Like dude kisses Gabriel, Minos, V2, Sisyphus, Ferryman, MDK, etc. ALL GOODNIGHT! And not even with the lights off, either... what a homo!

Learned pottery / how to mess with clay and ceramic type making things from the Ferryman. Violently enthusiastic over the concept of using its hands, very into craftsmanship. Would likely be a carpenter and/or "tinkerer" in life.

Used to reconstruct and deconstruct its body regularly (both for healthy and unhealthy reasons) but had to stop at Minos behest after getting caught one too many times.

Dissociates heavily. Sue me, I love and know the lore, I reread the wiki a disgusting amount but damn it! I love my own fanon.

Very curious about weather patterns

I'll try to think of more HC's for the others, but this is it for now haha + omg I just saw 1:11 on my clock. (I am tired)

one random and final headcanon: I'm really clinical over the idea of transfem minos. I feel like we deserve some transfem rep in ultrakill ngl Like obviously I love my transmasc homies, (I'm.. somewhere in an entirely different area of transgenderism at this point, transmasc no longer fits me, but again, I digress), and maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but I really feel like I do not see a lot of transfem or slightly unspecific fem variations of ULTRAKILL characters. I am ALLL for various depictions and I crave MORE MORE MORE! Perhaps I just need to scour the internet more

[eeblouissant]

For the ask game, how about 14, 27, and 31?

thank you sm for the questions !! let’s see

14: what’s your favourite colour?

this one’s hard actually :’) it changed after I started teaching myself colour theory haha - I never particularly had a favourite colour. I have colours that i think look nice (on me) to wear, or that are easy to paint with, or that I think look nice on others! But my favourite colour, simply because it’s easy to paint & draw with & im lazy, is red. It always seems to work with me!! My art kind of decides a lot of my favourite things.

27: what’s your favourite book? / a book you’ve read more than once:

hhhmmmm well, a lot of the books I read revolve around my special interest (like 99% of them if I’m being honest. The only times I’ve read a book outside of it have been when my grandparents lend me things - otherwise 99% of the media I consume in general is/are my special interest haha) so - if I had to choose a favourite … probably the infamous Diana: her true story - in her own words. Or, Elizabeth the Queen by Sally bedell smith. I’ve read both twice and am currently rereading Diana’s book! I love them both dearly.

31: what are you looking forward to in the distant future?:

oh boy. I might put this one under the cut, depending on how personal it gets, but here’s what I’ve got right now:

I’m currently attempting recovery from some mental health issues without the help of doctors for the first time, so I’m really looking forward to the days when I’ll have more physical energy again! Definitely a distant goal, but every day it gets closer :). I’m also attempting to help heal relationships between family members, another thing that will take time, but that will be very worth it for everyone involved in the end. Moving is something I’m also dreaming of constantly 😭 I feel a bit trapped (for no negative reason, I’m just 21 & would like to move out you know), but the job market is horrid & so many things have been getting in my way. Finishing school also! Many things recently. I hate that these are distant goals but life takes time I suppose!

[farcille]

9 people you'd like to get to know better

tagged by @healen -- omg i am SO sorry i did not see this; I just found your tag from going through my email notifs haha. thank you though this was super fun!!

Three ships:

farcille: like ok iconic as fuck and my username so obviously i have to talk about this one first. dungeon meshi is my favorite manga ever and marcille is my favorite character and i love her relationship with falin so much ;-; i think the plot point of marcille being afraid of losing people she loves due to the difference in how she ages compared to other people is super interesting and adds a really thought-provoking and tragic aspect to their relationship. i also love the difference in their personalities that shapes their dynamic; marcille is extremely neurotic and inside of her own head and "by-the-book" and falin is very in touch with her surroundings and intuitive and accepting of disorder but they're close anyway because the things that make them different are things that they admire about each other. i looove that marcille gets jealous of other people showing falin attention and that shes insane about saving her and that she would do anything to get her back. they get married in my head after the end of the manga

jaime/brienne: i've been so into rereading asoiaf lately and this has been on my mind nonstop. the dynamic of like this super big/strong very gender nonconforming ugly woman whos internally very kind and empathetic and has one of the strongest moral compasses of anyone in the series but struggles internally with her self image and her perceived inability to "fit in" anywhere due to misogyny and general cruelty and societal prejudice over her looks and like the antihero privileged evil prettyboy who seems to have everything granted by society that brienne doesn't at the beginning of the series but goes through a dramatic character shift after losing his ability to physically fight and is not actually quite as evil as you're initially led to believe but has become disillusioned and morally dark due to contempt and judgement and expectations from people in his life is kinda unmatched like no one was doing narratives about social expectations like them. the way that both of their character arcs rely on what they learn from each other about honor and judgement and what it means to be a "true knight" is also my fave. in my head where theres a universe where asoiaf is finished they finally confess their feelings 4 each other

doctor/master: haha ok time to be cringe and post doctor who on main again. but like hear me out this ship was so iconic LIKE they are the last 2 living members of their species they're childhood friends they know each other better than anyone in the universe they've known each other for 900 years but they are doomed to be mortal enemies forever because of a fundamental difference in their respective ideologies and who they are as people. like they love each other they hate each other they have to kill each other they have to save each other its so . mwah (im doing the cheff kiss gesture rn) my only criticism of it is that there's never been a f/f iteration of it that could definitely exist it's just that the dw writers hate women so it hasn't happened in the like 60 years of this show running but it exists in my mind

First ever ship: rosemary from homestuck 😭 i think they were the first pairing that i ever looked up fanfiction for when i was but a child. i still love them btw and they're still my favorite homestuck characters their dry humor and the way they bounce off of each other in their pesterlogs is still something i adore

Last song: ignorance by paramore!!!

Currently reading: ........................asoiaf...

Currently watching: game of thrones with my buddy april. we are suffering together

Currently consuming: a latte from the nearby coffee shop i like to go to on the weekends!!

Currently craving: hmm maybe sushi, I haven't had it in a long while

not tagging anyone but thanks for reading if u got this far <3333

[diamondmeadow]

@elliemarchettiI tag! thank you!!!

🍓 How did you get into writing fanfiction? Honestly, that's a great question, but I have absolutely no recollection of how. I know I only get into fandomy stuff when I was about 17 or 18. I've always liked languages and writing, and wrote my tiny stories for myself since I was a teenager, but then they were not fic. I have no idea what fic I read that actually inspired me to start writing.

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

It actually isn't many, only about four.

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Well, I wrote fic for about 5 years from 18 to 23, then I had a looooooong break and started writing again at the end of last year. It's been slow getting back into it, but ... doing my best.

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

Definitely read more. I have many ideas, but I've always had a love hate relationship with writing, and I'm a much slower writer than a reader.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Definitely language skills. I'm not a native speaker and writing helped me a lot with stylistics and just generally finding my voice. I learned sometimes less is more. Also indirectly helped me with my job where I now can give a pretty good guidance on how to write essays and stories (am a teacher).

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

LENGTH! Though this is funnily something that only shows when I'm roleplaying. I write too much! It's not always a bad thing, but I'd like to write more concisely.

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I might be a boring writer and I don't really remember me writing anything that required a lot of research. I, however, am obsessed with time in my writing and I go to great lengths to be accurate when writing about past and time in the past. So I did research times of sunrise and sunset in certain years, so I could be accurate when writing a scene and the timing of it.

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Any comments are love, but I love those that engage with you as a writer. Where people give me their theories, or ideas, or where they quote parts they loved the most in my fics.

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I'm a sucker for slice of life and I don't think I've ever written anything that could be considered a fringe topic.

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

A story. Period. I think I would be bad at things that are not slice of life. Obviously in Harry Potter we have all the magic and I don't count that, that's more of a setting, but I do love AUs and I still can't imagine writing an AU that's very removed from real life, like for example fantasy or sci-fi. Also writing smut is really hard (I'm willing to push through for this one haha).

🍏What is the easiest type?

None? Writing is torture. I love it thought.

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I usually write at home, though sometimes ideas strike on public transport, so that's where I take notes a lot. I use mostly my computer. And I'm the most productive at night when I should be sleeping.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

In Marauders' fandom, I'm actually intimidated by canon / magical world. I've read the books countless times, but it's been a while since and even though I'm slowly getting back to it, I feel like I need to reread to make sure I'm getting things right. I'd love to write lie low at Lupin's and lost years. And then holy grail would be to write a magical canon-divergence.

🍇What made you choose your username?

I've had many usernames over the years, but the one I'm using currently is a homage to T-Rex's Diamond Meadows. It's a song I've always loved and then it made it's way to my Marlene playlist (who was the first character i picked to roleplay when I get into Marauders' rp) and it became her song in my head. And then it became my username on AO3 (and here minus S).

This has been fun, realised I really don't remember how I got into being involved in the fandom at all, but god, I'm glad I did and I'm glad I'm back after all these years. Tagging anyone who would like to try doing this plus @swoopswrites @moonwalker94 @lemndrps @lovelymasks

[mademoiselle-red]

Chapter 5 reread (part 2): thoughts

“Long afterwards, when he knew more, this was a thing he always remembered about Andrew, that he took it for granted one would regard maturity as a thing to be desired.” Haha I definitely also went through this phase during my quarter life crisis years 😅, classic Peter Pan Syndrome: “Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again.”

Speaking of Peter Pan, this bit from the play reminded me of part in the The Phaedrus that describes how the horses would grow wings and enable to soul to take flight towards heaven, but only if the charioteer remains chaste

Jane: Why can't you fly now, Mother?

Wendy: Because I'm grown up, sweetheart; when people grow up they forget the way.

Jane: Why do they forget the way?

Wendy: Because they are no longer young and innocent. It is only the young and innocent that can fly.

“‘I thought I wouldn’t bother with a car.’ He recognized, sinking, her defensive voice. ‘It was rather extravagant, you know, with the buses running so conveniently.’” Laurie resented how being with Straike has changed his mother’s behavior. This also plants the seeds of fear that he would lose his own judgement if he entered into a romantic relationship. Obviously it’s not good to lose your identity and let your partner tell you want to think, but growing closer in thinking and sensibility under each other’s influence is also a natural result of intimacy (not limited to couples). It’s about finding the right balance between “I” and “we”. But for most of the book, Laurie is convinced that there is only a choice between two extremes, the fully independent self-reliant “I” and the collective group-think “we”. Like with the charioteer metaphor, Laurie discovers at the end of the book that there is no choice between the white and black horses: the key to moving forward is to find ways to make them work together.

“She would never now, as he once had dreamed, say to him […] “tell me nothing, it is enough that no other woman will ever take you from me.” Like with Andrew, Laurie uses his love for his mother as an excuse to avoid acting on his sexuality. The oedipal excuse allows him to both rationalize (to his mother and society) his disinterest in women and his devotion to her would give him a “legitimate” reason to reject relationships with men.

Andrew, opening the subject rather shyly since Laurie had not seen fit to do so, said, “I hope it was alright today, when your mother came.”

“Yes, thanks,” said Laurie. “Yes, it was quite all right.” But lest Andrew should feel snubbed or hurt he produces a few limp platitudes, which Andrew went through the form of accepting as real. It was a sad little session; but he could feel Andrew thinking as he thought, that tomorrow it would be all right.”

Third time is the charm right? Nope. Andrew does not know how to emotionally support and comfort a friend who clearly needs it. Combine that with Laurie’s “hard logic of love” comment later in the book, I am reminded of the Puritans and their belief that comfort leads to indulgence, which is supposedly sinful. Ralph also seems to share this belief, but while Ralph only denies comfort to himself but provides it to others (Laurie, Bim, Mervyn) on a case by case basis, Andrew denies it (in his usual insistence on moral consistency) to everyone, most notably Laurie and Charlot.

It’s very clear by now that it’s not just queerness they can’t discuss because of Andrew’s “innocence”. Laurie cannot talk to Andrew about anything that actually matters to him, because Andrew always makes it about himself and his pacifist moral choices (that Laurie doesn’t actually give a shit about). So now Laurie just tells Andrew everything is fine and licks his own wounds alone 😭

“Her spinsterly no-nonsense kindness was independent, intact, and did not stir his unacknowledged sense of betrayal. Before the end they got quite gossipy together.” I read this as Laurie believing in the back of his mind that his enjoyment of the physical therapy and Miss Halliburton’s company is a betrayal of his earlier apprehension about the treatment and his disappointment in losing time spent with Andrew. It’s an early and subtle example of Laurie feeling a sense of self-betrayal when he finds himself liking something that he had decided he isn’t supposed to like.

“Though the Charles episode had been disillusioning, he hadn’t given up hope of finding himself club able after all.” Another indication that Laurie actually enjoys being flirted to and likes the idea of parties, but feels that he ought not to, and resents everyone who actually flirts with him and tries to have fun at the party.

"Who did you say?"

"Oh, d'you know Ralph Lanyon?"

As if he had been drifting in uncertainly-eddying water, and felt the sudden, authoritative pull of an ocean current, Laurie said easily and clearly, very much."

Raaaaaaalph!

I love how Laurie is so powerfully drawn to Ralph before the man even shows up! It’s like those things people put in love songs: I was drifting along until you found me~

I also I love how Laurie went from his faux nonchalance about Ralph earlier in the chapter with Andrew to “Omg did you say Ralph Lanyon? 😍😍😍”

[magicmusicdreams]

New year book asks: 9, 14, 25, 29, 40 💜

A book that was better than you expected it to be

The Liar's Knot by MA Carrick! It's the second book in the Rook and Rose series and I liked the first book. So I pushed myself to pick up the second book as well but even though I wasn't sure I was in the mood but holy shit am I glad I picked up. I listened to the audiobook version of it, and this narration, Nikki Massoud, is realllyyyy good

A book that made you cry

Definitely Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb and A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan. These are both series finales, and I always cry because of my favourite characters in finales :')

Did you discover any new authors?

Yes, I read a Becky Chambers book for the first time and WOW I want to read all of her work, I love her so much already even after only one book.

Did you finish any series?

Oh I sort of answered this already. So yes, I finished the Live Ship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb and The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I also started and finished the Six of Crows duology.

Do you have any reading goals for next year?

Yes! I want to read at least 40 books again. I also want to try and read some more originally Dutch and translated literature but also try not to buy too many new books and read what I have on my shelves already haha. I also want to reread some of my favourites, but this time other favourites than the ones I reread last year haha :D

Thank you! <3

[1d1195]

First of all bestie you could NEVER make me hate you especially over a silly hairstyle! And if people end be up hating on you for that… that’s not it lol also this is gonna part 1 of my ramble 😭

ANWAYS I’m in constant conflict with how I feel about that mullet HAHA at first I was like “a mullet?! WHY?” But then I saw the vision and kinda liked it😔 and rn I’m not sure tbh! BUT I’m not sure if it’s bc he’s HARRY and I’m just kind “blinded” by finding him attractive in general lol bc he’s definitely hot no matter what in my eyes so idk lol plus I fear I’m so use to seeing so many people have mullets (I guess it’s trendy now?!) that maybe I’m just not as big of a hater as I use to be lol btw I LOVED the visuals you gave! That tattoo roulette pic has me STUNNED the first time I saw it! And I kinda love you’re not an automatic lhh lover🤭 though I am a fan of when he had a middle part, like for when he did SNL so idk about my opinion lol

I simply am lowkey sick of my phone lately so idk wtf is going on lol though I love polls! It’s interesting what people are thinking! I genuinely don’t remember exactly what was the last poll I got to vote on but I remember clicking on a Sun kissed option and I was in the minority of votes 😭

SAM YOURE GONNA KILL ME WITH THAT BREEDING KINK!!! I will simply cease to exist whenever we get to meet that Harry😵‍💫 I truly love how you write your Harry’s like i simply can’t!!! And bestie I love when a man is begging and just groveling on the FLOOR for forgiveness!! Very excited 😌

Omg you’re of course one of those people!! Honestly I would have been more surprised if babies WEREN’T drawn to you lol I’m sure it’s just a vibe you give off like babies can see your pure and sweet heart! In another universe you most likely would have had your Honey moment or like a daycare moment! And omg that’s absolutely such an adorable moment and such a good concept 😭

Financial anxiety is so REAL! Especially since you mentioned how growing up it impacted you a lot! And growing up poor too, i totally get it!! It’s a very conflicting feeling lol

Omg bestie you don’t even KNOW how obsessed I was with fucking true crime and like paranormal stuff growing HAHAHA the true crime stuff now terrifies me now bc HELLO?!? But honestly some of these murder mystery books I got to reread again are kinda still a slay lol but the pottery stuff I got really into it in middle school and lowkey stopped reading it when the pandemic hit lol anyways finished sorting out some books so I will be donating them later this week!

Agree about the AC!! Growing up in school there was NO AC and we had to constantly suffer with the heat waves! Girl you’re like a young millennial which makes sense you would be drawn to that aesthetic and there’s nothing wrong with it! If it makes you happy then there’s no harm!

I always get so sad/worried when my dogs are slightly off bc I love them 😭 When I tell you the first thing encounter I had with my finaid office I fucking CRIED! Had to wait on a fuck ass zoom for almost two hours only for a MAN to tell me it was my fault(it fucking was a mistake on their end) and to just get loans and a payment plan was my HELL!!! My mom had to calm me down it was so embarrassing lol Anyways I loved that you gave that feedback and honestly very you and I love that!

I actually decided to shorten the black dress to like my mid thigh!! Sounds short but I’m not tall so it will look somewhat okay lol and the second one is actually a dark blue dress that shimmers when it hits a certain light! It looks black but it’s actually blue and I’m excited to wear it! That one will be slightly above the knee! And maxi dresses are cute! And I bet they look cute on you!!

Hope you had a lovely weekend! Hope it was restful and fun! ALSO I hope your week is starting well!! LOVE YOU!!!-💜

I'm putting a cut here because I wanted to warn anyone else that reads our pen pal letters that I'm going to talk about audio porn a little lol what an ENTRANCE to this message idk if you'll even be able to tell where my train of thought came from to introduce it like this 😂

Number one--obsessed with two part asks hehehe I love this for us. SAW THE VISION. I'm glad you saw it I haven't 💀 I think I def have this blindness as well but it's so trendy rn and I'm just NOT hear for it. If my bf got a mullet I would shave his head tbh. I just think his hair looked stringy and needed a wash and I haven't forgiven him for that 😭 I wash my hair every day because Harry and I actually have very similar hair and if I don't wash it every day it gets so greasy and gross (and before anyone comes for me I KNOW it's because I wash it every day 🙃 but I can't do it. I just feel better when I shower so what am I going to do? I do so little for my own self care ANYWAY)

I LOVE polling everyone. I think it's so helpful 😭 and I agree, knowing what everyone thinks really helps inform my decision and focus to write.

HEHEHEHE you may have already met that Harry Not to out myself here but I recently downloaded Quinn which is audio porn and it's *mwah* chef's kiss. It's giving me all kinds of ideas for Harry and I like to find the audios where the guy is all worshippy of the girl. Honestly, I don't even listen to it for the porn part I'm just here for the plot 😂 there's a couple brother's best friend's ones that have me salivating to write something. I'm AMPED.

I think in another life I probably will open a day care. I should have just taught elementary school the way the gods probably intended me to but alas. Knock on wood my group is... don't want to jinx it but I will say I'm not exhausted right now (at least not from teaching).

I'm not tall either so I get it. I love a shimmery dress! That sounds so nice! I've been getting tons of compliments on all my clothes recently so I like to believe I might be figuring out my own sense of style. Even the kids notice and think I look cute which is not the point but I think it's nice they notice because a lot of these kids are so trendy and adorable. One of my students from a couple years ago should have won best dressed. She could have worn a trash bag to soo. She was so adorable and I would ask for her opinion about what I should wear to chaperone prom/homecoming 😂

I hope you NEVER have to talk to financial aid ever again 💕

I had a slightly busy but good weekend. I was very productive and I'm trying to keep pace because I fear October is going to be busy as hell 🙃

I hope your week is going well too 💕 LOVE YOU!

[sonyechka]

ring - koji suzuki

3/5

i think this is a fair rating. i dont know, i wish i had finished this book in one go because it probably would have made the book more interesting. it's also awful to read something that was published a decade before you were born, which then became part of 'mainstream' pop culture, because ive kinda known the gist of the ring and sadako this whole time, so the suspense wasnt fully there, but thats not necessarily suzukis fault, moreso mine for not being born earlier. and then i read it in the most dipshitty way imaginable, in which i started it in march, got busy with my thesis and dnfed it, and then started rereading now. my bad mr suzuki, it wont happen again. i hope.

anywho it was still an enjoyable read. its hard to come to a definite understanding of the prose's quality when you are reading in translation though, just because english is a lot different from japanese. nevertheless, it was well written, i guess. (well translated?? i dont really know.) i did enjoy the tone of the narrator though.

i really did like the mystery of it all. i do like stories where someone has to spend time familiarizing themself with 'evil' in order to defeat it, and they end up having this attachment to it. like, asakawa keeping sadako's picture on his desk was cute to me. i just enjoy spirits being put to rest i guess.

i thought the idea at the end, about sadako reproducing and that being how the curse is broken was interesting. im not going to say more though until i get my hands on the rest of the trilogy. i am hooked.

i also really do enjoy the chainmail horror haha. i grew up in the deviantart comment section chainmail era, and i probably have around 20 curses on me currently because my parents wouldnt let me make a deviantart account to avoid all the malicious entities. so, im simotaneously not very afraid of chainmail curses and also very scared of sadako. i think every time ive seen the clip from any of the movies of the tape ive turned it off because ive gotten scared. protecting my peace. was ring the first time that trope had been used?

anyways, i did enjoy it. i didnt find it particularly terrifying or haunting, but its midday and i said the same thing about longlegs just to immediately have a nightmare that night. i am mostly excited now to watch the movie and read the rest of the trilogy.

[notebookmusical]

Hi! I'm glad to hear you're doing better and listening to music you enjoy. The last dinner party is on my list and 23 but Jimmy Eat World is the best song ever. I hope you loved it! I will add the last album to my list too. I was listening to some Grammy nominees this week like Janelle Monae.

Oh that sounds so good. I hope I love it and will try not to compare it to The Night Circus so much lol. I'm sure I will love both! They seem pretty different to me so that makes sense. Maybe I will read part of it this month taking my time with it so that's cool. But idk how much time I will have this month again, but I think things will be settled by next month. There's also the if he had been with me sequel I think out this week! I have not done my reread yet unfortunately though. that was my plan for February and focusing on two books to finish each month but I always read parts of other ones too so we will see.

The musical on Broadway was kinda bad mostly or that's what most people thought. I heard the London cast and show was actually way better but I never watched or listened to it. But Christian Borle was def the best part and I'm not even sure what you were referring to lol. The only song I remember is it must be believed to be seen. I wish Schmicago didn't get cancelled and I would have liked seeing what season 3 ended up as. I just think the show was kinda fun and understood paying respects and parodying musical theater..not unlike what I saw of Crazy exgf. The show was for theater people but didn't have to be only for theater people either to enjoy it. I just read that Hazbin Hotel, the new show, was one of the most watched shows though and I am interested in the show and how it could be a musical lol. I will definitely check it out soon since all the episodes are out now and let you know! I honestly forgot what musical albums were nominated for the Grammys. What ended up winning?

I hope so too! Actually I think the Wiz is here until the end of the month before going to Broadway and unfortunately I won't be able to go. Then next is Mean Girls but I also already saw the movie so idk when I will see a show again! I hope you can see one soon though! I still wanna watch the Waitress proshot too.

I partly agree that Cardigan deserved it for sure but I also enjoy Antihero and thought it could win but it didn't. I am so happy about most of the Grammy wins. Paramore won every award they were nominated for and Billie won for What Was I Made For, but I was sad for Olivia and Noah. I didn't love Taylors dress honestly and preferred the Globes look, but that's not important. I can't believe she made history last night which was only one big shock of the night! Lol I will send all of my thoughts about the brand NEW album in another ask!

hi hi friend!! 🤍 i have to go back and finish listening to the rest of the grammy noms; i had every intention of doing so and then ... just never did. i hope things are more settled for you soon; you'll have to keep me posted on what you think of all the things!

i loved crazy ex-girlfriend when it was airing, but i very rarely find myself going back to relisten to their soundtracks — but i do go back and listen to SMASH's songs all the time! some like it hot ended up winning, which is fine with me — i don't know much about that show, but there was one show in particular i didn't really care for and didn't reallllly want to win haha! tickets for the company tour actually just went on presale here in seattle, and i'm trying to figure out if i want to go or not, which is crazy because i loveeee company and it was one of the only things i was looking forward to last season but now i'm like :/ i do not know if i care enough to go :/ for the prices they're selling tickets at. i might try my hand at lotto, but ...

i also didn't love taylor's look last night! i think her hair + the styling of it all was just ... a little odd. but i haven't really liked a lot of taylor's looks lately :( 🤍

[skiitter]

Sending you hugs and wishes to get better soon ❤️Ask game: jasmine, orchid, nutmeg 💐💐

thank you my beloved <3 <3 <3

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

All of them lmao. I rarely RARELY rewatch or reread things. There are certain TV shows that are exempt from this (Bojack, Malcom in the Middle, King of the Hill, etc.) but otherwise I just don't? Idk i know there is this big new movement towards spoilers being great actually but once I know where a story goes or how it ends up I lose 99% of interest. I am a plot person, not a character person, because i like stories not people and so like it is hard for me to fall back in love with a world once i've journeyed through it already. The exception to this is video games but only by a margin.

THAT BEING SAIDDDD I do occasionally rewatch films with people and I adored Lost in Translation and can never watch it again because it broke my heart haha.

orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

"Ghost in Your Stereo" by The Midnight (runner up: "Take Me to Church" by Hozier)

nutmeg ⇢ how’s your room/home decorated? do you have a specific theme or style going on?

dkjflghfjghdf maximalism to the extreme. Lego sets everywhere. my husband is a massive comic book fan so we have a shit ton of superhero art all over this bitch. I also love knick-knacks and have a billion little Things all over the place. Technically our room has a color of theme of burnt orange and grey because of the Dappermouth tapestry we have that ties it all together but honestly. I'm not a fashion/style person. I like a lot of "conflicting" looks and themes and our apartment definitely reflects that haha.

[personinthepalace]

Klickitcast - A Beverly Cleary Podcast

This is a podcast that I accidentally stumbled upon recently. If you enjoyed any of Beverly Cleary’s books, whether it’s Henry Huggins or Beezus and Ramona or Ralph S. Mouse, then I would highly recommend this podcast. The hosts, Phil Gonzales and John McCoy, go through all of her books in chronological order and discuss how the characters and Clearly’s writing develop ed over the years. It’s such a fascinating listen and such a lovely way to reconnect with some childhood stories- I can’t recommend it enough!!

[adamparrishapologist]

October reads

I know we're already one week into November, but yeah haven't gotten around to but until now, so here a my October reads now, even if a bit late

Red, White and Royal Blue (reread) 4/5

Don't have much to say about this book. It's a good, solid read, the characters are very likeable. Nothing special but definitely worth reading

Darius the great deserves better 4.5/5

Okay I absolutely love the Darius the Great books. The way depression and mental health in general is talked about is just *mwuah* so good. As a person who also suffers from depression and other mental illnesses, it's just really nice to read a book for once where it's talked about without being used in a 'my whole life revolves around my diagnosis but I refuse to get treatment' way. I also really enjoyed the way relationships are presented in a healthy but natural kinda way.

Bungo Stray Dogs vol. 7,8&9 3.5/5

I've already seen the anime and am now reading the mangas, so I'm still reading the volumes that appear in the anime. I'm generally not a big fan of mangas/graphic novels but I always really enjoy reading Bungo Stray Dogs. The plot is interesting (if confusing in the best way possible), the characters are quite interesting and the art style is exactly to my taste

The Raven Boys (reread) 4/5

Okay so I love the Raven cycle series, and it's the only books I've actually annotated with sticky notes haha. The characters, the plot, the writing is just beautiful. The first book isn't my favourite out of the four, but still an incredible beautiful book. There are a few things that bother me throughout the books, like how some racist elements are included regarding Henry Cheng, so ehhh.

Maurice 3.5/5

So this was one of my first attempts of reading an English book written in the 20th century, as English isn't my first language, and it went better then I expected haha. I liked the concept of the books, even though I sometimes found the characters a but frustrating from time to time, but that's probably due to historical context and stuff.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club 5/5

Simply no complaints. I loved the book. I still love it. It was impossible to but down and I immediately fell in love with our protagonist and her love interest. I loved the little snippets of stories out of the life's of her family (especially her aunt) Definitely one of my favourite books from now on.

The Passing Playbook (reread) 4.5/5

I've read this book first in August, then reread in September and now reread it in October again. It's just such an sweet, adorable story, but still touches on some more serious topics. The characters are just really loveable. The writing isn't anything special, and there is definitely room for improvement, but the story is just so catching that I couldn't find myself to care.

Peter Darling 3/5

It was alright. I felt the romance was just really rushed and there was a lot that just remained... untouched, but it was a quick and easy read, and the characters were really interesting and multi-layered.

The Goldfinch 4/5

Okay so I definitely prefer Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History', but I still enjoyed this book. I must say that due to its length, I often considered not finishing it, but I was too invested to actually stop. I don't think I have to go into depth on how incredible the writing is. I really liked the part of Theos childhood, and I think that the book kinda lost some of its potential after the time-jump.

Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world 4.5/5

If i'm being honest, I was really nervous about this book, as most of the times, sequels that were released much later than the first book are often... disappointing. But this was NOT the case here. I still related strongly to Ari and his views, and I was just really happy how many things were tied up that were left open in the first book. The 'Aristotle and Dante' books will forever be one of my favourite books and comfort reads

See you next month

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Mid-Year Reading Update

tagged by @asexualbookbird eh heh heh many thank!!

Amount of books you’ve read so far: 22 and unhappy about it, given the precarious nature of the tbr looming beside my lamp, currently. if you hear a bookalanche from somewhere in the suburbs orbited by cornfields, know it’s just me, crushed under the weight of everything i really am excited to read. please send an excavator.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2022: *cries Ezra why are we excluding Murderbot because it was a reread* okay but New Books Read i’m gonna have to say....GALLANT, based on the combo of how i goodreads rated it and how quickly i devoured it? i’ve read other excellent things but they have been Slow.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022: y’all are reading sequels?? aside from ARTIFICIAL CONDITION (see: reread caveat above), the only proper sequelish thing i’ve read was WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO by seanan mcguire and it was excellent!!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: for someone who preordered both SEASONAL FEARS and PORTRAIT OF A THIEF literal months in advance, i’ve done a smashing job of absolutely not reading them, even though they’re on my Very Imminent TBR.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: i’m also absolutely team NONA THE NINTH on this one.

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): okay biggest SURPRISE was how much i enjoyed george saunders’ A SWIM IN THE POND IN THE RAIN, because i definitely started out thinking he was a prick but he really grew on me?? and it was nonfic, so that was nice and surprising?? anyway i thought of him very fondly by the end, enough that i put some of his fiction on my tbr to investigate!

Newest fictional crush: lol answering this as my teenage!aroace-without-the-language-for-it would have, as “a crush is when you’re not sure if you want to be someone or you want that someone to be your best friend because they’re just supremely cool, right?? haha yeah that’s toootally a crush, i get those all the time just like everybody else~~”. anyway: juniper, from THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES, is my biggest ~crush~, and i love her with my whole heart.

Book that made you cry: NETWORK EFFECT fucked me up. again. my eyes got liquidy but i also don’t tend to Cry, over books or over any irl things either lol. NE made me closest so here it goes.

Book that made you happy: *sweats in Murderbot* listen i know i said i’ve read 22 books, but fully six (6) of those were my Murderbot reread, and most of the others haven’t been....Happy.......but gosh also bot makes me SO HAPPY.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): oooh, tough one. WHAT WE HARVEST by ann fraistat is Very Pretty. i’ve also been delighted by PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD, recently, and of course GALLANT is gorgeous!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? *cries harder* So Many. i want to read Everything and i feel like i have no time. NONA, of course, but i’ve recently been trying to match my fiction reading to my fiction writing, so i want to reread MIDDLEGAME and read SEASONAL FEARS for driscoll purposes. i’d also like to read STEERING THE CRAFT by ursula le guin!!

i nominate @sixofravens-reads and @gaywinemommarianhawke, if this is a thing you’re interested in!! reading buddies, sound off!!

[wildsunscorpion]

How Bum Geon Woo communicates through his body language (Plus how he's actually giving the special treatment Eui Joon's been yearning for)

I reread DCS for, like, the tenth time now. Yes, I'm obsessed ohmygod! I'm liking how these two characters are written so far. I originally wanted to break down just Chapters 20-24 of DCS because the first time I read it I got just a little annoyed with how Geon Woo (a.k.a. Ahjussi) was, let's say, just kind of pushing Euijoon's limits. But I ended up doing more than just Chapters 20-24. Dios mio.

I was just a little tired of seeing the same trend with guys in manhwa. They always seem to be domineering, especially if their partner is the "sweet and naive" archetype. (Eui Joon, I think, does not really fit into this mold.) Of course, that's usually because they're dealing with their own issues, and I don't really blame them.

But I like DCS because it justified that kind of behavior in Geon Woo when he was having sex with Eui Joon (in Chapters 20-24, particularly). Lol I'm probably the only one who realized this later than I should have ehehe. I'm still posting this tho.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD‼️‼️

His antics speak volumes. It's amazing how I missed all those details just because the sex scenes were. Steamy. As. Fuck. Good lordy! Geon Woo is definitely a man of few words (He once said Eui Joon makes him talk like he would for a whole year, haha!), so it would make sense to communicate whatever's going through his mind in a situation through body language.

I also want to add the times that he makes the effort to hold a conversation with Eui Joon. Geon Woo doesn't really talk when he doesn't need to, so it's important to pay attention to his actions.

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Chapters 0-12

The first time we get a glimpse of Geon Woo's side of the story was when Eui Joon finally confesses to the person who's been his crush for 3 effing years, Hyeon Woo. Eui Joon is inexplicably happy when Hyeon Woo says he'll consider and comes to the convenience store in good spirits. Geon Woo, keen as always, notices, and when Eui Joon tells him what happened this is what we get:

It's the way it was framed. How we see his reaction from behind rather than from the front. He turns away, seeming to go inward and brood once again.

Afterwards, another gangster comes. The guy challenges Geon Woo for taking too long at the front of the line. Geon Woo asks Eui Joon if he smokes, and when he replies that he doesn't, Geon Woo "borrows" the lighter on the countertop and uses that to throw a stronger punch to the man behind him, who temporarily falls unconscious. Geon Woo turns back to Eui Joon, seeming to have something else to say. But he sees the frightened look on Eui Joon's face and decides to keep it to himself before leaving through the door.

"And..." He pauses, turning to Eui Joon. "... Never mind. Good work."

JUST WHAT WAS HE ABOUT TO SAY?!?!?!

In the succeeding panel, Eui Joon is nonplussed. He wonders out loud, "What is happening?" Couldn't have said it better, girl. Geon Woo was just taking out his frustration and he had the perfect opportunity at the moment.

The second time was when Geon Woo invites Eui Joon to drink after the incident with Hyeon Woo (who basically asks Eui Joon to cheat with him and inebriates him—probably with the intention to take advantage of him). From the side stories, we learn that Geon Woo has taken an interest in Eui Joon after seeing him for the second time, and when he comes by through the hallway—finally discovering they were neighbors—and witnesses the two, he sees it as a chance with Eui Joon.

He invites Eui Joon out to drink, after Eui Joon's suggestion for a dinner at 2 in the morning fails to entice him. Eui Joon rambles his questions away, wanting to get to know him better, but Geon Woo doesn't immediately answer and catches him off guard when he "casually" inquires after his sexuality. Not the smoothest move there, lol, but in the side stories we see that wasn't really his intention.

"Damn it, why did I ask that question? It just slipped out..."

He answers Eui Joon's questions afterwards, surprising Eui Joon with the fact that he's actually been listening to what he's been saying for the past minute. We're starting to see just what kind of a person he is (Listening skills are always a plus in my book).

A little later, we see them on their way back to the apartment. Eui Joon asks Geon Woo to tell him anything interesting because he's been the one talking all night. Geon Woo acquiesces, asking a question that may have been part in consideration of Eui Joon's vulnerable state, and perhaps also part due to the possibility that he worried about him.

"Come to think of it... School has already started. Isn't it tiring to work 'til dawn? Aren't you working too much?"

Geon Woo's face is a little hard to read. So every subtle change in his expression says something. If you read the manhwa, you'll see the slightest bit of concern in his eyes. It's hard to catch until you've read the side stories (at least for me, haha).

One more thing I like about Geon Woo is that he doesn't meddle when it's not his business. He knows the state of Eui Joon's family—their inability to afford his college tuition, his hospitalized brother—and he knows he can help. I mean, I don't know how wealthy and powerful he is as a gangster but he probably has the means to. But he rarely opens the topic to Eui Joon.

Aaaand onto Chapter 8! Just before the first sex scene in the entire series. Eui Joon is crying because he had a shitty day both at school and at work, poor thing—all because of Hyeon Woo. He cries even more when he notices that Geon Woo, who came to the store every day, didn't come to the store that day. When he encounters him outside, he breaks down, catching Geon Woo off guard.

Geon Woo tells his lackey to leave and asks Eui Joon to stay. Eui Joon tells him he was fine and proceeds to go back to his room, but Geon Woo frightens him when he says he was already being nice. And then we get this:

"Ah, I don't mean it that way... Just a while."

That gentle tug is honestly so uncharacteristic of the usual ruffian behavior we often see from Geon Woo. It's a nice sweet detail that proves what he says in Chapter 26 (when he finally confesses) that he treats Eui Joon differently from others.

Eui Joon cries his heart out to Geon Woo, and Geon Woo just lets him. Afterwards, Eui Joon resolves to forget about Hyeon Woo. By finding someone, hmm, more physically endowed.

"I must find someone more good-looking than him. With a nicer body... And a bigger dick!"

Clueless guy basically described the man beside him.

To that, Geon Woo says:

"How long have you known me? You really dare to say anything like that in front of me?"

Which comes off as slightly hostile at first. The next panel shows a dark aura surrounding Geon Woo, which Eui Joon interprets as distress from his implications of doing it with him—whose sexual preference so far remains ambiguous (In the side stories, we learn that Geon Woo himself struggles with figuring this out.). But then, he surprises Eui Joon when he slowly leans in to kiss him.

CUE SEX SCENE! I pitied Eui Joon a little because he wasn't really in the best state when Geon Woo offered this. In Geon Woo's defense, though, from the moment he found out that Eui Joon was gay he saw doors opening. When Eui Joon said something like that, I think his attraction to Eui Joon finally caught up to him and he couldn't resist the opportunity. He definitely wasn’t distressed by the implication of Eui Joon’s words; he was distressed by the decision he had to make—to go through that door or not. Because he knew he wanted it, even though he was constantly denying it from the start.

“This dirty thought wasn’t something that I have planned from the beginning.”

The day after, Eui Joon is a little rattled. He doesn’t know how to treat Geon Woo after that—not when he realized that sex could be that hot and satisfying (uwu). Geon Woo appears to be unaffected while Eui Jon’s brain is in knots about everything. But the questions Geon Woo asks tell us that he’s beginning to show Eui Joon a little emotion. He asks to see Eui Joon’s face to inspect the healing bruise he got yesterday (the one that Geon Woo covered with a bandaid—which was so sweet, huhu). And then, he asks if he was tired after school.

“Let me see your face.”

“School classes. Are you tired after taking them?”

From my perspective, he wasn’t just asking for the sake of being nice to the person he slept with. The story still hasn’t covered much of Geon Woo’s history to know whether he had been like this with his previous partners. Although there was a moment in Chapter 27 during one of their conversations when he gave us a little glimpse:

Geon Woo: It's normal to cry over pathetic things at your age. Eui Joon: Have you cried like that before too? Geon Woo: No. Eui Joon: Then how do you know that? Geon Woo: I just... know. Because there was a guy like that around.

From the time Geon Woo invited him out to drink, I think Geon Woo was genuinely concerned when he asked how Eui Joon was doing.

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Chapters 13-26

Geon Woo's love language, I think, is his actions. He fights off the gangsters that bully Eui Joon into giving them discounts or even paying for them from his own pockets so they won't have to. He gives Eui Joon food and medicine when he finds out he was sick (the morning after having sex with him in the car for hours, lol). He likes taking care of the person he likes. So in Chapter 26, when he "confesses" to Eui Joon, that was Geon Woo pointing out that he's been doing the same thing all along.

"I mean, look at me just once... What kind of person I am. How I treat you. Take a good look at it. If you think that I'm good, then pick me. If not, you can throw me aside." "But. Before you do, you should understand this. Until then, I don't intend to let you get away."

This "non-confession" (he actually tells Eui Joon it wasn't a confession) actually says a lot about Geon Woo. His attitude towards their relationship is very blunt and straightforward. Once he's made a decision, he stops listening to his doubts and stands by it. I don't really know when Geon Woo decided that he liked Eui Joon. It was more slow-growing. In the side stories though, we see him considering this big-time when this thought crosses his mind:

"There's the common phrase of having the opportunity to meet your fateful love. If there's a sign for it, would it be possible to stay vigilant?"

AHJUSSI YOU SOFT-HEARTED ROMANTIC I CAN'T T^T He becomes more bold with Eui Joon afterwards, but he's still a little prickly. He's constantly weighing his options, trying to figure out in what way will doing the things he does for Eui Joon benefit him, if at all. In Chapter 13, when a customer comes inside the store and forces Eui Joon to pay for what he bought, he's on the scales. But then the memory of that morning flashes through his mind, and he remembers how the simple act of Eui Joon giving him his number had made him smile like an idiot. He beats the customer for him, taking the money he owed, and gives it back to Eui Joon. He even manages to casually ask him out on a date. The guy can be smooth as fuck.

Eui Joon: Are you saying... we should eat together? Geon Woo: Sure. I guess I've done something worth compensating. Will you give me my reward?

Take notes, people! At this point, Eui Joon has gotten him wrapped around his finger, and he didn't even know it! Of course, Eui Joon still thinks their relationship is only purely sexual, but then Geon Woo begins doing these uncharacteristically tender gestures that Eui Joon initially interprets as Geon Woo giving him special treatment.

"Let me see your face." "School classes. Are you tired after them" "I'm thinking that... You'll look good in short hair, too."

And Geon Woo even tries to initiate a conversation with Eui Joon when he feels like Eui Joon couldn't take the awkwardness. A good example was when Geon Woo treats him dinner at the restaurant.

"...." "Is this your first time coming to this kind of place?"

Somehow, these things he does still feel kind of forced, like he was genuinely annoyed at Eui Joon and everything he did. Even when he asks to do it with him again and Eui Joon refuses because he was still sore, there was a moment of frustration that shone through.

It was a sign that Geon Woo was still confused about the things he was feeling towards Eui Joon. He knew he wanted him physically, but then he doesn't take up the woman's offer that evening after Eui Joon refuses him. It wasn't actually written on paper, but knowing Geon Woo's character he might have felt uneasy about going through with it. Not particularly on Eui Joon's behalf, but it may have been unconscious because of his budding feelings.

His feelings were something that rattled him, and he was usually undeterred in any kind of situation. What rattled him more was that Eui Joon didn't know anything about what he was going through.

"Being naturally attracted to you, and going through unfamiliar emotions. This feeling should only be felt at an adolescent age."

We're seeing him from behind again. The use of this perspective in manhwas / mangas / comics usually makes you feel like can't tell what the character's thinking about, but most importantly that they're most likely about to go do or SAY SOMETHING DAMN IMPORTANT. Like, maybe, telling their feelings to the person they like!?!?!

"Eui Joon-Ah. I like you."

ASDFGHJKL DID ANYONE SEE THAT COMING?!?!?!

That actually surprised me hella lot. I'd originally thought Geon Woo was the tsundere type, but he was more honest with his feelings than I believed. However, he hadn't been completely convinced by these feelings until Eui Joon had offered to break it off. Suddenly there was an exit to his situation, but he didn't really feel happy about it. He was frustrated at not being able to properly understand what his words made him feel. Because the truth was he didn't want to break things off. He just wouldn't admit to himself at the time that the reason was he actually wanted Eui Joon.

We could see him debating it himself, poor thing:

"I didn't expect myself to be in a situation where I couldn't even understand my own feelings. I should've figured it out the moment I couldn't understand my sexual preference. I'm not that young anymore... What is this?" "No... It could also be a spur of the moment... It doesn't seem to be like that. It might also be due to pride, but I feel it's not necessary for these kinds of feelings to affect my pride... But even when it's like this, I still want to..."

Geon Woo decides to "have a little fun" before conceding to Eui Joon's request to "end their entanglement". But I've noticed that whenever something bothers Geon Woo too much, he takes a smoke. When Eui Joon makes the suggestion, Geon Woo does just that.

The slightly rough way in which Geon Woo treats him afterwards shows his frustration. He grabs his arm roughly and pulls him towards the car, but he doesn't realize he was hurting Eui Joon's wrist with his own watch until Eui Joon whines in pain—at which point Geon Woo just laces his hand through his instead. Which I thought was so sweet T^T

When Eui Joon freaks out about doing it at the school where he studies and asks Geon Woo to consider it for him, Geon Woo says, "Do I have to consider that for you too?" And when Eui Joon asks for him to do that, Geon Woo replies, "I guess I've been too nice to you." THE MAN WAS FREAKING FRUSTRATED!!! Geon Woo even challenges him to stay quiet, telling him no one will hear them if he does. Throughout the whole thing, Geon Woo wanted to dominate him, daring him to take what pleasure he could give him, but with an aggression that bespeaks the storm in his heart and mind. Reading it back, I realized just how damn hot that scene was. I mean, goddamn. After Geon Woo admits his feelings, there's a serenity about him afterwards. He no longer has to second-guess taking care of Eui Joon or expressing what he felt towards him. He gives him food and medicine the next day since he caught a fever. He "invites himself" to watch a movie with him since they both had nothing to do for the rest of the day. The guy was basically courting Eui Joon, haha. Not a confession, my ass XD

And then, when Eui Joon opens up about how he rejected Hyeon Woo, Geon Woo tells him he'll also wait for him for around three years T^T

MY HEART I CAN'T T ^ T ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ So that's kiiind of a long breakdown. I included as little pictures as possible. Copyright and all that. I just really like this series so far. I want to be able to read the original someday. Hopefully I'd be able to learn Korean T^T. If you like this as much as I do, chat me up =D would love to hear other thoughts.