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itmighthavebeenintentional · 4 years

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Walk Me Home - Ch 2

Summary: Twenty-four years ago, Kimberly Harper met a boy who changed the course of her entire life before up and leaving one night. She spent years moving past the memories, building a stable, satisfying career as professor of folklore and mythology at the local university. Then the accidents start, and she’s forced to seek help among her hunter contacts. All it takes is a knock on her office door to send Kimber’s carefully built emotional walls crumbling to the ground.

Featuring: Teen Winchesters, high school romance, reunions, misunderstandings, high intensity emotional turmoil, Dean’s love of pie, Dean being adorable, Sam being adorable and maybe a bit nosy eventually, much group adorkable-ness, show-style investigation, mention of our favorite werewolf, gratuitous and obvious love of fall, DID I MENTION ROMANCE, fluff, smut, tension.

Warnings: Show level violence, show level parental neglect (let’s not John bash, I’m just saying), show-style witchcraft, show-level mental manipulation, stalking, bit of angst, sexual content (higher than show level),swearing, general yearning

Word Count: 1149

Author’s Note: Mega thanks to @mskathywriteswords , @fangirlxwritesx67, and @cracksinthewalls for editing, revision, flailing, and generally knocking sense into me when I’m being stubborn. You all made this story way better than it started it, and I love you. Thanks to everyone who read/reblogged/liked the first chapter. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do. For @thoughtslikeaminefield ; apparently, you’re my muse. : )

Keep in Mind: There are a lot of flashbacks. I tried to write current events in present tense and flashbacks in past tense. Here’s hoping I got everything right!

Please read/heed the warnings. 18+ ONLY.

In Case You Missed It: Ch 1 ItMightHaveBeenIntentional’s Masterlist

Chapter 2

Rather than walking, they ride to her house together in his sleek Impala, the same one that carried him out of her life all those years ago. She runs her fingers reverently over the smooth interior, glancing back at the full bench backseat. The seventeen-year-old deep inside begins to whisper ideas to her that bring a pink tinge to her cheeks, and she scrupulously avoids looking at Dean for the entire fifteen minute car ride.

“This the route you normally walk home?” Dean asks, eyes flicking up and down the streets they glide by. She’s grateful for the ride; much like the night he left, the autumn air has turned crisp, and thick rain clouds block the stars from view.

“Not exactly,” she says, glancing down an empty side street. “There’s a park we passed a couple of blocks back that I use the walking path to cut through, saves me a good fifteen, twenty minutes.

“And before you say anything,” she adds, feeling the weight of his side-eyed glance, “it’s a clear path, not a woodsy trail. I carry a pocket knife and pepper spray, and all my jewelry is silver. And I take a self-defense class every Thursday night. They don’t teach me anything you didn’t already show me, but it keeps me limber and vaguely social.”

He licks his lips reflexively, tucking his tongue behind his teeth before finally allowing himself to smile, just a little. The atmosphere in the car brightens perceptibly, and by the time they reach her house a few blocks over, she’s feeling a little lighter as she leads Dean up the steps, unlocks the front door, and invites him into her one-bedroom cottage.

That lightness lasts until the moment she opens the door to her bedroom, intending to change out of her office clothes, and sees the doll, crafted to look eerily like her, with a slit throat and something red splashed all around.

...

“What about Europe?” Kimber asked Dean, threading her fingers through his. “Come on, everybody wants to go to Europe.”

The afternoon sun filtered down through the branches of the trees, leaves of brilliant orange and red fluttering occasionally around them. They’d skipped seventh period physics to take a walk on one of the trails near the public park, and Kimberly couldn’t imagine a more perfect day.

Dean had shrugged out of his jacket and offered it to her before she even realized she was cold, and they’d been strolling for nearly an hour now, feeling like they were the only two people in the world, even for just a little while.

“Nah,” he said, swinging their arms a little. He flashed her the grin he knew made her knees weak, and her heart fluttered. “Hate planes. More of a Mexico kind of guy, I think. Always wanted to go to a beach; never really had the time before. Wanna get away for spring break?”

But the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, even with his light-hearted offer hanging in the air between them. He’d be gone by then, he’d already explained. His dad’s work carried them all over the country, and they hadn’t stayed anywhere longer than two months, according to Dean.

She considered not believing him, but something about the off-hand, flippant way he delivered the news made doubting him impossible. He avoided talking about his family most of time (except to complain-brag about his brother), and Kimber didn’t push. She invited him over for dinner at the end of the first week, and her parents liked his company so much they didn’t question when he began showing up every other night as an expected attendee.

“Told you I’d make a good impression,” he’d said later that night as they sat together on the floor of her old tree house. She snuck some soda and pie out after everyone in the house was supposed to be asleep, and they watched the stars make their way across the sky as they talked about everything and nothing.

He told her she tasted of cherry-cola every time they kissed after that night, and she couldn’t help blushing.

He’d been in town for three solid weeks when they stepped onto the trail on a singularly perfect autumn day, and Kimber had never been happier in her life. She refused to think of the future, wouldn’t even consider spring break, and she could see his good mood begin to fade with each moment she left the half-joking invitation hanging in the air between them.

“I can’t even think about spring yet,” she said finally, unable to meet his eyes. “I love fall so much, I just want to enjoy it...while I can.”

He slid a calloused finger under her chin, tilted her face to meet his, and offered her a small, sad smile that nearly split her heart.

“Plenty to enjoy about the fall. You look damned cute in my jacket, for one.” He brushed his lips across hers once, twice, before deepening the kiss for a long, perfect moment. Even the wind died down a little, the silence of the woods thick and heavy around them.

He pulled back, his eyes moving quickly over their surroundings. She had to take a longer pause to regain her bearings, even as Dean took her hand more firmly, turning on his heel to lead them back the way they came.

“Sun’s goin’ down, let’s get you home. What’s your mom making for dinner tonight? I’m starved.”

She shoved down the immediate urge to protest, wanting to stay out there with Dean for as long as they possibly could. She resigned herself to ask him later in the treehouse. When the wind picked up again, licking at her exposed ankles, she reconsidered, thinking she’d sneak him into her room instead. Much warmer.

“I dunno about dinner, but she said something about baking that Sara Lee pumpkin pie that’s in the freezer.”

He rounded on her suddenly, a delighted grin splashed across his face, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“You keep these things from me on purpose, I swear!” He kissed her quickly one last time, then tugged her hand until they were running down the path, sunlight flashing off the leaves kicked up into the air by their passing feet.

She never did ask him that night, nor any other, why they’d left the woods so quickly. Many years down the road, once she’d learned more about the invisible world everyone lived in unwittingly, and she’d figured out what Dean’s mysterious family business actually was, she’d actually lost some sleep wondering what his hunter instincts had picked up that afternoon.

But he’d acted on those instincts, gotten them safely to her house well before dinner, in plenty of time to charm her mother into baking the pie after all, and Kimber was glad to her soul she hadn’t argued.

…

Chapter 3

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agent-aurelie · 4 years

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Rules: Tag people you want to catch up with and answer the following! I was tagged by the lovely and talented @worriedaboutmyfern, thanks friend. <3

Last Song: I’m back on my Taylor Swift bullshit and I today I listened to her “folklore” album for the first time in its entirety. This album’s style is usually not my type of music, but it was really relaxing!

Last Movie: I’ve been trying to watch the Addams Family for like, four days now on Netflix but IT JUST WON’T LOAD and I’m so sad because it’s spooky season. So I guess the last movie I successfully watched was Moana, because of course it was. (Whichever exec said “let’s give Jemaine Clement the role of the OTT, blinged out, bioluminescent Tamatoa” has all of my respect and adoration.)

Currently Reading: My focus has been so bad recently when it comes to books - I have a massive pile I’ve been wanting to read and was, at one point recently, making such good progress with. I’m still halfway through Shatterpoint, which I’m really sad got moved to Legends, because Mace Windu and Depa Billaba are totally badasses who deserve amazing stories in canon.

Currently Watching: Did y’all know there was a new season of Unsolved Mysteries? Like... two new seasons?? I had no idea and Robert Stack and his trench coat were a staple of my childhood. Even though he’s not in it, it’s been pretty good and eerie. I also watched a doc on the Jonestown Massacre, because apparently my two modes are “Disney Princess Movies” or “Horrible Gruesome Murder Cult Docs.”

Oh. And Schitt’s Creek. Ew, David.

(Though I should probably hammer through a Mando rewatch by Thursday. Hmm.)

Currently Craving: LOL this is a v loaded question right now (and not even in a dirty way, I would have just said dick and y’all know it) so my safe answer is New England autumn, because I was supposed to be there at the beginning of the month and COVID and IVF had other plans. New England autumn also means New England friends who I would do anything to be with.

Currently Working On: Begrudgingly reacclimating into society because my medical leave ends on Saturday. And a lot of Kinktober prompts which will be posted in Kinkvember. Or Kinkcember. Or Kinkuary. You know, whenever. Every month is Kinktober if you try hard enough ‘re thirsty enough.

I tag the whole squad because like @worriedaboutmyfern I have a lot of anxiety about leaving people out, so if the mood strikes, do the thing.

#Meme #Thank You For Tagging Meee! <3

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orihara-infobroker · 4 years

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Ranty rant rant about stuff because this cat just needs to vent.

So I've mentioned this before a few times though I don't really talk about it all that much. One of my on-and-off hobbies is role-playing. Tabletop, live-action, or narrative writing, I pretty much enjoy them all. For similar reasons to why I love writing stories. I like creating characters and worlds. In writing I do all the heavy lifting but role-playing has the unique experience of collaborative storytelling and that adds an element that can be very fun. Also, sometimes it's just fun to play in someone else's sandbox for a change.

Some time ago, a friend invited me to check out a Harry Potter rp site. The site itself is pretty decently setup and it seemed like it could be interesting. I'm not a huge Potter nerd but I've seen the movies and I'm a sucker for fantasy settings. But this isn't the first time I've dipped my toes in the HP universe so I thought that instead of doing the standard Eurocentric character, I'd try something different.

I admit, I'd been working pretty heavily on Shadow and Light at the time so that was strongly influencing my mood insofar as what I wanted to play with. So I submitted the idea of a Japanese character who had grown up in Japan but recently moved to London (thus why I'd be attending Hogwarts). The character's parents were onmyoji, part of a branch family of the Tsuchimikado clan. This clan is somewhat famous for its relation to Abe no Seimei who is arguably the most famous onmyoji in Japanese folklore. I also requested that the character be a metamorph which is a wizard who can change their features. Basically a kind of shape-shifting. Tonks was a metamorph, for reference. In requesting this, I was asked to explain why my family had a metamorph. So I wrote a piece where the character's mom told him the story of Abe no Seimei's mom being a fox that his Dad saved and that there had been stories told of how Abe no Seimei could change his appearance. (Not into a fox. Just change his appearance.) And how sometimes people in the clan would be born with the same ability.

Note that everything I incorporated into this character's backstory is based off actual Japanese mythology and not Harry Potter universe. Harry Potter universe doesn't actually address anything about how magic is done in the East. (And if Rowling ever comes up with anything it'll probably be hideously racist anyway but I digress.)

All of this is important, I promise.

So I was a Japanese pureblood kid raised to become an onmyoji only to end up at Hogwarts by pure misfortune. I thought this would be fun to play, basically a foreign exchange student completely out of his element, not understanding how Western magic works, struggling with having to learn English on top of magic, etc.

Well.

Apparently my idea set all sorts of fires under the admin staff of this site. They were opposed because:

1. They didn't think I knew what I was talking about when I suggested being onmyoji (wherein I proved that I actually know more about onmyoji and Japanese mythology than them.)

2. They didn't have lore on the East therefore they didn't want me making stuff up because it might not mesh with what they might eventually get around to creating somewhere down the road. Even though they had no current plans to develop the Eastern setting. (Yeah. You read that right. I was told... in a role play game... not to make stuff up... which is ironic given that I didn't actually make anything up, just liberally stole from actual Japanese mythology. Further, my character was going to Hogwarts so all of this was just backstory and flavour.)

3. I CANNOT BE RELATED TO ABE NO SEIMEI HE IS LIKE THE JAPANESE MERLIN!!!!!!! (Oh yes. Please. Make more ignorant racist comments at me. From now on I shall refer to Merlin as the English Abe no Seimei. -_- Abe no Seimei, while unlikely to be as mystical as he was made out to be in the stories, was a real person. Merlin was never real. He was always a fictional creation. Further, I never claimed to be related to Abe no Seimei. I claimed to be a branch family of the Tsuchimikado Clan to whom Abe no Seimei was either a member of or the founder of, depending on varying stories. So. Apparently they don't understand how Japanese clans work? Or branch families? No? OK, great. GREAT.)

4. They claimed that my story about the kitsune wasn't appropriate because kitsune were a type of mythical creature and metamorphs are completely human so I can't be "half-fox". Further, one of them claimed I wanted to be "half-demon". (Which is both a grave misinterpretation of what I wrote *and* a completely incorrect assumption on what kitsune are. They are not any kind of demon. And I didn't want to be any kind of half demon or even half fox. It was a story told from a mother to a child, using a classic myth to convey a possible reason why their family sometimes had metamorphs. That's it. Which, if they had understand that whole BRANCH FAMILY thing, they should have definitely realized. But apparently I wasn't clear enough? Ok. Fine, maybe I was too fucking subtle. Still never asked to be half fucking anything. Asked to be a metamorph. That's it.)

5. Labeled me as a problem because of all of this. Which occurred over the course of two conversations and a handful of days. Yeah. YEAH. I'M A FUCKING PROBLEM BECAUSE I TRIED TO BE FUCKING CREATIVE IN THEIR FUCKING SANDBOX AND HAPPENED TO ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THEM.

And it's so frustrating because I was looking forward to playing with my friend on this site and I genuinely felt like they were targeting me because I didn't choose a basic bitch character and I had the nerve to ask questions when they tried to contest it. Like, it wasn't a genuine conversation where two sides explained their opinions. It was literally me trying to propose something and being treated like a child when I was repeatedly trying to explain where they were misinterpreting the things I had written because they didn't know Japanese history/mythology.

I've been a gamemaster/storyteller for games before. Over the course of my time role-playing, I've run four Larps, a handful of tabletops and hosted a couple online rps. My Discord server is technically a role play server that I moderate ( currently its mostly just chatting, not a lit of rp but it was designed to be rp lol). I know how these things work. And that just makes this more frustrating because my impulse, as a storyteller, has always been to work together with players to create engaging stories. I've always been willing to accept the potential of new ideas because the whole point of fucking role-playing is getting to exercise your imagination and tell stories together. So from my perspective, I'd be more than happy to work with them on this. I'd be more than happy to share what I know and talk about what could work or not work. But they don't seem to want to engage in that way and it makes me sad, frustrated, disappointed. Especially because I had really been looking forward to playing with my friend and now it seems that this whole thing is doomed to failure.

All because I got creative and asked questions. :/

#stupid rant #about something lame #that I shouldn't let bother me #it seems so silly but there it is #I guess I just don't understand people #I feel like this is a sign #just stick to writing my own stories #less drama #(｡•́︿•̀｡)

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speaknowslut13 · 4 years

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Folklore P.2-SPOILERS

Mirrorball

A song comparing oneself to a mirror ball or a “disco ball”. It is a beautiful love song with many meanings. In a way, it is also sad—the character is “shattered” and breaks easily. However, my first thought on the song was that this one was heart melting. I could see my relationship with my husband being so much like this. However, I did notice that the character has a performative relationship with the subject. Much like a popstar? An entertainer? But the earnest love for the subject is so very apparent that its hard to read the deeper meanings on a first listen. It was a sweet little song.

Seven

I was immediately shocked. I paused the song to contemplate the lyrics. It starts quick, going straight into the first verse. She hit her peak at 7 feet, however she pauses after 7. Which to me implies emphasis on that first part of the line. My first thought, not knowing anything about the song was albums. Which made me mad because who in their right mind would think that Taylor Swift hit her peak? Then she goes on to mention the creek and being in Pennsylvania, which made me contemplate that she is referring to age. Okay, so the character is saying they hit their peak at seven. Dark, deep, mournful. I believe that there are multiple meanings to be uncovered here, but as I go on more in the song, it becomes abundantly clear that the character is referring to a time and age. Are there still beautiful things? How sad.

Let’s just pause this right here. Sweet tea in the summer? Miss Taylor, are you aware that you have an unreleased Demo song called SWEET TEA AND GOD’S GRACES?? What are you doing to us?

Now, let me tell you the horror that struck me once she uttered “love you to the moon and Saturn” because this is a phrase I used often in the past. Only instead of Saturn it was Pluto. It was traumatic. But I walked away from this feeling all sorts of ways. This is a remembrance of the purest and most innocent type of love. This is a love that is purely born in childhood. Its just pure love. They could be friends, or they could be more. However, that is not the point here. Children love uniquely. It cannot be categorized in any of our adult ideals of love. They know no difference between loving someone romantically or platonic. So, I will not classify it as either.

Another part that I picked up here is that the character is trying to protect the subject from an abusive home situation. I get this idea that the ending of this story is tragic. I was left crying again.

But I had to keep going on with the album. So far, it has been so soft. The music relies heavily on acoustic sounds, piano, guitar, strings, percussion. Any modern manipulation is subtle. It does not subtract from the pure, raw emotion of the composition. Its so beautiful. Its so heavy. I am experiencing more trepidation as I move on to the next song. I have this gut feeling I am on my way to more sadness.

August

So, in my own personal experience I was able to relate to this emotion. The love triangle that Taylor writes hit me hard. My own story I am writing echoes this. I feel a little ripped off. Great mind thinks alike. I am teasing. It is a common plot line. She tells this story so beautifully. There was a few “Nope” and lots of tears. She even matched the image for the video so perfectly. I was so impressed. And emotionally raw. But I had to make it through the album. So, I pushed forward. This has been exactly the mood I have needed for this month.

This is me trying.

So, before I even started the song, I noticed that the image for the lyric video was reminiscent of her 2018 post with the democratic candidate trailer. At least to me. Moving on.

I love how this song starts with such a big percussion movement. That drive is beautiful. I start crying almost immediately. She pulls up to the look out and she could follow all her fears down. I react to how depressed this sounds. I feel like the first verse is a character trying to overcome the depressive emotions they are dealing with. The second verse feels like the character is struggling with addiction. Then we reach the bridge and I am sobbing. The Character is trying to overcome a loss. And suddenly I am not sure if I can continue with this album. It is oppressively heavy at times. My in the moment thought was that this album has so far been sadder than RED. At this point I realized that I am only just barely over halfway done with the album. But like the machine or masochist that I am, I decide to keep going.

Its both annoying and helpful that the Zoloft has kicked in and my brain is yelling “too much emotion! ALERT ALERT ALERT! All systems shut down.” Don’t worry. I’m fine.

#taylor swift #taylor nation #Swifties #folklore #ts8 #themodren #renreacts

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drink-n-watch · 5 years

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Genre : Action, fighting, supernatural

Episodes: 12

Studio: Platinum Vision

Something has awakened. Something that’s been slumbering for a long time is beginning to stir and the shockwaves are being felt all over heaven and earth. Demons are getting restless and the attacks on innocent villages have become routine. Thankfully, the Sanzo party is here to protect the good people from the fiends that would do them harm. Never mind that they happen to be just as fiendish themselves. As long as you can pay for the services, you can trust them. Probably. After all, you have to be able to trust a venerable Sanzo monk now don’t you? He’s the one smoking and getting into a fist fight with his demon buddy while screaming obscenities. Yeah, this should work out just fine!

The journey for this little title to make it on my to watch list went something like this: this looks like an otome adaptation, it’s probably really stupid, I’m gonna watch it. a week later – yeah there’s plenty of stupid out there, maybe I don’t need this one, I’m going to flush it. Wait the summary says Yokai, I like Yokai, I’m going to keep it. OK, I guess I should really watch this at some point…

yeah…this is a smart way to start this post…

If you didn’t pick it up from my little skit there, I did not know what I was getting into but I sure thought I did. The production value for this show is decent. animation can get a bit visibly cheap with reused scenes and stills with offscreen battles but for the most part, everything is well done. Voice acting is quite good, colours stick to a signature palette, design and art is pretty.

Unfortunately, I think this pretty design and art is in fact doing Saiyuki Reload Blast a disservice. I took one look at those chiseled young men and their intricate costumes (all different and this is important) and I immediately thought, this is clearly an otome. At best it’s a poor man’s Touken Ranbu which remains one of the best cute boy shows I’ve ever seen and also only. The lack of a clear female lead was pushing me towards option number two but I was expecting some basic slice of life nonsense with historical flourishes thrown in for flavour. Some manservice and if they wanted to push it maybe a drop of hoyay suggestion.

look at all that…mancandy?

I judged it entirely on it’s cover I have to admit. I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one at that. That’s the problem you see. Those that are generally uninterested in those types of shows probably dismissed it offhand. I don’t blame them, the aesthetic is pretty glaring, and it’s not entirely wrong, the show is classified as Josei. But aside for a few scenes in the OP, there’s no fanservice at all (unless you count the lady monk with the super tight outfit) and none of the expected staples of the genre. Someone specifically looking for the show insinuated by those visuals, would be disappointed or at least, confused.

The narrative and execution of Saiyuri Reload Blast is closest to a rather traditional fighting shonen. If you had switched one of the main characters’ design to a sexy lady without changing anything else at all, you could have marketed it as such easily. The season is roughly separated into three arcs. The opening establishing arc plays out as a series of monster of the week episodes, with our main party going from one village to the next and saving them from demon attacks. It’s fine, a little dry but I’ve seen worse.

I said it was ok….

The second arc is a flashback to 500 years prior where the story starts to really from and the foundations are laid for the greater lore. It quickly became apparent the this show was basing itself on a Journey to the West, which is pretty awesome. It’s a very loose retelling but there were enough similarities for me to recognize it pretty easily, that made my appreciation for the series rise quite a bit.

This flashback arc was rich in references to classic Chinese folklore and filled with a tense atmosphere unmatched by the other episodes. I also found the flashback characters considerably more interesting. Despite how bloody and ultimately sad this arc was, it was by far my favorite part of the anime and I would have loved a season that explored just that story. The last arc brings us back to the present where past and future collide in an all out multiple episode battle.

After watching the show I found out that Saiyuri is an expansive franchise. Reload blast is only the latest in several anime incarnations, a whole series of OVAs, multiple rounds of manga, at least one movie and a stage play. This may in fact explain some of my gripes. You see, Saiyuri really plays up a lot of shonen tropes. The never ending battles, mid-fight monologues (this is so prevalent in fact that I think in the middle of battle is the only way we get an exposition), the best friend fisty cuffs, the super dramatic realization screams and the cathartic last minute saves.

Nantaku really needed more development mind you

They’re all there and all well done, except this is a 12 episode series. When you’re characters are going through this massive emotional struggle over what is a pretty silly situation in fact at episode 60, it works because you’ve grown to really know the characters and you accept their eccentricities. Also the stakes have been slowly rising so you got accustomed to it at your own pace before everything spilled over into ridiculous. Now you’re just kind of in for the ride. When the same thing happens at episode 4 you’re like, yo relax dude and this is kinda silly.

The low episode count and the need to fit in a fully realized three arc narrative with a centuries spanning background really condensed everything. To Saiyuri’s credit, the narrative was still pretty easy to follow and although the characters were pretty shallow, they weren’t completely 2 dimensional either. But the dramatic pacing is what really suffers here and ultimately will stop most people from engaging with what is at it’s core a decent, even interesting story.

mullets again…

If you happen to be interested in the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, I say give this anime a shot. It has some good moments and the parallels with Journey to the West are really fun to notice. If you like the character designs and are in the mood for a fighting anime that won’t make you commit to a high episode count, this could also be for you. Otherwise, it’s uneven and clumsy. There was enough there for me to be intrigued about the other anime seasons and-or manga but not enough for me to actively seek it out.

Also, in the very last episode we find out the jeep they have been driving in al along has a mind of its own and is in fact Hakuryuu which is Hakkai’s pet dragon. We find this out in the last 5 minutes of the last episode. Like wha??? OK, I’m done now. Oh no wait one last thing. There’s no Yokai. I mean the demons are technically yokai but they call them demons and they look like demons… this show has some failings is what I’m saying.

Favorite character: Field Marshal Tenpou (If there’s a season dedicated to the heaven’s arc – I will watch it!)

What this anime reminded me: This is the only way a monocle makes sense:

The problem with some people is that when they aren’t drunk they’re sober

Suggested drink: Berry Burbon Blast

Every time Sanzo is sleepy(ing)– take a sip

Every time Gojyo gets called a water sprite – take a sip of water

Every time Sanzo tells someone to shut up – take a sip

Every time we hear a stomach growl – get a snack

Every time Hakkai spouts random facts – humour him

Every time Gojyo’s chain scythe thingy appears out of nowhere – take a sip

Every time Nantaku gets hurt – take a sip

Every time Goku throws a fit – roll your eyes

Every time anyone smokes – take a breath

Every time there’s mid battle monologue – laugh, it’s all you can do at this point

Saiyuki Reload Blast – Journey to the Middle Genre : Action, fighting, supernatural Episodes: 12 Studio: Platinum Vision Something has awakened. Something that's been slumbering for a long time is beginning to stir and the shockwaves are being felt all over heaven and earth.

#action #anime #blonde bishie #fighting #Saiyuki #supernatural

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alexsfictionaddiction · 3 years

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Review: The Winter of Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

There are very few things that warm my heart quite like a wintery story of new beginnings and romance. The title of this book and its cover promised me these things and so I was so happy to be accepted for it.

Annie Sharpe is a successful restauranteur with grown up twin sons and a husband who has had affair after affair. But he has now used his last chance and Annie is off to the Kentish coast to become the winter guardian of a godforsaken beach house. When Annie decides to open up the tea room attached to the house, which has been shut for years, the friendly local community is delighted But the owner’s nephew, who is keen to sell the place to help pay for his elderly aunt’s care, isn’t happy that Annie has reopened the business. This coupled with Annie’s ex-husband Max continuously pursuing forgiveness and another chance, Annie has some tricky decisions to make.

Annie knows that she still has a lot of sex appeal and her confidence is really inspiring. So many single 40-something women in books and films feel ashamed or disgusted by their bodies but Annie isn’t one of them. I actually found quite inspiring in so many ways and I can only hope that I am a little bit like her when I get to her age.

There is some brutally honest depictions of less than great sex in the book too. I wasn’t expecting it because it’s really not something that I see often. Particularly in romance books, sex is nearly always an incredible, heady trip that the heroine can’t stop thinking about. It was really refreshing to read a less than perfect sexual experience.

Annie is clearly not too bothered by Max’s latest infidelity and it seems that she was actually looking for a reason to get out of the marriage. The opening chapter where she walks in on him with a waitress is full of cringe but it’s not uncomfortable because Annie’s mind is clearly on other things. She is more concerned about her restaurant’s decor rather than the fact her husband is cheating on her. Because of this, I knew that Max wouldn’t ever succeed in getting her back. Annie left the relationship a long time ago.

Saltwater Nook is a place in serious need to tender loving care. There are so many real places like it in small seaside towns that have been abandoned and fallen into disrepair, particularly since COVID-19. All of these houses and businesses have stories behind them and seeing Saltwater Nook for the first time reminded me how sad it is that these places have simply vanished from the coastline. However, Annie proves that these places can be brought back from the dead if someone cares enough to put in the effort.

There are a lot of hilarious lines in the book and most of them come from Annie’s friend Maeve, an older cynical lady who apparently knows the wonders of sex toys better than anyone. She and Gemma, a young mum, have the most wonderful friendship and watching them verbally spar is so much fun. Bayliss does a great job of depicting beautiful connections between an eclectic group of personalities and provoking that warm fuzzy feeling inside that comes from watching them interact.

Maeve, Gemma and Annie’s hotelier friend Sally, make up Annie’s Victorian book club, which she runs out of the tea room after closing hours. They make some really interesting points about the books they read as well as share gossip and laughs. I found myself really looking forward to these scenes because I really felt like a honorary book club member. Although these meetings were often interrupted by drama, they were really warm, cosy affairs that I couldn’t get enough of.

The town itself has a lot of traditions and I could feel the local folklore seeping through all of them. The honouring of the past and strange important rituals that are still kept are probably one of the things I love most about small communities. The preparation for both the Halloween and Christmas celebrations really got me in the mood for the colder months and I’m even more excited for them now.

The Winter of Second Chances is a funny, cosy romance with themes of new beginnings, friendship and community. It’s a predictable but light-hearted, comforting autumnal read with some laugh-out-loud dialogue, a touch of drama and a lot of warmth.

#the winter of second chances #jenny bayliss #romance #rom-com #contemporary fiction #women's fiction #book review #review #books #bookworm

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rikka-zine · 5 years

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Interview : Yukimi Ogawa

Yukimi Ogawa lives and works in Tokyo. Her stories have appeared in F&SF, Clarkes World, Strange Horizons. Her story “Town’s End” was chosen for the Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2014 (Ed. Rich Horton, Prime Books) .

As far as I know, it was the first case that a non-translated story by a Japanese writer whose mother tongue is Japanese appeared in anglophone year’s best SF anthologies.

Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/18161789-stories-available-online

*This interview was conducted in Japanese and this is translated by the interviewer, Terrie Hashimoto.

At Hachioji, Tokyo with cakes and coffee.

Rikka Zine (RZ): You said that you started reading Anglophone SFF magazines in 2009. Did you start submitting your stories in that year as well?

Yukimi Ogawa(YO) : Possibly I started submitting in 2010.

RZ: Your debut year was 2012, right?

YO: Yes, it was 2012.

RZ: Strange Horizons published your story for the first time in 2013. And I noticed you at that time.

YO: I also noticed you, too. I did ego-searching for the first time and found that "Oh, someone in Japan had read my story!"

RZ: I guess that you checked the taste of the magazines before you submitted. How did you look for magazines? Did you google "SF Fantasy Magazine"?

YO: It was mostly all like that. The first magazine which I found was Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. Since (Anglophone) SFF magazines that we could buy in Japan was very few, F&SF was almost one and only option. I was too reckless to try to submit to it but it was a hopeless challenge at that time.

RZ: You must be happy when your work was finally published there!

YO: Indeed. After that, I found a magazine database, Duotrope where I could look for more SFF magazines. I preferred webzines because I have lived in Japan. I also focused on the magazines which accepted e-submission.

RZ: Almost a decade ago, were there many magazines which required printed drafts?

YO: Yes, there were a lot. And F&SF had accepted only printed papers until very recent.

RZ: That was tough! I think Strange Horizons was launched in 2008. So you got started when webzines were blooming.

YO: Yeah, it was nice timing.

RZ: Many good webzines appeared since then. Did you read SFF magazines in English originally? Or did you start when you decide to submit your stories?

YO: I started reading magazines to submit.

RZ: You read books in English before then, right?

YO: That's right. I had less chance to use English after I graduated from university. That was why I started reading English books on my commuter train.

RZ: The commute time is very precious. I could read much more when my commute time was longer. Well, it is as typical Japanese are.

YO: We cannot do almost anything except read something. (laughs)

RZ: You have submitted your fictions not only to a few specific magazines but to here and there. Strange Horizons seems to be your base camp. Is my impression true?

YO: Yes, I think Strange Horizons is a kind of my base camp. It is a very important place for me. When I complete a new Youkai tale, I always send it to them.

RZ: You talked that your stories also appeared in a Japanese magazine.

YO: Yes, but that was a long ago. When I was 14 years old or something

RZ: Was it "Poem and Fantasy" magazine?

YO: Yeah, but actually, it was titled "Poem and Märchen" at that time. "Poem and Märchen" once ceased and it was renewed as "Poem and Fantasy". How did you know it?

RZ: You mentioned on one of your interviews that you were accepted by a magazine which chief editor was Takashi Yanase. So I guessed that was it.

So your first publication was very early.

YO: I wrote very much at that time. But I stopped during I was in high school and university. I hadn't kept writing. After a long pause, I started again.

RZ: Your first submission to "Poem and Märchen" was your first acceptance, too? Or you tried a few times?

YO: No, it wasn't. I tried a few times. Well, Japanese magazines basically don’t respond anything but acceptance. I wonder they do like that still now. Do you know?

RZ: I think some publishers respond much better. For example, they sent back detailed comments by the editors to applicants who pass the first screening. Because they would like to have submissions from new and good writers.

YO: Oh really? I needed to keep waiting for a response that I wasn’t sure to receive. That was a sad experience in the old days.

RZ: You said that you looked for SFF magazines. Why didn't you look for horror magazines? Youkai is monster actually.

YO: Now if I think about it, that’s right. However, I didn’t regard my stories as horror. I thought what I wrote was fantasy. If I tried to submit to horror magazines, did I get published faster possibly?

RZ: Who knows. Do horror readers say like "This doesn’t scare me much. IT IS NOT HORROR."? (laughs)

YO: And I’m not sure of the definition of horror, or the boundary of it.

RZ: Hmmm. Splatter seems definitely not to be on your taste. Do you know whether there is any "decent" horror magazine?

YO: I saw a few magazines didn’t want splatter stories and make it clear on their submission rules. Probably magazines like them could fit my style, which is in between horror and fantasy.

RZ: Speaking of genres, you looked for SFF magazines but I think actually most of your stories are fantasy. A few are science fiction, like "Nini".

YO: That's true. To be honest, I didn't regard my stories as SF at first. I thought these were rather fantasy. I have submitted to SF magazines just because they also called for fantasy. I always believed what I wrote was fantasy and I would never write SF. But gradually somehow...well, what I assumed that one of my stories was totally fantasy. That was also published by The Book Smugglers (In Her Head, In Her Eyes from Book Smugglers Publishing) It was before "Nini", my first acceptance by them. But when it was published, it was noted as an SF/Fantasy/Horror story. So I thought "Oh really?" I think that I started writing something Science Fictional after that.

RZ: Your recent stories are more Science Fictional compared with your earlier ones. "Nini" is an SF and also Horror story. That was really SF/Fantasy/Horror fiction. (laughs)

YO: I tried to write a comedy at first.

RZ: I read it as a comedy at first. But it ended up...

YO: I rushed to write a comedy that a protagonist was swayed by annoying grannies and grumpy old men. And suddenly I realized it became a horror story at last.

RZ: The ending was like a roller coaster flew up to somewhere far away beyond my expectation.

YO: I didn’t expect that it went wild like that. I almost always plot the ending, at least roughly. But about "Nini", I didn’t control at all how it went. It was a mere chance.

RZ: By the way, many of your stories don't specify whether the scene is set in Japan or not. Also, your stories sometimes have some Japanese elements even though apparently the scene is not set in Japan. I can’t guess which era your stories are in. Can you tell me whether you have any policies about the settings?

YO: I just avoid the specific settings not to be bothered. Well, it might sound a bit offensive, but it is annoying that someone points out like "It is inappropriate in this era." things. (laughs)

RZ: History Police patrols.

YO: Yeah, I would say "This is fantasy! No fault-finding!" to such reactions. I know my naming and the things I write tend to be Japanese-ish. But actually my settings are on somewhere. Nowhere exists in real.

RZ: You don't write how the character's looking is in specific, neither.

YO: That's not intentioned. I think that the race of people had not been various in Japan. (Mostly Asian.) So the color of hair, eyes, and skin are much alike. Maybe that is one of the reasons I don't explain the appearance.

RZ: I feel your stories are like fable or folklore in a sense. It has characters and the settings but the details are always blurred.

YO: It may be true. It is much better for me and comfortable to write.

RZ: Hadn't you studied abroad?

YO: Yes, I had a kind of. I had studied abroad for 10 months when I was a high school student. But 10 months wasn’t enough. If I had a few more months, I could speak better. I was close to get the language, but I had to return then.

RZ: Can I ask where you went in fact?

YO: Sure, I had been to the UK. It was a rural area. It must be tough for non-English speakers to come to a rural area...

When I was in high school, I didn’t speak English fluently but I was good at English classes and got good grades. So I assumed that I could get along. However, I couldn’t catch what people were speaking. I was like, you know, "What the language they were speaking!?" I was so surprised that every person seemed to have a different accent on their own. Maybe it depended on areas, or it may depended on classes or roots...I‘m not sure. Anyways, their accents were various.

RZ: What the first SF event you attended? Japanese one or Worldcon?

YO: Let me try to remember...I am certain that Hal-con is my first convention. Ann Leckie was GoH of it. It was a rehearsal for me to attend Worldcon. A few months later, I went to Worldcon and I was so THRASHED.

RZ: Why were you!?

YO: I felt sick and didn’t do much anything. It was too cold on the airplane. And people's accents were often difficult for me to understand.

RZ: That's bad. Did you have any chance to talk with your fellow authors or editors?

YO: I wish I would talk to people more. But I felt sick and the sickness made my mood negative. I barely talked with Ellen Datlow a little.

RZ: What did you talk to her?

YO: Not so much really. She just told me she was glad to meet me. That made me happy and smiled. I thank her.

And I met Charles Coleman Finlay (the current chief editor of F&SF). The town has a kind of tram lines. When I took a tram in the morning, I noticed a guy with long hair was on it. During the tram ride, I was wondering he was Charlie. Since our destination was the same, I followed him unexpectedly. He might care for me because I looked apparently nervous and upset. So when we entered the convention hall, he returned to me and let me know where the registration was. I checked the name card and confirmed who he was. Then I could introduce myself to him finally.

I also met Rose Lenberg and their partner, Bogi Takács.

RZ: Do you remember any impressive panels?

YO: I couldn’t see many because I felt sick, but I listened to Ann Leckie's reading. She read from her new book which she was on the way to finish at that time. She was so good at reading. She read at Hal-con as well. She made the audience laughed all. I thought that was a great advantage.

RZ: Here in Japan, reading at bookstores or on conventions is not common. So we don't have much chance to use it as an advantage if we have the skill. Do you notice any other cultural difference?

YO: I’m not sure. I don't know the Japanese literary scene. Why doesn't everyone read at bookstores in Japan? Oh, perhaps because it is embarrassed? Don’t you think reading in public is something embarrassed for Japanese people? Besides, reading science fiction is difficult to decide which part to be read...

RZ: Do you read Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy and love it very much?

YO: Yes, I love it.

RZ: Do you have any favorite writers who write in English?

YO: I can say I love N. K. Jemisin. Hmm, who else I love? While reading a book, I am easy to love the author. But I easily forget their names.

RZ: How about Japanese writers?

YO: No one comes up neither. I just enjoy reading and go next. Everything falls out of me after reading.

RZ: Never mind. I didn't care about the names of the authors and titles until entering university. When I got to have some chances to talk about books with someone, I started to memorize.

YO: Oh, because you couldn’t talk about books with someone if you didn’t remember.

RZ: Indeed.

YO: It makes sense. I got it. I am poor to talk about books. I often say something beside the point even for the books I love. I had failed for several times. So I tend to avoid talking about books with someone. Basically, no one around me read a kind of books what I read. I didn't have any chances to get to accustom.

By the way, my recent favorite is Martha Wells.

RZ: Oh, Murderbot Diaries.

YO: Yes, it is so kawaii (cute).

RZ: Honestly speaking, do you like to attend events in real or not?

YO: I love to attend in real unless I have to talk something in front of the audience. If just being there is okay, I love to see the panels very much. But if I am called like "Come on, let’s talk together.", I would say "No, thank you". It is just my nature. I am not good at talking.

Besides, I don't like to go somewhere I have never known. It is very convenient and safe here in Japan. There are so many convenience stores.

RZ: Well, writing alone and talking with someone is different. It needs different skills what another requires.

YO: Yes, I just like to ponder rather speak. Haven't you talked in front of the audience as a panelist?

RZ: Yes, I had. But I don't do anything professional right now. I read books less than before. I have to transfer the transportations frequently on my commute. It is too busy to read fiction in long form. I can read only something shorter. I tend to read short stories because I can finish a story before I get off the train.

YO: Oh, you read quick. I am not so quick. I can stop reading a novel on the way but in the case of a short story, I would like to finish it at a stretch. Nowadays, I mostly read novels and don't read magazines very much. Well, commute time is one of the best chances to read something after all.

RZ: Do you look for more new magazines to submit?

YO: Not really. I am not quick both in reading and writing. It takes me a lot of time to finish a story. In recent years, I am ordered a story once a year. Since I can write only a few stories per year, I can write just one or two stories except for a commission. So I can submit basically only to a few regular magazines.

RZ: Which do you like being provided a theme to write or not?

YO: I don't think I can write without a theme.

RZ: If you write a not-ordered story, do you also plan a theme before you start?

YO: No, well, I am not sure how I write. (laughs) Being provided a theme is easier. But everyone orders me Youkai tales. So sometimes it is easier to write without thinking a theme. But it is also a great pleasure to decide which Youkai I should choose for my new story. Both have toughness and joy of their own.

RZ: Okay, let's talk about your upcoming story on The Outcast Hours. How did you join the anthology?

YO: The tentative title was Night. I was ordered to write what happens to someone at night who does something different at day, or something like that. It was the first case for me to need to contract just after I agreed on the request. By then, I was requested to write, sent the completed story and was accepted. This time, I had not to fail to finish a story. That was really worrisome and a little bit stomach-aching.

RZ: Is this the first time your story is published by Solaris Books? I had never seen before your story in Jared Shurin's anthologies.

YO: Yes, it is. Another editor of this book, Mahvesh Murad worked for Apex book of World SF 4. She called me for a story.

RZ: Have you worked with any UK publishers before?

YO: Yes, this is not the first time. Asian Monsters was out from a UK publisher a few years ago. Everyone ordered me a monster story like as I mentioned.

RZ: Everyone has a weakness for monsters. Anyways, The Outcast Hours has such big names from all over the world.

YO: It really has! I didn't know the details like who wrote for it or how many stories appear until the book was nearly finished. When I got to know the table of contents finally, it astonished me.

RZ: It has a great lineup. I am looking forward to read it.

RZ: Do you have any plans to do something new? Is it the length perhaps? I remember you tried to write a novella last year. Do you challenge to write longer?

YO: What I write is getting longer. I would like to complete a novel in the future. But I am not confident that my English skill will be able to hold on that length. I have not yet received the result for my novella. I will consider whether I try to write a novel after I receive the result.

RZ: You submitted a novella to the biggest publisher of the genre, Tor publishing. It must be a keen competition.

YO: The deadline was August 13th. I submitted in the morning of that day. And my submission number was about from 650 to 700. Maybe more people submitted by the deadline. So the number might go up to nearly a thousand. If only I will be able to receive an encouraging comment, I will consider writing much longer.

RZ: Tor is a giant in SFF market. They are very dominant in every year's best anthologies and awards.

YO: They really are.

RZ: Have you never written a novel, even in Japanese?

YO: No, I have never written.

RZ: So if you will write a novel, it will be the longest ever.

YO: Right. I’d like to finish up a novel, nevertheless I know how it will be difficult. But during I was writing a novella, I could write nothing other than it. Actually, I had not been in good condition. It was caused possibly by sitting for too long time. So I am really worried if I can manage to write longer than ever. Anyways, I’d like to write a novel in the future.

RZ: Speaking of SFF not in written form, do you see movies?

YO: No, I don't. I don't like Star Trek nor Star Wars so much.

RZ: I’ve seen just a few titles of the two series. But as for movies, I enjoyed The Martian.

YO: Oh, I enjoyed it too. We see a quite number of SF in drama series and movies. However, people look hesitate when I recommend them SF in written form. What on earth is it?

RZ: Maybe seeing something spectacle in movies are OK. They probably don't like reading the explain what it happens in details. Well, I don't know.

YO: In case of someone who prefers to see without any examination or speculation, it makes sense. But for instance, there are people who love Star Wars intensively. They know all the details and the settings. Why don't they read SF? Once I recommended an SW fan to Ann Leckie's trilogy. Unfortunately (the person) gave up soon. I don't understand.

RZ: Well, I know some SW fans read a lot of the novelization. But some people can keep their passion only for a program. Their love doesn't expand to the genre itself.

RZ: How about manga? You mentioned in an interview that your mother loved Manga and you also read a lot.

YO: Oh, you know me well. Yes, I read Manga a lot when I was child and love to read till now. I have read fantasy for a long time. When I was younger, my favorite was Kyoko Hikawa's From Far Away (1991-2002). It is a fantasy series which set in another world. Nowadays, another world setting is really popular. But I am not sure it was popular at the time. Was it?

RZ: Hmmm, Red River (1995-2002) is not set in another world but it was a time travel story. And Please Save My Earth (1986-1994) is a story about reincarnation. Both were best-selling titles. So at least in a broad definition, we can say that another world setting was popular.

YO: Uh-huh, that's right.

RZ: I think reincarnation and “trip to another world” got popular too much just before the millennium. Do you remember CLAMP (manga artist group)?

YO: They created another world (isekai) stories. That's true.

RZ: Possibly, once a boom ceased and now it comes again.

What is your recent favorite Manga?

YO: I love A Bride's Story. It is not fantasy though. I read it with thinking like "How nice the embroidery!" I also love Land of the Lustrous. It is just on my taste.

RZ: I love it too. It makes me remember Mayumi Nagano's works in mineral stones and the gender ambiguity.

YO: I think I have never read her fiction.

RZ: One of her stories appeared in a textbook. Her taste seems to follow up Kenji Miyazawa or Taruho Inagaki. She also wrote SF at one time. For example, The New World and Television City.

By the way, how long have you loved gemstones?

YO: After once you asked me about my love of gemstones, I tried to recall when I started to love stones...

RZ: You often tweeted about polishing gemstones when you started Twitter.

YO: Yes, I did. I started polishing stones and making accessories at that time, around 2013. Very recent. But I loved to see gemstones on the flyers of pawnshops that coming together with newspaper when I was a child. But I didn't try to collect stones at the time. I didn't know where my interest came from.

I was born and grew up in Gunma prefecture. I lived in the foot of the mountains. We could see Kantou loam stratum on some part of the mountains. Normal soil and Kantou loam made layers there. The layer of volcanic soil was so soft that I could grab some easily. It contained very small pieces of quartz. I took up quartz with grinning when I was five or six grade of elementary school.

But I can't remember why I decided to go to Tokyo Mineral Show. It is a very interesting event.

Wait, I am finally remembering. I entered in a jewelry shop by chance. I remember that I saw a necklace made by fluorite at a shop in Shinjuku. Fluorite has a lot of color variation. It made a gradation, very beautiful. But the price was seventy thousand yen in spite of fluorite. I could not afford it. I looked for where fluorite is available and found the Mineral Show.

RZ: So you named your Twitter account after fluorite.

YO: Yes, all the mysteries are finally solved!

RZ: Can I ask your next publication?

YO: I don't have any. Nothing. It is uneasy a bit. I wait for a few results of submission though.

RZ: But for someone who has a day job, a few publications per year is not a bad pace even writing in the mother tongue. You are prolific enough.

YO: But I cannot help seeing writers who write far more faster on Twitter.

I wrote a lot in 2013 - 2014. I can't believe my pace at the time. How could I manage?

Just three stories were published last year and this year, only one was fixed. So I feel nervous.

RZ: To write something longer, you probably require an interval and a rest. Don't mind about your pace. Please try your best in your own good time. Thank you for today!

Note: Her latest publication "Ripen" is available on Clarkes World. Check it out!

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