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saiyomiya · 2 months

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Mamiya Review

Man, I don't know many people who know what Mamiya is, and that's a shame. Hell, the only way I know it is because I checked Andrew Hodgson's portfolio the other day and was captured by the art.

People should REALLY check this out. It's like if Nisioisin and Subahibi and the bunker dream scene in Disco Elysium and your lingering yearning for whoever just came up in your mind just now had a love child with the brain the size of thousands of universes or something. Like is that not the most incredible sentence you've ever read? I'm me and I wrote that sentence but it would've made me want to read it.

Pros

Beautiful art

Incredibly curated freeware OST that made me a fan of Ludo for life

Great translation with beautiful and succinct prose

Incredibly well-paced and doesn't waste your time at all

Cons

There is some thematic messaging in the game that leaves a bad taste in my mouth which is obviously subjective but hey this is my review

Will probably leave you hanging and wanting more answers when you're done, maybe even a bit dissatisfied (warning: I am dumb and maybe something flew over my head, a single read is definitely not enough for this one)

Rating: It's good, great even. The part I don't really like about it is subjective and some/most people might be fine with it or understand something about it I don't. I tolerate it because the rest of the game is interesting and everything else about it is very up my alley. If you're interested, make sure you buy the DLC DoomsDayDreams as well. It contains the last chapter of the story.

Spoiler subjective rambling to myself below the cut. Warning: I am dumb and might be too stupid for this game

Steam | VNDB (Part 1)

Why this game is kino

The settings are super interesting and the writing is beautiful. Honestly I would love to fine tooth reread it someday, maybe in Japanese. (Too bad Textractor can't since the engine uses Javascript).

The scope of the game is impressive and how verbose it is about all of those things is an incredible accomplishment. There is something universally accessible about Mamiya's message. You don't need to read a trove of philosophy books to understand what it wants to say. (Though obviously there are references.) You don't need to tolerate great horrors to get to the good parts. The pacing is good and it doesn't waste your time. It doesn't think you're stupid and believes in your ability to figure stuff out. There's a chance I'm jabbing at a kamige a lot of people revere that I also like for the most part but despise at the same time

MAMIYA (meme), Natsume, and the trichiliocosm are all very interesting and well handled themes. I've never really been able to word these feelings myself, so reading a story that builds something about concepts I've felt in my core was very freeing. It kind of makes you feel like an atom, if we could understand how a single atom feels. I think we all have thought about these things at least once. As humans, we all worry and think of the beyond every once in a while.

The effect this story has on you is genuinely beautiful. How can you feel so small and yet so important at the same time? Not only are you a body, you are your soul, you are your mind, and you have an existence before anyone knew what you are. Yet at the same time, we are all part of an infinitely expanding universe that is not only what we ourselves see, but what everyone else generates.

You feel so cherished and yet so insignificant at the same time.

I find MAMIYA so fascinating as well. To verbalize and personify the idea of yearning and admiring a ghost of a person is super interesting. Everyone has felt that for someone else, a longing to be with or to become a beloved. A lot of people grow out of that, but what happens when you don't? What happens when the scars that that yearning left are too deep? Being able to write a story about this concept, give it a mind of its own, and make it metatextually infect actual readers is brilliant.

It's kaleidoscopic in nature. It's a story that is so many things. It wants to be a literal read, it wants to be an abstract read, it wants to be meta, it wants to haunt you, like a ghost, like a veil, for the rest of your life. It's an incredibly unique and unforgettable experience. The only other game to make me feel similarly was Subahibi but I felt way less miserable while going through Mamiya.

That, on top of watching these characters face their weaknesses and ultimately conquer them with their own strength really tickles the Nisioisin fan in me. Like, all of this is incredible stuff. EX is incredible too, even though it hurts so bad. The bittersweet and vague and confusing endings for me leave me wanting more and someone smarter than me to explain what happened help

It leaves you with a love that is yours alone.

If you like the Pink House characters don't read this word vomit

(Vague Door 2 Fata Morgana spoiler mention)

Okay, time to get negative. I dislike almost all of the Pink House characters. I mean, that's definitely by design. All of them are groomers who succumbed to mental weakness and also nobody likes a groomer. It's pretty hard for me to view them just as characters because they did such horrible things to vulnerable children for their own self-satisfaction and weakness. Like brother I'm sorry but I can't just look at characters like this as just characters.

I fucking hate Osamu as a person. He's my least favorite character. To instill MAMIYA is to leave yearning, but damn, him leaving Ryou with his abusive mother and his biological daughter behind is just despicable. He is insufferable to everyone he talks to, he's ugly asf too, I'm gonna kill him, give me ten dollars. If you like him, more power to you, you're better than me, but my brain just can't run the calculations to tolerate him. Just a subjective thing.

Mayuri's relationship with their mother is relatable and I think their struggles with their inner child and self love are very interesting. However, what they do to Minato throughout DDD is despicable and unforgivable to me and it's very hard for me to look at them objectively. Like I totally get that's a me problem.

I mean, I get it though. There are people in my life who've done awful things to me, but I don't want them to die. Rather, I want them to live and be happy, but away from me. I don't wanna know how they're doing either. In this way, I really have nothing against the better ending Minato has with Mayuri, and I found their duel together interesting. It's well done, in my opinion.

Touma is the least offensive of all of them to me and I don't have much to complain about with him, at least from my understanding of his struggles and what he did overall.

Okay he did bad shit too but somehow it didn't leave as bad of a taste in my mouth than the other two. That too, is subjective.

Finally, Samejima is so boring to me. I never cared about Yukimasa from Fatamoru, so more of the same is more shit I don't care about. He's not very interesting to me on a personal level. I just never cared for characters with his narrative.

I guess for me, since ALL of Natsume's friends patch things up with the Pink House quartet it starts to feel very vaguely like, the way to handle your abuser is to understand why they abused you and then accept that it is a cycle and maybe get along with them and cheer them on. Saying that hilariously minimizes every arc but I mean, this was the vibe I got from all four of them just... more or less forgiving their abusers who put them through psychological and sometimes physical hell. It just didn't sit right with me. I think, for a game like this, having at least one character NOT be the "bigger" person and not be amicable, not forgive even after trying, would've made the message come across more clearly. Forgiveness and handling of abuse is messy and a bit of inconsistency among the cast would've garnered a bit more goodwill on my end.

Of course I might be missing the point or blind. I might be dumb as hell who knows. I would love to be enlightened otherwise. It just left a really bad taste in my mouth for a story I overall liked and became the hugest con about it for me.

Character rankings

Upper layer: Nidome > Mamiya > Natsume > Librarian > Senior

Nidome is cute even though he doesn't do much. I liked his design and I felt like this whenever he called Natsume a silly goose. Librarian and Senior are cool I just wish we saw more of them. The upper layer itself is really cool conceptually and I would love a story about it, but who knows if that's gonna happen.

Natsume and Mamiya are givens to like. I honestly can't tell if I like one or the other more.

Natsume's friends: Minato > Haruki > Ryou > Keito

Minato's narrative is relatable and I like them a lot, Haruki I liked more than expected, Ryou is fine, and I like Keito enough, but I feel like as I've gotten older I've had less patience for characters of his archetype. Or don't care about them. Like he's just there to me.

Pink House: Touma > Samejima >> Mayuri >>> Osamu

Touma is the least offensive of them to me (to the point that I would say that I like him), I don't like how Mayuri was handled and Osamu is just trash to me for reasons I spoke of earlier. I don't feel anything for or against Samejima. It's not his fault I don't care for his narrative archetype, but at least he's better than the other two behind him.

Natsume: Spectator/Idea/As a part of MAMIYA > Body

I'm just fucking around at this point

Conclusion

What can I say that I haven't said? It's good and I hope it gets more popularity someday. It certainly deserves it and I think it could be considered a kamige among VN enthusiasts if they gave it a try. People are just going to have to spread the word. I do think that most people would more positive than me even though I feel relatively positive about it, so go crazy and become the salespeople Kenkou Land deserves.

I still feel like I have so many questions and want so many answers for the main endings themselves. EX is both heartbreaking and yet so freeing at the same time, and the main ending is bittersweet and confusing.

It's as if I woke up to news to my dear friend Natsume Souichirou dying myself.

#review #mamiya vn

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e-b-reads · 7 months

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Books of the Month: Sep 2024

Whoops, should probably do this before it gets any closer to Halloween. Interestingly, and unusually, my reading seems to have slowed down a little in terms of sheer number of books after the summer, but I think this is partly because 1) the fall has still been pretty busy (still plenty of work, though less than during summer camp season, with added school stuff) and 2) I've had the mental energy to read some different, longer books instead of lots of mindless, quick murder mysteries. (Still plenty of mysteries, though). Here's the books from September that I think are worth reading:

The Curse of Chalion (Lois McMaster Bujold): Had an odd experience reading this book: I didn't exactly know what was going to happen, but after I hit some fairly major plot points, I would think, "Oh yeah, that's right," as if I'd been expecting them. (There's some neat twists in this book! I was not expecting them all!) Anyway, I do read a lot and sometimes forget what I've read, so it's possible I read this a while in the past (sometime before I started tracking my reads, 3 years ago) and then forgot most of it. I don't plan to forget it this time, because I really enjoyed the experience! Good writing, and I do like a main character who's already seen a lot of shit and would ideally like to just live a quiet life (but also sighs and takes responsibility for things pretty regularly). Sad to see that the sequel is not also focused on Caz. (I'll read it someday anyway, because again, good writing!) (I'm not sure the etiquette on this, but to give credit where due: I had a few reasons to check this book out of the library, but one was that I've seen @wearethekat rec it convincingly multiple times!)

Broken Ice (Matt Goldman): OK, so this is actually book 2 in the Nils Shapiro mystery series (I read book 1 in August), so I recommend starting with book 1, but I'm more recommending the series than any individual book. Each mystery is interesting and original, but none of them stands out to me in particular; what I like is that the main character could very easily be a loner, sad, possibly alcoholic, slightly sexist private detective, but instead he builds up some healthy relationships over the series (romantic and other), and generally is someone I think I would get along with. There are 4 books so far, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a book 5 someday but I see nothing online promoting one.

Overture to Death (Ngaio Marsh): I don't think I've recommended this Inspector Alleyn mystery before, anyway? I think it's one of her better-crafted ones (they're all pretty good tho, imo), with some fascinating characters. (Though I feel I should mention, I reread it this time because of @oldshrewsburyian mentioning that 2 of the spinster-ish characters were at least somewhat - unflatteringly - based on Dorothy Sayers and wow, they're even worse than I remembered!)

#book recs #books of the month #the curse of chalion #lois mcmaster bujold #broken ice #matt goldman #overture to death #ngaio marsh #inspector alleyn

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morfinwen · 4 months

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Fortnight of Books (in one post)

I'm so happy i read enough books last year to do this for once! Here's hoping for a repeat this year. Next year. Whenever.

Overall - best books read in 2023? Tress of the Emerald Sea

Best series you discovered in 2023? The fun thing about "best" is that it doesn't necessarily mean "good". And while i hold out slightly more hope that future Margery Allingham mysteries will be more captivating than The Crime at Black Dudley, i have to admit that there was something about Ngaio Marsh's utterly underwhelming mysteries that kept me reading. So congrats to her for her single victory.

Best reread of the year? Watership Down. Granted it was only one of two re-reads this year, but it's usually the best anyway.

Most surprising (in a good way) book of this year? A few books were minorly surprising. Certain elements of The Sunlit Man were … not unexpected exactly, but took things in interesting directions. I was not expecting to find a book that took place in Wisconsin and was by a nosleep author (Dead Eleven). And Overture to Death and Surfeit of Lampreys were surprisingly enjoyable for having been written by Ngaio Marsh!

Most disappointing book/Book you wish you enjoyed more than you did? I was hoping that The Crime at Black Dudley would show Allingham to be a better author than Marsh. It did not.

Book you recommended most to others in 2023? I don't do book recommendations, but i very nearly suggested Tress of the Emerald Sea to a friend on FB asking for suggestions, and the only reason i didn't is because someone else already had. I believe i also recommended Shardik in a discord group, which i did not re-read in 2023 but definitely should at some point.

Alt question: A book you did not finish in 2023? I really need to finish The Lost Metal. It's not that i was disliking it or finding it boring or anything, i just had trouble maintaining momentum for reading it. Unfortunately, a very common problem.

Alt question: A book you bought in 2023? The Kingdom of Heaven by tumblr mutual Evelyn M. Lewis (i haven't read it yet i'm so sorry i promise i will get to it!!)

Author you read the most in 2023? Ngaio Marsh. She did not deserve it.

Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2023? "Thrilling" is … not the right word, to put it mildly, but there was something gripping about Dead Eleven nonetheless. At the very least, there was something that made me stay up way longer than i should have fine-tuning my review of it. Someday i will understand what it is that makes certain books good but not gripping/gripping but not good, and how to recognize it, etc.

Book that was most outside your comfort zone/new genre exploration? Dead Eleven again, for being a book i just picked up at the library without having heard of the author before or having any idea of it beyond what the dust jacket/first chapters indicated.

Favorite cover of the year award goes to: All of Sanderson's Secret Project books had beautiful covers, but i'll probably give the prize to Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. It's currently my phone background!

Most beautifully-written book you read in 2023? Hmm … I wasn't quite as impressed with Stiefvater's prose in my re-read of All the Crooked Saints as i was the first time, but i think she still gets the credit. I love Sanderson, but his prose is more utilitarian than pretty.

Most memorable character: Does Hoid count? His role in Tress and the Emerald Sea was his best appearance yet (second place going to his role in "Yumi and the Nightmare Painter", where he was a coatrack for most of it).

Most annoying character: Lily Beckett from Dead Eleven. I had some sympathy for her at the start, but … ugh. None of the characters in that book were very good, but she was easily the worst.

Favorite couple: Charlie and Tress from Tress and the Emerald Sea.

Worst character death: Obviously a spoiler, but, Yumi's (temporary) death in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Props to Sanderson that i actually thought she was gone for good for a moment.

Favorite non-romance relationship: Nomad and Aux from The Sunlit Man.

Alt: A book you enjoyed well-enough but wasn’t a stand-out? Giving Death in Ecstasy a shout-out for being the first Ngaio Marsh book i almost kinda enjoyed, sorta.

The book I read but have already forgotten: Turns out i read The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages last January, and completely forgot about it. Oops.

Book with a scene that left you reeling: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. If you've read it, you know the one. Not quite on the level of the basement in Warbreaker, but pretty darn close.

Alt question: A book that made you laugh? Surfeit of Lampreys, believe it or not. Though the title still sucks.

Book you read in 2023 and are most likely to reread in 2024? Tress and the Emerald Sea.

Alt question: A book you struggled with but completed? The Crime at Black Dudley. I think the fact that it's ostensibly a murder mystery, but switched less than halfway in to a "escape the criminals" plot, then back to the murder, was not in its favor.

Series you gave up on in 2023: I think i'm done with Ngaio Marsh.

Favorite passage/quote of 2023: Maybe i should have taken notes. Since i didn't, i browsed the quotes page for the best books i read, and came up with the following selections: “Do you have darkness inside you?” “Yes,” Tony said. “And do you want to be rid of it?” This is a harder question to answer than one might think at first blush. Almost no one would think it’s correct to answer this question with a no, but the truth is that we men and women often hate to be rid of the familiar, and sometimes our darkness is the thing we know the best. ~ All the Crooked Saints All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed. ~ Watership Down Memories are fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves. More potently, our minds are a hungry audience, craving only the peaks and valleys of experience. The bland erodes, leaving behind the distinctive bits to be remembered again and again. Painful or passionate, surreal or sublime, we cherish those little rocks of peak experience, polishing them with the ever-smoothing touch of recycled proxy living. ~ Tress of the Emerald Sea

Book which had the overall greatest impact on you this year: Perhaps Dead Eleven - i already mentioned how it kept me up late writing a review. A mostly negative review, but still.

A book you didn’t read this year that will be your #1 priority in 2024? I've got a long list of books that i checked out from the library (or wanted to) that i never got around to last year, hoping this one works out better. I suppose the priority goes to The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst, which i started last year but haven't finished yet.

New book you are most anticipating for 2024? I don't really anticipate books, and i'm out of relevant alternative questions.

I had an amazing 20 books on my "read" list this year -- not sure if it beats 2019 or whenever my other reading spree was, but it blows most other years out of the water, and i'm hopeful for 2024.

#fortnight of books #fortnight of books 2023 #books #morfinwen rambles

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treecakes · 2 months

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tagged by @co27 HI PHINEAS! thanks for the tag ^_^

a) three ships

ahh hard question… contrary to popular belief abt me but i’m not huge into ships… they’re secondary to what i usually like to think abt but. yknow. i’ll try to give answers from different media lol because that forces me to think

1. tanunatsu! this is so predictable for me probably tanuma is my best friend and well he should get what he wants! though these two break my heart lol.

2. wangxian… i don’t cqlpost much anymore but they do make me insane. i love lwj and his brand of pining. yay.

3. nezushi… these novels are so so good and they make me insane! and i love how they progress. reunion WILL come someday i believe it.

a1) bonus ships

1. hualian! i think they’re cute though i don’t really. think too deeply abt them. but they’re cute. i enjoy it.

2. hexorcists… they’re insane godbless.

3. ever since shinobu/hakozaki beniko got brought up the other day amongst the natsumetuals i’ve been obsessed with it i keep rotating it in my mind. the most obscure of femslash natsume ships probably but idc it’s so good!!!! so good.

4. weilan… i don’t have to explain this.

b) first ever ship

jayfeather/half moon…. 😭😭 warrior cats was my childhood and i reread omen of the stars book 4 (the epitome of jayfeather/half moon) sooooo many times. probably 15+ times i’m not even kidding. that book was barely holding itself together by the time i sold it 😭

c) last song

good gone girl by mika (this will be different by the time i finish this tag game 😭)

d) last movie

i don’t remember i barely watch movies…. i think it was suspicious visitor/the rock waker…

e) currently reading

the oleander sword by tasha suri… i barely remember the first book though so i’m mostly just confused.

f) currently watching

frieren (vaguely… whenever i remember it exists), dunmeshi

g) currently consuming

what Does this even mean 😭 i’m taking as food like you did… milano cookies with milk

h) currently craving

KIMCHI JJIGAE… i want it so bad….

9 people to tag:

everyone reading this!!! say i tagged you and i will be happy :3

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iviarellereads · 2 months

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Wheel of Time full series spoiler thoughts on EOTW 39-43

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space.

I'm hesitant to say it outright in the main chapter, but I believe Gill's men think Rand would be good to have on their side in a fight precisely because his past life is starting to leak through. We've seen some of the stray thoughts Rand can't trace the source of, it wouldn't surprise me at all if RJ thought Rand might start comporting himself like a real blademaster, especially with the influence of ta'veren over him.

The Warders with the Reds still bother me. Sure, not all the Red Ajah are fully man-haters, but why are there so many Warders with them in this when none of them take Warders? Are there just unattached Warders hanging around to guard the Red on these trips or did RJ just not have the world hammered out yet? Another thing I'm glad the show is smoothing over a bit.

Logain's laugh, as Rand sees him, and as he sees Rand and knows that he's not the Dragon, but that he's about to see the world burn. So chilling.

ELAYNE! And Gawyn and Galad and the rest of the Caemlyn Crew, but ELAYNE! Cinnamon roll princess. The show has her EXACTLY right, brewing illicit beverages under her bed and dressing like a Disney princess in hiding. I'm a little sad that her first meeting with Rand was so abrupt at the end of season 2 of the show, but I'm fascinated at how it's under similar context but completely reversed circumstances: she's busting in on him and introducing herself for the first time in the show as just "Elayne" no Daughter-Heir or title or family name.

I don't think we ever get a real, like, confirmation that Gawyn takes up his role as First Prince of the Sword after her coronation, do we? Like, the world kind of rolls right from her accession war to the Last Battle, and we know he Travels back and forth from her to Egg a couple of times, but he's all Egg's at the end, not hers. Galad's off leading the Whitecloaks. Which leaves… who? as her First Prince.

Gawyn saying Elayne should marry someone from the Two Rivers, and then the narrative describing him as "babbling". Someone just got hit by ta'veren to give us that hint.

I still find it so fascinating that SO MANY PEOPLE take Elayne's side totally unthinking about Galad, though. Like, we're so primed to hate a goody-two-shoes as a whole-assed society that we just hate him with her the whole way, for the most part. It wasn't until my last reread that he really grew on me. (Gawyn… SIGH. I have a lot to say about Gawyn, but like Mat, he never grew on me, though unlike Mat I think Gawyn's potential was entirely wasted by the lack of any single conversation with Egwene about the bloodknives. We'll get there, someday, but MY GIRL WOULD UNDERSTAND, DUDE, JUST TELL HER.)

The rest of this week is mainly just catch-up, but there are a few fun moments. Egg being SO JEALOUS of Elayne is funny when she'll give Rand up to her willingly in a couple of books. Moiraine sitting in the chair by the fire, seeming to be in a throne, when she was first in line to the throne of Cairhien as the Aiel War ended.

#wheel of time #wot #the wheel of time #twot #wot book spoilers #wheel of time full series spoilers #wot full series spoilers

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apocalypticavolition · 9 months

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Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World: Chapter 1: An Empty Road

Welcome back to my reread! As will always be the case but isn't usual yet because we're just getting started, this post has spoilers for everything ever and should not be looked at if you don't want to see those. In fact, just telling you that spoils this very post, so it's already too late!

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

A comfy paragraph that feels like home. Someone could literally plagiarize this and I wouldn't care because it's such a good way to start! More book series should try and have very consistent beginnings, it really adds a lot.

Oh, and I should probably mention chapter headers. This guy has the "Wheel and Snake" motif, which is a generic Plot kind of deal.

Note that I am skipping over a second prologue that was added to these books when they were (for some reason) trying to make a YA version of the series that cut each book in half. That prologue, "Ravens", is one I've never read (or maybe I have but only once) and features Egwene al'Vere a few years before the series begins. Maybe I'll circle around to it someday, but I'm very big on only accepting works as they initially were (barring fixing typos or outright plot holes) and not with a whole bunch of doodads attached.

...the wind blew east, out across the Sand Hills, once the shore of a great ocean, before the Breaking of the World...

Interestingly, the most likely body of water for this to be is actually the Mediterranean, not any of the oceans proper.

Gusts plastered Rand al’Thor’s cloak to his back, whipped the earth-colored wool around his legs, then streamed it out behind him.

Rand has a lot of associations with wind (Loial even notes it in-universe) and also the land, so it's appropriate that we get both here with the wind blowing through the earth-colored wool. Note as well that while the earth is protecting him (though not especially well), the wind has been turned by the Shadow into something hostile.

He felt a little foolish about wanting to reassure himself that Tam was still there, but it was that kind of day.

Considering his later thoughts about wolves and bears, it doesn't even seem that foolish. Take it from someone who just a few weeks ago was dealing with being separated from family on a Canadian highway that definitely had bears.

Without thinking he touched the nock of the arrow; it was ready to draw to his cheek in one smooth movement, the way Tam had taught him.

Tam's influence on Rand looms large over the series, which does set up the reversal in TGS and the breakdown it causes quite well.

Wolves raided the sheep pens and chewed their way into barns to get the cattle and horses. Bears had been after the sheep, too, where a bear had not been seen in years.

It's rather interesting to imagine what might have happened to Perrin if Moiraine hadn't taken him away. The wolves would likely worm their way into his head by about the time he met Elyas in canon anyway, only he'd be in such a different context it's not hard to imagine him going really off the rails. Someone who actually finishes what they started should write a fic!

With his thick chest and broad face, he was a pillar of reality in that morning, like a stone in the middle of a drifting dream.

And Tam's being a metaphorical pillar of reality is of course set up for the fact that by the end of the series Rand himself will be a literal one. It's really impressive how clearly Jordan saw the ending of the series; the Slog in my opinion is likely a product of his uncertainty in how to get there.

[Rand's mother] had been an outlander, and Rand remembered little of her aside from a smiling face, though he did put flowers on her grave every year, at Bel Tine, in the spring, and at Sunday, in the summer.

It's terrible being a mom for a protagonist, even an adoptive mother. Death is the best you can hope for.

But Tam had given his word about the brandy and cider, even if he had waited to make delivery until the day before Festival. Keeping his word was important to Tam.

"Belief and order give strength." If Tam had accompanied Rand on this journey, the whole thing would have been over in five days tops.

As Rand watched his side of the road, the feeling grew in him that he was being watched. For a while he tried to shrug it off. Nothing moved or made a sound among the trees, except the wind. But the feeling not only persisted, it grew stronger. The hairs on his arms stirred; his skin prickled as if it itched on the inside.

This is of course Rand's channeler sense for Shadowspawn. Does this mean he's already channeled at some point this winter, or do sparks like him get the various gifts before they start because it's inevitable that they will anyway? I wonder if Nynaeve (and maybe Egwene if sparks do get the spidey sense before channeling) has spent the last few days being itchy as all hell and not having a clue why. It would add another reason to her bad temper over being asked about the weather.

Not more than twenty spans back down the road a cloaked figure on horseback followed them, horse and rider alike black, dull and ungleaming.

"You're in the wrong franchise! Hobbiton's on the other side of the shelf, between Rosewater and Sounis!"

I get that Jordan had to channel a bit of Tolkien because it was the 80s and that's how you got published, but I have to say that sometimes I think he leaned a little too far into it. At least Myrdraal get weirder as we go.

There was only shadow to see in the hood

If Sanderson had been writing the series from the start, he would have rationalized that a Fade being able to step out of any shadow means it could step out of the shadow of its hood and then repeat the process to gain altitude rapidly, allowing the Shadow to orbitally bombard its enemies when the Fades stopped and fell back to Earth.

Abruptly a stone caught his heel and he stumbled, breaking his eyes away from the dark horseman.

Rand was a shy, awkward, inwardly beautiful teenage girl, just like you.

(Seriously folks, plot-convenient clumsiness is not gender specific and we should call it out in our boy protagonists too!)

Tam shook his grizzled head. “If you say so, lad. Come on, then. A horse leaves hoofprints, even on this ground.”

More proof of Tam being a good dad that even though Rand's talking nonsense, he checks it out. Of course, it wouldn't be surprising if Tam had experience with Shadowspawn somehow. Probably not though, since he was mostly involved in Illian and the Aiel War.

The wind that beat at Tam and him had not so much as shifted a fold of that black cloak.

More on the earth/air duality, with air being the masculine half tainted by the Shadow.

once he had even gone to the very foot of the Mountains of Mist, him and his closest friends, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara.

Two complete nobodies who we'll never hear about again, naturally.

Today, though, the Westwood was not the place he remembered. A man who could disappear so suddenly could reappear just as suddenly, maybe even right beside them.

Maybe even fall on you from orbit!

Though I suppose the earth half of things being unfamiliar now does cut against the symbolism I'm envisioning, but I'll leave resolving that as a Freudian exercise for the reader.

Rand managed a weak smile. Of all things he might want to think about right then, the Mayor’s daughter was far down the list. He did not need any more confusion. For the past year she had been making him increasingly jittery whenever they were together.

18 seems a little late to be hitting puberty, Rand. Seriously, if it weren't for the narration earlier calling him and Tam "two men", I'd assume he was supposed to be 14-16 at this point.

“Remember the flame, lad, and the void.”

This technique actually does kind of work! I've used it a lot during painful dentistry and stuff. Sadly, I'm no good at remembering it when I'm in an emotional state, which is when it would be most useful, but maybe someday I'll learn.

(Probably not.)

Some said the land was too rocky, as if there were not rocks everywhere in the Two Rivers, and others said it was hard-luck land. A few muttered that there was no point getting any closer to the mountains than needs be.

Having recently been exposed to the "The Two Rivers is contaminated with radioactive fallout from the Trolloc Wars" theory, I have to note that this feels a bit like evidence for it even though I don't believe it in general - in particular, the cats having a weird number of toes happens all over the place in real life when they start getting too inbred.

goodwife

This is an interesting word choice! Goodwife (masculine "goodman"; abbr. "goody", from which we get "goody two-shoes") is an archaic form of address that started in the 1300s and died by the 1800s, with the English and Scots using it first and the Puritans later. It referred to women of high social status but non-gentry in Europe and in America we have no clue what exactly the Puritans meant except that it was respectful. Here in EF, the term likely either descends from the days when there were gentry to talk about, or has arisen in the Puritan sense.

Whether or not leaves had appeared on the trees, no woman would let Bel Tine come before her spring cleaning was done.

And here we come to Jordan's worldview again. The Two Rivers folk are meant to be pretty gender egalitarian, but here we see that they have the exact division of labor that the idealized American town does, with women doing interior chores and men doing exterior ones. This is treated as being inevitable, even though of course it doesn't have to be and in most real societies gendered division of labor is only ever a sunny day ideal and abandoned in part or in whole in rougher times like we're supposed to be in now, with spring a month late. Hell, even in a culture with similar gender norms to the west, ("Women care about the house, men do rough work"), you could easily see them ending up dividing things the other way, with women expected to thatch the roofs to maintain their nes- I mean homes and men beating the shit out of carpets because their big manly muscles let them get it done faster. See how easy it is to use sexist logic to justify the exact opposite of what western sexism usually does? (Fun fact: That's because sexist logic is almost completely arbitrary.)

It would be rather nice to see a generic Arcadian farming village that has radically different expectations for men and women while still being superficially similiar to the ideal homestead, really. Jordan missed an opportunity.

Tam spoke of damage from winter storms, each one worse than the one before, and stillborn lambs, of brown fields where crops should be sprouting and pastures greening, of ravens flocking in where songbirds had come in years before.

As a big corvid fan, seeing them always be associated with evil when they're really quite social and intelligent makes me sad.

[Wit] never seemed ready to start over, or to finish what he started the first time. Most of the Coplins and Congars were like that, those who were not worse.

Kind of odd to transition from "Life is hard out here and people who aren't willing to work hard can't cut it" to "Meet the Shithead and Lazyfuck Clans, the inbred hicks." It's realistic to have shittier families in communities, but usually these families in the real world at least have something going for them.

“What are we going to do about Nynaeve, al’Thor?” Congar demanded. “We can’t have a Wisdom like that for Emond’s Field.”

Wait a few days and the problem will take care of itself, Wit. Ten whatever-kind-of-coins-are-legal-tender-here says that he was probably the first to bitch about their village not having a Wisdom the second Nynaeve crested a hill and disappeared from view.

“You try meddling in Women’s Circle business, and see how you like eating your own cooking. Which you won’t do in my kitchen. And washing your own clothes and making your own bed. Which won’t be under my roof.”

Guess Daise married from outside the clan, since she seems like a relatively decent sort. Also note again the 1950s division of labor; plenty of dudes knew how to do "women's work" across history because even if you were lucky enough to always have a mommy-wife (yes that's exactly how icky 1950s-lovers are) on hand and never had to go to war or a logging camp or spend a few years in early adulthood fending for yourself, sometimes Mrs. Mommy would be bedridden from all the exhaustion of being a brood mare with unrealized aspirations and then you'd have to learn how to keep the household going anyway because hiring (or enslaving) a dark-skinned maid to do everything for you wasn't an option.

When they saw Tam, the goodwives of Emond’s Field went on point like hounds spotting a rabbit.

I feel like this is another bit of Jordan's local culture being mistaken for human nature. There's definitely gals who will try to set you up if they know you're single, but there's guys who'll pull the same stunt and neither gender has a 100% attempt rate unless compelled to by their society. Then again, for all of it being presented as the ideal, the Two Rivers community is definitely all about meddling in each other's business and assuming you're too stupid to breathe because you don't have the right kind of genitals, so I suppose it makes sense the women feel like they have to.

Worst of all were those who paused thoughtfully at about that point, then asked with elaborate casualness exactly how old he was now.

Based on later books, Egwene would have been pissed to hear about this. It's probably not canonical in later books though, since the exact details of their relationship change quite a bit in the first three.

Outsiders sometimes found it funny that the road had one name to the north and another to the south, but that was the way it had always been, as far as anyone in Emond’s Field knew, and that was that.

I struggle to think what rock these outsiders must have been living under to find the idea of a road changing names funny. It's the sort of thing that happens when two separate roads are brought together, and I know that the west is slowly decaying, but still.

No one knew when the custom began or why—it was another thing that was the way it had always been—but it was an excuse to sing and dance, and nobody in the Two Rivers needed much excuse for that.

It's a dick joke, ya hicks!

Or possibly a reference to the queen blowing herself up. That seems more dignified.

And to top everything, if the rumors could be believed, a grand display of fireworks was planned for the Green—if the first peddler of the year appeared in time, of course.

Another moment that feels a bit too Tolkien, with the book opening on a celebration graced with fireworks, but hey at least the Illuminators end up having a lot of plot relevance in this story, so it builds well.

At the south end of the inn, away from the stream, stretched the remains of a much larger stone foundation, once part of the inn—or so it was said.

I would guess that the foundation was once the local garrison in Manetheren, or at least a more prominent building for the village mayor. Maybe even a place where Andorians of import might stay, since it would have to be relatively recently ruined to have not been torn apart by the tree roots in the last few hundred years.

“An ill omen,” a scratchy voice announced, “no storks nesting on the rooftops at Bel Tine.” Cenn Buie, as gnarled and dark as an old root, marched up to Tam and Bran and leaned on his walking staff, near as tall as he was and just as gnarled.

Narrative doesn't treat Buie kindly either (and not unfairly), but he's not wrong here. Things are only going to get worse, especially here in the Two Rivers.

Ask the Wisdom when the winter will end, and she walks away. Maybe she doesn’t want to tell us what she hears on the wind. Maybe what she hears is that the winter won’t end. Maybe it’s just going to go on being winter until the Wheel turns and the Age ends. There’s your point.

It's interesting that while Cenn thinks Nynaeve is too young, his fearmongering here is based on the assumption that she is perfectly competent. This double think is quite distressingly common in certain circles.

Rand’s smile broadened; it did not sound as much like fun to him as it would have a year or two back, but Mat never seemed to grow up.

Again, this sequence feels like it works better with Rand and Mat being 14-16, with badger pranks seeming like something more fun at 12-14. I wonder if, a bit like GRRM, Jordan assumed he'd have some time skips in his story that would get Rand into his 20s from a younger age, and then abandoned the concept as the plot continued to demand immediate action.

“Funny how being scared takes you. You think strange things. I actually thought—just for a minute, mind—it might be the Dark One.”

Mat's not too far off!

“The Dark One and all of the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, beyond the Great Blight, bound by the Creator at the moment of Creation, bound until the end of time. The hand of the Creator shelters the world, and the Light shines on us all.”

Note that it's not quite true: not all of the Forsaken are bound, none of them were bound by the Creator (arguably not even the Dark One), and the Forsaken are all about to break free. Over the past few millennia the Forsaken have really had a glow-up.

“My mother always said the Forsaken would come for me if I didn’t mend my ways. If I ever saw anybody who looked like Ishamael, or Aginor, it was him.”

Considering that Ish is currently serving flaming looks and Aginor is decayed as all hell, this is again not all that wrong.

Now his name came up whenever a washline dropped the laundry in the dirt or a loose saddle girth deposited a farmer in the road. Mat did not even have to be anywhere around. His support might be worse than none.

While I do think Nynaeve and Egwene are too hard on the boy, it's important to remember that this is Mat's reputation at the start of the series: his own best friend doesn't want his public support on a major issue.

Rand stared wonderingly. No one traveled beyond the village by night, not these days, certainly not alone.

Why did Thom come in the dead of night? Taren Ferry should have been a perfectly good place to stop, and with things being like they are you wouldn't think him in much of a hurry to wander among the wolves even though he can take care of himself. Do we get an answer to this?

That alone is worth the expense of bringing him down from Baerlon.

Oh and Thom's been close enough that he'd know all the environmental dangers quite well, so that really just makes me all the more curious.

“You have a head on your shoulders when you choose to use it,” Bran said. “He’ll follow you on the Village Council one day, Tam. Mark my words. He couldn’t do much worse right now than someone I could name.”

We can see here that Rand really is a political thinker, though of course he's going to rise far beyond a simple village council.

“Oh, why not?” Mat said resignedly. “Like your da said, the quicker it’s in the cellar. . . .” Picking up one of the casks of cider in both arms, he hurried toward the inn in a half trot.

And we can see here that Mat really is good to his friends, even if he is a rogue.

And that's pretty much chapter one! Rand and dad walk down a road, Rand sees an incarnation of evil, dad gossips throughout the village, local crotchety old man and scheming youth spread rumors. Like the prologue, this sequence wasn't really particularly adapted by the show. We instead have:

Moiraine giving us a really awkward summary of the plot thanks to executive meddling.

And it's here I should point out how many different reasons season 1 needed to make changes from the book. There's executive meddling, there's plague, there's the inevitable changes from page to screen, there's stuff that is clearly about appealing to the director, there's stuff that seems to be about keeping Rosamund Pike onboard, there's... a lot. And Rafe gets the blame for all of it which is really unfair because properly speaking we should only blame him for the stuff that's about appealing to himself. Blame Jeff Bezos for this one, folks. Anyway then we get:

Liandrin (who isn't even in this book!) and her posse of Rad Red Bad Bitches hunting down... let's pretend it's Gorin Rogad even though the timeline doesn't line up at all, and also Gorin's imaginary best friend. Moiraine and Lan watch from above and decide to go to Two Rivers.

Lots of people who want to make everything about culture wars complain about Obviously Evil Witch Liandrin being Horribly Misandrist In Ways That Sexism Has Never Been Done Before in this scene and I don't have patience for that kind of nonsense either. The scene's kinda rushed I think, and I am even more flummoxed by there being rumors of anything out of the Two Rivers, let alone four ta'veren, but whatever, plot's happening.

Egwene gets her hair braided for the first time (a practice mentioned in this chapter) and then Nynaeve tries to kill her to prep us for the saidar metaphor.

Frankly this is also rushed - a real problem in this episode because they wanted extra time for the premiere but were told to go feed their mothers to the Myrdraal while Jeff Bezos swam in a bathtub filled with 50 dollar bills - and because of all the cuts this episode had for time it feels a bit weirdly out there, but again we really needed to make surrender as literal and visual for TV watchers as possible so I know what's up.

Our closest scene to the books is Rand and Tam taking the old road to town and Rand freaking out about something that he assumes is wolves.

It's very abrupt and Rand is kinda douchey with his "I used to be a sap" line. It also used to be the first scene in the episode (I remember the outrage when people found out they were skipping the prologue) but the execs clearly forced it to be shuffled around. Probably would have been longer too.

Cut to town. People are setting up for Bel Tine and the air is generally happy instead of nervous like the books. Rand and Tam unload in the tavern and then Rand drinks with his friends, Mat, Perrin, and somebody else! She beats Mat at dice, Mat begs his friends for cash to keep carousing while bitching that Perrin is a good husband and accusing Rand of being a sheepfucker, and Egwene arrives with everyone very happy that she lived after the murder attempt.

Generally I think it's smart to trim down the parts of this chapter after the rider even in an episode that isn't desperately trying to fit into an hour, and introducing Perrin alongside Mat is something that works well for TV because it's easier to have interweaving conversations in real time. It also isn't a bad idea to age the characters up some (Rand and crew have to be about 20 now, per Moiraine's comments while watching Gorin get gentled) and abandon kiddie activities like badger pranks.

That said, the generic wholesomeness of the town is gone and that one lady who has spilled booze all over herself needs to slow down, like geez, you don't even know if Egwene is alive yet so why are you clearly already sauced? Hell, why is Rand carousing if he should be worrying whether or not his girlfriend was dashed against the rocks? Why is the mayor just chatting with Tam like nothing is up? That river initiation ceremony cannot possibly have a 100% survival rate and I suspect very strongly that its initial placement in the script was very different and only patched together like this because they didn't have time because seriously.

Oh and this is as good a place as any to talk about the elephant in the room to clear out the wrong sort of people before they get any ideas: no, the Two Rivers is not the bastion of Racial Purity it is in the books (we'll discuss that more in the reread when it starts coming up beyond a single acknowledgement that Rand doesn't look like most other folk here), and fuck no that is not remotely a problem. Even ignoring the sheer difficulty of getting enough extras of any ethnic group (and guess what people, "white" is too broad a group in this context and does not constitute a distinct "look" like the Two Rivers people have, you'd have to do "Polish" or "Irish" or something and then you're still making casting everything else a pain in the arse), the simple fact of the matter is that Zoë Robins is perfect as Nynaeve, Madeleine Madden is perfect as Egwene, Barney Harris was perfect as Mat, and maybe someday Marcus Rutherford will grow on me as an actor or at least get a subplot that isn't stupid or both! Together they cover a very broad range of human ethnicity and getting rid of any of them (let alone *most* of them) for racial reasons would be pathetic and would hobble the show even more than Amazon and COVID already managed to do. Shame on you for suggesting it and good day - good here being a word meaning "I hope you achieve some semblance of enlightenment about how wrong you are, which would be very good indeed, now begone!".

And on that note, I really want to go and play video games now, so I'm off as well. See you next time with chapter two: Strangers!

#wheel of time #robert jordan #let's read #rand al'thor #tam al'thor #mat cauthon #wot spoilers #wheel of time spoilers #wot on prime #racism is stupid and you should feel bad

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kazscrows · 1 year

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Six of Crows Reread 🪶

Chapter 28: Inej

Kaz was watching her intently, his bitter coffee eyes glittering in the light from the dome.

The classic Kanej stare

You can’t tell me he’s not worried about her-

I’m sorry but the thought of Kaz and Matthias even trying to blend in with the Menagerie is hilarious

But of course Kaz has a different plan

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” said Kaz. “Helvar’s been holding out on us.”

“Have you?” asked Inej.

“It’s not—” Matthias dragged a hand over his cropped hair. “How do you know these things, demjin?” he growled at Kaz.

Because he’s ✨Kaz✨

I love when Matthias calls him demjin

And of course Kaz’s plan involves going back on just about everything of his original plan

The man has plans A-Z in his head, but none of them are simple

Jesper held up a hand. “I’m sorry, isn’t Black Protocol the thing we want to avoid at all costs?”

I can just hear Kit saying this really well for some reason

Probably because in season 1 he says something vaguely similar like “You want us to get on that skiff??? The one full of people who, oh right, want to kill us—“

Kaz gazed out at the White Island, head tilted, eyes slightly unfocused.

“Scheming face,” Inej murmured.

Jesper nodded.

“Definitely.”

I am once again here for Jesper and Inej’s friendship and Kaz’s scheming face

Inej thinks about how she’s going to miss his face because she’s decided on hunting slavers-

“I’m all for locking the Fjerdans in their own ‘fortress’,” said Jesper. “Truly. But how do we get out? Once we trigger Black Protocol, you guys will be trapped on that island, and we’ll be trapped in the outer circle. We have no weapons and no demo materials.”

Kaz’s grin was sharp as a razor. “Thank goodness we’re proper thieves. We’re going to do a little shopping – “

That grin is going to kill me someday—

Inej upon receiving the peacock feather tattoo again:

Inej took a deep breath. “It’s warpaint,” she said, both to Nina and herself. “It’s my mark to take.”

The knowledge that they might never see each other again, that some of them – maybe all of them – might not survive this night hung heavy in the air. A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.

Classic classic line

And hey- they do all make it through book one–

Oh Jesper just said the open casket line—

I never know how I feel about the show using quotes early.. it’s fun, but also kind of disappointing?

Like Jesper can’t say that again if we ever get the ice court adapted…

But on the other hand it was quite fitting where they placed it in season one

The StrUGgLe—

Anyways….

Get ready for a lot of Kanej

You can just assume I’m the equivalent of a keyboard slam for the next several quotes

“I have something for you,” she said as she pulled his leather gloves from the sleeve of her prison tunic.

He stared at them. “How—”

“I got them from the discarded clothes. Before I made the climb.”

“Six storeys in the dark.”

She nodded. She wasn’t going to wait for thanks. Not for the climb, or the gloves, or for anything ever again.

He pulled the gloves on slowly, and she watched his pale, vulnerable hands disappear beneath the leather. They were trickster hands –

“When we get back to Ketterdam, I’m taking my share, and I’m leaving the Dregs.”

He looked away. “You should. You were always too good for the Barrel.”

It was time to go. “Saints’ speed, Kaz.”

Kaz snagged her wrist. “Inej.” His gloved thumb moved over her pulse, traced the top of the feather tattoo. “If we don’t make it out, I want you to know …”

Gaahh say something Kaz!!!

The heart is an arrow

She reached up and touched his cheek. She thought he might flinch again, even knock her hand away. In nearly two years of battling side by side with Kaz, of late-night scheming, impossible heists, clandestine errands, and harried meals of fried potatoes and hutspot gobbled down as they rushed from one place to another, this was the first time she had touched him skin to skin, without the barrier of gloves or coat or shirtsleeve. She let her hand cup his cheek. His skin was cool and damp from the rain. He stayed still, but she saw a tremor pass through him, as if he were waging a war with himself.

“If we don’t survive this night, I will die unafraid, Kaz. Can you say the same?”

His eyes were nearly black, the pupils dilated. She could see it took every last bit of his terrible will for him to remain still beneath her touch. And yet, he did not pull away. She knew it was the best he could offer. It was not enough.

You’re right Inej. It’s not enough

But give him time

I think you’ll find him ready one day

Go sail the world and take on the slavers but maybe come back and check on him every now and then

He’s changing too

You also just short circuited his brain

She had her aim now, her heart had direction, and though it hurt to know that path led away from him, she could endure it.

But is it really aimed away?

Truly?

Maybe it goes straight through him—

Connecting you together…

—————————————————————

“Inej looked down at the wolves chasing each other around the rotunda floor. “I’m not sure why I began this,” she admitted. “But I know why I have to finish. I know why fate brought me here, why it placed me in the path of this prize.”

She was being vague, but she wasn’t yet ready to speak the dream that had ignited in her heart – a crew of her own, a ship under her command, a crusade. It felt like something that was meant to be kept secret, a new seed that might grow to something extraordinary if it wasn’t forced to bloom too soon. She didn’t even know how to sail.

Hm… what if the diamond necklace Heleen wears will be replaced by the necklace Alina gave Kaz in the show?

Poor Nina. No one can move as gracefully at the Wraith

A lot of this chapter is just Nina tumbling from air vents

Inej tying up the other Suli girl-

Oh gosh…

Nina smoothed her hands over the ridiculous costume. “I’m about to be very popular.”

“I wonder what Matthias would have to say about that outfit.”

“He wouldn’t approve.”

“He doesn’t approve of anything about you. But when you laugh, he perks up like a tulip in fresh water.”

Nina snorted. “Matthias the tulip.”

“The big, brooding, yellow tulip.”

Bless Nina for making this moment so ridiculous Inej can’t dwell on it for too long

But then of course they get separated

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#six of crows #shadow and bone #inej ghafa #kanej #kaz brekker #jesper fahey #nina zenik #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #grishaverse #reading #books #kazscrows #kazscrowsreadssoc

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transgirlmononoke · 11 months

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Oh hey I got tagged for a thing ty @warioigottawin:+)

Fav colour: I think foresty green, but my like lifetime favorite colour is royal purple, however I've been real into pale pinks lately too...

Currently reading: OOOH ok so I was rereading Harrow along with my friend who I'm doing the cosplay with BUT I was also at her behest reading the Final Empire, book one of Mistborn (she's super into Brandon Sanderson's stuff) and now I'm onto the second book, the Well of Ascension. They've been really good so far, it's a really cool and unique fantasy world with an awesome magic system (eating different metals lets you do crazy shit) and I loooove the main characters, they start out a bit basic but especially coming into book two they gain a lot of depth and are just generally really likeable, I have had a bit of trouble keeping track of the side characters though lol, there's a couple that all melt together in my brain. Also ostensibly working on starting discworld, I'm a little bit of the way through Guards! Guards! But TLT and Mistborn have been keeping me busy (STILL need to read nona lol, I'll probably get to it before Alecto comes out lol) also I've been doing all of this with audiobooks which I still have some trouble paying attention to sometimes but it's massively easier for me these days than physical books OK LONG BIT OVER

Last song: last song I actually listened to was DUI by Estelle Allen, I unironically love it so much even though I can't drive and therefore follow through (I DID SCHEDULE A PERMIT TEST THOUGH WHOO LOOK AT ME BEING AN ADULT) anyways if you haven't heard it PLEASE please listen to it immediately (and also the whole album it's on, it's actually real good)

Last series: UHHH haven't been watching a ton of "tv" shows recently, but I just finished season 5 of game changer on dropout which was fun, and I'm now binging all three seasons of SoupRS's Gielenor Games OSRS competition gameshow, I haven't actually played old school in a bit and never very seriously but I do love those funny little guys fighting funny little monsters and flicking their funny little prayers :+)

Last movie: UHH I think the DnD movie? I personally loved it, it's not as cringe as I expected and is very accessible to anyone who's not into dnd the game or the internet dnd "fandom"

Sweet, spicy, or savoury: GOD that's hard I mean I am a pleasure seeking creature so like I do love sweet sugary stuff, but I also loooove sweet/spicy stuff, or really just all of those stuck together, although I think I'd actually go for umami over savoury. I've been practicing this scallion oil noodle recipe that is soooo good and the sauce especially is a really great blend of sweet from sugar, spicy from various stuff, and savory from the scallions (plus a lot of umami from the sesame oil and soy sauce lol) my rendition of the recipe is just a simplified/easier version of some I've seen on the internet, but I can post it if anyone's interested :3

Craving: SPONGE CAKE AND TOO SWEET ICING god I just love the texture its such a good sensory experience for me, and the flavor is just. Sugar lol so yeah. However seeing char's answer reminds me that I loooove the samosas from this one Indian place we used to order from that shut down BUT they JUST reopened under a new name and slightly different model so I need to get my mitts on some yummy yummy samosas and tamarind sauce

Tea vs coffee: TEA ez, I mostly just drink water and the occasional sodie (although I really should get an electric kettle for my room id drink way more tea) I think I've literally never had coffee and tbh I don't have much desire too, doesn't smell a way I like and I can get caffeine from sodies, someday I may grow up and get into coffee but I wanna get back to more tea first, I made this syrup with lemon balm that I really wanna try as a sweetener in a tea

Currently working on: well not a ton, got a callback from a job I was really excited about and they seemed into me but also I need a driver's license for that so. I'm starting work on a permit lol. Theoretically working on that cosplay but most of it is just gonna be ordering stuff, I might make the sword out of foam and wood though so I can bring it to cons. Also been drawing a sword for the same friend's fantasy series she's been working on, and just generally helping her brainstorm that stuff which is really fun :)

OK uhhhhhhhhhhhhh do I have to tag people? Idk, if anyone wants to do this you can just say I tagged you, and I'll give uhhh @the-gay-prometheus @potorch @bark-eater @zoentropy a ping for it lol, absolutely no pressure to do it, entirely just if you're interested ok bye :)

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bobateastay · 2 years

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YOU SAID SEND ASKS ABT DIFFERENT AUS SO HERE I AM UMMMM IDK WHAT IM ASKING ABT YET THO LMAO

oKAY OKAY i’m so so curious about summer heat i should probably reread it to remember it lol but yeah i’m just really curious about it, like i’ve mentioned before i find your aus so creative and unique and even tho this one’s like AAAAHSHJSJ not happy good cute stuff which generally is what i like it’s just so intriguing !!!!! and like i really admire writers who can do that sort of au. so like i’m curious if there’s anything that inspired this au? or if it kinda just came to you lol. and i’m so intrigued about they why if this story. like maybe i missed it while reading bc i’ve only read through once bUT LIKE if you would want to divulge your secrets wHAT IS UP WITH THE TOWN AND WHY CANT THEY LEAVE ?? it’s actually really reminding me of this horror book i read once where the town had like a curse on it or something idk lol

oh yay omg!!!!! summer heat!!

the theme of like- suffocating small town suffering was inspired by some of nicole dollanganger's songs (e.g. in the land, american tradition), she used to sing with a lot of themes that i wish i would explore more with my writing. also my dad is from a tiny village and i love writing things that i can imagine taking place there.

i actually won't spoil exactly what's up with the town in case i ever want to explore it more but i can say that like. isn't it awful to imagine something like lifelong friendship and childhood friends and having a home you can always return to being taken to such an extreme that you'd never want them anymore? what if you could never escape them? what if you love these people for all of your life in spite of their flaws until you can see nothing but their flaws and then you're stuck with them anyway? and you're all but forced to love the home you've long since outgrown?

i also really wanted to try n gross people out without making it inappropriate for tumblr lol

lots to think about. there's probably a religion metaphor somewhere in there too but i haven't found it yet. i really do want to write more of that fic someday though, maybe if i take a break from this blog i'll work on it. thank you so much for the ask, i hope the answer wasn't too much of a non-answer lol AND i hope you're having a wonderful day!!!! <333

#asks #i want to write more stuff like summer heat so bad :((#idk how much of it people would like though lmao #i hope you're having a lovely day <3 #i-luvsang #☀ asks

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desperatecheesecubes · 2 months

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Now that we’re into March here’s my reading wrap up for February! (Part 1 because I read too many things for Tumblr)

Interesting facts About Space By Emily Austen

Dates Read: February 1-2.

Review: 5 stars

Thoughts: I loved this as much as I loved Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead. I was a little apprehensive in the beginning about how I would like this writing style over a full length novel but I needn’t have worried.

Things You May Find In My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha

Dates Read: February 2-3

Review: Four Stars

Thoughts: I don’t think I can speak articulately about what is happening, and has been happening, in Palestine. This collection was painful to read and very important I think.

The Splendid City by Karen Heuler

Dates Read: January 29-February 4

Review: 2 stars

Thoughts: have you ever thought you had important things to say, sat down and thought real hard about how to articulate them, but then realized you sounded like an idiot? Yeah that’s this whole book. It’s BAD. It’s a fucking mess. I do not recommend it to anyone,

Green Lantern (2023) issues 7-8

Dates Read: February 7 and February 18

Review: 3 stars and 3 stars

Thoughts: im really enjoying this run so far! It’s got everything I like! Hal’s dysfunctional relationship with Carol, Kyle being definitely totally mentally well FOR SURE, and Guy ready to fuck shit up immediately! I have not been reading the back ups because, and this is true, I could not care less about this son of Sinestro that’s been shoehorned into being. Sinestro already had a daughter who was complex and fleshed out. And if they wanted to keep writing Supersons they shouldn’t have aged up Jon 🤷‍♀️. And can you fucking believe they’re ignoring Chris Kent again?! Everyday I be seething.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Dates Read: February 4-8

Review: 4 stars

Thoughts: Lisa See knows how to write books that destroy me and I hope she never stops. The scene where they were trapped on a mountain and debating which son to let die?? Holy shit. The movie was bad though lol.

Batman the Cult issues 1-4

Dates Read: February 9, February 10, February 12, February 18

Review: 3 stars

Thoughts: Started this miniseries because I was sad the Robin in Infinity Inc wasn’t Jason lmao. Over all this was an interesting story I guess but it’s no longer a unique one in the way it might have been when published. Batman gets beaten by his villians mentally kind of a lot now. I’d also heard this was a great story for Jason and I… don’t really agree? He never really did anything lol.

Infinity Inc: the Generations Saga Vol 1

Dates Read: February 7-9

Review: 3 stars

Thoughts: I was so fucking confused going into this because I forgot it takes place on Earth 2, and ALSO because I didn’t realize the first few issues happen during World War II. But it was a fun set up. Can’t believe Dick went out like a bitch in this timeline tho. Homie does not have a good record.

Superman Lost issues 8-10

Dates Read: February 18

Review: 3 stars (miniseries gets a 4 over all)

Thoughts: I wish the pacing had been just a little different (I would have loved to explore Lois dealing with her impending death more, Clark mourning the loss of a child more etc etc. also Lois getting instacured wasn’t my favorite thing) but I really enjoyed what this mini did. I’ll probably have to reread the whole thing to figure it out but I gave it 4 stars over all.

Spidergwen: Smash! Issue 3

Dates Read: February 18

Review: 3 stars

Thoughts: I just think they should make Gwen and Em-Jay kiss

Adventures of Superman issues 511-512

Dates Read: February 18, February 22

Review: 3 stars, 3 stars

Thoughts: This arc was fine until Superman started swelling up a whole bunch….

#mine #literature #monthly wrap up

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fangirlies · 1 year

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Dude I would loooove to visit Australia, but I feel like, when I take my first step off the plane, I would immediately die because of their beautiful but deadly nature💀 Australians have all my respect✊

Well, you see, to me it's like what's the point of me 'kinda' knowing these languages, if I cannot communicate. I can't consider being able to read as an achievement :( English is my only pride even though I make probably tones of mistakes, but I can freely speak on it. So you are, bestie, incredibly cool in my books knowing Spanish and English!! And Spanish is such a beautiful, melodic and lyrical language. It is also the one I want to learn someday and often I beat myself that I didn't choose to learn it at college meh. I'm planning on seriously to take up French, when I'm finally out of college, which is luckily soon.

When I thought I couldn't appreciate you more, you've proven me wrong... I deeply love and adore people like, who want to bring something good and prosperous into educational system!! There should be more teachers like you, who want this job, who understand the depth and value of this tough profession and who want to encourage children to seek knowledge. You are amazing! I know that you will achieve it all, you will do such awesome things, I believe in you💙

And, bestie😡 don't you dare feel bad about reblogging your works, they are your babies! And for me personally it gives opportunity to reread them hehehe, especially now that Xavier's tag is do dry😟 Expect, obviously, my favourite Home is whenever you are my second favourite is Raven!! It just Xavier's sheer excitement with the whole process and him acting so giddy and joyful, the usual and kinda domestic setting that I clearly love. And maybe my purple hair plays a bit of a role too lmao...

What do you like writing more: fluff, angst, smut or something else?

- elliot anon

No hate to Australia, it seems beautiful really. But definitely ruled off my list.

Don’t sell yourself short bestie. You’re a badass in my eyes. English isn’t all that easy either so the fact that you can communicate so well is enough to be proud of. Spanish is harddd, even I sometimes will be like ‘no I said it wrong let me try again’ but I encourage learning it to add to your list! And YES don’t give up on French. I can tell it’s something you want to learn for yourself. If we give up on things we love them what else is there to do on our time on earth!

Thank you bestie! You’ve managed to put a smile on my face yet again. It’s not an easy profession for sure but to me it’s definitely worth it. I feel as though it’s one of those that you get home exhausted but part of you feels fulfilled no matter how your day went. I’m excited for it truly.

HIS TAG IS SO DRY!! It makes me so sad. Raven was done in like 4 hours in the middle of my Washington trip 💀 I remember being iffy about it because I’ve never box dyed my hair & was afraid to get something wrong so I tried to be as vague as possible when it came to the actual dyeing. NO WAY YOU HAVE PURPLE HAIR. should’ve called you my raven anon 😭 you sure you didn’t request that one too 👀

Yikes tough question.. see angst is really draining for me to write even though I think I’m better at describing heart break or just sadness in general. But I think I have to be in that state to actually write it. Smut is fun and I enjoy writing it but there comes a point where it sounds too repetitive. So I think my answer is fluff. Fluff can be very corny and cheesy but it’s amusing seeing what I can come up with. After all, I’m just a delusional girlie who is projecting. What’s your favorite to read?

#fangirliestalk #Elliot anon talks

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hua-fei-hua · 3 years

Text

looking through the websites of some authors of some really niche books i was fucking obsessed with as a child and realizing, “hmm. this might be why i like to write the stories that i do.”

#you have to realize that i never moved on to the teen books section i stayed in the middle grade fiction until like #we just stopped going to the library bc i had no time to read anymore bc yes i was on tumblr all the time and reading au fanfiction #but the point is i never went into the teen books section bc they were primarily romance novels and i just wasn't interested in that #i read a few adult novels! like fire bringer which is a retelling of the story of moses but with deer apparently #and that was a really good book i should probably reread that someday #but the point is 'haha yeah i don't like writing stories primarily about romance i want a lot more adventure and plot'#花話

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asexualbookbird · 2 years

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I'm doing a rare thing for me; I'm purchasing a physical book from barns & noble. I need like one or two more books to make shipping free for me and i think you got me into murderbot. So my question to a fellow ace is, what books do you recommend i add to my cart? I enjoy sci-fi/fantasy and I'd like the MC to be an actual adult instead of teenagers ☺️

oh gosh lots of responsibility here

I don't know if you're asking for ace specific books, in which case I'm not the best to ask because I'm Very Bad at reading ace books. I have a List, somewhere, probably in my tags, of ones I INTEND to read. Someday. Eventually. But I'm so bad at reading lol

I LOVED Marth Wells' other series, The Books of the Raksura, though I've only read the first (because I owned it and keep forgetting to order the rest from the bookstore). It deals with family, and identity, and while it does focus on relationships and sex, it doesn't prioritize it? It's really about finding who you are and finding your family. Also, bewinged folk. Love bewinged folk.

I recently discovered The Founders Trilogy, by Robert Jackson Bennet and it was a RIDE. More found family (I like what I like), steampunky magic, thieves, guilds, mad scienctists, GREGOR MY LOVE, main character is in a relationship with a woman. Book one is pretty stand alone, but there's an overarcing plot. Book two is three years after book one, and book three is not yet published and I'm cranky about it. It's fast paced and funny, but also deals with identity (okay I'm sensing a theme here) and generational trauma. Pretty bloody, but not gratuitously so. No sexual assaults on page, but it's alluded to. Slavery is a big theme, and people are non consensually experimented on off page. I really liked the magic/science system and the guild houses politics. The humor/angst was very well balanced imo! the author definitely has some fatphobia to work through, but other than that its great (that'st literally the only thing keeping these books from a five star rating for me).

I'm always going to throw The Locked Tomb out there, but if you want more necromancy, then The Bone Shard Daughter was an interesting one! It follows a few POVs, adults and older teens, but it was fun to try and figure out what was up. Again, the magic system was neat. I'm waiting for book two to come out in paperback becuase I MUST know what happens next. Loved the lesbians they were very cute.

Also in the necromancy category is The Bone Maker which is more character driven than anything else and about, you guessed it, found family! Love the magic here, but mostly? I love the characters?? so much???? Kreya, my love, you NEED to let your friends help you. It's about trauma, but also about healing from said trauma. It's about facing your traumas, not alone, but together. Healing can't be done without support! Love to see it!! And everyone heals differently. It warms my heart. It's also a standalone, which I feel is hard to come by these days lol

The Unbroken is part of what twitter called The Sapphic Trifecta and is a good choice if you like enemies to lovers and a good commentary on colonialism and more generational trauma. I read it summer of last year and have not stopped thinking about it and would love to give it a reread now that my head is less foggy

I should just call this the Found Family Rec List because A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet is also a good choice if you want something hm not really low stakes but. Episodic? The plot is in the title, they take the whole book to get to the angry planet, and they find each other along the way. I'd call this book leisurely. Very comforting, even in the more action packed parts. I mean it when I say episodic, though. Its chapters are like how tv used to be, each has its own mini plot and characters to drive it, but there's a bigger plot throughout the whole book. Made me feel fuzzy inside.

I'll end with The Wayward Children series, if you liked Murderbot you'll probably like this! Each novella focuses on a different child, but some are more intertwined than others. First book has an ace character, but its queer rep all the way down. Yes, more found family, but also finding yourself! Finding your place in a world you feel like you don't belong in! Finding your world you DO belong in! Finding comfort in others who share similar experiences and traumas! I've yet to read a Seanan McGuire/Mire Grant book I haven't enjoyed tbh I'd recommend anything by her (Into the Drowning Deep remains the only book to have ever truly Spooked me, turns out my horror is Deep Water. Read for a spooky time with mermaids and the deep sea.)

#ezra gets a letter #recs #book recs #listen i like found family okay #its about the community #its about the platonicness of it even if the relationships arent strictly platonic #(looking at you kreya and jentt!!!!)#sorry if youve read any of these before but i stand by them lol

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free-pancakes · 3 years

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snk 138 is nothing but PAIN </3 could you drop alternative headcanons please 🤲🤲

Levi sat down on his porch, holding a warm mug of tea in his hands. Sunlight wrapped around his body like a hug, the cool breeze softly ruffled his hair and left cool kisses on his face—sweet relief in the summer heat. “Thanks, Hange,” he thought. He pressed his fingers up to his face, feeling the soft, smooth fabric of her eye patch covering his right eye and smiled.

He always felt like she was still around—little acts of nature like this made him feel she really was watching over him, like she was still at his side, and he felt a little less lonely. No, he was never alone. He might be living in this little cabin in the woods by himself, but the kids always came by to visit.

Connie and Niccolo never failed to bring him delicious meals. He could always tell which ones Connie cooked and easily preferred Niccolo’s dishes, but Connie was getting better at it so he couldn’t complain. Niccolo was a good teacher after all.

Oddly enough, he found a quiet friendship with Pieck. She’d come by to visit and bring little sweets for them to share. They’d sit quietly together listening to music on a small Marleyan record player gifted to him and Hange one day many years ago. He accrued quite a large music library of sorts, a new little hobby of his since he moved into the cabin.

Jean finally won Mikasa’s heart after all these years. Levi was a bit surprised at this, but he remembered Hange always telling him that she’d been giving Jean advice with how to win the heart of an Ackerman. He grumbled a bit whenever he remembered this, annoyed that she read him like an open book and now even in death, she succeeded in proving how well she knew him—a hopeless romantic like Jean found happiness with an Ackerman because of her advice. He wondered what she told him—she refused to tell him every time he asked. He thought about this and chuckled to himself whenever Jean and Mikasa would come and drop off their little toddler for him to watch while they were busy. In fact, he looked after their child and Historia’s quite often. When they’d run to him, hands outstretched yelling “Uncle Levi!” he always let himself smile big as they jumped into his embrace. Whenever this happened, the wind whistled by his ears and he swore he heard hints of her voice—Hange teasing him and whispering in his ear about how proud she was that he was finally sharing this endearing side of himself with people other than herself.

One day he was watching over Historia and Mikasa’s toddlers, and he let them run around his home as he sat and pulled a journal from the coffee table. It was a makeshift journal that Onyankopon had bound for him, holding pages he had ripped from Hange’s research notebooks and journals. He had to admit, he was a mess after all the events that occurred, as he sat in the memories and guilt of being the only survivor of his generation. They all began to worry about him when he spiraled into that dark place, but one day Armin decided to gather Hange’s old notebooks and journals and brought them to Levi. At first Levi refused, but Armin insisted he had to flip through some of them. And goddamnit Armin was right— Levi smiled, even laughed as he leafed through the pages. He loved reading her thoughts and notes on titans—her beautiful mind never ceased to amaze him. But what he really loved, was that she wrote little notes about what she was thinking about in between her research. He wildly flipped to find certain dates. Dates marking things like the day they first hung out together, Erwin’s birthdays, the days leading up to when Hange and Petra threw him a surprise birthday party, the days where they spent time taking care of each other after expeditions, everything. Levi was one to remember the exact dates of it all, and he wasn’t disappointed with what he found. She wrote all about him and their friends in the margins, and he ripped out those pages to keep, and Onyankopon surprised him one day having bound them into a journal for him. It helped bring him out of the seemingly endless nightmares he had at the time after all that happened. He reread some of her words every night, and was met with restful, dreamless sleep. She wasn’t even on this earth anymore yet she was still saving him.

The two toddlers suddenly jumped up onto his lap breaking him out of his trance. “Uncle Levi, can you please tell us a story??” they chimed together, staring at him with cute little puppy-dog eyes. Levi was taken aback, and knew he’d be bad at this but he couldn’t refuse them. He nodded.

“Yay!!!” They yelled in unison. They both sat on either side of him on the couch and stared up at him with eager eyes.

Levi thought for a little bit, and began to speak:

“Once upon a time there were two best friends. They were the strongest heroes everyone knew. They climbed giant walls and looked at the vast lands in front of them from the top of it, knowing it’d all be theirs once they defeated the big, bad titans!”

The two kids gasped, and Levi tried not to laugh.

“Yes, they’d jump around climbing the necks of the big bad titans and would...” He should probably not say they slashed them up right?”

“They jumped on their necks and cast a spell and they’d disappear! They did this for many years until all of them were finally gone. The two best friends were happy and searched for more land to see and explore until they found the big blue ocean. Water that was salty and laid home to many creatures both friendly and dangerous. Now there were more bad guys on the other side of the ocean but they were a little different than titans, and they looked like you and me so it was much harder to defeat them. So the two best friends tried to find a way to win. They went on adventures together trying to figure out their secrets until they almost died trying to do that.”

Levi hesitated.

“And one day one of the best friends asked the other if they wanted to live in the forest together, and leave their younger, smart and powerful comrades to defeat the bad guys. And the other best friend said yes. Their comrades won the battle and the two best friends lived happily ever after in the forest. The end.”

“That was a horrible story to tell kids, wasn’t it?” he thought. He was ready to see their confused looks but was surprised at what he saw.

He looked down at the two children, who nuzzled their heads into his lap and were now fast asleep. Jean’s kid snored loudly and drooled over his pants, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “Oh Hange, I wish you could be here too...” Levi said aloud. He felt tears well up behind his eyes but he blinked them away.

His mind went to the last page of his book of Hange’s notes:

“I hope Levi could live a long life and be happy for the rest of his days. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing him experience happiness behind his dumb scowl. And Levi if you come across this someday, remember that I love you and goddammit try to smile or something in front of someone other than me!”

Levi of course memorized these words, and repeated them in his head as he ran his fingers softly through the children’s hair as they slept.

“Stupid four-eyes,” he thought. He breathed in memories of her and promised he’d try to live the rest of his days happily and smiling just as she wished for him.

(thanks for the ask anon, this was quite therapeutic to write. sorry i think i got a bit carried away, hope u like it 💕)

edit: part 2

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shinidamachu · 4 years

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What are some of your favorite InuYasha fanfiction stories? 😙

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO ASK ME THIS QUESTION! PLEASE, CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:

Light Me a Lantern by @inuyashasforest: a lot of feelings for this one. It was the first Inukag multichapter fanfic I have ever read and boy am I glad I did. It’s a must read. I don’t know how Hanyo no Yashahime will fall into the Inuyasha universe, but if it turns out to be garbage, I’m more than happy to accept Light Me a Lantern as canon instead. Send tweet.

Little by Little by @little-known-artist: cutest post-canon fanfic in all land! It will make you smile. It will make you laugh. It will make you a little horny. That being said, it will also make you cry, but trust me: you’re gonna be grateful for it.

You Rescued Me by @keichanz: this fic it’s a party and I’m the piñata, there’s no other way to put it. Heather is a storytelling master, like... she could post her grocery shopping list and I’d be reading the hell out of it!

The Captain and the Hanyo by @goshinote: I love the whole premise of this fic and how much effort Jane puts in every detail. It’s like I’m living in it and I wish I was. It’s the story I’m currently reading and it’s so, so sweet and exciting!

Cruel Summer by @akitokihojo: you know shit is about to go down when Angie drops a Taylor Swift song titled fic. Now that Folklore is out I’m honestly scared for my life.

Pennies and Dimes by @witchygirl99: SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part one)

Delicate by @akitokihojo: SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part two)

A Night to Remember by @angelhartsblog: I want you to close your eyes. Now I want you to think about the perfect Inukag first time. Open your eyes. Did you think about A Night To Remember? No? That’s because you haven’t read it yet, pal. What are you waiting for?

The Gorgon and the Dog Demon by @cstormsinukagblog: I’m in too deep HELP!

Mating Fever by @clearwillow: let’s face it, this one is a classic already! The concept of this story was executed so well. Nothing was held back. You can tell Carra had as much fun writing it as we had reading it.

Pretending To Pretend by splendentgoddess: IF BOTH THE LAST HARD COPY OF THIS FIC AND MY COUSIN WERE ON FIRE... I’d still save my cousin but only because I reread Pretending to Pretend so many times I could probably write it down again myself, word for word. Also, my mom would never let me hear the end of it. But, like... it’s still a close one.

Bakin’ Cakes/Patty-Cake by @artistefish: if I had two lives to give to Bloodhound and Kitten then two lives I’d give them.

Risks by @stoatsandweasels: THE CHARACTERIZATION, THE DIALOGUES, THE SMUT... Definition of *chef’s kiss*. The stars really aligned for this one, let me tell ya. Good. Fucking. Food.

Cam You See Me? by @keichanz: Smut Queen at her best. LONG LIVE!

Inuyasha: Prince of Thieves by @starlingchildgazingatthestars: I feel like this fic should be written on a very big, very old, hard covered book. And someone should read it to me every night before I go to sleep. Every new chapter deepens the plot and the character so much. I’m hooked.

Belief/Resist by @dangerouspompadour: my first thought on it was “man, I wish I could leave a thousand kudos” because it’s one of my favorite tropes ever and the story was told with such delicacy and honesty. Nailed their personalities to their cores.

Freak Attraction/Freak Attraction: Seven-Man Circus by @artistefish: this fic is the epitome of galaxy brain. How do someone eve come up with something so incredible? The world building is so fucking good, are you kidding me?

Oblivion by @meggz0rz: this one needs no comments... But I’m gonna comment anyway: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spetacular, never-the-same, totally unique.

Beautiful Stranger by splendentgoddess: WHAT A RIDE, MY FRIENDS! BUCKLE THE FUCK UP!

Missing by @ajoy3fanfics: it’s called ‘missing’ because after you finish the whole thing you just miss it so fucking much! I remember how obsessed with it I became, refreshing the page for updates. I was a woman possessed. I spent about 80% of my time talking about this fic, and the other 20% of the time, I was praying for someone else to bring it up so I could talk about it more.

The Delinquent Boyfriend by @artistefish: book one of Inukag Holy Bible.

Out Of The Woods by @dyaz-stories: okay so there are only two chapters so far but the plot it’s captivating as hell! And the writing it’s flawless. If you haven’t read it yet, please do and tell Dya I sent you and I miss her ass.

Guardian by @ruddcatha: my nerdy ass feels seen and represented.

Knit and Lace by @doginabirdcage: if you’re part of the Inukag fandom you’re legally obligated to read this fanfic. This is not even a joke. Do you know someone who hasn’t read it? No! And you shouldn’t because it’s fucking awesome.

Call You Mine by @lavendertwilight89: every word on this is a drop of dopamine I swear.

Enchanted by @akitokihojo: I was in the middle of studying for one of the most important tests of my life when Enchanted came around. Was it insane of me to drop everything to read it? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes.

The Half Breed’s Wife by @gypsin: I’m gonna be honest here, this better update before I die otherwise I’m simply not going. RIP to everyone who will pass away without knowing how The Half Breed’s Wife ends but I’m different.

The It Couple by @meggz0rz: OH, YEAH,THE COOL KID OF FANFICS! *Vogue by Madonna starts playing*

It's About Time by @akitokihojo: first fic by Angie I have ever read! Flashback to two-years-ago me picking her chin off the floor. I still can believe I could read this for free? It feels wrong that I could, but also, like: thank God!

The Maid and the Bodyguard by @dyaz-stories: this is the fic you want to take home to your mama. You’d get on one knee for this fic. You’d buy it a diamond ring. You’d profess my undying love for it and you’d spend the rest of your life trying to prove to this fic I’m worthy of it.

Something Real by Angelica Pierce: so this is one of the best oneshots I have ever read in my entire life. It is also the one and only work signed by this author known to mankind. Which I take as a personal offense. To me. Personally.

Mars and Venus by @doginabirdcage: have you ever read something so clever you’re mad about it? Like HOW DARE YOU BE SO SMART? Genius, really. I read it so long ago and it blows me away to this day.

I Knew You Before I Met You by @keichanz: book two of Inukag Holy Bible.

House Mates by honeybee31: “and they were roommates.” “OH MY GOD, THEY WERE ROOMMATES!” Domestic Inukag? In my fic rec? It’s more likely than you think.

The Language He Speaks by @akitokihojo: if I was half as beautiful as this fic... I’d be kissing so many mouths... The possibilities...

Fingertips by @shinjiteflorana: this is the level of writing I aspire to achieve someday.

PS: I could never, in a billion years, rank these fanfiction, so please keep in mind they are in no way ordered by personal preference. I just love them all. Also, I’m messy.

PS²: believe it or not, I really tried to narrow this down. If I were to tag every Inuyasha fanfiction I love ever, it would get insane huge. This is a not exhaustive, very humble list of my favorites as requested above and I had to draw the line somewhere, otherwise I’d just keep going forever.

PS³: I’ll never get tired of saying that this fandom is crazy talented! Making this fic rec was so hard because there are so many awesome creators out there putting out new content for us every single day. I would like you to know that, even if I had to leave some works out, I appreciate and support each one of them. Thank you so much for keeping the Inuyasha fandom alive!

PS⁴: if you’re reading this, feel free to recommend or tag me in Inuyasha fanfics. Add some of your favorites to this post. Give the authors some love!

#There are SO MANY fanfics I want to start reading but didn’t have the time yet #That’s a topic for another ask tho so if any of you are interested in finding out which ones I have on my to-read list come to my inbox #I’ll be happy to tell you #Anyway I hope I have satisfied your curiosity anon #Thank you for asking now come fangirl about these absolute jams with me #Gosh this took a while #Fic rec

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