#they DO have the graphic novels though which i definitely wanna check out...

[jiggery-duggery]

LIBRARY DOESNT HAVE THE NEXT DRIZZT BOOK

[nobodycallsmerae]

Hello, Hello!

Soo, a few days back, I had shared a post asking for some BBRae AU fanfiction recommendations, so, let's put the fact aside that it didn't really help... but now, I'm here to share some stories that I've read, and I recommend reading!

So, this list only consists of AU (Alternate Universe) stories where they aren't superheroes, so you can skip it if you want ^^

So... I won't rank them, because I think every story is amazing, (and I'm pretty easy to please,) so, I'm just assorting them as I keep collecting the links :) Also, I'll try my best to review the stories without giving away any spoilers...

Firstly, there are too many good fics to count, but here I am mentioning the ones which stood up in my mental folder. (Also, it only includes completed stories.)

This list includes all types of stories, high school, co-workers, roommates and all... the ratings are between T-M.

(Links lead to stories on Fanfiction.net.)

The Butterfly Effect -by Light NS | Rated M for semi-sexually explicit material and topics of depression and suicide.

This story definitely comes in my top-5 list blindly, and it deserves so much more! The story is about Gar and Raven, who are adults now... and let's just say there are far too many coincidences in this one! It's a lovely story with also a healthy amount of tension... because, I personally believe it can't be BBRae without some arguments *shruggs*. You should definitely check it out if you haven't already!!

Broken -by LightNS | Rated T

Oofff... okay, so this story is actually one of the first BBRae stories I've read and it's really close to my heart...

First of all, I want to say that the characters in this story are freakishly accurate. I mean, the personalities are on-point. In this story, the Titans are high schoolers, but this isn't exactly a high school romance kinda book. To be honest, this isn't exactly a romance book..(?) It's more like an action/thriller... And... it isn't heavily a BBRae book... I mean, yeah, it is based on those two characters, and Gar spends most of his time crushing on her... but, y'know, it's a book that shows both of them growing... and learning about each other -and themselves.

The writer does an amazing job to portray the character's feelings and personalities, and I'm sure her writing won't disappoint you.

The only drawback this story has is... well, it has a discontinued sequel named "Glass", so, it's kinda sad that, I mean, I've fallen in love with those characters... but, they don't really have a happy ending soo…

This writer is also on Tumblr, @lightns881 , so you can also visit her blog and support her!

By the way, there're also really great BBRae communities to be found on Fanfiction.net and you can check them out for more fun stuff to read. The ones I thoroughly recommend are:

"Best Of BBRae" which basically has all the goodness, IU and AU (but, it's a bit old so... you might not see newer fics there.); and

"Best Of BBRae AU's" which is a collection of one of the best AU stories.

Moving on...

Everything Has Changed -by Chibi 1309 | Rated M for Mature themes and language.

This story also comes in my beloved top-5 list!!

I don't really know what to say about this story without ruining it, but if you're on the lookout for an adult Titans BBRae fic, this is definitely your stop. Well, let me just say that, Gar and Rachel are best friends, a troupe I personally adore, and they live together in an apartment in Jump City.

This story has a lot... I mean, A LOT of feels, and the writer... *chef kiss* She really knows what she's doing. May it be the setting, the characters, the emotions... the author could deliver it wonderfully.

It also has a lot of other Titan members, so I like the fact that it also gives us an insight on what's going on in their lives too, rather than just Gar and Rachel.

Hands up in surrender, I won't say anything else, because I don't trust my mouth (or fingers), but this work is definitely a must read.

"Spy vs Spy" by Caitastrophe8499 | Rated M for mature themes, violence, and adult situations.

This... is a masterpiece people. You should definitely read it... like RIGHT NOW!

In this story, Gar and Rae are from rival agencies, Doom Patrol and Titans, and as fate has it, they're forced to work together. Neither of them are happy about it, because of each other's cocky and standoffish attitude and as both of them work best solo... and also... both of them hate each other... at first. This book, it includes lots of action, and if you knew me, you'll know that I am a sucker for crime and thriller. I mean, this story in itself is so great, it could be adapted into an ACTION MOVIE!! Or maybe a graphic novel to start with. :)

And what's best about it is, it doesn't only show two people romance each other, it shows a group of people working together to catch a deadly villain. I won't say much more to build suspense, but all I'll say is, it's entertaining, spicy, and the character dynamic fit perfectly with their relationship and situation, and if you haven't read it, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! CHECK IT OUT NOW!! This will probably be one of the best recommendations of your life.

Assuming -by magisterquinn | Rated T

This is a feel good, light-hearted BBRae story that I very much enjoyed. So, basically, it's about Raven (or is it Rachel, I forget), and how the (dashingly handsome and) annoying employee won't leave her alone. She also gets a series of mail that sparks her interest, and I don't trust myself to say more without spoiling it.

Magisterquinn, the author, has an amazing collection of the BBRae (AU) stories they've written, "Chivalry Isn't Dead", "Making Mr.Right" (a must read) and "In Paris" to name a few, so, I definitely recommend checking out their profile for amazing and clever reads.

The Malchior Widow -by beautifulpurpleflame | Rated M

...this story...all I wanna say is... if you haven't read it, you're missing out on something wonderful in your fangirl(/boy) life.

This story is based on my favorite troupe, which is where all Gar wants is for Raven to open up to him. It's like, Raven is a reserved, "untouchable" person, and Gar, being Gar... feels an urge to talk to her. After many, many attempts, when Gar finally talks to her, his friends are like, "How'd you get her to talk?" or "How's she open up to you?" and the response is, "No one's ever even tried before."

"The Malchior Widow" goes at a satisfying, feel-good pace... and it's one hell of a journey. I mean, as the title suggests, Raven's a widow, and she isn't exactly open to the possibility of loving... or trusting someone else yet. It shows not only both of them falling in love... but also understanding, knowing, and learning to trust each other.

Another good AU story by Beautifulpurpleflame is "The Beach House", so you can also read that.

Honorary mention::

"How To Save Her Life" (Rated T) by "Beautifulpurpleflame"

If you're looking for a wholesome, toe-curling good, filled with feels, amazing, awesome, family Titans BBRae story... this book will give you everything... or any of Beautifulpurpleflame's stories really...

I mean, that girl... is a legend... Her stories are so great.. just... I'm speechless

Don't forget to check 'em out.

You can also follow this amazing writer on Tumblr, @beautifulpurpleflame , and show her some love and support.

Okay, another story... Now this may be considered cheating, as I'm only including completed stories... but I couldn't stop myself from not mentioning this story...

Nevermore Records -by LilyTimbers | Rated T

According to the author, only one chapter and an epilogue is left... so, I guess we could wave it off with a yellow flag?

I, myself, can't go on a single day without music. And the idea of my favorite team of superheroes... being a Rock Band..? Boy, ya' don't gotta tell me twice!

This is a slow burn story, which includes Gar in his mid-twenties, along with the other Titans (except Raven), being a part of a Rock Band, which plays gigs at different places just as a side hobby. But, as they have real talent, they get a once in a life-time chance to be an officially labeled band, they're ought to be super hit. Here, we also see some other Titans, which is a real sight for sore eyes sometimes... But, just being good doesn't mean that everything's out for them in a gold platter. The team itself faces lots of challenges which is, truth be told, really entertaining. And the fact that Gar's love interest is his own manager? Oooh... you're up for a real good ride...

I'll keep the rest of the reading to you... and believe me, the story is waaay better than my small review.

The author is also an amazing artist, and has many beautiful BBRae fanarts on her Tumblr profile @lilytimbers , so you can follow her for updates! (though tbh I think you already do... but I felt like saying it, soo...)

If you're also a sucker for musical band based BBRae story, don't forget to check out

Harmony -by Kid Walker | Rated M

Here, Raven joins a singing group which does covers, and quite willingly, she can't seem to keep her eyes off of their leader/director, Gar Logan... and looks like he can't either. It's an amazing story, and I believe you'll really enjoy reading it!

(The story itself is complete, just some extra bonus chapters that the Author posts are yet to be updated, so I guess this story qualifies.)

.

There is also a huge collection of amazing BBRae AU stories on Wattpad, too many to count, but here are two stories that I remember... and had a good time reading...

(On Wattpad only: (and only completed ones.))

High School -by anssoftball94

Soo... as you might've guessed from the title, here Gar and Rae are high schoolers. They live together with Rick (Dick/Robin), Kory and Vic in the Tower. I guess we could call it a slow burn, and what I enjoy is it also has the other Titans in a satisfying amount.

What I love about this story is that Gar and Rae don't just jump into a romantic relationship (like most teens do, I'm just sayin'!) and start a romance, no. In this story, first, they understand each other... and in a subtle manner, fall for each other. It's a really sweet and practical story, and I really enjoyed it... (even though I had to wait for the ending for decades!!)

Just one thing that makes this story a bit weird is that instead of "Gar" or "Garfield", Beast Boy is mentioned as "Logan" throughout the whole story... so... it was a bit... y'know? *shruggs*. But otherwise it's a must read.

A+ -by NikolaDabrowska

This story, to be honest, will definitely qualify as a cliché high school romance, "popular basketball kid falls for introverted bookworm nerd", but I really enjoyed reading it.

I mean like, you know what they say about Disney Classics, right? Even though we've read Beauty and The Beast or Snow White, we still like to watch the movies..? This story's like that.

Even though the troupe is kinda cliché, the story itself is executed in a very engaging manner, with interesting character dynamics and some original plots, so, I would definitely recommend reading it. (I, myself, have read it more than five times...)

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So, that was a list of the BBRae AU stories that I highly recommend! There are more amazing (and incomplete) stories out there to read, but these are just the ones I've thoroughly enjoyed (and remembered.)

Also, feel free to share your BBRae story, if you have written any, and I'll happily read and support your story!!

Happy Reading!

Quick endnote, if you've read this post till here, do me a favor and check out my stories too! ;)

On Fanfiction.net and Wattpad.

All of my stories are complete, instead of "Tease Is Just The Cover" on FF.net (which I don't think I'm gonna work on any time soon), so feel free to check 'em out!

Sorry for the advertising, but I also want an audience y'know?

THANK YOU! And I hope you have a good day/evening/night ahead!

[h1kari]

Salutations & Greetings, Love! ✨❤️

I’ve been seeing your personalized ships & I was hoping to have made the mark to have it done - hopefully!

I’d love to have a ship with Haikyuu, please! I use she/they pronouns, I am 5’8, i shoulder length brown hair with dingy highlights, hazel eyes, freckles all over, i also have four tattoos & 5 piercings! I’m also on the more curvier side of the body spectrum.

Personality wise I’m told i’m more of the mom friend / protective friend. I’m usually shy around new people but i can be a goofball! though i can have a bit of a temper i am usually very laid back and easy to get along with!

Personal aesthetic i’m not sure honestly! I suppose a mix of soft girl & e-girl? cause i’ve been lost in aesthetic items already but usually i’m in a hoodie & shorts :)

my interest includes sketching / painting, reading murder mystery/romance books, writing. I’ve been taking up graphic design more. I LOVE watching horror movies, cooking (dancing in the kitchen is a must), trying new foods. I am so certain that i have a sweet tooth addicted, but i love savory food. I used to do boxing and throwing in track & field - definitely helped with muscle haha! If you send me memes, I’ll definitely send some back & then we’ll fall in love 😌

Extra stuff, i am a scorpio, my birthday is Nov. 3rd, favorite color is maroon! I LOVE cuddling - i am a heater - so cuddles & naps are a must please! Dancing and singing are so much fun - especially dancing in my room haha.

I’m not going to lie, I’m addicted to TikTok & reading fanfics so i’m expecting to be teased 😂 I love cute / silly nicknames - honeycakes, pretty girl/baby, baka (oops) - they just make my heart flutter 🥺🥰

I hope this is enough & not too long! And i hope to be matched with someone! Thank you so much in advance! ✨❤️

OKAY HEAR ME OUT- this may’ve been sorta unexpected bUT YEAH i ship you with🥁🥁🥁kyoutani! Aka kyouken/mad dog. Allow me to explain (this would also be kinda like couple shenanigans ig 🤔):

Polar👏opposites👏 YES. You’re all beautiful angelic mom vibes, while he’s all angry rat man, obviously no one expected you both to get together. Let’s say you’re the manager of the vb team yeah? The guys love you in seconds, i mean why wouldn’t day? You spoil them, but you also keep them in check. You’re literally the mom of the group, along with iwaizumi ofc. Kyouken is kind of an ass at first, well- not entirely. He’s honestly just partly shy, and partly “doesn’t wanna get distracted” with certain..people. SO ofc like every angsty love story, he pretty much ignores you at first, so you think he hates you for some time. That is- until iwa and shigeru call him out on his bs talk to him and let him know that hey, you’re being kind of a dick. After that, he starts making more of an effort, actually approaching you, telling you that if you need any help with the sport and managing he’s your guy, asking how you’re doing, giving you snacks when you seem down, etc. All of this, of course, with the usual tsundere looking ass frown on his face, but with a nice shade of red on his cheeks. It’s pretty charming tbh. Since then, you become wayyy closer, you’re vary caring and are always there to help him, but ofc you also keep him grounded and in check, your slight temper helps with that. Kyou teases the shit outta you when you guys get closer, but he’s more the tsundere teaser. All “baka” and slight nose or forehead flicks coming from him. He’s very protective of you, any sight of shady looking ppl will have him at your side, glaring daggers at those who seem untrustworthy. He loves how sweet and patient you are with him, but also how badass, honest, and no bullshit you are, it makes him feel safe? Trusted? Just-...nice. Really nice.

Btw oikawa saw this coming since the day he met you

I feel like the confession would be pretty blunt, but still sweet. He’d talk to oikawa and iwa before, telling them what he felt. But he was super oblivious, all “i just see them and feel suddenly...happy..i guess?? And i wanna keep seeing them. I like their company...and their face” iwa and oikawa are like 👀

Iwa: i think you may be uh-crushing on them, bud

Oikawa: YOU HAVE TO CONFESS OMG😩😩

Kyou’s kinda shy about it at first, very confused too. Dude never thought he’d want to get in a relationship with someone so he’s like???? WHAT THE FUCK 🗿 but you had to come and be all 💞🌸🥰💞✨💘✨💘🥰💞✨💘🥰🥰 >>>>:::((( DAMMIT. But then he’s really accepting of it? Like- he’s all fine then i’ll just go and tell em, seems logical, while iwa is like “really??? 👁👁” and oikawa “Y E S👏” and so he asks you to meet up at a park he knows you like, which is also the place you guys usually hang out at. And. Basically. He just tells you. He’s pretty flustered tho, you just looked so !! A A A A so he had to look down to be able to get actual words out of his mouth. You’re hella touched, and tell him you feel the same. Soft 🥺

✨DATE IDEAS✨cuddle dates are dates ok!! You guys literally just call each other up to hug and snuggle all cute together, i feel like you’d both be pretty warm, so imagine you guys just cuddling up in bed with the a/c on, which makes you both to cuddle closer 🥺pain😍 (also he’d def call you pretty girl and dumbass/baka the most) Other times you just hang out in each other’s presence, you’ll sketch while he watches you, sometimes he even helps woth references, even if he gets a bit embarrassed over being watched so closely. Also hear this- you guys cook together and nice lovely warm meal and THEN you watch your favorite horror films, i feel like he’d be a huge horror fan no cap, so win win. Sometimed he laughs at the gory scenes tho so you either laugh with him or stare like 👁_👁 (but then you laugh cuz some gory scenes are quite hilarious) OH ALSO when you go to sleep or just cuddle, you read your novels to him, which usually ends up w him falling asleep on your tums 🥺🥺🥺💞💞💞 btw something cute i thought just now- you really help him chill tf out, not only do you bring him back to earth and make him humble out more bUT you also help him have proper fun, for example, you know that scene in the end of the fucking world where alyssa puts on a record, closes her eyes and tells james to dance with her (as she starts dancing to the music)? So he starts dancing and he looks so genuinely happy and it’s so!!! Cute!!! YEAH THAT, here’s the scene if you wanna see (ignore the dance naked part lmao) so yeah, you help him actually have fun, and ngl, the first time he’s genuinely smiled since he was a kid, was with you.

Heyoo i hoped you liked it sweetums!! Hope to see you around this blog soon ^^ have a great one, bye bye!! 💞💞

[365days365movies]

January 17, 2021: Atomic Blonde (Epilogue)

I genuinely really enjoyed this film! And then...about 2 minutes after it ended...I started to think. And I continued to think. I wrote those two posts, and then took a little bit more time to think.

And then...I came to my final realization.

John Wick REALLY screwed this movie. Because the perception of this movie for most, myself included, was that of a new John Wick, with a female protagonist. A lot of people referred to it as “Jane Wick.” But it’s definitely not John Wick. It’s trying to be a spy movie, especially like James Bond films.

But the problem is...it isn’t either. To be a spy movie, it tries a little too hard with a pretty standard plot. And then, it intercuts that with John Wick-caliber fight sequences, detracting from the spy movie aesthetic. And then, because you do have those fight scenes, but still need to fit in the spy stuff, it creates a distinct disparity in tone and pace throughout the movie.

In other words...let’s get to the Recap. I have some more thoughts. And don’t worry! Many of them are positive. Just...not all of them.

Recap

Cast and Acting

Let’s start, of course, with Charlize Theron. Outside of the action sequences, Theron goes well as Broughton, portraying the tough character traits we see in spy characters like her and James Bond. And with the character she’s given, Theron does wonderfully. James McAvoy, on the other hand, seems like he’s having a HELL of a lot of fun with his role. He’s an underrated actor, honestly, and it’s very cool to see him play this sort-of anarchist punk spy. Sofia Boutella also deserves a shout-out for Delphine, playing her character’s naivete well, as well as remaining likeable. Also, Bill Skarsgård deserves a shout-out! I liked Merkel a lot, even despite his shorter screentime. Goodman, Jones, Marsan all do fine in their roles. The USSR characters...eh. They aren’t really given much spotlight...which is weird, given the fact that this is a Cold War drama, but OK. Basically, we’re going with an 9/10. Great; not the best I’ve ever seen all around, but still great!

Plot and Writing

Yeah...here’s the thing. I might like this movie, but the plot’s kind of a massive mess. Writing’s fine, but the plot is both extremely cliche spy movie, while also being extremely muddled in terms of story. Remember what I said up there about this film trying to be both a spy movie and John Wick, and that not working really well? Yeah, basically that. It attempts to balance the two concepts, but also corrupts what makes those concepts work in the first place. The Bourne Identity is arguably a better version of that combination. It’s too bad, because elements of the plot really take away from the rest of the movie. 

And then...there’s the tacked on ending. Because, yeah, the whole American spy thing? Wasn’t in the original graphic novel. What I genuinely think they should’ve done was end it RIGHT at the interview’s terminus. Or, at least, right as she greets Bremovych as Satchel, as is done in the original novel. And, just to be clear, I thought this BEFORE reading the book. That ending feels...pander-y, for lack of a better term. I realize that we always want our protagonists to be heroic, but how great would it have been if Lorraine actually was kind of a villain? I dunno, I think not adding that extra twist at the end makes the movie stronger and more provocative, in a good way. Sorry, Kurt Johnstad, I know you did a good job on a technical standpoint, but...5/10 here.

Directing and Action

David Leitch, Jonathan Sela, and Sam Hargrave, the director, cinematographer, and stunt coordinator/fight choreographer, respectively. Full points for the action sequences, because MAN, those were some good action sequences! Rough and gritty, but extremely well-choreographed and shot at the same time, the action deserves the praise that it’s gotten. How about the cinematography? Stylistic, and very bold colors make this film very memorable. But...they don’t have much clear tie-in to the theming, and I think there’s some missed opportunity there. And the direction overall is great, even if I don’t think it’s perfect. It is Leitch’s first film as solo director, after all. 8/10!

Production and Art Design

Changed the title of this section! Turns out that I’ve been conflating the two concepts, so let’s include them both from now on, shall we? But OK, what did I think of it? Costume design was iconic...in the case for Charlize Theron, at least. James McAvoy a little bit, too, but it’s clear that Cindy Evans focused more upon Charlize than anyone else in the film, really. Which, for a spy, isn’t the best of ideas. Still, that combined with Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner’s art direction for the sets and set pieces (almost all of which are splashed with graffiti, in a very 1980′s flair) do bring you back to the time period in which the film is set. This, of course, is also due to the work of David Scheunmann, the production designer who’s actually from Berlin, and whose experiences were vital into making this film look as good as it does. If you’re not sold on the set design, check out the differences, obvious and subtle, between West and East Germany in the film. While some of it is clear, some of it carries some surprisingly subtle messaging (Stalker and Tetris, for example). So, even if Charlize got most of the costume attention, a lot of credit should be given to this movie. 8/10 for this one!

Music and Editing

Maybe the most well-known aspect of this movie, outside of the dramatic lighting, is the ‘80s soundtrack. Some love it, some criticize it quite a bit for overwhelming the film. And honestly...I think they’re both right? Here’s the thing, the music is great, and some of it is used in unexpectedly creative ways that critics didn’t seem to pick up on. Biggest and best example of this is Nena’s 99 Luftballons. That song if you didn’t know, is inspired by the separation between East and West Berlin. It’s literally a song about the cost of political strife, leading to war between countries over something as trivial as a red balloon. And when do they play it during the movie? When Bremovych is waging interrogating young East Berliners celebrating the culture of the west. It’s surprisingly profound! However...using Flock of Seagulls’ I Ran during a chase scene is...less so. That’s one’s a little on the nose, let’s be honest here. And that basically sums up the music for the movie. It’s all good music, but it’s either used well, or it just isn’t. Also, there actually is music composed for this movie, by Tyler Bates, and it is good...but I had to listen to the soundtrack to remember that it was even in the movie. So, yeah, not fantastic.

OK, how about the editing? The flashback sequence intercuts as part of the movie have been criticized by some for interfering with the pace and tone. And...eh. Wasn’t too much of a problem for me, to be honest. And other than that, it didn’t stand out too much to me. I’m finding that editing is the hardest thing to judge in these movies, but who knows? I think this little project might improve my film judgment skills. Also, those long shots? Not true long shots, as they were edited in post. So, good job to Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir! Overall, though, this category’s getting a 7/10 from me.

That’d be a...68% Really?

I’m legitimately surprised, because I do like this movie! Really, I do! But breaking it up piece by piece...it’s only really OK. My personal preference doesn’t necessarily dictate my score, and vice verse. So, I like this movie...even if it’s not as good as it can be. It’s a distinctive and stylish film with great action, and if you wanna see Charlize Theron be cool and kick ass, then WATCH THIS MOVIE! 

And by the way, I didn’t touch too much upon the fact that this is the rare bisexual protagonist, and this is Tumblr, so I know that that’s something you guys know. And honestly...eh. Fact of the matter is that it’s a part of her character, but...we don’t really get to know the real her throughout the entire movie, so...is it? I’m honestly not sure. But, representation is representation, I get it. Also, fun fact, Delphine actually is in the graphic novel, but as a guy. So, interesting change, that!

OK, I think we’re done with the spy movies for a bit, now. Let’s switch subgenres a day. Let’s inject a little more adventure into this month, and let’s trade fists...with swords. It’s swashbuckler time.

January 18, 2021: The Mask of Zorro

[d-pennants]

Through the Moon Instagram Live

Partial transcript of the Instagram Live with Justin Richmond and Aaron Ehasz. It was only posted for 24 hours and a lot of stuff was talked about. I tried to copy the answers as close to what was actually said, but I won’t guarantee I didn’t mishear or miss stuff. I just focused on the stuff about tDP.

No S4 announcement today.

Do you have a favorite character? Are you allowed to play favorites? JR: Yeah. I definitely have characters that I like more than other characters, but I’ll never admit who they are. [laughs]

Fine, how about hints about S5 then?

AE: Justin and I were working on a scene this morning, a scene in which someone makes a sacred promise to Bait. Hope that’s not to big a spoiler.

[Explaining about Through the Moon which is out today (Oct 6th) Shout out to Xanthe Bouma & Peter Wartman, who will be there for the AMA on Friday. And shout out to the team at Scholastic.]

[Technical issues made the audio break up while JR was relocating. I couldn’t catch what the actually questions were for this little bit, but I caught some of the answers.]

Question about Zuko’s VA Dante Basco

AE: He’s amazing to work with. I’d definitely be happy to work with him.

Question about Callum’s Mage Wings

AE: I’d just get mage wing out even just to go to the bathroom at night if I were Callum.

Question about Runaan

AE: I don’t know. That’s a mystery. Runaan is certainly in the magical cursed coin in some form. But I don’t know what he’ll do or if he can survive it. But that’s a story we’ll be certain to tell.

[JR relocated & AE had to log out and rejoin, which fixed the issue.]

Are there other graphic novels coming? Is Through the Moon part of a series with an over arching plot?

JR: Hopefully yes. Hopefully we get to do some more with Scholastic. This is a standalone. It is part of the core story of the Dragon Prince. It counts as canon. But there’s not a sequel to Though the Moon.

AE: We would love to do more graphic novels. We are actively talking about and planning it. Definitely in the cards. But not necessarily an over arching story.

Asking about Janai’s brother?

AE: We’re going to find out about Janai’s brother for sure. He’s a really cool character, a lot of fun.

What do Moonshadow elves do during a full moon? Do they just become invisible.

AE: It’s not just invisibility. It is a stealth mode. I think we talk about it as like they’re almost partially slipping into a “Moon dimension” that partially obscures how visible they are. But also their physically is maybe changed at bit so they can partially materialize for a split instant to do damage, then they’re phasing out. I think they’re phasing in and out of some kind of Moon dimension. So it’s partially invisibility, but there’s also some defense and fighting stuff that happens.

What does Moonberry juice taste like?

AE: In my mind the things that are conjured are some kind of juice blend. Mulberry juice, pomegranate. Justin talked about a bit of cran involved? But I always think mulberries.

JR: Try mulberry juice. Mulberries have like the weirdest, coolest taste. If you haven’t tried it you should do it.

AE: Not ignoring S4 questions, but we just don’t have a good answer. We are working on it. But we don’t have a S4 date. We getting things moving in a good way and we’re excited but we won’t have the information on a date for S4. We really appreciate you being patient for that. Don’t have any age criteria that we can reveal right now.

Will there be outfit changes for the dragon squad?

JR: There’s already some in the graphic novel. Rayla gets some pretty great pyjamas.

AE: They’re just going to rotate outfits. They’re just gonna trade clothes. You should see how great Soren gonna looks wearing Claudia’s clothes. How Callum’s going to look squeezed into some of Ezran’s outfits. Everybody’s just gonna try on each other’s stuff.

JR: I like it. Too bad that actually 3D doesn’t work like that, where you just trade outfits. Because it’d be hilarious. Yeah, of course, people are going to change outfits. There’s going to be some cool new stuff to see. Absolutely going forward.

Is Callum close to obtaining any other arcanum / going to learn any other arcanum in the future?

JR: No spoilers, but there’s little bit of a hint of some of the answer to this in this graphic novel, so you should check it out. I don’t want to spoil anything. I think Callum fascinated by all the arcanum. He’s not just limiting his interest to Sky.

AE: If you’re a betting person, isn’t Callum’s going to be the first human archmage. A little bit trolling, but yeah, he loves magic. He’s fascinated. But he’s groundbreaking. He’s doing things humans haven’t done before and his potential is limitless. May not be S4, may be S17 at that point.

Will there there be more Sarai? I really want Callum and Ezran to visit her memorial statue.

JR: That would be a beautiful moment. That’d be great, that’d be pretty cool to see. There will be some more Sarai, we’ll find out more about their family. I’m not sure how much we’re aware, but Sarai is certainly not gone from the series. You’ll see Sarai again.

Is the Key of Aaravos actually the key of where he was imprisoned?

AE & JR: We can’t tell you.

JR: We don’t even know. We haven’t even discovered the answer yet.

AE: We know! Actually, that was one of the first things we knew at the very beginning. We’ll get to it.

Is the Sun arcanum the only one that can heal? Or maybe the Ocean arcanum can heal as well/or to?

AE: Great question. Yes. I suspect there are healing abilities possible through different primals. Ocean is a perfect example. I think it’s likely different kinds of healers that call on different energy to restore life and health to those who are injured or sick.

Could original characters introduced in the graphic novels potentially make it into the show?

JR: Absolutely. It’s a huge universe, so we won’t hold back if we think somebody from a graphic novel or the game will fit into the show in the right way, of course we would do that. One of the cool things about working with all the same team is that stuff like that can happen, because we can control all of it. Which is amazing. It’s a great feeling.

AE: There’s a character we’ve talked about for a while from the video game and recently that character finally had their moment in the show. We wanna see different ways to access the world and characters.

JR: Also we’re working with Fandom on a tabletop RPG so that can go another way. You can see characters coming into the show.

Do we have to read the graphic novel before we watch S4?

AE: I don’t think we should say too much. You don’t have too, but everything that happened in the graphic novel happened before S4, it really happened. So can probably infer some of it, but best experience will be read the graphic novel. Get yourself up to date.

How will Zym progress throughout the seasons? Will he grow up and learn to talk and how to manage his powers?

JR: I don’t want to say too much. Zym is going to grow along with the other characters. He’s not static. He’s a puppy, he’s a little baby, and he’s growing up.

AE: We’ll see Zym growing up more for sure.

Will there be more Gren content?

AE & JR: Yeah! [Laughing] AE: Of course. JR: How could there not be? AE: Didn’t we announce already that season 5’s Book 5: Gren? JR: Books 5 through 14 is all Gren. Then we’ll come back around to the other arcanum.

Will we ever get to see Ellis and Ava again?

AE & JR: Maybe? Probably. JR: Not 100%

How did the idea of making the graphic novel come about?

JR: Couple of things. We were talking to Scholastic and they were saying “what if we did this thing together” and we were fascinated by that idea. We’ve always been interested in comics. It sorta came up very naturally with them. And then we started talking about the story, Aaron and I, that could fit in here with the writers and stuff. I felt like a natural thing. That’s how I remember it - Aaron may have other memories of it.

AE: I think that the whole dream of this partnership with Scholastic has been to serve the community by being able to continue tell stories in the wider world of Xadia, through graphic novels, and novels and other books. That part of why we’re so excited about this partnership. It’s so much more depth and insight into different characters parts of the world that we may not have time for in the 22 minutes on Netflix. So the partnership with Scholastic is perfect for deepening and expanding those stories. That’s what it comes down to.

JR: They introduced us to Xanthe and Peter, who just absolutely crushed it.

AE: Yes. [Name?] is still at Wonderstorm if someone asks. It’s still happening. JR: Yes, I talked to him yesterday. He absolutely still here. Xanthe and Peter, we got introduced to them through Scholastic and they just absolutely knocked this out the park. It was a joy to work with both of them and what an amazing job they both did on this. We’re super excited to have gotten to work with them on a graphic novel.

AE: More shout outs to Xanthe Bouma and Peter Wartman.

What did Aaravos say to Khessa?

JR: We can’t say. AE: We can’t, but Janai is wondering that too. And we’re excited about it. It’s weird - I’m not being helpful, but it’s a good question. I may not be giving a satisfying answer, but it’s a good question.

How does Janai know Aaravos spoke to Khessa?

AE: She might not have seen it, but she’s going to find out about it.

Someone asked about the Orphan Queen.

AE: We love the Orphan Queen and there are more references coming seasons 4 and onward. It’s a story I’ve always wanted to tell. We think it will be a great movie someday, maybe. The story of the Orphan Queen is certainly relevant to the story and the saga as it’s unfolding now. It’s a cool story we wanna tell.

We know only some Skywing elves have wings, and not all Sunfire have fire-mode, but what about Moonshadow elves. As they can only use their powers once a month, rather than at any given moment, is it an ability all (or at least most) of them have or is it just some of them?

AE: I think it’s one of those things where Moonshadow elves are in tune with the Moon primal, and one of the very powerful skills that a Moonshadow elf being in tune with that arcanum can master is moonshadow mode, that makes you an excellent assassin, so they evolved this culture that does some of this stealthy, assassin work. It’s certainly possible that there are other powers and abilities that come from connecting to that arcanum that can be directly realized - that a Moonshadow elf might be able to manifest. So you may see some of that in the future. Maybe you have some ideas for your fanfiction or your cool art to show some of those powers, but the powers and abilities really come from them being attuned to these primals and some of it comes naturally and some it comes with training and bringing out the ability to do the special thing. I don’t see why it’s limited. In learning, for example, that Sunfire elves have at least two abilities that can connect to the arcanum is part of what may help understand that.

Do we read fanfictions?

AE: Yes and no - not so much. We highly encourage it and we love people do it. Every once in a while we get someone saying “you gotta look at this, it’s so charming” or “oh, this is so cool.” Or someone will bring something to our attention. There is some really amazing work out there and there’s some writers who are terrific. But as a rule I don’t think we do it regularly when someone says “check this out”.

Will there be more dark mages?

JR: Yes. You will see more dark mages, 100%. But I don’t want to say any more than that. AE: It’s interesting too. This is one of the great things about Scholastic partnership again, that there’s this sort of interplay about things you find out in the show and I think at least one of the dark mages is very significant. The first time people will hear about that person will be in Book 2: Sky the core novel. That’s someone who plays him in the story, in the saga, once the series comes back. But yeah, there’s a very important dark mage who will come up in that book.

Did Aaravos create dark magic?

AE: No, it was discovered not created. Did Aaravos turn them onto it or help them discover it? That’s very possible. Whether Aaravos played a role in developing their ability to do dark magic. Exploring the possibilities of dark magic.

Will we meet other types of dragon and/or archdragons?

JR: 100% yes. Dragon’s in the name. We’re bound by oath! AE: There will be dragons.

Is it possible the dragon king will unfreeze?

AE: Should we not answer that? I feel like it’s possible, but I don’t want to encourage or get anyone too excited. I think being turned to stone is a pretty dismal fate.

Can elves do dark magic?

AE: Can we just say yes? JR: Absolutely. Elves can do dark magic. Totally possible.

How do you go about populating Xadia with cities and landmarks? Do you have the landmarks and find places that fit or did you have the shape and find things to fill it? Or mixture of both? JR: A bit of both. There were some places we’d talked about and generally knew where it is or what this place is going to be. But some of it, when we saw the first version of that map, and the details, we were like “oh my goodness,” there were some obvious things we wanted to put in there. Then there’s some easter eggy stuff that just fun.

Do we think Claudia deserves a redemption arc?

AE: Why does she need a redemption arc. Why are you judging her? What has see done that requires redemption? She’s pretty much in the clear. JR: I’m insulted for her. (laughs)

Is Corvus’ middle name Dennis?

AE: Do you want it to be Dennis? JR: It can absolutely be Dennis. No reason it can’t be. I think I know where this comes from. There was a running gag in the writers between Devon and myself where we call Corvus “Dennis Trackerman.” There was a whole thing. It went on way too long. AE: We hadn’t named him yet. JR: We were talking about if there were a whole family of Trackerman, cousins and it went on way too long. I think his middle name could absolutely be Dennis. AE: Seems right to me. JR: So it’s official - Corvus Dennis Trackerman.

Is there a certain reason Rayla is scared of water and if there is will we find out more about it in the show?

AE: I think there may be. We may find out more about it. Part of it is because of the way she’s wired. I think she’s great at running through the trees and balancing and doing the things she does, is she senses the stability of the earth beneath her, the amount of stability or flexibility of a tree limb or side of a cliff. She’s very sensitive and in tuned. I think when you take someone like that and put them in the water, I think it - whoosh - overwhelms them. It alarming. Some of it’s a little physical, but I suspect there may have been something that happened. She certainly brings a sense of emotion around it, feels like it’s beyond discomfort. JR: I feel like there was a tra-

[There was a bit of a pause so they ending up talking over each other. AE starts asking the next question while JR gets cut off].

Someone asked if we can learn the backstory on Ethari?

AE: I know that there’s a beautiful story about Ethari’s birthday on our website that can give you a glimmer. But I think that’s something I would love to hear. I’m sure it’s something that Devon and Ian - perhaps Neil has thought about.

Do you think you’ll explore Callum’s dad or is he not important to the story?

AE: I think it’s possible we’ll learn more about Callum’s dad in the sense of the role he played in Sarai’s life and Callum’s own life. Hopefully in one of the books that comes out. JR: Yes, he is important. He’s foundational to how Callum became Callum.

Will the Dragon Queen in more involved in Season 4?

AE & JR: Yes. Dragons.

Is Rayla the main character of the story of Through the Moon?

JR: It’s Rayla focused, but it’s like the show, there’s various non-Rayla bits. But if I had to pick a main I’d say yeah, Rayla. AE: Probably ask Xanthe what she thought about that question.

Do we see more Crow Master?

JR: We can never get enough Crow Master as far as I’m concerned. If the show was just the Gren and Crow Master show I feel like we can make some stuff happen. We’ll definitely see more of him.

AE: Yesterday we were working on a Crow Master scene, and the writers were like, do we need it, and like, It’s a Crow Master scene!

Is it canon elves have 6 toes?

JR: I think they have 4 toes, right? AE: I’m not sure what happened there. I think that’s an oops someone made. I suspect they have 4 digits per hand or foot.

[Side note: I think Jack DeSena was talking about 6 toes on Zoom into Xadia]

“Gren” is that the main spinoff?

AE: We were gonna a have a spinoff that was just Gren, like the character’s life. Even if it was just mainly Gren enjoying the morning and getting ready for work and winding down at the end of the day and possibly waking up in the middle of the night, thinking about things and going back to sleep. Cause, things will be fine.

Will the history of Xadia’s splitting be important in the future?

JR: Yes, absolutely. That event is crazy important in terms of the history of the continent. You may not see more of the actually event of it, the getting split, but it’s a huge deal that matters a lot.

Soulfang serpents feed on the souls of their prey, does that make them a Moon primal creature?

AE & JR: I think that’s right. JR: And they’re terrifying.

Does Bait have a middle name or a glowtoad tribal name? They’d love to see how Ezran found or got Bait?

JR: I think we’ve said Ezran got Bait from Harrow. Harrow gave him Bait. Glowtoad tribal name is some sort of grunt noise that’s specific, it’s pretty funny to think about. Also, how would you know which is the tribal name and which is the middle? I guess they’d know. It’s only for glowtoads.

Will we see how people react to Rayllum or elf/human relationships in general?

JR: Yes. It could be a huge thing in the show. Human and elf relationships are a big deal, absolutely we will see that stuff going forward. Yes, you will definitely see that stuff.

How long did it take from conception to production for Through the Moon?

JR: I think it was about a year / nine months. To go from story idea all the way to finished. AE: If we’re talking story idea it’s almost a year and a half. It’s a lot of work. We worked with Peter on a number of drafts and outlines and scripts. Then with Xanthe for quite some time.

What is the time gap between the comic and season 3?

AE: Couple of weeks? JR: It’s pretty short. It’s almost immediately following season 3.

Is Opeli actually Soren and Claudia mom, but they  don’t remember her?

JR: No, she’s not. But that would be kinda funny. AE: Do you maybe ship Opeli & Viren a little bit. JR: That would be a pretty funny relationship.

The time gap between Through the Moon and Season 4?

AE: Can’t say. JR: You’ll find out in season 4. Lots of weeks.

How long does it usually take to animate a scene?

JR: That’s a pretty variable answer. The way it works is; we write a script, it gets recorded, there’s a bunch of 2D passes where we do storyboards and animatics and those are all hand drawn, and that takes weeks and weeks of time. At some point that’s approved and it gets handed off to the animators. In our show we do 3D animation with a sort of 2D sheet or look to it. So 3D animators would get that animatic, and they’d be handed a shot. Sometimes, depending on how complex the shot is, there’s sometime multiple animators will work on a single sequence. If there’s a lots of stuff going on with multiple characters you’ll get more than one person working on a shot. But it totally depends how much facial animation there is, how much action, how much running around, if they’re standing or talking. It totally depends. There’s a sort of variable number of seconds the animator can do a week. There’s not like a hard or fast answer here. Sometimes if it’s simple they can animate maybe 20 seconds a week, if it’s crazy complicated they may be doing half that. On average, it on the 20 seconds a week range. But wildly variable depending on the shot and what happening.

Is there a bigger world out there or is Xadia all there is?

AE: There’s some stuff on the periphery of the map that is part of a bigger world. But the main focus is this continent. It’s where the key action is. I think there are things on the periphery. We sometimes do jokes the Avatar world is on the other side. JR: If you flip the world over.

Are the elven face marking henna tattoo or are they permanent? JR: They’re more like henna tattoo. AE: Depends on the culture. There are probably some elven cultures where they more permanently tattoo some of the marking and they’re some where they’re more temporary makeup. But I think we’ve said for the Moonshadow elves it’s more like henna. Semi-permanent tattoos.

Will there be more Queen Aanya?

JR:  Yeah. AE: I hope so too. JR: I love Queen Aanya. She’s awesome and a very exciting character. Also she has the coolest bow ever and I want to see more of that not matter what.

Aanya/Ezran friendship?

AE: I want to see that. We talked about that. JR: We can’t talk about that yet, but yes.

Who is the best fighter in the show?

JR: I don’t know if there’s a best fighter. There’s a lot of awesome fighters in the show. AE: Rayla and Soren both have different fighting skills. Corvus has different set of fighting skill. They’re all great fighters. Amaya’s incredible. Actually, the answer might be Amaya. If I had to put an answer on it. Just fundamentals. That be my answer. JR: That makes sense. I agree. I bet Soren would disagree.

Do you guys ever play D&D after work?

JR: Yes, we have a whole D&D crew after work. We love Dungeons & Dragons. We love Tabletop RPG We play all kinds of board games, not just Dungeons & Dragons. We had a whole series of board game nights - when we can be at the office - that were really fun. Continue that when we can all get back together. Played some virtual version too since Covid.

Will we ever see Villads again? JR: I don’t know if we should answer that one? AE: I think so, yeah. JR: Also, Villads is the name of a person who worked on the show - he’s an amazing director. AE: Not just a person, the supervising director of the show. Wonderful leader. Inspirational. JR: And a big sailor.

Then they wrapped up. Thanks, shout outs, reminder of AMA etc.

[carriagelamp]

February 2020 Book Review

The Last Wish / Sword Of Destiny

Let’s start with the books that currently have me in a stranglehold. I apologize to everyone that actually follows me and watched me descend into fandom pits but whatcha gonna do. So, I was aware of the video game when it came out, but not being a prolific gamer I was intrigued but never bothered getting into it. Then the Netflix series came out, and I was again intrigued... but I suck at sitting down and watching shows. So what the heck I decided, it’s probably mediocre hypermasculine high fantasy but let’s try a book to see what the fuss is all about.

Good god. Guys. It’s real good. And so fucking different from the show. Geralt is actually a really emotional, well-meaning guy who’s starved for positive social interactions and is just trying to do his best. And the books’ consistent themes of colonialism, environmental destruction, forced extinction, and changing eras is... chilling and fascinating and honestly a little too relatable at times. These books have made me laugh and shout and frankly sob. Still a little sexist, cause 90s fantasy, but Geralt is so not the gruff, heartless, manly man character I thought he would be. I am so deeply into these and have just cracked the spine of the next book in the series. If you like high fantasy, I can’t recommend these enough.

The Silver Eyes

I just learnt that there were Five Nights At Freddy’s books, and honestly picked this up from the library as a joke for my brother. We’d played the games back when they first came out, and were into the lore, but lbr they’re more of a meme at this point. Anyway, we ended up reading this out loud to each other, a chapter a night, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Probably wouldn’t have liked it as much on my own, but the main character was complicated and messy, and the book’s way or portraying trauma was neat. It was nominally horror, and did have the occasional chilling moment, or times it was fun to speculate, it over all it was pretty run of the mill middle grade fiction.

FRNK

Probably the best graphic novel I’ve read this month. 

I was howling with laughter while I read it. Good quality Belgium comics, always a treat. This story is about a modern day boy, Frank, who is accidentally thrown back into prehistoric times, where he’s stuck with a bunch of cavemen who haven’t invented the concept of vowels yet. Admittedly my French isn’t great, so it made trying to decipher words with half the letters missing a challenge to say the least, but plenty worth it. I really want to get my hands on book two. I believe there’s an English translation, and I’d recommend giving it a try.

Best Friends

A neat little graphic novel that addresses common growing up issues, about what it means to be friends, stay friends, how to cope with people changing and when it’s time to walk away. Anxiety, being yourself, fitting in, all that sort of stuff. It’s a quick read, very pleasant, and has nice art.

Karen’s Witch

Another cute graphic novel with charming art. I read this at the store while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled. It’s about this five year old (or thereabouts) who is absolutely determined that her neighbour is a witch and by god she is going to prove it or at least scare herself and her friend silly in the process. A fun little read!

Endling: The First

The second book in the Endling series, and all my praise for the first book apply here as well. A super unique high fantasy that gives extinct and threatened species a voice. The book explore themes of war, environmental destruction, sacrifice and loss. You really get to see how much Byx has grown and how much she needs to continue to grow. This book has me so excited for the third, I haven’t read such an emotionally rewarding quest novel in a long time.

Bleach

I found out my library has a billion books of this series and decided to jump into it again for the first time in over a decade. Honestly it’s even better than I remembered? The art is absolutely stunning, Ichigo is such a power fantasy hero, and it’s one of those series with a lot of really loveable characters and a lot of heart. Ichigo is a good guy who you actually feel good liking, which can’t be said for all shonen protags by any means. This is just such a classic and it holds up man. And if you like manga and have never read it? Jump in and enjoy a normal human getting supernatural powers and kicking absolutely enormous monsters’ asses.

Dinotopia: Sabertooth Mountain

This was my favourite Dinotopia book as a kid, and it was still fun to reread. The world of Dinotopia is one separate from the rest of the world, where humanity lives in perfect harmony with many prehistoric creatures that have managed to survive and evolve on the island of Dinotopia. This story is about a crisis brewing, as the sabertooths are cut off from their food supply and are in danger of not only starving but of bringing death to the rest of the mountain as well. While surveying the situation with his older sister, the main character finds himself falling from the airship in the middle of a storm, directly into the valley of starving sabertooths.

I read a bunch of this author’s graphic novels, and they are such feel-good queer lit. This was probably my favourite of the lot, but I also read Tea Dragon Society, Aquicorn Cove, and Princess Princess Ever After. Taking place in a picturesque mountain community, it’s about a girl meeting a guardian dragon who accidentally fell asleep in the mountains a century ago rather than watch over the village like intended. It’s about coming to terms with and loving yourself (and also about super cute little tea dragons).

Just Jaime

Another story that focuses on the complications of middle school, and how friends can grow and change, and when sometimes friendships become toxic and cruel. These are novel/graphic novel hybrids that are very visually appealing, and really do manage to tell very heartfelt stories. This one takes a side character from the earlier two books, and turns her from a very one dimensional, somewhat annoying character, into a fully realized person with her own issues and her own need for growth.

The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up / The Life-Changing Manga Of Tidying Up

Given that I’m not really a non-fiction person and DEFINITELY not a self-help book person, I really enjoyed these (though I didn’t read Spark Joy). I read the manga first, out of curiosity, but enough of it struck true that I decided to try the book as well. Have I cleaned anything up yet? No. But honestly, I can genuinely say that despite being repetitive at points I do truly feel like I got a lot of good out of it, and I feel much more excited and prepared when I do decide to do a big clean next. It really does reframe the relationship you have with your belongings and with yourself. I genuinely love the concept of “sparking joy”.

Bigfoot Boy: The Sound Of Thunder

Technically the last book of the series, whoops. Though honestly having read it I didn’t feel like I missed that much. It’s a Canadian graphic novel and I had... mixed feelings about it. Interesting and exciting in some ways, but the pacing was odd, and honestly I don’t think indigenous voices went into making it (I could be wrong but...) and it reads as kinda... eugh. Problematic. Having a none indigenous author write about a white boy being the guardian of a first nation totem and turning into a bigfoot isn’t a super cool optic.

Bloodchild

I was told “hey this is a really fucked up short story” so I read it, and guess what? It was a really fucked up short story. Would recommend if you want weird alien sex slavery bullshit-- it was a wild ride. And the overall themes obviously went a lot deeper than that, but honestly, it’s like a few dozen pages long if you wanna dig into all the philosophical shit, just give it a read! Uh, heavy content warning, tw tw tw, but a really bizarre, unsettling look at gender and power dynamics and oppression through a scifi lens.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM

I hadn’t read this book since elementary school so I reread it on a whim. It really is such a charming story. As far as animal stories go, this feels almost like the platonic ideal. Mother mouse is worried about her sick son and winds up compelled to seek out the mysterious rats who live in the rosebush for help, and is not only thrust into her own adventure but learns about the strange past her late husband shared with the rats of NIMH. It’s such a relaxing read, while still managing to be exciting and compelling.

Exploring According to Og the Frog

And one last animal story to round us off. I’d read one of the Humphrey books last month, and check out a couple more from the library for fun. I didn’t enjoy Mysteries According to Humphrey that much, but this one was charming, showing the world through Humphrey’s frog friend Og instead. The same charming type of adventure, but being a frog, Og has a very different attitude and view of the world, which was fun. Very cute elementary kid lit.

[sorenfm]

           choi  san  .  cis  male  .  he / him  or  they / them  .  /  soren  shin  just  pulled  up  blasting  late  night  by  goldlink  ft.  masego  .  --  that  song  is  so  them  !  you  know  ,  for  a  twenty  four  year  old  socialite  and  illustrator  ,  i’ve  heard  they’re  really  -vexatious  ,  but  that  they  make  up  for  it  by  being  so  +  alluring  .  if  i  had  to  choose  three  things  to  describe  them  ,  i’d  probably  say  graphite  stained  hands  gripping  the  neck  of  a  bottle  of  remy  martin  louis  xiii  ,  gucci  sneakers  tapping  rhythmically  on  museum  floors  ,  and  unread  texts  and  unanswered  phone  calls  clogging  his  lockscreen  .  here’s  to  hopping  they  don’t  cause  too  much  trouble  !

           hmm  ,  yes  .  this  two  gif  thing  with  block  quotes  is  just  as  extra  as  i  was  hoping  it  would  be  🥰  .  that  being  said  ,  hi  babies  !  my  name’s  koa  (  pronounced  like  co - uh  )  ,  and  i’m  really  excited  to  be  here  !  my  pronouns  are  preferably  non - binary  ,  but  please  feel  free  to  use  she / her  as  well  .  i’m  not  going  to  get  upset  if  you  do  ,  promise  🥺  .  i’ve  been  dying  to  play  san  for  quite  some  time  ,  so  with  that  comes  the  birth  of  my  absolutely  vile  son  known  as  soren  !  he’s  like  ...  fresh  from  the  box  brand  new  so  i’m  working  out  kinks  and  stuff  ,  but  everything  mentioned  in  this  intro  is  pretty  much  set  in  stone  !  i  won’t  ramble  on  for  too  long  ,  but  i  can  share  my  discord  if  that’s  the  easiest  or  most  convenient  for  you  ,  but  i’m  also  down  to  plot  in  the  im’s  !

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬  .

BIRTH  NAME  :  shin  jin - hyeok  .

PREFERRED  NAME  :  soren  shin  .

NICKNAME(S)  :  jinnie  (  by  his  mom  ,  only  )  .

BIRTHDATE  /  AGE  :  december  25th  ,  1996  /  23  .

ZODIAC  :  capricorn  .

HOMETOWN  :  atlanta  ,  georgia  .

GENDER  :  cis  male  .

NATIONALITY  :  korean  american  .

ETHNICITY  :  korean  .

HEIGHT  :  5′10″  .

LABEL(S)  :  the  artisan  ,  the  bellwether  ,  the  gregarious  ,  the  icarian ,  and  the  thespian  . 

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION  :  biromantic  .

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION  :  bisexual  .

OCCUPATION  :  socialite  and  freelance  illustrator  .

LANGUAGES  SPOKEN  :  korean  ,  english  ,  and  conversational  spanish  .

POSITIVES  :  alluring  ,  veritable  ,  altruistic  ,  unconstrained  ,  and  urbane  .

NEGATIVES  :  domineering  ,  sardonic  ,  quick - tempered  ,  shallow  and  vexatious  .

𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝  .

it’s  nearly  impossible  to  think  about  the  atlanta  social  scene  without  the  shin  family  coming  to  mind  .  both  of  jin - hyeok’s  parents  did  not  come  from  money  ,  but  they  both  lived  comfortably  .  both  were  children  of  immigrants  from  south  korea  ,  and  that  is  what  caused  them  to  work  as  hard  as  they  did  .  woo - yong  and  eun - mi  met  one  another  when  they  were  both  accepted  into  the  same  culinary  school  ,  but  eun - mi  originally  had  no  interest  in  woo - yong  .  he  was  known  around  their  school  as  something  of  a  player  ,  and  for  the  longest  ,  she  always  shot  down  his  advances  .

eventually  ,  eun - mi  decided  to  go  on  one  date  with  him  ,  and  it  was  history  from  there  .  they  were  married  within  two  years  ,  and  they  eloped  at  the  city  of  atlanta  courthouse  and  their  honeymoon  consisted  of  getting  matching  tattoos  on  their  ring  fingers  because  they  couldn’t  afford  rings  at  that  time  .  the  couple  worked  hard  through  the  years  ,  and  they  eventually  opened  the  first  location  of  their  korean - american  fusion  brunch  restaurant  .  the  restaurant  opened  to  strong  success  ,  and  they  brought  in  over  a  million  in  profits  in  their  first  year  ,  which  turned  their  lives  for  the  better  .

the  day  they  went  to  finally  purchase  their  wedding  rings  was  the  day  eun - mi  told  woo - yong  that  they  were  having  a  lil  squish  .  said  lil  squish  came  seven  months  and  two  weeks  later  in  their  master  bathroom  tub  (  because  jin - hyeok  refused  to  be  in  there  to  full  term  )  and  it  was  the  happiest  day  of  their  lives  .  throughout  jin - hyeok’s  childhood  ,  the  couple  continued  to  pursue  their  restaurant  dreams  ,  and  opened  four  more  locations  in  buckhead  ,  sandy  springs  ,  morningside  ,  and  brookhaven  by  the  time  he  was  ten  .  

while  growing  up  ,  jin - hyeok  always  took  a  liking  to  his  creative  side  ,  and  it  was  mostly  due  to  his  parents  being  creatives  themselves  .  when  he  wasn’t  in  the  kitchen  with  them  ,  he  was  reading  webtoons  and  mangas  ,  which  sparked  his  own  interest  in  drawing  .  he  was  100%  self  taught  ,  and  used  to  spend  hours  watching  videos  on  how  to  do  do  certain  things  .  by  the  time  he  started  posting  his  art  on  the  new  platform  that  was  instagram  ,  jin - hyeok  had  begun  going  by  the  name  of  soren  shin  since  he  kept  his  art  mostly  to  himself  at  the  time  .  to  get  an  idea  of  what  his  art  looks  like  ,  check  out  my  favorite  artist  laia  lopez  on  instagram  !

he  went  to  the  coveted  scad  (  savannah  college  of  art  and  design  )  where  he  studied  fine  arts  .  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of  2018  , and  he  continued  posting  his  art  on  instagram  before  he  was  approached  by  a  publishing  company  to  create  a  book  of  his  own  art  !  he’s  released  a  few  of  them  leading  into  this  year  ,  and  has  drawn  the  illustrations  for  a  few  graphic  novels  throughout  the  years  .  moved  to  los  angeles  for  the  big  dreamz  but  in  reality  he  doesn’t  do  a  damn  thing  but  post  on  his  personal  account  and  go  to  fashion  shows  .  he  still  does  art  and  everything  ,  but  his  life  as  a  socialite  is  more  prominent  for  him  at  the  time  .

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬  .

baby  is  an  artist  !  despite  him  having  no  interest  to  hold  down  a  day  job ,  he  mainly  focuses on  his  art  throughout  the  day  .  he  definitely  doesn’t  like  to  be  interrupted  when  he’s  drawing  so  if  he  answers  the  door  with  an  attitude  ,  then  you  know  why  .

he  does  not  answer  the  phone  and  don’t  expect  him  to  !  he  will  intentionally  leave  you  on  read  and  watch  his  phone  ring  until  it  stops  .  really  ,  he  doesn’t  know  why  he  needs  a  phone  outside  of  social  media  ,  but  if  you  want  to  get  in  touch  ...  dm  him  .  he  might  answer  .

his  favorite  food  is  sushi  so  for  the  love  of  everything  that  is  holy  don’t  let  him  pick  where  to  eat  because  he’ll  say  sugarfish  or  nobu  every  single  time  .

he  wears  all  black  ,  but  like  ....  expensive  all  black  .  he  will  wear  his  berets  and  his  garrett  leight  glasses  and  his  cartier  bracelets  and  his  fancy  clothes  literally  every  day  .  don’t  ask  him  about  casual  clothes  .  they  don’t  exist  .  his  casual  is  a  silk  pajama  set  .

drives  a  white  audi  q7  and  lives  in  the  hollywood  hills  .

don’t  ask  him  to  go  on  a  date  because  he’ll  just  wanna  go  to  art  exhibits  ,  art  festivals  ,  and  museums  .  ya’ll  will  go  to  dinner  and  he’ll  talk  your  ear  off  about  it  ,  but  he’ll get  all  shy  and  rosy  cheeked  when  someone  asks  about  his  own  art  since  he  doesn’t  really  share  it  that  often  .

owns  every  piece  and  collection  of  the  fenty  beauty  line  .  curly  bangs  in  his  eyes  25 / 8  .

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  .

i’ve  pretty  much  said  everything  in  the  headcanons  ,  but  he’s  really  a  charmer  at  heart  but  he’ll  also  make  you  panic  .  since  he  doesn’t  answer  the  phone  people  tend  to  think  that  he’s  fallen  of  the  face  of  the  earth  or  god  forbid  he’s  gone  missing  ,  but  chances  are  he’s  in  his  house  ...  ignoring  you  lol  .  he’s  really  about  his  looks  and  won’t  leave  the  house  without  making  sure  that  he  looks  impeccable  ,  and  he  will  go  home  if  he  feels  ugly  .  he  can  be  really  sarcastic  and  it  doesn’t  take  much  but  a  couple  of  words  to  put  him  into  a  sour  mood  ,  so  he’s  a  real  testy  one  .  above  all  else  ,  though  ,  he  really  likes  to  have  fun  and  he’s  really  social  so  please  come  join  him  at  his  house  for  some  reality  show  viewing  with  wine  and  junk  food  .

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝  𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬  .

idk  why  i’m  envisioning  this  ,  but  someone  he  drew  inspo  from  for  the  manga  he’s  working  on  .  they  could  either  m  ,  nb  ,  or  female  of  course  and  it’s  more  so  based  on  their  looks  than  anything  else  ,  but  he’s  always  going  to  them  and  wanting  to  show  the  progress  he’s  making  !

i’d  die  if  he  had  an  angsty  ex  boyfriend  kinda  thing  because  honestly  👀  i  wanna  have  my  wig  snatched  thank  u  .

a  best  friend  !  

someone  that  tries  to  make  him  workout  but  in  reality  he’s  sitting  and  eating  a  bagel  on  the  weight  bench  .

some  generic  tingz  like  neighbors  ,  friends  with  benefits  ,  confidant(s)  ,  good  or  bad  influence  ,  one  night  stand(s)  ,  a  current  fling  ,  enemies  with  benefits  ,  and  frenemies  !!!

honestly  i’m  a  sl*t  for  angst  and  everything  that  comes  with  it  so  please  hand  it  over  or  i’ll  start  crying  .

[sweetmarzipan]

1 - 23 hi im that person - anon

MULTIMUSE QUESTIONS

not accepting! @ofkngs​dear god

Which muse(s) is/are your favourite(s)?

I’ve really really enjoyed Seth since creating them; Divali and Selene have special places in my hearts from how long I’ve had them (along with Kitae & Anthea).

Which muse(s) do you wish had more interactions?

Kitae, Kiha, Juno, Haru and Sodapop honestly. Kitae in particular, as the muns he has interactions with are on hiatus at the moment.

Which muse(s) do you currently have most muse for?

Probably Seth, Nari (not up), Cassidy and Haru!

Name a muse you have written in the past. What was your favourite thing about this muse?

I’ve written Heejoon, Selene, Divali, Anthea, Ivon and Kitae before. My particular favorite thing about Heejoon though is how his personality contradicts what his FC looks like. People look at BYG and his comeback concepts and often just assume he’s going to be this hardass dom who’s going to be aggressive and curt. And then I turn him into a gentle giant who feels like he’s far, far too big for his soul. 

Name a muse you wish to write in the future. What’s your favourite thing about this muse?

I’m excited to write Nari honestly. She’s a horror writer who killed her husband and I just wanna sort of.. deal with the paranoia that she has that comes with trying not to get caught. 

How is your multimuse blog organised?

I make sure every muse has their own reply tag for people to find replies easier and I make sure to tag urls so people can find threads between us better. I try to keep general tags like plots, starters and images under a single tag so that people can block a tag if I post too much. Mostly for images – multimuses that have an image tag for each muse that post a lot of photos are ones I often don’t follow, just because I can’t block that many tags and don’t wanna waste my time doing so.

Do you have crossover verses for the muses on your blog?

Uhhh I’m not sure what this means? All of my muses are in the same universe; some just haven’t encountered the supernatural underground that exists. Certain muses are friends, like Dohyun & Kitae, Anthea & Selene, etc.

Which of your muses deserves better?

So many of them tbh. Definitely Cassidy, Ivon, Benji and Kitae though, the most.

Which of your muses do you most identify with? Why?

Probably Kiha. We’re both transmasc and there’s a lot of things that go with it. He’s sort of where I wish my life would end up drifting towards, at least in the comfort he has with his body and having had top surgery.

If you could change the faceclaim for any of you muses, would you do it?

I’m happy with FCs I have for the most part! The Kiha fc change was so much better and honestly feels much better than the face he had before.

Do you have any original characters on your multimuse? If so, tell us something more about them.

All of my muses are OCs, though some of them I do draw in my spare time and a small handful of them will be incorporated into a couple of graphic novels I have in mind in the future. Anthea for example, the diner she runs in the story I plan on putting her in is kind of like the HP room of requirement. It shows up to whoever needs an ear or something hot to eat.

How many muses are you currently writing?

I have 19 listed but will be adding 3 over the coming week or two, so probably gonna try and cap at 22 for awhile.

In how many fandoms are you currently active?

I don’t consider myself part of a fandom. I enjoy kpop and the music and think the people are gorgeous, but I don’t consider myself in any fandom. I’d rather avoid some of the negative associations that claiming to be part of them bring on

What is your favourite fandom to write in? Why?

Don’t write in fandoms, not applicable. I mostly stick to KRP though because it’s what I entered in when I was a teen and is what I started tumblr rp in. It’s familiar hence me staying.

What is a fandom you wish to write in one day?

Don’t write in fandoms, not applicable. 

What is a fandom you used to write in in the past?

KRP, though now I don’t consider myself part of the fandom. I listen to any good music that comes my way but I don’t follow groups or people. On occasion I check the news, but that’s every month or two and when something big happens. 

What is your favourite thing when you decide to add a new muse to your blog/when you decide to make a new blog?

I get excited for the plots I have in my head or writing out the open starters. The potential interactions I can get with them is often what leads me to add a muse idea.

Share an opinion you have about multimuse blogs.

I enjoy them for the variety that can exist and the possibilities that they come with. I do think there is at least a partial right way to do them, if only for organization’s sake. Years ago I had people tell me that they liked my multi but not most other people’s because I was organized with my tags and such while often times other people weren’t. I think organization has become much more prevalent in multis which is great ! and therefore the quality of the blogs and popularity of them have increased substantially.

Does your multimuse blog have a theme? Do the muses on your blog have something in common?

Nope, not really. I tried a themed multi a couple of times over the years but I can never stick to a theme.

What is the story or explanation behind your blog name?

I was thinking of ‘sweet menagerie ’ but the definition of menagerie didn’t fit. So I looked up some M names and found marzipan, which i thought would work. I like it honestly

Share a positive experience about multimuses you’ve had in the past.

The friends I’ve made! Most of my friends have multimuse blogs and some of the better ones I’ve made I’ve written with multiple of their muses before. There’s just so many opportunities and to see people excited about new muses you plan to add feels good, y’know?

List some of your favourite multimuse blogs.

OOF. @oleandercrowns​, @bvgeyman​, @mythvoiced​, @hclywater​, @rcfuscnik​, @nevstcries​, @nobilitylost​, @exhumesouls​, @tenderlovc​ , @2oners​ @lcvewave​ @grimmmer !!

Tag a multimuse blog and write some positivity about them (their blog, their muses, etc.)

@oleandercrowns​ !! A fantastic, exceedingly kind mun with a heart of gold. Deserves all the happiness in the world; I adore them more than I could ever put into words. Their muses are detailed and well thought out with a fascinating makeup. They deserve all the love and respect.

[lizzylunawizardessfanfics]

About me tag~

Thank you to @aoimoku12 & @donetorhasslichliebe for tagging me as I’ll be tagging the following (sorry if you’ve already been tagged):

@nadia-the-wizardess @leonthecardboardunicorn @proxyoflucifer @swordsmanofsweets

How tall are you?

I’m bout 5′4-5′5?? Something like that 

What color and style is your hair?

So my hair was black but now it’s almost back to being brown (my natural hair color) so it’s a mix of a brownish black color. My hair goes down to kinda passes my shoulder blades as it’s that THICC Italian hair so it’s wavy/slightly curly which I’ll straighten it for the most part (But it’s not stayin long cuz I’m getting it cut at some point)

What kind of student are you?

I was pretty much an Elias when I was attending school as I may of not the top of my class, but pretty much had made honors all my life.

What color is your eyes?

Brown~

When were you born?

April 11th

What’s your fashion sense?

So I’m all over the place as I like to try to be trendy, but most of the time I will dress comfy as the weeb in me likes wearing graphic anime/video game shirts :3 But once summer hits its shorts/short shorts and t-shirts or tank tops 

Do you like school?

I mean... In the most proper way I could say this I have a love/hate relationship with school as I’ve dedicated a lot of my life to my studies and as I got older I just kinda got tired of it/burned out. 

Where were you born & where do you live now?

Born in Connecticut and I’m still here 

What school do you go to?

I’m actually no longer a student as I graduated from my University last year in May, though I just started working in an elementary school~

Full Name:

Elizabeth

Do you wear braces?

Nope

Do you have any regrets?

Ohhh yeah, but I won’t go into detail since they’re pretty personal

Favorite book?

So I’m not a big reader (unless it’s graphic novels/Manga) but definitely have found some novels that are fantasy or mythology related that I’ve really enjoyed.  

one being The Epic of Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell & the other is called Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes by Cory O’Brien

Favorite Movie?

Spirited Away, it was my first Studio Ghibli movie when I was younger and I just fell in love with the story of it as it was just so captivating.

Favorite TV Show?

So... I don’t watch much TV, but I like to what a lot of stuff on the Syfy channel, but I guess if i had to name one show it would have to be Paranormal Survivor

Do you wear glasses?

Yes I do as I also would wear contacts (which in fact i’m in need of getting a new pair of both glasses and contacts) Fun fact; I have a astigmatism in my... Left eye (pretty sure.. yeah :3)

Favorite past time?

So back when I was younger and had a bunch of reptiles for pets; especially my red bearded dragons I LOVED taking them out to hold them or just chill around the house.

Dream job?

So aside from enjoying doing my writing a lot of my passion is in illustrating as a lot of what I enjoy doing is character designing (shameless promo time: Ya’ll wanna check out my art you can go over to @lizzyillustrationstudios as posts have been lil show but hope to pick it back up soon) As also of why I love drawing is that I wanted to have a way to give back to the community and at least help someone smile or feel happy. As I also wanted to do acting/voice acting too.

What countries have you visited?

I mean I’ve been to various places in the U.S :’3 but that’s pretty much it, but I would love to be able to travel to Japan and some other places someday~

Scariest Nightmare?

So when I was a very young child/toddler (I really couldn’t tell you an exact age, but I was super young) I was aimlessly wandering around a town/city full of monsters as I had somehow gotten separated from my mom in which she was who I was looking for the whole time. As on a sidewalk there was a werewolf (might of been a vampire or something else) and a Frankenstein that had a cauldron of bubbling green stuff (which in my dream I thought it was acid) in which the Frankenstein monster threw my mother into the cauldron as I went running over while screaming n crying trying to save her; but ultimately failed as I watched her melt away. This has scarred me to this very day about death/dying.

Any enemies?

So I definitely have a couple enemies; one girl (who was a freshman n me a junior) hated me because I had a crush on the same guy she did (which I actually had known him longer as I don’t like playing that card but still as he happened to also be my best friend), Another freshman girl who I thought was my friend actually hated me (I didn’t find out until the end of the school year) because I was “too nice”

Any significant other?

Not exactly as I’ve been on two dates with this one guy as I’m not really sure it’s going to go anywhere but we’ll see what happens. 

Do you believe in miracles?

In fact I do! Not to sound cheesy or anything but I’m actually a miracle child

How are you?

I’m good, finally feeling like everything is slowly falling into place now

[positivelyamazonian]

10 Favorite Game/Anime/Movie Characters

Tagged by: @a-super-evil-cat-who-murders (thanks!!! It was fun!)

The Rules: Name your top 10 favorite characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 different people.

Well I’ve already done a tag for FEMALE CHARACTERS so I’ll leave this in case you wanna check it. For not repeating myself, I’ll do this time just male characters.

I’ll tag: @luluvonv @luthienamell @adayka @hydraballista @anyathebloodshell @anentireamazon @jar-cup @kim-v-croft  @autumn-star93 @lady-trent

Of course don’t feel obliged to do this. And yes my characters come in not a particular order!

1. Haplo the Patryn - The Death Gate Cycle (book series)

Posting an amazing fanart by Melusaaste because there’s not an official art that shows him so close-up, and honestly, this is the most accurate depiction of him I’ve ever seen. 

Haplo is the anti-hero and main character of The Death Gate Cycle series written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Personal childhood hero (despite being an antihero himself), husbando and whatnot, until today he’s one of my fav characters ever, because through him I learnt the most perfect character development, from a cruel, merciless and amoral villain, to... well, not a hero if you think so, but to redeemed human being. 

“A 'why' is a dangerous thing... It challenges old, comfortable ways, forces people to think about that they do instead of just mindlessly doing it.” - Haplo in Dragon Wing, the first volume of the series.

2. Johan Liebheart - Monster

You don’t know what’s a villain until you meet this bastard. I am not an otaku or very enthusiastic of anime series, but Monster by Naoki Urasawa are probably the best manga/anime series ever written. And his villain, Johan Liberheart, one of the most twisted fucks ever written by an author.

Tortured, mentally ill, twisted, cruel, amoral, there’s no way to explain Johan. He experiences no character development and he has not a single redeeming quality, yet you just can’t let him go. An unforgettable character, not recommended for the weak and vulnerable.

There's nothing special about being born. Not a thing. Most of the universe is just death, nothing more. In this universe of ours, the birth of a new life on some corner of our planet is nothing but a tiny, insignificant flash. Death is a normal thing. So why live?

3. Geralt of Rivia - The Witcher (book/videogame series)

I’m so sorry I met this amazing character through The Witcher videogame series, because he existed already in the book series of the same name written by  Andrzej Sapkowski, and I really feel like posting this video because it perfectly sums up the spirit of the character.

Geralt is a witcher, a mutant specialist in killing demons and monsters for coin. He’s shaped like an anti-hero and despised by his society because of his nature and his mercenary job, but despite having everything for being just a rogue scoundrel, he manages to become a very rich character. Full of redeeming qualities despite his grey morals, Geralt struggles in a cruel Middle-Ages world to keep something human for himself, when everyone surrounding him tries to turn him in the heartless freak he was trained to be.

“People," Geralt turned his head, "like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.” ― Andrzej Sapkowski, The Last Wish

4. Raistlin Majere - The Dragonlace (book series)

Again, I’ve to go back to a character created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (man, this people CAN write characters I tell you), this time for the Dragonlance series. These books are less original and brilliant than The Death Gate Cycle, but more popular and beloved because they are easier to read. And Raistlin Majere is probably the best character written for these series, being saved among them because of being, probably, the less cliché and the more complex of them all.

And again, anti-hero at times, redeemed hero at other times, tortured, twisted, cynic and cruel, but also able to show kindness and a human heart at times. Raistlin was born weak and sick and sacrificed everything (including his own health) for one sake: magic. And power. His only life desire is what will lead him to his own destruction.

"Of course this means a lot to me, Caramon. It means everything! I have worked and studied almost my entire life for this chance. What would you have me do - cast it aside because it is dangerous? Life is dangerous, Caramon. Just stepping out that door is dangerous! You cannot hide me from danger. Death floats in the air, creeps through the window, comes in with the hand-shake of a stranger. If we stop living because we fear death we have already died."

5. Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Ice/Game of Thrones series)

This little amazing piece of awesomeness needs no presentation. I am again sorry I met through the Game Of Thrones TV series and not A Song Of Ice And Fire books, but it was totally worth it because it’s one of the most well-written characters I’ve had the pleasure to meet, and I must say Peter Dinklage was born to play him.

What can I say? Tyrion is one of those characters who are worth living. A dwarf, deformed, ugly, with no physical or war skills, relying only in his extreme intelligence and wisdom and his political talent to survive, he’s one of the most strong inspirations one can find. Definitely go check him.

6. Kurtis Trent (Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness videogame)

I included Lara Croft in my female characters list, it would be absolutely unfair to forget Kurtis as he’s the other character that got my heart in TR series. Not gonna rant long about him here, because you already know my opinion. He was amazing. He deserved better. Ex-legionnaire, demon hunter and Lux Veritatis warrior, I’ve devoted all my fanfics to develop him as there was no chance for Core Design to do it so.

Fitting more in the role of a hero, I think he was also the perfect partner for Lara. His background is very well written and he had a lot of potential. The fact I will never see it doesn’t change anything. He deserves his place here.

"And I thought this would be one of my easy days." - Kurtis, The Sanitarium.

7. L Lawliet - Death Note (manga/anime series)

Again, I reinforce the statement that I’m not a fan of manga/anime series, but definitely Death Note is, together with Monster, one of those you should watch. And yes for everyone who loves Death Note, I’m a L fan. You always choose between L or Kira sides, and despite I’ve to recognize that Kira is a very complex, well written character, it’s L who gets my heart.

Supertalented, amoral, brilliant, extremely unpredictable and surprising, L is the first one of the agents that will try to catch Kira, the murderer who uses a Death Note to implant his particular justice world. L deserves your attention more than Kira, I presume. Or at least, it’s what I think.

“There are... many types of monsters in this world: Monsters who will not show themselves and who cause trouble; monsters who abduct children; monsters who devour dreams; monsters who suck blood, and... monsters who always tell lies. Lying monsters are a real nuisance. They are much more cunning than other monsters. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart. They eat even though they've never experienced hunger. They study even though they have no interest in academics. They seek friendship even though they do not know how to love. If I were to encounter such a monster, I would likely be eaten by it. Because in truth, I am that monster.”

8. V - V for Vendetta (graphic novel/movie)

I know, easy to love him, right? Again I’m sad that I met this character through the movie and not the original graphic novel, though you can’t say a thing against Hugo Weaving’s magnificent delivery. I wish I could get my hands on the graphic novel, so I can know him better.

Anarchist, terrorist, idealist, V is the incarnation of the protest against dictatorship and opression in a dystopian England that has supressed all the rights and human freedom. If you don’tknow him, I strongly recommend at least the movie, for the inspiration this character delivers goes beyond that the mask that has trascended the movie itself to become a symbol of citizen fight.

9. Roger - American Dad (TV series)

Well technically he’s not a he, he’s rather an it, but whatever. Also he’s it’s a different trend in this post since I love him particularly because he’s funny and incarnates all the non-political correct you can expect from someone.

He also gives me, kinda, TR vibes. Roger is an alien who landed in Earth during Cold War and was rescued and sheltered at his home by Stan, a CIA agent who’s the main character of the series. Honestly I think Roger is the best of American Dad - a TV show which basically and mercilessly mocks every American value - because despite being an alien is absolutely, indecently human. I prefer him and this show much more than the overrated Family Guy.

10.  Dwight Schrute - The Office (TV series)

Last but not the least, the efficient, clever and adorable bastard hillbilly from The Office. I loved him from the very first moment he appeared. Yeah I know many people hate him or prefer the goofy boss of the handsome Jim but Dwight is really my spirit animal and speaks to me in so many levels. No more comment needed. He’s the best of the show to me.

Well this took forever, right? Sorry for the length of this post but now I’m free I wanted to give it some thought. I see again that I’ve a soft spot for grey morals, redeeming qualities, bad boys and complex characters. This is how it goes! ;)

[wellhalesbells]

If you have the time and if you don't mind, what are some books you really recommend? Doesn't have to be all time faves, but anything that pops into mind that you want more ppl to read and love, Extra points if lgbt+ , i got the whole summer with little to do and i wanna spend it reading some good quality writing and honestly so far your recs have introduced me to so many faves its unbelievable

[blushes profusely] oh wow, thank you!!!  i’m so glad you’ve trusted me enough to check out some of the stuff i reblog; that is like the ultimate compliment, i can’t even???  i don’t mind at all(!), fair warning though: i only started recording what i read partway through last year and my mind is like a sieve so i’ll do my absolute best to remember what’s sang to me in the recent past.  warning number two: i’m in an open relationship with absolutely every genre out there so i’ll try to note which belongs where so you can avoid those that hold no interest for you.

LGBT+

i’ll give you the sun.  i loved this book, the writing is fucking transformative and all the characters are so damn likable, while still being realistically flawed human beings.

the raven cycle (tetralogy).  definitely my favorite series since harry potter.  the writing, the world-building, the characters, it’s all on top-form.  i wrote a little, mini non-spoilery review of it: here, back when i was better (worse?) wordly-wise and my feels were brand new.

more happy than not.  i’m still not sure how i feel about this book.  it was hard, but it felt very true to the characters and the lingo and style matched the ages of the players and i have a lot of respect for that.

the watchmaker of filigree street.  woooow i loved this book.  i admit ‘historical fiction’ kind of makes me cringe.  it never precludes me from reading a book but it does knock it down the list by a book or five because they’re often very dense and very clunky and end up taking me ages to get through.  but this one was gorgeous.  i loved the plot, the attention lovingly placed on every character and the historical elements.  the surprise gay in an already brilliant book felt like winning the lottery honestly.

captive prince (trilogy).  okay, truthfully, i’m only putting this on here because the second book is such a high point for me.  it was never bad at any point but it had unfortunately been hyped far too much for it to live up to my, admittedly, very high expectations.  hopefully it’ll fare better with you?

everything i never told you.  i go back and forth on this one.  i like the writing a lot, i like the LGBT aspect a lot, and i like the mystery aspect a lot but there are definitely characters i would cut out entirely for sheer predictability if i could and that killed a lot of my enjoyment at the time (but i think much more highly of it in retrospect?).  so, take that as you like.

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe.  if there’s a book that handles its characters with more care or respect or consideration then i haven’t run into it.  i love the way this is written and the people it’s populated with.

flying lessons & other stories.  a bunch of uber talented authors writing a bunch of uber diverse and LGBT-focused stories and, yes, that is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

the song of achilles.  it is utterly heart-breaking but so rich, honestly.

FANTASY

the diviners.  (also has a minor LGBT character, who may play a bigger role in the sequel?)  fair warning, i have not read the sequel, lair of dreams, because it is somehow still not out in paperback (yes, i read physical books, yes, i pretty exclusively read paperbacks so i can lug them everywhere with me, YES, I PRE-ORDERED THIS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND IT’S STILL NOT OUT, NOT THAT I’M BITTER ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING) so i can’t speak to that one finishing on a high note as i don’t know.  but this was the first historical novel i managed to like in a long while.  it does such a good job of fusing in 1920s lingo and dress and aspects that i couldn’t help but love it.  add in the fantasy elements and i can admit i’m the perfect sucker for it.

the scorpio races.  i’m not sure why but it took me a long-ass time to get into this book, i wasn’t flipping pages with gusto until well towards the end but - especially as i was reading so much YA at the time - i really appreciated coming across a romance that lets both people come into it as themselves and stay themselves, neither puck nor sean were ever smashed or crumpled or shaved away to fit into their relationship, which was so refreshing.  plus the water horses were fucking cool.

the night circus.  the writing, the atmosphere, the circus.  just… it is all very whoa.

all the birds in the sky.  i loved this writing style and these characters and the magical elements.

CONTEMPORARY

i’ll meet you there.  there was something about this and i just… ended up liking it way more than i expected to.  i might’ve just read it at exactly the right time, i’m not sure, but i really enjoyed it.

the invoice.  this is honestly just hella cute and so freaking surreal.  swedes, man.

NON-FICTION

why not me?  i like mindy kaling a lot.  i make no apologies for that.  plus you can read both her books in about five seconds, haha.

SCIENCE FICTION

station eleven.  i loved this book.  the way the narrative is woven is so refreshing and i wish the comic book miranda was writing in this book was a real thing more than anything else in the woooorld.

illuminae.  hot DAMN this book was cool.  the plot was rock solid, the characters were hilarious and badass and the graphics made out of text and spiraling words and just the way this thing is put together?  shit, it’s worth your money and then some.

a robot in the garden.  okay this is just cute as hell.  i can’t even with tang, he’s the most adorable robot to ever adorable.

annihilation (southern reach trilogy).  (LGBT minor characters.)  okay, honestly?  i don’t know.  this was freaking zany but i was invested as fuck in all the kookiness for reasons i can’t articulately elaborate on.

the martian.  hilarious, engaging, SPACE.  what more do you want?

HORROR

things we lost in the fire.  this is more atmospheric than anything but, damn, could this get me wishing i wasn’t reading this in the dark or looking over my shoulder to make absolutely sure no one was standing behind me.  it’s a book of short stories (by the way, i love books of short stories and i definitely realize that is not true for everyone) and each one is so well-delivered and stylized.  i really enjoyed reading this.

let the right one in.  okay, this is legit horror so definitely stay away if you’re easily squicked out but it is harrrrrd to find good horror (at least in my opinion) and this definitely, definitely qualifies.

horrorstör.  i honestly had such low expectations for this, a horror story set in a wannabe-ikea, but it ended up being so ridiculous and strange and funny that i was won over by the finish.

the girl with all the gifts.  holy unique and well-executed zombie idea, batman!

SHORT STORIES

the bigness of the world.  there were definitely ones here that hit better than others but the ones i liked, i really liked!

GRAPHIC NOVELS (i read a lot of these so, um, prepare yourself)

saga.  (LGBT minor characters as well.)  this is world-building to a degree that i’m convinced did not exist before.  just, i can’t say enough amazing things about this series and the staggering amount of imagination that regularly goes into it.

ms. marvel.  heart-warming as fuck.  it’s definitely really easy to lose faith in the world these days, luckily kamala is there to remind you that people are primarily and genuinely good.

black science.  this is another one that took just an insane amount of imagination to cook up.  i got off to kind of a rocky start with this one but the gray-ness of all the characters really speaks to me, and that doesn’t really blossom until later in the series.

spider-man/deadpool.  this was very satisfying for my super duper spideypool-shipping mind.  joe and ed did us so good, and joe basically said in his sign-off: i made it absolutely as gay as they would let me, haha.

the wicked + the divine.  (LGBT minor characters that you’re going to get way too attached to, and retroactively.  it’s awful [sobs].)  the concept for this, gods reincarnating into teenagers before they burn up their hosts after a predetermined set of time, is so fucking cool.  the humor and the characters and the plot is all just aces.

iceman (LGBT MAIN CHARACTER).  okay, so this just started.  like issue #2 was only released days ago but 1) i am liking it so far and 2) marvel did it so dirty and barely advertised bobby - an openly homosexual superhero - was getting his own series, like, i found out about it the day before it went on sale and i keep my ear fairly close to the ground (not as close as some BY A LOT, but closer than the lay person i’d say) so if you can support it, please do!  pre-orders mean a lot in terms of numbers. :))))

descender.  admittedly, this starts out rooough.  because the main character, TIM-21 (and his little dog too), are annoying as hell.  he’s an android so there’s no dimension to him so he’s booooring as all get out but i am so glad i stuck with it through to the next trade because, probably picking up on the unsustainability of him as a main character, he gets shuffled off and the side characters get the stage and they rock so hard.

paper girls. (LGBT main characters.)  i’m kind of just convinced that brian k. vaughan can do no wrong at this point.  his plots are so tight and mind-blowing and badass.

monstress.  here’s a little tid-bit about me: female comic book writers are 100% more likely to get my money and my time because they are so damn rare and this series is unique, badass, and eye-opening.

black monday murders.  i’m a little premature with this since there’s only one volume and i usually try to wait until there are at least two but i check up on a volume two a lot so that definitely means something intrigued me!

nailbiter.  okay, i haven’t read the final volume yet ‘cause i’m reluctant to let it go but, so far, a series about multiple serial killers all being from the same town has me VERY HOOKED.

i wish i could remember more but this is honestly way better than i expected to do, haha.  they’re definitely not all my all-time faves but they’re ones that have stuck with me for one reason or another and that i didn’t feel i wasted my time on, so that’s something, right?  i hope this helps get you started and that you don’t think too awfully of me when you inevitably run across ones that aren’t your cup of tea!

[strobesence]

i was tagged by @cedargorl to talk about all the books i’ve read in 2017

i dont read nearly as much as i used to and when i do its usually an entire book in one night. anyway the only book that matters here is my lesbian experience

i tag.. i dont know who's into books uh. i tag all my mutuals who wanna do this go 4 it. @imprviously do u read (readmore under here sry if ur on mobile)

1) As nature made him - I read this for gender studies class in like two nights before the last class. I don’t recommend it and I have a lot of issues with it, but I don’t regret reading it either. If you’re heterosexual and cisgender don’t even read the synopsis.

2) Lost at sea - I was a fan of scott pilgrim in mid-highschool and i’ve been slowly reading through o’malley’s books ever since and besides snot girl this is the last one I haven’t read. I feel like if I read this when I was in grade 11/12 when i was much more severely depressed I wouldve connected to it and had a crisis or epiphany or something. But I read this before starting my 2nd semester of college and. idk its hard to explain. I related to it because of the past, not the now. I feel like I missed out on it, and I was too late to relate to it, which is probably a good thing. this makes no sense im bad at reviews im sorry

3) My lesbian experience in loneliness - everything that couldve been said about this book has already been said. its good, i didnt have the same profound experience other people have, but i definitely recommend it. check the content warnings tho. the theme for 2017 was pastel coloured graphic novels about depression

4) The girl who was saturday night - o’neill’s books are not for everyone ok. you might hate this and i’m sorry in advance if you’re planning on reading this, though probably not cuz who has heard of this weird little canadian book. I read her other book lullabies in grade 10 and it took me forever to read, but in a good way. this took me less than 24 hours and i finished it yesterday. every other sentence is a metaphor or simile or imagery thing. i just like the way she writes, especially dialogue cuz it looks so strange on paper but its the way actual people talk and its so great. if you dont mind books that can potentially seem pretentious, then this is good. if it helps, the author lived in a similar situation so its not exploitative, and its a book about sad/grounded/real things written with the language and form of a fairy tale.

[stacks-reviews]

New Releases 6/27/17

Happy New Release Day! This weeks consists of robots in space, everyday life of a fledgling superhero, a trip across Europe, a power called Geass, a class made of assassins, and more.

In Books --The Adventures of a Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks “What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens?” The everyday tales of a super girl as she saves people, as she updates her family on how she is doing, and as she tries to keep a part-time job but forgets to remove her mask before work. With an arch-nemesis who’s only superpower is letting our hero know she is doing the superhero thing wrong. This particular version of this graphic novel is a expanded edition. It was originally printed in 2013 but has been reprinted a few times since. This edition will include two new stories and new art. I have never read it before but I really wanna give it a try.

--Descender volume 4 by Jeff Lemire, artist Dustin Nguyen One day giant robots appear out of nowhere bringing death and destruction across the galaxy. As a consequence all robots are now outlawed and are hunted and destroyed by bounty hunters. Ten years after the attack an android named Tim-21 awakens to find his home destroyed and the human boy he was bought for gone. Tim sets out to find his human along with his robot dog and a mining droid. But Tim will be hunted down as his robot DNA might just reveal how to defeat the giant robots if they ever return. I love this series. This is probably my favorite release for this week. I started reading this series early this year. It is very good and the art is amazing. Dustin Nguyen did a wonderful job with the watercolor. There’s a great cast of characters but Tim is probably my favorite character. I would definitely check it out. I recommend it to everyone that I help in the graphic novel section at work. If you love robots, robots in space, and the exploration into what defines being human (there’s rogue robots who just want to live instead of being destroyed and will fight back) then read Descender.

--The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee I first wrote this down to research it because I was imagining the worst. I was thinking something along the lines of, ‘they are not publishing a book that says treating women in such a way is okay’. But then it became so much better. Henry Montague’s days of pleasure and vice; with both men and women, are rapidly coming to an end. His father is going to force Henry to start taking care of the family estate. As a final hurrah, Henry invites his best friend and secret crush; Percy, to travel across Europe with him. When one of Henry’s reckless decisions sends him and Percy into a manhunt it will have Henry questioning everything he knows. Including his thoughts about the boy he secretly adores.  The description of this book did not go at all the way I was expecting. I’m really excited to give this a try. I love everything about it already. As long as it doesn’t end up supporting treating people like crap, basically. 

--Land of the Lustrous volume 1 by Haruko Ichikawa The Lustrous are crystalline lifeforms; each gem has unique powers, who are hunted by a group called lunarians who would turn the Lustrous into decorations.  I mostly want to read this cause I immediately thought of Steven Universe when I read the description. 

--The Waking Land by Callie Bates Lady Elanna Valtai is fiercely devoted to her King who raised her like a daughter. But when he mysteriously dies, Elanna is accused of murdering him and must flee to her homeland full of magical legends. And to her birth father who was branded a traitor. Now she must confront the powers that have stirred within her and seem to grow as she connects to the natural world. Now Elanna must stop the threat that has chased her to her homeland and rebel against the kingdom she once called home. It reminds me of Uprooted by Naomi Novik and I really enjoyed that book.

In moives/tv shows --Assassination Classroom S2P2 The conclusion of Assassination Classroom is finally out today. The truth about Koro-Sensei will finally be revealed. But once Class E learns the truth, will they be able to assassinate the best teacher they’ve ever had? If you haven’t seen this series before or haven’t read the manga yet, you should. This series has had surprisingly good character development. When I first started reading the manga I thought it would just be this silly series but then it became so much more that just silly. It’s a really good blend of comedy, action, and can be very sweet. I haven’t seen the anime yet; although I own the first season, but from what I’ve seen and heard it follows the manga very well.

--Blue Exorcist Complete Box Set (blu-ray) For the first time the hit anime is out in a complete box set. Twin brothers; Rin and Yukio, were raised by an exorcists named Father Shiro Fujimoto. One day their home is attacked and Rin finds out his biological father is Satan. In order to avenge those that were lost during the battle Rin decides to train to become an exorcist in order to defeat Satan. Blue Exorcist is a really good series if you haven’t seen it yet. I’m not sure how well it follows the manga though. I think the end of the first season was different from the manga but I’m not 100% positive. I did flip through some of the volumes when season two started and it looked like the first part of S2 followed the manga pretty well. The set does cost $159.98 but the first season is available for streaming on Netflix and both are on Crunchyroll.

--Code Geass: Akito the Exiled The OVA series of the hit anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. It’s five episodes but each episode should be around 50 minutes. Characters from the series will make an appearance. I’m really excited for this release but all it has made me want to do is to rewatch the original series. Characters will be returning for this but I’m not quite sure how or what part they will play. 

--Panda Go Panda (on blu-ray) A little girl who lives with a Panda and it’s baby. I didn’t know much about this title until it was mentioned in a panel at a con I went to this year. Afterwards, I found out that it was getting a blu-ray release. From what I remember our main character either thinks that PapaPanda is her father or PapaPanda offers to become her father while her family is away. Throughout the town tries to let her know that her Papa is a panda and the police and most the town try to catch them. It looks really cute. It’s only 80 minutes long. It’s two episodes.

--Sea Prince and the Fire Child (on blu-ray) One long ago fire spirits and wind spirits lived as one till one day the Lord of the Winds drove a rift between the Queen of Fire and her brother, the King of Water. Ever since then, the fire spirits and water spirits have been at war with one another. One day the Prince of Fire and the Princess of Water met and fell in love. Their only chance of living together means traveling to a distant star where fire and water spirits live in peace but they much reach the hill of Elysium by the next solar eclipse. 

--Sword Art Online Box Set (blu-ray) One of the top favorite ‘getting stuck inside a video game’ series around is now available in a box set. All 25 episodes with some special features. The blu-ray is $159.95 and the dvd set is $69.98 BUT the dvd won’t be out until 8/1. Personally, I am holding out a small, small hope that I might come across the limited editions of the parts. I have the first one but missed out on the rest. If I break and buy the set someday, I’ll probably get the dvd. Unless the blu-ray set happens to have a good sale someday. I’m in no hurry cause my heart still heavily belongs to .hack//sign. SAO has some great fight scenes but I have stronger feelings toward .hack//sign. 

--Yu-Gi-Oh Dark Side of Dimensions The original crew is back! Yugi and the gang are about to graduate from high school. Then trouble starts when a boy named Aigami arrives. He blames Bakura for the death of his mention; and former holder of the Millennium Ring, and it out for revenge. It’s up to Yugi to save Bakura and the rest of his friends. I managed to catch this movie when it came to theaters. It was great because I hadn’t seen Yu-Gi-Oh in a long time. Most of the original voice actors returned to dub it which I was very happy about. There was a minor change in a characters back story but it had been so long since I had seen the series that I didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out to me.

[boricuareads]

[Image description: graphic titled “Adriana Reviews...” followed by four books with their titles, authors, and release date (discussed below), superimposed over a gradient mosaic of pinks and purples]

Hi, everyone! I’ve been busy moving and with personal family business, but in between I’ve been reading, so this post is intended as a review-dump of all the books I read during that time. That’s right, I’m not talking about just one book reviewed, I’m talking about FOUR books being reviewed. In ONE post! Hold on to your reading devices, ‘cause it’s about to go down… (Spoilers and Long Post Ahead!!!)

I’ll start with the one I read during my finals week (I know, procrastination got the best of me):

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne (March 14th, 2017)

Set in Australia, we follow along as Finn and Willa end up at a camp for “Future Leaders” thanks to their performance in their respective schools. Pitted against each other as captains of their respective teams, these teenage girls must find common ground in order to survive the wrath of an entitled straight white boy who’s drunk with power (or a semblance of power).

I really liked the plot and characters of this book! At first I was apprehensive about the thematic and was sort of confused about what the camp entailed, as well as the fact that a month-long camp where they basically mixed a roleplay “Settlers of Catan” with scavenger hunts didn’t seem like something I would be interested in. However, it was the characters which drew me in. I loved Finn and Willa, both separately and together. Finn was a silent-but-deadly kind of leader that left me doing chinhands because DAMN I love girls who don’t take any shit. The same went for Willa, since I kept repeating “I wanna be like you when I grow up” as I saw her take charge of her Amazonian group of girls. Their relationship was organic; gotta love that friends-to-lovers trope. I adored their tenderness, how genuine their respect for each other was, and how realistic these aspects were because these were teen girls! Willa and Finn were insecure, they had family and identity issues, and yet they still managed to be there for each other. Of course, they had issues, but that’s a part of teenage angst and author-made drama.

The author was also able to include so much representation that made me so giddy! On the page, Finn was bisexual (I loved her explanation in Ch. 63: “Listen, I’m perfectly happy to help you out with difficult concepts. Like that time that I explained anaerobic respiration to you, but I do not have the time or the energy to explain really basic stuff. Especially when the meaning is in the actual word. Bisexuality. Hear that? Bi.” Even though that definition is very binary, it was important to see that word written out), Willa was gay and of mixed Indian descent, and there was a whole cast of side-characters with varied identities.

With all that said, I also had issues with some parts of the book. The characterization of Willa was at times inconsistent, and there was an islamophobic act depicted (a character tried to take off a Muslim girl’s hijab) that wasn’t really dealt with beyond the anger of some characters and it ended up seemingly brushed aside by the MC. The shifting POV worked most of the time, but there were times where the POV of that character didn’t feel all that necessary.

All in all, the book reminded me of the styles of E. Lockhart and Becky Albertalli. It was a fun, breezy read if you’re a fan of teenage hijinks at a sleepaway camp. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to review this book through NetGalley.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

After reading that last book, I read Joyride during the flight home, which made it easy for me to delve into its world…

Joyride Vol. 1 by Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly (September 21st, 2016)

Joyride was a fascinating read for me. I don’t usually read graphic novels (probably because I’m incredibly picky about them and devour them so fast), but Joyride was just fun to devour. The writing kept me engaged and I genuinely was interested in the development of the characters and their adventures in space. I’m a fan of science-fiction and space adventures, especially when the team is comprised of found-families in the face of adversity.

Though they kept me engaged for the duration of my flight, I felt they were forgettable characters for some reason. I loved them, but I felt like they weren’t developed enough. Perhaps in Vol. 2 there was more character development, but in this installment it was difficult to discern between characterizations and that got in the way of the storytelling. In the future, I would like to see the relationships between the female characters explored some more as well as the dynamics with the brothers. The book left me with so many questions, mostly centered around the plot and its characters: what type of government were they under at the base? Was the alien sidekick necessary to the plot besides to make snide and unhelpful comments? Was Catrin gay? Is there going to be a love triangle around Uma? If so, I would read the next installment.

In terms of the art, I felt like the colors were vibrant and it appeared neat. I’m not that knowledgeable of art and drawing, I find myself lacking in that department, but I really liked them because they kept drawing me in; it was the type of aesthetic I like in my science fiction media. I did find the depictions of the characters inconsistent at times as well, but I didn’t really mind that.

In any case, on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 is Jupiter Ascending-ridiculous and 5 is Star Wars: The Force Awakens- glorious, Joyride falls in a solid 3 level sff (so, maybe like a Star Trek Beyond). Thanks to BOOM! Studios for allowing me to read this through NetGalley.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

After reading this graphic novel, I knew I wanted to delve into a more light-hearted, highly anticipated read…

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han (Release date: May 2nd, 2017)

I want to start by giving thanks to our lord and savior Jenny Han for being so generous as to give us meek readers a third and final look into Lara Jean Song-Covey’s life. Her writing is always full of life and colors. I have to say that when I read, I become a very mentally-visual person, so when I tell you that a book and its words remind me of certain colors, it’s good. Always and Forever reminded me of a muted blue, the blue of melancholy, of looking back through old pictures, of taking the last step out of your high school. It is a blue that looks at the future and says it’s okay to not have your shit together as long as you have people around you supporting you and cheering you on to your next great adventure.

Always and Forever was the best goodbye to Lara Jean I could’ve hoped for. It was full of twists and drama and it was so realistic I had to check if the story wasn’t actually about me. I could relate to Lara Jean’s anxiety around college and the process of getting accepted or denied to the universities you love. When I was going through that process, my dream schools were University of Wisconsin-Madison and Penn State, and though I got accepted, I had to go through the heartbreak of declining their offers because it was too much money. I felt Lara Jean’s disappointment as if I had declined those offers right then and not four years ago.

I also felt Lara Jean’s uncertainty around the relationships you keep or give up on after high school. There are some that are forever, like your family. Her family, as always, showed up for her time and time again, and their love for her shone through in this book. I loved Kitty so much, especially with her feelings towards her second older sister leaving their house. On the other hand, Lara Jean felt conflicted over her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter. Though I graduated without a significant other (much like Lara’s mother advised them to do), I found myself a tad angry at Peter and even Lara. I don’t know why I kept finding it selfish for them to want to go to the same university and just keep doing what they’re doing because it works instead of challenging themselves. Maybe it was the cynic in me talking over the idealistic voice that permeates Young Adult Contemporary Romance, but by the end of the book I was glad to squish that so-called voice of reason; who needs that when you could be salivating over Lara Jean’s wardrobe/cooking/everything. I had one question, which I may have missed over the course of the series, but I needed to know what was Lara Jean’s major, as that may have been key to her characterization.

In the end, I was glad for Jenny Han’s basically coming full-circle with this book. This novel was the best tight, pretty bow this series needed.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

Last but not least, a monster of a book that took me an entire week to get through while tending to my dad at the hospital…

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (Release date: September 5th, 2017)

First off, I want to declare that I was dubious about this book. I first heard of it through a friend, who sent me an article that dubbed it as “a feminist retelling of Snow White”. I’m always cringing when someone calls a book a feminist-anything, but I was willing to give it a try. When i saw that NetGalley had it in advance, I requested it, not really thinking I’d get approved. To my surprise, my inbox was telling me that Flatiron Books had approved my request and I was really excited (thanks Flatiron Books!). I delved into Bashardoust’s world without much background besides the fact that it was supposed to be feminist and a retelling of Snow White (which I may or may not have forgotten when I started reading it because I was tired).

I think it was essential for me to dive into this one without reading what it was about, because it led to me wanting to process everything written at face value. Girls Made of Snow and Glass was a magical tale of putting oneself first, as the opposite would allow for men’s greed and ignorance to burrow itself into women’s lives.

In this tale, the patriarchal notions of duty to a man in a position of authority and notions of how a woman should exist in public and private spheres are challenged by the main characters: Mina and Lynet. Lynet was a normal fifteen-year old girl in a fictional royal family; she wishes to be more than what she was born into, wanted to run away from her circumstances and, above all, be herself. This sounds pretty cliché, except for the fact that it’s GAY! Yes, you read right, G A Y. I won’t go into details, but it’s a very nuanced and mellow pairing that felt like ocean waves on a stroll by the beach. On the other hand, Mina was set up to be the wicked stepmother, except the narrative framed her more as a woman who’d been forced to assimilate into a patriarchal monarchy that didn’t appreciate her prowess as a tactician and desire to help those in need. Mina’s circumstances were constricted by her father’s ambition and her own intellect, which in itself is deemed as valuable by the author but not by people surrounding her, much as is the case with many powerful and influential women.

I really liked the characterization work the author put into the story, each character was fleshed out and I wanted to know more about each of them. I did think the author maintained the races of the characters vague, which was a problem for me, since it’s being marketed as a feminist fantasy book and there’s not a lot of visible racial representation. The plot I felt was slightly predictable, but I was delighted by the way the author threaded these characters reacting to each other. I felt the reveals came too early, that the reader was just given the characters’ secrets readily, rather than it being a slow reveal. I liked the author’s writing, I think it was really nice and had a beautiful poetic flow.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass was a wonderful read about the influence women have and, in summary, to never underestimate the power that their words and actions hold. At its center, it’s a story about two women coming together from two very different points in their lives and learning from and loving one another. Bashardoust’s story was intricate and a bit of what we needed in the realm of fantasy. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads // Amazon

[aubreypara-archive]

plain ride to japan ~ aubrey and dan ~ 12/28/2017

Aubrey stopped at the Starbucks at the airport, grabbing herself and Dan a coffee. Already having done most of the boring work and just waiting around at the gates. The airport was filled with celebrities and musicians alike, all excited to finally be making their way to Japan for the music festival. She flopped down onto one of the couch like seats, stretching her legs out and sinking into the cushions. “I actually might hate you this morning... like, you’re great and all, but I might really hate you a little bit.”

Dan was playing on his phone, watching as Aubrey bought them drinks. He didn’t feel much like moving; his arms were a little sore, his legs and hips a little sore. He figured when you go a long time without getting laid, it’s like a workout. He smiled happily up at her, pushing his glasses up his nose and accepted the coffee. “You only say that because you can’t walk. You were screaming my praises last night.” He slowly pulled her feet into his lap, massaging her calf with one hand as he sipped his coffee. “You don’t hate me.” He said smugly. “The only part of that sentence I’m taking seriously is the ‘you’re great and all’. Really gets the blood pumping, the ego inflated.”

Aubrey snorted, rest her legs comfortably in his lap and letting out a little pleasured sound at the feeling of his hands on her skin. “I guess I’m like the embodiment of that Ariana Grande song now.” She laughed, sipping on her coffee and giving him the side eye. “Yeah and since you made me suffer and incapacitated me, now you have to suffer and carry me around everywhere. What happened to your promise last night? Come on now, Dan.” She grinned, picking up a magazine that was sitting on the table beside him and tossing it at him.

“Wait which Ariana grande song?” The it dawned on him and he gave her an incredulous smile and laughed, tossing the magazine back at her playfully. “I’ve got you walking side to side? Well it really does sound like I thoroughly fucked you last night hm?” He sipped his coffee and ran his hand along her calf, a little higher this time. “I guess since I incapacitated you, I can always carry you around but if someone asks why I’m giving you a piggy back ride you have to tell them it’s because I’m an amazing lay,” he snorted. “We have some time to kill, wanna go to that bookstore a little down the terminal?” He pat her leg. “I’ll carry you, you massive child.”

She caught it before it could really hit her, her reflexes kicking in at the last second. Aubrey laughed, quickly regaining herself and giving Dan a look. “I have an image to maintain, you can’t go making me laugh like that.” Still, she shot him a smile, wiggling her toes in her sandals as he moved his hands up. “Watch it, there are eyes everywhere.” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head at him and stuck her tongue out. “You’re carrying me, but I’m not telling anyone shit. That’s our little secret.” She winked.

“I live to make you laugh just like that. Your image just has to suffer with me.” With a wink he replied, “But I’m so proud. Fine, yes, our secret. Our very dirty one. Never thought I’d get you to call me daddy in any serious way but I’m glad to be proved wrong.” He laughed and gently moved her leg out of his lap and stood, stretching, his arms still a little sore. He adjusted his black cable knit sweater and gave her a bright smile. “Alright hop up. If you spill your coffee on me I’ll drop you.”

“Yeah, watch yourself or it won’t happen again, Daddy.” She jokingly threatened, whispering ‘daddy’ low and her tone dropping a few octaves to mimic that of a seductress in a movie. Her body still ached, but it was the good kind of ache, the kind that she’d definitely go for again sometime in the future. Aubrey clutched her coffee tightly in her hand, standing on the seats and transferring herself to Dan’s back. Her legs and free arm wrapping around him to support herself. “Onward my noble steed, maybe I’ll do some other kind of riding when we get to Japan.” She grinned, her lips close to his ear.

He felt a shiver go through him at her teasing and he pretended to drop her, catching her at the last second. “Will it involve ropes? Because if so, tie me up cowgirl. Though I might try and convince you to join the mile high club instead,” he laughed and carried her easily, sipping his coffee as he made his way to the bookstore amidst stares. And older couple looked at him and smiled, and he laughed, tilting his head back to look over his shoulder. “I think they’re jealous you get to be hauled around by such a handsome specimen don’t you agree?” He went straight for the comic books, turning her so she could see. “The best section of the store.”

Aubrey glared at him, moving quick to clutch her coffee cup. Her hand instantly covering the lid on the travel mug. “If this spills its no one’s fault but your own.” She warned, giving him one of those faux glares of hers. Rolling her eyes again, she snorted, imagining the two of them in a cramped airplane bathroom. “I can’t say I’m going for the idea of that. Those bathrooms are cramped and there’s only like, one on the plane. I’m going to feel bad if someone shits themselves cause we just had to fuck.” Aubrey rested her chin on his shoulder, baring her teeth at the older couple. Making a face at them as Dan maneuvered them to where they needed to be. “Check if they have any redhood back issues, I’m behind.”

“I, personally, would love it if someone messed their knickers because I was busy messing yours up.” He snickered and started sorting through comics, holding a couple up to her. “You have this one yet?” And he grabbed a couple that he found interesting. “Here’s one,” and he handed her another. “If you want it just let me know, I’ll get it. You got coffee..” he murmured distracted as he was reading a graphic novel, placing his coffee in the shelf and his free hand gently rubbing her thigh where she was still wrapped around him.

“That would be awful, I don’t want poopy underwear on my conscience. I’m gonna have to hard pass on that one.” She laughed, looking at the book that he’d been holding up, she didn’t recognize the cover and was looking at the issue number before realizing that had been the one she’d left off at. “Check what the most recent is.. I want that one and all the ones in between.” Aubrey smiled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his cheek as a thank you, her legs tightening around him at the gentle touches. “I’m gonna read about my amazon wife Artemis and sweet, sweet Jason.”

He blushed lightly at her kiss to his cheek and he tore his attention from the comic he had picked up and started flipping through redhood. “Here’s some,” he said excitedly and handed her about 5 issues. “Your amazon wife,” He snickered. “You’re such a nerd. You know...” he said after a moment. “Were the only nerds in this section of the bookstore,” he mentioned, voice low and private and he looked back at her with a smirk. “Maybe we could sneak a kiss in. Like a real one.”

Aubrey tapped her chin as if she had been considering it. And she was, for a moment she really was. But the airport was too crowded, regardless of if they were the only ones in their area for the moment. With their luck someone would pop up with a camera mid kiss and ruin the entire experience for them. “Not that I don’t want to kiss you...” She paused, looking at him and hoping that he knew that she did, really did want to kiss him. “But you know the moment we do, cameras are gonna come flying in out of nowhere. So, I’m gonna have to say we might have to wait until we actually get to Japan.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said softly with a small smile. He looked back down at the comic in his hand and leaned his head against her cheek, nuzzling against her for a split second before he pulled back. It was weird and not like him to be so clingy but he guessed part of it was due to the fact that they didn’t have the luxury to lay around in bed and cuddle like they had a few days earlier, wrapped up in each other all day. “If I wasn’t dreading the long ass flight before, I am now,” he laughed. Looking down at the shelf once more he grabbed one more comic and handed it to her. “This is you as a superhero,” he snorted, trying to change the subject from how much he wanted to kiss her. It was a “squirrelgirl” book and he giggled, waiting for the slap. “I’ll get it for you, take pics and put it on Instagram tagged as you.”

Aubrey felt it, warm and fuzzy, in her chest when he’d nuzzled against her. Knowing well enough that they’d end up in some form of cuddling on the plane, asleep and leaning against one another as best they could. She was looking at the covers of the issues he’d handed her, examining the artwork before lifting her gaze to what he’d been talking about. She flicked the side of his head, laughing a little. “You couldn’t say I was Typhoid Mary or something? At least she fucks Deadpool. I had to be squirrel girl? ... if people start making squirrel girl fan art of me I’m going to kill you. Before being Lenny I was thoroughly enjoying them fan casting me as Kate Bishop.” She giggled, “But if I’m squirrel girl you’re fucking bouncing boy.”

“Bouncing boy?! What is wrong with you. That’s just horrible.” He laughed and tickled her leg where it was wrapped around his waist. “Oughta make you bouncing girl in my hotel room.” He smiled wickedly at her and handed her He comic. “I’m getting it am starting an internet trend. You as squirrel girl.” He picked up his coffee and asked, “anything else from this section you want?” He couldn’t believe he was still carrying her but honestly he was having a lot of fun.

“Keep it pg, bud.” She laughed, still rolling her eyes at his comment. Aubrey eyed the comic, holding it gingerly in her hand. “I’m not squirrel girl!” She squirmed in his hold, gripping her arm tightly around his neck to keep herself from falling. “Dan! Stop! You’re gonna drop me!” A fit of giggles tumbling past her lips in between her words. Her legs tightened around him, and she squeezed her arm around his neck a little tighter, “drop me and I’ll make you pop a boner, right here, right now.”

“You do realize who you’re talking to right? You’re asking me to keep it PG? Not in your wildest dreams.” He laughed and pretended to fall, but kept a tight grip on her legs so she wouldn’t really. “Is that a promise?” He snorted and looked back at her. “You wouldn’t really. I have to be our transportation, I can’t have little old ladies staring at my dick.”

She squeaked, holding onto him and glaring at him. “Why are you actually the worst?” She questioned, keeping her arm locked around his neck. Aubrey snickered, almost imagining the sight. “Aw, little old ladies need a show too. Let them oogle your dick. They deserve some eye candy, they’re all one day closer to becoming best friends with the Grimm reaper.”

“That’s even more reason to not let them ogle my dick. It’s pretty impressive,” he said with a deadpan. “I think it might have had you shaking at one point. They can’t handle the raw power.” He couldn’t hold it back and burst out laughing. “Alright I’m done, that’s a sinister direction this conversation is going in.” He grabbed their comics and made his way to the front of the store and started digging out his wallet. The cashier looked up, a little bored at first and then excitedly yelled “Parks and Rec!” Dan snickered and nudged Aubrey with his elbow as he paid, the intercom advising of their flight boarding in a few minutes.

Aubrey shrugged, knowing he’d feel it but not see the expression that crossed her face, amused and happy. “I still stand by them needed to see a proper dick before being seen off into the afterlife, you gotta be their penis angel, Dan.” Snickered, she tightened her legs around him excitedly, babbling about not being able to wait to get on the plane and read her books, thanking him mid ramble. She rested her chin on his shoulder and let her eyes close, only peeking up when she’d heard the cashier yell out parks and rec. “That’s me. That delightful bitch that married Andy Dwyer.” There was a wide grin that crossed her face, “He’s been upgraded to raptor trainer and guardian of our galaxy, but he’s a good long distance husband.”

“He traded her for a raptor is what she means but it’s ok she’s got a new plaything now. She’s making me her pack mule.” He snickered and handed her back her comics. “I know you, you’re going to read them all in the first few minutes. Pace yourself so you have something for the flight home,” he laughed. The cashier pushed a pen at her and asked excitedly for an autograph. Dan was a tiny jealous that he wasn’t asked for his but he figured he’d live. “A delightful bitch, that’s your calling card,” he said as he readjusted her legs on his waist and started back down the terminal with her. “Why don’t people want my autograph? Maybe I should be flashing grannies, be their cock god. I’ll be appreciated then,” he laughed hard, looking back at Aubrey somewhat adoringly. “You called me a penis angel, I’m never forgetting this day. I can show you heaven again in your hotel room. You can kneel at the altar. I’m running out of religious references.”

“He’s right, I do have a new plaything and what a good one he is.” She grinned, pressing her cheek against his and smiling widely at the cashier. “If you haven’t watched you should watch us on legion, this Guy is the greatest.” Aubrey took the paper, scribbling ‘thanks for letting Dan buy me comics. You’re cool, I guess’ signing her name beneath the quirky message and waving goodbye. “Cock god.” She snorted, “I mean I get all my roles by flashing people so I highly advise it.” Aubrey joked, leaning forward and pressing her lips quickly to the corner of his mouth. “Oh my sweet penis angel, I’ll repent and confess all my sins to you.” She laughed, sucking in a breath, “but hey if you want me to get on my knees for you, you got it.”

He sucked in a deep breath, his ears turning pink at the kiss to the corner of his lips and her cocky words. “You can open your mouth up and take your communion; take the light of the lord into your body. In various holes,” he said trying to stop laughing long enough to get it out. “God am I gonna go to hell?” He turned and looked at her, cringing and shaking his head. “At least if I’m going I know the owner, and you’ll probably put me up in a penthouse suite with a bottle of champagne upon my arrival.”

“You know what’d really be wild.” Aubrey looked at him, in all seriousness, really thinking about it for a moment. “Blowing someone in the confessional of an abandoned church... maybe fucking in said confessional.” She shrugged her shoulders, still thinking about it before bursting out in laughter. “You’re right. You’d be privileged in my kingdom. I can’t deny you the goods.” She leaned forward, sighing loudly not having even gotten on the plane yet but already ready to be off in Japan.

“Well. I’m definitely looking up abandoned churches in Japan. Google don’t fail me now,” he murmured voice a little strained as he laughed, imagining taking her hard and fast at the front of the church pews. “You’d make sure I had all the premium channels too. HBO and all that in my penthouse.” He shrugged and the next part he added in a whisper against her ear “And your pretty little lips wrapped around me each night. What a great host you’d make.” He snorted and grabbed his bag, putting his comics inside and holding her bag up to her. “We have about two minutes we might be able to manage the fastest quickie of our lives,” he teased.

She tugged lightly on his collar, smirking before bringing her lips down to dust soft kisses along the soft skin of his neck. “Japan’s about to be my favorite place, daddy.” Aubrey pulled back laughing, she unhooked her legs from around him and let her feet hit the ground, linking her arm through his. “I don’t really think they’d let you carry me onto the plane, so I might as well start walking.” Her eyes lit up, mischief present in the light brown hues, grinning, “We could try, but it’d really be a shame if we missed our flight, I do really want to go to Japan. Maybe I’ll actually consider that mile high club invitation. We just... gotta time it right.

“Japan was my favorite place the second you mentioned I could have a real kiss when we get there,” he replied, blushing at the feeling of her lips on his neck and he whispered back a “careful. I’m trying very hard to be good and tossing you down on a baggage claim and having my way with you is probably a bad idea.” As she moved to the ground, he missed her warmth immediately but the tease of her voice, the playful suggestion had him grinning at her, all smug and content. “We can cause a distraction. Or I could grab a blanket and just have a repeat of last night in the car.” He snickered and they started boarding, Dan letting her go in front of him. He tried hard not to make eye contact with anyone as he found their seats, his anxiety at being cramped up in the plane spiking. He swallowed and put his bag up, offering to store hers too. “Can I be on the inside? Less people. More cuddling. Happier Dan.” He smiled softly.

“I’m sure you’re already thinking of ways to distract.” She laughed, rolling her eyes playfully at him. “I’m not going to cum in an airplane seat. The Uber’s nice leather seats was bad enough. I’m not encouraging this.” She wondered if the uber driver knew it was them last night, and if he was angry for having to clean up their mess in his backseat the following morning. Wondering if Dan’s rider rating was going to suffer because ‘girl the guy was with came on my nice leather seats’. Aubrey looked over to him when he spoke to her, instantly picking up on his discomfort and nodded her head. She reached out to touch his arm, smiling up at him. “Yeah, sit on the inside, it’ll be more comfortable that way anyway.” She slide her hand down his arm, sliding her hand into his and lacing their fingers together, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“The Uber’s seats will live because that might be the best thing I’ve ever seen you do.” For some reason as her hand found his arm, sliding down to grab his hand it was like warmth all over and he felt a little better, if not completely alright. He squeezed back and gave her a warm smile. “Thanks.” He sat down and pushed up the armrest in the middle she could lean on him and he spread out a couple of comic books to read. Settling in against her, he couldn’t help himself and he leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

“Uh huh, probably the most action they’ve ever seen, but your rider rating is going to suffer from it and really, that guy was probably so pissed.” She couldn’t help but laugh when she remembered how the uber blatantly ignored the two in his backseat. Only acknowledging them to remind them of the fact that they were still in public and very much around other people. Feeling him relax had Aubrey’s momentarily stiff boys melting into him. She didn’t like when he’d get upset or instantly go rigid, it wasn’t //her// Dan and she always felt better after comforting him. Sliding into the seat beside him she nuzzled into his side, planning a short nap before anything. After all, they had quite a bit of time to go. Another man slid in beside them, not a member of the festival, though many of their fellow celebrities were scattered around the plane. The man was friendly, introducing himself to them and mentioning that they were a very cute couple and reminded him of his wife and himself way back when. Aubrey leaned up to whisper in Dan’s ear. “Mile high in the bathroom it is... later... now I really can’t let you finger fuck me in front of this old man. He’s too nice.”

Dan felt himself blushing, laughing a little as the man talked about what a sweet couple they were. And her wondered if that’s how they’d always look to the outside world, with her hand in his, comics spread across their laps, his head resting on top of hers. He shook his head, trying not to think on it too much and as Aubrey leaned up to whisper in his ear, he snickered. “Aww you afraid you can’t be quiet enough? I’d like to see you try to be discreet,” he whispered with a smirk. “With me being the only one knowing you just came all over my hand..” he coughed and pulled back, giving her a smug smile. “You just let me know when you wanna make a break for the bathroom then,” and he subtly moved their linked hands to his lap, letting her feel that he was half hard. “This is your fault, you created a monster alright?”

Aubrey smiled at the old man, thanking him and telling him that Dan was her best friend, but not further correcting him on anything else. She smiled politely and nodded her head at him, telling him to have a good flight before she’d placed her head back on Dan’s shoulder, closing her eyes. She had the ability to snap into being kind, most times around her elders considering her parents would probably have a heart attack if she was ever disrespectful to one... with the exception of the ones she worked with. “Are you challenging me?” She murmured, a grin spreading across her cheeks, growing even wider when she’d felt him against her hand. “Oh, so your buddy down there can’t wait until you’ve got me pressed against the bathroom wall and taking me from behind? Hard and fast. You know, cause we’ve gotta be quick and efficient. Can’t hog the bathroom. Maybe you can eat me, though. You’ll probably need something good after all this airplane food.”

He nearly choked on his own spit. “So you’re saying you’re gonna taste better than the first class steak dinner? If so, I’m into that.” The pool of arousal in his stomach was almost distracting and he pressed her hand harder to his bulge in his jeans, wanting some friction but then relenting when he looked over and noticed the nice old man. “You’re the worst tease.. maybe I’ll just take it slow and take my sweet time licking your pussy...Just to see you beg me for it,” he whispered in her ear. He groaned and the fasten seatbelts sign lit up. “I’m not gonna be able to nap now, might as well use me as your pillow,” he sighed but he was sure to give her a soft smile, a rather adoring look on his face. If he was really exasperated it could never be with her. “I’m glad you bought comics with me. It’s a very ‘us’ thing to do.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She laughed, her fingertips gently ghosting over him when he’d moved her hand. Despite his relenting, probably because of their passenger neighbor beside him, she let her hand wander a little. Moving closer to him again and gently stroking him through his jeans. She shook her head, “Can’t do that, remember.” Aubrey clicked her tongue at him, moving her hand a little more deliberately against him, “We have to be courteous of our fellow passengers who might also need the potty.” She laid her head on him comfortably, her body curling into his as best she could. “Mmm, I very much planned on it. Don’t take pictures of me sleeping and put them online, I’ll kill you. But, correction. You bought me comics, which thank you for. I’m going to read all of them as soon as I wake up from my plane nap.”

He bit his lip, his hips rocking up against her hand and he closed his eyes with a small huff of sexual frustration. “Fine, hard and sloppy fuck against the wall it is. I’ll just have to save the good shit for the abandoned church after all, you heathen.” As she snuggled up to him, he gently wrapped his arm around her, his hand coming up to play in her hair. “I’ll draw a penis on your face and Snapchat it. Or just wait until you start drooling. This sweater was very expensive so if you drool, you’re cleaning it up,” he snorted.

“Mmm, you know just how to talk to a girl.” She grinned, her head still resting against him and eyes shut gently. “You’re making me reconsider this nap, maybe as soon as our little old man friend falls asleep we can run off for bathroom use. Though, you might have to distract the flight attendants long enough to make them think I’ve used the bathroom and headed back.” Aubrey smirked, her imagination taking over and clearly envisioning this little plan she had been concocting. “Then you can sneak in and fuck me till my legs are shaking again. So good.”

He groaned and pressed the heel of his hand to his bulge, urging himself to calm down and not be so noticeable. “You’re clearly a succubus.” He shrugged and laughed softly, “Even if it was my initial plan. Tell me, do all demons look that good in red lipstick or are you just special?” And he wondered how she’d managed to flip it around on him. Instead of him whispering all the filthy things he wanted to do her, it became her teasing him instead. He smirked. He’d put the ball back in his court somehow. “I’ll sneak in and fuck you so hard I’ll have to shove my jacket in your mouth to keep you quiet. I bet that’s a kink isn’t it? Gagging?” The plane started to take off before he could whisper anything else in her ear and he gripped her hand hard. He’d never admit he was afraid of flying but there was an irrational fear of it but as soon as they were up, he was just fine.

Aubrey’s eyes scanned the rows nearby, anywhere they were in easy eye shot of. Their passenger buddy was quick asleep beside them and everyone else close by was either engrossed in some reading tons portable game, some sleeping even. She smirked, her free hand coming up to grip his jaw, tilting his face towards her. “It might be just a me thing, I don’t know. But at least your jacket won’t suffer lipstick stains since makeup was the last of my worries this morning.” She looked from his eyes to his lips, feeling his hand tighten around hers. “Calm down, ugly.” Aubrey whispered, pushing her lips onto his hard, giving him a brief kiss.

He watched her looking from his eyes to his lips and he could t help but lick his own, hoping she’d maybe kiss him. When she did he made a soft muffled noise and nipped at her bottom lip as she pulled away, wanting more. “My only worries this morning were damn we don’t have time for a round two do we.” He smiled softly and pulled her close. “Can I ask you something? Why did you stop me on Christmas? I thought you really thought I was ugly,” he laughed. “You’ve since proven me very wrong but I didn’t do anything to turn you off did I?”

Aubrey’s hand dropped from his jaw, looking over to him with a soft smile before facing ahead at the back of the seat in front of her. She wasn’t quite expecting him to ever ask her why she stopped and if she was honest, she really didn’t have a good enough reason to give him. It was stupid, especially when she’d gone for it not even two days later. “I, Uh...” she looked at him, blushing lightly and looking down into her lap, “you were really into it with your kids all day... and I just, I don’t know. You were just super dad mode.”

He snorted out a laugh. “Super dad mode? I guess I could see that. I was still joking about plowing you in the same room so I could see why that would be a little disorienting.” He smiled and stroked her thigh. “I thought there was something wrong with me honestly. But I’m glad it was just an Aubrey moment. That’s what I’m calling every awkward thing that happens. An Aubrey moment.” He laughed and tugged her towards him so he could lean against her. “Wanna make a break for the bathroom now or give it at least until the stewardesses will be too tired to give a shit?”

Aubrey eyed him, raising an eyebrow at him. “You really that impatient, huh?” She questioned, patting his thigh lightly. She shrugged her shoulders, inching her hand up his thigh, moving closer and closer to his crotch. “Most people around us are either sleeping or too engrossed in their stuff, I think I can play a little. Let’s give our stewardesses some time to quit doing their jobs.” Her fingers flicked at the button on his jeans, pulling a fleece blanket out of her carry on with her free hand. “It should tide you over, hm?”

Dans eyes went wide and he felt his mouth drop open before he clicked it shut. “I.. you mean.. yeah. Yep. Ok.” And he shifted, his legs falling open wider. “You’re an angel. A literal angel. That I want to debauch in various positions and surfaces later but for now you’re an angel.”

She glanced at him, biting her lip she pulled a comic out and set it up so she’d look like she was reading. Her fingertips dipped teasingly into the waistband of his boxers, “why don’t you read something and keep entertained?” Aubrey kept her focus on the book in front of her, smiling as she half assed read through the panels. Her hand curled around his shaft, her fingers moving slowly along him.

Dan grabbed blindly at a comic, spreading it across his lap and pretending to read, his eyes not moving across the page as the only indication he wasn’t reading. He let out a soft exhale as her fingers found his cock, trying hard not to push his hips up. “How’s your book?,” he managed to get out, biting on his lower lip.

She hummed, moving her hand, “Mm, it’s getting good.” Aubrey answered, wanting to laugh a little at him trying to make small talk with her. Her thumb slid up to rub the tip of his cock, shifting to disperse his precum onto him to use as a makeshift lubricant, her hand sliding easier along him. Setting a steady pace, she added a little bit of pressure. “Just shut up and read your book, Dan.”

“Yeah?” He bit back a soft moan at the slick pressure of her hand around his sensitive head. He was dripping precum, not even ashamed of how bad he wanted it. “You liked me talking last night.” He said with a half smile, his grip tightening on the pages of the comic, crinkling a little before he smoothed it out. It was so good, made better by the thought of being caught.

She tsked at him, smirking, “You need to be gentle with those pages. You’re gonna ruin that book.” Aubrey moved her attention to his face, watching his expressions change as she moved her hand on him. She flipped up her tray, leaning over closer to him, “stay quiet... okay?” Squirming a bit in her seat, she maneuvered to duck under the blanket. She tugged his pants enough to pull his cock out and wrap her lips around him, her tongue swirling around his tip before sinking her lips further onto him.

“I’ll get you another one,” he said breathlessly. He knew she was watching him and he blushed, trying hard to school his features into something normal but his jaw was clenched tight, and he breathed in hard through his nose. But as she flipped up the seat tray he almost complained at the stopping of her motions on him but then she was whispering something and he barely realized she told him to stay quiet before her soft lips on his cock had his brain almost short circuiting. He did make a small moan in the back of his throat and he hissed out a quiet, “Aubrey, fucking hell.. fuck.” His fingers fisting in the blanket.

She hummed against him in response, sure that he’d feel the vibrations of her protests, but continued regardless. Her hand still worked the areas her mouth had yet to reach. Leaning forward and hollowing her cheeks out as she bobbed her head. Aubrey’s tongue dragged along the underside of his cock, her hand working at the base. Sucking hard as she moved her lips further, feeling his tip hit the back of her throat, moaning softly, she shifted her mouth up bringing it back down and repeating her motions.

The vibrations of her moans made him practically melt into the seat, his hand fisting in her hair under the blanket. He tugged lightly and closed his eyes, before he realized he couldn’t just lay back and moan softly at her lips, he had to be quiet. When he hit the back of her throat though, he really did whimper quietly and his hips shifted, enough to gag her really and he rubbed her scalp in apology. “Fuck, I’m gonna..” he panted softly, trying to be discreet.

The feeling of his hands gripping and pulling at her hair had her practically mewling. Her hands moving, and taking him into her mouth completely. Her tongue swirling around him, shifting upwards against and sucking hard against the head of his cock. She pulled her lips off of him, keeping her hand moving, “Hey, cum for me. Wanna taste you.” She grinned at him before she sank her lips back onto him, massaging his length with her tongue.

And that was all it took, her playful smile and her soft lips wrapped back around him and he was biting his lower lip, his head pushed back against the headrest as he came. He tugged her hair as he spilled down her throat and he wanted so badly to moan, but he just caressed her jaw instead, breathing a little erratically. “Fuck, Aubs. Goddamn,” he whispered as he came down from his high. Her words still playing in his head ‘wanna taste you’ and he sighed heavily.

Aubrey swallowed around him, dragging her tongue alongside him and taking up every bit that she could. Cleaning him up as thoroughly as she could before adjusting him and buttoning his pants back up. When her head popped back out from underneath the blanket, she grinned wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “Couldn’t give you a proper round two,” She started smiling at him, “We’ll do better at the hotel, yeah?” Tilting her head at him and leaning forest again to kiss his lips lightly, this time not bothering to check if anyone had been looking in their direction.

He gave her the most adoring, awe inspired look, his eyes half lidded from his orgasm and he smiled goofily at her before returning the kiss, a little embarrassingly clingy and not wanting to pull back but he did before anyone saw. But his hand found her jaw and stroked her soft skin. “If this wasn’t a proper round two, then I’m terrified of what you can come up with at the hotel. But I’ll tell you now the cleaning are ladies are gonna hate us. And our trash can full of used condoms. They’re gonna think we’re filming porn or something,” he snorted. “You’d make a sexy porn star.”

She patted his thigh, leaning back into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. “Proper round two is ending the drought in my pussy.” Snickering, she tilted her head up to look at him, the grin still spread wide across her face. Shrugging her shoulder against him, Aubrey lifted her hands in a ‘whatever’ motion. “We could be, who knows. They don’t have to know.” Playfully, she gave him one of her looks, before her expression changed thoughtful. “Of acting shits out on me at least I am filthy enough to make porn.”

“Consider the drought lifted. I’ll bring the flood. That actually sounded much nastier than I intended,” he laughed. “Sounds like I’m about to pressure wash you down with cum.” He leaned his head back on the headrest and he regarded her with an amused but sleepy smile. “We could make some private videos. I know you need something to get you through those lonely nights in your silky robe. I’m a good friend, I’ll help.”

Aubrey snorted, trying to keep down her laughter. She gave him an incredulous look, shaking her head at him. “That reminded me of those scenes in scary movie where Anna Faris’ character always gets jizz blasted. God. I am not sure I want to experience that, but hey, I’m ready for you to bring on the flood, at least you’ll be able to cure your thirst too.” She snickered, curling her hand around his wrist and tugging him down between her legs. “Too bad I’m wearing workout pants and not a skirt or something, no easy access.”

“I could always cum in your hair, make it a scene like that one movie ‘something about mary’ where she styled her hair with it.” He laughed hard and tried to stifle himself imagining Aubrey with her slicked back. “I’ve been blue balled for days, if you think I don’t have a lot to give per se, you’re wrong. Noah will have to put the animals on the ark again.” As she tugged on his wrist, slipping between her legs, he rubbed softly at the thin fabric. “No easy access, but I could always go at it like a teenager; over the clothes. Or, there is a blanket you know,” he smirked.

“Come out of here with Lenny hair.” She snickered, shaking her head. When he’d applied a bit of pressure between her legs she let her head lull back against the headrest. Aubrey’s lips parted and her eyes slid shut, the hand that was curled around his wrist tugging harder. “Blue balled?” She questioned with a laugh, “Why? Cause of me?” She hummed, her fingers sliding over his and guiding his movements a little more forcefully. “You can do whatever you want.”

“No I was blue balled because of the thought of Robert deniro of course it was you,” he snorted quietly and shoved the blanket into her lap, his fingers slipping under the waistband of her workout pants. “You really got off on that hm? You’re soaking wet,” he whispered into her ear with a soft laugh, his thumb rolling slow deliberate circles against her clit. “Maybe you should try reading. You look a little anxious.,” he added with a smirk and handed her a comic book with his free hand.

“I can’t believe I’m letting you finger me on a fucking plane.” She frowned softly, her eyes shut and lips parted. Her fingers curled around the blanket, letting out a slow exhale. Aubrey shook her head, rejecting the book, “Uh uh, I’m good.” She focused on the feeling of his fingers against her and keeping her breathing steady. Her lower lip caught between her teeth, a quiet sound escaping her.

He watched with baited breath, the way her cheeks turned pink and the way she hit her lip. He hadn’t remembered ever thinking someone looked so good as he curled his fingers, slipping them into her and pumping them slowly, wanting to watch her pleasure build on her face. “You sure? You look a little flushed, darling.”

She hummed, a soft “ooo” sounding past her parted lips, shifting a little in her seat. She raised her hips, involuntarily rocking into his hand, desperate for any kind of friction. Aubrey shook her head, letting out a breath. “No, babe.” She sucked in sharply, her voice shakey. “I’m good, just... just, really...” She paused, moaning quietly. “Relaxed.” Aubrey could feel goosebumps rise on her skin, his movements feeling so good against her, she wanted more. She wanted him. Wanted him between her legs, moving hard and fast. She wanted his hands moving across her skin softly, her firm enough to leave her bruised and feeling good. “Dan...” She whispered, opening one eye, “As soon as we settle into our rooms I want you to fuck me so good.”

He watched her rock her hips, wishing he was buried deep in her, biting at the soft skin of her neck that was on display as she relaxed back into the seat. Her words were what made him suck in a deep breath and he moved his hand faster, his fingers reaching deeper, roughly pumping them in and out and he worried for half a second that he’d be too obvious with how his arm moved trying to give it to her hard. “Oh fuck, I’ll wear you out babe, that’s a promise. Make your legs shake.”

She took in a shaky breath, her eyes closing again. His name dripped past her lips, low and raspy. She could feel the way her legs began to tremble and her toes curl in her shoes. Aubrey’s teeth bit hard against her lower lip, arousal pooling low in her belly. Everything was so hot and she felt the heat tight in her stomach, unraveling and snapping. Her eyes squeezed shut, swearing she was seeing stars. A low moan, followed by a soft whimper as she came around his fingers.

He laughed, his eyes amused and full of affection as he watched her moan his name softly. It was incredibly erotic, feeling how she tightened around his fingers, hot and messy as she came. He pulled her closed and kissed the top of her head as he withdrew his fingers and stroked her thigh instead. “Was that good? You feel better? At least until we get to our rooms?”

Half lidded, her gaze remained set on him. A soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips, tilting her head to the side. “You weren’t aiming for the mile high club this flight? Or are we waiting until the next one.” She teased, her voice just barely above a whisper. Aubrey’s breathing evened out a little, sighing at the feeling of his fingers moving along her thigh, “You know it was good. You and your talented fingers.” She teased, cheeks still flushed as she leaned back into him. “So good I’m ready for a nap... and then maybe taking you up on a round in the bathroom. We just gotta time it to passenger naps too.”

He preened a little bit as she told him his fingers were talented. “You know I’m still aiming for it,” He snickered and as he slipped his hand from under the blankets he subtly licked his fingers clean. “You nap, god knows we needed it. We were up late enough,” he said with a bright smile, his ears turning pink. “We’ll wait til everyone is out of it and sneak out. We’re like teenagers. Oversexed and brave.”

“Mmmhmm.” She hummed, shifting to lay her head on his chest. Aubrey brought her legs up and curled into a ball, keeping close to Dan. “Oversexed and brave, But definitely really tired.” She grinned, nuzzling into him and sighing contently as his warmth engulfed her. “You worked the hardest this morning, carrying me around everywhere. You must be tired too. Aren’t you? Go to sleep, we’ll mile high it after our much deserved naps.”

He curled close to her, playing with her hair and he yawned, laying his head on hers. “I worked hard last night too. I’m pretty sure my neighbors know. But yeah, I’m definitely in the post blowjob haze of sleepiness,” he laughed. “It’s never hard to carry you around,” he added softly and pulled the blanket up. “Get some sleep babe.”

[sequentialartconfidential]

Okay, so new year, new opportunities. I’m going to attempt to review the comics I buy each week again. I tried it for a while but I kept getting sidetracked so here we go again. I want to preface this by saying that I am not a professional reviewer/critic, all I can offer you is my opinion of the work. I typically buy anywhere from $30-50 worth of new comics weekly so I can’t review everything but if you have a suggestion for a book I should try I’m more than happy to check it out. I also have a tendency to stalk used book stores and comic conventions for old graphic novels and I am especially fond of the clearance bins at Half Price Books so I will share reviews of those as well. The main thing that I love about cheap graphic novels is that I can pick up things that I may never have taken a chance on otherwise due to price considerations. I have found a lot of great comics that way. I also want to preface these reviews by saying that I do write and draw comics of my own so some of my opinions may be skewered by that experience.

Week One: 1/3/2018

Books purchased:

Star Wars Issue 41 Kieron Gillen/Writer Salvador Larroca/Artist Marvel

Batman White Knight Issue 4 (of 8) Sean Murphy/Writer/Artist DC

Scales and Scoundrels Issue 5 Sebastian Girner/Writer Galaad/Artist Image

X-Men Grand Design Issue 2 Ed Piskor/Writer and Artist Marvel

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (Leia) One-Shot Elsa Charretier/Co-Writer and Artist Pierrick Colinet/Co-Writer IDW/Disney

Rat Queens Issue 7 Kurtis J. Wiebe/Writer Owen Gieni/Artist Image

Paper Girls Issue 19 Brian K. Vaughan/Writer Cliff Chiang/Artist Image

Rock Candy Mountain Issue 7 (of 8) Mountain Kyle Starks/Writer and Artist Image

Walking Dead Issue 175 (1 of 6 in the New World Order storyline) Robert Kirkman/Writer Charlie Adlard/Artist Image

 My Favorite Thing is Monsters Emil Ferris/Writer and Artist Fantagraphics

Let me begin by saying that I have not fully finished My Favorite Things is Monsters yet so I won’t be reviewing it just yet. I will say that it is phenomenally drawn and written. You want to keep reading but sometimes the drawings insist that you stop and admire them. I’ve stayed up late a few nights reading it and I’m still only a little over half way through. From all accounts this is just the first book as well so I hope they get the second volume out quick!

Star Wars issue 41 is a continuing storyline that, if I was hard pressed, I would have a hard time remembering and I just read the book yesterday.... I buy most of the Star Wars books and I really can’t say why other than I’m a huge Star Wars fan. The artwork is nice and it’s always fun seeing the original trilogy characters in action but the stories aren’t that exciting. I get the feeling that the powers that be (ether Disney or Marvel) don’t want to change or expand the characters much so they make the writers stick to bland adventures that will in no way change or expand the existing universe. Luke is always an unsteady Jedi wanna-be, whining and worrying, Han is the cavalier scoundrel who is quick with the schoolboy taunts of Leia to where one wonders why he doesn’t just pull her pigtails and get it over with, and Leia is the know-it-all badass who has to keep these two “assets” to the rebellion alive and on track. Chewbacca stands by idly and wonders what about his place in the universe...the Star Wars Universe....

 Buy if you love Star Wars and want to grumble about it, Pass if you do not.

 Batman White Knight Issue 4 (of 8) I’m enjoying this so far despite not being a big Batman fan. I am of the opinion that Batman is a jack booted thug with anger management issues wasting a fortune on playing cops and robbers while Gotham is filled with poor and desperate people. This book is playing up on that view of Batman. Even though I find Batman to be a poorly conceived character I do admit that he inspires some great stories. I know because I buy a lot of them despite not being overly fond of the character. If you haven’t checked this one out it is a doozy. Written by Sean Murphy (Wake, Tokyo Ghost, Punk Rock Jesus) is a great writer (and artist) and I’ve enjoyed his work in the past and that’s primarily why I gave this a shot (and he doesn’t disappoint). The main thrust of the series is that the Joker (or Jack Napier) has turned a new leaf and has become a “good guy”….or has he? He seems to be doing a lot of things right and is championing the poor and oppressed in Gotham. Batman of course doesn’t trust him, Commissioner Gordon doesn’t trust him either but is willing to listen, and Nightwing and Batgirl are somewhere in the middle. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  I always like comics that hold my interest and keep me in suspense from issue to issue. I am always asking myself, “What happened in the last issue of this comic?” If I can’t answer that question then I know it’s probably not a good storyline or, perhaps, it’s one of those independent comics that take four months or more between issues. Tangent rant: have you noticed that creators are bringing out their own titles with haphazard release schedules so that they can work on mainstream books (Marvel/DC)? It’s a little infuriating. I know it’s the nature of the beast but it’s hard to wait so long between books.

 Buy! This is a good book despite the fact that it’s a Batman book :)

 Scales and Scoundrels Issue 5 I’m digging this comic, it’s like a Dungeons and Dragons adventure….literally. The main characters travel to a dungeon in search of treasure and there are dragons involved. The action even seems as though it is being created through a D&D campaign. DM, “You are in a boat on a mysterious sea and you are attacked by five boats of amphibious creatures with stone weapons, one appears to be a wizard. What do you do?” If this is how it’s being created I’m not mad at anyone for it. I like the storyline and the art is okay. The art is loose, cartoony, and very familiar as I’m seeing a lot of artists using this style as of late. If you have seen any art by Hamish Steele this is very similar. I’m not sure what the influence for this art is but it has become prevalent as of late. It would not be out of place on Cartoon Network or Cartoon Hangover. I know the critique to that kind of comment is always, “Well, can you do better?” Well, no, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have an opinion. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s perfectly passable and suits the book  well, all I’m saying is that it’s cartoony and sparse. The characters and their development are top notch so far though and it’s only issue 5 so who knows where it will go from here.

Buy! You may want to wait for the TPB at this point but it’s definitely a good read.

 X-Men Grand Design Issue 2 Ed Piskor is my homeboy. He may not know it but he is. I’ve been hyping this guy since I read Wizzywig back in the day. Lately, Ed has been chronicling the life and times of hip hop culture in his book Hip Hop Family Tree which is phenomenal. It’s about people and history and culture just as much as it’s about music so it’s enjoyable on many levels even if you don’t like hip hop. And that’s kind of what’s missing in X-Men Grand Design. Ed is a lifelong X-Men fanatic and has spoken about his passion for the franchise many times and his passion shows in these comics but , through no fault of his own, their story is not as interesting as the story of hip hop. I do admire the book for Ed’s unique and eye catching style. You can always spot an Ed Piskor book! I love that it’s loose and fun and that Ed still does everything on paper including his inking and lettering. His books have the feel of an underground/DIY comic but made by a professional. They’re old school and modern at the same time. Part of the problem may be that I’m not as big of a fan of the X-Men as Ed but partially to blame is the fact that the X-Men have a convoluted, and oftentimes eye rolling, history filled with coincidences, bad plotting, dues ex machina moments, and overwrought soap opera emotions (as a lot of comics with such a long history do to be fair). This is only the second book of course and he is nowhere near the groundbreaking Chris Claremont/David Byrne run yet so we have that to look forward to. The other problem is that Ed is having to untangle the history to tell it chronologically. Things that lazy writers threw in to correct an issue that happened many issues or even years before have to be put into the correct place in the timeline and that can make these stories even more confusing. I will keep buying these if only to look at Ed’s art but I’m anxious to get to a better era of the franchise soon. These early stories are somewhat hokey.

 Buy if you’re a fan of Ed Piskor or the X-Men Pass if your meh about either.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (Leia) One-Shot This book was released by Disney so you can be sure that it is aimed at a younger demographic. They call it an “All-Ages Adventure” and the advert at the back of the book has a schedule for four more books, one for each week in January 2018. Next week will be Rey, then Hera (Who? Sorry, I haven’t watched Rebels yet), Ashoka & Padme, and then Rose & Page. All of these books are either written by or drawn by (or both) female artists and writers which is really cool.  I’m looking forward to the Rose & Paige book because, and I get the feeling that I’m alone for the most part here, I liked their story in the Last Jedi. This issue deals with Leia and is co-written and drawn by Elsa Charretier (co-writer Pierrick Colinet) who I am unfamiliar with but does an excellent job here. Her drawing style reminds me of Bruce Timm or Darwyn Cooke which is a high compliment coming from me because I am a big fan of both of those artists. As with those guys, Elsa has a style influenced by animation and it shows in the flow of her panels and her fluid action scenes. The story is set on Hoth and she makes Hoth look way more beautiful that it has any right to be. The character designs are loose but perfect and I could totally see this style being used in a Batman Adventures style Star Wars cartoon. The story takes place right before the Battle of Hoth (opening scene of Empire Strikes Back) and Leia leads Han and Hera (No idea) on a mission to find a part for the energy shield. It’s a simple premise but Leia has more character development here than in some of the comics Marvel has released. She knows she’s supposed to be in command and that people are looking to her for answers which puts considerable stress on her knowing that she has to make the right decisions and quick or she is going to lose people and maybe even the war. I liked this comic a lot. I especially liked the art and will seek out other books by Elsa Charretier. Yes, the story is simple and it doesn’t have any big surprises or cover a lot of new territory but it is meant for a younger audience and it is still a good story.

 Buy! Yeah, I’m saying buy this even if you skip the new Star Wars comic get this one. This one is at least fun to read.

 Rat Queens Issue 7 Have you ever had a book, or TV show, or movie that you absolutely loved and then, as it progressed, it lost it’s luster? Rat Queens has become that for me. I loved the early books filled with fantasy adventure, girl power and laughs but, after original artist Rob Upchurch left under a cloud of domestic abuse charges the book lost steam and has not recovered. This is not to say that the art has not been good because it has been spectacular since he left. Tess Fowler was a great replacement who they inexplicably replaced with Owen Gieni when the book was rebooted. I do like Gieni’s art but it made no sense to replace Fowler. Not only did she turn in great art month after month but she brought a female perspective to the art and the book. I imagine she would not have drawn the horrible creature that appears in this issue as Gieni did. It looks like a monster cut from the Spread comic. It has one foot and the big toe on that foot is a penis. Cleaver… mature…. aesthetically pleasing…..I wonder what female fans  thought of that? I don’t know, I just don’t think the comic is fun anymore. They seem to be going from one characters storyline to another  with no real development or insight added to them.  I hate to say this but, for me, the book has jumped the shark and will probably be leaving my pull list.

 Pass! I hope it gets better but I somehow doubt that it will. I have not enjoyed this book since before the reboot.

 Paper Girls Issue 19 I’ll preface this by saying that I really like Brian K. Vaughan’s writing. I loved Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Saga, Runaways, etc. For me, this has been the hardest book of his for me to like. I do like it but it took a while for me to get into it and I have no idea why. It may be that the writing is trying to be a little too clever but I don’t know if that’s it. The constant references to the eighties meant to remind us the girls are from the eighties can cause some eye rolling and the obligatory issue where every girl meets their future counterpart give this a Back to the Future vibe. But I like Back to the Future so why am I not as enchanted by this? It may be that I get frustrated when I don’t know what’s going on. This is probably why the book has grown on me as more is revealed. This is the kind of book that I like to read in TPB form as I can read a bunch of them at once and not get left hanging. The writing and the art are great on the book, Cliff Chiang draws beautifully, but it may take you a while to warm up to the book and characters. I say buy the early TPB’s and read them straight through and you’ll be ready to go once you reach this issue.

 Buy if you have all of the other issues, if not then buy the TPB’s first.

 Rock Candy Mountain Issue 7 (of 8) Oh I do love me some Kyle Starks! If you are not yet on the Kyle Starks bandwagon you better hop on now! This guy makes comics that are a non-stop action movie thrill ride that will knock you flat on your butt! I own just about everything he’s made. The Legend of Ricky Thunder, Sexcastle, Kill Them All, and now I’m eating up Rock Candy Mountain. This book is his longest yet and has a lot of things going for it that his previous books did not like spectacular color by Chris Scheizer (Who is himself a tremendous talent writing and drawing the excellent Crogan Adventures series). The other thing that this book has going for it is hoboes and lord knows I love hoboes. I have a keen interest in alternative cultures like hoboes, or beatniks, or Justin Bieber fans; what makes them tick, how did this group form, and why would anyone listen to that god awful music? I also grew up next to a railroad track and love trains and have jumped a few myself (only to drop off a few blocks later so I wouldn’t miss supper). I can understand the feeling of wanting to jump on a train and ride away from your troubles for a while. Ah wanderlust…. So add Kyle Stark to hobo culture and I��m buying that book, no questions asked. Thankfully, my faith in Kyle and hoboes was not ungrounded because this book is awesome. I don’t want to give too much away but this is an epic adventure with plenty of action scenes and great characters. I highly recommend this book. Kyle is another of those artists like Ed Piskor where you immediately recognize his style and there is no one else out there who does it quite the same way. I love his style but opinions may vary. The TPB of the first four issues is out and would be a good start if you’re interested.

 Buy! Buy! Buy! Get the TPB if you’re just starting out.

 Walking Dead Issue 175 Wow, 175 issues and I’ve read them all. Remember when I was talking earlier about loving something and then it gradually fades into apathy? The Walking Dead has become that for me, especially the television show. I would love to take this space talking about how much I hate the show now and how dumb the characters are but this isn’t about the show so I’m going to stick to the book (BTW I hated the All Out War storyline [and Neagan] in the book because it was meandering and poorly plotted and the show is the same way). Anyway, the book has had it’s good moments and it’s great moments, it’s bad moments and it’s excruciatingly bad moments and I think this storyline may fall into the former if it’s done right. Other than the annoying weirdo the group picked up I like where this is going. I have always wondered about other societies out in the world and the one the group has run into is especially intriguing. I’m not going to go into the plot, it’s the Walking Dead, so you know, zombies and stuff. If you have been reading The Walking Dead all along I think you may agree that this storyline is interesting. It may spell the end for the book eventually who knows? I do hope this turns out to be a good one as there hasn’t been a great arc in a while.

 Buy if you’re caught up to this issue or buy the large omnibus books to catch up if you’re not. If you watch the show you may still enjoy this but you’re going to be wondering why Eugene is with the group.

Thanks for reading, sorry if I bored you!