#maggie DESERVES to be the punching host

[persephie]

I'm just waiting for a Host to appear whose gimmick/weapon thing is just simple punching. Mostly so I can make a JoJo reference.

I think I was literally talking to my friends the other day about Maggie getting her weapon, which we’re THINKING might be a shield (since her door handle is so round), and instead of using it she just says fuck it and uses her enormous tree fists

[johannstutt413]

(requested by mathmaticalknight) TOURNAMENT ARC

Nearl was in her room, tending to her equipment, when there was a knock on her door. “I wonder who that might be...Maria?”

“Sister!” Blemishine wrapped her arms around Margaret’s neck and pulled her in for a close and loud hug (armor plates). “It took me forever to find someone who knew the way to your place, but you’re actually here!”

“When did you get her, Maria? I thought you and Zofia were still working out the details.”

The other Nearl simply beamed at her. “She said she’d be here soon and that I could go ahead. It’s a good thing I did, too - there are posters all over saying you’re fighting someone today. Is that true?”

“I am, yes,” she confirmed. “The Doctor organized a tourney for Operators in all positions to prove themselves, if they so desire.”

“Are you gonna go easy on them, or is the Radiant Knight going to be fighting in a new venue?” The look on Maria’s face was a blend of concern and excitement - after all, it’s not every day she got to see her sister fight.

The older Nearl thought about it for a moment before going for another hug. “My opponent is my sparring partner, and I know she will be giving this fight her all. It would be a dishonor not to do the same.”

“Then I’ll be watching you from the stands.” She sighed. “Next time I see you, though, can we hug without all this metal in the way?”

“If you’d like, you can come to dinner with me.” Margaret hadn’t had the chance to ‘properly’ introduce her to her girlfriends, after all.

Blemishine nodded. “That sounds good to me...Alright, you need to finish preparing for your fight, so I’m going to find the Doctor. I heard there’s an Engineering Department here, and I want to go talk to them before the match. Good luck!”

“Thank you, Maria.” As the shining knight left, the Radiant Knight returned to her maintenance. “Tonight, however, luck will not be a factor.”

TOURNAMENT ARC: NEARL VS HOSHIGUMA (continuing...sort of from this [I keep forgetting which ships are already established in some of this multiverse soup going on; can’t make it a direct continuation because of the first fic in that two-part series, but Tourney!RI still has a horse triumvirate nonetheless. ANYWAY.])

——–

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Operators, Staff, and Esteemed Guests! Welcome one and all to the Top Operator Tourney!!! *crowd cheers*

“Thanks, Hung! I love how consistent he is with that...Anyways, hi! You’re probably wondering why we’re here-”

“We should introduce ourselves first, Swire.”

“Good point, good point. Well, I’m Swire, aka Hoshi’s biggest fan, and here with me in the commentator’s booth is Meteor. You’re Nearl’s girlfriend, right?”

“That is why I’m here, yes. I appreciate the Doctor allowing us to do this, especially since you and I don’t talk very often. Do you have the statistics in front of you? My tablet and I are having a fight.”

“Yeah, I’ve got ‘em. *clears throat* So, looking at the numbers, my girl’s got the advantage when it comes to size, experience and stamina, but Nearl is faster, more tactical, AND she’s got some serious Arts at her disposal. Hoshi’s got an uphill battle ahead of her, I say.”

“It’s important to note that Margaret Nearl and Hoshiguma both are in the top three seeds for the Defender bracket - first and third respectively - which means regardless of the apparent discrepancy, both are incredibly skilled combatants. Accounting for the amount of time they spend dueling each other to keep their skills sharp, and I suspect this fight will be much closer than the numbers would imply.”

“I certainly hope so! No offense, but I do want Hoshi to win this - if Nearl loses, you’re still in the tourney, after all.”

“That is true...But we’ll simply have to agree to disagree.”

“Yeah. Well, let’s get to the action!...Also, why did you say her actual name rather than her codename?”

——–

Hoshiguma and Nearl walked into the coliseum, fully prepared for the fight ahead of them. The Oni took up a defensive stance, holding her shield just above the ground and planting her feet. “Well, Marge, today’s the day. Promise you’re not gonna hold back on me?”

“I swear by my honor as a knight: today, I will not stay my hand.” The Kuranta unsheathed her blade, already glowing beneath the bright lights above. “I entrust your life to the Medics of Rhodes Island. Ready?”

“It’s your time, not mine.”

A curious turn of phrase...With that, the fight was on.

Nearl’s first goal was knocking out that shield arm. Fixing amputations was something the Medics could do (at least, Aak and Warfarin could), but ideally she wouldn’t have to do that much damage. She charged forward, feinted going one direction but bounded the opposite way, and swung for her opponent’s arm, lighting up her blade as she did with a dazzling gleam-

-only for Hoshi to pull her arm towards her body, forcing the Knight to clip the shield instead and feel the sting of her opponent’s Thorns. “You’re taking this seriously. Good.”

“Of course I am.” The Kuranta had lost all her forward momentum thanks to the deflection, but that didn’t stop her from spinning around; her next attack was an attempt to knock the Oni’s shield out of the way with her own before landing a sword stroke, once again lighting it up before the attack would land. “Hyah!”

“Good try.” Rather than block the swing, Hoshiguma punched Nearl’s sword arm, taking the blade to her forearm but nevertheless crippling her opponent in the process. The counterattack sent the disarmed warrior backward and left Lungmen’s strongest with a choice: charge forward, get Hannya spinning, and go on the warpath? Stand her ground and do the same?

The Kuranta got to experience the answer firsthand as her opponent began to simultaneously spin her shield and run forward. ‘I can’t let her hit me with that attack, whatever it takes...’ Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough time to get to her feet and get out of the way. There was only one option she could see...

——–

“Alright, she’s getting to her feet; she’s not done yet, but damn Hoshi’s spinning Hannya as fast as she can.”

“Margaret, what are you doing?! Get out of the way!”

“She’s holding her shield up with both hands- wait, that light-”

“Glasses on!” *flash* “...No!”

“There’s no way she’s getting up after that...Aak and Warfarin are making their way out. Hoshi’s tossed Hannya to the side and seems to be trying to help.”

“She’s done enough.”

“Meteor, you’ve seen some of the other fights-”

“They didn’t have my Marg’ret in them...We’re done here, right?”

“Yeah, that’s all she wrote. Everyone at home, have a good night, and we should have FEater and Click back up here next time. Thanks for tuning in!...I’m gonna make sure my co-host doesn’t do something she regrets.”

——–

By the time Meteor had made it to Medical, there was a small group in the waiting room. Platinum and Blemishine were talking cordially, Swire was talking to Ptilopsis at the desk, and Hoshiguma...Hoshiguma was there, in a chair, as stoic as she’d ever seen her.

That stoicism didn’t change when the huntress walked over to her and slapped her across the face.

“Miss Meteor,” Ptilopsis observed from her post; Swire had already turned around after hearing the sound, “violence is not tolerated in the waiting room.”

“It’s alright, Tilly. I deserved it.” The Oni cracked her neck as she looked up at her attacker.

The Kuranta sat down next to her. “At least you agree.”

“I didn’t expect her to try and block me like that,” she continued with a sigh. “The flash actually made it worse for her.”

“Why did she do that? It makes no sense.”

At this point the other two Kuranta in the room walked over; Platinum immediately sat in Meteor’s lap for a chair-hug. “We got here before she did, and they rolled her past us...” There was now a silver-haired puddle in the Sniper’s lap.

“Are all the fights in this tourney like this?” Maria shuddered. “The sport is the same everywhere, I guess.”

“Well, the good news is, Nearl’s Arts were enough to stabilize herself,” Swire reported, joining the group and sitting on the opposite side of Hoshiguma, who immediately set her head on her shoulder.

The huntress, stroking her assassin-girlfriend’s hair, nodded. “Thank you, Swire. I’m sorry we’re meeting like this, Maria.”

“We’ll have a second chance at it when my sister’s back on her-” At that moment, there was the distinctive sound of armor jangling from down the hall. “Eh? One second.”

“It hasn’t been five minutes,” Hoshi muttered as everyone, including herself, stood up.

Sure enough, Blemishine walked around the corner with Nearl’s arm around her shoulder, gear beaten to shit but otherwise okay. “I’m taking her back to her room for a change of clothes, but she and the doctors both said she’s good.”

“Maggie!” Platinum practically became her jacket with that hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright! Even Hoshiguma was worried.”

“I’m not surprised. My training partner proved herself the better fighter today.” The smile the Radiant Knight sent the Oni’s way literally made her take a step back.

Meteor continued the original thread. “You’re feeling alright, though? Does it hurt anywhere?”

“The soreness will remain for a few days, but no lasting damage, certainly.” She looked down at her armor. “Not to my body, at least. Maria, could you help me fix this later this week?”

“Of course I will!” Her sister already had some thoughts on how to stop something like the Spinning Shield of Death from doing so much damage again.

The Feline in the room, glad to hear the all-clear straight from the horse’s mouth, nudged her girlfriend. “Go on, I know you want to say something.”

“I’ll talk to her later.” The Oni picked up her girlfriend. “Let’s go home.”

“Hoshi?” Nearl called out to her, and she froze.

The moneycat in her arms answered for her. “Yes, Nearl? Margaret, more specifically?”

“Either is fine.” Another warm smile. “That was a good fight. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.”

“...Thank you, Maggie. Goodnight, everyone.”

New destination: the bar.

[onestowatch]

13 Music Podcasts You Should Be Listening to Right Now

In case you haven’t quite got the memo, Spotify is for a lot more than streaming Billie Eilish and a playlist made up of lo-fi chill beats on repeat. The past few years have witnessed a veritable boom of podcasts, from both self-made creators and massive media outlets, covering a whole spectrum of topics and niche interests. As someone who has listened to over 70 hours of “The Adventure Zone,” a Dungeons & Dragons podcast hosted by three brothers and their dad, in spite of never having once thought of actually playing a game of D&D, it is safe to say this is no passing fad.

Podcasts exist as an inside look into a host of worlds you never once considered exploring, and this goes equally true for music podcasts. From in-depth examinations of your favorite artists and their works to dramatized true crime–style narratives of legendary artists, these are the music podcasts you need to be listening to right now. 

Also, if you needed even more music podcasts in your life, did you know Ones To Watch has its own battle-style podcast where four tracks enter the ring and only one leaves victorious? 

Switched on Pop

There is no escaping pop music, so you may as well enjoy, examine, and eventually begin to understand why exactly it is so popular. At least, that’s the ethos behind musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding’s phenomenal podcast. Each episode sees the duo breaking down pop songs to posit the question of what makes a song like “bad guy” or “Old Town Road” a hit, and what is their cultural significance in the music landscape at large? Balancing lighthearted humor with critical analysis, Switched On Pop is a podcast that will have you loving music you never knew you liked in the first place. 

Where to Start: “Billie Eilish is a Different Kind of Pop Star (ft. FINNEAS)”

Dissect

Dissect is a music nerd’s dream podcast. Hosted by Cole Cuchna, the hit podcast series is rare in that rather than jumping from topic to topic with each episode, each season of “Dissect” holds a magnifying glass to one prolific work of one seminal artist. From the mythos of Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, to Tyler, The Creator grappling with his sexuality on Flower Boy, there is no shortage of reasons of why you need to be listening to Dissect.  

Where to Start: “S4E14 - Epilogue: IGOR”

Song Exploder

Song Exploder may just be the best interview series in existence, largely due to the podcast functioning as less of a traditional interview series and more as a vivid recollection of artist’s most heartfelt work. The podcast series features musicians from all walks of life, from Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, taking apart a single one of their songs piece by piece. It is akin to your grandparents recounting one of their fondest memories to you, if your grandparents just so happened to be world-renowned artists.  

Where to Start: “Maggie Rogers - Alaska”

Disgraceland

In the wake of the massive popularity of True Crime podcasts like “Serial,” Disgraceland marries all there is to love about rock star worship and a culture’s obsession with the seedier aspects of the human condition. Blending music history, true crime, and transgressive fiction, Disgraceland is a dramatized retelling of some of music’s most enthralling criminal stories. Imagine the already engrossing stories of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. or Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, albeit told through an exhilarating and entertaining modern-noir lens.

Where to Start: “Amy Winehouse: Rehab, the Muse and a Rare Talent”

And The Writer Is…with Ross Golan

Have you ever wondered who is the person behind some of your favorite songs? Then And The Writer Is… is the podcast for you. Each episode takes you behind the closed doors of the music and into the songwriting room with some of the greatest songwriters and creatives of our generation. If you love anything by any of today’s biggest artists, then chances are they have probably appeared on an episode of And The Writer Is… to provide an inside glimpse into their creative process. 

Where to Start: “EP 54: Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie)”

Questlove Supreme

You shouldn’t be listening to Questlove Supreme just because its host is none other than the infamous Questlove (although that would honestly be more than enough reason for us). For starters, Questlove Supreme arguably features some of the best guests out of any other podcast out there. Ever wanted to hear John Oliver talk about his transition from The Daily Show to shaping people’s political opinions regularly? Or ever wondered about Michelle Obama’s first musical memories? Then, good news, because Questlove Supreme has all you could ever need and so much more.

Where to Start: “Ep. 113 feat. Michelle Obama”

Twenty Thousand Hertz

Twenty Thousand Hertz is likely the most prominent outlier on this list. That is not to say this is not a podcast of note, equally as deserving of your precious listening hours; Twenty Thousand Hertz simply does not address music or artists in the traditional sense. Rather, this is an examination of the sounds, the sonic textures, and the crucial building blocks that have allowed artists to create works that truly move people. Twenty Thousand Hertz is not just for music lovers, but for those who appreciate the perfectly intangible idea of sound as a simultaneously human-constructed and natural concept.

Where to Start: “#72 | 808”

Punch Up The Jam

Punch Up The Jam is a comedy and music podcast. How does that work exactly? Well, comedians and best friends Miel Bredouw and Demi Adejuyigbe invite one of their equally hilarious friends to attempt to fix a popular song, despite having absolutely no qualifications so to speak of. Laughs are had, chaos ensues, and more laughs are had as Punch Up The Jam begs the question: do you need to know anything about music to improve a hit song?

Where to Start: 77 - “Kiss From a Rose (w/ Travis McElroy)”

All Songs Considered

It would be impossible to create a definitive list of music podcasts without mentioning NPR's All Songs Considered. The nearly 20-year-old series has grown with the times, evolving from a lauded radio show to an award-receiving podcast. The generation-spanning medium for music discovery is hosted by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton, and often features a range of guests that makes this already much-celebrated podcast into essential listening material.

Where to Start: “All Songs Rewind: The Worst Songs Of All Time?”

Hit Parade

For Hit Parade, the phrase “it’s a smash” is more than just A&R short-hand for any passing song they hear in mid-production; it is the genesis of music history. Produced by Slate, pop chart analyst Chris Molanphy seeks to uncover what exactly it was that made a song a number one smash. More than just a terribly informative music podcast, Hit Parade changes up its formula through bouts of trivia, music snippets, and enthralling storytelling.

Where to Start: “The Oh. My. God. Becky Edition”

Popcast

The best way to understand the very notion and ever-changing minutia of popular music is Popcast. Hosted by New York Times pop critic Jon Caramanica, Popcast homes in on not just what is trending on the Billboard charts but what is trending, period. From Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun’s ongoing civil war, the perplexing economics of the streaming era, to how memes can create bonafide artists, Popcast is what you need to be listening to in order to sound erudite at your next dinner party, even if you find yourself in spirited discourse over Lil Nas X.

Where to Start: “How Many Streams Is a T-Shirt Worth? Breaking Down Chart Dilemmas.”

Ongoing History of New Music

This next podcast is dedicated to all our lovely Canadian readers, or really anyone who is looking for an enlightening deep dive into music’s most notable artists and movements. Hosted by legendary Canadian radio broadcaster and music journalist Alan Cross, Ongoing History of New Music is Canada’s most well-known music documentary series. Featuring artists profile from the likes of Radiohead to Twenty One Pilots, narrative journeys of everything from Christian Rock to Britpop, and even the etymology behind some of music’s most elusive terminology, Ongoing History of New Music is a musical history wellspring.

Where to Start: “Stories Behind Songs”

The Great Albums

The Great Albums is a podcast series wholly true to its name. In unexpected yet utterly delightful fashion, co-hosts Bill Lambusta and Brian Erickson delve into some of pop, rock, and beyond’s greatest moments and musical accomplishments. More than just a track by track review of a seminal work from the likes of Jay-Z, Joni Mitchell, and Sufjan Stevens, The Great Albums is an examination of the notion of fandom and how that love affair is expressed through the lens of the prolific album.  

Where to Start: “Radiohead - OK Computer”

[ptomlins]

sugar you’re right on time

sweet silly little taz fic, magcretia, taagnus, blupjeans, implied davenchurch, they’re all at least a little tipsy so alcohol cw if that bothers you, also decent amount of references to sexytimes but no actual sex is had

The stars are unnaturally bright on this plane, Magnus thinks, as he rolls his face to the sky and begs for patience. The night is cool, but there’s more than one fire going and no shortage of drink, so they’re all a little warm and a little giddy. This is one of the good cycles, where the locals are friendly and yesterday they found the Light after months of coordinated searching, and tonight they’re celebrating.

Dinner had given way to stories and stories had given way to songs, and now someone is trying to teach them a local style of dance, and it’s sort of a waltz, maybe, but there’s more steps and turns and ok, so maybe it’s not like a waltz at all? All Magnus knows is that instead of following the instructions of their hosts with any sort of competence or grace, he keeps tripping over his own feet and almost falling on Lucretia, who is valiantly attempting to partner him and quite literally breathless from laughter at this point. 

“This is so much harder than it looks!” he insists to anyone who will listen, really, but no one is.

“You are thinking about it too much!” the instructor tells him. “Less thinking, more feeling!”

There’s renewed giggling from behind him, where Taako and Merle are drinking what looks like martinis together on a bench near the fire and steadfastly observing his humiliation. 

“Magnus Burnsides, accused of overthinking!” Taako crows, nudging Merle who is nearly crying with laughter. He spills a bit of his drink down his beard. “Never thought I’d see the day.” 

“We can stop, if you’d like,” Lucretia assures him. Her eyes are bright and the fire is painting shapes of shadow and light across her cheekbones and her wide wide smile is still one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen..

“Do you want to stop?” he asks.

“Not particularly,” she tells him, coy and teasing as she is more and more often these days. At least, more often with him. He hopes it’s mostly with him. “But I’d so hate to see you hurt yourself for my sake.” 

There is renewed laughter from the bench by the fire. 

“I hate all of you,” Magnus says good-naturedly. “I am a fighter, not a dancer.”

“And I’m a wizard, but at least I have rhythm,” Taako calls back.

“Big talk from the peanut gallery!” Magnus says, and tries to lead Lucretia into a spin. They both end up on the ground, fortunately with Lucretia on top. 

“Oh, for goodness sake,” Magnus hears Taako mutter, “Merle, hold my drink.”

“Are you ok?” he asks Lucretia, who pats his chest fondly.

“You’re trying very hard,” she says, her voice thick with barely-contained mirth. “I appreciate the effort.”

Taako is suddenly standing over them both. “Your girlfriend deserves better, Burnsides, I hope you know that.”

“Are you here to save me?” Lucretia asks, propping her chin on her palm in a bored sort of way, like she uses Magnus as a chaise lounge all the time.

Actually, that isn’t entirely inaccurate, when Magnus stops to think about it. 

“If I must I must,” Taako sighs, offering a hand, which Lucretia takes.

“My hero,” she deadpans, as he pulls her to her feet. Magnus makes a great show of being winded when she leverages herself off his stomach and she grins down at him. 

“As your boyfriend’s boyfriend,” Taako says, “I’m pretty sure it’s in my duties somewhere that I make sure he doesn’t accidentally maim you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware there was a guidebook,” Lucretia says. “Or a rulebook? Is this a metaphorical list of duties or did you actually draw up a document?”

Taako snorts. “Fuck that noise, and anyway you’re the one with the writing fetish, Miss Watch-Me-Use-These-Pens-With-Both-Hands.” He frowns, a thought occurring. “Does that do anything for you in the bedroom?”

“You’re disgusting,” she tells him amicably. 

He shrugs. “Hey, I mean, our Magnus Burnsides timeshare aside, you’re like, practically an honorary sister, gotta make sure you’re happily kept and all that.”

“I assure you I am anything but kept,” she says. “Also, would that make us sister wives, or...?”

“Now who’s disgusting,” he says, but he says it like he’s proud of her, and gods above, they really are rubbing off on one another. Magnus realizes not for the first time that between the two of them, he’s in way, way over his head. 

It’s not a bad place to be, all things considered. 

Taako sighs dramatically. “And here I thought you were the civilizing influence in this relationship.” 

“Oh, I am,” Lucretia says. “Are you sure you can dance in those heels?”

“Please.”

They leave Magnus on the ground, and within only a few minutes and a little bit of trial and error, they’re moving in tandem almost flawlessly despite the dark and the uneven terrain. Magnus is not jealous. 

He props himself up on his elbows and tries his best to look peeved when they glance his direction, but it’s less than effective seeing as he can’t stop grinning. Sure of his audience, Taako leans in to whisper something to Lucretia and then in the next moment, dips her with all the theatrics he can muster. Magnus appreciates the miniature fireworks, they’re a nice touch. The two pause for effect, silhouetted against the firelight and the sparks. 

These two, he thinks. He leans forward, laughing. “Ok, it’s not fair if you already know how to dance!” he yells.

They right themselves, and Taako sticks his tongue out at him. Lucretia waves cheekily.

“That’s not even the dance they were teaching us!” Magnus yells again, but they’re back to twirling, wild and carefree, and the crowd of other dancers soon swallows them up. 

Pleased despite his loss, Magnus shakes his head and brushes himself off and makes his way over to Merle who hands him Taako’s half-finished drink. 

“You know,” Merle says, “It’s a damn good thing they like you, cuz they could probably eat you alive.”

“What’s in this?” Magnus asks, ignoring him. 

“Hell if I know,” Merle says, knocking back his own drink. “I’m going to dance.” 

Magnus knows better, he does, but he takes a tentative sip of Taako’s drink anyway, and oh fuck, yeah, that’s--that’s some straight liquor there. He sets the glass down on the bench next to Merle’s empty one and goes in search of something more like cider and less like paint thinner. 

The search goes less well than he had hoped.

Eventually, he finds Lup and Barry cuddled up next to one of the smaller fires and decides that’s good enough.  

“Luuuup,” he whines, throwing himself down to starfish next to her in the grass. “Taako and Lucretia are ganging up on meeeeee...”

“And how is that my problem, Burnsides,” she says, looking down at him.

“Poor Magnus,” Barry says, peering around her. “What did you do?”

“I can’t dance.”

“Oh, is that all.”

“I can’t dance and they’re both going to leave me for each other.”

Lup makes a horrified face at the thought and Barry chokes on a laugh. “I can think of several reasons why that is categorically untrue.”

“Gods, can you imagine?” Lup says, shuddering for effect. 

“I’d really rather not try,” Barry says. “Magnus, they both love you very much, I’m sure they will forgive you for being a bad dancer.”

“Thanks Barry, you’re my favorite.”

Lup punches him in the stomach. 

“Hey, hey, hands of the goods! I’d like him less bruised, not more,” Taako’s voice floats over from not too far off. Magnus uncurls himself from the fetal position to raise his head and sure enough, Taako and Lucretia are making their way over to their small fire. 

“Why are you all here, I just wanted a nice private makeout sesh with my bf, please go away,” Lup says. Taako cheerily flips her off and sits down. 

“This is our fire now, go be gross somewhere else.”

Lup flicks at her brother’s ear and he dodges it. “Excuse you,” she says, “We got here first, go find your own fire.”

“There’s more of us,” Taako says as Lucretia sits down too. “Also I used up all of my energy dancing, I am incapable of movement for the next forever, sorry not sorry.”

Lup makes a face at him, which he mimics before giving his attention over to Magnus. “Where’d you go, big guy, we weren’t done showing off,” he says. 

Magnus sits up and throws an arm around him. “Thought I’d give you guys some privacy to gossip about me.”

“Please, we do that in front of you,” Lucretia says, tugging at Magnus’s other arm and draping it over her shoulders when he raises it obligingly. 

Taako leans in. “Yeah, it’s only fun to tease you when we can see your face while we’re doing it.”

“He’s worried you’re going to leave him for each other,” Barry supplies helpfully. Magnus can feel both of them freeze on either side of him. 

“Barry, I take back what I said about you being my favorite.”

“Dibs!” calls Lup.

“Maggie,” says Taako. “Maggie Maggie Maggie Maggie Maggie.”

Magnus sighs. “I was being dramatic--!”

“Magnus,” Lucretia says, tone deadly serious, “The day Taako and I get together is the day the Hunger wins, don’t you realize? We can’t risk it. Existence as we know it would literally end.”

She can’t keep the grin off of her face towards the end of the sentence, and it’s contagious, and soon they’re all giggling at one another. Lup mutters something at them about getting a room. The fire is warm and stars above are as bright as ever. 

And it’s nice.

“You’re both jerks and I don’t know why I like you,” Magnus says easily, once they’ve all calmed a bit.

“Lies,” Taako says, dropping his head against Magnus’s shoulder. Lucretia wiggles closer and nuzzles into his clavicle, humming her agreement.

“Yeah,” Magnus concedes. 

“Seriously though, if we’re overdoing it on the teasing--”

Magnus rolls his eyes. “It was a joke, it was only a joke, and I’m going to murder Barry in his sleep.”

“Don’t make me haunt you, Burnsides.”

Lup stands up and makes a show of brushing the grass off of her robe. “Alright you lovebirds, this has been a blast, but we’re turning in. Magnus, no killing my boyfriend,” she says, raising her eyebrows in a significant and mildly threatening manner as she holds his gaze.  Magnus smiles innocently up at her until Barry walks over to join her and takes her hand. “Oh, and uh, take your time coming back to the ship, just sayin’.”

They turn to go. “Wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Taako says, without lifting his head from Magnus’s shoulder. 

Lup stops. “Why not.”

“Because we saw Merle dragging Cap’n’port that direction on our way over here,” Taako says.

Lups eyes go wide. “Gods DAMMIT.”

“Oh, no,” Barry says.

“Can we just sleep out here tonight? I vote we sleep out here tonight,” Magnus declares. 

“Ugh,” says Lup. “How’s a girl supposed to get her freak on with all you cockblockers being gross everywhere.”

“Too much information, thanks for sharing,” Taako deadpans loudly.

“C’mon,” Barry says, tugging Lup gently by the hand. “Maybe we can bribe someone to lend us a cabin.”

She lets herself be led away. “You all suck!” she calls over her shoulder.

There’s a beat, and then: “Hmm. Well, not at the moment,” Lucretia mumbles into Magnus’s shirt. 

The resulting fit of laughter doesn’t end for quite some time. 

[readingraebow]

The Host Section Four

Chapters 31-40

1. What news does Brandt bring? So outside they can hear a strange noise and Doc figures out that it's a helicopter. Brandt confirms this and says that it's the Seeker. She using it to look for human activity in the area where the car was abandoned. And this goes on all day. She never actually gets close to them but it's still too close for comfort. Kyle sent Brandt to "secure" Wanda since he assumes that Wanda will alert the Seeker the first chance she gets. Doc says this is ridiculous and won't allow it. So they can hear the helicopter for the entire day but as soon as night falls, it disappears and doesn't return the next day.

2. What moral dilemma does Wanda encounter after her bath? What do you think you’d do in her position? As she's about to step out of the black bathing room, she hears who she thinks is Ian. But it's actually Kyle. He's come to kill her. And since it's early and no one else is up yet, there's no one around to witness what happens. So Kyle starts attacking her and bangs her up pretty good and she's fleeing but Kyle picks her up and he's going to throw her in one of the hot springs. So she wraps her body around his so he won't be able to throw her in and to get her off, he jumps. Which is a GREAT idea in a cAVE. So that breaks the floor and they both end up falling. Kyle bangs his head and it knocks him unconscious. So now Wanda can get away but the floor is still breaking and Kyle starts slipping into the spring. Well, even though he was trying to kill her, Wanda doesn't feel right about letting him die so she tries to pull him out but she's not strong enough so she yells until Ian appears to help her pull Kyle out.

3. For Wanda’s species, what does it mean to become a mother? Not every female is able to be a Mother. It's only a select few which makes Wanda special because she's one of the few. But, in order to become a mother, you have to sacrifice yourself since basically the Mother just breaks apart into a million new souls. These souls wouldn't survive for long without a host so it has to be planned. But each of these souls has some of the memories of the Mother, including the process of breaking apart to create new souls which Wanda says is actually excruciating.

4. What are the results of the tribunal? Kyle is to stay with no punishment. Ian speaks against Kyle saying that he should be forced to leave since he knew the rules and still tried to harm Wanda. Then Jared also speaks out for Wanda. He says that Wanda saved Kyle's life when she didn't have to and she won't even speak out against Kyle, while so many others do on her behalf. Then he asks if she will speak out and she says that it's all a misunderstanding and they shouldn't even be here. And this just proves Jared's point since he says she's even willing to lie, badly, to protect someone who tried to kill her. But, ultimately, the majority ends up deciding Kyle should stay and siding with people like Maggie who says that because Wanda isn't human, Kyle technically didn't break a rule. And Jeb has the deciding vote. He decides to side with the majority and allow Kyle to stay. But he says if anyone ever tries to hurt Wanda in the future, they will have a burial, not a tribunal.

5. What reason does Wanda give for saving Kyle? She says that she's not like him. And she doesn't mean that he is the poster boy for all humans because she says that there are good people like Jeb and Doc. But she doesn't have it in her to be violent and to kill someone just because they tried to kill her. So she says that she's not like him personally, implying that he's basically way too violent and she doesn't believe in hurting others.

6. Ian and Jared have an interesting debate about Melanie and Wanda. Who do you think is right? I think they're both right? As long as both Melanie and Wanda are sharing the same body, they're doing just that: sharing. Melanie wants Jared and she can't abide Wanda using her body and having feelings that Melanie doesn't share. Where everything is new for Wanda and she doesn't know what to feel. Plus she didn't choose to be a soul and she didn't choose to inhabit other beings. That's just how her species survives and she, also, deserves to have her life. So I honestly agree with both Ian and Jared. However, I think the only one who sees it from both sides is Ian. I think Jared is too stubborn to see Wanda as a person and not just a being inhabiting Melanie's body. But I think he might be coming around.

7. What does Wanda see when she sneaks off to the hospital? She sees silver blood everywhere, which is the blood of souls. And she sees a couple of mutilated bodies which are under blankets and which they're loading onto cots in the hospital. So they're dead souls who were in human hosts. Apparently Doc has been experimenting with trying to save the hosts and remove the souls? Though we don't really know yet and we don't know how they died yet. Though, there was such much blood and they are all dead so I don't know exactly how experimenting on them would work? Wouldn't they need to be alive??

8. How do you think what Wanda saw will impact the relationships she’s made? Well, I think it's definitely going to change things. Because, yes, a great number of the members of the group have been trying to kill Wanda since she got there but they have not succeeded and at this point she's kind of learned who to trust? But this was like a punch in the gut because all the people she's trusted were the people in that room: Jared, Doc, Jeb. They were all in on this and even though they didn't want her to see it, she still did. And now I think she's going to have a hard time trusting them again because it basically undid all the good that getting to know these humans had done. It made her think that they are no better than people like Kyle. Plus Wanda is just so anti violence of any kind and anti killing anyone that I think this is even worse from her because these are humans who killed her kind. And even though her kind invaded their planet, most of them seem to have a personality similar to hers and don't really like conflict? So I think she sees it as them killing something that's totally innocent and, ultimately, defenseless. So I think it's going to take some time to rebuild these relationships that were literally destroyed in a matter of seconds.

  Section Four Reading Journal

Okay. So. Lots of sad stuff in this section. Even though everything with Walter was so sad, I loved the side of Wanda that it brought out? Because it definitely showed her mothering instinct and it ~humanized her in the eyes of a few of the others and seemed to definitely make them see that she also has emotions and can care for them. It made her seem more like the other humans than an alien. And I loved that this section also did explain how this species reproduces. So all of that development/world building was fascinating.

Though. Now we seem to be going around in circles a bit? Because we made it to the love triangle. And so it seems like it’s slipping more toward being governed by that? Not yet. Not quite. Thankfully there are still other plot events happening that haven’t made that the central focus. And since there’s only 200 pages left, I’m hoping that keeps up.

But. I’m quite intrigued by how this section ended and how that’s going to change things. Because I think it’s going to change things a lot. So I’m super interested in seeing where the next section goes and I’m really glad I am free to jump into it right now, haha. So here I go!

[living-the-fastlife]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

Fun fact, we (the UK) actually celebrate this holiday in the month of March but mother’s deserve all the love and appreciation in the world everyday. Sadly, I’ve noticed that a lot of Young Adult and Fantasy novels tend to either kill off the mother or have them be a non entity. I love exploring family dynamics in books so this week I am going to highlight some books that have a strong focus on family.

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1. The Hard Count by Ginger Scott: How does a sport come to influence the dynamics between a family? This book looks at just that. The dynamic between Reagan and he family has all been impacted by sports in one way or another. With her dad the coach, brother the former star quarterback, and mother the socialite, everything in their life seems to revolve around the sport. The family go through some tough situations but in the end their love for each other and for the sport brings them together as a unified team.

2. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta: This book is all about family. Specifically it’s about how the entire family is affected by depression. When Francesca’s mum, the head of the family, is hit with this depression the rest of the family are left to pick up the pieces of this family life. It’s not an easy journey and through Francesca we really see how depression can shake up the entire family.

3. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: Lace and Cluck come from rival competing families. There is no love lost between these two families and in this book Lace and Cluck find themselves at the heart of this feud. These two are considered the outsiders of the family. The ones cast aside in favour of cousins and siblings. They’re quiet characters and this journey is about the way Lace and Cluck break away from the ties that bind them to their respective family.

4. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater: Shout out to the women of 300 Fox Way. You do not want to mess with these ladies. Blue’s family have a strong presence in her life and in this series we see how those bonds change and strengthen.

5. Something Real by Heather Demetrios: Family is at the heart of this book and it is the definition of dysfunctional. Bonnie was raised on the screens of the nation and it’s safe t say that life takes its toll. So when her mum informs the family that the camera’s will be back in their lives, Bonnie feels betrayed. The tension between her and her mother is a lingering presence, one that is only heightened when the camera’s start rolling and controlling their lives again.

6. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway: I loved the way this book explored the way a trauma can affect the entire community. Following Oliver’s kidnapping, Emmy’s parents have taken extremely protective measures to ensure her safety, not realising just how stifling it is for a young woman ready to explore beyond the boundaries they set. It’s a fantastic book was great family dynamics.

7. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: If you’re looking for a book that packs the punches, look no further. I’ll Give you the Sun is an incredibly emotional journey. At the heart of this book is the relationship between twin siblings, Noah and Jude, and through them we see all the highs and lows a family go through. How they hurt each other and how they heal each other. It’s emotional but so worth the read.

8. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick: Despite being neighbours, Sam and Jase’s family come from two different world. The Garrett’s might not have a lot of money but they have a lot of love, something Sam struggles to feel in her own family. Their families are polar opposite and with Jase and Sam’s blossoming relationship we see just how different these two families are.

9. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler: A family that’s been torn apart are forced to unite again following a sad loss. It’s a summer that sees all of Delilah’s anger and confusion at her mother’s secrecy come to blows. It’s a journey that sees Delilah grow as an individual and a family attempt to reassemble the broken pieces this secret left.

10. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: This book covers a lot of themes and relationships. Next to the romance between Josh and Skylar, the biggest relationship we explore is the one between Skylar and her mother. It’s a relationship that sees a lot of hardships. Following the death of her father, Skylar is the one that tries to pick up the pieces he left behind as her mother crumbles. The roles reverse and Skylar seems to be the one caring for her mother and maintaining their livelihood. It’s a rough relationship but it contributes to Skylar’s strength as she sustains this weight on her shoulders.

Those are some of my favourite family orientated books. What are your favourites?

Top Ten Tuesday: Mother’s Day Freebie Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.