“Cruel, isn’t it?” :D
Here it is, the Punk Bitch Discord breaker of 2/22/19.
We’ll Meet Again
Ship: John Seed x Nic Raylan
John wakes up one morning to find out that his entire life with Nic has been a dream, and her and their children are a figment of his imagination.
Over the years, John had learned to take as much sleep as possible when he could. Having an energetic, natural born leader of a wife and three kids had driven that point home. So when he woke up on his own one Saturday without having two little brunette girls pounce on him or Nicolette hovering above him and waking him with a kiss and a to do list, something was off.
He opened his eyes wearily and turned to Nicolette’s side of the bed and found it empty- and made. She never made her bed lately. But something else seemed…even stranger. His eyes came into focus and he realized why. He hadn’t had those sheets since before the Collapse. As the rest of the room came into view, he found that the sheets weren’t the pnly changed things. It was his old bed, his old dresser, his old everything. Upon looking at the skylight, he found the sky a brighter blue, sans aurora. What the Hell? “Nicolette? Cal? Girls?”
No answer.
He got up and headed for the exit door into the hallway.
His old floors. His old decor. No single trace of his wife or kids anywhere. The place barely looked lived in. Just like… no. But as he kept on moving around the house, the same went for everything within it. The house was pre-Collapse in all cases. Great, so this was some sort of nightmare. Or somehow it was probably a Bliss trip. But where had anyone found Bliss?Who would’ve dosed them? He had gone into the great room and passed the dining table where that goddamn outdated landline still sat somehow. But even before it had gotten destroyed in the Collapse, it was useless. It was old and outdated and yet the only reason he had kept it was that damned voicemail that he refused to play. That damned red light would blink at him as a constant reminder of Joseph’s ever present hope…. And disappointment.
But there was no blinking. There was no light on at all.
“What the Hell?” he found himself repeating. He looked up upon hearing some music coming from the floor below: Vera Lynn- Til There Was You. It had been a joke a while ago between him and Nicolette. Addie had mentioned they didn’t have a song. The pair of them could’ve cared less, but he had suggested We’ll Meet Again as a joke, and she had promptly punched him in the arm and insisted that if they were going that cheesy, it was damn well going to be a different song of Lynn’s. Was this some sort of joke on Nicolette’s part? What was going on? He followed the music and pushed open the living room doors, fully expecting to see her.
What he got instead was Joseph, sitting on the couch, looking over a few papers. But he looked younger, less troubled- too much so. It pulled on his heartstrings until he realized Joseph wasn’t supposed to be there. He had been exiled from the area by him and Nicolette, he wasn’t welcome- and up until then, Joseph had respected that.
His heartstrings gave another yank, but in a far more angry direction. “Where’s Nicolette?”
Joseph’s head shot up, not having heard him. His eyes were even brighter tha he had seen them last weeks prior. “John.” It was said like a declaration, not a greeting.
“Where’s. Nicolette?” John repeated.
Joseph made an uncertain face and immediately crossed the room to stand before him.
John tried to smack his hands away when his brother took his jaw in his hands and forced his chin down to examine a spot on his forehead. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, why the Hell wouldn’t I be?” John demanded. “Where’s my wife? Where are my children?! What have you done with her? Is this some sort of joke? You got sick of playing by her rules so you changed things? Who built this place?
“Wife? Children? You built this-” Joseph began, then guided him to the couch and sat him down. He leaned in too close, focusing on his eyes. “You need to rest again.” He reached out to John again.
John stepped back. “No, I don’t need to rest, I need to see my wife, what have you done to her?”
“John, you’re confused-”
“What. The Hell. Is going on?!” John repeated, and his head pounded at the effort.
“You tell me,” Joseph answered. “I have no idea what you’re going on about. If you had a wife, I would hardly do anything to her outside of welcome her into our family.”
Oh, you have no idea. John opened his mouth to protest, but couldn’t find the words.
Joseph looked him up and down. “You’ve been hurt. We were building the church, there was an accident. You took a tumble over a railing and hit your head. You’re lucky to have survived. The doctors suspected some sort of head injury, but if your memory... your imagination-”
John stared at him for a while. He remembered that day. It was nearly twenty years ago. But he hadn’t fallen, he had caught himself- he remembered. But something about the way Joseph was looking at him- had he dreamed he caught himself? Stranger things had happened in history with medical patients doing so as a way to cope. But twenty years worth of a life beyond that? A life? A fall from Joseph’s graces? A wife? Children? A family? No. No. This wasn’t- he couldn’t have? The thought had briefly occurred to him now that everything was back to what ha been normal, but- no. He couldn’t have just dreamed it all up in some... medical haze. He could feel his world crumbling to ashes around him. No. “Calen-” Christ, Callan. No. “Calendar,” he forced out, mostly to himself. He wasn’t sure if he was going to vomit around the word, either. He looked off to the side by the door where he used to hang the object, and sure enough, it was there.
And then the most important detail came into focus and made all of his thoughts grind to a halt.
September 2011. The year the Church went up. The year before things had started to get… violent between the Project and the people. Six years before an annoying Deputy had made his life a living Hell. Six and a half before he fell in love with said Deputy. And Nearly twenty before he had been the happiest man on Earth raising a family with her.
No. He hadn’t just fucking dreamed up twenty years in… however long he had evidently been unconscious for. Was it even physically possible? Could a human brain do that? His knees gave way before he was even aware he had moved, and he found himself crumpled on the floor with no desire to get up.
Joseph, to his credit, was immediately at his side.
Joseph had taken him by the hands carefully- like he was holding something glass that would easily break- not that he was far off from that- and promised him, looking insulted but concerned all the while that there was no trick like he had asked earlier. Joseph had merely not left his side after his fall over the railing. His older brother had managed to talk the doctors into letting him stay at the house to be observed.
John, of course, was beside himself, barely hearing any of the logic, far too caught up in his loss. It was all in his fucking head. Nicolette, their time together, their children, his fucking happiness- all a lie concocted by his traitorous mind. A mix of a fever dream and who else knew what after an injury, because God apparently wasn’t done ruining him. And this was 2011. He hadn’t even committed his worst sins yet. He cast his eyes upward briefly. A bit too cruel, isn’t it? He snarled in his head to whatever God was listening. He had loved Joseph so fucking much he was willing to look past all the blind faith the first time around. He was willing to spread God’s word for his brother. But any God who could put him through such torture by letting him be happy for years and then ripping it away in seconds was no God of his.
Joseph had sensed the turmoil going on in his brother’s head, and although he was clearly concerned and confused, he excused himself to give John alone time, promising he wouldn’t go far.
His brother had barely been out the door a second before John absolutely shattered and broke down. After a few seconds, his thoughts strayed to the last time he had sobbed that hard: the night he had woken up drunk in Sharky’s bunker after finally coming to terms with Joseph’s betrayal, with Nicolette hovering over him, making sure he was okay, checking on him, even after all the evils he had done to her or otherwise- the night that he stopped hating her. And then the fresher memories of Cal curled up beside him on bad days where his demons wouldn’t leave him alone came to mind. He could almost feel his son curl up next to him and lean into his side like he did any time he heard his father wake from nightmares. But they weren’t real. It had all been a fucking dream. God’s cruel joke. And he had cried even harder.
Joseph came back an hour later and held him, still confused but hurting for him and whatever was going on in his head.
His brother’s comfort should’ve reassured John. He should’ve been happy he had lost his apparently fictional family but gotten his brother back. He wasn’t.
After a while he had pried himself away from Joseph, saying that he just needed to rest again like Joseph had suggested.
Joseph looked less than convinced, but he had touched his forehead to John’s, promised to see him the next day, and departed.
John had retreated back to his room, to a hauntingly empty bed and tried to sleep.
He didn’t do that, either.
Hours without his family blended into days, then weeks. It didn’t get easier, but he could manage after a while.
He had barely eaten or drank anything the first few days. It was Joseph that kept coming by and saw the house and his brother in disarray and implored the man to take care of himself.
John did it to make his brother happy, but he might as well have been on autopilot the whole damned time. Except in matters with the Project. So his family was fake- it didn’t stop him from second guessing everything involving the cult- the Project.
Joseph’s sermons made him uncomfortable. He couldn’t look at Joseph that long if he touched anybody for an extra few seconds- he knew it was nothing lecherous, but he had learned- would learn?- that it was just part of his manipulations.
Reuniting with Jacob was… better but worse. Getting Jacob back had been literally miraculous. He had laughed and cried upon seeing him and thrown himself into the man’s arms despite the man’s grumbling- but the feeling immediately soured as the accusations from his dream piled up. Torturer. Murderer. Killed for sport. Broke people. Broke my wife. He had tried to smile through it all, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was lucky that Jacob had never noticed those details.
Weeks later, when Jacob had started muttering things about people not being strong enough, John had insisted that some people weren’t meant to be strong. ‘If there are no weak people, there would be no purpose for the strong people to protect them’, ‘You learn from weaknesses. Weaknesses made you stronger.’
Jacob had grunted but looked like he was considering it. It was good enough.
When Only You came on the oldies station ten minutes later, John had nearly broken his finger in his effort to change the station as quickly as possible.
He had met Holly at a sermon shortly after. She had flirted, but her eyes weren’t green enough, her hair wasn’t dark enough, her smile wasn’t equal parts miscievious and comforting. She wasn’t his wife- or whatever his brain had come up with as his ideal wife. He had politely excused himself from the conversation with her and left in favor of talking to Nancy.
Joseph had come to him after that, citing that he had noticed how much John had changed ‘in the last few weeks’ and that he was proud of him. He was happy that John wasn’t falling back into old habits. And his heart had ached all over again. He could imagine Joseph’s thought process, how his phantom wife had helped him be a better person- in general and for Joseph’s needs. He had never been enough before, and he was teetering on the edge again: if he forgot Nicolette, he’d be back to his old self, but if he held on, it would be the end of him. But Joseph was only happy because John was being faithful to a phantom, an idea, And it hurt.
Months later, the mass Baptisms had begun at the Church. It hadn’t sat well with John. One day, he had helped welcome people, and one of the women who had looked after Cal when he and Nic were away, Roberta, had shown up. John remembered how Cal loved her and her cooking, and that had been enough for him. If things went the same way, he couldn’t watch this woman go down that path. And so he had faked being sick and sent them on their way. That night he had gone to Joseph, claiming he needed to ‘get away for a while’ and left.
Joseph had protested and requested he stay for help with more expansion and the Baptisms.
John had bristled and asked if the Voice asked that of him before he could stop himself.
Joseph, to his surprise, looked quite shaken. But John had just gone off to get his bags and left the man conflicted in his wake.
John had packed a bag, thrown it in Affirmation and headed for Missoula after that. The plan had been lay low for a month to just get away and reset his mind that hadn’t stopped racing.
Two weeks into the stay, he had gotten a call from Joseph. He had sighed heavily and looked out on the mountain view his hotel room had- one he knew Nicolette would’ve adored- no, no, she wouldn’t have, because she wasn’t real- but he had a vague recollection from the dream and had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming. His timing hadn’t entirely been random. He didn’t want to be there for when it all started to go wrong. When Joseph had accidentally killed Jerome’s daughter and didn’t think a damn thing of it. He picked up the phone and waited with baited breath-
And Joseph had told him that he had ‘sent the pastor’s girl away when she had shown up for the Baptism’- she ‘was lost and needed to be found- but not here.’ The Voice was evidently growing silent- and had been quiet and left him alone after he sent the girl on her way.
John had tried to sound impassive about it. But no. He had put seeds of doubt in Joseph’s head because this bastardization of hindsight was a bitch and he wasn’t going to let his family fall to such destruction, whether that dream of a life had been a premonition or just his imagination at work. If his brother could hear God, maybe John was given his own version of a gift and a curse as well. As much as he despised God, he wasn’t going to waste his gift, as cruel as it had been.
“Come home, John,” Joseph requested over the phone one night.
“Not yet, but soon,” John assured him. Then, carefully, ‘I love you, Joseph.” It was a test, the ultimate test, and so his breath caught and he waited...
“I love you, too.”
And his heart ached all over again, and he had to blink tears away at that.
A few more days passed and John was getting utterly bored in Missoula. Things had been… looking up in Hope County. No deaths, no disappearances, no one was questioning Joseph’s motives. It… might have been safe.
And so he made plans to return.
Of course, the day he scheduled to leave, a snowstorm came and grounded every single plane in the area.
He was getting antsy and had taken to pacing around the area. He had turned a corner down one hallway too sharply. Someone had called out ‘wait’ behind him and he had stopped short to turn their way- and then something hit him square in the chest and there was a wet pop and something soaking into his jacket that smelled distinctly like too-sweet coffee- hold on, how did he know a detail about coffee just from the smell-
“Shit! I’m sorry!”
That voice. He glanced up and his heart just about stopped.
Nicolette was standing there, looking dazed and holding the now-open coffee cup with its contents still sloshing around, staring at the growing stain on his shirt. She immediately launched into rapid-fire details that was just like her. “I can’t walk in these damn boots and I just thought that one person was calling me and I stopped and then fucking tripped and-”
His mouth twitched in multiple directions, not sure whether to smile reassuringly or let his jaw drop or frown or fight to keep from blurting out it’s you, I missed you, I love you, I’d die for you- “It’s okay,” John forced out.
It wasn’t.
His wife gaped back at him. The mother of his children, the light of his absolutely horrible, tragic fucking life, though she was softer around the edges and her hair was a few inches longer. Hope County hadn’t gotten it’s hooks into her yet.
“No, it’s really not, holy shit, I’m so sorry, I can’t even-” she started digging into the duffel bag at her hip.
“It’s not the worst thing I’ve had thrown at me,” he assured her, with far too small of a voice.
She laughed at that, and his heart ached the worst it had since he woke up that night. She had the same laugh. She was real. She was real, she was here, she wasn’t a fucking figment of his imagination. He had to ball his hands into fists to keep from touching her, and his nails had bit into his palms in the process.
‘Probably isn’t the best thing, either,” she replied apologetically.
“Day’s still young,” he countered, and yeah, he knew that was an extremely bad line before she blinked at him a couple of extra times than necessary.
It still didn’t stop her from producing a few tissues from her bag and half shoving them at his chest, trying to get whatever excess thankfully-lukewarm liquid out of his shirt.
He had to stifle a laugh and hold back tears of joy when at some point in the cleanup she stopped to steady herself and held his hip to do so- and she blinked after a moment. She had always had a thing for his hips. She had confessed it after they had spent one night in bed in the bunker.
“Ive never been into guys who are almost skinnier than me, but I mean, what even is this hip to body ratio, do you even eat?”
“Yes, I eat.”
“... ... Well?”
The fact that her interest transcended dreams and reality was wonderful. He realized perhaps a moment too late that he was staring, and looked out the window to counter it. “Can you believe this storm?” he asked. It was a terrible attempt at small talk, but he figured he might have died if he didn’t hear her voice again.
“That’s Montana for you,” she agreed, though she sounded grateful for the distraction. “Crazy weather, always cold. Have you heard how long it’ll be before flights aren’t grounded anymore?”
“A few hours at least,” John answered. He reached up to take one of the tissues from her and their fingers brushed and she looked at him- a mix of kindness and thankfully attraction and Christ, he had missed that look, too. She was real. She was real. The flights could stay grounded forever if it meant keeping her there with him. “What brings you here?”
“My dad’s got a job opportunity for me. Have a private plane flying me out. Law enforcement. Yay,” she deadpanned.
“Not a fan?” he asked, though his heart had started to race. Had it been a premonition after all?
Nicolette shrugged. “Well, I love my dad.” An explanation. She was doing this for him and him alone. Could it have been Whitehorse and she was just simplifying their situation to a stranger? Or was it her abusive scumbag of a biological father? Or neither?
She laughed. “Here I am, nonstop talking about me after all of this.” She motioned at the wet parts of his shirt.
Never stop talking to me. “It’s fine. A conversation to pass the time for a minor inconvenience sounds like a fair trade to me. Where are you flying to?”
“Hope County, middle of nowhere, apparently.”
Holy. Shit.
She smiled again- that same warm, reassuring and teasing smile he had missed so much that seeing it physically hurt. “What about you?” she asked.
“Same, actually. Have family out there.”
“Small world,” she answered.
Thank fuck for that.
John nodded after a moment, then motioned at the chairs by the window. “Want to sit? I could use the company before I die of boredom.”
“Well, like you said, I kinda owe you if you don’t mind conversation as repayment for that. It’s the least I can do if I just christened you with a half a cup of coffee.”
“Again, I’ve had worse.”
She laughed again, then sighed and sat with him when he motioned again. “I’m Nicolette by the way. Friends call me Nic.”
“John. Good to meet you.”
——-
Several thankfully cult-less, deathless, happy months later, he’s sitting knee-to-knee next to Nicolette in his bathroom. The pair of them stare down at a positive pregnancy test. Because the Universe had given them a fucking Oops Baby in the real world as well as his dream world, now.
She looked scared but hopeful all at once, meanwhile he was beside himself with utter joy. It was painful keeping the relieved, disbelieving laugh in. And then, before he could stop himself, not that he would if he could: “I always liked the name Cal.”
The absolutely murderous look she gives him before she caves, laughs tiredly and agrees is worth it.
A/N: Bold of you to assume I’d go full angst you heathens.
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11-11-11
answer 11 questions, tag 11 people, write 11 questions for them to answer!
Thank you very much, @theartofdreaming1 ! 💕
1. Favorite movie?
Captain Fantastic (!!!)
2. Craziest thing you’ve done as a kid?
I know that I’ve done a lot of crazy shit as a kid but I can’t think of any great anecdote right now…so i’m going with this:
I used to climb everything as a child- trees, rocks, walls…everything. i once climed onto some huge rock, fell off and got a concusion and once i fell off something else and broke my arm. but all that never stopped me and those were the only two times I ever fell off the things I climed ^^
3. Twinkle lights or candles?
Candles! tons of candles!
4. A book you never finished?
Homo Faber by Max Frisch - we read it in school….I hated it and have not finished it to this day
5. Favorite musician?
How could I possibly pick just one?! Here are three:
Jon Fratelli from The Fratellis my favourite band in the whole wide universe, Martin Molin from Wintergatan who is an absolute genius in every possible way, and Amanda Palmer - one of the most amazing, most talented human beings of our time and one of my most admired role models
6. Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Definitley a night owl…though when I manage to actually get up early I quite like it…also the sunrise is one of natures most beautiful spectacles
7. Something you’re looking forward to this year?
Hopefully going to Sweden in a few weeks and going to venice in October - so basically I’m looking forward to travelling…as always ^^
8. What does your perfect day look like?
a day where i can sleep as long as i like, where i don’t have to be anywhere at a set time, where i don’t have to do anything unless i want to. Preferably a summer day. A day where I can have breakfast for an hour and take the dogs for a long walk in the forest with my dad. A day where I can read as long as i like and maybe paint or craft something later. A day that I can enjoy with my family and friends. A day with a beautiful evening going out or staying home, an evening with too much red wine and laughter. Basically any warm, free, happy day.
9. Last song you listened to?
Spirit in The Sky by Doctor and the Medics
10. Mountains or the ocean?
Both!! I love the mountains and I love the ocean too…maybe I love the ocean a little bit more….but most of all i love dark, green, mystic forests
11. Favorite season?
Summer (and spring) - I just love how alive the world is in summer
My Questions:
1. favourite book and why?
2. ever been on a road trip?
3. wich language(s) do you speak?
4. do you still live in the place you were born?
5. one big fear you have overcome?
6. best day/moment of your life so far?
7. three favourite songs?
8. favourite historical period?
9. absolute life goals?
10. If you could be inside any story (book, movie, tv show etc.) which one would it be?
11. Biggest turn-ons?
I tag @dreadpiratedee, @life-multiverse, @star-nebula, @traumfaengerin-wish, @dancebeneathdiamondskies, @fudoggz, @littleredchucks, @floraharmony, @jon-fratelli, @julesfriend2 and @juvenilekerrits - pnly if you guys wanna do this, obiviously! :)
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Bookshelf Briefs 7/30/20
Blue Flag, Vol. 2 | By KAITO | VIZ Media – How do I already love these kids this much?! Blue Flag is the story of four friends in their third year of high school who care about each other but who are all also dealing with their own problems and trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. I especially love Taichi and identify so much with the childhood memory he shares with Masumi—“I regretted my inaction so badly.” Taichi is always trying to become the sort of person who can act (and supports Futaba as she seeks to make the same change in herself). And thus, we are inexorably led to the cliffhanger of this volume, where Taichi gets the chance at a do-over, seizes it without a moment’s hesitation, and perhaps pays another, different price this time. I’ve never meant “I can’t wait for the next volume!” more than I have this time. – Michelle Smith
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 8 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – We finally get one of the big reveals in this volume, which involves the origin of Oran and the sort of girl she used to be. It also gives us, even if it’s not quite the real thing, an origin story of the friendship between her and Kadode, and it’s really sweet and fun. That said, their meeting with an alien goes very differently here, and the series finally begins to tie in with all of the Doraemon parodies that it’s been using at the start and end of each volume. Sadly, this is not a good thing, and the entire volume ends on a horrifically nightmarish cliffhanger that I can’t see ending any way but tragically. As always, I hate reading this series, one of the best manga I’m currently reading. If that makes sense. – Sean Gaffney
Dr. STONE, Vol. 12 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – We’re going on a boat journey, taking along most of the important cast members, in order to discover the island with Sena’s dad’s past and also find platinum, which can help speed up un-stoning everyone. Unfortunately, there are villains about, and they take out most of the cast, who are petrified once more. In between this, we get a lot of cool Jump adventure, some goofy gags, some fun surprises (we know that Suika would stow away somehow, the question was how) and some serious drama as, well, the cast is being re-petrified by powerful unknown villains. There’s nothing earth-shattering in this particular volume, but it still adds up to a great time. – Sean Gaffney
Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 18 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – I could review this entire volume, but honestly, the last 50 or so pages sort of dwarf the rest of it. We are reminded, as is the school, that Sena is fantastic at everything and has no idea that other people can’t do what she does. This all comes to a head at the Christmas party, where she starts to be attacked for all of her bad points, and lashes out at everyone in a justified but ill-thought-out diatribe. Which is then passed to Yozora, who also defends Sena and finally, amazingly, admits that the two of them are friends. This may be more important than which girl Kodaka picks, to be honest, and is absolutely fantastic. (Speaking of Kodaka, his solution is very Hachiman, and works about as well). – Sean Gaffney
Moms | By Yeong-shin Ma | Drawn & Quarterly – One thing in particular that makes Moms stand out from other manhwa in translation (and honestly many other comics in general) is the focus of its narrative—the lives and loves of mothers in their fifties. The volume takes direct inspiration from the creator’s own mother after she shared some of her personal experiences and stories about her friends. While there is some humor and absurdity, the resulting work’s realism is gutting as the characters navigate divorces, affairs, workplace harassment, and constantly shifting allegiances. A central thread is an on-again, off-again relationship between Soyeon and her boyfriend Jongseok. Without him she’s lonely, with him she’s miserable, a common theme in Moms. Most of the men in the work are frankly disappointing human beings. The women aren’t always entirely blameless, but they’ve put up with a lot, so it’s exhilarating to witness when they can live their lives with uninhibited gusto. – Ash Brown
Secret XXX | By Meguru Hinohara | SuBLime – Secret XXX is pretty explicit and features a seme who says things like “Too late. I’m not stopping now” and “I love your feeble protests,” but also includes a lot of cute bunnies. Shohei Ikushima is a college student who believes he is allergic to rabbits but still volunteers at Itsuki Mito’s bunny-exclusive pet shop because he’s fallen in love with the gentle-seeming proprietor. I can’t tell if what I found frustrating is intentional characterization, or simply that the narrative had to make Shohei look vapid in order to work. Like, he never actually considered “Do I even swing this way?” until he was literally in bed with Mito. And no one (including his parents, evidentally) ever suggested antihistamine until he finally sees a doctor. I did like the emphasis on appreciating family, though, and plan to read the spinoff starring Mito’s meddling little brother. – Michelle Smith
A Sign of Affection, Vol. 2 | By suu Morishita | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – A lot of shoujo titles are content to move along at a glacial pace, and the good ones do that by keeping the character solid. Yuki and Itsuomi are still feeling each other out. She’s fallen in love for the first time, but has communication issues that go beyond her deafness, and also a childhood friend who (I suspect) likes her more than she is aware. Asd for Itsuomi, he has some past baggage that really isn’t going away, and has goals for the future that do not involve being in Japan—goals which are likely more important to him than romance. Despite that, these two are very cute together, and you’re rooting for them to find a way to make things work. One of the better recent digital-pnly titles. – Sean Gaffney
Spy x Family, Vol. 1 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – It only took a few pages for me to completely fall in love with Spy x Family. Debonair “Twilight” is an experienced spy for Westalia, but when his next mission requires him to quickly acquire both wife and child, he ends up choosing an assasassin (Yor) for a bride and a telepath (Anya) for a daughter. Neither Twilight nor Yor is aware of the other’s real line of work, but Anya knows all. Only, she loves her new life and family so much that she isn’t going to say anything to jeopardize it. In fact, she’s doing her best to get accepted into a prestigious school so that Twilight can get closer to his target and they can all continue to stay together. I really like all the characters, the “found family” trope always works for me, the tone is fun, and the art is stylish. More, please, and soon! – Michelle Smith
Takane & Hana, Vol. 15 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The bulk of this volume introduces us to Takane’s mother, who is a lot like he is in both looks and eccentricity, and turns out to have a checkered past with her son that, to no one’s surprise, involves bad communication. Hana tries to get the two of them to make up while also showing off how she’s a great match for Takane, and her cheer is infectious. That said, the background does remind readers just how high a bar Hana has to clear if she’s going to end up happily ever after with the guy she loves. The series is gearing up for its finale, and I suspect that class conflict is really going to come to the fore here. But at least she’s won over Mom, which is a big start. – Sean Gaffney
A Witch’s Printing Office, Vol. 3 | By Mochinchi | Yen Press – Following up on the last cliffhanger, there is another Japanese person here, and he’s actually gone about things the proper isekai way, as opposed to our heroine, Yomiko… um, I mean Mika. Yeah, about that, I get the feeling that 80% of the people reading this series are reading it because they want to see Yomiko from Read or Die in an isekai setting. It even feels like the super-ditzy side of her, as opposed to, well, the other, less popular aspects of Yomiko. As for the manga itself, there’s more Comiket gags, Mika managing to accidentally get a town popular, an ancient spellcaster possessing exactly the wrong person, and a rival publishing company. This is big goofy fun, sort of slice-of-isekai life-ish, but lacks any substance at all. – Sean Gaffney
By: Ash Brown
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