#if there is any Misunderstanding that should immediately sever the romantic tension it is THAT ONE

[rinmemesuoka]

sailormoonsub finishing the code realize anime has me thinking about the game again and. god. whooooo thought that misunderstanding plot in victor's route was a good idea

[asweetprologue]

feel the turn of rotation (and stop)

@sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo​

Prompt: Date Night Relationships: Geralt/Jaskier Rating: Gen Content Warnings: None Summary: Geralt ask Jaskier to go to the Yule festival with him. Jaskier misunderstands his intentions.  ao3

“There’s a festival happening tonight.”

Jaskier looked up from where he was working on his latest composition. Geralt was leaning against the doorway to his bedchambers, which Jaskier tended to use as a study as well so that he could reserve the main space for entertaining. He took a moment to set down his quill and wipe his sweaty palm on his trousers. It was almost overly warm in the room, the fire blazing at full height to fight back against the chill of his outward facing chambers. The single, tiny window above his desk ran with moisture, the frost melted away by the heat of the room. 

“Yes,” he answered, turning in his plush chair to face Geralt fully, one ankle coming up to cross over his knee. “There’ll be a procession at sunset starting at the main gate, to light the lanterns. And then dancing and such in the main square. Typical Yuletide celebrations.” As he spoke, Jaskier allowed himself to observe Geralt in full, briefly sweeping a glance over his companion. It was exceptionally rare for them to spend winters together; Geralt almost always chose to spend the colder months in Kaer Morhen with his brothers, while Jaskier returned to civilization. This year they had been deep in southern Sodden when the first snows unexpectedly hit, and by the time they’d made it back to Redania they’d received word from Vesemir that the pass to Kaer Morhen was closed. Jaskier had been offered a position teaching for the winter semester, along with a fairly lucrative retainer with a local lordling, so he’d offered Geralt a place to crash while they waited for the witchering season to start up again.

The downtime suited Jaskier’s companion nicely. Geralt’s hair was pulled back into a customary knot behind his head, but it was clean and soft looking, free of dirt and monster guts. His skin shone in the firelight, and the dark circles that always seemed smudged beneath his eyes were faded after weeks of consistent rest and food. He’d taken to walking around without his armor on, content after a few days with the knowledge that Oxenfurt was populated by nothing more threatening than overenthusiastic academics. At the moment he was wearing a pair of old black trousers and a dark blue shirt that stood out against his white skin like a splash of wine on a silk tablecloth. It had cost Jaskier a small fortune, but it was worthwhile to see it clinging to Geralt’s shoulders.

He looked good. Jaskier felt his cheeks heat up as he realised he’d been staring. Snapping back to the conversation at hand, he realized that Geralt had been speaking. 

“- if you wanted to.”

“Sorry, what?” Jaskier asked, blinking. Geralt rolled his eyes, used to Jaskier’s lapses in attention. The motion carried annoyance, but when his eyes fell on Jaskier again there was fondness in them. 

“I asked if you’d planned on attending. Seems like the kind of thing you’d be working.” Strong arms crossed over a broad chest, stretching the dark fabric across thick biceps. Jaskier swallowed. 

“Ah, well, typically I would indeed be regaling the crowds with my sonorous melodies. But considering I had company, I thought it might be better to leave myself, uh.” He cut himself off, feeling suddenly exposed in the admission. While he had taken the time off initially hoping he might be doing something with Geralt, he hadn’t truly expected the witcher to want to do more than maybe get drunk on overpriced Redanian wine. “Well. You’re here, after all,” he finished lamely. 

Geralt blinked at that, something odd crossing his face before he looked away. Staring at the fire across from Jaskier, he said, “You could still go.”

Something was off about his tone - overly flat, which he only did when he was trying to muffle some kind of emotion. What it could be, Jaskier had no earthly idea. Confused, he said, “Well, I wouldn’t want to leave you all by yourself on Yule, Geralt. That wouldn’t make me a very gracious host! I’m entirely content to spend the evening with you here, if that’s what you would prefer.” And he was, truly. While he typically spent Yuletide amongst the people, dancing and singing and visiting with friends, he imagined it would be just as rewarding to spend the evening with Geralt, in the cramped comfort of his quarters. The two of them tipsy on ale and spirits, sitting before the fire, trading stories back and forth like they usually did on the road. Cuddled beneath a blanket, pressed up against each other despite the warmth of the hearth, drink making Geralt’s face flush as it almost never did…

Yes, Jaskier imagined he would be perfectly content to spend the evening right here. 

Geralt let out a frustrated huff. “I mean, we could go. If you want. I - We should go. Together.”

It was choppy work, even for Geralt. He still refused to meet Jaskier’s gaze, staring with absolute focus at the fire. His shoulders were braced, tense as if waiting for a blow. It was baffling. 

“Well, of course, if you’d like to go I’m amenable to that,” Jaskier agreed. “More than, actually. It’s great fun, you’ll see.” 

Geralt finally turned to look Jaskier in the eye. A shiver traveled down his spine at the intensity there, but then again, that was how he often felt under that golden gaze. “Together,” Geralt said again.

“I wouldn’t want to go with anyone else,” Jaskier said with a dismissive wave, laughing a little. It was typical to attend the festivities with a spouse or sweetheart, but he’d not taken a paramour of any kind in several months, and nothing serious in years, if he was honest. His attention was unfortunately captured elsewhere. He spared a single moment to mourn the private evening he’d envisioned with Geralt, but he was already warming to the idea of attending the festivities. He’d already shown the witcher around Oxenfurt, but it was exciting to think of showing the city off again in a new light. Geralt had probably not attended many Yule festivals, he realized, having always spent the winters in the mountains. Something released in his chest even as his stomach dropped in disappointment as he realized Geralt probably didn’t even recognize the romantic implications of his offer. 

Geralt, at least, looked relieved. The tension dropped from his shoulders, and he gave Jaskier a soft smile. Jaskier’s traitorous heart skipped in his chest, and Geralt’s grin suggested that it may have been audible. Jaskier wasn’t sure what to do with himself, hands fluttering across his desk to meaninglessly straighten papers and notes. “Good,” Geralt said, the grin softening back into that disorienting smile. “I’m assuming you’ll want to change.”

“Ah, yes, can’t very well go out in this,” Jaskier agreed, still feeling slightly unmoored.

“Of course,” Geralt said seriously, but his eyes danced with mirth. “I’ve got some things to do in the market before the stalls close. Meet you at the gate at sunset?”

“Perfection,” Jaskier said, and Geralt nodded before peeling himself off of the doorframe and disappearing into the other room. A moment later Jaskier heard the telltale sound of the exterior door opening and closing, the rusty hinges creaking. He sat for a moment in the empty room, going over the encounter in his mind and trying to determine what had made it feel so off.

“Strange,” he said to himself, and began packing up his things. He had a festival to prepare for. 

***

Dressed appropriately in his finest woolen tunic and the thick fur lined cloak Geralt had gifted him the previous year, Jaskier set out from his abode to meet Geralt. An hour or so had passed since their conversation, and the sun was lying low and languorous on the edge of the horizon. Its dying light rippled across the Pontar where it split around the island, the light layer of snow that covered the landscape transformed into gold dust. Already he could see the crowd gathering on the far side of the bridge, led by the priestess of Melitele, returning from the temple outside of the city. Jaskier stood inside the city gates, scanning the faces around him for familiar features. 

After a few moments he saw him - highlighted against the backdrop of the setting sun, his hair turned to fiery gold in the dying light. Geralt smiled when they made eye contact, and immediately began to push his way through the crowd towards Jaskier. He too had dressed for the weather, his own wool cloak muffling his form. As he stepped into Jaskier’s space, he said, “You ready?”

Jaskier had the feeling that he didn’t know exactly what he should be ready for, but he nodded anyway. “They’re just beginning,” he said, waving towards the group approaching on the bridge. It was slow going, the procession stopping every few meters to wait while the priestess lit the lanterns lined up along the walls. They would be at it for the next hour at least, making their way around the circumference of the city to light the protective lanterns and then returning to the bridge, where the large crowd would release their own floating lanterns to carry their prayers for the new year to Melitele. 

“There’s music in the square,” Geralt said, and Jaskier could just barely hear it as well. Normally he would be amongst the performers, but tonight he was there as the audience. 

“The flutist is off key, I can tell already,” he said with a grin, though he could hear no such thing from this distance. Geralt huffed out a laugh and took Jaskier’s arm, just above the end of his glove. Geralt’s fingers were bare, his witcher metabolism keeping him warm enough without them, and they were a cold shock against the skin of Jaskier’s wrist. He let himself be led into the square, which was packed with people. Tables had been set up with food and drink around the edges, while the far side was dominated by a low stage. In the center, couples and groups danced, circling each other in common folk movements. The tune was jaunty and fun, a lively song to help fight back against the dark that threatened the edges of the gathering. Defiant in the best of ways. 

“I don’t suppose you know any of the local dances?” Jaskier asked, already knowing the answer. Geralt confirmed it with a shake of his head. “Well then be a dear and get us some ales, hmm? We can still watch.”

Geralt, for once, did as he was bid without comment, probably just as interested in the alcohol as Jaskier was. He found them a spot to stand near the mouth of an alley, where he hoped the noise of the crowd would be a bit reduced. Geralt was sometimes bothered by the bustle and murmur of a large group of people. 

Geralt rejoined him shortly, offering him a mug of mulled wine. Jaskier took a grateful sip, feeling the hot liquid settle in his gut and warm him from the inside out. It was very good - spicy and strong, just how he liked it. Geralt hummed appreciatively when he took his own drink. 

They stood watching for a while, Jaskier making the occasional snide comment about a bad dancer or an overplayed tune if he thought it would make Geralt laugh. And it did, more often than not; Geralt was open and affectionate this evening, leaning down to whisper conspiratorially in Jaskier’s ear as they watched a couple sneak away from the dancefloor. Jaskier laughed into his glove, quickly beginning to feel light and soupy from the drink. 

“I know this one,” Geralt said suddenly, drawing his attention back to the band. It was a slightly slower song, a couple’s dance. Bright gold eyes turned in Jaskier’s direction. “Want to dance?”

Jaskier gaped. “With you?”

Geralt’s eyebrow quirked upwards, betraying only exasperation. “Don’t see anyone else here making an offer.”

“Well, you - I - Alright,” he said, finally, swallowing his confusion. Geralt offered a hand, and Jaskier accepted. 

They moved out towards the dancers, Jaskier feeling his heart rise in his throat. When they reached the edge of the pack, Geralt turned and gave Jaskier a short bow, overly formal for the setting. With an incredulous laugh, Jaskier returned the motion, and when he raised his head again Geralt was in his space, hands coming up to rest lightly on his waist. 

It shouldn’t have been able to take his breath away so easily, but it did. 

The motions of the dance were simple, basic circular pathways as they stepped out and back in together. Their hands never parted, but every time the steps pulled them apart Jaskier found himself missing Geralt’s warmth beside him. Slowly, the tempo picked up speed, until they were twisting and whirling around without pause. When the song ended, Jaskier was panting for breath. Geralt looked winded himself, though his chest rose and fell at the same rate it always did. 

They made their way off the dance floor once again, ceding their spot to another couple. Geralt’s arm curled around Jaskier’s waist and he leaned into the touch, feeling more drunk than he should be. “You’re good at that, witcher,” he said, accusatorily. “I could have been taking you dancing all this time! How many balls have we been to?”

Geralt flushed faintly, the color staining his ears a fetching red. “The Wolf witchers use techniques that are similar to some dances,” he said. “The pacing, some of the moves, are familiar.” 

“I’m never going to let this go,” Jaskier warned as they shuffled back towards the mouth of their alleyway. “You’re going to have to dance with me at every festival, ball, and banquet we ever attend from now on.”

Geralt smirked at him. “I don’t know that I mind.”

And what was that supposed to mean? Jaskier felt a flush spread down his cheeks, his throat, even his chest felt warm. Geralt didn’t mind dancing? Or didn’t mind dancing with Jaskier? Panicked, he said, “I’m going to get us more drinks!” 

By the time he returned with more warm wine, he had managed to wrestle his emotions back into place. He passed Geralt one of the mugs, giving him a wide grin that he hoped would cover for his accelerated heartbeat. 

As they drank, Jaskier found himself at a loss for words. He was happy to be here, truly. It was always enjoyable to spend time with the object of his affections, but at the same time, he felt something cold settling in his stomach that the wine could not touch. He glanced at Geralt out of the corner of his eye, watching the other man observe the dancers. His hair was in slight disarray from the dancing, his cheeks still slightly flushed, and Jaskier wanted him so badly it felt like a wound. He wished he could lace their fingers together as other couples around the square were. Wished he could sit in Geralt’s lap and feed him sweetmeats and honey cakes as the festivities melted away around them. It was difficult to be so close, and yet so far from what he actually desired. 

Geralt glanced over at him, and something in Jaskier’s face must have betrayed his sudden turn into maudlin, because he didn’t look away. “Should we go?” Geralt asked, concern drawing his brow together. 

Jaskier cursed himself, plastering on another smile. “No, no, dear heart, I’m enjoying myself plenty. The lanterns will probably be lit soon, don’t you think? Maybe we should go find ourselves a spot before the crowd arrives.”

Geralt nodded, still looking a bit worried. It was flattering, that he was clearly concerned about whether Jaskier was having a good time, but it only made him feel more wistful. Not looking to see if his friend was following, Jaskier began to pick his way out of the square, doing his best not to jostle any of the other partygoers. Geralt dogged him like a shadow, and they both emerged some minutes later in the silvery moonlight of the river walk. 

Already Jaskier could see the bridge, some ways away to their left, dotted with lantern lights. The procession had made its way back. He stepped up to the edge of the river, leaning against the low wall that held the city back from its edge. Geralt stayed a step or two behind him, arms crossed against the chill. “This will be a good spot,” Jaskier said, leaning over the railing to point. “They’ll release them there, so we should be able to see them as they go up.”

“They do this every year?” Geralt asked, voice a low rumble. Now away from the noise of the crowd, it shook Jaskier’s bones. 

He nodded. “For the last, hmm, thirty years, I think? The lanterns carry wishes, you see, requests for Melitele. They go up into the heavens, and when they come down they carry her blessing. So they say.”

“Hmm,” Geralt replied. They stood together in silence as the little pinpricks on the bridge became a sea of candlelight, and slowly, one by one, began lifting up into the air. Soon the sky was awash with golden sparks, hovering above them. 

Jaskier leaned against the wall, watching the lanterns make their way skyward. “Wish I’d thought to make one ahead of time,” he said wistfully, watching their lights twinkle in the darkness. “I didn’t know we’d be -” He turned to look at Geralt, who was rummaging around in his bag. “What are you doing?”

With a triumphant huff, Geralt found what he was looking for. He presented it to Jaskier with a sheepish looking grin, an unusually bashful look for the witcher. In his palm was a small square of paper and wood, maybe half the size of the other lanterns being set loose from the bridge. “I found someone selling them earlier,” he said, setting the little thing on the ledge of the wall in front of them. “Thought you might want to join in.”

Jaskier clapped his gloved hands together, delighted. “Oh, it’s just adorable,” he said, feeling his grin pull at his cold cheeks. He picked the thing up, cradling it delicately in his cupped hands. The paper sides were decorated with a floral pattern - tulips, or maybe buttercups. Jaskier reached forward towards Geralt. “Would you light it for me?”

Geralt reached out and snapped, the clean sound cutting through the still air. Immediately the paper in Jaskier’s hands began to warm, the little lantern glowing merrily. Carefully, Jaskier made his way to the edge of the river wall and leaned over the side, letting the lantern rest on his flat hands as it grew lighter. After a moment, it lifted gently off of his palms and started to drift skywards.

Geralt stepped up to join him, their shoulders pressing together as they leaned against the railing, watching their little lantern float up to join the sea of others. A wave of golden light blanketed the city, giving the river an otherworldly glow as it reflected the sky. Jaskier sighed happily, allowing Geralt’s constant warmth to wash over him. He turned to comment on the spectacle, but his words died on his lips as he found Geralt already looking at him. The warmth of the lanterns reflected in his eyes as well, making them glow with their own light in the darkness. Jaskier’s breath caught in his throat, his cheeks warming. 

“This was nice,” Geralt said, his voice pitched low. The rumble of it sent a shiver up Jaskier’s spine. They were so close together, and Jaskier found himself turning into Geralt’s heat like a flower to the sun. 

“Y-yes,” he stuttered, a beat too late. “It’s always a pleasure to spend an evening with you, my friend.”

Geralt hummed, a distracted noise, and lifted his bare hand up to Jaskier’s jaw. “Oh,” Jaskier said, surprise and confusion and clamouring hope blossoming in his chest, and then Geralt was kissing him. 

It was a chaste little thing, but Jaskier felt himself light up at the touch. His own hands came up to grasp Geralt’s hips, the gloves or the shock making him clumsy. Geralt hummed again, a wickedly satisfied sound that made Jaskier shudder embarrassingly. He tasted like mulled wine and cinnamon, the taste lingering on Jaskier’s lips as they pulled away. 

He stared at Geralt for a moment before clearing his throat. “What, erm. What was that for?”

Geralt gazed at him fondly, a thumb skating over Jaskier’s cheekbone. He knew it must be warm to the touch. “I wanted to,” he said, shrugging. “And it’s the customary way to end a romantic outing, I’m told.”

Jaskier blinked at him. “Romantic outing?”

Geralt’s head tilted to the side, giving Jaskier a confused look. “What did you think this was?”

“Oh,” Jaskier said again. “Oh!” He pulled a hand away from Geralt’s side to slap over his own forehead, feeling both extraordinarily foolish and giddy. “God’s above, this was a date?”

Geralt’s expression shuttered slightly, and his fingers slipped from Jaskier’s cheek to his shoulder. “You didn’t realize.”

Jaskier leaned forward, desperate to wipe the nervous look from Geralt’s face. He wrapped his own hands around Geralt’s neck, squeezing the base of his skull slightly. “I’m sorry, dearest, I didn’t, but I am delighted. Ecstatic, overjoyed, elated, euphoric, exultant -”

Geralt laughed, cutting him off. “Alright, I get it. You’re happy.”

“More assuredly so,” Jaskier agreed, grinning. He felt lighter than he had in years, floating on a bubble of joy. “Though I will say, we will probably need to go on another ‘romantic outing’ to be sure we do it right. I won’t have our first real date be one I wasn’t even aware of.”

Geralt leaned back in, his lips ghosting over Jaskier’s. The bard shivered, anticipation making his breath come faster. “I don’t know that I would mind that either,” he said, and then his lips found Jaskier’s once again. Jaskier laughed into the kiss, and knew that there would be many more chances for the perfect date to come. 

[swamp-world]

anyways i’d like to look at Leigh Bardugo and “darklina” as a way of discussing the concept of “death of the author” when it isn’t about violent transphobia, because JoKe Rowling’s been dominating the whole conversation for the last nine months or so (and for good reason but frankly, as someone who used to be a TERF, i’ve been around this block before, i’m done talking about it, i will leave that to others). “Death of the author” isn’t just a matter of “this person does horrible things so don’t support their work”, it was initially about how you directly interact with the content of the work itself.

(this isn’t to defend LB’s writing itself. there are absolutely issues to be unpacked. i’m using this only as a discussion about how DOTA is used.)

as far as I’m aware, LB has spoken about how the darkling, and his relationship-not-relationship with alina is based off of her own relationship with an abusive former partner. my understanding of the matter is that she wrote the darkling as a creative outlet for her pain about that abuse and that experience, in ways that are obviously fictionalized and dramatized.

according to DOTA, her reasons for writing the darkling in such a way is irrelevant, and people are free to do what they will with his character, regardless of LB’s intentions. the tensions between him and alina are present, as is the attraction, and regardless of whether it’s problematic or not, it’s absolutely possible to take all of that out of the context of the novels (i am talking about the novels here mostly, as i haven’t yet seen the show), or within it, and explore it further. it’s possible to romanticize it.

a reminder:

it’s alright to like problematic ships and dynamics.

with that said:

i cannot, frankly, imagine being the author of a novel that was an expression of my abuse, seeing that abuse romanticized (fine, alright, that’s one thing), but then to see the actor cast as the character explicitly based off of an abusive partner defend the character publicly, and then to subsequently have fans weaponize that against you.

it’s a matter of competing authorial intents. obviously this isn’t the first time this has occurred; the most notable instance that comes to mind for me (in a less severe manner) is the miscommunication between harrison ford and ridley scott in blade runner over whether deckard was a replicant or not.

so the question is not a matter of who’s correct, or what your own personal interpretation is, but it’s come down to those competing authorial intents, and which one you subscribe to. on the one hand: the author who created a fictionalized version of her abusive partner. on the other: the character who portrayed that character in a derivative work. bardugo wrote the character as a villain; barnes played him as a romantic antihero. i’ve seen interviews back and forth between the two of them described as a “media cold war”.

who’s right?

realistically, neither of them. according to DOTA, you should be able to engage with those works without regard for those intents, and to make that decision for yourself.

so this instead becomes a question not of DOTA, but of the separation between content creators and their fan spaces.

i’m absolutely going to tag @meganwhalenturner in this post because she’s the best and most immediate example in my bookshelf that comes to mind. MWT has frequently denied to join fanspaces in any immediately present way, and she’s spoken about how when content creators join fanspaces, there tends to be a worship of the creator, an attempt to appeal towards them, and to want answers from them. the creator being there immediately changes the atmosphere of the place. (I believe brandon sanderson does this too. does he have tumblr? curious.)

and realistically, this needs to apply the other way around. when an author or creator puts their work out into the public sphere, when they publish or share it, they must be open to criticism and critique, to negative reviews, mixed responses, and misunderstandings or interpretations of their works that they are not a fan of. in terms of heacanons and the likes, the last two are completely valid, understandable, necessary, and must be actively allowed to exist.

at the same time:

in the same way that fans have a right to say “this is my interpretation of the work, and your canon and WOG cannot stop me, because i have a right to interpret it this way and to have my interpretation be respected, whether or not it’s correct”, creators should have a right to say “this is the way that i wrote this work, and you are allowed to have your personal interpretation of my work, but please also respect that i do have my own context and interpretation of it which i intended and tried to express through it”, and then to have that be actively respected.

what this does not mean:

you’re not allowed to ship darklina and you’re a horrible person if you do

what this does mean:

not being actively pissed off at an abuse survivor (a living, real person) for being upset when darklina is routinely defended and romanticized, including by ben barnes

NOW,

this is a lot harder because of the nature of fanspaces online these days. when there were dedicated LJ pages, other message boards and specific, closed fannish communities, it was a lot easier for a content creator and their fans to be in separate parts of the internet. with open spaces like twitter and tumblr, those boundaries are a lot more ambiguous. who has responsibility when a fan tweets about darklina, tags LB, or shares it in tags about LB’s work that LB follows? i honestly don’t know and i don’t have an answer.

but all of the anger being directed at LB, an abuse survivor, for publicly not responding well to public defence of something which is derived from her lived experiences, does not sit well with me, and i think that this is absolutely something that we as fans need to perpetually keep in mind.

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 16 of 26

Title: Tales From Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #5) (2001)

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Short Story Collection, Novella, Third-Person, Female Protagonist 

Rating: 8/10 (note: this is an average)

Date Began: 7/2/2021

Date Finished: 7/6/2021

Tales From Earthsea is a collection of five short stories and novellas which take place in the Earthsea universe. In addition, there’s a supplementary timeline of Earthsea’s history, tradition, and cultural details of note. The last story in the collection, Dragonfly, serves as a bridge between Tehanu (#4) and The Other Wind (#6), the final book in the series. 

Of the five stories, my favorites (both 10/10s) were The Finder and On The High Marsh.

The way one does research into nonexistent history is to tell the story and find out what happened. I believe this isn’t very different from what historians of the so-called real world do. Even if we are present at some historic event, do we comprehend it— can we even remember it— until we can tell it in a story? 

Content warnings, individual ratings/commentary, and spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Death and violence, child abuse (including implied sexual abuse), police brutality, slavery, reference to torture and execution, brief reference to inc*st, misogyny, animal cruelty, mild body horror, very brief implied mind control via a "love charm" (it doesn't work).

#1 - The Finder (10/10)

In The Dark Time, magic is widely mistrusted. Petty tyrants use the once noble art in pursuit of power and glory. Medra, the son of a shipwright in Havnor, has magical talents honed in secret. One day, he curses a ship built for a warlord’s fleet. Unfortunately, he gets caught and sent to a prison camp. There he is forced to use finding magic to locate veins of cinnabar.

The prison exists to refine quicksilver, a substance the most powerful mage on the island believes will turn him into a god. While in the refinery, Medra feels a spiritual connection to a dying slave, a young woman named Anieb. The two of them devise a plan to kill the mage and escape. Medra’s journey eventually takes him to the island of Roke and the founding of its prestigious wizard school. 

‘The dead are dead. The great and mighty go their way unchecked. All the hope left in the world is in the people of no account.’ 

I really enjoyed this novella. The Dark Time is largely unexplored in the stories of Earthsea, so it was interesting to read about it here. I get the feeling that we’re approaching or in the middle of one such time in the real world, so seeing a version of it on the page is depressing yet hopeful. The story is dark; mass feudal warfare, a literal concentration camp in the opening half, widespread enslavement, and abuse of power. But it also offers hope and the promise of change. The story also explores the integral role of women in not only the preservation of magic in a bleak age of humanity, but the very foundation of Roke. 

Medra’s story spoke to me; how he resists the despotic powers-that-be, his connection with Anieb even after her tragic death, and how despite his disillusionment with humanity, he ultimately fights to create a better world. I also thought Gelluk was a horrifying villain. He’s characterized as a soft-spoken, almost kindly man who loves children and animals— yet his narrative thoughts involve burning hundreds of slaves alive in order to better fuel the quicksilver refinery. “Nice doesn’t mean good” taken to an extreme, and a mirror of many villains in the real world. 

Le Guin was anti-capitalist, but that way of thinking seems peripheral in the Earthsea series. The Finder, however, definitely has a Marxist reading in it. A recurring theme is the disenfranchised rising up against the powerful. Indeed both antagonists, who are despotic wizards of great power, are soundly defeated by groups of people they consider powerless. Magic is only considered relevant for the value and power it produces, an idea antithetical to the rest of the series. The quicksilver refinery also embraces anti-capitalist rhetoric; this section focuses on how mass enslavement and death is used to manufacture a meaningless commodity only one person “benefits” from. That’s not even getting into the prison-industrial complex. 

I dunno. This story slaps. It’s not at all what I expected from a Roke origin story.

#2 - Diamond and Darkrose (5/10)

Diamond, the son of a prosperous lumber merchant, struggles to find his true calling in life. His father disapproves of almost everything he does, including his close friendship with the local witch’s daughter Rose. While he loves music, his father derides his talents and forces him to abandon the pursuit. When Diamond shows some  promise in magic, he travels to a neighboring town to serve as the local wizard’s apprentice. But when this path estranges him from Rose, he grows disillusioned.

Rose had looked after herself from an early age; and this was one of the reasons Diamond loved her. With her, he knew what freedom was. Without her, he could attain it only when he was hearing and singing and playing music.

I did not like this story very much. I gave Diamond and Darkrose a 5/10 because it’s competently written (duh), and the protagonist has a character arc not entirely dependent on the central romance. But that’s about all I can say for it.

None of the characters are especially appealing. Diamond’s mentor figures are all extremely narrow-minded. Rose, supposedly his true love since childhood, drops him the moment things become difficult. And Diamond himself is a pushover who only grows a spine and pursues his dreams at the end of the story. I understand that’s his character flaw and his arc is about overcoming that. But due to all these factors, I was annoyed by every major character. The only person I didn’t dislike was Diamond’s mother, who only shows up for a couple of scenes.

Someone please tell me there are love stories out there where the romantic tension is NOT based on a fucking MISUNDERSTANDING. That shit drives me up a wall! It’s so overdone and painful to read.

#3 - The Bones of the Earth (8/10)

Dulse is an aging wizard on the island of Gont, reflecting on his life and relationship with his former apprentice, a young man he calls Silence. But he senses something amiss on the island; a massive earthquake poised to destroy a nearby port town and its inhabitants. To avert disaster, Dulse realizes he must turn to an ancient form of magic taught to him long ago— and he needs Silence’s help to save the town.

In there he knew he should hurry, that the bones of the earth ached to move, and that he must become them to guide them, but he could not hurry. There was on him the bewilderment of any transformation. He had in his day been fox, and bull, and dragonfly, and knew what it was to change being. But this was different, this slow enlargement. I am vastening, he thought.

So I’ve always liked Ogion in the main series; I love the idea of an immensely powerful wizard who lives an unassuming life of silence, contemplation, and appreciation of the natural world. In The Bones of the Earth, we get a glimpse of Ogion through his mentor’s eyes. Ogion’s heroism and how he stopped the earthquake is mentioned several times in the main series, but this is our first look at what actually happened.

Dulse is an unexpected and fascinating perspective character. It would be so easy to tell this story wholly from Ogion’s perspective, but I think making Dulse the protagonist was the right call. In particular, Dulse’s mind is starting to go. Le Guin presents this by utilizing flashbacks and connecting them to the present. This technique conveys Dulse’s disorientation and confusion so the reader experiences it alongside him... it’s hard to describe without actually reading the story. I also loved the little twist at the end regarding where Dulse learned the ancient magic that saves the island. There’s also a strong thematic connection to The Farthest Shore; death and becoming one with the rest of the world.

#4 - On The High Marsh (10/10)

A half-mad wanderer named Irioth comes upon a small settlement on the volcanic, marshy island of Semel. A murrain has been devastating the local cattle population, and Irioth offers his powers as a curer to heal the animals. He settles into a calm rural life with Gift, a widow working a small dairy. Though Gift likes Irioth, and the animals instinctively trust him, she senses something amiss with the man. Soon, Irioth’s dark past threatens to return and disturb the peace.

“Oh, yes,” Irioth said. “It was my fault.” But she forgave, and the grey cat was pressed up against his thigh, dreaming. The cat’s dreams came into his mind, in the low fields where he spoke with the animals, the dusky places. The cat leapt there, and then there was milk, and the deep soft thrilling. There was no fault, only the great innocence. No need for words. They would not find him here. He was not here to find. There was no need to speak any name. There was nobody but her, and the cat dreaming, and the fire flickering. He had come over the dead mountain on black roads, but here the streams ran slow among the pastures.

This story is a banger. It has a Western vibe— a stranger coming into a cattle town haunted by a mysterious past. Also cowboys. It’s an atmospheric story, and I think hits on the “small rural town” vibe better than Tehanu did. But there were several writing choices I especially liked.

We don’t learn Irioth’s name until a little while into the story; his physical description, temperament, and ability to immediately identify Gift’s true name just by looking at her makes one assume he’s Ged. He’s also got an interesting redemption arc, because it’s presented in a reverse order. We see Irioth’s genuine desire to do good, and his gentle and patient manner with animals and other people. He doesn’t even consider asking for payment for curing the murrain until Gift tells him he should. But there’s a sense that something is off; he’s paranoid, clearly running from something. The use-name he picks is Otak, a fictional ferret-like creature— which Gift asserts looks nice, but has sharp teeth.

Near the end, Ged actually does show up and explain what happened to Irioth. They have pretty similar backstories; both were powerful, arrogant young mages who messed with forces  they shouldn’t have, then went through great personal sacrifice to right the wrong (oh god the initial deception was intentional they’re narrative foils oh god). Ged embraced the darkest aspects of himself to avert calamity. Irioth came to Semel to escape Roke and atone by helping others. One detail I especially liked was that Irioth once considered healing beneath him, but now he takes a deep joy in using it to help. 

#5 - Dragonfly (8/10)

Irian lives a solitary life-- her father is a drunkard living in the ruins of their family’s once prosperous estate. Her closest relationship is with the local village witch, who named her in secret in the dead of night.  When a disgraced young wizard named Ivory comes to town, he sees Irian as a potential conquest. To gain power over her, he hatches a scheme; disguise Irian as a man, travel to Roke, and sneak her into the male-only wizard school— humiliating the great Masters.

But Irian is restless. She knows she has power, but her true nature is a mystery even to her. Irian sees Ivory’s plan as an opportunity to find answers from the most powerful wizards in the world. When the Doorkeeper actually lets her into the school, she finds herself in a magical and political conflict over the future of Roke— and discovers what exactly she is.

“Dark is bad,” said the Patterner. “Eh?”

Irian drew a deep breath and looked at him eye to eye as they sat there. “Only in dark the light,” she said.

This is one of those stories that has a rocky start, but a great second half. The first part of the novella felt dry to me; I’ve read plenty of tales about social outcasts with weird, unexplainable powers. On top of this, a chunk of the early narration is from Ivory’s POV, and he’s a complete tool. That can be a fun perspective to take, and I like the fact that he thinks he’s manipulating Irian when she’s the one pulling the strings. But since he’s an irrelevant character who disappears from the story halfway through, it feels like a waste to devote a huge chunk of the story to him.

However, once Irian arrives at Roke, the story gets much more interesting. Her presence at Roke causes a huge scandal that divides the Masters. Women being forbidden from Roke is a Series Thing at this point, but Earthsea is in an era of change (although I DO question that she’s the first woman to try it). The Finder demonstrated that women were pivotal in the foundation of Roke, something largely erased from history. Barring women stems from a power hungry bigot codifying it into tradition.

Irian finds some unexpected allies--minor characters in the previous books. The Doorkeeper continues to be the coolest motherfucker there. The Patterner is a major character in this story; he was in just one scene in The Farthest Shore, so I liked learning more about him. The Namer is the kind of guy you’d expect to be a stodgy traditionalist, so him siding with Irian is surprising. The Summoner, a heroic figure in previous books and stories, is a sinister villain here. As for the ending, well… if you didn’t see it coming, I’d wonder if you even read Tehanu. The same hints are there.

There were little particulars I liked, such as Irian moving into a decrepit hut that’s definitely Medra’s old home. My favorite detail is that this story has a parallel scene with The Finder. In The Finder, there’s a scene where an antagonist, Early, invades Roke in the form of a dragon. He lands on Roke Knoll, a site of power that reveals one’s true form. It turns him back into a human, leaving him defenseless when the residents of Roke attack him and repel his invasion. The reversal happens in Dragonfly. Irian gets attacked by one of the Masters while at Roke Knoll — and its magic turns her into her true form, a dragon. Props to whoever picked the cover design, since it references both scenes.

#6 - A Description of Earthsea

I’m not rating this since it’s basically a lore dump. It’s a deep dive into Earthsea’s history, languages, cultures, and other relevant world details. It’s the kind of bonus info a lot of fantasy series tack on as reference material.  According to Le Guin, she wrote this to get some idea of the timeline on each of these stories.

As a series, Earthsea has relatively little worldbuilding exposition. Sometimes characters reference legends or historical events, but usually the reader lacks the context to fully understand them. The focus is more on the lives of the characters and their personal experience of the world. I think something like A Description of Earthsea has benefits and drawbacks for the reader. On one hand it's nice to have some definitive information to tie things together. On the other, this does represent a loss of some of the mystery in the story.

I think this is the first thing in the series that even mentions homosexuality, so props for that I guess?

Closing Thoughts

A short story collection is always going to have high and low points. I tend to look at each story individually and score that way, but an average is always misleading. Diamond and Darkrose dragged the score down since there were only five stories total. But I enjoyed the majority of them. I am interested to see where the human/dragon subplot goes in the final installment; I assume Irian will show up at some point? We’ll see.

[annablosssom]

the bathroom floor

“Aelwyn Abernant, sister of my best friend, Adaine. You are currently experiencing a panic attack, correct?"

"No, now go away."

((where Ayda finds Aelwyn curled up on the bathroom floor and tries to help))

(((read on AO3))

Ayda cocks her head at the sight before her.

A shivering elven form curled up into a tiny ball on the bathroom floor, mussed blonde hair covering her face. Her body shakes, breath coming up in desperate pants. Next to her, she sees vomit in the toilet bowl, lid still propped up. She doesn’t seem to have noticed her presence, so Ayda speaks up.

“Aelwyn Abernant, sister of my best friend, Adaine,” she says, and she immediately turns rigid with tension, but she doesn’t look up. "You are currently experiencing a panic attack, correct?"

"No, now go away," Aelwyn's fingers further dig into the meat of her arms, eyes still hidden by her fringe.

Ayda cocks her head, eyeing her trembling curled up form. "Hm. Strange. Especially since you are exhibiting the common signs of someone experiencing a panic attack. Trembling, shortness of breath, nausea--"

"I am not having a panic attack," Aelwyn bites out in between gasping breaths. "I'm not the one who gets panic attacks, okay? I'm not fucking Adaine. So just go already and stop bothering me. I want to be alone . "

With her head down and buried in her arms, she misses the way Ayda’s fiery eyes flash white with divination magic as she casts a spell. New information sinks into her mind as she mulls over Aelwyn’s words in a new light.

I don’t want anyone to see me like this.

“Oh, I see,” Ayda nods to herself. “Very well.” She fully enters the bathroom and locks the door behind her. She reaches over the toilet to flush down the vomit and close the lid, before going to sit down right next to Aelwyn, her avian legs folding somewhat awkwardly beneath her as she does.

Aelwyn’s head finally snaps up to look at her, obvious tear streaks running down the sides of her face. She hisses, “What are you doing?! I told you to leave me alone!”

“Yes, you did,” Ayda says, nodding. “However, there was an obvious fallacy in your former statement that any wizard would’ve noticed. You are not Adaine, yes, but that does not mean you cannot get panic attacks. I am uncertain as to why someone as intelligent as you could possibly believe such an illogical statement.”

“That’s not the point--”

Ayda ignores her and barrels on, “Due to this, I was unsure as to whether I should take your words by their literal meaning, so I decided to cast Ayda’s Comprehend Subtext. A very good spell. Your sister is truly one of the greatest minds of our time. With it, I was able to determine that it’s not that you wish to be left alone. You simply do not wish to be seen in this state. Which is why I locked the door.”

Aelwyn’s mouth clicks shut, staring at her, and after a long moment, she looks away.

Silence fills the space between them for the next few minutes, but Ayda pays it no mind. She uses the quiet as an opportunity to ponder her next romantic outing with Fig, who took her to Elmville Park two days ago. She still isn’t entirely sure about how soon is considered too soon when it comes to dates. She could always ask Fig, but then that would defeat the purpose of planning a surprise romantic outing in the first place. Perhaps Gorgug or Kristen could provide some insight on the subject.

A mumble breaks her train of thought then. Soft and barely audible.

Ayda turns to Aelwyn, “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

She still isn’t looking at her, having returned to her former position of being curled up into a tight ball, head buried in her arms, but the shaking has visibly lessened. She raises her head the slightest bit, enough that her voice isn’t muffled by her arms.

“You didn’t have to stay. You could’ve just locked the door and left.”

Why did you stay?

Ayda blinks, and cocks her head again. “It was the most logical course of action. I was unsure of what would happen if I were to leave you alone.”

Fingers tightening, Aelwyn scoffs, “I’m not going to do anything to myself, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I don’t need your pity.

Ayda frowns. “You misunderstand. If I left, someone else could knock on the door and disturb you after I leave, which would put you in the same exact situation. However, if I stay here with you, I could lie about having gastrointestinal problems, which would simultaneously explain the locked door and the length of time it would remain locked. And they would have no reason to suspect that you are in here as well. It’s a brilliant excuse.”

A surprised laugh escapes Aelwyn’s lips, and she finally looks up. Ayda does a quick once-over. Dark bags still line the underside of her puffy eyes. A small splotch of vomit sits on her shirt. However, she sees the lack of shivers and the slowed breathing, and Ayda knows that she’s alright for now at least.

“That is a brilliant excuse,” she says after a long moment. She doesn’t smile and there’s no obvious emotion in her voice, but Ayda hears what she means all the same.

Thank you for this.

Ayda nods, satisfied, and says, “You’re welcome.”

And silence, this one much more comforting and companionable than the last, fills the room, broken only by the sound of their relaxed breaths.

(Ten minutes later, Ragh will frantically knock on the door, very badly needing to use the toilet, and Ayda will tell him that she is currently experiencing severe gastrointestinal problems, starting a very strange conversation about diarrhea through the door. Ayda won’t see it, but Aelwyn will smile, and her walls will crack open for her just the tiniest bit.)

((Three days after, when the Bad Kids invite Aelwyn to come with them to Basrar’s, she will not outright decline as she usually would. She will, instead, visibly hesitate, shifting her gaze from Adaine, then to Ayda. Ayda will give her an encouraging nod. Aelwyn will still decline their offer in the end, but this time, she thanks them for extending it to her in the first place.))

(((A week from then, a very audible shouting match will occur in Aelwyn and Adaine’s room. Five minutes after the shouting subsides, after Adaine leaves the house in frustrated tears with Fig chasing after her, Ayda will go to the bathroom. She’ll be greeted with the sight of Aelwyn curled up in the exact same position. This time, neither of them will say anything as Ayda locks the door and sits down next to her, a few inches closer this time.)))

[the2020romanceproject]

Review: The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

(Or: three types of tension, and how this book fails to balance them)

You guys! I read my first romance novel! I enjoyed it in a lot of respects; there were also ways it disappointed me. More below the cut.

A few caveats before I dig in. First, this is the first full romance novel I've ever read. I’m going to try not to make too many wild conjectures about the genre as a whole, but forgive me if I leap to a few inaccurate conclusions. Second, I'll be making comparisons to fanfiction, and while I have read widely, I definitely haven’t hit all the corners of fandom. The comparisons will be biased towards the kinds of fanfiction I happen to have read (mostly slash, mostly on AO3).

Finally, I’m going to say at the outset that I feel a little weird saying critical things about an author's work in general. This is definitely an effect of fandom, where unsolicited concrit is a no-go. But this is a published novel, and there's a whole different review culture around published works, so I'm going to go ahead and be critical. If anyone feels like I'm being inappropriately harsh or cruel about any book at any point, please let me know.

So, The Soldier's Scoundrel! A quick plot summary, with spoilers: Jack grew up in the gutter and is now a roguish detective-type in Regency London, going around the law to solve problems for ladies and other people down on their luck (but never gentlemen; he hates gentlemen). Oliver is the younger son of an earl who's been in the army for a decade but got injured in battle and is back in London, living off a modest income. He goes to see Jack because he discovers that his sister paid Jack a large amount of money several years ago and wants to know why. The two men are immediately attracted to each other but adversarial. Oliver disapproves of Jack's law-breaking but gets embroiled in his current case, and the two end up traveling together, sleeping together, and falling in love. Jack eventually tells Oliver to screw off because he can’t see himself having a place in a gentleman's life; Oliver then tries to get himself ruined so that Jack will be comfortable being with him. Jack stops him from ruining himself but sees that Oliver is determined for them to be together, so they find a small house they can both live in and set up a life together.

First of all, let me say that the sexual tension in this book was TOP-NOTCH. No complaints there. There’s a scene in an alleyway early on where Oliver licks Jack’s thumb and it is delicious. Good job, Cat Sebastian, making me really want these two men to jump into bed together.

Unfortunately, that ended up being a bit of a problem, because as soon as they did jump into bed together—which happens just around the halfway point—I dramatically lost interest. They weren’t in love yet, or established as a couple, so there should have been a remaining source of tension, but I super didn’t feel it.

(Extra caveat: this was true FOR ME. YMMV.)

I have a theory as to why. I’m still thinking it through, but here’s a stab at it:

There are two primary kinds of tension in a story about two people getting together, which I’m going to call sexual tension and romantic tension. Sexual tension is X isn’t sleeping with Y but wants to be. Romantic tension is where X is in love with Y but thinks that Y isn’t in love with them. (It is NOT where X and Y are in love but can’t be together—but more on that below.) You often get the two types of tension at once: X is in love with Y and wants to sleep with them. But sometimes you just get romantic tension—where, say, they’re already sleeping together but feelings haven’t been admitted—or just sexual tension, where they’re attracted to each other but not in love.

This book starts out with just sexual tension. Jack and Oliver are immediately attracted to each other, and though they try to suppress the attraction, it only grows as they spend more time together. I was super there for all of that. But then they sleep together. Sexual tension: gone. This is where romantic tension could have stepped in and carried us through the second half of the book. But they weren’t in love yet. There WAS no romantic tension. Where they wanted to be (in bed together) and where they were (in bed together) lined up perfectly—and so I lost interest.

There are a few ingredients that contributed to this problem, I think. The period of time covered by the book was relatively short (I want to say a couple of weeks). The crucible forcing the two characters together was relatively weak, so there wasn’t a lot of excuse for them to spend time together if they weren’t sleeping together. They didn’t know each other at all before the start of the book. They were very honest, not with each other, but with themselves, about their feelings every step of the way, so there was never an indication that they might be feeling more strongly than the narration let on. We got both of their points of view so there was never any tension for the reader about what the other character was feeling—or even for the two of them about what the other was feeling, really. And they had sex relatively early in the story (for my expectations, anyway).

This is such a different combination of elements than I would have expected to find in fanfiction. Fanfiction has a definite advantage over romance when it comes to building romantic tension, because it can build on a preexisting canon relationship. It doesn’t always choose to—sometimes people write complete AUs—but even AUs get to build on a preexisting connection between the characters in the minds of the readers. So some of this difference is inherent to two the genres. But I’m going to go through a few of the things that I think contributed to the tension problem in the second half of the book, including how fanfic might have handled them differently.

Time & proximity. The timeline of this book was so short. Of course Jack and Oliver weren’t in love by the time they had sex; it had only been like a week, and they hadn’t spent that much time together. They weren’t roommates, or best friends, or colleagues, or teammates, or customers at each other’s coffee shops, or even rivals. These premises could exist in original fiction just as easily as in fanfiction. I don’t know if they do and this book is an exception, or if the premise of strangers meeting and then choosing to seek each other out is a genre standard. Either way, it made it very difficult for the characters to fall in love before falling into bed.

Honesty. I was surprised so often by the text TELLING us their feelings for each other every step of the way. Not that it’s not good to know your own emotions—it is very good! Very important!—but what’s good in people isn’t always good in protagonists. These two knew they were attracted right away, and then they knew they were falling in love, and that took some of the fun out of it for me. It also took some of the power out of their feelings. We are often bad at feelings, and we’re particularly bad at feelings when they’re important ones. In having the characters admit to themselves what they felt as soon as they started feeling it, the text made those feelings seem less significant. It also made it seem very unlikely that the characters were feeling more than they said. It deprived us of the potential tension of waiting for the characters to realize what they already felt. Withholding is a huge source of tension, and this text did not withhold.

Two POVs. The text didn’t even withhold the love interest’s point of view. One of my friends who reads more het than I do tells me that two points of view is more common in the fics she reads, but it is VERY uncommon in the ones I read. I can only think of one I’ve read recently (and in that one, both parties were desperately in love for years before they so much as kissed). In this book, there was never a possibility that the other person wouldn’t feel as strongly as the POV character, because we had seen both POVs and we knew they were in roughly the same place as each other.

There was no confession. Remember what I was saying about honesty above? They just told each other! How they felt! When they felt it! So boring!! I mean, yes, healthy and all, but a story needs conflict and this could have been a great source of it but wasn’t. I’ll grant you that misunderstanding plots and secret-keeping plots can be done very badly—sometimes you just end up yelling at the characters for not having the one simple conversation that would solve all their problems-—but they can also be done very well. There are real reasons people might be afraid to confess their desires to each other, or why they might think the other person could never return their feelings, and this didn’t present any of those. To its credit, it also didn’t give us bad or contrived reasons, which would have been much worse. But it just didn’t find any tension here. (I fully acknowledge that not every story HAS to use this as a source of tension. But it was one way this could have done it.)

The wrong kind of obstacles (for me). I discovered in reading this book that while I love external obstacles to characters getting together, I strongly prefer the kind of obstacle that is a barrier to them telling each other they’re in love rather than the kind that keeps them from finding a happy place in the world together. Once they’ve confessed and are, to all intents and purposes, together, even if not in the eyes of the world, my interest largely stops. “This person is engaged to someone else; therefore he will never love me” is a million times more interesting to me than “this person is engaged to someone else and so even though we love each other we cannot marry.” Fic has very few of the latter and a lot of the former, in my experience.

The wrong kind of internal resistance (for me). Again, I like the kind of obstacle that makes X think Y will never love them, rather than the kind that makes X not want to be with Y. I’m just...not that interested in a character that doesn’t WANT to be with the other person. If that’s what they want, they’ve already got it, and my work as a reader is done!  Fanfiction does tend to feature a lot of internal resistance—I can’t fall in love with him; he’s another man!—but it usually takes the form of the POV character thinking the other person wouldn’t want them or would hate them for even feeling like this. Jack and Oliver both have reasons to not want to be with each other, and it does not make me interested in them getting together. It just makes me think, great, they’re sleeping together; they’re done.

Loss of sexual tension. So many of the problems with the tension could have been solved if the characters hadn’t had sex until the end of the novel. I suspect (and will be curious to investigate further) that this is a quasi-requirement of the romance genre: a sex scene well before the last tenth of the book, which is where I would have put it in this case. (To be fair, that would also have required a better crucible for the characters, because there was no good reason for them to spend so much time together if they weren’t having sex.) A sex scene halfway through the book can totally work, but only (for me) if there’s some other major source of tension preserved. Either they’re already in love but pretending it’s just sex, or (in a fun twist that preserves a good deal of the sexual tension) they’re pretending it’s practice, or just buddies, and that they don’t really feel the desire they do. There are probably other possibilities here, but this book didn’t really choose any of them.

This all might just be a way of saying I like pining. (It’s true; I do.) But I suspect there’s something else going on here, where romance readers might experience tension from a different source than I do. They might be reading not to see these two people who are in love get together, but to see these two people who aren’t in love fall in love. Which, I’ll admit, is often the case for all of us at the start of a story about two strangers meeting. But for me, for tension to be preserved, what the characters want needs to increase more quickly than what they get. This is very different from a healthy real-life dating situation, where what the two (or more) people want will match or be only very slightly ahead of what they get. Maybe romance, or at least this novel, is trying to mimic these healthier scenarios? I guess that’s fine, but it seems a little boring to me.

So, the novel didn’t have great romantic tension. One thing that could potentially have made up for it is a third type of tension: logistical. If sexual tension is wanting to sleep with someone but not, and romantic tension is wanting the person to be in love with you but thinking they’re not, then logistical tension is when you know the other person wants you and loves you but there’s some other force keeping you apart. It’s the external obstacle I mentioned above. There are versions of this that I find strongly compelling, but it has to be an ironclad external obstacle, and it should probably coincide with deprivation on other fronts: they’re in love but can’t see each other, definitely can’t sleep together, maybe don’t even get to talk to each other about their love. This book didn’t have any of that. They spent most of the book together, and a good half of it as lovers, and while there were societal obstacles to them being together, they were both financially solvent and relatively unattached, so the obstacles didn’t seem very strong to me.

There was also, it’s worth noting, a mystery plot. I haven’t touched on it a lot in this post. It was a fun thread, and definitely one of the things that helped me get through the post-sex middle, but it resolved fairly easily and wasn’t a big part of the story. It was mostly an excuse to have Jack and Oliver going places together. This was definitely a romance with a mystery in it rather than a mystery with a romance in it.

...Okay, this has gotten extremely long and there are still things I haven’t talked about! I should mention that there were a lot of things I did like about this book. (I mean, I liked it wholeheartedly until about halfway through.) Jack and Oliver were believable and likable characters who were very convincingly different from each other. They had opposing worldviews that made a lot of sense in light of their pasts, and their relationship with each other changed them in ways that made them both better people, which is something I really like in a romance. The sex scenes were great, and there were a lot of sweet moments that I enjoyed despite being annoyed at the general lack of romantic tension. There was some really nice hurt-comfort. It was well-written and enjoyable in general; I just wanted something to pull me more strongly through the second half.

There are a few things that came up here that I’d love to dig into more—honesty vs. dramatic irony in narration; the overlap between attraction and love—but I think I’ll save those for further reviews. Doesn’t look like I’m going to run out of material anytime soon. :) For now, I’ll just say that I fully recommend the first half of this book. And if you like watching two characters who are already sleeping together fall in love, I can go ahead and recommend the whole thing.

(P.S. If anyone has recs for romance novels that do have pining, send them my way!)

[mischiefiswritten]

What Otome Has Taught Me About Writing Romance (and Some Other Things)

Alright, time for me to come clean about my love for visual novels and otome games. (Otome, if you're not familiar with it, is a genre of games with female protagonists that tells a love story, allowing the player to choose a suitor and make choices along the way that influence the ending. It's fantastic fun.) Aside from being an excellent little diversion, it's actually proved to be a useful tool when it comes to writing elements of romance into any WIP.

On with the Show

Otome games tend to be relatively short, so they need to pack a lot in to every chapter or episode. The best of them manage to cram in a full range of emotion and a cohesive plot to forge a memorable experience in relatively few words. I'm not suggesting that novels or other fictional formats need to be stripped down to their barest word counts, but there's something extremely valuable about being able to convey important elements of a story with economy. For one thing, your readers are probably busy people, just like you. They don't have unlimited time to read all the things they want to read, and if you spend too much time saying nothing at all (like in exposition), they might drop your story in favor of something else.

Now, there's no perfect formula for when to launch into the action of a story - each one is different and calls for something different! Personally I love to have some time for introduction at the start of a novel, not just so that I know who the characters are, but also so that I have a chance to crawl inside the world and live there before having serious plot to keep up with. That said, I have a 100 page rule - I only require myself to give a book 100 pages to convince me to stay. If I hit page 100 and I'm still saying, "what is this book going to be about? when is something going to happen?" there's a very good chance I'm outta there.

In contrast, if you jump into the deep end of the action immediately, readers may lack a sense of why they're supposed to care. These characters are distressed? That's a bummer, but if the reader never sees who they are and what their lives are like without the drama, they may have less passion for seeing that drama resolved. Like everything else in writing, this is a balancing act. It's all about finding your sweet spot so the progression from opening your book's cover to finding yourself swept into the narrative can seem as natural as possible and get the best emotional and intellectual investment from your readers.

Cheap Drama Feels Cheap

Your readers are intelligent people. Don't try to fool them into thinking there's real drama and suspense somewhere there's not because they'll be able to tell right away. It's annoying to most readers, especially when excellent characters - like yours! - are wasted on it. The otome routes that get dropped somewhere in the middle and receive the absolute worst reviews are the ones that feature the 'easily-resolved misunderstanding' trope. It's. The. Worst.

Terrible misunderstandings happen all the time in real life and in fiction, and the ensuing conflict (or disaster) can be extremely rewarding for the audience. "NO!!" it will make them scream as they clutch the book thinking about how it doesn't have to be this way. If only the characters knew, if only they realized! It's not the unnecessary nature of the issue that makes it cheap - it's how easily it's resolved. If there's an easy answer conveniently within your characters' grasp and no reason for them to not realize it or not take it, it will bug your readers.

One of the most infamous examples is when the female protagonist glimpses her suitor for a total of 20 seconds innocently talking to/hugging/putting a hand on the shoulder of/etc. an unidentified girl, and immediately sprints away, tears streaming from her eyes, despairing that the man she adores does not really love her after all and has been unfaithful. O woe, that this strange woman was chosen over her! Curse the vixen who stole her suitor's heart! The female protagonist then uproots everything good that was happening, abandons it all and runs far away. She ignores his and everyone else's attempts at communication until, in a crescendo of needless drama, the suitor travels a great distance to corner her and say,"yo, that was my sister."

Are you rolling your eyes? You should be rolling your eyes. Think of all the things anyone with any sense could have done in this situation. Stayed for another minute to hear the conversation. Walked up and asked to be introduced. Left after a minute or two, but asked about it later. Answered the phone when he called.

The bottom line is this: don't let your story's conflicts have easy answers. Especially not multiple easy answers. Take away the simple resolutions! Make every option cost your characters something!

Emotion Must Be Earned 

I mentioned above that if you dive into the drama of your story too quickly, you risk losing the readers' investment in your characters and plot. That's because emotion must be earned. This goes for both your readers and your characters.

You can't just tell your readers they should care about what's happening to your characters and actually expect them to. Even if you have the cutest, most squee-worthy romantic scenes in store, they'll feel hollow without the proper buildup. This happens all the time in otome (and other forms of fiction) where it seems like the writer was in a hurry to just get to the butterfly-inducing romance already! You read through a scene, and oh my gosh that dialogue nearly made you swoon, but... when that initial "OMG" fades, you're left feeling like something was missing. That thing was the feeling of resolved tension, or a triumph over struggles - something to make you say, "Finally!"

You have to make them work for it. It's not about being super clever, or surprising your reader with the build of emotions or the happily ever after. No one starts an otome game under the impression the main characters may not fall in love, after all. But there has to be something that keeps them apart for a while, some will-they-won't-they limbo, or that "ohohoho they're catching feeeelings!" process that makes the characters coming together feel like a win.

The bottom line is this: When romances are quickly and easily achieved, they feel cheaper.

You Can't Rush Love

The characters need some understandable reasons for feeling as they do about one another, as well. Even if it's some intangible 'it' factor that can't quite be explained, readers want to really feel like these people belong together. Otome routes with multiple seasons can fall into this trap pretty easily. When the writers want to get from the first season story of meeting and falling in love directly to season two getting married and talking about babies, it can feel like something very important was skipped. Like where their relationship naturally progressed and grew from that new, fresh whirlwind romance to serious life plans. (This works the worst when there's no time jump at all, or very little time is supposed to have passed.) The wedding and baby dialogue may be as swoony as Pride & Prejudice, but readers still don't want to have the nagging question "How did these people get to this point in their relationship?" in the back of their minds.

Sometimes this happens without time jumps or milestones, and the couple seems to leap from flirtation and new possibilities to 'I-would-die-for-you-and-without-you' levels of love. Like above, maybe it leads to great scenes, and maybe this part of the story is actually very well written, but if you're left asking "what did I miss?", there's a problem there. Along with earning your readers' emotional investment, you have to earn their belief. As a writer, it's your job to convince readers that this is a relationship worth rooting for - something that can last, or at least burn brightly before its bittersweet ending. If it's real love, your readers have to be able to grasp why: why these people are a couple, why they're meant to be, etc.

Keep 'Em Coming Back

 If you've played much otome at all (particularly free-to-play mobile otome), you're familiar with the typical ticketed reading system. In most of these games, you only get to read about half a chapter a day unless you pay for additional tickets, divided up into about five shorter segments. Along the way there are often checkpoints you have to pass by raising scores by completing tasks and mini-games and the like - and sometimes it takes a while (several days or even a week or two) to obtain the resources you need to continue reading!

And what's this got to do with writing? One word: pacing.

In otome, the story has to be good enough and each cut-off tantalizing enough that you 1) cash in all your free tickets each day, 2) want to come back each day to keep reading, and 3) are motivated to take the time to pass checkpoints. This means the game writers have to master their cliffhanger game as well as overall pacing. Not all the cliffhangers are of the type that probably jumped to mind upon first reading this. It doesn't always have to be a sudden and imminent danger, a shocking revelation, or other plot twist. Often it's dangling a sweet, romantic moment in front of players or otherwise developing a character through backstory or some meaningful event. The romance genre is largely about discovering the character of a person, all their dimensions and convolutions, and that journey of discovery can be an extremely useful tool for maintaining interest chapter to chapter and throughout the story.

Usually, if an otome route is going to drag, it's going to be in the middle. Perhaps this is because the writers had few compelling ideas for that portion of the plot, which is another topic for another day, but regardless of the genesis of the problem, it can kill a story. Life is busy, time for games and reading is limited, and content to play and read is plentiful. If a story becomes dull for a long stretch in the middle with no end to the doldrums in sight, it can easily be abandoned and forgotten about. At the same time, things can't be explosions and adrenaline-fueled car chases all the time. The less glamorous, less obviously exciting bits of a story are often where its soul takes shape and future payoffs are set in motion, so the trick is not to eliminate the quiet moments but to intersperse moments that make readers need something new. New questions they need answered, new angles they need explored, new emotions they need to experience again.

Your writing is not likely to be diced up to the extent an otome game is, but it's equally important to keep the middle from sagging and to provide that "just one more chapter!" feeling for your readers. Be careful not to make too many assumptions about the attention spans of readers - they need to be kept wanting more!

Don't Drag Out the Dark

Most people like a solid infusion of angst into their media. There's nothing wrong with a dark night of the soul your characters and readers can experience together, but you have to make sure there's some promise of dawn. If things get too abysmal for too long, people may be tempted to put the story down. I myself have been on hiatus with an otome game I absolutely love for more than too years because the route I was playing was simply too depressing! Life has a lot of challenges in store for all of us, and seeing fictional characters triumph over their own hardships can make even the darkest times more bearable. It's important to remember, however, that readers invest heavily in your characters - their burdens become the readers' burdens. Even when life isn't putting you through your paces, you can have a long day, and at the end of a long day, you may not have the energy to plunge headlong into the enduring agony of a novel. If readers feel like the terrible things happening to your characters are never going to end, they may simply lose the will to keep reading, despite loving what you've set up.

Like anything else, it's about balance. As readers, we tend to like being strung along by glimpses of better times ahead, or at least something to make the struggles worthwhile. Happiness makes pain more meaningful. Peace makes strife more striking. There has to be substance to the sadness. A reason for it, and an end to it - even if the ending is tragic. Be creative about what constitutes a good reason (a lesson learned, a sacrifice made, etc.) and also take into account what you advertise vs. what you deliver. (i.e. readers will be much more amenable to a sorrowful tale if they knew that's what they were getting into than if they were sold a happy-go-lucky romcom.)

At the end of the day, what's most important is how the story makes you feel.

I never pay for otome games. I opt for free-to-play offerings instead, and this has in no way impacted the quality of games I've had access to. Most of my favorites are not those with all the bells and whistles like animation and voice acting, those with the highest art budgets, or those from the most popular companies. They're the ones that people poured their hearts into and created earnestly and lovingly, starting where they were and using what they had.

And that is the bottom line of every piece of writing advice I could ever give. A lot of flaws can be overlooked in favor of the emotions a story evokes. Who cares if it was not told as artfully as another so long as it made you feel something real? Storytelling skills are marvelous, but when all is said and done, it's not the telling that matters most. The story itself is what counts.

I hope you believe in the story you have inside of you. I do! Thanks for making it to the end of this super long post (sorry but only kind of) and please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic with me.

[robertdriscollus]

Couples Inpatient Drug Rehab Richmond Kentucky Addiction Treatment

What to Expect While Attending A Richmond Kentucky Couples Drug Rehab

Accomplishing sobriety can be a tough undertaking for anyone dealing with drug abuse and addiction, however when partners in a romantic couple have an addiction, giving up can provide a lot more of a problem. Couples who abuse alcohol and drugs typically fight with each other and experience an ever-increasing psychological variety in between each other. This could, in turn, cause increased substance abuse in a vicious cycle as one or both members of the couple continue to make use of as a source of tension relief or to leave from their growing concerns. Fortunately, couples rehab centers provide tailored care and rehab for couples together with cohabitation couples who are coping with substance abuse issues.

 Couple Addiction Treatment Is It Time?

Searching for addiction treatment together in a Richmond Kentucky rehab for couples can be helpful for a variety of reasons, especially when both partners are devoted to the relationship and to ending up being tidy and sober. Offering that both partners wish to begin the recovery procedure, couples rehab can assist not simply break the cycle of addiction, nonetheless similarly strengthen the relationship by helping the couple to take a look at and modify the issues that resulted in their addiction in the real first place.

Couples who are addicted to drugs or alcohol typically experience problems with setting restrictions, exposing experiences, choosing, parenting, and handling funds. Couples rehab products education, abilities, training, and treatment to help partners to accomplish better methods of handling these troubles. Even if just one partner has an addiction, the other partner can gain from couples rehab by finding to manage specific triggers and helping the other stay sober. Whether one or both partners require addiction treatment, specialized couples rehab teaches the tools needed to get rid of challenges, prevent relapse, and accomplish lasting recovery.

Guide To Couples Drug Rehab

In addition to the standard treatments for substance abuse, people in couples rehab can get ready for focusing on the health of their relationship. Individual treatment is valuable for solving the drug abuse issue, nevertheless, might disregard or put a lower focus on related concerns. Combining relationship counseling and substance abuse treatment in couples rehab deals with the issue from all angles, which can provide the best possibilities for recovery and for rehabilitating the relationship. Couples alcohol and drug rehab also provide a structure for life after treatment, as the couple might deal with the uncharted area when they both start living neat and sober lives.

Couples rehab can be either inpatient or outpatient or a mix in which one partner is dealt with as an inpatient and the other participates in sessions as an outpatient. The format you choose depends mainly on your unique requirements as a couple and whether one or both partners are having a problem with a substance abuse problem.

Throughout the course of inpatient treatment, the individual battling with drug or alcohol addiction lives at a residential drug rehab center, whereas outpatient rehab allows the client to continue living in your home while getting treatment at the center. In spite of the format, medical research study exposes that partners who go to couples rehab for drugs or alcohol together report a higher degree of abstaining, greater levels of satisfaction with the relationship, and far better working within the family than couples who simply choose specific addiction treatment.

Dealing with drug abuse problems with the specific tools and approaches made use of in couples rehab permit you both to focus on obtaining sobriety and fixing and reinforcing your relationship. The prospective result is an enduring healing, and a much healthier, better, and substance abuse-free relationship.

Your addiction doesn’t have to control your life or your relationship. Don’t wait until the damage is irreparable. Call our expert staff for more information!

Couples Detoxing

The initial duration of cleaning can be severe for lots of clients, medical and psychiatric employee will be on hand continuously to supply efficient assistance. For instance, within a number of hours after the last dosage of heroin, those experiencing an addiction to the opioid will often experience some of the following withdrawal symptoms:

Sweating

Excessive yawning

Anxiety

Agitation

Muscle pains

Increasing watering of the eyes

A runny nose

Sleeping disorders

Although these signs aren’t dangerous, they can be rather undesirable, which is why it’s useful for these consumers to get psychiatric and health care while detoxing from drugs. A range of concerns can show up for clients in their extremely first few hours of detox. The most immediate need will be dealt with initially, followed by the next and the next until total stabilization has actually truly been established. Some examples of possible issues consist of:

Violence. Some drugs can increase violent behaviors in users. For instance, people who abuse synthetic cathinones, or “bath salts,” might be more at the threat of hurting themselves or others. Patients who are a risk to others might need sedation or restraint to secure them and medical providers. These measures are just essential if the client ends up being physically aggressive and tries to harm the worker.

Symptoms of psychosis. Psychosis is a harmful issue induced by the outcomes of some drugs, such as a drug. If someone makes use of extreme amounts of a drug, they can end up being paranoid and even experience full-blown psychosis. Signs include visual and acoustic hallucinations and delusional thinking. Other reasons for psychosis consist of the presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as schizophrenia, or a lack of sleep due to stimulant use. Someone who is experiencing psychosis can act unpredictably and wind up being unforeseeable. It is needed to resolve this issue and deal with the client appropriately before continuing with additional interventions

Injury. In some cases, clients may have injured themselves while under the effect of drugs or been physically or sexually assaulted prior to getting in detox. For example, phencyclidine, or PCP, is an efficient dissociative drug that can cause experiences of increased strength and invulnerability. Due to this misunderstanding, PCP users are more than likely to put themselves in harm’s method due to the fact that they’re under the impression that they will not get harmed. They’re also at an increased danger for suicidal habits, which can result in injury if suicide is not finished. Any physical injury must be treated instantly prior to addiction treatment is supplied.

Medical health issue. Numerous people who experience persistent, debilitating pain are prescribed opioid pain relievers. Unfortunately, it’s possible to establish a reliance and subsequent addiction to these medications. As the client begins to detox from the prescription opioid, their severe pain will return in addition to unpleasant withdrawal signs. It is necessary to be well-informed about the person’s medical history and handle the indications of pain appropriately prior to continuing.

A hazard to self. Withdrawal from opioids and other substances can be connected with severe depressive symptoms that might be linked to suicide efforts and ended up suicides. Clients who show self-destructive behaviors or ideas require to be secured at all times. When these intense issues have actually been taken a look at and determined during an examination, they’ll instantly be treated until they have really passed or the client has really been supported. At that time, attention and focus can rely on managing withdrawal signs associated with detox.

Source:drugrehab.org

Typical Withdrawal Symptoms

According to a research study on drug withdrawal, the abrupt cessation of various classes of drugs will lead to very various sets of withdrawal signs. In addition, the indications experienced and their strength will likewise vary from personal to private. Elements that affect individual experiences with withdrawal consist of:

The length of addiction. Daily usage for an extended period can trigger lead to high levels of tolerance and more severe withdrawal signs.

The combination of substance abuse, consisting of alcohol. A comorbid dependence on alcohol and drugs can establish a distinct constellation of withdrawal indications, which might magnify one another.

The dose of the drug when the consumer gets in detox. Tolerance establishes from constant drug abuse. Hence, should be increased in order to feel the preferred outcomes. The greater the do use, the more likely it is that withdrawal signs will be serious.

The presence of co-occurring physical or mental illness. If a patient fights with a psychological health condition such as anxiety or stress and stress and anxiety or a physical condition such as consistent discomfort, these signs may be boosted due to withdrawal and trigger considerable distress. The half-life of the drug. In general, if the drug is short-acting, withdrawal signs will occur more quickly after the last dose. If it’s long-acting, withdrawal syndrome might be postponed a couple of days.

According to the Addiction study, typical withdrawal symptoms that develop in association with a number of drug types include:

State of mental disturbances. This can suggest a state of mind swings, irritation, and/or agitation.

Sleep disturbances. Sleeping disorders regardless of extreme fatigue are common.

Physical issues. These may include chills, sweating, tremors or shaking, along with flu-like symptoms, including a runny nose and headache, nausea, and vomiting.

Cravings. The desire to utilize the drug of choice in order to stop the withdrawal signs is strong

Choosing Residential Treatments for Couples

To begin with, what is the residential treatment? Richmond Kentucky Residential treatment focuses supply a highly structured, tracked environment in a home-like setting that supplies homeowner tranquility as they begin their long-lasting healing. As a result, these assists guarantee that citizens do not have access to their drugs or alcohol while in their program which they can get full-time assistance throughout their recovery.

There are numerous choices readily available when it pertains to dealing with alcohol and drug addiction. However, everybody is coming from a different background, household, and experiences. For that reason, our company thinks that their treatment technique requires to not simply consider that, however, make it the focal point of their treatment experience.

Couples Rehabilitation Centers

What Treatment Techniques Are Used?

There are numerous treatment methods easily offered for numerous types of substance addiction. Normally speaking, many treatment centers depend on some sort of behavioral therapy to manage addiction issues, due to the fact that behavior adjustment promotes favorable and lasting modification. Behavior modification teaches couples brand-new techniques of engaging, helps increase favorable interactions, and promotes clear and useful interaction. This helps couples accomplish staying away and establish happier and much healthier relationships.

Some common treatment approaches utilized in couples rehabilitations consist of:

Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT). BCT is developed to assist couples experiencing drug and drug abuse by using behavioral change approaches. One of the primary methods this is achieved is through the advancement of a “recovery contract” with your partner. The recovery plan requires that you discuss your goal not to take in or make use of drugs every day, while the job for your partner is to provide help for this objective.1,3 In BCT, the couple is usually seen by a therapist one or two times weekly in a personal or clinical setting to talk about objectives and establish and improve brand-new coping abilities. Regularly, therapists might establish group treatment sessions, in which many couples are seen simultaneously.3.

Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT). For couples having a challenging time specifically with alcoholism, ABCT is a method equivalent to BCT that draws on different psychotherapeutic designs to promote abstaining and boost healthy operating within the relationship. This is an outpatient kind of treatment that means to increase interaction, analytical, self-control, and contingency-management abilities in order to help the couple to achieve sobriety.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). This addiction treatment technique materials comprehensive treatment to look after the drug abuse and uses medications– such as methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone– to decrease withdrawal signs, aid in cleaning, and supply maintenance once the detox period has in fact ended. MAT similarly includes education for non-addicted partners on how to finest support the healing of their partner.

12-step conferences, such as Recuperating Couples Confidential (RCA). Couples rehab centers often offer 12-step conferences as an extra kind of help for recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Numerous couples select to continue participating in RCA conferences after finishing treatment. Equivalent to another sort of 12-step recovery groups, the focus is on submitting to a higher power and overcoming the 12 actions of healing with the assistance of a sponsor, however, RCA likewise worries the worth of the couple staying dedicated to each other and to their shared sobriety.

Ever Consider IOP Programs Richmond, Kentucky For Couples Before ?

In general, there are 2 primary sorts of addiction treatment: inpatient and outpatient.With a Couples inpatient or residential program, clients participate in a specialized center and stay on the website throughout of the treatment. In an outpatient program, the private participates in sessions, conferences, workshops, and conferences, and after that goes house each night. Outpatient programs vary from substantial outpatient programs (IOPs) to less structured general outpatient styles. An IOP is usually incredibly comparable to a residential program in its structure and intensity, with the main difference being that the specific returns house to sleep each night.

Goals of Intensive Outpatient Programs

An extensive outpatient program can be the extremely first line of treatment, a step up from a less structured outpatient program when required, or an action down from a residential program after a specific quantity of advancement is made. This helps to form a smooth continuum of care. Individuals may participate in a detox program prior to participating in an IOP when drugs or alcohol are still in the body and need to be securely processed out.

While IOPs can differ as to what is included, in basic, there are numerous core services usually utilized, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Providers Treatment Improvement Treatments (SAMHSA TIP). These consist of:

Group and particular therapy sessions

Behavioral therapy sessions (both private and in a group setting).

Tracking of alcohol and substance abuse.

Case management.

Medical and psychological health treatment.

Medical tools.

Life abilities training.

Educational chances.

Support system meetings.

Access to 24-hour crisis management.

Nutritional services, physical fitness programs, childcare services, professional training, anger management classes, house programs, and other services may also be offered as part of an IOP. Goals of an IOP consist of achieving and safeguarding sobriety, and normally, drug tests are carried out to make certain compliance. Treatment and treatment sessions are used to teach new and reliable approaches to engage, manage tension, improve analytical and coping skills, and tailor undesirable principles and regimens into more beneficial ones. Group sessions can use customers with insight from others who are also battling with addiction.

Reach out to us day or night – Our caring Treatment Consultants are waiting for your call right now. Call Now

Benefits of Couples IOP

An outpatient program may be more cost-effective than a residential one, providing families a more affordable alternative for care. Insurance coverage may also cover outpatient services or require people to attempt outpatient care prior to offering protection for a residential program. IOPs are generally best matched to individuals who have a strong support system in your home. Households and enjoyed ones require to be on board with the treatment method, and prepared and able to promote a motivating environment that is conducive for recovery. Extremely trained professionals work closely with homes and individuals to make sure that the care strategy continues to be useful throughout the whole of an IOP, making modifications to services and programs when needed.

“In 2014, roughly 21.5 million Americans struggled with addiction, as released by the National Study on Substance Abuse and Health (NSDUH). That’s over 8 percent of the entire population over the age of 12 in the United States, making addiction a significant and relatively common illness. It is likewise complicated and extremely individual in nature, and no 2 treatment plans will look precisely the very same. Each person will require to seek out care that is ideal for their private case.”

Life after Rehab In Sober Home

Sober living houses are substance-free living environments for people in healing from alcohol and drug addiction. These sort of homes differ from rehab centers. These homes are usually discovered in peaceful neighborhoods, comparable to a typical home. Individuals who live in a sober living home can usually repeat as they please as long as they follow curfew and rules and regulations. Residents are normally required to take random drug tests to make certain sobriety. Individuals who live in sober houses are anticipated to be liable by themselves, spend for the lease, and purchase and prepare their own food, similar to if they were living in a routine home.

Knowing how to live sober independently is a vital part of the healing treatment. A lot of addicted people have an enabler in their life who would normally do these things for them. Dealing with this enabler made it so they never ever required to learn how to live separately and take the job for their actions. Sober living houses require a specific level of responsibility from their residents and make it possible for chances for private growth.

Main Reasons for Living in a Sober Living House

Responsibility

Safe and sober living environment

Strong support group

Fulfilling similar people in sobriety

Routine drug testing

Safe integration back into society

Clean slate

 Making the Right Choice After Rehab

There are numerous factors to return house or move into a sober living home, but just you can determine which option is the best choice for you. If you’re anxious about sobriety when leaving treatment, a sober living house might be the best method to abstain from all drug and alcohol usage and gain some sobriety experience before returning to society on your own. If you are not sure, please contact CouplesRehabs today to speak to an admissions expert.

Want more information on how couples rehab in Richmond, Kentucky can heal your relationship and free you from addiction.

Couples Rehab Helpline 888-325-2454

The post Couples Inpatient Drug Rehab Richmond Kentucky Addiction Treatment appeared first on Couples Drug Rehab.

Source: https://www.couplesrehabs.org/couples-inpatient-drug-rehab-richmond-kentucky-addiction-treatment/

from Couples Rehabs https://couplesrehabs.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/couples-inpatient-drug-rehab-richmond-kentucky-addiction-treatment/

[newestbalance]

Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders…

SEOUL (Reuters) – The recent detente between North and South Korea has given new life to talk of unification for the two countries divided since the 1950s.

FILE PHOTO: A tourist holding a parasol walks by a barbed-wire fence decorated by South Korean national flags at the Imjingak pavilion near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea, August 22, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

It’s a term that conjures up visions of the Berlin Wall falling, families reunited and armies disbanded.

Both Koreas have repeatedly called for peaceful unification and marched together under a unity flag at the recent Winter Olympics. And when a group of K-pop stars visited the North recently, they held hands with Northerners and sang, “Our wish is unification.”

But on a peninsula locked in conflict for 70 years, unification is a concept that has become increasingly convoluted and viewed as unrealistic, at least in the South, amid an ever-widening gulf between the two nations, analysts and officials say.

The South has become a major economic power with a hyper-wired society and vibrant democracy; the North is an impoverished, isolated country locked under the Kim family dynasty with few personal freedoms.

Unlike East and West Germany, which were reunited in 1990, the Korean division is based on a fratricidal civil war that remains unresolved. The two Koreas never signed a peace deal to end the conflict and have yet to officially recognize each other.

Those unresolved divisions are why seeking peace and nuclear disarmament are President Moon Jae-in’s top priorities in Friday’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Moon Chung-in, special national security adviser to the president.

Unification – a key topic at the two previous summits, in 2000 and 2007 – isn’t expected to be discussed at any great length, he said.

“If there is no peace, there is no unification,” Moon Chung-in told Reuters.

In the past, some South Korean leaders have predicated their reunification plans on the assumption the North’s authoritarian regime would collapse and be absorbed by the South.

But under the liberal President Moon, the government has softened its approach, emphasizing reconciliation and peaceful coexistence that might lead to eventual unity, current and former officials say.

THREE NOES

Public support for reunification has declined in the South, where 58 percent see it as necessary, down from nearly 70 percent in 2014, according to a survey by the Korea Institute for National Unification. A separate government poll in 1969 showed support for unification at 90 percent.

The economic toll would be too great on South Korea, says Park Jung-ho, a 35-year-old office worker in Seoul.

“I am strongly against unification and don’t think we should unify just for the reason we come from the same homogenous group,” he said. “I just wish we live without the kind of tensions we have today.”

To ease the animosity, “our government should acknowledge North Korea as an equal neighbor like China or Japan,” he said.

Estimates of the cost of reunification have ranged widely, running as high as $5 trillion – a cost that would fall almost entirely on South Korea.

In a speech in Berlin last July, Moon outlined what he called the “Korean Peninsula peace initiative” with three Noes: No desire for the North’s collapse, no pursuit of unification by absorption, and no pursuit of unification through artificial means.

“What we are pursuing is only peace,” he said.

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flutters on top of a tower at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

“SUPREME TASK”

Both Koreas have enshrined reunification in their constitutions, with North Korea describing it as “the nation’s supreme task”.

Like South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, the North has its own Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, and state media has mentioned unification more than 2,700 times since 2010, according to a Reuters analysis of articles collected by the KCNA Watch website.

North Korea does not make officials available for comment to media inquiries.

A North Korean statement in January urged “all Koreans at home and abroad” toward a common goal: “Let us promote contact, travel, cooperation and exchange between the north and the south on a wide scale to remove mutual misunderstanding and distrust and make all the fellow countrymen fulfill their responsibility and role as the driving force of national reunification!”

North Koreans on both sides of the border appear to be more supportive of unification, with more than 95 percent of defectors polled in the South in favor.

In 1993, North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung proposed a 10-point program for reunification, which included a proposal for leaving the two systems and governments intact while opening the borders.

Until the 1970s North Korea – officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – constitutionally claimed Seoul as its capital, and to this day the South Korean government appoints symbolic governors of Northern provinces.

“Reunification ultimately complicates a lot of the more immediate, short-term goals, whether it is denuclearization or the human rights issue, or even just developing stable communications between North and South Korea,” said Ben Forney, a research associate at Seoul’s Asan Institute.

STUMBLES

The two sides have run into problems on even small-scale cooperation, such as the Kaesong joint industrial park where workers from both sides labored together until it was shut down in 2016 amid a row over the North’s weapons development.

Recently, they failed to agree on a program to allow divided families to communicate with each other.

Mistrust runs deep. Some South Koreans and Americans remain convinced Kim Jong Un has amassed his nuclear arsenal as part of a long-term plan to control the peninsula. And Pyongyang worries the American military presence in South Korea is an invasion force intent on toppling Kim.

When East and West Germany reunited in 1990, some believed it could be a model for the Korean Peninsula.

However, the two Germanies had not fought a civil war and East Germany had a far looser grip on its population than North Korea, former unification ministry official Yang Chang-Seok wrote in a 2016 report.

Chief among the obstacles may be Kim Jong Un himself, who analysts say has little incentive to accept the compromises necessary for peaceful reunification. And South Korea is unlikely to agree to any deal that allows Kim meaningful control.

China also has a vested interest in maintaining North Korea as an independent state and buffer between the U.S.-allied South.

In the long run, abandoning the more strident calls for full unification could allow the two Koreas to mend relations, said Michael Breen, an author of several books on Korea.

“It’s a kind of a contradiction, that unification is seen as a kind of romantic, wholesome, nationalistic dream,” Breen said, “where in fact it’s the source of many of the problems.”

For full multimedia coverage on North Korea: www.reuters.com/north-korea/

Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Haejin Choi and Christine Kim in SEOUL; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Lincoln Feast.

The post Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders… appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2HXuU7P via Everyday News

[party-hard-or-die]

Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders…

SEOUL (Reuters) – The recent detente between North and South Korea has given new life to talk of unification for the two countries divided since the 1950s.

FILE PHOTO: A tourist holding a parasol walks by a barbed-wire fence decorated by South Korean national flags at the Imjingak pavilion near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea, August 22, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

It’s a term that conjures up visions of the Berlin Wall falling, families reunited and armies disbanded.

Both Koreas have repeatedly called for peaceful unification and marched together under a unity flag at the recent Winter Olympics. And when a group of K-pop stars visited the North recently, they held hands with Northerners and sang, “Our wish is unification.”

But on a peninsula locked in conflict for 70 years, unification is a concept that has become increasingly convoluted and viewed as unrealistic, at least in the South, amid an ever-widening gulf between the two nations, analysts and officials say.

The South has become a major economic power with a hyper-wired society and vibrant democracy; the North is an impoverished, isolated country locked under the Kim family dynasty with few personal freedoms.

Unlike East and West Germany, which were reunited in 1990, the Korean division is based on a fratricidal civil war that remains unresolved. The two Koreas never signed a peace deal to end the conflict and have yet to officially recognize each other.

Those unresolved divisions are why seeking peace and nuclear disarmament are President Moon Jae-in’s top priorities in Friday’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Moon Chung-in, special national security adviser to the president.

Unification – a key topic at the two previous summits, in 2000 and 2007 – isn’t expected to be discussed at any great length, he said.

“If there is no peace, there is no unification,” Moon Chung-in told Reuters.

In the past, some South Korean leaders have predicated their reunification plans on the assumption the North’s authoritarian regime would collapse and be absorbed by the South.

But under the liberal President Moon, the government has softened its approach, emphasizing reconciliation and peaceful coexistence that might lead to eventual unity, current and former officials say.

THREE NOES

Public support for reunification has declined in the South, where 58 percent see it as necessary, down from nearly 70 percent in 2014, according to a survey by the Korea Institute for National Unification. A separate government poll in 1969 showed support for unification at 90 percent.

The economic toll would be too great on South Korea, says Park Jung-ho, a 35-year-old office worker in Seoul.

“I am strongly against unification and don’t think we should unify just for the reason we come from the same homogenous group,” he said. “I just wish we live without the kind of tensions we have today.”

To ease the animosity, “our government should acknowledge North Korea as an equal neighbor like China or Japan,” he said.

Estimates of the cost of reunification have ranged widely, running as high as $5 trillion – a cost that would fall almost entirely on South Korea.

In a speech in Berlin last July, Moon outlined what he called the “Korean Peninsula peace initiative” with three Noes: No desire for the North’s collapse, no pursuit of unification by absorption, and no pursuit of unification through artificial means.

“What we are pursuing is only peace,” he said.

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flutters on top of a tower at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

“SUPREME TASK”

Both Koreas have enshrined reunification in their constitutions, with North Korea describing it as “the nation’s supreme task”.

Like South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, the North has its own Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, and state media has mentioned unification more than 2,700 times since 2010, according to a Reuters analysis of articles collected by the KCNA Watch website.

North Korea does not make officials available for comment to media inquiries.

A North Korean statement in January urged “all Koreans at home and abroad” toward a common goal: “Let us promote contact, travel, cooperation and exchange between the north and the south on a wide scale to remove mutual misunderstanding and distrust and make all the fellow countrymen fulfill their responsibility and role as the driving force of national reunification!”

North Koreans on both sides of the border appear to be more supportive of unification, with more than 95 percent of defectors polled in the South in favor.

In 1993, North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung proposed a 10-point program for reunification, which included a proposal for leaving the two systems and governments intact while opening the borders.

Until the 1970s North Korea – officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – constitutionally claimed Seoul as its capital, and to this day the South Korean government appoints symbolic governors of Northern provinces.

“Reunification ultimately complicates a lot of the more immediate, short-term goals, whether it is denuclearization or the human rights issue, or even just developing stable communications between North and South Korea,” said Ben Forney, a research associate at Seoul’s Asan Institute.

STUMBLES

The two sides have run into problems on even small-scale cooperation, such as the Kaesong joint industrial park where workers from both sides labored together until it was shut down in 2016 amid a row over the North’s weapons development.

Recently, they failed to agree on a program to allow divided families to communicate with each other.

Mistrust runs deep. Some South Koreans and Americans remain convinced Kim Jong Un has amassed his nuclear arsenal as part of a long-term plan to control the peninsula. And Pyongyang worries the American military presence in South Korea is an invasion force intent on toppling Kim.

When East and West Germany reunited in 1990, some believed it could be a model for the Korean Peninsula.

However, the two Germanies had not fought a civil war and East Germany had a far looser grip on its population than North Korea, former unification ministry official Yang Chang-Seok wrote in a 2016 report.

Chief among the obstacles may be Kim Jong Un himself, who analysts say has little incentive to accept the compromises necessary for peaceful reunification. And South Korea is unlikely to agree to any deal that allows Kim meaningful control.

China also has a vested interest in maintaining North Korea as an independent state and buffer between the U.S.-allied South.

In the long run, abandoning the more strident calls for full unification could allow the two Koreas to mend relations, said Michael Breen, an author of several books on Korea.

“It’s a kind of a contradiction, that unification is seen as a kind of romantic, wholesome, nationalistic dream,” Breen said, “where in fact it’s the source of many of the problems.”

For full multimedia coverage on North Korea: www.reuters.com/north-korea/

Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Haejin Choi and Christine Kim in SEOUL; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Lincoln Feast.

The post Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders… appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2HXuU7P via Breaking News

[newsintodays-blog]

Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders prepare to talk

New Post has been published on http://newsintoday.info/2018/04/25/impossible-dream-unification-less-of-a-priority-as-korean-leaders-prepare-to-talk/

Impossible dream? Unification less of a priority as Korean leaders prepare to talk

SEOUL (Reuters) – The recent detente between North and South Korea has given new life to talk of unification for the two countries divided since the 1950s.

FILE PHOTO: A tourist holding a parasol walks by a barbed-wire fence decorated by South Korean national flags at the Imjingak pavilion near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea, August 22, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

It’s a term that conjures up visions of the Berlin Wall falling, families reunited and armies disbanded.

Both Koreas have repeatedly called for peaceful unification and marched together under a unity flag at the recent Winter Olympics. And when a group of K-pop stars visited the North recently, they held hands with Northerners and sang, “Our wish is unification.”

But on a peninsula locked in conflict for 70 years, unification is a concept that has become increasingly convoluted and viewed as unrealistic, at least in the South, amid an ever-widening gulf between the two nations, analysts and officials say.

The South has become a major economic power with a hyper-wired society and vibrant democracy; the North is an impoverished, isolated country locked under the Kim family dynasty with few personal freedoms.

Unlike East and West Germany, which were reunited in 1990, the Korean division is based on a fratricidal civil war that remains unresolved. The two Koreas never signed a peace deal to end the conflict and have yet to officially recognize each other.

Those unresolved divisions are why seeking peace and nuclear disarmament are President Moon Jae-in’s top priorities in Friday’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Moon Chung-in, special national security adviser to the president.

Unification – a key topic at the two previous summits, in 2000 and 2007 – isn’t expected to be discussed at any great length, he said.

“If there is no peace, there is no unification,” Moon Chung-in told Reuters.

In the past, some South Korean leaders have predicated their reunification plans on the assumption the North’s authoritarian regime would collapse and be absorbed by the South.

But under the liberal President Moon, the government has softened its approach, emphasizing reconciliation and peaceful coexistence that might lead to eventual unity, current and former officials say.

THREE NOES

Public support for reunification has declined in the South, where 58 percent see it as necessary, down from nearly 70 percent in 2014, according to a survey by the Korea Institute for National Unification. A separate government poll in 1969 showed support for unification at 90 percent.

The economic toll would be too great on South Korea, says Park Jung-ho, a 35-year-old office worker in Seoul.

“I am strongly against unification and don’t think we should unify just for the reason we come from the same homogenous group,” he said. “I just wish we live without the kind of tensions we have today.”

To ease the animosity, “our government should acknowledge North Korea as an equal neighbor like China or Japan,” he said.

Estimates of the cost of reunification have ranged widely, running as high as $5 trillion – a cost that would fall almost entirely on South Korea.

In a speech in Berlin last July, Moon outlined what he called the “Korean Peninsula peace initiative” with three Noes: No desire for the North’s collapse, no pursuit of unification by absorption, and no pursuit of unification through artificial means.

“What we are pursuing is only peace,” he said.

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flutters on top of a tower at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

“SUPREME TASK”

Both Koreas have enshrined reunification in their constitutions, with North Korea describing it as “the nation’s supreme task”.

Like South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, the North has its own Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, and state media has mentioned unification more than 2,700 times since 2010, according to a Reuters analysis of articles collected by the KCNA Watch website.

North Korea does not make officials available for comment to media inquiries.

A North Korean statement in January urged “all Koreans at home and abroad” toward a common goal: “Let us promote contact, travel, cooperation and exchange between the north and the south on a wide scale to remove mutual misunderstanding and distrust and make all the fellow countrymen fulfill their responsibility and role as the driving force of national reunification!”

North Koreans on both sides of the border appear to be more supportive of unification, with more than 95 percent of defectors polled in the South in favor.

In 1993, North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung proposed a 10-point program for reunification, which included a proposal for leaving the two systems and governments intact while opening the borders.

Until the 1970s North Korea – officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – constitutionally claimed Seoul as its capital, and to this day the South Korean government appoints symbolic governors of Northern provinces.

“Reunification ultimately complicates a lot of the more immediate, short-term goals, whether it is denuclearization or the human rights issue, or even just developing stable communications between North and South Korea,” said Ben Forney, a research associate at Seoul’s Asan Institute.

STUMBLES

The two sides have run into problems on even small-scale cooperation, such as the Kaesong joint industrial park where workers from both sides labored together until it was shut down in 2016 amid a row over the North’s weapons development.

Recently, they failed to agree on a program to allow divided families to communicate with each other.

Mistrust runs deep. Some South Koreans and Americans remain convinced Kim Jong Un has amassed his nuclear arsenal as part of a long-term plan to control the peninsula. And Pyongyang worries the American military presence in South Korea is an invasion force intent on toppling Kim.

When East and West Germany reunited in 1990, some believed it could be a model for the Korean Peninsula.

However, the two Germanies had not fought a civil war and East Germany had a far looser grip on its population than North Korea, former unification ministry official Yang Chang-Seok wrote in a 2016 report.

Chief among the obstacles may be Kim Jong Un himself, who analysts say has little incentive to accept the compromises necessary for peaceful reunification. And South Korea is unlikely to agree to any deal that allows Kim meaningful control.

China also has a vested interest in maintaining North Korea as an independent state and buffer between the U.S.-allied South.

In the long run, abandoning the more strident calls for full unification could allow the two Koreas to mend relations, said Michael Breen, an author of several books on Korea.

“It’s a kind of a contradiction, that unification is seen as a kind of romantic, wholesome, nationalistic dream,” Breen said, “where in fact it’s the source of many of the problems.”

For full multimedia coverage on North Korea: www.reuters.com/north-korea/

Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Haejin Choi and Christine Kim in SEOUL; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Lincoln Feast.

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