#society fails us all in one way or another and having the patience to unravel exactly how those failings effect us ALL

[evolutiontale-au]

The Pacifist of Loss

A boy stood in front of the Lab, gazing upon his reflection in the almost mirror-like metal doors. The light silver shirt and smooth grey pants he wore were frowned upon- the simple, baggy clothes a symbol of his low status in Human society- and his gaze soon shifted to the pale green accessories he'd acquired.

A frying pan in an ugly color; one of the only two possessions he could truly call his own. It was what he used to cook with, and something he would not part with easily, as it was the last thing truly linking him to the Surface.

The other object, currently draped over one shoulder in a dramatic fashion that made the boy nod in approval, was what he and Papyrus had dubbed the CAPRON. They'd made it together- rather, Papyrus and Sans had made it while Undyne pretended to be oblivious to his presence- after he'd demonstrated his appreciation for kitchen activities. The apron had a pocket on the outside while it was being worn properly, but as it had been slung over his shoulder to make it into a cape, the pocket was currently inaccessible.

It looked better than any clothes he'd had before...

Blinking himself out of his thoughts, the boy knocked on the door of the Lab, focusing on his objectives. He had to talk with Undyne's crush; try convince her to let him pass through unhindered. The robot living in the area had already agreed to leave him be due to his incredibly peaceful ways, but only under the condition that he could convince Alphys to do the same... this could be tricky.

"One moment!"

Footsteps sounded from inside the Lab, and the boy caught a final glance of his reflection before the doors slid open.

"I've been expecting you. Come in."

Gazing up at the scaled Monster nearly two feet taller than him, he nodded, and entered without a moment further of hesitation. This was the greatest obstacle that stood between him and the King. If he could reach Asgore; if he could convince Toriel's husband to realize that Humans could be just as Kind as they could be Cruel; then maybe he and future Fallen Humans could live down here peacefully.

He had quite a lot of ACTing to do, after what the last Fallen Human had done.

Where you fail, we will succeed. Where you fall, we will rise. Join us, Kindness. Monsters are a species that have no HoPe for recovery. It would be a MERCY to Lay them down to Rest.

The boy jolted upright, his hands coming up to pat at the body he wasn't quite sure was untouched. Those voices... those other kids... had they truly been there, or was he only dreaming?

He'd been told their stories by Toriel, the beautiful Monster that he was happy to call his Mother. Patience, the first Fallen Human, had started this whole mess... and Perseverance, the last Fallen Human before him, had only worsened it. It was bad enough that the Monsters in the Ruins mostly moved out for fear of meeting a Human as bad as they were, leaving only the Froggits, Whimsuns, Loox, and Vegetoids he'd met along the path, but to hear from the kids themselves what they'd done...? Did he hear their sides of the story, or had it only been a dream?

"Everyone's had a hard time of it, huh?"

The boy stood up from the couch he'd been laying on- Alphys had let him stay over for the night- and slid on his boots. Checking his frying pan over for any scratches, he nodded to himself and clipped it onto his belt. The CAPRON was donned, flowing majestically over his shoulders with the pocket still inaccessible. He was ready to go forward.

After tapping out a quick thank-you note on one of the screens floating around nearby, the boy grasped the edge of his CAPRON and turned with a dramatic swoosh, making it out the doors to Hotland before giggling and tapping his wrist. A holographic projection came from the silver cuff he wore on his left wrist, displaying the map he'd downloaded of the area while the lizard scientist wasn't looking. (He didn't want to get her in trouble for helping him.)

"Alphie said that the lifts are working, but that they only went to the third floor left side, because the right side elevator was under maintenance. That means I'll have to go out past the... residential section, and around an abandoned building, if this map is right."

Lining out the path he'd take on the map, the boy then tapped his wrist to dismiss the hologram, and set off for the Capital.

The boy stared at the Monster above him, perched on a windowsill of the run-down building. She had pale magenta skin, and five eyes, and six arms, and her hair reminded him of a princess from an old movie series he'd done a report on for Media Studies.

"Ahuhu, are you only going to stare at me?"

He blinked, his mouth closing with a soft snap, and he shook his head. Fiddling with his CAPRON, he said the first thing that came to mind, intent on correcting his rude behavior.

"S-sorry, you're really pretty."

His face flushed up immediately, and he hid behind his frying pan, fiercely pretending that he couldn't hear the high-pitched laughter at his behavior. Alas, he couldn't ignore it for long, as the girl was suddenly close enough to gently lower the pan.

Her eyes were a solid color, he noticed, and her face looked very soft. But there was another look about her, a sort of gleam in her eyes and a certain tilt to her lips that he'd seen among the kids he'd known back on the Surface... before he ran away.

"No need to apologize for a genuine compliment," the lady spoke, and he blinked, paying attention again. "I'm Miss Muffet, but my friends call me Emmy. I'm known for my ability to find things, and you, dear Human, are what I've been looking for since I've heard about your Fall."

The boy became aware of a pressure at his back- he hadn't been anywhere near the wall, what was this?- and the energy of magic began to spark and flow around him.

He'd been caught in her web from the second he could see her.

"Please wait, Miss Emmy. We don't need to FIGHT. I want to see the King, and talk to him about the past Fallen Humans, and I won't be able to do that if we FIGHT and I lose. I only have one chance."

That talking flower had told him he had one chance to get to the King before it was too late, and not to make any detours... He probably shouldn't have slept as long as he did.

Fortunately, the spider monster seemed to be interested in what he was saying.

"Why? You could've stayed in the Ruins and waited for him to visit Toriel, and then spoken to him without risk of being killed out here. He visits often, I'm sure you know. Why leave safety and risk your life like this?"

It was true- Asgore had visited only a few days before he Fell- and he could've waited for him to visit again. That would've certainly helped him, and the next Fallen Humans... but...

"It wouldn't have helped the Monsters that Perseverance caused grief to. A lot of people died, and their families and friends don't have closure yet. As long as Humans and Monsters have this tension between them, they'll be hurting and afraid, wondering things like 'What if the next human kills more of us, or the last one to venture out after him?' I don't want them to be afraid of me, Miss. I don't want to be hurting them simply because I exist nearby."

The web of purple strands around the boy stilled in its movement, neither tightening its grasp nor unraveling to release him. Muffet considered the strands, her fingers weaving through them without being caught as he had been. It seemed that she was thinking hard about something.

That look in her eyes...

"What is your name, Kindness?"

Oh. She wanted a name to go with his face. That's right- he'd forgotten to introduce himself. Oh geez, had he forgotten to introduce himself to everyone outside the Ruins? Way to go, volt-head!

"Alexander Tomaz Ward, miss."

Her gaze sharpened- intrigue, perhaps?

"Ward?"

...he shifted in the web she'd woven, uncomfortably aware of his baggy clothes sliding against his skin. Fine quality, as every Human got, but a visible sign of his status.

"I'm an orphan, Miss. My parents were poor, and died in the Outskirts shortly after giving me up to the Institution to have a chance at a better life. The people responsible were caught, and executed in front of me because I had the Right to Blood, but I wasn't satisfied in the end... Their deaths didn't really make me feel better."

The boy sniffed, and Muffet held out a handkerchief for him to use, as his arms were somewhat tied up at the moment.

"They said I didn't like it because I was Green, and that other kids my age had been pacified by the punishments their wrongdoers had received. I was too weak, so they sent me to an orphanage in the same area where my parents had died, in hopes that it would toughen me up. I ran away, and Fell into the Underground, and now I find out that another Human had caused the same grief to the people here? They're not satisfied either, are they?"

There was a long silence, long enough that Alexander began to think that he would get no response. That was okay. The odds that this girl understood him were low, especially since she didn't know the ways of the Surface...

"They're not."

What?

"They're not satisfied with the death of their parents' killer, because the killer didn't do anything to make up for it. The killer received a quick and merciful death, despite the screams many had heard coming from the Monsters she befriended and killed soon after. All the traits she'd acquired from those deaths, the traits that were so much better suited in their parents' grasp, gone to waste. All the happiness she'd ended before they'd even gone to school... No, they're not satisfied with death, but they can't allow such a thing to happen again to others."

...she did understand. Though her solution was different than his, she still understood.

"I'm sorry, Alexander."

The boy tested his bonds, and sniffed again. He knew why she had to do this, knew that he thought a lot differently than most other Humans. His ideas were always snubbed and considered foolish, and maybe they were right... but maybe he thought more like Monsters than Humans, anyways.

"It's okay. But, Miss Emmy, can you make me a promise?"

His gaze shifted from eye to eye to eye, as he looked the spider monster in the face. There was no way of knowing whether she would do what he asked, but he didn't have a way out of this situation anyways...

"I know that there's a reward for capturing me. You're not entirely interested in the reward, I can see that now, but you'll receive it anyways. Please, use it to help others like us. Those who lost everything, who have nobody to turn to, who need each other. I give you my soul freely, Miss Emmy, as long as you help them live without the fear we have."

The web tightened, and it became more and more difficult to breathe. Still, as his vision began to fade, and his heartbeat pounded in his ears, he tried to hear the lady's response...

Darkness overtook Alexander's world, and he smiled, before falling limp.

I promise.

[valeriebielbooks]

Monthly Book Review - May

I found some stellar books in May, from time travel to a dystopian series called the Gender Game, which is described as like Hunger Games or Divergent. I’ll also admit why I’m critical of a best-selling historical fiction novel that I should have liked way more than I did and gush about two titles by Angie Stanton.

I happened up on the Gender Game series by Bella Forrest via a Facebook ad. You’ve all seen them. They proclaim similarities to other popular series and attempt to draw us in. This one worked on me! The ad claims that this series is for those who liked the Hunger Games and Divergent series. There are a lot of elements that are similar to those books but plenty of differences that allow this to not feel like a repeat of either of those two storylines. The premise is that the world has been split into two distinct countries . . . Matrus, where women rule and Patrus, where men rule. A toxic river divides the two countries. Violet Bates, the main character, navigates this increasingly dangerous world with the goal to find her brother. The political machinations necessary in both countries in order to keep their respective citizens in line is wonderfully manipulative, making you wonder who is trustworthy and who is not. This is a seven-book series and I’ve only read the first three, which were all very good and acceptable for ages 12 and up. This series is complete and great for binge reading! I am already plotting my reading time to get to the remaining four books.

Here's the blub for Book One. We'll see if it hooks you like it did me.

A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender. Women rule the East. Men rule the West.

Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus.

Ever since the disappearance of her beloved younger brother, Violet's life has been consumed by an anger she struggles to control. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now she has been sentenced to death for her crimes.

But one decision could save her life. To enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit. Everything about the patriarchy is dangerous for a rebellious girl like Violet. She cannot break the rules if she wishes to stay alive. But abiding by rules has never been Violet's strong suit. When she's thrust into more danger than she could have ever predicted, Violet is forced to sacrifice many things in the forbidden kingdom ... including forbidden love. In a world divided by gender, only the strongest survive...

Switching gears completely, I splurged and purchased a brand-new hard cover that has recently graced the New York Times best-seller list for a few weeks, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. I wasn’t a huge fan and I am obviously in the minority because a whole lot of other readers loved this book. It was a well-written story and the premise is incredibly intriguing, but I think I really wanted this to be a true story and, of course, I knew it was fiction. I’ve just read so many compelling true-life stories and biographies of WWII that it made me wish for a real account of women of the resistance who had to pick up their lives in post-WWII Germany—that is if they were fortunate enough to have survived the war.

Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding.

Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.

First Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naive Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resister’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war.

As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges.

Finally, I have to gush a bit over Angie Stanton’s latest novel, Waking in Time. This story set on the UW-Madison campus lets us travel into different eras as the main character uncontrollably time jumps into the past. As she tries to unravel the reasons for her inexplicable time travel and return to her proper time, we’re introduced to a fun cast of characters along with references to historical events, dress, customs, and fads. An enjoyable read for teens on up!  

Still mourning the loss of her beloved grandmother and shaken by her mysterious, dying request, Abbi has just arrived at UW Madison for her freshman year. But on her second day, she wakes up to a different world: 1983. That is just the first stop on Abbi's journey backward through time. Will is a charming college freshman from 1927 who travels forward through time. When Abbi and Will meet in the middle, love adds another complication to their lives. Communicating across time through a buried time capsule, they try to decode the mystery of their travel, find a lost baby, and plead with their champion, a kindly physics professor, to help them find each other again ... even though the professor is younger each time Abbi meets him. This page-turning story full of romance, twists, and delightful details about campus life then and now will stay with readers long after the book's satisfying end.

I also read one of Stanton’s earlier books, Love ‘em or Leave ‘em. This was a delightful story about a young woman who does a favor for a friend and fills in for a cast member on dating show, certain she’ll be sent home nearly immediately but, of course, that doesn’t happen. Great summer reading with any of Stanton’s novels.

Ashley Reynolds, who hates even having her picture taken, lands herself smack in the middle of a reality television dating show. She finds herself surrounded by glamour girls and pageant queens all vying for a date with the smokin hot bachelor. Ashley's plan, to fly under the radar and get sent home early, falters when she soon discovers a knack for drawing unwanted attention her way. Bad boy quarterback Luke Townsend thought choosing between 25 stunning women would be a dream come true. How wrong he was! Luke's patience is tried by the wiles of the charmers and the persistence of the camera crews. It doesn't take long for him to realize, however, that the one girl trying the hardest to get off the show is the one who most intrigues him.

I read a couple of other novels that I picked up for free or on a .99 sale via BookBub.

North Haven by Sarah Moriarty – I give this one a solid four-star rating. Siblings reconnect after the death of their mother at their island summer home and have to navigate their relationships without the family matriarch and the pending decision to sell the property or not.

All the Lies We Tell by Megan Hart – (Quarry Road Series Book One) This was a three-star for me. I just never connected with the characters enough to consider reading on in the series. Others may feel differently.

What have you all been reading lately? Do you binge on series, too?

June is stacking up to be a great reading month, too!