#tales of a guy who has one(1) favorite teacher and its the one who asked “hey do you have preferred pronouns”

[suddenlymicah]

happy ides of march! time to kill ceasar

[tornrose24]

You should rank the TETOCU episodes

I’ve actually been meaning to do that for quite awhile. I was waiting for the potential 5th season... but seeing as THAT’S not going to happen, I’ll go ahead. Starting with my least favorite episodes (also, I don’t know the exact full name of the episodes, so I’ll refer to them as something else)

My LEAST favorite episodes of the Epic Tales of Captain Underpants

4. The teacher-tron episode (AKA the one where Meaner is the replacement superhero)

I felt like Harold and George getting expelled was fixed way too easily. Also, the fact that CU himself doesn’t properly appear in this episode is bad enough but then he gets temporarily replaced by the same guy who was responsible for his death in the books. (Also, while Meaner is more likable in the show, you can tell he was a bit of a creator’s pet if you notice how he is used so often).

But on the other hand we DID get Grace Wang, who was pretty awesome.... except I think we ALL saw that twist involving her a mile away after the reveal in the first season finale.

3. -The one where the boys (and Krupp) end up at the better school in season 2.

I remember reading the synopsis for this one on Netflix and I thought ‘well this is going to be predictable as hell’ and I was even tempted to skip it. So not only do we have an easily guessable plot, but its basically what should have been book 8 in animated form. And oh joy, Meaner is the ‘monster/bad guy of the day.’ AGAIN.

I admit that I did like the interactions between the boys and Krupp, and that it seemed Krupp was trying to do better... but after season three, I have my serious doubts as to how sincere he was.

2. -The one where we see Krupp’s childhood.

I loved the idea of seeing Krupp as a child, and it was sweet to see a scenario where that version of him interacts with George and Harold (and it had serious ‘what if’ potential). And also we get hints that not only did he used to be a sweet kid, but we see a little bit of CU in that child. And yeah, I get that the boys were going to risk making things a LOT worse and that the moral was ‘Not everyone can be changed into a better person.’

But the moral falls so horribly flat when you see that Krupp was stuck with an abusive mother and that he virtually had no support of any kind outside his home. Hell, the show more than hints that Bernice herself made things worse when Krupp DID succeed at the talent show thanks to George and Harold’s involvement. Also, wording the moral as ‘some people are just born bad’ does NOT work for someone like Krupp in this case.

The rest of the episode was either ‘eh’ or ‘wait, he undid the child labor laws?!’

1. -The blue people planet episode. (screw this episode I hate it so much).

I’ve only seen this episode once and have no desire to see it again.

This was basically a repeat of the ‘better school’ episode, but worse. This was clearly book 8, down to the evil versions of the boys and CU.

You had so much potential for a space season, kept it to six episodes, and wasted it on a poor imitation of a book that you refuse to properly adapt.

Also everything about that planet is baffling when you give yourself time to think on the issues. If the kids are more powerful and oppressive than the adults, then the adults would have to sterilize themselves or limit how often they’d have children, but they clearly need their race to continue on and.... yeah it’s pretty messed up fridge horror when you get down to it.

So yeah, I freaking hate this episode so much. Actually most of season 4 was such a let down and everyone has been in agreement over it.

Ok, now for the episodes I loved.

4. The Rome episode

This truly felt it a book Dav would have written himself. Not only was it a creative concept of a time-travel school trip, but George and Harold manage to have the same levels of manipulation and stupidity (AKA not thinking things through) that they tend to have in the books. Hell even Melvin is at his best here. I feel like this was the best time traveling episode out of all the episodes that use that gimmick.

Even better–someone FINALLY had enough of Krupp’s BS and punched him in the gut, which is basically what we ALL wanted to do. I actually could not stop laughing when it happened and had to rewind that bit. I know he suffers a lot in season 2, but that moment was pure catharsis or myself as well as the ten year old reader in me.

3. The clay episode with Bo.

This was one of the most creative episodes and I love the use of stop motion when Claylossus turns the world into clay (and the ‘decreasing value’ gag is chuckle worthy). I felt like this best explored the creative potential this show had to offer.

Also, I loved that this episode best displayed the boys’ compassionate nature by befriending Bo and warming him up to making even more friends. Its not often we see George and Harold showing compassion towards others. Also Bo is one of the best original characters the show gave us and his ‘bad guy of the day’ form suited his character and worked as a twisted interpretation to how others saw him.

2. The Splotch episode

This one broke the episode’s usual format when the concept was ‘Captain Underpants is framed for a crime he didn’t commit.’ Which meant that we get CU for a lot longer in this episode AND he doesn’t revert back to Krupp at the end! ^_^ But the idea of him getting sent to jail and put on trial is pretty damn hilarious.

I also love that this was a continuation of a previous episode and that the villain was an evil mutated alien robe–who also doubled as a Venom shout out by possessing Mr. Ree (another great OC character).

1. The soctopus episode

Again, this feels like something Dav would have written himself and I am impressed with how creative this episode went in capturing the silly spirit of his books. The ‘bad guy of the day’ being made of gross socks feels like a true CU villain and the fact that he’s voiced by John DiMaggio made him even better. Also I love how hilarious the initial set up is–that George and Harold think suspension is awesome and try to get Krupp to suspend them, while he actively avoids doing so as he understandably suspects they are up to something.

But what I love best about this episode is one short, yet important shot–as the monster is being defeated and lets go of the boys, CU freaks out and immediately goes in to grab them, followed by a moment where he is holding them both and all three are smiling. Everything about this moment sums up the best part of CU’s character–he may not be the brightest bulb in the drawer, but he is actively concerned about the boys’ safety and he WILL be there if they get in trouble. In a world filled with cruel or idiotic adults, how fitting is it that the good side of the boys’ least favorite person is the one who will always listen and be there for them? And unlike in the books, the boys care very much about their hero and do appreciate him. Everything about that moment sums up why the fandom adores the intergenerational friendship the boys have with CU.

As a bonus, let’s rank the specials

3. The Halloween episode

-I felt like they could have done more with a Halloween episode and it lacked some badly needed creativity. Also I really hated the adults here, wanted to throttle Krupp personally, and was baffled at how Ree and George and Harold’s parents wee all anti-Halloween. Also I’m pissed that apparently Heidi does NOT exist in the series, especially that the books literally show her later on.

On the other hand, we get to see CU being a bit more of a competent bad ass.

2. The Christmas episode.

Well at least it wasn’t another ‘Christmas Carol/It’s a Wonderful life’ re-telling and managed to tap into George and Harold’s flawed side. Jacked!Santa was terrifying though. But what I HATED was that apparently the staff–who clearly knew the source material up to this point–forgot that Krupp is Jewish and had him celebrate Christmas like the others. WTF?! Why would you do that? It was FREAKING SHOWN in book 5!

But on the plus side–EDITH FINALLY SHOWS UP AS A CAMEO! Hallelujah finally our girl showed up on the show! And since the show isn’t continuing any time soon, I can pretend that Krupp/CU eventually ran into her.

1. The interactive episode

I had a lot of fun on this one and seeing the different outcomes. Even when I took the path I thought would be the safest, it turned out I needed to take a different one. But it does make you feel like you are in George and Harold’s shoes as you try to figure out the best way to save the tree house. (Also, I once again wanted to throttle/punch Krupp, but thankfully this special gives you multiple ways to make him suffer.)

Also, given the nature of the episode, we get a lot of scenes out of this one that require you to take as many routes as possible. (And I love that there’s one where you can ensure CU single handedly saves the tree house through sheer stubbornness and luck, while also doing what Krupp completely failed to do by getting the one million dollars needed.)

[hufflautia]

Believe me darling, the stars were made for falling

Hello! I didn’t expect to post this “fanfic” because I didn’t write it specifically for fanfiction, if that makes sense. Today, (well it is technically tomorrow for you or perhaps you’re not viewing this on the day that I posted it. today is 12/11 (technically its 12/12 because its 1:39 AM rn lmao i did my makeup and it took longer than expected)) my creative writing teacher told us to write a short piece for a character that I created for the class. I wrote it and I thought about posting it because I liked the idea of it, and I felt as though the main character had slytherin vibes. I also really like the ending, and I wanted to share it with others. 

This is not a typical slytherpuff story. It has no magic involved. Slytherin and Hufflepuff are normal people like you and me, aka muggles (or maybe you’re not a muggle( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) who knows?). The story has nothing to do with Harry Potter. Thus, I am creating another section for my masterlist and it will be labeled “somefink special” because its not technically harry potter related. However, it will always have Hufflepuff and Slytherin in it, because I made sure to change the names from the original character. Stories like this is just a work of art that I would like to share with others, so I think of it as somefink special (and somefink is not an actual word, its supposed to be “something” but i just think the spelling is funny). I’m not sure if I will post more stuff like this, as in stuff that doesn’t relate to harry potter but still has my usual characters. Heck, perhaps I’ll write fanfics like this but for other character ships like Slytherin x Ravenclaw or the other ones. We shall see. 

Anyways, this “quick” author’s note is running a little long, so I will end it here. I hope you guys enjoy reading this! TOODELOO

FYI, this is not my “monthly” fanfic. In other words, this isn’t the only fanfic that I will be posting for december. I will still be posting The Queen and the Dragon soon (around Christmas). I am almost done with the college process, I need to revise some of my essays and I will finally submit it. After that, I will continue writing the long story. I am currently stuck at a difficult scene that will require a lot of thinking, hence the delay. OK BYE NOW, THIS IS THE FOR-REALSIES TOODELOO :D! 

***WARNINGS: Drug abuse, addiction, and suicidal thoughts 

Summary: Slytherin is hanging out with her favorite person in the entire world: Hufflepuff, her darling little sister. They lay beneath the stars, comfortable silence drifting upon them like a soft blanket that wraps around them, keeping them safe from outside forces that threaten their moment of contentment. This small pocket of tranquility is rare—and Slytherin knows this. She knows it all too well. As if on cue, it breaks into shattered pieces when she overhears their parents arguing. Again. Dread stealing her breath, a familiar urge rises once more, an urge that is more destructive than she realizes. She wishes the overwhelming feeling of anxiety would go away. And it could—with the help of a couple of pills. 

Slytherin smiled, a feeling of mirth warming her heart when she saw the smile plastered on her sister’s face as they laid on their backs against the porch floor, staring up at the stars. She took a hold of Hufflepuff’s hand, her touch slightly sweaty but cold at the same time. She didn’t mind and merely gave it a light squeeze. A cool night breeze blew past them, the wind’s touch like gentle kisses against their skin. 

This was nice. This was really nice. Slytherin hardly had any time for herself this week, because she was busy with exam after exam, stress piling on top of her before she could even take a breath of air. To her relief, the burdens finally lifted because it was Saturday, and she didn’t have to worry about school. She was with her sister, and that was all she needed. In fact, she was so comfortable and content that she didn’t even think about the drugs. A pestilent part of her, the part that was created the moment she swallowed the white pill down her throat, urged her to go inside. To walk nonchalantly towards the bathroom with a pace that was fast enough so that she would get to where she wanted to go quickly but slow enough to not attract any attention. To snatch her mom’s bottle of Xanax and hurry to her own room, making sure to lock the door before sitting on her bed. To pop the drug into her mouth and allow the artificial feeling of euphoria to overtake her.   

But that destructive part of her settled down, for she was with the person she loved most. Their surroundings dark enough to see the hazy glow of the stars above, they laid there, gazing upon the night sky. Aside from the soft rustling of the trees nearby and the occasional giggles that spilled from her sister’s mouth because that’s just how 10-year-olds were, it was quiet and peaceful. 

But like most things, it didn’t last for long. 

“You fucking asshole!” 

Through the walls, Slytherin could hear her mother’s muffled words, her tone hot and angry. Whenever her parents argued, they would spit curse words out like poison, the dreadful toxin targeted at each other with the intent to kill and destroy. 

She sighed. For once, just for once, why couldn’t things be normal? She desperately wished that the comfortable silence that drifted upon them could come back, and she would gladly welcome it with open arms. 

However, she felt Hufflepuff squeeze her hand, and she knew that the peace that she had known a few minutes ago would not return. Not for a while. Squeezing her hand was a nervous habit of Hufflepuff’s—a habit that Slytherin was well aware of. Even if she tried her very best to shield her darling sibling from the atrociousness of their home-life, it was essentially impossible. 

Her sister was young and so terribly innocent. If she could, she would take all the pain that Hufflepuff endured from living in a dysfunctional household and pour it into herself. That way, she wouldn’t have to suffer. 

But this wasn’t a fairy tale. Slytherin didn’t have magical powers to take their suffering away. She couldn’t give her sister the happy ending that she deserved. This was reality, and they would just have to endure this for a while. 

“I’ll be right back,” she whispered before opening the porch door and stepping into the dungeon that she called home. Dread seemed to choke her as she neared her parents’ room, inhaling sharply at the sound of shouts that seemed to boom from the walls. 

Gingerly turning the knob of their door, she peeked inside. Tears trickled down her mother’s face, her slightly red eyes ablaze with anger. “I can’t believe you would cheat on me again!” 

Her dad started to mutter something lowly but she cut him off. “Do you have any idea how much this affects me,” she said in disbelief. “How much this affects your children?” 

She suddenly caught sight of Slytherin, who immediately felt a sinking feeling in her chest when she was caught lurking. The feeling intensified when her mom walked towards her. 

Slytherin immediately withdrew and tried to close the door but her mom opened it enough to fixate the full force of her anger onto her daughter. “Why can’t you mind other people’s business,” she hissed before slamming the door shut, leaving her in complete darkness. 

There it was. The breaking point. Her face contorted into a grimace as she tried to will the tears away. Her sadness quickly morphed into annoyance. “I hate her,” she thought angrily as she walked to her room. “She’s gonna wish she didn’t say that when she finds me dead on the fucking floor.” Her chest heaved with sorrow and a torrent of emotions clashed within her. A million thoughts zoomed through her head. Fucking bitch, I fucking hate you. I hate everything. I wish I was never born into this family. I hate my parents, I hate my mom, I hate my dad. Why the fuck did he have to cheat? Were we not enough? 

She was frustrated and resentful, but most of all, she was broken inside. She needed to calm the raging storm of anxiety within her—and she knew exactly what to do. 

Hiding the bottle of Xanax in her pocket, she walked towards her room. Just as she was opening her door, she felt someone close their hand over her wrist. She looked back and saw Hufflepuff, who looked at her with furrowed brows. 

“Are you coming back,” she asked in a small voice. 

Slytherin swallowed with difficulty. If things had gone differently, she would have gone back to the porch with her sister and continued their night of stargazing. If her parents weren’t completely psychos whose hate for each other shook the household, she wouldn’t be addicted to the drugs that controlled her life. 

“I have homework to do,” she responded. “Ask Gryffindor to go outside with you, okay?” 

Her sister nodded and started her way to their other sister who decided not to join them on the porch because she had cooler 13-year old things to do. 

Slytherin watched her retreating figure before closing the door and twisting the lock in a flash. She exhaled slowly as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. 

“Finally,” she breathed out in a whisper as she uncapped the bottle, gently shaking it so that a couple of tablets spilled out onto her hand. She had never taken so much, and she knew that as she poked the contents with a finger. But she needed this. Her family—more specifically, her parents—were fucked up, and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t fix her father’s constant infidelity. She couldn’t control her mother’s temper. Hell, she couldn’t even take hold of her own life, for the white rectangular capsules held the reins, the power. And she would gladly let it take control. Just for a little while longer. 

Slytherin tossed the pills into her mouth and took a sip of water to ease them down her throat. She fell back onto her bed with her arms spread out on either side of her, forming a crooked ‘T’ shape. As she stared up at the ceiling, a blissful smile slid onto her face. 

She could see the stars again.

Comments and reblogs are a writer’s gold! 

MASTERLIST ; sometimes links don’t appear on posts. if you can’t see the link linked to “MASTERLIST”, the masterlist itself is pinned to the top of my blog. check it out if you haven’t already :D

Author’s note: HELLO AGAIN! I hope you enjoyed reading that. The story is dark and sad, so I will include some wholesome pictures to rid you of the lingering sadness that you might be feeling right now. 

you can probably tell that i’m a dog person lmao :’) I hope you are feeling better! I am not sure if I will turn this into a series; there is a chance I will because I will have to continue writing stories in english class for this character. i actually have another story for the character (her name is Faye) and idk if I should post it. Let me know if you want me to release it! 

Did anyone else feel slytherin vibes from... well, slytherin? Technically it’s Faye, but I changed the name for the purpose of posting. In my opinion, the slytherin in her is presented in the fact that she cares a lot about her sister, aka Hufflepuff, and slytherins typically care a lot about those close to them. it was also shown in the sense that she isolates herself, but then again, anyone can isolate themself, regardless of their hogwarts house. maybe im just overthinking this. After all, if I had changed the name from Faye to Hufflepuff, that could still work as well. 

In fact, I might even change the names sometimes, depending on what is happening in that moment. Faye is pansexual, and I was talking to my friend about the story, and she said maybe she’ll get a gf, so maybe ill keep Faye’s name as Slytherin and have Hufflepuff (DIFFERENT HUFFLEPUFF FROM THE LITTLE SISTER OF COURSE) be the girlfriend?? idk, we’ll see. 

Anyways, let me know what you thought of this fanfic. Should I do more like this, as in post my future works that arent actually related to harry potter but is set in the real world? 

OH GOSH BEFORE I FORGET, THANK YOU FOR 700!! I guess this will be my thank you present, because I like to write fanfics as a present whenever I hit a follower mark. I intended The Queen and The Dragon to be the thank-you present for 600, but we are well past that, and the fanfic is long overdue. I had planned to change the fanfic to “thank you for 700” but i plan on posting it near christmas, so i will consider it as a “MERRY CHRISTMAS, HERES A FANFIC:D”. 

As always, I appreciate you very very much. Thank you for reading this and being caring enough to do so. I appreciate that very very very much, and I am sending you some gucci vibes! It is currently 2:34 am and i should get some sleep. goodnight! love you all! BYE

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[a-duck-with-a-book]

REVIEW // Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff

★☆☆☆☆

So I’m very late to the party, but I just finished reading Nevernight by Jay Kristoff I had such high hopes for this series based off of what people recommending it had told me and what I read about it before picking up. Dark fantasy? Check. Strong leading lady? I’m here for it. Gays? It’s literally my only personality trait. Sign me up. Unfortunately, this book fell flat in all those categories. It reminded me a lot of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass, which made me take one point off of to begin with simply for making me think of Maas’s writing. Overall, I just found the book to be too predictable, with bad writing, exposition, and pacing, and too many parts that just made me ~uncomfortable~.

In case you are not familiar with this novel, Nevernight tells the story of Mia Corvere, a girl who lost her family when she was a child after her father was convicted of treason. When the book begins, she is 16 years old and embarking on a journey to join the Red Church, a school for assassins, so that she may one day be able to avenge her father’s death. Along the way she meets a bunch of forgettable characters whose names I can’t be bothered to remember and is taught by the most fearsome killers in the Republic. Here she gains many valuable skills, like how to survive being poisoned, how to fight, and how to get big boobs.

+ Side note: by chapter 3 three I started picturing Mia as the crow guy from RWBY and I could not shake that for the rest of the book

I had many issues with this novel that I will try to summarize in some sort of coherent fashion, but to be honest this book sucked the will to live out of me so I don’t know how much energy I can put into this review.

// image: official cover art by Jason Chan //

FOOTNOTES

The footnotes were probably the most jarring element of the book for me, and, unfortunately, there’s a lot of them. Their function seems to be twofold:

they are the form of most of the world-building, explaining several customs, the history of the institutions and peoples Mia meets, and the mythology followed by the people of the Republic.

they allow for the narrator of our story to interrupt with comical one-liners or cryptic foreshadowing

In my humble opinion, both of these are unnecessary and stupid. The interruptions come off as crass and immature and make the other more textbook, boring exposition come off as a joke, especially when it is dealing with sensitive or serious topics. There is one that explains this brothel called the Seven Flavors, which the footnote explains refer to “Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Pig, Horse, and, if sufficient notice and coin was given, Corpse.” Now, on its own, this passing mention of pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia could very well contribute to the world building and tone of the novel, but when placed side by side with the childish, joking tone of the “cue the violiiiiiiiins” or, regarding the acoustics of a room, “…they were, as it happens, exceptional. Falalalalalalaaaaaaaa”, come off as way too light-hearted for the topic at hand. Maybe I’m being way too sensitive, but I’m pretty tired of authors using serious topics as off-hand remarks as a lazy way to make their world daker and grittier. Plus, these footnotes were just so incredibly cringy that I would recoil from second-hand embarrassment every time. They resemble the things I wrote when I was 14 and trying (and miserably failing) to be funny. Also… there are way too many of them. While at first I appreciated the attempt to deepen the lore of the story (I’m a sucker for world-building), after a while it became evident that the author was just forcing information down our throats without taking the time to actually weave the lore and background into the story itself. It came off as a very lazy way to force exposition.

OVERLY FLOWERY LANGUAGE

This story is BRIMMING with similes and metaphors, like every other sentence is some overly complicated way to describe something that could have been presented in three words. When you include so many metaphors/similes/etc., they begin to lose power. They should allow the reader to extrapolate more meaning and emotion from a sentence, but if the book is bursting at the seams with them, they become increasingly ordinary, to the point of losing all of their luster. One prime example appears on page 30:

“It was a bucktoothed little shithole, and no mistake. Not the most miserable building in all creation. [here there is a footnote about some other inn/brothel] But if the inn were a man and you stumbled into him in a bar, you’d be forgiven for assuming he had—after agreeing enthusiastically to his wife’s request to bring another woman into their marriage bed—discovered his bride making up a pallet for him in the guest room.”

So first of all what the fuck is that supposed to mean? That whole paragraph is a fever dream. Let’s begin with “bucktoothed little shithole”. Bucktoothed? Really? What does that mean. Please, someone explain to be right now what a bucktoothed building is. Is it uneven? Is it awkward? Is it half-finished? Is one side longer than the other? Did they do a bad paint job that only covers on side? Are the windows askew? Is the door too big for its frame? We already know from the paragraph above that it is “disheveled” as well, so why the need for another weird phrasing of its appearance? We then move on to that whole JOURNEY of a sentence, where the inn is compared to a man being cuckolded. That is the most insane tale-can you imagine running into someone in a bar and that story being the VERY FIRST thing that runs through your mind??? I know I’m focusing way too much on this stupid paragraph, but basically what I am trying to get at is that even though we spend half a page talking about how bucktoothed and disheveled and cuckolded this building is, we get no actual physical description of it. Imagine if Kristoff had just written that it was a run-down, ill-kept building that looked as worse for wear as its owner did. Done, one sentence. Great. Let’s move on. Instead, we spend so long reading these absolutely batshit descriptions that ultimately tell us next to nothing. Flowery language is placed over actual context. You may think that a description this long and complex means that this inn is a significant or recurring setting in the novel. Nope. It’s not. Mia leaves and that’s that. The reason that I’m focusing so much on this objectively irrelevant paragraph is because it is so representative of the biggest issue I have with the writing in this book. There are so many unnecessary comparisons that function only to make the author feel clever rather than add anything to the story at all. It’s very à la 2010s Tumblr.

THE (IN MY OPINION, BAD) WRITING

For the first half of the book, we are constantly being TOLD things rather than being SHOWN things. With the exception of one of the teachers cutting off Mia’s arm, we rarely see the ruthlessness that the assassins are so feared for, but we hear about it in nearly every other sentence Where are the consequences? I think this book would have been way more enjoyable if there were actually consequences to the characters’ actions. The inclusion of the weaver and the weird vampire guy completely remove any tension regarding the fate of the central cast. When Mia had her arm chopped off, I was shocked, and pleasantly surprised. How was she going to overcome this unexpected obstacle in her training? Then a couple pages later, its reattached with absolutely no lasting consequences. All of the initial tension and shock value of the loss of Mia’s arm is entirely removed because of the two incest-y siblings. Their entire purpose for existing is just to undo all damage to the main characters. Then suddenly, out of the blue, Mia is willing to take on a ton of consequences and completely throw away her chance at becoming initiated in order to avenge her family just to save Tric from receiving like one punishment??? Like why?? As an aside, the only moment I truly enjoyed was when Ash fucking stabbed Tric to death. I assume that when the reader’s favorite moment is one of the central characters’ death, it does not bode well for their reception of the book.

THE THEMES

TW: rape-y subjects

The author seemed a little too keen to include rape and sexual assault in his story. Mia withdrew her consent in the sex scene in the very first chapter, and even if you read it as consensual (which I do not), it is described as incredibly unpleasant on her end. Tric is the result of a rape, which is brought up several times throughout the story. Further, Mia is constantly facing harassment from men. I understand that this is frames the idea that the world she lives in is misogynistic and ruthless, but there are other ways to push that idea through other than constantly putting in her in those situations. As in, this didn’t need to be the ONLY way we explored this subject. Beyond the uncomfortable propensity for sexual assault, I also very much disliked the sexualization of the 16-year-old main character. Oh. My. Gosh. Mia is CONSTANTLY sexualized. Every single damn character makes comments about her body, how hot she is, how much sex she potentially has. It is so weird and uncomfortable. I feel the need to reiterate that she is SIXTEEN. There is, however, a focus placed on the power Mia can gain from seducing her targets. Girl power? Not to me, really. The issue I have with this is the idea that a woman has to be overtly sexual in order to be considered powerful. This is something that we can see in many female assassins and supposedly powerful female characters in fiction (like Black Widow) especially those written by men. Now, there is nothing wrong with using one’s sexuality as a weapon, and I’m certainly not saying that a strong female character cannot be sexual, but the idea that a sixteen-year-old girl is shown having her body painfully modified tp be more desirable, and in a graphic sex scene with another character, in order to for the reader to read her as liberated and powerful does not sit well with me. I don’t really feel like this aspect of her training should be relevant to the overall story. I wish the time that Kristoff had dedicated to hammering into our heads that Mia is a femme fatale to developing her Darkin powers instead. The way she is written now feels more like she is a faux strong female character written for a male audience.

Secondly, Mia is fully written as “the plain-girl-who-is-actually-pretty”. This whole trope bothers me IMMENSELY. YA is full of girls who are described as plain, forgettable, or ugly while their physical descriptions are just the dictionary definition of conventionally attractive. It seems like a way to market off of girls’ self-consciousness while still being able to market the main character as a hot heroine in official art. And there is, of course, the issue of Mia’s boob job Readwithcindy (just “withcindy” now!) did a whole video about this so I won’t get into it much just to repeat what she already said, but I agree that the idea of a 30-something year old man including this completely unnecessary detail regarding the sexualization of teenage girl, who we have ALREADY seen in a rape and being sexualized by other men in the story, made me really, really, uncomfortable. I highly recommend you go watch her video, as she touches on this in way more detail. [Cindy's video

RATINGS

Worldbuilding: ★★☆☆☆

A lot of thought obviously went into the world-the mythology, society, and politics are well-thought out. But the way they are introduced is annoying and bland. It seems like the author put a lot of effort into constructing this world but realized a lot of it would be left out of the book, so he crammed it into footnotes instead.

Tone and writing style: ★☆☆☆☆ for first half, ★★★☆☆ for second half

The tone of the first half is all over the place, like it doesn’t know if it should be dark and gritty or comical and immature. Footnotes and character dialogue ranges from lighthearted and crass to seeped with themes of torture and sexual assault. It is jarring, to say the least, and often feels like the author doesn’t take these ideas of rape or violence seriously. There are so many instances where the scene is tense or gritty, and Kristoff is actually writing it pretty well, I’m enthralled and on the edge of my seat, and then Mia or some other character (or the footnotes) throw in some stupid comment or make the same “Mia is such an asshole lol” joke for the billionth time and completely ruin the mood of that scene. The second half of the book moved much faster and was helped with way better writing, but it really did not do enough to make up for the horrendous structure of the first half of the book.

Pacing and structure: ★☆☆☆☆

The first half of the book really drags on. Once we arrive at the school, there are constant jumps in timeline, marked with periods when a thousand things happen all at once and the plot moves forward at a dizzying rate, and others when the characters just seem to be going about their daily lessons.

Concept: ★★★☆☆

I found the overall idea of the books to be very interesting, even though it is certainly not the most original or unique concept for a YA fantasy book. The issue is that the potential is squandered with a poor execution.

Characters: ★☆☆☆☆

I truly did not care about any of the characters. The token mean girl, the bumbling nice-guy-who-is-definitely-the-love-interest. too many of the characters just sat nicely within their tropes, doing nothing much to pique my interests. I think my favorite overall was Mister Kindly.

[spideyanakin]

Wrist of Faith

Tom Holland x reader 

Author note; This is my first tom holland x reader so I hope you like it I don’t find it particularly good but 🥺🥺💕💕

Synopsis; (Based on the VERY OLD tik tok trend) On you’re 16th birthday you get the first words your soulmate will say to you.

🧚🏻‍♀️Masterlist 🧚🏻‍♀️

Everyone has a soulmate, it was just common knowledge. Everyone would wake up on their 16th birthday with a brand new tattoo on their wrist saying the first sentence you're soulmate will say to you. 

For some people, it took months to find them and maybe even years. You’d heard wonderful tales of how people found their soulmates in the most random moments. People say that when both of you said the first sentence to each other the words would illuminate and turn your favorite color. Some were lucky enough to be with their best friends, and some with strangers. to say almost of your friends had found their soulmates was an understatement. Really ALL your friends found their soulmates. For you, it had already been more than three years and no sign of life from him. 

It all started on the morning of your 16th birthday, you slowly shifted your sleeve and it showed 6 small words and comma all inn ink-black “Hi everyone, thank you for coming.”

You remember passing days on end wondering what these words meant. you passed nights making up weird scenarios in you’re head. You were sometimes scared that he could be a university or college teacher saying hi to the class in the morning, but you quickly pushed that idea way being almost sure he couldn’t be much older than you. 

That didn’t mean you lost hope. No, you were 100% sure you were going to meet him, you just hoped it was soon. 

“Honey, I'm home.” Your mom called getting you out of your thoughts. 

You closed you’re computer and walked to the living room. 

“Hi” 

“Hi” 

“How’s it like to be on holiday” She smiled. She knew very well you passed the entire day binge-watching Disney+ and Netflix. 

“Ha, fun. I got to watch all the high school musicals” You smiled brightly.

“Glad you're having fun.” She looked at you for a minute. “You want to come with me to work tomorrow? I think Jimmy is hosting Tom- Tom Holland, the spider-man guy. I mean it could be fun? No? Opportunity to Get you out of your room.” She smiled sheepishly 

You loved your mom’s work. She was part of the crew for the tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy was like a crazy uncle to you and you knew the show’s backstages like your pocket. Jimmy was an old family friend and when he started the show, your mother was looking for a job and the perfect opportunity was there. You got to meet some of you're idols such as Mark Hamill or even Will Smith, and plus you loved watching the crazy games he always made them do. 

But Tom Holland, you’d heard of him before. You never really paid attention to him or his movies. He was the brand new spider-man and you knew you’re best friend was crazy about him, which made her soulmate go crazy on jealousy. 

You quickly made a list of pros and cons to why and why not you should go. Would this Tom Holland break your Disney+ marathon? Yes. Would you get to see Jimmy and have a fun time? Maybe. Would you have a chance to meet your soulmate in the streets? Also maybe. 

“Sure, why not. I was going to start watching good luck charlie, but I guess that can wait.” you smiled, knowing well you had a 0.002%chance of meeting your soulmate. 

So the next day, you got dressed and hopped in the car to one of your favorite places on earth; the studio where they shoot the tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. 

Jimmy greeted you with the biggest hug and smile the second you stepped into his dressing room. You did the same and quickly flopped onto the couch in his dressing room.

“You staying backstage or going into the audience tonight?” Jimmy asked as he was fixing his tie. 

“Um... maybe ill go in the audience, haven’t been there in a while.” You smiled. 

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you has the makeup artist was finishing his make up. Soon enough the peace was broken by screams coming from outside. 

“And that’s Tom” he laughed. 

“I'm gonna go check it out” You laughed. You always loved seeing the crowds of fans cheering as celebs entered the studio. You went into the living room where a large window was open. 

You took a peek outside. You saw a handsome young man getting out of the car. You’d never pay attention to him before but you had to admit he was quite cute. His bright smile had you almost melt. He was waving to fans as he got into the building. He was cute, he seemed nice you now understood your friend.

“I'm going to go and sit in the audience,” You told jimmy as you made you’re way to the stands. You sat next to some fans and patiently waited for Jimmy to come out. As he did everyone was cheering and clapping.

He waved to the audience to sit. 

“Tom Holland everyone.” 

Soon enough, the celebrity you spotted a few minutes earlier came out and smiled at the crowd. He had a pretty dreamy smile you thought. But your heart dropped at his words 

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming, and. of course thank you for inviting me.” You felt like you were going to faint. Your heart was beating to fast for you’re liking. You tried calming yourself down but the cheers and the loud music didn’t help. So you quickly made your way to the public bathrooms in the main hallway. 

The first thing you remember doing is washing your face with cold water. You looked at your wrist in confusion and remember his words who were now immortalized by Jimmy’s cameras for the whole world to see. 

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming.”

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming.”

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming.”

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming,”

You whispered it to yourself at least 50 times before someone entered the bathroom getting you out of you're trans. Luckily for you, she didn’t pay attention to you and went directly in a stall. 

You took a deep breath before you stepped back into the stands. You felt calmer as you heard Jimmy ask questions to Tom. Before he answered Tom laughed, and you felt his laughter take you to the moon. Sure you hadn’t met him before but you were falling hard, was that what you felt when you met your soulmate? Starstruck? Light? Dizzy? 

You took in his features, his brown curls, his eyes, his jawline. He was cute. Very cute. 

Now when he laughed you laughed like the rest of the audience, you weren't as panicked as before, you felt calm and peace. 

The game that jimmy had him play was a game of “Pour It Out”. Easy enough the game consisted of 3 shots laid in front of each player, each shot came with a secret question, the player could either answer the question and take the shot or answer and reveal the question, but they had to reveal at least 1 question. 

Tom laughed as Jimmy explained the game. 

“Alright!” He clapped his hands together before gently removing the shot from its coaster. The audience fell silent as he read. The shot was white and had white decoration around the rim that looked like webs. 

“The shot is called, “Web shot” He laughed and Jimmy joined him. He smiled at the question and answered. 

“Not yet” He looked at the audience with a soft sad smile. 

“Can you reveal the question?”

“Yes, ‘did you find you’re soulmate yet’” he showed the card. 

“you didn’t? aw, I'm sure you will soon” Jimmy smiled, and he smiled as an answer. 

You were 99.99% sure you were soulmates now. You quietly laughed to yourself. 

The interview was soon over and the room fell quiet. You froze when you realize you had to face him. 

Were your first words to him marked on his wrist? 

You slowly entered the backstages and saw him, talking with you’re mom and Jimmy a cup of water in his hand. You smiled at the sight. 

“Y/N” You’re mom waved. You walked towards them.

“Tom this is Y/N, she’s like a daughter to me,” Jimmy explained to Tom as he reached for a handshake. 

“Hi, great show, hadn’t seen one in a while” You didn’t think twice before speaking to him, the words just seemed to flow out of your mouth as if you rehearsed these words a thousand times. These words felt simple, even stupid. But to Tom they were special. He froze in your handshake as you both felt warmth in your wrists, the black writing turned to white before it turned your favorite shade of f/c. You stared at each other for what felt like hours. 

“I- um” You cleared your throat breaking the moment. 

“What was that?” Jimmy asked laughing not understanding a bit of the situation. 

“Nothing um-” You scratched the back of your head not knowing where yo put yourself. 

“Yeah” Tom quietly laughed not knowing where to put himself either. 

Your mom quickly restarted a conversation with Jimmy. You and Tom nodded to everything thing they said. You kept eying each other every now and then. 

a few long minutes later your mom left and Jimmy too leaving you alone with your soulmate...

“Hi”

“Hi” 

“Are we going to talk about what happened?” he asked, desperate for answers.

“What?” You laughed. 

“I can’t be the only one who felt it” he laughed.

“No, you’re not.” You looked down at your wrist and laughed. 

“What was yours” he smiled.

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming.” you said trying to imitate his accent.

“I don’t speak like that” he pretended to be offended. You both laughed, taking in each other. 

“hi”

“hi” 

The day after you two first met you planned the perfect date, you kissed and the rest became history. 

[we-are-inevitable]

modern art // javid (ch. 1)

A/N: hi !! so some of you may remember an old songfic i did in march of last year, titled ‘modern art’ after the song “IDK You Yet” by Alexander 23. well, i’ve always thought that that one shot would work great as a stand alone fic, and here we are! i have ch. 1 edited and SO MUCH of it as changed- like, for example, the fic is a chapter fic now !! regardless, i hope you guys like this !!

WARNINGS: depression, anxiety, self-deprecation, past addiction, mentions of addiction, just general Bad Times- pls be mindful when reading !! it’s just very Not Happy rn ADDITIONAL INFO: all characters are in their mid-twenties in the fic. oh also this is probably important but it’s a soulmate au !!

Read On AO3!

tag list: @bound-for-santa-fe @wannabecowboypunk @shippingcannons @yahfancyclamwiththepurlinside @smallsies @deliciouspeachpirate @newsies-is-my-erster 

Jack doesn't know what’s going on with himself, but he knows that he could really use his soulmate right about now.

They’ve communicated before. Never verbally, and never enough to reveal who they were. Perhaps they are both just... dealing with some unspoken fears, dealing with the worry of rejection sitting heavy in their chests. Perhaps they both like this mystery- the uncertainty that came with the notes scrawled across their bodies in a handwriting that isn’t their own.

Or perhaps they just aren’t ready to take the plunge. To grow up and face the harsh fact that, as soon as they meet, wherever and whenever that may be, a new chapter of their life will unfold. Consume them. Change anything and everything they’ve ever known or held dear.

They had been braver when they were children, that much was true. Jack remembers staying up late often, writing notes on his skin and watching in awe as the replies appeared. He remembers the giddy rush of trying to quickly wash off the ink on his wrist when they ran out of space to talk, and, oh, how they talked. There were school days when Jack would go to class exhausted, feeling like he’d been walking through quicksand for miles on end, but all of it had been worth it. The exhaustion he felt had been worth being able to talk to them until two, three, four in the morning. Sometimes he regretted it, of course, but only because it was harder for him to focus in class. Never because he was upset at them.

He could never be upset with them.

Even now, Jack remembers a lot about his soulmate. They liked music. They knew how to play the piano. They were into a few video games, even some that Jack had never played, and said that they always tried carrying a book with them wherever they went. Jack remembers that, as a younger kid, they liked Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, but also liked analyzing Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe and a bunch of other fancy authors that Jack had never even heard of. They were intimidatingly smart, and sometimes, would carefully correct Jack’s grammar whenever he misspelled a word or something- but they were never mean about it, they were just… there. A steady presence that he could count on.

Fifteen year old Jack dreamed of finding them one day. But now, twenty-five year old Jack is losing hope.

He can’t exactly help it. For starters, he and his soulmate haven’t communicated in… well, shit, it had to be nearly a year. Maybe nine months or so, but there’s no way to tell for sure, and even then, their conversations since reaching adulthood have been dull, for lack of a better word. A few positive comments here, a ‘have a good day’ there- it’s all so mundane, and neither of them can be blamed for it. They both have busy lives- or, well, Jack does, at least. His job as a graphic designer is hard enough on its own, but the added pressure of doing freelance work and commissions on the side has been eating away at him for weeks, coupled with debilitating self-doubt and lack of motivation for… anything.

Saying that he’s overwhelmed is the understatement of the century.

There is always another design, another client, another meeting, another deadline, another sleepless night as he stares at a blank canvas and prays for a spark of inspiration from whatever God is listening. Usually his inspiration comes from the world around him- his friends, city life, even the quiet confines of his apartment, but right now... Jack is stuck. He had holed himself up in his room days ago, trying and failing to get out of bed every morning when the time came to work- and thank God that the majority of his work could be done from home. His boss was understanding, too, to an extent.

Still, though, there’s a constant heavy weight on his chest that prevents him from moving most days, and he’s lucky if he even gets up long enough to shower or eat or do literally anything aside from lie in silence and count the cracks in his ceiling.

Nothing had happened to him recently to bring this on, from what he can tell. Jack has always been the happy-go-lucky leader, the man with a plan, the guy who always knew just what to say to motivate others into doing the best thing for themselves, but when that responsibility is reflected back onto himself, Jack feels helpless. There are words waiting to be said, sketches waiting to be drawn, designs waiting to be sent to clients… yet Jack lies there, motionless in his room for three days before he even has the energy, the willpower, to pull back his curtains and allow the sunlight to shine through. There is so much he wants to do, so much he needs to do, but he can't bring himself to do any of it.

In all twenty-five years of his life, through all of the things he’s been through, the ups and downs and foster homes and graduations and birthdays and funerals and therapists and rehab facilities and whatever the fuck else life decided to throw at him, Jack has never felt so worthless, so… lonely. His closest friends are all moving on with their lives. Many have already found their soulmate, have settled down and hidden their rowdy, rambunctious pasts behind skeletons in a closet. They’d all gotten their adventures done and over with in high school and college, and most are moving onto bigger and better things in life. They have careers. Families. Some have children, others have pets, a few have an insane amount of plants to care for.

All have seemingly left Jack behind in the dust.

No one told him when to flip the switch.

No one told him when he had aged out of adventure.

Now, they would never say it, but Jack knows. He knows. Saturday hangouts and trips to the bar had been replaced by Sunday church services and playdates for the kids. Rather than hearing yelling from his living room after his friends had all been teetering just on the edge between tipsy and fucked up, Jack hears the news, and documentaries, and podcasts, and the ghosts of a past life that he still seemed to be desperately clinging on to.

Katherine had been the one to tell him that he needed to grow up, though she didn’t put it in such a blunt manner. No, she’s just.... gently urging him to find a bigger apartment, or buy matching furniture from a place that is not a thrift store, or purchase dishes that weren’t of the plastic Walmart brand. She says it was because she wants to see him in a more professional, "adulty" lifestyle, but he knows it’s really because she can see that he’s a mess.

Deep down, Jack knows she’s right. She’s always right.

He just can’t help but feel cemented in place, dreaming of the past while dreading the new future ahead of him.

Jack never asked to feel so broken for no reason. All of the hope and optimism he had felt as a teenager was gone, lost in a sea of uncertain plans and shitty jobs and bill extensions and canvases dropped onto the floor with no rhyme or reason. And, yes, maybe Jack would look dramatic to someone who didn’t know his situation, but Jack knows what dramatic feels like. Dramatic feels like watching his best friend, Charlie, belt onstage in front of a backdrop that he helped create for the school play. Dramatic feels like laughing at the top of his lungs while walking through a random gas station at two in the morning, joined by Race and Al, all while higher than a kite. Dramatic feels like driving to the outskirts of the city with Katherine, climbing onto the roof of an old building and screaming about all of their stress, their anxiety, their insecurities, just to have some form of emotional release.

Dramatic doesn’t feel like sadness. It’s not supposed to.

Not for Jack.

He had been so… so happy, as a teenager. Proud and defiant and carefree. He was the kind of guy to skate and smoke weed in Central Park until midnight and take a math test at eight in the morning the next day. He was the kid who stood on a table in the cafeteria and came out as bisexual to everyone around him, just because of a dumbass bet that he didn’t even get paid for. He was the boy who wasn’t at all good in an academic sense, but who always knew how to talk himself out of trouble, who always came up with the most ridiculous- or most believable- lies to cover his ass when he needed it, who was always the class favorite, the teacher’s pet without meaning to be.

Jack had felt on top of the world back then, but now he’s struggling to even get off of the ground. The longer time goes on, the more lost Jack feels inside his own life. He feels like something was missing, something big. Something bigger than himself.

When his mother was alive, which now felt like lifetimes ago, she would often echo this old wives’ tale about how it’s best to find your soulmate while you’re younger, just to save them- and yourself- the pain of being alone for a long time. Jack had always kind of believed her; logically, he knew it was true, but he had always told himself that it wouldn’t happen to him. That he would be fine alone, though it wouldn’t be ideal, and that he would have plenty of time for soulmates after he got out and made a name for himself.

He’s starting to think, though, that maybe she was right. Maybe Jack had waited too long to make a move, to make contact again, because now, he just feels nauseous even thinking about it.

Don’t get him wrong, he knows the negative effects of self deprecation and not taking his own mental health seriously, he’s been to rehab before, blah, blah, blah, but, fuck, how could he put his soulmate through something like this? This fucked up state of mind he has now. Jack can’t even imagine talking to Katherine about this, and Katherine had been his best friend for over a decade. He can’t just meet his soulmate now- it’s been too long, he’s too messed up, they won’t like him, they’ll hate him for not trying hard enough, and Jack will just end up alone again, wasting away in his bedroom because no one fucking cares. No one cares. He has nobody.

That’s not true. He has Medda, his mom, his savior, his impulse control, but the thought of telling her that everything is acting up again makes him want to scream. He has Tony, but Tony has Al, and Tony and Al have a kid- a sweet little five year old girl who calls Jack ‘Uncle Jackie’ and takes no shit from anyone. He has Katherine, but Katherine has her soulmate- this dude named Darcy, who Jack doesn’t have much of an opinion on because they just met, like, a month ago, and Jack hasn’t exactly been emotionally ready for a hangout session between the three of them. He also has Charlie, and Charlie has certainly seen him in worse times- like when Jack was kind of hooked on pills for the entirety their freshman year of college- but Charlie has grad school to worry about and Charlie would hate him if he bothered him with this.

Still, there are other people who would listen, probably. He could easily talk to Elmer, or Romeo, or Specs, or Jojo or Finch or Sean or a fucking therapist but that’s just it, isn’t it? If he talks, he burdens, and Jack Francisco Kelly would rather run himself into the ground than be a burden anyone.

So, he makes a vow.

He makes eye contact with his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He’s gripping onto the sink, holding on for dear life, as he stares into his own sunken eyes. He takes in his appearance. Damp, messy hair, falling down to cover his forehead. Pale skin, which isn’t normal at all. Dark circles have taken their place around his eyes, and his smile- one of his favorite things about himself- is… nonexistent.

Distantly, Jack registers himself dumping a full bottle of ibuprofen into the sink. And then, he does the same thing with the bottle of melatonin from his medicine cabinet. The valium follows. He lets the water run for a long time. It's not that he doesn't trust himself- he'd done so, so good in rehab, and he doesn't even feel urges that often anymore- but it's better safe than sorry, especially since he's like... this.

This is not the Jack Kelly he’s used to anymore. This is not the Jack Kelly he wants to be.

But this Jack Kelly is the one who vows not to reach out. The one who vows to only answer when his soulmate is ready, and maybe not even then.

He doesn’t have to wait long, though.

Not when a heart appears on the back of his hand the next morning.

It’s there when Jack wakes up, and, honestly, it almost brings Jack to tears- but not necessarily for happy reasons. Sure, Jack wants to be happy. Who wouldn’t be happy after seeing something like this? A lopsided heart drawn in red ink, right on the back of his left hand- it was the definition of a symbol, of a romantic gesture, and Jack wants so badly to write back, to strike up conversation, to draw a goddamn heart, but… he can’t.

He can’t, and that’s horrible of him, and he knows it.

Right now, though… Jack can’t even work up the courage, the energy, to call his mom.

His soulmate, whoever they are, is going to have to wait.

[beneaththetangles]

Seven AU Spinoffs I’d Rather Watch Than the New Oregairu OVA

Oregairu fans erupted over the recent news that a new OVA was on the way, to be bundled with the game for season three of the series. To tell the truth, I’m not completely sure what the OVA will be about. Will it follow the others and cover light novel material that didn’t make it into the TV season? Will it be original? Or will it adapt the newly written material from Watari, which has been derided by some as a harem cash-grab? I don’t know, and though I will watch it, I’m don’t really care much where the story goes. It’s run it’s course. I’d much rather having something more original, like say, a spinoff series.

Below are seven ideas for spinoffs from Oregairu. Most, however, are not traditional ones—they’re more like alternate universe series, taking the same characters and in varying degrees, their backgrounds and relationships, and placing them in new situations. I would die to get even one of these. Watari-sensei and all you folks that make anime happen, are you listening?

Ahem, anyway. Let’s get started:

Free Kick! — The Hayama series

Hayato Hayama is the most popular kid in school—athletic, smart, conscientious, and rich. In fact, his parents are pushing him toward taking over the family business (a conglomerate), and expect their always-respectful son to accept that he’ll need to drop out of soccer in preparation. But this time, he’s not going to be “Everybody’s Hayato.” Supported by his best friend, the outlandish and clueless Tobe, irascible team manager Iroha, tennis ace and love interest Miura, and a brand new cast of characters, Hayato is going to try to make his dreams come true by reaching nationals and going pro. And if that sounds trite, it’s not—everything is on the line, thanks to his frenemy (and another possible love interest?), Haruno, who brokers a deal with Hayato’s parents—win the entire championship, or drop soccer and his friends forever.

I’m a Fujoshi (But I Don’t Want These Boys to Kiss) — The Ebina series

Hina Ebina is free! Out of the bonds of having to “play a role” in high school, she’s happy about her college life, where she can show the world her love for all things yaoi, beginning by joining the anime club. And things are progressing perfectly, as she finds that the club is full of hot guys, and she’s been named vice president, behind only the mysterious and rarely sighted club president. So, basically, she has free reign to make it the yaoi hangout of her dreams! But things go haywire the very next day when Ebina discovers that the beautiful boys have sabotaged her, leaving her on the hook for their misdeeds as they branch off into a different club, leaving Ebina to clean up the trash with only a group of slovenly, male misfits. Can she turn the club around, keep track of these otaku members, and realize her yaoi-est of dreams? It could be that all these goals are connected to that mysterious president…

Iroha and Komachi: Junior Star☆Detectives

Bonded by their mutual love for the latter’s brother, Iroha and Komachi can’t otherwise stand each other. Iroha is a little too manipulative and worldly for Komachi’s tastes, and Komachi is too “real” and no-nonsense for Iroha. But when chance brings the two together to track down a cat-napper, and they successfully do so to the tune of a 50,000 yen reward, the pair decide that their mutual strengths outweigh their differences, and start a detective agency! Aided by the surprising wisdom of the gentle tennis student athlete, Totsuka and the gumption of over-eager Taishi, and under the guidance of the kind but sharp Meguri-sempai, the two will take any case, from the most mundane to those that stretch their wits and put them in utmost peril—as long as they get back before closing time and their coffee and macaron sandwich.

Great Teacher Hiratsuka (GTH)

Shizuka Hiratsuka’s life is starting to spiral. As she transitions to a new school, she’s grieving about leaving her most recent group of students, with whom she was particularly close, and at a recent wedding is once again reminded that she’s virtually the last of her group of college friends who remains single. Not to mention that her new school is the roughest of the roughest, a place with the lowest graduation rates in the country and renowned for gang violence, reflected in how the study body treats her car on the first day of class. When it seems that she’s about to explode (or at least get drunk…again), she finally meets the school principal—a certain blonde (with hair still obviously dyed…it should be gray by now), and in the most unexpected of ways, finds the motivation to teach this group of lost cause kids and maybe once again find a meaning in her own life that’s not connected to her relationship status.—though it seems that good things sometimes come to those who wait.

My Middle School Life is Miserable, As I Expected — The Rumi series

Rumi Tsurumi’s middle school life was supposed to be better than elementary, she thought. She tried, she really did, but once again found herself on the outside looking in. But that’s how it is, she realized. I’m just a loner and don’t really want to be a part of all this meaningless chatter and those fragile relationships anyway, which is precisely when the unthinkable happens—the most popular boy in school confesses to her! As predicted, it’s a cruel joke, but what happens next wasn’t something Rumi could foretell: A tough, quiet boy and goofy, talkative girl from her class, people whose names she barely knew, stand up for her. Could it be that a new school life is on the horizon? Well, with the weirdos being attracted to this new group of friends, it’ll still be miserable, as expected. Also featuring Orimoto, because why not (preach!), this series is a true spin-off of the original.

Rewriting Myself as the Protagonist Hero in Another World! — The Zaimokuza / Saki series

College did not go well for Yoshiteru Zaimokuza. Failing the creative writing class he assumed he would ace, ridiculed by fellow anime club members, and otherwise not fitting at all into university life, he dropped out after just one semester. Now, the only time Zaimokuza goes out is to eat at his favorite ramen place where a former classmate, Saki Kawasaki, works while putting herself through school. On the way home from dinner one day, the unthinkable (actually totally thinkable) happens when Zaimokuza is hit by a bus, and awakens in a fantasy land that seems strangely like his light novel draft. However, this protagonist wakes up back in his own world—it seems his rather large body absorbed the bus’ blow and he survived. But now, every time he completes another chapter, Zaimokuza returns to the alternate world, though things aren’t exactly as he had planned due to some inconsistencies in his writing, and rules have started to come into place that don’t make this quite a fairy land (it also seems to be missing the heroine character he wrote). When Saki picks up the novel that he leaves behind, she finds herself also dragged into the world, one that she wants no part of.

From Sky to Heart — The Yui series

Yui Yuigahama is Miss Popular, but she’s not happy. Everything seems so fake—most of all, as the only boy in the school who throws shade at her states, her. While walking home one day, she chases a funny looking rodent into a field where she begins to fall…upward, finding herself in a world full of anthropomorphic animals, with the rodent offering her a chance to make her life into “something genuine.” Yui takes it and finds herself in a world of adventure where she’s able to free humans and creatures alike from the physical manifestations of maladies that are haunting them. And as she finds meaning in her life, Yui also develop real friendships with other fighters that have their own tales, and finds one boy particular in romantic pursuit of her, though that mean boy from real life? He likes the changes he’s seeing in her, too. Hopefully, Yui can keep these lives separate…it’s not like boy #1 is going to transfer into school with her and boy #2, right? Right?

=====

If you want to watch the real Oregairu, it’s currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The light novel from which its adapted, My Youth Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, is available through Yen Press.

[writingwithcolor]

Find your next diverse read! (WWC Reader Publications)

We asked you to tell us about your publications to have it featured on our page, so here we are! These are the ten (10) books submitted to us written by Writing With Color readers. Thank you for sharing your lovely diverse works. Folks who missed out on this shout-out or haven’t had their works released just yet, look out for more submit requests in the future! 

Book Titles 

The Apprentice Sorceress

Change of Address

Eight Secret Nights

Firebreed

Illusive: Need vs Want

Inspired

The Language of Flowers

Rescues and the Rhyssa

The Sleeping Seer

The Unlikely Tale of the Royal Elite Squad

Book Descriptions

Title: The Apprentice Sorceress

Author: E.D. Walker | @beth-a-saurus

Series: Yes. Stand-alone Series.

Buy: Amazon | Goodreads

Premise: A lady would never practice magic…until now. Using magic could destroy her reputation, but denying her powers could get her killed.

Themes/Elements: Orphans, nobility, fake relationship, a ball

Main Character (MC) Race/Ethnicity: Mixed Race - Black and White

Other Diversity: Trans boy love interest

Title: Change of Address

Author: Jordan Brock | @anauthorandherservicedog

Series: No

Buy: Goodreads | Amazon 

Premise: Disabled veteran Michael Baldwin retreats to his family’s vacation home with his service dog, Kaylee, intending to rebuild his life without giving in to his father’s political ambitions. On his first day there, he discovers the local bagel shop – and proprietor Josh Goldberg. Letting someone in is a tall order for two men who can’t trust themselves, but if they have any hope of a future together, that’s exactly what they’ll need to do.

Themes/Elements: Romance

MC Background: Michael (white), Josh (white, Jewish, adopted, ownvoices)

Other Diversity: Queer (gay, bisexual), Jewish family (ownvoices), mental illness (PTSD, anxiety, service dog, ownvoices; also aphasia and dyslexia), physical disability (traumatic brain injury), weight (fat character, insecurity but no fat-shaming, ownvoices)

Title: Eight Secret Nights (short story)

Author: Shoshana David | @rosefyrefyre

Series:  No

Buy: Books 2 Read

Premise: Someone’s been leaving Hanukkah presents on Mara’s doorstep.  Sweet presents – thoughtful presents.  Hopefully her secret admirer is the cute guy who moved in next door and not the creep from 7A.

Themes/Elements: Romance, Secret Admirer, Hanukkah

MC Background: Jewish, White

Title: Firebreed

Author: Aviendha Rounds | @lady-of-the-summer-court

Series: Yes

Buy: Amazon

Premise: The twins Amber and Ember find themselves thrust into a world on the brink of civil war.

Themes/Elements: Young adult, War, coming of age, super rad sword fights, fantasy and sci fi

MC Race: Filipino

Other Characters: Japanese, African American, Mexican

Other Diversity: LGBT characters, mental illness

Title: Illusive: Need vs Want (Novella)

Author: By Celeste-Marie Lyon @celeste-marie-lyon

Series: Book 1 in The Illusive Series (Book 2 is available also)

Buy: Amazon | Nook | Smashwords

Premise: Alyssa was on a well-deserved vacation when she met the lead singer of Djed. The two hit it off immediately but is there more to their attraction? Will Alyssa let down her guard and give Marcu a chance? There may be something stronger than chemistry drawing them together.

Themes/Elements: Romance, Erotica

MC Race: Black

R/E Others: White/Sicilian, Asian

Title: Inspired

Author: Danielle E. Shipley | @outlawsofavalon

Series: Yes; 2 novels, 1 flash fic, and 1 journal published, so far.

Buy: Amazon

Premise: An author’s sudden death means her characters need to find a replacement writer to be their home and tell their stories. 16-year-old Annabelle could be just what they’re looking for. …if she can put in the work to one exacting muse’s satisfaction.

Themes/Elements: The art of writing; imaginary friends; multiple planes of realty; stories within stories

MC Race: Annabelle = African American

Other Characters: Apart from Annabelle and her family, no human* races/ethnicities are specified (*fantastic races like light elemental and cat god, though present and hella awesome, don’t count)

Other Diversity: Both Annabelle and character Uri identify as asexual

Title: The Language of Flowers

Author: Christina Rose Andrews | @christinaroseandrews

Series: No

Buy: Books2Read

Premise: Afghanistan vet and new teacher, Cole Visser, never expected to find himself teaching at his old high school. Which is why when he runs into his old college girlfriend, Zara, and her cute-as-a-button daughter, Angelica, Cole’s life turns on its head. How is he going to reconcile his feelings for the one who got away while trying to build a relationship with his newly discovered daughter?

Themes/Elements: Romance, Second Chance Romance, Teachers

MC Race: White

Other Characters: Hispanic/White Bi-racial.

Other Diversity: LGBTQIA+, disability, mental illness, etc.) Main character is an amputee with PTSD, Love Interest has Depression

Title: Rescues and the Rhyssa

Author: TS Porter | @ts-porter

Series: No

Buy: Goodreads

Premise: Cadan is the king of Nidum star system’s favorite weapon, and his beloved cousin. Her sometimes-lover and main annoyance Sophi captains a smuggler ship. When the king’s children are kidnapped, Cadan knows only Sophi has the skills to help her get them back before full war breaks out.

Themes/Elements: Lesbians IN SPACE, aliens, antagonistic relationship to romance, family both found and blood, love in many permutations

MC Race: Black

Other Races: Chinese diaspora

Other Diversity: Lesbians, Trans characters, Disabled characters, Nonbinary characters, Muslim characters, Polyamorous characters

Title: The Sleeping Seer

Author: Morgan Blue Malory | @morganbluemalory

Series: Yes

Buy: Amazon

Premise: Siblings Luke and Ellie Kakiro are the last surviving members of an ancient line of seers. Armed only with their late mother’s journal to teach them control over a perilous and oftentimes forbidden gift, the two become the target of complex hidden societies and forces not entirely human. Entangled with Lilith, a complicated woman trapped in the modern world and on the run from the same enemies, and aided by Viper Insane, an all-women street-racing gang, the Kakiro siblings journey across the country—and sometimes between worlds—in search of the secrets behind their mother’s research.

Themes/Elements: modern fantasy, magic & tarot, family, the first generation experience, mental illness worsened/complicated by magic, moral dilemmas, society, girl gangs

MC Race: Mixed - Puerto Rican, White, and Middle Eastern/North African Diaspora

Other Characters: Colombian, Mixed - White, Middle Eastern/North African Diaspora

Other Diversity: Bisexual main character, LGBTQIA+ major secondary characters; mentally ill main character & major secondary character

Title: The Unlikely Tale of the Royal Elite Squad

Author: D.A. Alston | @da-alston

Series: Yes

Buy:  Amazon | Character Artwork 

Premise: It’s a coming of age tale about 4 young and very different girls who get paired together for a science fair project. Something goes wrong and they end up blowing up their school. The series follows them afterwards as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives, manage new friendships, juggle school, maneuver through family drama all while discovering new abilities.

Themes/Elements: Superhero, Friendship, Diversity, Life skills

MC Race: Cuban/Puerto Rican , African American , Caucasian , and Pakistani

Other Characters: Creole

Other Diversity: Muslim, Plus size

If you enjoy any of these books, let us know here so the author can see! Also please leave a review on goodreads, amazon, etc. 

WWC Reader Publications - Spring 2019

[tokumusume]

tokumusume’s list of best and worst movies and dramas watched in 2019:

There’s a new category this year. Inspired by kpopalypse, welcome the Honorable Mentions! Movies that weren’t exactly bad but also weren’t good. Movies and dramas are qualified to enter if I watched them for the first time this year, not that they were released this year. Click on ‘keep reading’~~

Best Movies:

1.      Parasite

Another masterpiece from the director of Snowpiercer (let’s pretend Okja never existed). A poor family con their way to a rich household. Choi Woo-Shik from The Witch (see below) is the eldest son and mastermind, fabulous as always. Definitely the best movie of this year. For me, movie of the decade.

2.      The Witch Part 1 The Subversion

This movie is amazing, hard to describe without spoilers. A perfect mix of Stranger Things and Hanna. Choi Woo-Shik can come to my house and kick my ass anytime. I can’t wait for part two.

3.      Death Trance

Visually stunning, kinda like Amemiya Keita’s style in early Garo or Mad Max. I wish the movie was longer and the characters were better fleshed out, Ryuen the monk and the little girl had so much potential... The most interesting thing about this movie is how sexualized the main male character is compared to the female ones, and apparently, the swords were designed to look like veiny penises (can’t find a source for this info), and yes, they do look like veiny penises. The final showdown is heavy with sexual energy. Have I already said that Ryuen deserved better? #RyuenRights

4.      Gintama 2: Rules are made to be broken

The barber shop scene is a fucking cinematic masterpiece. I never laughed so much like I did with this movie. The way it doesn’t take itself seriously, the meta jokes, everything is perfect. Even better than the first one.

5.      Kingdom

While I think that some fight scenes were way too long (like the bamboo forest one), the dynamics between Shin and Hyou/Eisei were highly entertaining, at least in my shipper eyes. I like that (SPOILER) the King of the Mountain People is a woman and not once they try to call her Queen. She is a King. Hashimoto Kanna is adorable as a Ten, Kanata Hongo does a great job as Eisei’s psycho brother, Sakaguchi Tak waves his sword around, the usual stuff but with added layers of dirt and sweat.

6.      Bravestorm

A movie I lovingly call “Japanese Pacific Rim”. Full of Kamen Rider stars (Hino Eiji! Misuzawa Haruka! That girl from Heisei Generations, the one with a sword! She has a sword in this as well!) and giant robots (god, I love giant robots!), I waited so much for this movie and it exceeded my expectations. I just wish I could’ve watched in theaters, it had a limited showing in my country.

7.      Twelve Suicidal Children

What begins as a murder mystery ends with a twist you won’t see coming. All of the actors are amazing, but special mention to Sugisaki Hana and that guy from that one boy group I forgot the name but can’t be bothered to Google.

8.      Gakkou Gurashi

Four girls and their teacher try to survive the zombie apocalypse trapped inside the school. This one destroyed me for days.

9.      Forest of Love

I’ve watched some Sono Sion movies but nothing prepared me for this. Be aware of extremely gory sequences and sensitive topics. Hinami Kyoko is so amazing as blue-haired, punk girl crush Taeko that I totally didn’t notice she was AkibaBlue in Akibaranger.

10.  The Host

After watching Parasite I decided to go on a Bong Joon Ho binge and watched this horror movie. Not as good as Snowpiercer and Parasite in my opinion but heart-wrenching nevertheless. The little girl is the star of the movie.

11.  The Hungry Lion

A story about the dangers of social media and slut-shaming. I want to punch Mizuishi Atom in the face.

12.  Cromartie High

A little absurd comedy about yakuza-style high school boys (played by middle-aged men lol) forming a club to battle aliens summoned by themselves just because. It made me laugh like a child. A hidden gem.

Honorable Mentions:

1.      River’s Edge

Depressing as fuck. Warning: the cats die. It’s not graphic but it’s traumatizing. Yoshizawa Ryo is a gay boy who sleeps with old men for money. There’s a graphic sex scene (not Yoshizawa, sadly) where my only thought was “That thing is gonna get stuck in there! Use a condom!” Can’t remember much from it except for these three scenes.

2.      The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Yamazaki Kento has the acting chops of a dead fish but it comes handy for playing a teen with psychic abilities and zero social skills. Hashimoto Kanna is one of the prettiest girls in Japan. Yoshizawa Ryo with white and blueish hair looks more like Sakata Gintoki than Oguri Shun in the Gintama live action. The end is a huge let down but the fun ride is worth it.

3.      Ano ko no, Toriko

Congratulations to Yoshizawa Ryo, he has FIVE movies in my list of favorite movies this year! This is to make up for crowning GIVER as the biggest waste of time of 2018, this list is totally not biased, lol. “Ano ko” could be just another romance movie but the (very) little insight into how the entertainment industry works and not focusing on school life made me love it. Poor Sugino Yosuke being left behind again, when will this boy get the main girl?

4.      Monstrum

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it’s pleasant enough to fill a rainy afternoon with a lot of blood and spilled guts. Hyeri of Girl’s Day is the heroine and Choi Woo Shik is the commander she falls in love with.

5.      Weirdo Go

I confess I watched this one just to see Ji Li (aka my snake son Nie Huaisang) dressed as a woman but it was enjoyable and not that problematic.

6.      Real - Kanzen Naru Kubinagaryu no Hi

Directed by the same guy that did “Creepy” and “Before we vanish”, there are lots of twists you won’t see coming. And a dinosaur. A fucking dinosaur.

7.      Tomodachi Game: The Final

The movie loses its focus halfway through then picks up again minutes before ending. Yoshizawa Ryo delivers again as the sadistic Yuuichi, much like his role in Gintama. The plot twists are the star of the movie.

8.     The Living Dead

Sorry Wen Ning. I saw the plot twist coming in the first 30 minutes of the movie, not very smart of the writer. His personality did a 180° turn for worse and I’ll demote the movie to an honorable mention for it. Gao Han is cute though, I would like to see him as a better character.

9.      Backstreet Girls

Some recycled scenes from the drama to situate the viewers, a completely new story for the movie, it is certainly funny and enjoyable, if you can get past the forced gender reassignment surgery background and transphobic jokes (you shouldn’t get past it btw). I like the soundtrack.

Best Dramas:

1.      The Untamed

Do I need to say more?

2.      The Tale of Nokdu

This Korean romance had everything to be a mess but it wasn’t!!! *claps* I don’t hate the main female character and the whole palace politics actually kept me interested until the end. The complete shift of atmosphere mid-season was strange at first but ultimately very welcomed.

3.      The Naked Director

Netflix original Japanese content is amazing. This one is a look at the life of a legendary porn director in the late 80s, I learned a lot about the history of Japanese porn and censorship (yay pixels!) and went looking for his, erm, works. Very graphic, 69/10 don’t recommend watching with people in the house.

4.      Channel wa Sonomama!

I don’t remember it well but it’s about a news station and what is like to be a journalist and it was very interesting and funny.

5.      SCAMS

Forgettable. Sugino Yosuke with black hair cons old people via phone calls.

Worst Movies and Dramas:

1.      The cat in their arms

The cats spend 90% of the movie in human forms, and halfway through it they simply abandon the cats’ plot to show a fucking long montage of a weird guy painting a picture of a nude girl. It’s also super creepy to see a grown-up man acting like a cat, getting belly rubs and eating cat food from a bowl. Yoshizawa needs to choose his roles more wisely.

2.      Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

A waste of Suda Masaki’s talent. Can Japan stop casting Tsuchiya Tao already?

3.      Samurai Marathon

Almost two hours of dirty men running through a forest. Maybe Japanese History experts will enjoy it, because I certainly didn’t.

4.      Lady Vengeance

While there are legit great moments, I didn’t find this “classic” to be anything special. The animal cruelty was too much for me.

5.      Hot Gimmick

This movie makes Bohemian Rhapsody’s editing look like a work of art. There are more flashing cuts than a T-ARA music video. I have no idea who likes who, who’s banging who, what even are they saying. Too much poetic shit for my like. I wanted to see Shimizu Hiroya naked. I was bamboozled.

6.      The Divine Fury

While some parts were interesting, at the end I still don’t know if the protagonist is possessed by a demon (if yes, then why would he help a priest destroy his friends?) or if he was blessed by God when his father died and talked to him (the glowing hand thing, why and how??). The exorcism parts are really, really scary, or maybe I’m just a chicken, but I had to avert my eyes. The best (only) part is that the protagonists are hot. Hello Woo Do-Hwan, you can sacrifice me to Satan any time…

[silenthillmutual]

Danganronpa 1 & 2 characters as High School “recommended reading” books I actually read

Makoto Naegi

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee when i read it: 5th grade for fun, 10th grade for English class did i like it? well enough yeah content warnings: thematic & period-typical racism, ableism, and sexism about: Recounts a summer in which Scout and her brother, Jem, watch their lawyer father defend a black man accused of raping a white woman in the south while balancing raising them alone. Other stuff happens, but that’s the most important plot thread.

Sayaka Maizono

Medea by Euripides when i read it: i don’t remember, maybe 9th for drama, 12th for English? did i like it? yep! content warnings: child murder, infidelity, some pretty brutal other character deaths, sexism about: Medea, who has sacrificed everything to be with her husband - even committed treason - has been left by the man so he can move on to woo and wed a princess. And she loses her shit.

Leon Kuwata

The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain when i read it: 11th grade did i like it? yeah! content warnings: thematic & period-typical racism (use of the n-word), domestic abuse, classism iirc? about: After his abusive dad comes back and demands money under the threat of death, Huck Finn runs away with a fugitive slave down the Mississippi River. Being Mark Twain, it’s a comedy, although Huck’s father is genuinely kind of frightening and his friendship with Jim is kind of heartwarming.

Chihiro Fujisaki

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley when i read it: 10th grade for fun, 12th grade & freshman year of college for class did i like it? I’ve got mixed feelings; i love the book, hate most peoples’ interpretations of it. content warnings: character death, incest (depending on the version of the novel you read), unethical doctors, neglectful parents about: Thinking he knows better than literally anyone else he’s ever met, Victor Frankenstein decides it’s his birthright to play god. He robs graves to build the perfect body, and then, once he’s successful, flips his shit and refuses to acknowledge any part he played in the creation, wrecking the lives of like everyone he knows.

Mondo Oowada

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton when i read it: like 6th or 7th grade, for fun did i like it? i loved it! content warnings: abuse, thematic classism, character death about: Honestly the most obvious choice to make for Mondo. Ponyboy Curits, a greaser, recounts the last few months of his life in which, after being repeatedly harassed and then nearly killed by gang of rich kids, his friend Johnny stabs one to death. In order to keep Johnny out of prison and Ponyboy out of a boys’ home, the two run away. Considering Ponyboy is also being raised by an older brother, this totally fits Mondo.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

King Lear by William Shakespeare when i read it: twice in college (discliamer: as an english major i had to taken an entire course on shakespeare, so he shows up a lot here between that and having done theatre) did i like it? no content warnings: a surprising amount of gore for a stage play, including a guy getting his eyes gouged out and someone getting beheaded iirc about: The king’s getting up in years, so he’s hoping he can drop the workload off onto his three daughters while remaining the figurehead. His youngest, Cordelia, who he loves best, refuses to kiss his ass by saying that he’ll still have power over her once she’s married, and this pisses him off so he disinherits her. Then her sisters, annoyed with their father and his favoritism, decide that with Cordelia out of the way they can now do basically whatever they want and determine to make his life hell. Since he named them Goneril and Regan, I don’t blame them.

Hifumi Yamada

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer when i read it: college, but i wanna say i read some of the stories in it for English classes in high school? did i like it? some of the stories i did yeah content warnings: varies from story to story, but i remember unsanitary, drunkenness, and infidelity about: The overarching “plot” as such is that a group of people are making a pilgrimage to Canterbury, and decide that to pass the time they will tell two stories each. Each story is told in-character, and whoever tells the best story has to...buy everybody dinner, or something? I don’t really recall. It’s a comedy, but it’s also unfinished because Chaucer bit off way more than he could chew.

Celes Ludenberg

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe when i read it: 11th grade did i like it? probably, i’m a fan of Poe content warnings: drunkenness, murder about: This one got memetic on tumblr for a while, but essentially this guy decides to get revenge on an old friend of his for some kind of sleight by getting him drunk during Carnival, leading him into the basement, and burying him alive. Poe isn’t one to go soft.

Sakura Oogami

“A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? no content warnings: objectification, something akin to torture about: A family finds an old man with wings lying face-down on the ground and decide to keep him like a pet. People see him and assume he is an animal, and the family decides to start charging admission like their own private sideshow, while onlookers abuse him. One of those extra depressing stories that makes you wonder why the hell you had to read it for class.

Mukuro Ikusaba

The Crucible by Arthur Miller when i read it: the first time, probably in 6th or 7th grade, and then several more times after that for a variety of other classes. it’s a theatre and English class staple.  did i like it? when taken in context, yes. but i’m also fucking sick of reading it. content warnings: infidelity, paranoia bait, period-typical racism & sexism (takes place during the Salem Witch Trials) about: The plot is a witch hunt, in which a girl who had an affair with a married man claims to have been taken over by the spirit of the devil and that all her friends and a variety of other townsfolk have too. It follows the trials as they try to determine who is and is not guilty, who will repent for their sins, and thematically is about puritanical hysteria. It’s about the Red Scare of the 50s, surveillance, the Hollywood Blacklist, propaganda, and tyrannical government. Naturally, teachers fail to provide any context for the play that actually makes it relevant or interesting. Compare to modern day callout/cancel culture. 

Kyouko Kirigiri

12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose when i read it: 10th grade (although i’d already seen the movie) did i like it? yes content warnings: thematic classism & xenophobia about: The jury of a case in which a teenager is accused of murder convene to determine their verdict. All but one man believe him to be guilty. The rest of the play covers his attempts to sway his other jurors into at least casting aside their prejudices to view the case impartially.

Byakuya Togami

The Federalist Papers when i read it: summer before 12th grade for AP Gov. yikes. did i like it? oh god no. i had to have my lawyer dad explain it to me. content warnings: legalese and it’s boring as fuck about: i mean it’s just a bunch of essays to promote ratifying the the constitution. I don’t even remember if we read all of them. that’s how bad my retention of the subject is.

Toko Fukawa

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? kind of? content warnings: bugs, emotional abuse, depression about: A man awakens one day to find he has transformed into a giant cockroach. It’s a metaphor for his depression and what a burden he feels like to his family. If you read anything about Kafka’s life, you’ll understand why he was depressed.

Aoi Asahina

Hamlet by William Shakespeare when i read it: i’ve forgotten when my first time was because i’ve had to read it so constantly. if i had to wager a guess, i’d say middle school, though i’ve read it for fun, for drama class, and for English class. did i like it? yes content warnings: character death, suicidal ideation, incest vibes (depending on your interpretation) about: Hamlet, not over the early death of his father, is enraged that his mother has married his uncle. He’s really bringing everyone else down about it, and then he starts to see his father’s ghost on top of it all. No one’s sure if he’s just mad with grief or if the ghost is for real, but he starts making life for everyone else difficult when he decides to try and expose his uncle as his father’s murderer.

Yasuhiro Hagakure

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller when i read it: 10th grade i think? did i like it? if i believed in book-burning, this would’ve been the first turned to ash in my trashcan content warnings: infidelity, mediocre white men with narcissism, suicide, not sure what else about: An aging father who thinks he was robbed of success by circumstances refuses to face facts that he is a loser by projecting his failures onto a son that now hates him and thinking real big of himself for a wash-out.

Junko Enoshima

Othello by William Shakespeare when i read it: college did i like it? it’s my favorite Shakepseare play, actually! content warnings: thematic racism/xenophobia/Islamophobia, domestic abuse, character death about: A tragedy centering around the planned downfall of Othello, Moor of Venice. He’s relatively well-respected for his heroics and generally being a pretty cool guy, but for whatever reason, Iago wants to see him suffer. And when I say “for whatever reason” - it’s because Iago never gives a consistent one, but at the end he admits the entire thing has been his orchestration and he’s had no issue exploiting peoples’ bigotry as a means to an end. One popular and pretty text-evident theory is that Iago is in love with Othello. But - causing a ruckus, bringing society to its knees, and torturing a man just for shits n giggles? Getting it all done by sheer power of charisma? That’s all Junko ever does.

Monokuma

1984 by George Orwell when i read it: 10th grade for fun, 12th grade for class did i like it? yes but i don’t recommend it. i like tedious shit. content warnings: paranoia bait, sexual themes, torture, probably other stuff i’m forgetting about: Classic dystopia lit in which the government controls the flow of information to the degree of creating its own language (”newspeak”) to explain the technology used to survey its citizens and distill history-changing propaganda. Especially relevant in an era of “fake news.” Where Big Brother Is Watching comes from. Extremely difficult to get into.

Hajime Hinata

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck  when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? yeah content warnings: ableism, implied domestic abuse, character death, animal death, era-typical sexism (1930s) about: Very desolate and depressing novella about the futility of the American Dream to “make something of yourself”. Two farmhands, Lennie and George, arrive at a California farm seeking employment. They just want to earn enough money to open up a farm of their own - a rabbit farm - and things are all downhill from there. Well-written and one of Steinbeck’s shorter works.

Twogami

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald when i read it: 11th grade did i like it? yes! i loved it. but in the way that you love sleazy tabloid rag stories. content warnings: infidelity, car accidents, character death about: Stupidly rich people in New York in the 1920s being fake as hell. It’s about excess and decadence and the idea of having a rags-to-riches story, and it’s very homoerotic.

Teruteru Hanamura

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? one of my top faves tbh content warnings: alcoholism & drug usage, thematic classism & racism (ie that’s the point), sexual themes, violence, non-graphic suicide (like literally the last sentence), character deaths about: You know how 1984 is a very pessimistic dystopia about government surveillance? Brave New World is like “what if everything was a utopia because of government interference?” It’s easier to get into than 1984. It’s about a man from the upper echelon of society discovering the dirty secret of how society is able to able to function the way it does, an outsider into his world to shake things up.

Mahiru Koizumi

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen when i read it: i dunno, summer between 9th and 10th grade maybe? did i like it? yes! i loved it. content warnings: there are a couple of guys who are sort of gross but there’s nothing that bad in it about: An upper-middle class family - more the mother than the father - trying to marry off the eldest of their five daughters. It’s largely character-driven and most of the plot focuses on Jane’s relationship with Bingley, Elizabeth’s relationship with Darcy, and the problems witch judging people based on first impressions.

Peko Pekoyama

Call of the Wild by Jack London when i read it: 9th grade did i like it? fuck no content warnings: graphic animal violence. if there’s other stuff i forgot because i fucking hated this book. about: I think it’s something like a dog getting lost in Alaska and has to learn to be a wolf in order to survive? It’s incredibly brutal and is one of those media where just reading it makes you feel cold. 

Hiyoko Saionji

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? not really content warnings: man i don’t know, but it’s by Tennessee Williams so there’s probably alcoholism, daddy issues, and homophobia about: An overbearing mother embarrasses her son and disabled daughter when an old school friend comes to visit...I’m not sure if there’s more of a plot to it than that. Like most Williams works, it’s largely character-driven.

Ibuki Mioda

If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino when i read it: college did i like it? this is one of those rare exceptions in books where i read it, because i remember having a visceral reaction to it, but i can not for the life of me remember a single damn thing about it other than how stupidly difficult it was to read.  content warnings: it’s metaficiton. about: You are the protagonist. I genuinely can’t explain anymore than that.

Mikan Tsumiki

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams when i read it: 9th grade did i like it? not really, but i’d be willing to reread it content warnings: domestic abuse, rape about: Unstable Blanche DuBois goes to visit her sister, Stella, and meets her appalling husband Stanley. All Tennessee Williams plays seem to have a theme of family tragedy in them, with this being probably the most bleak example. 

Nekomaru Nidai

The Odyssey by Homer when i read it: 9th grade, then again in college for a classics class did i like it? yeah content warnings: your usual classical Greek-variety nonsense, including character death, infidelity, and partying. about: Odysseus attempts to make his way back home after the Trojan War, and has a time of it. Having pissed off Poseidon he’s gotten off-course and gotten lost another ten years, and had a whole slew of other adventures trying to make it back home and save his wife from the harassment she’s been getting since his disappearance.

Gundham Tanaka

The Tempest by William Shakespeare when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? not especially content warnings: thematic colonialism & racism...not sure what else but it’s hard as fuck to read. try reading it out loud & acting along to it. about: I didn’t totally get it but there’s something about a wizard having been banished and now people are coming back to find him for some reason? the people who exiled him & his brother & daughter have crash-landed on his island and now he might get his revenge. Thanks, TVTropes! All I remember is discussing in one class about how The Tempest managed to predict the “finding” of America and how the English would treat the native peoples. It’s a “romance”, which in that day and age meant it was about magic. Influenced some science fiction works like Brave New World (the title of which comes from a line spoken by Miranda). I should probably reread it.

Nagito Komaeda

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger when i read it: 8th grade for fun did i like it? yeah content warnings: implied pedophilia. i’m sure there’s other stuff but i don’t remember it well enough. about: Perennial troublemaker Holden Caulfield is kicked out of boarding school, and takes a hell of a long time getting home from the place as he complains about his declining mental state, hypocrisy, and loss of innocence. It’s one of those books you either really love or really hate, and has been repeatedly challenged because Holden swears too much and might be bisexual.

Chiaki Nanami

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw when i read it: 12th grade, i think did i like it? yes content warnings: classism about: A linguistics professor makes a bet with a friend that he can take any lower-class citizen and teach them to speak formal English, well enough to pass them off as aristocracy to other rich people. It’s the plot upon which the musical My Fair Lady is based, although it was intended as a deconstruction of the kind of plot whose trope it now codifies.

Sonia Nevermind

“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl when i read it: 10th grade did i like it? yeah! content warnings: infidelity, character death about: A guy comes home and tells his heavily pregnant wife that he’s been having an affair, and he’s leaving her. She doesn’t take it well. I won’t spoil the rest of it, as it’s a short story, but it’s fun to keep in mind that it’s be the same guy who wrote classics such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Kazuichi Souda

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare when i read it: 8th grade for a book report and then again in....i don’t know. i’ve had to read it a lot. did i like it? sure, it’s got some pretty great insults content warnings: men being douchebags including stalker-y behavior, and a woman falls in love with a man who has a donkey’s head (it doesn’t last) about: Hermia & Lysander are planning to run away to get married because Hermia’s father doesn’t approve of Lysander, and she’s trying to dodge the affections of Demetrius - the man to whom she has been betrothed, because he’s an ass who, among other things, slept with her friend Helena and then ditched her. Which Helena is still hung up on, even though he’s a gross creep. At the same time, a group of actors are trying to get together a play for an upcoming royal wedding, and the King of the Faeries is trying to win back his wife. This all connects because a faerie decides to fuck around.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier when i read it: college, for an independent study did i like it? yeah content warnings: graphic violence, i think some homophobia? about: Kids and staff at a private school take a candy sale way too damn seriously. There’s basically a mafia at the school and some sort of weird popularity contest and hazing going on. 

Akane Owari

“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell when i read it: 9th grade did i like it? i guess so content warnings: human hunting about: A man finds himself shipwrecked on an island, and is then hunted for sport. No, really.

Monomi

East of Eden by John Steinbeck when i read it: technically i’m in the middle of it right now, but that counts, right? did i like it? so far, i guess i do, but it’s mainly i care character who comes up later. couldn’t give less of a shit about adam trask, full offense content warnings: period-typical sexism & racism (set around the turn of the 20th century and published in 1952), implied pedophilia (that gets incredibly glossed over), ableism about: A combination of heavy-handed religious allegory (Steinbeck really just can’t cool it with the Cain and Abel theme naming) and family tree history. Follows the Trask family through Adam’s childhood, tumultuous relationship with his brother, even worse relationship with his wife, and horrible parenting of his children. The end (which is what the film adaptation covers) is more centered on his son Cal Trask grappling with the idea that he might be evil because of his genetics, or something. I think that’s an argument you could make of Monomi, being related to Monokuma (or at least, how i’m sure she’d feel).

[iicewitch]

☕ real boy

a playlist for @stevenrcgers​ link to playlist: here tracklist and favorite lyrics below

1. blood, sweat and tears - bts   Peaches and cream, sweeter than sweet Chocolate cheeks and chocolate wings But your wings are wings of the devil In front of your sweet is bitter bitter 2. brainchild - everything everything A good thing Now you think about it, don't you make it real? The bad thing, maybe it's a feeling I don't want to feel But love is all you need to know But love is all you need to know

3. dumb dumb - red velvet

Like a mannequin Everything is so awkward I should just act like I do normally But whenever I see you, I act so stupid Like my little brother’s robot Everything is so awkward What do I do? I think I’m broken I forgot even how to breathe 4. the zombie song - stephanie mabey And I'd try not to bite and infect you because I'd respect you too much And that's why I'd wait until we got married Oh, and our happiest days would be spent Picking off all your friends and they'd see A love this deep won't stay buried

5. real boy -  lola blanc Every time we touch your hands are colder, colder There's no beating coming from your wooden chest Frozen grin, a mannequin When I get closer I can see the strings there underneath your vest 6. who do you want to be ? - oingo boingo Who do you want to be today? Who do you want to be? I think I'll be a teddy boy, I think I'll be a hunk I think I'll be a tough guy and I think I'll be a punk I might just be a fashion star all dressed in frilly rags Or perhaps, I'll cross the other side and walk around in drag! 7. under my skin - jukebox the ghost I can fit two people under my skin Yeah, I can fit two people under my skin And I will prove it if you will listen You crawled up in there, you joined me within I can feel your heart beating under my skin And the beating of your heart is making me bleed from within 8. mr. capgras encounters a secondhand vanity: tulpamancer's prosopagnosia - will wood and the tapeworms Damn, I thought you’re not your imposter. You’re so sure you’re not gonna get caught! Dead in your own skin, but you didn’t choose what you were born in! And another man in your repertoire, ready in your head and fed upon your memoirs Still the same rules apply from the birthday to the mourning What you feel and what you do; are those things really you? And if not, then what is?  9. breaking out - the protomen If you can hear my voice outside these walls (If you can hear me) If you can hear me sending out this message tonight Then break the silence, send a signal back (If you can hear me) I'm coming, all I need is a little guiding light...

10. roaring 20s - panic at the disco Maybe I'm overjoyed, maybe I'm paranoid Designer me up in straight jackets My tell-tale heart's a hammer in my chest Cut me a silk-tied tourniquet This is my roaring, roaring 20's 11. evelyn evelyn - evelyn evelyn We grew up closer than most Closer than anything, closer than anything Shared our bed and wore the same clothes Talked about everything, spoke about so many things 12. looking glass - the birthday massacre A boyish notion of false emotion These words are spoken despite my love A fool's devotion was set in motion My eyes are open now

13. play dead - the birthday massacre Thinking hurts and thoughts don't rhyme To those of us who've never tried To find a face behind our lipstick smiles And as our pretty faces die Our broken hearts will wonder why The makeup just won't hide the scars of time 14. lets fall in love - mother mother There's a game in the world A little bit of cat and mouse With the boys and the girls And if I had to ante up I'd bet on the birds 'Cause they don't have to walk around With the boys and the girls 15. o my heart - mother mother And I pour my heart a new foundation But it don't set hard it just stays shaking And I scratch my name I scratch my name in But it don't set hard it gets mixed back in Oh my heart, it's a fish out of water  16. body - mother mother Take my teeth, tear through my cheeks And take the nose go and dispose Oh would you go dispose, just go dispose 'Cause I've grown tired of this body A cumbersome and heavy body 

17. touch up - mother mother I am a makeover queen A swan out of duckling Ugly duckling you're drowning In makeup (in makeup) My makeup (my makeup) Has washed off 18. roman holiday - nicki minaj Take your medication, Roman Take a short vacation, Roman, you'll be okay You need to know your station, Roman Some alterations on your clothes and your brain

19. replicant - they might be giants You've got his eyes Same exact smile All that he has All this will be yours  20. happy days - GHOST Oh, it’s painful My heart is quite a mouthful I’ll tear it out for you I’ll be the sacrifice for you Y’know, things could go exactly how you want it I’d be exactly how you want me Use what’s left of my soiled personality I’m all yours, I’ll do anything 21. girls on film - duran duran 'Cause the crowd all love pulling dolly by the hair By the hair And she wonders how she ever got here As she goes under again Girls on film (two minutes later) Girls on film Girls on film (got your picture) Girls on film  22. nobody - mitski And I know no one will save me I'm just asking for a kiss Give me one good movie kiss And I'll be alright Nobody, nobody, nobody 

23. TT - twice I feel like crying, I don’t feel like myself This isn’t like me at all I love you so much Think I’m all grown up now I’m free to make my own choices, but why Why can’t I have it my way The more I try to push you away The more I’m drawn and attracted to you baby 24. in every dream home a heartache - roxy music Your skin is like vinyl The perfect companion You float my new pool De luxe and delightful Inflatable doll My role is to serve you Disposable darling Can't throw you away now 25. the moss - cosmo sheldrake But have you heard the story of the rabbit in the moon? Or the cow that hopped the planets while straddling a spoon Or she, who leapt up mountains, while whistling up a tune And swapped her songs with swallows while riding on a broom 26. green - todrick hall Green! Is a way of life And the millions would kill to see their name up in the lights For the green is okay tonight But be careful what you wish Because you might get what you like 27. guy.exe - superfruit Oh I, wish I could synthesize a picture perfect guy Oh I, oh I Six feet tall and super strong, we'd always get along Alright, alright Oh, he'd pick me up at eight and not a minute late Cause I don't like to wait, no Kind and ain't afraid to cry or treat his momma right 28. the dismemberment song - blue da kid  Well once upon a time that's where the clock begins And right after the end Well, that's right where the plot thins And I've got no angel to keep me in line! So I'm taking your narrative and I'm making it mine! 29. me!me!me! - teddyloid I’ve worked hard for myself - What have you done for yourself? When you notice the scattered pieces of the mirror You’ll realize I wanted you to notice Is this still going on? Is this still happening? Even though I’d been waiting for you Even though I loved you 30. alone together - fall out boy My heart is like a stallion, they love it more when it's broken Do you wanna feel beautiful, do you wanna, yeah I'm outside the door, invite me in So we can go back and play pretend 31. get busy living or get busy dying - fall out boy This has been said so many times that I'm not sure if it matters But we never stood a chance And I'm not sure if it matters If you are the shores, I am the waves begging for big moons I'm mailing letters to addresses in a ghost town  32. hi it’s me - ashnikko When I'm with you I have amnesia, I'm weaker than before My stupid brain thinks that I need you, I'm eager to hurt more My best friend thinks that I'm a dumbass My dumbass should be a little more cautious I slip up, I text you, I forget That you were so so disrespectful 33. i’m poppy - poppy Welcome to the new world, I'm your internet girl Open up and you'll see, everyone is happy I like your technology, can you put it on me? The future is so pretty, we're living in harmony 34. idola no circus - neru Come, let’s dance all night in our naked bodies We know, we know your true nature Again putting on a fake face, You’re just like a pierrot ! It’s time to put a mask, a mask On your unsociable faced 35. shine - casey lee williams But baby, it's time to make up your mind I think that tonight is when our stars align Honey, it's time to leave the doubt behind Take my hand 'cause you and I are gonna shine 36. one thing - casey lee williams I was nowhere, I had no one, I felt nothing Lost without a voice and on my own Then a candle's flame brought a brand new name But now you've stolen everything And I'm all alone 37. sweetest cure - hugo What the hell am I s'posed to be Choose a world over me Sitting pretty in my mess On the phone I can't confess Word's out somehow You're the sweetest cure I never got to tell you 38. bang bang bang bang - sohodolls Teacher says that I've been naughty I must learn to concentrate But the girls they pull my hair And with the boys I can't relate Daddy says I'm good for nothing Mama says that it's from him Manic sister thinks I'm cracking Brother says it's in my genes 39. helpless - phillipa soo One week later I'm writin' a letter nightly Now my life gets better Every letter that you write me I'm helpless! He's mine, that boy is mine! Look into your eyes And the sky's the limit, I'm Helpless! Helpless! Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em 40. lifeboat - laurence o’ keefe Everyone's pushing Everyone's fighting Storms are approaching There's nowhere to hide If I say the wrong thing Or I wear the wrong outfit They'll throw me right over the side 41. chase the morning - sarah brightman In you is a world of promise We have both been kept in bondage But you can learn from all my failures Let your life be your dream Integrity, honesty, its too late for me Don't look back till your free to chase the morning 42. no reason - leslie kritzer Everything, everything happens for a reason Be a beacon of light in the world Put a little "alright" in the world There are spiritual guides above Look up and see 'em Perception is reality Just listen to the melody the universe sings 'Cause everything, everything happens for a reason 43. i love play rehearsal - stephanie hsu I love play rehearsal 'Cause you are equiped with directions and text Life is easy in rehearsal You follow a script so you know what comes next Anywho, the point that I'm getting to Is sometimes life can't work out in the way It works out in the play 44. your song - elton john And you can tell everybody this is your song It may be quite simple but now that it's done I hope you don't mind I hope you don't mind That I put down in words How wonderful life is while you're in the world 45. the party goes with you - lindsay mendez And when we're dancing nose to nose Darling do you suppose, darling do you suppose This party could be just us two, and I your wife? Oh, oh, the gayest party, sad but true It's true The party goes with you The party goes with you 46. half jack - dresden dolls It's half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong You'll notice something funny if you hang around here for too Long ago in some black hole before they had these pills to take it back I'm half Jill and half Jack 47. the secret - pierces Got a secret Can you keep it? Swear, this one you'll save Better lock it in your pocket Takin' this one to the grave If I show you, then I know you Won't tell what I said 'Cause two can keep a secret If one of them is dead 48.  connect - claris My heart awakes in order to depict the future Even if I come to a halt on a tough road The beautiful blue sky always waits for me Therefore I'm not afraid I won't be disheartened anymore no matter what happens 49. simple and clean - hikaru utada Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning Is a little later on Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all Nothing's like before 50. mountains - message to bears  And we could run away Before the light of day You know we always could The mountains say, the mountains say And we could run away Before the light of day You know we always could The mountains say, the mountains say

[soundofseventeen]

Cinderella (Joshua Hong)

Here is part 1 for the series! I hope you enjoy them! I of course had to start with my favorite fairy tale, because why not? 

Master List

*Fairy Tale*

“So, how is the fair maiden enjoying the evening?” Joshua asked, walking around the castle gardens, step in step with you. You never imagined this when you came tonight, simply just wanting a night to yourself to have fun. The whole evening almost didn’t happen when your Fairy Godmother showed up and performed a little magic, turning you into a princess of your own. Granted, you weren’t a princess, but you sure felt like you could be.

“She is. Is the kind gentleman enjoying the evening as well?” You asked, nudging his arm with your elbow. He let out a shining smile, one you almost didn’t believe was real. Whoever this guy was, he sure was pretty damn charming.

“He is, very much.” He replied, looking around the gardens. “I never imagined tonight would go like this. I thought it would be like every other ball I’ve been to.”

“So you’ve been to multiple?” You looked at him, and he nodded his head.

“Oh yes. They’re all the same though. Fairly boring. Unless some other of my friends are there, then something chaotic is bound to happen. Otherwise, just…” He looked over at you, watching him as he talked. “...They’re never like this.”

“Well, I’m glad I could change your view.” You smiled, looking around the gardens.

“You must have been to several yourself?” He asked, and you started to shake your head, realizing he gestured to your dress.

“Oh… Well, not really. My family doesn’t really do the… Royal… ball thing…” You laughed, thankful that Joshua laughed as well. “Technically I wasn’t even going to come.”

“So why did you?” You thought about your answer for a second, trying to figure out what a usual response would be.

“Well, I thought it would be a fun experience. A nice night off. Plus it’s always interesting to try and see the prince. He’s practically a myth.” You added on, causing Joshua to raise an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” He chuckled, causing you to roll your eyes.

“But alas, that shall have to wait for another day. I have yet to even see the prince here, and at this point it would take a miracle to run into him.” You commented, causing Joshua to blush.

“I think the odds are in your favor with this one.” This time you laughed, turning to look at him.

“And what exactly do you mean by… Is that the time?” You said, spotting the clock tower behind Joshua’s head. He gave you a confused look, looking back at the tower himself.

“Yes? Why, do you have somewhere to be?” He joked as you started to panic.

“Yes, actually. I’m so sorry, but I need to leave.” You started to run back towards the castle, stopping and running back to Joshua, who was frozen confused. “Thank you for tonight. I don’t think I could have had a better time if I actually met the prince. I loved everything.” You said, then turning and running away again. Joshua stood frozen in place, trying to figure out what just happened, before turning and running after you.

*Today*

“Miss Y/N, I can’t figure out this problem.” One of your students said, pointing to a math problem.

“Okay, let’s figure this out…” You said, looking over the work they already did. You offered suggestions, eventually leading to the correct answer. The student thanked you, walking back to their desk. You smiled, continuing to grade some homework. Soon the bell rang, causing small chaos in your room as students packed up their bags to go to their next class.

You leaned back and sighed in your chair, finally hitting your free period. You stretched your arms above your head, not noticing your coworker practically skipping into your room.

“Did you hear?” You opened your eyes, sighing at her.

“Hear what?”

“We have a new teacher.” She said, sitting on your desk.

“Oh? Another one for you to flirt with constantly?” You teased, poking her leg.

“Hey, he will eventually fall for my charms.” She said, pointing at you.

“I still don’t know why you want to go out with him so bad. Minghao has shown literally negative interest in you.” You shook your head, and she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. New. Teacher. Fresh. Meat.” She said, emphasizing each word.

“You’re gross.” You said, smirking at her and looking back at your papers.

“I’m just saying… You’re single… He might be single… If I can get Hao to date me, we could double date…”

“You know, I have a lot of grading to do.” She rolled her eyes, and you rested your head on your hand. “And I imagine you do too?”

“But it’s all projects…” She whined, and you sighed.

“Hey, you picked to be a science teacher.” She stuck her tongue out and walked out of your classroom, finally leaving you in peace.

You continued to grade assignments, slowly starting to hum. You smiled to yourself, realizing you were humming that song from Cinderella, shaking your head at yourself. You looked up at the door, seeing no one in the hallway, and then at the clock, seeing that there was still about 20 minutes until the next bell rang. You started to outwardly sing as you graded, smiling to yourself.

You looked up as someone knocked at your door, eyes going wide at the guy standing in your doorway, smiling at you.

“Oh, I’m so sorry…” You said, standing up as he walked in. “Uhm… Can I help you with something?”

“Not really, I was just looking for you. I wanted to come introduce myself.” He said, smiling at you. “I’m Joshua, I’m the new English teacher.”

*Fairy Tale*

“So you spent the entire evening with a girl, she suddenly fled a little before midnight, and you couldn’t catch her, only finding her shoe?” Seokmin asked, looking at his friend.

“Yep.” Joshua said simply, looking at the glass slipper in his hand, trying to figure out exactly who his mystery princess was.

“And you have no idea who she was or where she was from?” Jeonghan asked from the other side, looking between Seokmin and Joshua.

“Nope.” Joshua sighed, setting the slipper down and standing up. “I’ve never seen her before in my life. Trust me, I would remember her if I had.”

“Yeah, that seems about right.” Seokmin commented, shaking his head. The three sat in silence for a couple seconds, when Seokmin stood up suddenly. “I have an idea!”

“Please share?” Jeonghan said, staring at Seokmin with wide eyes. Joshua stared at him as well, curious as to where this was going.

“You have her shoe!” Seokmin said, as if that answered all of their questions.

“...Yes, that is true?” Joshua furrowed his eyebrows, still confused.

“You make an announcement that you have the shoe, then ask her to come and try it on! If it fits, it’s her!” Jeonghan and Joshua stared at Seokmin, not fully following his logic.

“Do you realize how many girls in this kingdom would fit in that shoe?” Jeonghan said, half laughing. “Besides, I thought she was a princess.”

“Part of me thinks she wasn’t. I don’t know, there was just something about her that wasn’t… I don’t think she’s a royal…” Joshua said, thinking over Seokmin’s idea.

“Well, that doesn’t solve the fact that multiple girls in the kingdom could have that shoe size.” Jeonghan countered.

“Josh, you remember what she looked like, right?” Joshua nodded his head. “Then it’ll be easy! Once he sees her, he’ll know!”

“Why don’t you just ask your father? Or the Grand Duke? Surely they would be able to help you.”

“Because if she’s not a princess, they won’t approve.” Joshua said, looking at the shoe. “I’m gonna do it.” Seokmin cheered and Jeonghan sighed.

“Okay, well I have to go anyway. Fortunately, I know where my princess is. Good luck buddy.” Jeonghan patted Joshua’s shoulder.

“I still can’t believe you’re making her do all the wedding planning.” Seokmin shook his head, teasing his friend, who gave him a look that showed it worked. “How can you just sit while she does all that work? It’s exhausting enough for two people.”

“Once again, she won’t let me help! She wants to plan the whole thing herself. I’ve thrown thousands of parties, why won’t she let me help with this one!” Jeonghan whined, causing the other two boys to laugh.

“Probably because you keep referring to your wedding as a party.” Joshua laughed, suddenly excited about his new plan.

*Today*

“You’re Joshua?” You said, staring at the slightly (very) attractive man standing in your doorway.

“Yes. Today’s my first day, actually.” He said, walking up to your desk.

“Well, welcome.” You smiled, walking around your desk to shake his hand. “I hope you can feel at home here.”

“Thank you, I hope so too.” He grinned, taking his hand away from yours.

“So you were looking for me, then?” You asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, the secretary at the front desk said you were one of the best teachers here. I thought you could maybe give me some tips. I’ve never actually taught before…” He admitted, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course! I’d be happy to help you. We can meet up for lunch if you’d like. I’ll try to get one of the other teachers to come too. He’s the art teacher here, and he’s been here forever.”

“That would be amazing, thank you.” He looked at the clock, sighing. “Well, I shall continue my rounds of introducing myself. I’ll see you in an hour then.” You waved as he walked out of your classroom, then stopped in the doorway.

“Yes?” You asked, already humored by him.

“It’s just… Have we met before?” He asked, and you looked at him.

“Uhm… I don’t believe so?” You laughed, and he looked at you a second more, then shrugged.

“My mistake. I’ll see you at lunch.” He smiled, officially leaving the room. You tilted your own head, now wondering if you did know him from somewhere. The ringing bell brought you back to reality as students entered your room.

*Fairy Tale*

“How was the ball girls?” You asked your step sisters, pretending to clean some dishes. You managed to make it home just before them, thankful that your dress had turned back to its original shape. Despite your breathing from running, you had no signs that you left the house. Well, aside from the glass slipper you still had.

“Awful.” One of your step sisters said, pouting as she fell into a chair.

“We barely even got to see the prince, let alone get him to fall in love with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You said, thinking instead about the kind gentleman you met rather than listening to them.

“We only saw him at the very beginning, and then at the end.”

“It was crazy, it was almost like he was chasing after someone at the end of the ball.”

“What?” You asked, that part striking something in your brain.

“Yeah, he was chasing some princess just before midnight. She must have turned him down or something. What a pity.” Your step sister continued to pout.

“He did?” You looked at them, both giving you confused looks. “I’m just… I’m curious. You know, since I missed the whole thing.” You gave a half explanation, which seemed to satisfy them.

“Yes. We didn’t even really see her though. Whoever she was, she managed to worm her way into his heart rather quickly.”

“Gorgeous dress though.” One sighed, daydreaming.

“Oh my gosh…” You said, connecting pieces.

“Apparently he found one of her shoes. Can’t be that rich of a princess if she can’t even afford shoes that fit.”

“Excuse me.” You said, standing up to leave the room. You heard your step sisters start to whisper about you, but you couldn’t be minded with that.

You just spent the night swooning the prince.

*Today*

“So, Joshua,” Minghao started, looking at your new coworker. “Where did you teach before this?”

“Oh, I actually didn’t. I graduated a while ago, but I hadn’t been able to find a job anywhere. I was actually shocked when they offered me this one.” He laughed, looking between you and Minghao.

“Interesting. We’ve been looking for an English teacher for a while. I wonder how you never found this before.” Joshua shrugged.

“Who knows. I got a call this morning asking if I could come in and they just… offered me the job.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do wonderful.” You said, smiling at him. You two made eye contact a little too long, causing you to clear your throat and turn to Minghao. “So, Hao, how’s your dog?” To your surprise, Minghao sighed.

“She ran away this morning. I let her out to get some fresh air, and normally she stays in the yard, but when I went to bring her in before coming to work, she wasn’t there. I was late this morning because I was looking for her. I have no idea where she went.” Minghao said, causing you to pat him on the back.

“I’ll keep an eye out for her.” You said, earning a small smile from Minghao.

“What kind of dog is she?” Joshua asked, and Minghao sat up a little more. “You know, in case I see her, maybe I can help too.”

“She’s a dalmation. She had a blue collar, but her last tag broke off, so there’s just a blank one on there right now. Responds to Perdita.”

“Hopefully we can find her soon.” Joshua said, and Minghao nodded. He looked at his watch, standing up.

“Oh, I have to go. Our crazy coworker is about to go on lunch, and I don’t think I can handle her today.” Minghao said, giving you a slightly apologetic look. As he left, waving goodbye, Joshua turned to you.

“Crazy coworker?” You chuckled to yourself, waving him off.

“One of the science teachers has a huge crush on him. She’s convinced they’re meant to be.”

“Oh, okay.” Joshua said, slightly amused.

“Yeah, so if she asks, you’ve been in a relationship for years. Otherwise you’ll be her next target.” You teased, and Joshua officially let out a laugh.

“So what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you in a relationship for years?” He asked, and you immediately saw where this was going.

“No, not really. But I’m not really looking. I also have a thing about… coworker dating.” Joshua just let out a laugh, nodding his head.

“Good to know.” He looked at your for a second, then looked at his phone. “I, have a meeting with the principal. Thank you for lunch.” He smiled, getting up to leave the room.

*Fairy Tale*

“Sir!” One of the guards ran up to Joshua and Jeonghan, stopping them in their tracks.

“Is something the matter?” Joshua asked, confused by the urgency of his guard. The kingdom was at peace right now. The guard took a second to catch his breath, then stood up to face Joshua directly, a smile on his face.

“We found her.” Joshua was confused for a second, then the gears started running in his head.

“What?” Joshua said, feeling excitement growing.

“The girl with the slipper. She has come forward.” Joshua looked to Jeonghan, who just grinned at his friend.

“What are you staring at me for?” Jeonghan said, pushing Joshua’s shoulders. “Go!” He laughed, Joshua immediately running down the hall, the guard following behind him.

The carriage ride to her house couldn’t have been more than a half hour, but to Joshua it felt like a million years. He had never been this nervous, and he had been to war. His heart began to race as the carriage started to slow down, his hands shaking in his lap. What if you didn’t want to see him? What if this feeling was entirely one-sided? What if it was just the magic of that evening that created this feeling?

He still exited the carriage, smiling at the cottage in the woods. He knew you weren’t a princess. He was starting to think of a way to convince his father and the grand duke, but then stopping himself before his mind went too far. He couldn’t let himself plan too far ahead until it was certain you wanted to be with him too.

One of his guards knocked on the door, and Joshua couldn’t help but hear faint singing from an open window above him. Was that the voice of his love? His attention was brought back down as a door opened, revealing an older, strict looking woman. After a brief discussion, he was brought into the house, and led into a living room, where two girls were sitting.

Neither of which were you.

“Hello Prince Joshua.” One of them stood, approaching him.

“Hello.” He greeted, slightly deflated.

“I believe you have my slipper?” She grinned, and Joshua shook his head.

“You’re not her.” He said, looking at her. “I’m sorry, but you’re not the girl from that night.” The other girl stood up, walking towards him.

“Of course she’s not. It’s because I am.” Joshua looked to her and let out a sigh.

“No, you’re not either.”

“But I have this?” She said, pulling out an identical glass slipper. Joshua’s eyes widened, causing the girl to grin.

“Where did you get this?” He asked, looking at her.

“It’s mine.” She said simply. The gears were running inside Joshua’s head, looking around the cottage.

“Are there any other maidens in this house?” He asked their mother, who had a panicked look.

“No, nope. Just us.”

“What about staff? Surely with a house this size you must have someone on staff.”

“Nope. It’s just us three.” She smiled a slightly creepy smile, which caused a guard to adjust his stance between Joshua and the woman.

“I heard singing before. It sounded as though it was coming from upstairs.”

“One of my daughters must have left a music box open. They were so excited for you to be here, it must have distracted them.” Joshua looked at her for a second.

“Well, thank you. I’m sorry this wasn’t more successful.” He said, about to leave.

“Wait, your highness.” His guard stopped him. Joshua turned to him, and the guard simply put a finger to his lips. “Listen.” Joshua gave him a look, but stood silent. There was that voice again, singing a different song. Joshua felt his heart grow again, turning to the woman, who had a terrified look on her face as she looked up the stairs.

“If you wouldn’t mind investigating the voice.” He turned to the guard, who nodded and walked up the stairs. “We wouldn’t want the music box to be overworked, would we?” He asked the woman, who just stared back at him. “I��ll be outside.”

He stood outside the cottage, trying not to get his hopes up too high. Sure, the other slipper was here, but the voice could be coming from someone completely different. His heart began to pound again as he heard the door open, a little scared to turn around. He took a deep breath, forcing his feet to move as he turned to face you, a smile on his face as he saw you standing on the steps.

His princess.

“It’s you.” He breathed, and you made a small smile.

“Looks like you’ve found me.” You said, staying on your step. You were slightly embarrassed, standing in front of the prince of your kingdom in a torn dress with cinders on it. Joshua stared at you for several seconds, eventually coming back to reality and letting out a little laugh.

“I uh, I believe this belongs to you.” He said, holding out the slipper to you.

“Thank you.” You said as he walked towards you.

“It must be quite a story you have.” He looked at you, and you nodded.

“It’s… a long story.” You teased as Joshua gestured for you to sit down. Once you did, he picked up your foot, looking you in the eye.

“I look forward to hearing it.” He smiled, placing the shoe on your foot.

*Today*

You were packing up your bag, smiling at the end of another successful day of teaching. As you looked through your planner for the next day, there was a knock at your door, causing you to look up. Joshua stood in your doorway, a bag on his shoulder.

“I’m heading out. Is Minghao still here?”

“No, he left after last period to look for his dog.” You smiled, and he nodded.

“Okay. Well, I just wanted to say thank you again for today. I think I will get along well here.” He smiled.

“Anytime. Drive safely.” You waved as he left, sighing to yourself. You continued to read the plans for tomorrow, setting the planner down and picking up your bag. As you took a couple steps, adjusting one of the desks in your classroom, a warm breath of air flew past you. You looked to the windows, all of which were closed. You looked around confused for a second, then collapsed on the ground.

Slowly your eyes opened, looking around. You looked around the classroom, trying to figure out what was going on. You had vague memories filling your head, somehow from two different places. You stood up, looking around, trying to figure out how you got here. You could feel yourself starting to panic when you heard a voice from in the hall. You couldn’t quite figure out what they were saying until they were outside your door.

“Y/N.” You turned around, seeing Joshua standing in the doorway. You both stared at each other for a second, before you both broke and ran to each other, arms going around each other. “Thank god you’re okay.” He breathed, holding you close to him.

“Where are we? What happened?” You asked, looking around as your hugged Joshua.

“I don’t know. The last thing I remember, we were planning the wedding. Then I woke up in that parking lot. Are you hurt?” He asked, pulling back and looking you over a bit.

“Your highness, I’m fine.” You smiled, and he let out a sigh.

“Didn’t I say you can call me Joshua now?” He chuckled, holding your face in his hands.

“Is anyone else here?” You asked, looking around. He looked back at the door.

“Might as well find out.” He said, leaning forward to give you a soft kiss, then taking your hand and leading you out of the classroom.

[zombiepatch]

This is Long. I'll be dead honest, some of these have been a while and I listen to a lot of fantasy/sci-fi, so non-humans are kinda the norm. You've been reced Penumbra and Starship Iris, I'll ignore them, but yes to both. (1/6)

[continued]

“Kalia Stormfire's Economical Magic Services An uninitiated witch uses her powers to help local community members while dealing with the emotions she tried to be rid of. This one can be very serious and a little too real sometimes, but is such a good show. One of her clients is nb and ends up being a recurring character. Couple side characters too. (2/7)”

“Moonbase Theta Out: moon mining colony and the drama of "shut down". Fair warning, it doesn't turn out great for anyone involved. The first season is told exclusively from the communication officer's logs, but the second season has a a creative scientist and zir illegally sentient AI. Lots of shenanigans and giant tardigrades that are treated like puppies. (3/7)”

“The Bright Sides, Patient #6-C-1 of The Bright Sessions was basically a self therapy session for me. A person finds themself literally fading, heads to therapy to figure it out. Can be stand alone, but the whole show (superheroes do therapy) is good. (4/7)”

“Love and Luck Two guys open a queer (dry) bar in Melborne and basically adopt all the local hard off queer kids. Its basically a love story, both romantic and platonic, told through voicemails. At least 1 enby who figures out their identity in show. I feel like there is a second, but they are slipping my mind atm. (5/7)“

“End of Time and Other Bothers Actual play, 3 modern characters, in what is basically a storybook universe, go back to mythical times and try to stop time from being destroyed before they technically existed. A relatively important NPC that is currently traveling with them. Inn Between Found family tale told through the down time of an adventuring party. The nb half-elf (half-dwarf? I think) kinda ended up as the party leader since they are Old. (6/7)”

“Autonomic Actual play, family friendly. The Nomics where wiped out 12 years ago, the next generation is finally filling the gap they left behind. At least one teacher, maybe a student too but don't quote me. Startripper!! Feston quits paper pushing job to become a planet hopping jack of all trades. Everyone is an alien, gender doesn't always apply. There's only like one, one-off human and the producer is nonbinary themself (7/9 whoops)”

“Campaign Skyjacks Actual play. Sky pirates that fly around in giant ships and ride giant birds and kick ass. ngl, I've got a crush on 1 giant, nb, fallen angel sky pirate (8/9)”

“Rusty Quill Gaming Pathfinder actual play. My actual favorite podcast. Alt-history steampunk with magic and all the pathfinder races and the absolute funniest players playing lovable characters. I'll stop there or I'll rant at you for an hour. Ok, this one is so far down the list because the main nb (half elf) character doesn't show up until ep 130, but there are side characters that are nb too, though some of them weren't particularly intentional. (9/9)”

“There was definitely a better way to do that, but I'd committed. Bonus: shows with nb creators/producers/cast (I'll be dead honest I don't remember if there are explicit enby characters--pretty sure there are--but the creators are cool): The Nuclear Solution Caravan (fair warning, NSFW) Modern Fae”

HEY THANK YOU FOR MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!! this is a far more extensive list than i was expecting and im DELIGHTED. my podcast list just got so much longer AND full of enbies which is exactly how it should be >:’3 

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/28/20

Dr. STONE, Vol. 11 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Balloons! Yes, Dr. STONE is taking it upon itself to do something it does best, which is show off the gorgeous vistas of this not-really-that-explored future Japan it takes place in. And that means hot air balloons. It also means speedboats! But alas, just because Senku is a scientist does not mean he can cook. So they use some of the last remaining fluid to un-stone a butler-cum-chef-cum-everything, Francois, who is flamboyant and also a lot of fun. There’s actually some really good humor in this volume as well, be it the reporter getting her camera and its undercutting right afterwards, or Senku’s Einstein impersonation. This remains one of the essential Jump titles. – Sean Gaffney

Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth Is a Modern City!, Vol. 2 | By Rui Tsukiyo and Hideaki Yoshikawa | Seven Seas – After wrapping up the cliffhanger from the first volume (he names his first monster girl, which gives her the power-up (and bust expansion) she needs to win), the cast gets down to the nitty-gritty of what he wants to do: build a city, not a dungeon, which feeds on positive emotions. Of course, there are a few problems. Location, labor costs, the neighboring demon lords, and of course Marcho’s impending death, which she seems to have accepted more than Procel has. This remains sort of mid-tier manga—not interesting enough to stand out, but the pages turn easily, and you could do worse. Also, brilliant pun for the back-cover blurb. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – The second of the Éclair anthologies to come out over here, this one seems to focus more attention on love that is already in bloom when the story begins than love that we see the start of. There’s a nice mix of funny, heartwarming, sad, and generally melancholic. Some highlights are “Azalea Corner,” about a minion’s crush on the arrogant ojou she follows; “The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl,” which should be awful but is by Canno so is cute instead; and “That Summer Won’t Come Again,” about a girl trapped in her sister’s past who bonds with a senpai and learns to swim again. There’s good and not-so-good here, but overall well worth buying. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – This is the second Éclair anthology, but aside from two continuations, all the stories here are new. The quality varies, and it seems the better stories are in the front. The first story, Fly’s “Flowers in a Storm,” sets the tone for bittersweet, ambiguous endings with the tale of a first kiss that comes too late. There are also several stories about unrequited love for a friend who loves someone else, be it another girl, an idol, or a guy. Kabocha’s “Though Summer Won’t Come Again” is a standout, about a girl who assumes the senpai she’s developed feelings for prefers her older sister, as everyone else seems to. Unfortunately, I found the stories toward the end of the volume to be less enjoyable, particularly the final one, which includes the most awkward teacher-student embrace I have ever seen. Still, I will read the next installment when it comes out! – Michelle Smith

I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love | By Minta Suzumaru | Futekiya (digital only) – Yoshino Kiritani is a beautiful 30-year-old salaryman who happens to be both gay and a virgin. With no relationship prospects on the horizon and wanting to finally have sex, he goes to a gay bar, meets a charismatic college student named Rou, and sleeps with him. The back-and-forth that follows between these two guys is so well done. Rou is a notorious playboy with a hot-and-cold routine he has employed many times to manipulate his conquests into falling for him and confessing their feelings. He tries this on Yoshino, even though he’s actually serious about him, but it doesn’t work. Self-effacing Yoshino genuinely thinks Rou wants nothing more to do with him, forcing Rou to face the seriously scary prospect of rejection by declaring his feelings first. There are a few explicit scenes, but they serve the characters and story well. Highly recommended! – Michelle Smith

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – First of all, a word of advice to the author: don’t sink people’s ships in your author’s notes, OK? Secondly, this continues to have the strengths of Io Sakisaka titles—it gets teenage love in a good way, has characters who are likeable but clearly flawed, shows gradual character growth, and has clean, easy-to-follow art. She’s still trying to balance out the idealistic girl with the realistic girl, though it may be leaning towards the former. Sadly, it also contains what’s always been one of this author’s big weaknesses to me—I like her series but never love them. Each volume is fun to read and I’d call it good, but it’s never going to be tops in my favorite shoujo manga lists. It’s not life-changing the way a Yona of the Dawn is. – Sean Gaffney

Ping Pong, Vol. 1 | By Taiyo Matsumoto | Viz Media – Ever since Matsumoto was a guest at TCAF in 2013 and spoke in depth about the series, its development, and how it fit into his overall career, I’ve been desperately wanting to read Ping Pong in English. When the excellent anime adaptation came and went soon after and the original manga still hadn’t been licensed, I didn’t expect that we’d ever see it translated. But it is actually here! The first of two beautifully designed omnibus volumes. And I am absolutely in love with Matsumoto’s Ping Pong. Ostensibly a high school sports manga, Ping Pong spends very little time explaining the ins and outs of the game even though table tennis is essentially omnipresent; instead, the series devotes its attention almost entirely to the characters themselves. With strong psychological elements, in part the work’s themes explore talent, motivation, and self-determination, all supported by Matsumoto’s distinctive and spectacularly dynamic and expressive artwork. – Ash Brown

Prince Freya, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | VIZ Media – The land of Tyr is threatened by Sigurd, the empire to the north. Our “wimpy and weak” heroine, Freya, happens to be the spitting image of Prince Edvard, who’s just been poisoned by Sigurd, and so takes on the role of impersonating him to protect her country. Alas, Freya’s performance as Edvard (and characterization in general) is inconsistent and in a way that doesn’t seem intentional on the mangaka’s part. Sometimes she boldly and capably takes action, sometimes she just cries. In my notes I wrote, “This ain’t no Basara,” prompted by a panel in which Freya is making an extremely insipid face because of something sappy her love interest has just said, but then something super dramatic and unexpected occurs and… well, now I’m cautiously on board. It may turn out to be fluffier than I would like, but I will at least give it a couple more volumes. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 9 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – There’s less swapping in this one, but the one time there is a swap it blows the reader out of the water. I suspect Ichika’s popularity took a nosedive after this volume, as her ideal of “all’s fair in love and war” is taken to a somewhat cruel conclusion. She’s not even the thirstiest of the quints, as both Nino and Miku are trying to make their feelings for Futaro as clear to him as possible. Meanwhile, Yotsuba is trying the opposite tactic, saying that she’ll support whichever sister that isn’t her he picks, showing off a core of self-deprecation that we’ve seen before, but never to this level. And then there’s Itsuki, who seems to have forgotten she was supposed to be first girl. Great harem antics. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 9 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – I missed reviewing the eighth volume of this, for some reason; I’m not sure why. It continues to be quietly sweet, with a heroine who perhaps leans a little too much towards “can save everyone by the sheer power of being really nice.” That said, nice can only go so far, and when she discovers a country that’s being blackmailed into slavery, nice becomes determined and fierce. There’s also some tortured romance at the start—the king’s chief bodyguard and the princess’s attendant clearly are headed towards each other, but there are a few steps back here before we can move forward once more. I admit that I’d likely enjoy this more without its central conceit of animal people, but oh well. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 7 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – I admit I was a bit more surprised than Shirayuki was at the identity of the leader of the Lions of the Mountain. That said, it does remind us that Shirayuki is another one of those great “shoujo heroines who underreacts to everything,” which can be quite amusing when done right. That said, this volume is when the series transitioned from the quarterly DX to the main LaLa magazine, and as such much of the middle part is taken up with introducing new readers to the main cast and the situation. This includes an amusing “personality reversal” chapter where Mitsuhide starts acting like a chivalrous knight. the book ends with the implication that their love is going public. How will that go? Great shoujo. – Sean Gaffney

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1 | By Jougi Shiraishi, Itsuki Nanao, and Azure | Square Enix – This is a manga adaptation of the first fourth or so of the light novel, and it’s a very good adaptation. I will admit that Elaina is a lot more expressive than I was expecting… her delivery in the novels is somewhat cool… but it makes sense given the manga’s visual medium, and she’s cute. This volume shows off what we’re going to get from now on: some cute fluffy stories, some melancholic stories with deaths, some stories of Elaina having to extricate herself from a situation, and some backstory showing how she came to be wandering. The final story was one of my favorites in the book, and it’s the best one here too. A nice adaptation. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[hamliet]

Scrubs (yes the sitcom)

Seasons 1-8 since we’re not touching season 9 and its new cast. 

A sitcom that, by its fourth episode, showed (as it would continue to show) that it was at its best when it was at its most heartbreaking, because those were often the moments that it was also at its most heartwarming. The theme of “My Old Lady” (the fourth episode) is really that you can’t save everyone and death is indeed scary (a recurring theme in Scrubs), and you have to acknowledge that. But even in that fear, there are beautiful moments too, and taking the time to breathe and feel the sun and find something warm even in those moments can get you through them. 

Dr. Kelso, Dr. Cox, Jordan, Elliott, Turk, and Carla were my favorite characters, though everyone was well done, from JD to Laverne to the Janitor. Jordan was just... an enjoyable twist on the devil woman archetype. For that matter, almost every character was really a hyperbolic, exaggerated character for comedic effect. Elliott’s eccentricities, Kelso’s cruelty, Cox’s grumpiness, Ted’s cowardice and incompetence, Todd’s sexuality, JD’s need for approval--they were all exaggerated for comedic purposes (which ties into why things weren’t ruined for me with those characters, but they could be for other people and it’s legit if so). Elliott was relatable in her anxieties, her parental issues, her relationship struggles. Cox’s breakdown in season 5 really got me, and Laverne--along with Turk and Cox’s sister Paige--all had their faith treated as an important part of their character just as Cox’s atheism was an important part of his, which I appreciated. Everyone was respected. 

i also enjoyed how different seasons focused on slowly building up towards a breakdown of different characters. For example, Carla and Turk in season 4, JD and Cox in season 5 (kept focusing more than normal on his arrogance and that went places). The relationships were also really well written and enjoyable. From the Janitor and Lady, to Ted and Gooch, to Cox and Jordan, Elliott and JD, and of course Carla and Turk, each couple had their own unique foiling and unique strengths that made them appealing together. Their personalities always remained unique, but together they made something beautiful. And the friendships were just as powerful.

I appreciated that a main theme was that there are no easy answers. Be it professionally, relationally, grief, marriage, parenting--nothing is easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s miserable either. As Dr. Kelso says in season 4, “nothing worth having comes easy.” The nuance was great in this show. For me in particular, the episodes that focused on grief (and a LOT of them did) were incredibly cathartic and healing for me, as I’ve been working through my dad’s death over the past year. 

The show was really good. The soundtrack was always on point--music as a whole was brilliantly used in this series. I highly recommend it if you want a feel-good show that doesn’t avoid even the darker aspects of life, and if you’re wrangling with grief. 

Of course, it’s got its issues too. It hasn’t aged well, like at all, in how it portrays race and especially in its portrayal of sexual harassment. Todd Quinlan is basically Mineta from BNHA as a doctor--but somehow still likable/has redeeming qualities. STill, Todd’s actions are really despicable (as are Dr. Kelso’s towards his wife) even while played for comedy, and none of these things would fly today as funny, nor should they. But within the context of the series as a whole, in my personal opinion they didn’t ruin it for me even if I cringed. I still liked Todd and loved Dr. Kelso as characters. 

Season 8 in particular was weaker than the other seasons, and if it weren’t for the writer’s strike in season 7 which cut it very short, I kind of think season 7 would have wrapped the show up. Season 8 had less budget, so the main characters didn’t always appear in episodes, and the jokes were a bit more... insensitive/cheap rather than clever like in the past (it switched networks between seasons 7 and 8 too). That being said, Season 8 did magnificently conclude the characters’ arcs, with Kelso stepping into a mentor role and a new friendship with Cox, to Cox and Jordan’s relationship, Carla and Turk’s, Elliott finding her worth and feeling as if it was okay to chase her desires, Ted and the Janitor both finding love with Gooch and Lady respectively, and everyone passing the torch to the new interns, wherein our cast became the teachers. 

For my favorite episodes: 

My Old Lady (season 1 episode 4). This episode really set the whole theme and tone of the show, and deserved the award it won. 

My Own Personal Jesus (season 1 episode 11). A hilarious rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and the really cool theme of Christmas spirit made this great.

My Dream Job (season 2 episode 22). The last minutes of this episode were pure satisfactory gold that also marked a really important step in Dr. Cox’s, Elliott’s, and Dr. Kelso’s characters, and honestly JD’s as well. Also Ryan Reynolds guest-stars. 

My Own American Girl (season 3 episode 1). This is one of the few ones on here for mostly comedy. “My machines!” is one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen. 

My Brother Where Art Thou (Season 3 episode 5). Scrubs has a habit of doing excellent mini, cross-season arcs with its minor characters, and JD’s brother Dan had a great arc that continued in every episode he appeared in over the seasons. But his moment with Dr. Cox at the end makes this my favorite of the Dan episodes. 

My Friend, the Doctor (season 3 episode 8). I loved the development for the Janitor. 

My Screw-Up (season 3 episode 14). Like with Dan, Ben’s episodes as the brother of Jordan and best friend of Dr. Cox all really stood out, and this one’s twist at the end, plus expert foreshadowing, made it fantastic viewing. 

My Boss’ Free Haircut (season 4 episode 20). Dr. Kelso’s humanity begins to emerge more, and his speech to his patient and to Turk is what I referenced above. It also deals with Carla and Turk’s marital issues in an empathetic way, and Carla is given room to grieve for her mom in a way that really resonated with me. 

My New God (season 5 episode 5). Cox’s reveal of his childhood and interactions with Paige--a character who easily could have been played for ridicule but was instead given empathy for her beliefs just as Cox was--resonated with me. 

My Bright Idea (season 5 episode 16). From JD’s hilarious slip-up in front of the priest to Carla and Turk’s pregnancy reveal in the episode’s final episodes, it was golden all the way through. I cried from happiness in this episode. 

My Lunch & My Fallen Idol (season 5 episodes 20-21). I don’t remember the last time I cried so hard at a show/movie since Hodor died in Game of Thrones. It was based on a real case, and helped me cope with my own grief, in addition to giving a powerful development to Cox and JD’s relationship. I think these are the two best episodes. 

My Musical (season 6 episode 6). Despite the idea of making an episode a musical, the premise for why it was a musical was clever, and the songs (”Guy Love” in particular) were hilarious. 

My Long Goodbye (season 6 episode 15). Within a week of watching “My Lunch,” I watched this one and cried just as hard. This episode and the one that comes before it are really powerful, but they hurt. 

My Cold Shower (Season 6 episode 19). Despite Elliott making a mistake, the way her friends are all genuinely happy for her and JD’s realization in the end that he loves her were... moving. 

My Dumb Luck (season 7 episode 9). The episode that shows you just how much Dr. Kelso developed, from character you loved because you hated him to character you saw how much he cared. It was the perfect development for him.

My Princess (season 7 episode 11). A really clever use of a fairy-tale AU, and a powerful story too that allowed for Jordan and Cox to have one of their more humanizing, tender moments. Yet again, in the end though, the implications aren’t that you can save everyone, but even in failure, there’s something to believe in. 

My Full Moon (season 8, episode 13) On the whole I think season 8 is the weakest of the acknowledged seasons (I’ve no interest in season 9) but it does have some really lovely conclusions, like I said, and this one concluded Elliott’s arc in a satisfying way. As she’s one of my faves, and as it has a really well-acted scene where she tells a patient they are HIV positive (as HIV awareness and decreasing the stigma are very important to me), it’s one of my favorites.

My Finale (Part 2) (season 8, episode 19) A really excellent final scene and a powerful series message. 

[neqeyam]

Forgotten Myth; Chapter One.

Word Count - 2746

Warnings - possible trigger for fears of heights, and falling, and mean hall monitors.

Summary - When fourteen year old Ruby Moore is chased down the hallway at school by a character out of one of her fever dreams, she gets thrown into a world of tales and myths that society has ruled out to be fake. Befriending a Pegasus that hates everyone, and gathering friends strong enough to be considered a small army, she has to embark on a journey that will change her life forever.

POV- Ruby

Chapter Two- https://rqmcuwdwpjo.tumblr.com/post/188483698489/forgotten-myth-chapter-two

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking; ‘wow, demigods are so cool! That must be so much fun! I bet they get lasers!’ Well, it’s not that fun; it actually gets old after like two days. I’m not trying to die every ten minutes. As for the lasers, unless they’re made by the senior counselor of the Hephaestus cabin Leo Valdez, they’re not going to be on your side.

My name is Ruby Moore, but I’m sure you’re more concerned with how I know all this. One word; experience. Example one of why the life of a demigod isn’t fun, ever witness your best friend and favorite teacher fight off Echidna in the middle of the hallway? Didn’t think so. Imagine my surprise when freshman Ruby was trying to run away from Echidna during fifth period and my best friend pulled out two daggers to fight the thing. That’s where this story starts, me sprinting down the hall while a character from one of my fever dreams slithers after me.

I twirled the hall pass around my index finger, leisurely strolling down the hall toward the bathroom. The hall monitor, Mrs. Johansson stopped me, her yellow eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me silently.

“Pass,” she demanded, holding out a hand for it. Now, Johansson sounds like a nice name; most people associate it with Scarlett Johansson from Iron Man, but Mrs. Johansson of Marbur Academy in Columbus, Ohio (In the schools presentation they say that they’re the best for your ADHD children, and let me just say; ehe, that is not correct.) is exactly the opposite. Take Sirus Snape from Harry Potter; genderbend him, add a few pounds at the hips then give him a lisp and the voice of Roz from Monsters Inc. That’s Mrs. Johansson.

I held up the pass for her to see, she studied it for a few minutes; looking between me and the pass. She always spent extra time looking at my passes since Jackson Ryans accused me of faking a pass to get out of class early (not that’d I’d so such a thing, wink wink, hint hint).

“You don’t look very great… no, definitely no threat here,” she murmured, handing me the pass back.

“I’m sorry? I-I feel fine,” I said, confused. Mrs. Johansson waved me off, I started to walk away when she hissed. Not like the weird girl from third grade that thought she was a cat, no, like a snake hissing in warning. I turned back towards her just in time to see her legs fuse together into a tail- no wait, the bottom half of a snake. Her eyes slit and a long snake tongue slipped in and out of her mouth.

“A-Actually… on second thought-” I took a few steps backwards, trying to put some space between the snake lady thing and I. She hissed again and looked down at me, sneering as our eyes met.

“Whatssss the matter? Ssscared?” The snake lady hissed, swiping a hand at me.

“Uh- Yeah…” I squeaked, taking off down the hallway. The snake lady yelled and slithered after me, throwing rocks and other various objects at me. How she got these items was beyond me.

My legs carried me faster than I’d ever run before, burning when I skidded around corners. I felt like I’d been running for forever when I finally came across Ayla Weber; my best friend, talking to her architecture 1 teacher Miss Chase. They noticed me sprinting down the hallway before I could call out, breaking the distance by jogging toward me. Ayla looked more worried than I’d ever seen her look before.

“Ruby, why are you running?” she asked, looking over her shoulder as I slumped over, trying to catch my breath.

“Mrs. Johansson… snake thing- chasing- me…” I panted as I sat down on the floor hard. Miss Chase knelt down next to me, her gray eyes filled with worry.

“Snake lady? Like Echidna?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever that is.” I mumbled, putting my arms over my head to open my airways. Just as I was about to lay down, the snake lady thing came barreling around the corner and down the hallway, yelling in another language. Although, I realized, I could understand her. This was definitely a fever dream.

Miss Chase and Ayla looked at each other and nodded. Ayla reached into her backpack and pulled out two eighteen inch long daggers, while Miss Chase pulled a shorter dagger out of a sheath under her shirt. Together they ran at the snake lady, cutting and slashing at it. The snake lady pulled out a sword to fend them off. Miss Chase got in behind the snake lady thing while Ayla distracted it from the front. She yelled in agony and flaked away, a dark dust that reminded me of coal. They turned back to me, assessing me I guess. I stared at them in awe, mouth hanging open, eyes wide.

“That was awesome!” I yelled, standing up so quickly my vision spotted, (stupid iron deficiency). “When and where did you learn to fight like that Ayla? You’ve been holding out on me girl!” I said, flailing my arms in exaggeration.

“We need to go, there’ll be more if we stay.” Miss Chase said, pocketing her phone and jogging to get her computer bag out of her classroom. Ayla put her daggers back in her backpack, perfectly hidden behind the straps.

“Where?”

Ayla pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. “To camp of course,” she said, I looked at them, her first bead had a painting of a tiny centaur in a dress, another was all black except for a turquoise trident in the middle of it.

Miss Chase -who told me to call her Annabeth- hurried us outside and across the parking lot to the football practice fields. As we got closer I noticed two chariots waiting for us. (I only knew that because of a mythology class I failed out of last semester). Each chariot had two Pegasi reined to it, waiting for takeoff. One of the Pegasi had its wings stretched out and it had to have had a twenty foot wingspan.

Ayla hopped into the closest chariot, pulling me in after her. We stood on either side of a semi scrawny kid with bright blond hair like mine, and a medical bag slung across his body. Annabeth hopped into the chariot in front of us, taking up position next to a really buff guy. The Pegasi unfolded their wings and with one flap we were in the sky.

“Brace yourselves.” the blond kid said. Ayla grabbed into the handles on either side of the chariot, blocking the path in case I fell. I grabbed the handle next to the scrawny kid as he whipped the reins. Our chariot lurched forwards, the wind pushing me back so hard I almost fell… again. It felt like how you would imagine going into hyperspeed in Star Wars, or how the Flash feels when he runs really fast. The wind was hitting my face so hard I couldn’t breathe, and I felt bad for Ayla; who was probably swallowing my hair. Suddenly, the blond kid tightened the reins and the Pegasi went straight up. He was smart enough to put a hand on my back. He whipped the reins again and the Pegasi nose dived, tucking their wings at their sides completely. Ayla slammed into my back, smashing me against the front of the chariot.

“Will! What in Hades!” Ayla gasped over the wind. He looked back over his shoulder, I followed his gaze to see two concentrated storms following us. Lightning flew at us, horizontal across the sky. The blond kid, whom I’m assuming to be Will; jerked the reins to the left, just barely dodging the lightning. It curved toward us, and Will kept trying to dodge it.

“Get on the Pegasi!” he yelled, shoving me over the edge of the chariot. I lost my balance and fell face first onto the back of the first Pegasus. Ayla came flying over to the second one, her shoes had sprouted wings. I was too confused to do or say anything.

“What about you?” I called back, turning to see him cutting the ropes attached to him and the Pegasi. He didn’t say anything and cut the final rope, the chariot fell at an angle. Going with the lost momentum of the Pegasi. Ayla and I looked at each other in horror as we watched him fall. The chariot gained more speed than he did.

“Dive!” I yelled, grabbing the broken rein and whipping it. I had no idea what I was doing but it felt right. The Pegasus folded its wings and we hurdled toward the ground. It took all the leg and stomach muscles I didn’t have to keep from falling over the front of the Pegasus. We’re not gonna make it, I thought. Blonde hair was whipping around in the wind so hard I thought it was going to rip right off my head while my mind went into overdrive as I tried to think of a way to speed up.

“Fly toward him!” I yelled over the wind, the Pegasus obeyed. Flapping its wings propelling us toward the Earth faster than I would like to. When I could make out Will’s facial expression I reached out my hand, snatching his flailing arm on a luck shot. With one hand, I tightened the rein like Will did. The Pegasus flattened its wings and we seemed to float for a moment before it pushed them down. Throwing us upward before all three of us crashed into the ground. With that momentum I pulled Will onto the back of the Pegasus.

“Well that didn’t go according to plan…” he murmured. Sitting upright as I tried to tell the Pegasus to straighten and fly forwards.

“What was your plan exactly?” I asked breathlessly, holding the reins tightly. Will slowly wrapped his arms around my waist, sending shivers down my legs. I wasn’t used to such close contact with a boy. Especially a boy that looked to be five years older than me.

“To grab the rope and pull myself up on Sandblast here, even though she would’ve hated it.” He said, patting the Pegasus’s back. I nodded, trying to keep my nerves from making me throw up. “But it seems like you’re a natural! Sandblast hates everyone except Butch.” he added, earning an annoyed whiny from Sandblast. She had an all white coat, except for blonde specs near her hooves and on her wings, which I guess is where the ‘sand’ part in her name comes from. I’d hate to find out where the ‘blast’ part came from.

We flew in silence other than Will giving me directions to wherever we were going. When we passed over a cluster of trees he told me how to land. Our landing was a little rough, but Sandblast didn’t break any bones and neither did Will or I so to me, it was a win. Ayla ran up to me and scooped me up in a hug, then examined me.

“Oh my gods you’re okay! That was so scary but also really cool how you dove after Will.” she said, using her hands for emphasis. A centaur and a pudgy man with a bottle of diet coke in his hand came walking over.

“So this is our new recruit?” the centaur asked, looking down at me. Now, I was average height-wise for a girl, but this centaur guy made me feel short. Will dusted himself off and nodded, lightly punching me in the arm.

“You should’ve seen her! She’s a natural Chiron, Sandblast listened to every command she gave with no pull back. And she actually knew Pegasi commands.” Will exclaimed, making me blush. The centaur looked at me, his expression shocked.

“Is that so?” he asked, as if I knew.

“In my defense, I was left alone in the sky. I panicked.” I said, hoping they’d look away from me. I hated being the center of attention. Annabeth laughed, and I saw Ayla grinning.

“I want to see this girl fly then.” the pudgy guy said, taking a swig of his coke and belching loudly. They all looked at me and I felt a hot breath on my head. I looked up to see a horse head. Sandblast towered over me, her eyes screamed pick me.

We walked to a clearing that overlooked a lake. Out over the lake there were more Pegasi flying around, some with riders and others that were just out for a joyride. I mounted Sandblast and looked to Will, who smiled at me and gave me a double thumbs up. I nodded to Chiron, who held out a hand as if to say the skies yours. With that, I slouched over, getting into what Will called my ‘riding position’.

I tugged on the rein once and Sandblast unfolded her wings, giant, ten foot long, white with blonde speckled beauties. She galloped a few times and right at the edge of the cliff she jumped, flapped her wings once and soared. We’d gotten over the middle of the lake when a water spout just about blasted Sandblast and I out of the sky. She whinnied and I yanked her reins to the right. Another spout, yanked to the left. Another spout up ahead of us this time, we went over it. One arching right at me, I moved the rein slightly again and Sandblast dove. We dodged water spout after water spout, only getting sprayed with the mist that came off them. She rolled over something that whizzed passed from the trees, I realized that there were people in the trees. Their clothes reflected white light and silvery glows followed them. A water blast that I didn’t even see knocked into me, throwing me off Sandblast. She kept flying for a moment then dove, but it was too late. I was falling toward the water too fast for her to catch me. I mean, sure, Pegasi are fast, but she’d have to get under me without diving into the water. I closed my eyes and accepted my fate, falling three hundred feet into water? Might as well just fall onto concrete. A warm feeling fell over me and I felt like I was being dipped into the water, like someone had grabbed me right before I smacked into the lake. I do not wish you the same fate as Icarus, a voice in my head said. It sounded vaguely familiar.

When I resurfaced, I saw Sandblast hovering in a circle above my impact point. I held my hands up to say c’mon man. She whinnied and flew off. A soft current grabbed me and pulled me toward the cliff. I braced myself -yet again- to ram right into the side of the cliff, but instead of face planting into solid rock, the water propelled me up and I landed face first on the grass. There was applause, and there were whispers. I looked up to see a crowd gathered, Ayla and Will leading the applause. A black haired kid stood next to Annabeth and Chiron, a slight smile on his face.

“That was some great flying.” he said when I walked over.

“There is something wrong with your lake. Normal lakes don’t try to kill people.” I said, wringing out my shirt. They laughed a little, then gasped. I looked at Annabeth who seemed to be glowing golden, no wait- something was illuminating her face. I slowly turned my head up and above me a golden Lyre- wait, how did that? Bigger question, why was a golden Lyre floating above my head? Will screeched and scooped me up into a hug, his face dangerously close to mine.

“We’re siblings!” he yelled as he swung me in a circle.

“We’re what!?” At this point, I figured that I had too many questions to ask. They wouldn’t be able to keep up. Will set me down but then took me by the arm and started leading me down the hill, Sandblast landed behind me and trotted happily close at my heels. “Wait- where are we going?” I asked, looking back to see the crowd snickering. Will just kept walking and rambling about who knew what.