#this also means ruin is shorter than everyone but lunar

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Ruin is shorter than Solar.

I can fully imagine Solar would just toss Ruin over his shoulder and run if there was the slightest possibility of danger.

[paradoxicalpatton]

I’m Not in Love

Title: I’m Not in Love Summary:  "He had even begun regretting his choice of room, the familiar pattern on the aging wallpaper a sore reminder of the day Havers informed him he was leaving. His once office, now transformed into a lavish cell, trapping him with nothing but the harrowing silence and his thoughts." The Captain is reminded of a lost love from his past. It's just a coincidence that Pat is always there to support him. Pairings: Patcap (The Captain/Pat) Content Warnings: Very mild period typical internalised homophobia Chapter: 1 Word Count: 1426 Read on: Archive of Our Own Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Button house was quiet. Alison and Mike had retired to their bedroom hours ago with most of the Ghosts following suit. The thunderstorm from earlier that day had finally calmed down late that evening, the smell of rain mixing with the scent of freshly cut grass from the day before.

Button house was quiet. The wind had come to a complete halt, letting the branches on the trees and bushes rest for the night before the storm returned the next morning. The native animals that lived on the grounds had taken refuge days ago and shown no signs of returning any time soon. The grandfather clock that lived in the hallway lay silent, the mechanism had broken that morning and neither Alison nor Mike could figure out how to fix it.

Button house was quiet.

To the other residents of the house, this silence was considered almost unbearable. Of course, they weren’t aware of the deafening quiet as they lay to rest on this particular night. To the others, the lack of noise completely was the Captain’s dream. More often than not would he complain about the terrible racket Alison and Mike caused with their never-ending renovations to the building. The Ghosts of the house had also become familiar with the Captain’s complaints over the years, with the military man constantly reprimanding them for the incessant noise from their continuous arguing. And they were right, the Captain adored peace and quiet.

Button house was quiet.

But never like this. This silence was horrific. This was the kind of quiet that unveiled your darkest secrets, your worst fears. It was the kind of quiet that could ruin you with ‘what if’s’ and ‘could have been’s’. The kind of quiet where there was no one but you, reminding you how alone you are, and how alone you will forever be.

“I’m afraid I’m leaving you, Sir. At 1800 hours this evening.”

This was the type of quiet that could destroy a person with a single thought.

-------------------

Moonlight shone through translucent white curtains, casting a soft glow onto the double poster bed where the Captain lay still. Small droplets of rain cling to the glass on the window of the room, the water and light mixing to create delicate rainbows on the dark wooden floor.

Quiet nights like these never came often, but when they did, the Captain was filled with nothing but dread. These nights filled his mind with thoughts he'd rather forget. Thoughts and memories that had plagued him for decades.

It had been years since he died, and although whatever feelings the Captain may have had for a particular Lieutenant had faded, the guilt was forever hanging over his head. He had pledged himself to his King and Country and betrayed them by falling for another man. For most of his life, the Captain had been filled with regret for many things. But as he lay awake, trying to find a single sound in an ocean of silence, he could only regret never telling Havers how he felt.

The memory of Havers stepping past the gates of Button house played on a loop through his mind. The more the memory played, the more regret he felt for not stopping him. The more regret, the more guilt.

He had even begun regretting his choice of room, the familiar pattern on the aging wallpaper a sore reminder of the day Havers informed him he was leaving. His once office, now transformed into a lavish cell, trapping him with nothing but the harrowing silence and his thoughts.

The Captain's joints ceased as these thoughts ran through his head, keeping him in place on the bed to suffer through feelings he'd do anything to be rid of. His mind had turned into a battlefield, a battle between forbidden affection and excruciating silence. He could only hope the lesser of the two evils would win. The Captain just wasn't quite sure which one he'd rather.

Fortunately for him, neither won. Instead, a soft "Knock knock" cut through the Captain's thoughts.

"Cap? Are you awake?"

"Pat, is that you?"

The Captain attempted to sit up and look at the Ghost standing by his door, but his joints were still stiff from moments beforehand.

"Yeah, I couldn't- oh, let me give you a hand Cap."

Pat made his way around the bed to where the Captain lay and carefully pulled him up so he was sat by the headboard, against his tired protests.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing Patrick? I’m perfectly capable of sitting up without your help!”

“You’re welcome.”

The Captain disliked many things about the people he lived with in Button house. The thing on the top of his list for Pat was how kind he was. It was a huge feat for anyone to make Pat mad, let alone slightly annoyed or irritated. He had more patience than everyone combined, and he definitely had more patience for the Captain than older ghost thought he deserved.

“Do you mind if I sit?”

“Hmm? No, not at all.”

Pat shot a quick smile toward the Captain before walking back around to the empty side of the bed and sat down, mirroring the Captain’s position.

The two of them sat like that for what felt like hours to the Captain, although it had only been mere minutes since the other man had joined him. As they stared out the window opposite the bed, the Captain focused on the silence that had filled the room once more. It was different this time. This time it didn’t feel as if he were drowning, he felt like he could breathe freely if he had the organs to do so. The room wasn’t so empty now, instead, Pat’s presence filled all the vacant spaces.

As much as the Captain may dislike how kind Pat is, it also happened to be one of his favourite things about him. He could always tell how everyone around him was feeling and knew just what to do when one of them was upset or annoyed. In the Captain’s case, quietly sitting near him was more than enough to ease his thoughts. The Captain didn’t like to admit it, but he’d always enjoyed Pat’s company. And, as selfish as it sounds, he’d do anything to keep him with the other Ghosts at Button house.

His heart couldn’t take losing another one.

“-Cap?”

“What?”

“I asked if you were listening to me. If I’m a bother I can go back to my room.”

“No! Uh- I mean, no. Not a bother at all. What were you talking about?”

“Lunar rainbows! The scouts used to call them moonbows. They’re just like regular rainbows, but instead of sunlight and rain, they’re made from moonlight and rain. It’s very faint and looks almost completely white, but if you look at the ground now carefully you can see some!”

The Captain felt a small smile grace his lips as he listened to Pat speak about the moonbows. His whole face had lit up with joy at the chance to teach the Captain something new, it reminded him so much of his time as a scout leader. The Captain knew he was in dangerous territory right now. But listening to the soft sound of Pat’s voice, he decided that he could deal with any dangerous thoughts in the morning. For now, he would sleep.

Closing his eyes, the Captain gathered all the confidence he had before slowly laying his head onto Pat’s shoulder. The shorter man froze at the touch, causing the Captain to regret the move. He was about to lift his head back up and apologise when a quiet voice stopped him.

“Uh, Cap? What are you- oh. Sleep well.”

The Captain felt Pat shuffle ever so carefully, and a light weight fall gently on top of his head. After a few minutes had passed, the Captain finally felt himself drifting off to sleep, both him and Pat using each other as a pillow. He had almost dozed off completely when he felt something poke the side of his little finger. Pat gently slipped his own little finger around the Captain’s and squeezed it lightly, giving the Captain the confidence once more to squeeze back before quietly whispering to the man next to him.

“Thank you…”

“For what?”

“Helping me sit up earlier, I appreciate it.”

“I know, Cap.”

The two of them smiled and squeezed each other fingers once more before finally falling asleep for the night.

Button house was quiet.

[stacks-reviews]

New Releases 11/7/17

Happy New Release Day!

In Books --Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Volume 4 by Haruko Kumota “After Sukeroku’s expulsion, Kikuhiko’s path to stardom seems clear, but the idea of inheriting the Yakumo name is a cold comfort. Sukeroku, disgraced, makes the heartbreaking decision to put his art aside and take responsibility for his new relationship with Miyokichi. As years pass and distance grows, Kikuhiko decides it’s up to him to bring his friend back to the theater. His determination takes him to the country, where Sukeroku now lives with his spirited young daughter. Kikuhiko is ready to stay as long as he needs to convince Sukeroku, but old wounds may come back to haunt them both.”

I haven’t had a chance to pick up volume 3 yet because we did not get a copy in where I work. And I haven’t had a chance to order it yet either. 

--Fantastic Beasts Illustrated Edition When I first head about this illustrated edition I thought it was going to be of the movie Fantastic Beasts so I wasn’t very interested in this one. But it turns out it is for all of the creatures mentioned throughout the HP universe. Now I really want this one. Just not sure when I’ll be able to.

--My Hero Academia Volume 10 by Kohei Horikoshi “The League of Villains has kidnapped Bakugo, and the resulting negative publicity has thrown U.A. into a huge uproar. With the public’s trust in heroes threatened, the faculty convenes to figure out what to do. But Midoriya and the students of Class 1-A have plans of their own - an operation to rescue Bakugo that could get them thrown out of school.”

Picking up right where volume 9 ended. Midoriya and his crew try to take back Bakugo but fail. And a few pro heroes are lost in the conflict. After their recovery in the hospital some of Class 1-A devise a plan to legally (meaning without using their powers) to try and save Bakugo. Which sounds like a bad idea all around. 

It’s a really good volume that ends on an evil cliffhanger. I need volume 11 but that won’t be out till 2/6/18.

--Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks “Gaelan Starfire is a careful, quiet, simple farmer. He’s also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he’s worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity.

When Gaelan must take a job hunting down the world’s finest assassins for the beautiful courtesan and crime lord Gwinvere Kirena what he finds may destroy everything he’s ever believed in.”

I HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS MOMENT. I love Brent Week’s Night Angel Trilogy so when I heard there was a prequel novella I was pretty excited. Until I noticed it was ebook only; after a brief limited printing run that I found out much later on. But after waiting and waiting, it is back in print. Right when I was about to break down and buy it digitally. I am ecstatic to finally have it to go with the others. Now I just wish I had the trilogy in hardcover. I just have them in the mass market paperback box set. 

It includes the novella Perfect Shadow and a Night Angel short called I, Night Angel. 

--Renegades by Marissa Meyer “The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies - humans with extraordinary abilities - who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice - and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.“

From the author of the Lunar Chronicles series comes a new series. I really like the Lunar Chronicles. I recommend it a lot at work. Though I still need to finish it. Cress (book 3) has been sitting on my shelf for a little while but I’ve been trying to focus on the arcs I have. And have been failing. Anyway, I really like her other series and am excited to try out a new series by her.

--Twinkle Star Volume 4 by Natsuki Takaya “The second semester of school is starting, and Chihiro's kinder attitude toward Sakuya is making her heart race! When he recommends her a book to read, she's positively overjoyed. But on the way home from a night of stargazing with the Star Appreciation Club, Chihiro suddenly approaches her! What does he want to talk about...?”

After this just one more volume of this series should remain. I still haven’t had time to go past volume 1 of this series. I’ve had to put a lot of series on hold while I tried to cut back during the second half of this year. I will pick it back up again someday. Hopefully by next year.

In Movies/TV Shows --Cheer Boys “Catch an exciting new take on the high-flying team sport, inspired by a real all-male squad in Japan. When Haruki Bando and his friend Kazuma leave judo martial arts, no one would have guessed they would turn to cheerleading! Rocking the college campus with a killer routine, these amateurs manage to draw in a crowd and enough new members to compete in regionals.”

I started streaming this on Funimation during its season. I watched about half before I got into another gaming kick and haven’t picked it up again yet. I did like what I saw of it but it probably isn’t my favorite sports series. But I think it is still worth checking out. 

--Project Ito: Genocidal Organ “In Genocidal Organ, while developed countries rely on advanced surveillance to free them from the threat of terrorism, other nations are plagued by genocide within their own borders. Strangely, these massacres all link back to one American by the name of John Paul. Special agent Clavis Shepherd is sent to capture the target, but nothing can prepare this soldier—or the world—for the truth behind humanity’s darkness.”

The third and final Project Ito film. At least for now. I have been waiting on this one ever since the films were announced. I did watch Empire of Corpses and enjoyed it. Though I need to rewatch it soon because when I first watched it I was exhausted from work and kept having to rewind cause I kept nodding off for a few minutes at a time. I finally picked up Harmony a few months back but haven’t had time to start it yet.

--Revolutionary Girl Utena Set 2 “Utena and Anthy have become close during their time as roommates. So when Anthy casually mentions she has a brother, Utena can’t help but feel shocked. She thought she knew Anthy, but the longer she and Anthy are friends, the more she discovers she doesn’t know. What other secrets could Anthy be keeping? However, Utena won’t have time to dwell upon such matters. A new group of duelists has emerged from the shadows. These new challengers wear black rose signets and also seek revolution, but their methods are different than those of Ohtori’s Student Council. They don’t wish to possess Rose Bride. They are want kill her.”

Set 2 of the 20th Anniversary is now out. Contains episodes 13-24 of this great series. I have only seen it once all the way through. It is one of those series that you’ll have to watch over and over to get all the references and to catch all the imagery it contains. 

--Westworld S1 “Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged without consequence.”

Season 1 of this series is out today. I don’t have the channel that it is on so I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. I’ve heard nothing but great things about so I can’t wait to try it out sometime. Though I would like to watch the movie it is based on before I try out the show. I have heard the soundtrack before because we used to have it as an in-store-play where I work. It is an awesome soundtrack. It was a staff favorite and we played it a lot.

--Your Name “Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives until they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This occurrence happens randomly, and they must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection by leaving notes for one another until they wish to finally meet. But something stronger than distance may keep them apart.”

Was very disappointed when this came out in theaters because it never came anywhere close to where I live. I don’t think it played anywhere in my state for that matter. I did pick up a copy because I want to know if it really is worth the hype. I haven’t watched it yet because I decided to wait till my friend and I could get together to watch it together. 

There is a standard version (DVD and a combo pack) as well as an LE. The LE, “contains two-piece double-sided collectible chipboard box with rainbow holographic finish.” Like what they did for Death Parade’s LE. Which both are nice but makes me nervous that it would fall out if I picked it up wrong. It also comes with a 60 page art booklet, an art digipack, and a two disc OST. The second OST is shorter. It has five songs; if I remember correctly, that are sung in English by RADWIMPS.