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alfvaen · 2 months

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Leap Novel

Here comes another book roundup post, for the books I read in February 2024. What are the odds? It's amazing.

Actual book list and ramblings below the cut, so let me just say that's there's potential spoilers within for Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga, Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, Kristen Painter's Comarré series, and maybe more.

At the end of January I had managed to get myself a little bit ahead on my Goodreads challenge, which I usually take advantage of by knocking off one of the thick books which can sometimes clog up my shelf. (Maybe if I set my Goodreads challenge count a little bit lower, I could read more of them…but maybe at the moment this is about the right level of long books for me anyway.) This slot was for a "female diversity" book, which presented me with a few choices (for some reason I have a lot less trouble with this one than I do with the male diversity slot), and I even had three possibilities which would result in my finishing off a series…N.K. Jemisin's The World We Made, C.L. Polk's Soulstar, and the one I went with, because it was the thickest of the three…

Fonda Lee: Jade Legacy, completed February 9

I first ran across Fonda Lee at the When Words Collide festival in Calgary, where she had YA SF books like Zeroboxer and Exo, but then Jade City came out and I was intrigued. I enjoyed the first two books, which are set in an interesting alternate world which is kind of analogous to our own. The map is completely different, but most of the places map to our world if you squint. The story centers around the island of Kekon, which is vaguely Japan-coded (though, for instance, there were no nuclear bombs dropped on it in their All Nations War, so it's not exact). It's set in an era which is basically the late 20th century (people have cars and phones, but not as many computers). But there's also jade, which is special.

Many of the inhabitants of Kekon are Green Bones, which means that they can wear jade and use it to do extraordinary things--healing, telekinesis, sensing other jade users, protecting themselves, giving themselves strength, etc. Others can also use jade, but only with the help of dangerous drugs. The Green Bones have formed into various clans, and at this start of the story Kekon is mostly divided between two rivals, No Peak and Mountain, who between them dominate the Kekonese government, and are frequently engaged in bloody internecine conflict. Mostly we follow the Kaul family, the leaders of No Peak, in a family saga which makes me think of, say, James Clavell (though admittedly I've only ever watched the "Shogun" miniseries and haven't read his actual books) or maybe The Godfather (which I haven't even watched), or at least what I think they would be like.

By the third book the (surviving) main characters from the previous books are moving into middle age and we're getting a new generation rising up, and we're covering lots of other territory--particularly Espenia, the American analogue, which is in a "Slow War" with its rival Ygutan (Russia), and who is eager to use jade for their military but still forbids Kekonese immigrants from using it. The book is probably as long as the first two books in the series combined, but there are a lot of plot threads and characters to follow, and plenty of exciting scenes and satisfactory resolutions. Well done. (There is a novella set in the same world, "The Jade Setter of Janloon", which I should probably read sometimes as well.)

Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study In Scarlet, completed February 11

A few decades ago I read something called The Complete Illustrated Sherlock Holmes, a book I'd borrowed from a friend named Julia. I don't know if I'd read any actual Sherlock Holmes before then, though I was of course aware of him (how not?) and had seen bits of various adaptations. That book contained a number of stories, as well as the novel The Hound of The Baskervilles. It was years before I learned that what I had read was by no means the entirety of the Holmes cycle, and that there were in fact three other novels: A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of Four (or is it The Sign of The Four? I've seen both), and The Valley of Fear. At some point I picked up a huge coffee-table book "complete" collection, which seems like it does contain the novels as well as various collections. (Though it's not everything Doyle wrote--I have read a collection called When The World Screamed of mostly non-Holmes stories which do not seem to be in here.)

What gave me the impetus to actually maybe read them, though, was my reading, last year, of Sarah "Katherine Addison" Monette's Angel of The Crows. Not related to the magnificant The Goblin Emperor as the other Addison works have been, this was in fact an homage to Sherlock Holmes, in which the detective is an angel named Crow, in a London with other supernatural creatures such as werewolves. It became clear, as I read the book, that it was likely doing more than just "a tribute to Holmes", but that it was recasting several actual Holmes stories into this alternate supernatural London. In particular I noticed that there was a "Sign of Four", and then something that definitely reminded me of The Hound of The Baskervilles. So it was at this point that I decided to put A Study In Scarlet on my virtual shelf.

According to Goodreads, it was a mere 120 pages long--and in this monstrous collection, the pages were large enough that that was reduced to 52. So after spending so long on Jade Legacy, it seemed like a nice short change of pace, something I could polish off in a couple of days. But also, those couple of days would be on a weekend, so I wouldn't have to lug this gigantic book to and from work (I like to read at lunchtime, you see). Oh, sure, I could grab a copy from Project Gutenberg and just read that, but this seemed more convenient.

The story itself is, apparently, the one in which Holmes and Watson first meet; I wasn't even sure such a thing existed for years, that we might have just started with their relationship already established. But apparently not. And apart from that…well, it's a Sherlock Holmes mystery. As a novel it's a fairly short one, as established, and it would be even shorter if it weren't for the bizarre insertion, into the middle, of the actual backstory of the murderer and his victims, which is practically a mini-Western. It involves homesteaders in Utah, a tragic love story, and somewhat demonized Mormons (Doyle apparently apologized later for mischaracterizing them in this novel). And it really doesn't fit--there's no sense in which this is part of Watson's transcription, and the murderer, when revealed, basically gives a summary of the story which is quite sufficient. I can only presume that this was an early work and Doyle got better later.

After reading this, I skimmed over the Angel of The Crows version and discovered that the vast majority of the details were all but identical; in particular, the names of the characters involved in the mystery were exactly the same. The major differences were that the dead girl who the murderer was avenging was actually an angel in this version, and the memento he carried was an angel feather rather than a wedding ring. Oh, and that the family one of the victims was rooming with, whose son was a suspect, were actually werewolves. But apart from that, it was really quite close. So much so that, it turns out, Angel of The Crows is more similar to Pride And Prejudice And Zombies than I was expecting. …So perhaps I should let a little more time pass before I try The Sign of Four.

Guy Gavriel Kay: All The Seas of The World, completed February 16

After the Holmes story, and still needing a male-author book for my cycle, I decided I might be in the mood for a more straightforward fantasy. I briefly contemplated another thick book--Ian Esslemont, Steven Erikson, and R. Scott Bakker all have large volumes which have been stuck on my shelf for a while--but I decided I didn't really want anything that thick. Instead I spotted the most recent Guy Gavriel Kay, which was a more 500 pages (instead of 700-900) and picked that one up instead.

I've been reading Kay for a while--I don't think I read The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy when it came out, so it may not have been until Candas Jane Dorsey (again) encouraged me to read Tigana that I tried him. I did love Tigana (though it is one of the few books where I recommend skipping the prologue, which I found quite dire and mostly irrelevant to the rest of the book), and the Fionavar books as well, and have since read everything of his. I don't like all of them--A Song For Arbonne didn't land for me, or The Last Light of The Sun--but they're mostly good. Most of them are set in a fantasy Europe, and after Tigana there is very little in the way of actual magic. Often they are tied closely to real historical figures or events.

Also, though this book is not marketed as a sequel to anything, it is literally crossing over with the previous book, A Brightness Long Ago, with some of the characters showing up. It also makes reference to "Al-Rassan" from The Lions of Al-Rassan, as the "Asharites" (Muslim-coded) have now been drive out of that land by the Jaddites (Christian-coded), not to mention the expulsion of the Kindath (Jewish-coded), and it's been renamed to "Esperaña". So it seems like everything from at least The Lions of Al-Rassan onward (I don't know about A Song For Arbonne, frankly, or The Last Light of The Sun), with the possible exception of the ones set in fantasy China, are in the same fantasy Europe.

Lois McMaster Bujold: Mirror Dance, completed February 21

Returning to my Vorkosigan Saga reread… As I may have mentioned before, I inserted the Dick Francis book into my reread schedule to simulate the lengthier gap between Brothers In Arms and Mirror Dance (three years in-universe) which has caught me off guard in other rereads of the series. But this begins my favourite sub-sequence of the saga.

I was prepared to dislike Mirror Dance when I first read it. I bought a membership to the 1994 Worldcon, which was in Winnipeg, closest it had come to us, and we were (perhaps foolishly) prepared to even drive there. But then we came over all poor and couldn't afford it after all. But I had made an effort to read the Hugo nominees so I could vote informedly. For the 1995 Hugos I also read all the nominees (my 1994 membership allowed me to nominate, I believe, but not vote--did I get a voting membership? Probably not, if we were still poor), or at least four out of five of them. I read Michael Bishop's Brittle Innings, John Barnes's Mother of Storms, James Morrow's Towing Jehovah, and Nancy Kress's Beggars And Choosers…but I didn't read Mirror Dance because it was in a series and I hadn't read the others yet. I was plumping for Mother of Storms, personally. But Mirror Dance won…and I kind of resented that.

Luckily, by the time I got around to read it in the context of the series, I was willing to forgive it, and now it's one of my favourites, along with Memory and A Civil Campaign. (Komarr is also okay, I guess.) In particular, I like the middle of the book, where Mark goes to Barrayar…in fact, I'd have to say most of my favourite Vorkosigan series moments take place on Barrayar. Great scenes with Cordelia, Gregor, Ivan, and introducing Kareen Koudelka. I also like the opening chapters, where we compare and contrast Mark and Miles's impressions of the Dendarii Mercenaries.

So obviously it's a direct sequel to Brothers In Arms, but almost as much it includes elements introduced in "Labyrinth", and we probably spend more time on Jackson's Whole than we do on Barrayar. It ties up nicely at the end, back on Barrayar.

(But Memory is my absolute favourite, and I can't wait to read that one again…)

Ruth Ozeki: A Tale For The Time Being, abandoned February 22

A few years ago, my wife was a judge for the Sunburst Awards, a juried award for Canadian speculative fiction. (I was briefly on the organizing committee for the awards at its inception, but didn't stay for too long; I have no talent or inclination for such.) This resulted in her getting shipped boxes of books from various publishers for consideration, and in theory she had to read all of them, though in practice she bailed out on some of them partway through. It turns out that not every publisher sends all of the books that are under consideration, and you're not supposed to say which were included and which weren't. But A Tale For The Time Being was on the shortlist for the year, so it's safe for me to mention it.

I liked the title, because you could read it as "for the time being" meaning "for now", but you could also postulate the existence of a "Time Being" for whom this tale was intended. So I was curious about it. I suppose I could have put it into my "diversity" slot, as I believe the author is Japanese-Canadian or something like, but I left it in my "trying out" slot, which meant that I gave myself permission to bail on it early.

It seems like there's three stories going on in this book--a Japanese girl who was writing in her diary; a writer named Ruth (?!) living on the west coast of Canada who finds said diary (sealed up in some flotsam, with a cover that identifies it as Proust's "A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu"); and, at least alluded to, the story of the girl's great-grandmother. The girl confessed to being suicidal; the author thinks that her diary was swept across the ocean because of the tsunami.

I wanted to get engaged in this book…but it didn't happen. Authorial self-insert characters (with the same name as the author, no less) lose points for me…80 pages in, we didn't actually get into the great-grandmother's story, just the girl's father, who was also suicidal after he lost his job; and...I don't know, on the second day, I just didn't want to pick it up again. I asked my wife what there was for speculative elements, and she said just some mild magic realism. So, basically, this was Japanese-flavoured CanLit. Maybe at another time in my life I would have read the whole thing, but I just wasn't in the mood this time.

Kristen Painter: Flesh And Blood, completed February 27

Time for another female author…I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for, so I decided to look at some of the books that had been on my shelf for a little while. I'd read the first book in Kristen Painter's Comarré series back in 2017, and liked it. In some ways it was a standard urban fantasy…but it was set in the future, in the world of 2067, which I found intriguing. My wife hadn't finished the series, so, like the Kelly Meding series, it had made me want to try it too. Though apparently I still waited a few years to go on.

In this world, we have vampires, of course, but we also have comars (feminine comarré), who start out as normal humans but have special properties (possibly conveyed though their gold tattoos, I can't quite remember) which makes their blood particularly valuable (and tasty) to vampires. It may also grant them longevity. So we have Chrysabelle, a comarré who is bonded to her patron Malkolm (who killed her original patron in the first book). But Malkolm has a curse which means that he can't drink from someone without killing them. This has apparently led to a certain distance in his relationship with Chrysabelle, even though they are clearly coded as The Romantic Couple for the series. But mostly what's keeping them apart is pride and stubbornness, which I don't find particularly winning.

So we have Chrysabelle and Malkolm being annoying; we have a surfeit of scenes from the POV of Tatiana, our nemesis for the book, a stupidly arrogant vampire from Europe (mostly we are in "New Florida"); we also have a subplot with Malkolm's friend Maddoc "Doc", a shapeshifter trying to bring back his ghost lover, and a new character named Creek, a badass dude from a mysterious secret society who seems mostly to be there to start a love triangle with Chrysabelle. (Not that I don't mind the occasional love triangle, but some are done better than other. And these days I feel that you always need to acknowledge that one of the possible resolutions is a polycule.)

Only Tatiana and Doc seem to be proactive for most of the book; the rest of the characters spend most of their time reacting. Things just happen and they're dragged along. The future setting barely affects the course of the book; it might as well be set in present day for most of it. Eventually we do get to a sort of resolution (though not the one I was hoping for, alas), which is satisfying in some ways but not in others, and some of those ways feel like ham-handed attempts to leave threads dangling for future books, or reach the ending the author wanted even if if doesn't quite fit any more. All in all, mostly problems that could have been resolved with, perhaps, a few more drafts…which it didn't get.

I had bought the third book at some point, and I was considering just going and finishing the trilogy to wrap things up…but it turns out it's not a trilogy, it's a pentalogy. So I guess…no. I won't bother. Cut my losses, put the books into my donate boxes, don't pursue any further. Pity, it could have been better.

That's all the fiction books I finished this month. I mean, it was a short month, and I read Jade Legacy, so that's slowed me down a bit. Currently I'm reading You Feel It Just Below The Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor & Janina Matthewson, but I'll be finishing that one in March so I'll talk more about it then.

I did finish a non-fiction book, though. It's one that I started a few months ago and kept losing enthusiasm for and setting aside (which I allow myself to do for nonfiction in a way that I don't for fiction)--We Are The Nerds by Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, a book about Reddit, which I'm sure I bought as a remaindered hardcover as I do a lot of my nonfiction books. I wasn't sure I was going to finish it at all; the early part is all about tech bros and startups and crap and I just wasn't feeling it. I should say that I've never spent a lot of time on Reddit--the only time I recall posting there was to mention that I had figured out how to decode the binary format of Crusader Kings II "iron man" save files, and I never bothered to go back and share the details--so I don't have a lot invested in it, and maybe that would have helped. I might have been more engaged if I knew some of the names, or some of the important site events. As it was, I managed to slog through to the end, and then I shrugged and also put it in the discard box with the Ruth Ozeki and the Kristen Painters. I have another few nonfictions books I'm in the middle of, but more likely I'll try another new one, maybe one from the library. Though first it'll probably be another month of comics on Marvel Unlimited (I'm up to December 1993!), and maybe another issue of OnSpec or another Love & Rockets book or something.

#Fonda Lee #Lois McMaster Bujold #Sherlock Holmes #Guy Gavriel Kay #books #reading

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nyx-b-log · 2 years

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Parallel Hells by Leon Craig - Review

read: oct 2022

goodreads link here

content warnings: references to rape, gore, transphobia, homophobia, anti-semitism, sexism, and mass death, plus depictions of consensual kink, drug use, death (in the singular), and satanic rituals. these aren't all in each of the stories, but they do crop up.

if you want to try out her writing, two of her stories from this collection (in slightly different forms than published) are available here and here.

rating: 4 stars

summary:

a short story collection, featuring horror and horror-adjacent stories. very queer, often leans gothic.

opinion:

it's really good!

this isn't normally my kind of scene (short stories and/or horror) but this was pretty accessible thanks to the minimal level of gore.

rather than the horror coming from blood and guts flying everywhere (though there is some of that in unfinished and unformed), there's a sense of the uncanny that lingers throughout, that there's an unknown and terrifying world just out of sight but never far from mind. from the illness-induced hallucinations in the opening suckers to the house that never seems to make up its mind where the rooms are supposed to be in raw pork and opium (linked above) to everything about the last story saplings, it's rarely frightening but always unsettling.

but, unusually, there are some stories which have happy endings. not in that the monster gets vanquished (there's rarely a 'monster' to speak of), but that life goes on, the main character takes risks that may or may not turn out well beyond the scope of the story, or that they break free from whatever has been tormenting them since before the story began. though it's occasionally a sad read, it's never despairing or depressing. there's hope here, and it's appreciated.

there are thirteen stories (could it have been any other number, really), and they cover a range of settings and time periods. some modern (raw pork and opium, saplings, the bequest), others in the vague past (unfinished and unformed, a wolf in the temple), often in very specific settings like oxford uni in lick the dust or the house in pretty rooms.

transformation and generational trauma were two themes that stuck out to me, but i feel like this is the kind of collection which different people will relate to in different ways. living both queer and jewish crops up more than once, as do the effects of complex romantic relationships, two things which i suspect will speak to others a lot more than they did to me.

in terms of queer rep: every main character is queer (mostly queer women) and there are trans women abound. gay men and nonbinary folks also make their appearances, but the focus is definitely on queer women specifically. there's also normalised kink and bdsm, with it cropping up in a few stories and never being shamed at any point. it's welcomed with or without the queer link, too.

the writing itself is also great, with lots of precise word choices and clever depth woven into each story in a way that makes me want to read the whole thing again just to pull out those details i missed the first time. there's a slightly old-fashioned vibe to the whole thing too which i really appreciated.

the only one which didn't really click with me was pretty rooms, which no matter how hard i think about i'm not sure i understand. it's the most abstract of the thirteen, which doesn't help matters.

favourites for me are probably lick the dust (for that damn hand alone) and no dominion (which sets out to do one specific thing and does it perfectly).

if you're in the market for a short collection of queer gothic tales, this is for you!

#book review #bookblr #books #parallel hells #leon craig #horror #halloween 2022 #reading #queer #lgbtq+#wholly recommend #this should be coming out on halloween evening uk time #so for all those reading it then #happy halloween!#interested to follow this author more

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bevioletskies · 3 years

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the first time (ever i saw your face)

summary: On their six-month anniversary, Apollo and Klavier decide to pose a seemingly harmless question: what did they think of each other when they first met? As it turns out, the topic is a little more complicated than they originally thought.

word count: 4.9k | read on ao3

a/n: For @klapollo-week, day one of seven (prompt: "firsts"). All seven of my fics take place in the same continuity! However, each can be read as a stand-alone, with the exception of day seven being a sequel to day five.

This fic takes place at some distant point in time after Spirit of Justice where Apollo and Trucy have learned that they’re siblings. Mild spoiler warning for the end of Apollo Justice; warning for brief mentions of alcohol. Fic title is from the song The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack.

“...why does this look like something out of a direct-to-streaming movie adaptation of a YA novel that has a three-star average rating on Goodreads?”

“If you’re trying to say you don’t like it, baby, you could just say so.”

“No, no, I - I’m actually kinda into it. It’s like we’ve walked onto the set of a staged proposal, though if you ask me to marry you right now, I will start laughing.”

Klavier sighed. “I’m starting to think the phrase ‘romance is dead’ was invented specifically for you.” Nevertheless, he tugged gently on Apollo’s hand. “Come on, liebe, I got our favorite snacks, I queued our favorite movies...and before you ask, nein, there is no engagement ring, so stop looking at me like that.”

“I’m not...totally opposed to getting married, you know,” Apollo added as he followed Klavier. “It’s just...it’s a little early for me. This is only our six-month anniversary, after all.”

“Fair enough,” Klavier hummed, the two of them settling down in their spots. He’d learned long ago that Apollo wasn’t one for flashy, photo op-worthy dates, that he preferred more intimate, low-key settings. And so, for their six-month anniversary, Klavier had taken them to his family estate. He had cleared out the conservatory overlooking the garden of all its furniture, filling it with blankets and pillows, drapes and string lights, and a projector whose screen covered the entire back wall. It reminded Apollo of what he himself had done for their three-month anniversary - because apparently, he was that kind of person now - when he’d planned a weekend’s stay in a cozy lakeside cabin. “A conversation for another time, ja?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Apollo draped one of the blankets over his and Klavier’s laps, then lowered his head to rest on Klavier’s shoulder. Smiling, Klavier turned to briefly kiss Apollo’s temples, then reached for his laptop so he could start the movie. They spent the first fifteen or so minutes in companionable silence, sharing a bag of popcorn and a bottle of wine while they watched, until Apollo eventually spoke again. “...weird, isn’t it?”

“The movie? Not particularly,” Klavier shrugged. “If anything, I’d say the plot twist is a bit predictable.”

“No, not the movie. I mean...this.” Apollo gestured aimlessly. “You and me. Us.”

Klavier’s expression darkened somewhat. “Are you...having doubts about our relationship, Apollo?”

“Wh - no, no, not at all!” Apollo protested, sitting up. “It’s just...I guess it’s mostly weird for me. Like, if someone told me, say, a couple years ago, that I was gonna be in a relationship with you, of all people...hell, can you imagine if someone told me that on the day we met? I-I wouldn’t believe it!”

“You weren’t shy about your distaste for me, true,” Klavier agreed, his slight frown relaxing into an amused smile.

“I don’t think that’s an...entirely accurate assessment of, uh, of how I felt,” Apollo said carefully.

Now it was Klavier’s turn to straighten up, looking at him curiously. “Really?” he asked. “Then what did you think of me when we first met?”

“You first,” Apollo retorted, seemingly on instinct. He then softened. “I mean, only if you want to. I’m kinda curious.”

“I don’t mind,” Klavier reassured him, setting down his wine glass so he could squeeze Apollo’s hand. He hesitated, thinking it over. “...I expected to hate you from the very beginning, to be perfectly honest. And, for a moment there...I did.”

Apollo’s eyes widened. “Wh...what?”

“‘Disgraced Defense Attorney Dismantled By His Disciple’, I believe the headline was,” Klavier continued. He then smiled wryly. “A bit dramatic, if you ask me. But then again, I’m not a big fan of alliteration, so I might just be biased.”

“Did you really hate me?” Apollo’s shout had dropped to a mere whisper. “Because...because you didn’t wanna believe it, did you? About…what had happened. What he’d done.”

“It wasn’t all bad memories, all the time, you know.” Klavier gently released Apollo’s hand so he could brush his hair out of his eyes, though he kept his head ducked low. “We had our moments, him and I. We weren’t close, but...we weren’t estranged, either. In fact, I...I first heard your name from him, not from the papers.”

“He told you about me.” It wasn’t a question. “I guess I should’ve suspected, but I never really knew what your relationship was like...before. I mean, he never once mentioned having a brother, so I kinda assumed…”

“As everyone does,” Klavier shrugged, far too casually for Apollo’s liking. “Anyway, your question was about you and me, not me and him, ja? He told me all the usual things people have to say about you - loud, eager to please, a little bit sensitive. I didn’t think much of it at the time, other than the fact you had a strange name.”

Apollo rolled his eyes, sinking back into the cushions. “Wonderful. Fantastic. Glad to know I made a great first impression.”

“And then when the headlines came along...and Mama and Papa called…” Klavier’s face darkened once more; he cleared his throat. “I looked you up. I hadn’t bothered when I first heard your name, but I had to know. Still, I...I found almost nothing. No photos, no social accounts...nichts. Just a single line on a college graduate roster and the same articles I’d been reading before.”

“...I see.” Apollo fiddled with the ends of his blanket, just so he would have something to do with his hands. “So, when we finally met in person…”

_____

The first thing Klavier noticed was Apollo’s eyes - large, round, expressive to a fault. The color of melted chocolate, though in the sunlight, more akin to the color of honey. Those eyes of Apollo’s, curious and maybe a little bit accusatory, narrowed right at him as he arrived at the entrance of People Park. He internally winced at the sight of Apollo’s companion, who was arguing with the police officer standing guard at the scene. Despite the time that had passed since he last saw her, he could never forget Trucy Enigmar-now-Wright.

Are you working for Phoenix Wright now? Klavier wanted to ask as he approached them. Why? Don’t you know what he’s done? Don’t you see what he’s become?

“I must say I'm used to being inspected by the ladies...but this is the first time I've felt this way with a man,” he said instead, leaning forward to smile somewhat condescendingly at them. Klavier was momentarily struck by how similar they were - how their hair was the exact same shade of brown, how the dusting of freckles across their identically shaped noses matched too perfectly, how their furrowed brows and perplexed frowns were one and the same. The only difference was their eyes, hers more the color of a stormy sea. Perhaps there’s a song lyric there? Klavier mused to himself. Ach, now is not the time.

“Mr...Gavin?” Apollo said disbelievingly, his eyes now widening. His arms, previously crossed tightly against his chest, fell to his sides. The motion caught Klavier’s eye, drawing his attention to the glint of the golden bracelet sitting on Apollo’s left wrist. He wondered if there was some sort of significance to it, what with the way Apollo clutched it tightly with his right hand.

“Ah, fräulein,” Klavier continued, his eyes flickering back upwards. He wondered if she knew him, if she recognized him at all. Clearly, Apollo had no idea who he was; he wasn’t sure how to feel about that just yet. “What is a sweet morsel like you doing in such a dismal place? Can I help?”

“Yes! The police man officer fellow here won't let us in!” Trucy complained, huffing. She brandished an envelope in Klavier’s face, nearly swatting him on the nose as she did. He flinched slightly, surprised by how brazen she was. “We even have a letter of request!”

Klavier’s smile softened into one that was a little more genuine. He couldn’t help but be instantly charmed by her. “You must be exhausted, standing out here. I will take you to the scene of the crime.”

“Ooh! Really?” Trucy exclaimed, brightening. Apollo looked skeptical in comparison, his intense gaze traversing the length of Klavier’s body. Usually, he would have preened at the attention, been flattered by the obvious interest and maybe made a show of looking back, but he knew that wasn’t what Apollo was looking for. I am not him, Klavier thought fiercely. I am not the one you trusted, the one who taught you everything you know. I could never -

“By your leave, officer,” Klavier said with a nod and a wink. He barely heard the officer’s affirmation over his own thoughts. Then, he turned back to Trucy and tilted his head towards the park. “Very well. This way, fräulein.”

Trucy’s giggle was sweet, melodic, as she happily followed him through the entrance. He made a show of lifting the police tape for her to duck under, which she seemed easily amused by. Apollo, meanwhile, was left standing on the street, staring at them incredulously, before he finally seemed to register what was happening. “Hey! What about me?!” he cried. His voice gets raspier the louder he gets, Klavier couldn’t help but observe. Interesting.

Once Apollo had caught up, Klavier turned to grin at them both, teeth clenched beneath his lips. Trucy was rocking back and forth on her heels, beaming back, while Apollo had braced his hands on his hips indignantly, like he had something he wanted to say and was just waiting for the opportune moment to say it. Ach, those eyes, those hands, those freckles, Klavier thought rather stupidly. Wait - you’re not supposed to think he’s cute, Klavier, hör auf!

“On that note, enjoy your investigation,” he remarked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the flash of a white lab coat further into the park that told him he needed to leave if he didn’t want to be reprimanded - or worse, Snackoo-ed.

“Thank you! Will we see you again?” Trucy asked, hopeful.

Klavier hesitated. Apollo still hadn’t said a thing about the obvious elephant in the room, still staring at Klavier like he was a ghost. He wanted Apollo to say something, anything, to ask questions, to start the conversation that he himself admittedly didn’t want to take responsibility for. But Apollo was clearly stunned into silence, and any courage Klavier had had when he first walked up to them moments ago was long gone.

“Ask the wind, fräulein. I'll be riding on it,” he said, shooting them one last saccharine smile. He could hear the click-click of Ema’s shoes against the cobblestone as she approached. With that, he turned and left, his chest aching in confusion.

_____

The silence was heavy, heavier than Apollo expected. Klavier had turned the movie volume down long ago, leaving them with nothing but the sound of their own quiet breaths. “Makes sense,” Apollo finally said, shooting Klavier a sympathetic smile. “To you, I...I jumped ship from one corrupt defense attorney to another. At least, that’s what it seemed like at the time, right?”

“Part of me wanted to confront you right then and there, but I didn’t want to do it. Not in front of everyone, especially not in front of her. But the other part of me...I just wanted to learn more about you. To get to know you before I decided whether it was a battle worth fighting. Whether he was worth defending.” Klavier then smiled back; now it was his turn to drop his head onto Apollo’s shoulder. “Besides, you were cute, and I’m weak.”

“‘Were’, huh?” Apollo teased, nudging him. “Well, I’m glad Trucy’s presence, your curiosity, and my cuteness apparently deterred you enough to walk away. To think, what would you have done if you didn’t think I was cute - ”

“Achtung, you’re such an arschgeige sometimes,” Klavier groaned, laughing. “Anyway...I got my answer in court soon enough. I could trust you, and he...he wasn’t worth defending. Not one bit.”

“No, not at all,” Apollo agreed. “Still, I’m...I’m sorry, Klav. Not for what I did, I mean, I-I had to, but just...how it all played out. How messy things got. Whenever we, y’know, come here to see your parents, I still see that look in their eyes. It’s that face that you make when you think no one’s looking.” He swallowed. “Mr. Wright says Trucy does that, too. Less now that she’s got me and Mom, but…well.”

“It wasn’t you, Apollo, it was me. It all started with me believing he wouldn’t lie to me.” Klavier’s laughter was bitter now. “Anyway, I’m starting to think we’re all a little too observant for our own good. None of us can ever let things go, nein?”

“We’d be horrible lawyers if we could,” Apollo chuckled, rubbing Klavier’s arm reassuringly. “But fine, fine, I’ll stop psychoanalyzing you now. It’s my turn, anyway.”

“I want to hear this,” Klavier said, snuggling closer. “Lay it on me, baby. Tell me how you fell for me in two seconds flat.”

“I’m gonna lay into you in two seconds flat if you don’t let me talk,” Apollo said dryly, elbowing him again. “I, uh, I don’t think I remember it as clearly as you do, but…”

_____

“Excuse me, coming through.”

It was a voice, a smooth, musical voice, polite but firm, that caught Apollo’s attention first. He turned in its direction, confused by how familiar it felt, how similar it sounded to another voice he knew, but with a light, lilting cadence and a strangely affected accent whose origins he couldn’t quite place.

“Ah! It’s you! Mr. Gavin!”

Apollo’s eyes widened, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, then narrowed at the sight before him. Striding towards them with a swagger in his step was a man who, as far as Apollo could tell, was supposed to be behind bars. Only, his skin was a few shades darker, his hair a shade or two lighter, and he was wearing, for reasons Apollo couldn’t fathom, eyeliner and leather and chains instead of a neatly-pressed suit and wire-rimmed glasses. Who’s THIS guy? Apollo thought, his stomach turning.

“I must say I'm used to being inspected by the ladies...but this is the first time I've felt this way with a man,” the man said, leaning in close; his smile was a little wider than Apollo would have liked. Apollo also didn’t want to think about how pretty he was, how long his eyelashes were or how smooth his skin seemed to be. This can’t be him, Apollo decided, though he was still frozen in place. He could only vaguely feel Trucy’s fingers tugging gently on his shirt sleeve. No, it can’t be - it’s not - but who -

“Mr...Gavin?” Apollo said stupidly. He felt a phantom pinch on his left wrist; he released his arms from where they were crossed so he could rub the spot where it hurt, though the moment he touched it, he realized he hadn’t been in pain at all. The man’s eyes flickered down, following his fingers in curiosity, before moving back up to continue smiling beatifically at Trucy.

“Ah, fräulein,” he said; he was practically simpering now. “What is a sweet morsel like you doing in such a dismal place? Can I help?” Apollo barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. Of course, he internally sighed, he’s one of those guys.

“Yes! The police man officer fellow here won't let us in!” Trucy whined, shoving the envelope in the man’s face. Apollo had to bite back a laugh at his startled expression, a contrast to his otherwise indifferent smile. “We even have a letter of request!”

“You must be exhausted, standing out here,” the man murmured sympathetically, eyes sparkling. He seemed intrigued, though Apollo couldn't blame him. He supposed he and Trucy looked like a completely mismatched pair. “I will take you to the scene of the crime.”

“Ooh! Really?” Trucy exclaimed, her entire face lighting up. Apollo tried not to smile himself; her energy was infectious. Then, the man’s words finally clicked in his mind. Wait - really?! But why would he - how can he - who is he?

“By your leave, officer,” the man ordered, winking. A pleasant shiver went down Apollo’s spine, one that he was trying his best to ignore. No good was going to come out of that train of thought, not when this man was clearly someone he needed to worry about - though in what way, he wasn’t sure yet. He seemed too generous, too open. Whether he was a police officer, a detective, or, god forbid, a prosecutor, Apollo didn’t trust him not to lead them astray, not one bit. “Very well. This way, fräulein.”

Before Apollo knew it, the man was walking away with Trucy in tow, leaving him behind. “Hey! What about me?!” he shouted, jogging after them. By the time he caught up, both of them were grinning at him amusedly, as if watching him trip over his own feet was some hysterical inside joke. Huffing, he braced his hands on his hips, ready to open his mouth and protest. The man’s gaze briefly travelled down to his hands once more. What’s that all about? Apollo wondered, confused. What’s he looking at? Is it my bracelet? It’s not that weird, is it? Wait, or can he tell that it’s -

“On that note, enjoy your investigation,” the man said, speaking a little quicker than he did before. He suddenly seemed distracted, like he couldn’t wait to get away from them.

“Thank you!” Trucy chirped, bouncing up and down on her toes. “Will we see you again?”

“Ask the wind, fräulein,” the man said, recovering. He seemed almost too focused on Trucy, like something about Apollo bothered him. Maybe he already knew who Apollo was, what Apollo had done. Was he angry? Resentful? Waiting for the right moment to strike? A shiver of a different kind tingled throughout Apollo’s body at the very thought; the phrase “kill them with kindness” was coming to mind. “I'll be riding on it.” He then left without another word, leaving Apollo to stare stupidly after him, his heartbeat in his throat.

“...who was that?” Apollo exclaimed, stunned, as if he wasn’t confused enough by everything else that was going on. His mind was racing with possibility, with anxiety that he really, really didn’t need. Before he could get into it, however, his jumbled thoughts were quickly cut off by Trucy’s surprised cry.

“Eek! Apollo, look - a c-corpse!”

_____

“...interesting,” Klavier said after a moment’s silence. “Did she really think the mannequin was a dead body?”

“Seriously, Klav?” Apollo groaned. “Surprised you didn’t fixate on the part where I thought you were pretty.”

“‘Were’?” Klavier echoed mockingly, grinning. His expression then sobered. “So...mixed feelings all around, it seems. I suppose it shouldn’t be all that shocking, though. We weren’t...total strangers, after all.”

“You practically were to me,” Apollo murmured, tangling his fingers in Klavier’s hair. Klavier leaned into his touch, his eyes fluttering closed in contentment. “At least you knew I existed, while I...he never…” He then shook his head. “Y’know, I-I’m not sure if I really wanna think about this anymore. Not if it makes us think about him.”

“It’s not one of our happiest memories, nein,” Klavier agreed, humming. “I like where we are now...where we can trust each other. There’s little I hate more than ambiguity. And not knowing how I was supposed to feel about you…”

“Sucks, right?” Apollo let out a hollow laugh. “But at least we were on the same page, in a, uh, weird way. I guess that’s always been our thing. Even when you’re driving me up the wall in court - which is all the time, so don’t even question me, I see that look on your face - we’re, y’know, generally working towards the same goal.”

Klavier’s fingers danced along the length of Apollo’s forearm, tapping out a rhythm that Apollo couldn’t quite pick out. “I’d like to think so. I was never really sure until...ach, well. You remember.”

_____

Apollo was still trembling as he exited the courtroom with Trucy by his side. She was putting on a brave face for them both, but he had a feeling that she was more torn up about what had happened than he was. He wanted to comfort her, to reassure her somehow after they’d learned the truth behind her biological father’s death, but for once, he was completely speechless.

“Polly?” Trucy’s voice was tentative. “I’m...kinda hungry.”

“I...oh.” Apollo looked at her curiously. Out of all the things he’d expected her to say, that hadn’t been one of them. “Do you wanna get something to eat? We could go to Eldoon’s if you want.”

“No, that’s okay,” Trucy reassured him. Her face then lit up. “I was actually thinking about the courthouse café! We can get cake and drinks and stuff. A little sugar goes a long way!”

Apollo smiled softly. “Sure, Trucy. Whatever you’d like.”

And so, they found themselves a small table at the courthouse café - and maybe calling it that was rather generous on Trucy’s part - with two thick slices of Swiss rolls and tall glasses of milk tea. Admittedly, Apollo still felt numb, but Trucy’s running commentary of her thoughts on the trial kept him going. “Now all we need is for Vera to wake up,” Trucy said, gripping her fork with determination. “I’m still so worried about her! What if she doesn’t - ”

“We can’t think like that, okay?” Apollo said, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. “We gotta have hope. That’s all we can do, you know?”

“I guess,” Trucy murmured, chewing her bottom lip fretfully. She went quiet for a minute or so, poking at the last bits of her drink’s half-melted ice with her straw. “Hey, um...Daddy says he’s meeting up with a friend later today, and he wants to have dinner. And when he says ‘friend’, he usually means Mr. Edgeworth. You know, the prosecutor?”

“Yeah, I’ve definitely heard of him.” Apollo sat up a little straighter at the word ‘prosecutor’. In his stupor over the whole ordeal, he’d barely spared a thought for Klavier; he could only vaguely guess how he was doing. “What about him?”

“I was just wondering if, maybe, you’d wanna...join us?” Trucy suggested. He’d never seen her so hesitant before. “For dinner, I mean.”

“...oh.” Apollo paused. “No, uh - not today, sorry. I should really go home and sleep all of this - ” he gestured aimlessly “ - off. I feel like I need to sleep for, like, three days straight.”

“Sure, of course,” Trucy nodded, smiling faintly. “But….you’re still coming back to the agency, right? Maybe not tomorrow, but like...in a few days?”

“Yeah. Yeah, definitely,” Apollo promised, surprised by how quickly he’d responded. In all his hesitation, his doubts about law and what it was meant to be, what it could be, he was finally starting to feel like the Wright Anything Agency was where he belonged.

After they finished eating, he and Trucy parted ways after a long, much-needed hug on the courthouse steps. Apollo then went to fetch his bike from the rack adjacent to the courthouse parking lot, only to spot a familiar face lingering nearby, seemingly in no rush to leave.

“...Gavin?” Apollo said carefully.

Klavier turned sharply at the sound of Apollo’s voice. His smile was a touch too wide, his eyes suspiciously glossy. “Ah, Herr Forehead,” he greeted, ducking his head; his voice sounded trapped in his own throat. “Good show in there, as always. You never fail to impress.”

“Thanks. Hey, um - I’m surprised to see you’re still here,” Apollo commented, taking a few tentative steps closer. “Don’t you have somewhere...better to be?”

“Not really, nein.” Klavier let out a short, forced laugh. “I have paperwork to do, I’m sure. But it can wait.”

“...right.” Apollo cleared his throat awkwardly. “Thanks, by the way.”

Klavier blinked. “Entschuldigung? What for?”

“For agreeing to summon your brother, and...y’know, everything after that.” Apollo found himself oddly fascinated with a few stray pebbles on the ground, nudging them around with the toes of his loafers so he wouldn’t have to look at Klavier’s face. “Look, I-I’m not gonna pretend like I know what you, or Trucy, or Mr. Wright are going through. I’m mostly on the outside looking in, so. All I really know, if I know anything at all, is that, uh...we did the right thing. Yeah?”

“Ja.” When Apollo looked up, Klavier was also deliberately looking elsewhere, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. He’d displayed a whirlwind of emotions back in the courtroom, but none of them were quite the same as the bitter expression he was wearing right now. “...Apollo?”

Now it was Apollo’s turn to do double-take. “Huh? Wh-what is it?”

“Danke schön. For...everything. I honestly don’t think I could’ve done...any of that on my own,” Klavier confessed, his voice thick with emotion. “And I think I...I think I’m going to take a little time away from the prosecutor’s office. Not for long, mind you. Just...I need some time off. A week, maybe two. Some distance, some perspective...it would make a world of difference, achtung.” He then turned to face Apollo directly for the first time since they started talking. He looked tired, defeated, even. His posture, his expression - Apollo felt as if he was seeing an entirely different person standing before him.

Without thinking, Apollo took the last few steps forward and closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Klavier and pulling him close. Klavier let out a startled noise; then, he hugged Apollo back, sinking his weight against Apollo’s, his forehead dropping to Apollo’s shoulder. His exhale was long, unsteady. “Take care of yourself, okay?” Apollo said, fingers digging into Klavier’s back, his face buried against Klavier’s bicep. “And if you ever wanna talk about it...I-I mean, I’m sure I’m not your first choice, but still. I’m, uh, I’m around.”

“Danke,” Klavier murmured, barely above a whisper. They stayed like that for a moment, maybe a moment too long, just holding each other in the middle of the courthouse parking lot for anyone and everyone to see. Klavier’s breath trembled against Apollo’s ear; Apollo half-expected his knees to give out from underneath him. Then, he slowly detached himself from Apollo’s grasp, carefully schooling his expression into something more Klavier-like, something brighter and blander, his teeth blindingly white in the mid-afternoon sun. “Anyway, I should really get going. That paperwork isn’t going to take care of itself, ja?”

“Oh, uh. Yeah, don’t I know it,” Apollo said, letting out another strained chuckle.

“Until next time, then,” Klavier said smoothly, winking. “Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Forehead.” He didn’t wait for Apollo’s send-off, instead turning and heading over to his motorcycle, humming and twirling his keychain expertly between his practiced fingers. Apollo watched him peel out of the parking lot, silently wondering if he’d said all he wanted - no, needed - to say.

_____

“Of course I remember.” Apollo held Klavier just a little bit tighter. “But, y’know, again - not our best moment. Not by a long shot.”

Klavier lifted his head from Apollo’s shoulder so he could kiss him briefly, gently. Apollo smiled against Klavier’s lips, cupping his jaw so he could bring him closer. “But I’d still say our first kiss is more of a memory worth reminiscing over. Wouldn’t you agree, liebe?”

“It was a little dramatic for my taste,” Apollo teased, pulling back so he could affectionately nudge his nose against Klavier’s cheek, his fingers lightly pressed into Klavier’s sides. “But you’re into that sort of thing, so I’ll give it a pass. Still, let’s just agree not to cry all over each other ever again, okay? It was honestly kinda gross. And wet. And not in a fun way.”

“You’re saying you won’t cry when I propose?” Klavier asked, pouting exaggeratedly. “Because ach, I know I will.”

“Who says you’re proposing?” Apollo retorted, grinning as he prodded Klavier in the chest. “What if I get there first? What if, while you’re getting down on one knee, I just whip a ring box out of my pocket - ”

“Then I really will lose my scheisse,” Klavier murmured, his lips ghosting across Apollo’s skin. “I’m going to hold you to it, baby.”

“Can’t guarantee it’ll happen, but I’m definitely gonna try,” Apollo said, turning his head to capture Klavier’s lips once more. The two of them exchanged slow, lazy kisses for a few minutes, fingers loosely tangled in each other’s hair. In the background, the movie continued on, long forgotten; not that it mattered, seeing as they’d watched it together many times before.

Eventually, Klavier carefully detangled himself from Apollo. He passed him his wine glass, still half-full, then reached for his own and lifted it above his head. “To making new memories, ja?”

“Are we really cheers-ing ourselves? That’s pretty self-serving, literally,” Apollo said dubiously, though he still raised his glass all the same, amused by Klavier’s dramatics. “But hell, why not? To new memories that don’t involve us crying, sneezing, yelling - ”

“You make us sound like absolute disasters, achtung,” Klavier protested, chuckling. “We’re not that bad, are we?”

Apollo took a sip of his drink, then leaned in close, so close that his nose brushed against Klavier’s, his wine-stained, kiss-bitten lips stretched into a fond grin. “Nah. I think we’re doing just fine.”

_____

a/n: Welcome to my first entry for Klapollo Week 2021! I've never participated in any fandom challenges/events before, so I'm super excited to see how this goes. My plan is a little overambitious, with all seven fics set in the same continuity, but in a different order. For example, this fic is actually the last, chronologically speaking, while day seven's fic is set in the middle. If you're wondering why they were crying during their first kiss, you'll have to wait until then 😉

Don't worry about any of that, though, you don't need to read the others to follow along! Day seven is technically a sequel to day five, but it can be read as a stand-alone, though I think it packs more punch if you read it after day five. They're also the longest; every other fic averages out to about four to five thousand words, whereas five and seven are over ten thousand words each. Brevity is the soul of wit? Not in my Google Docs, I am wordy as hell.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Likes and reblogs would be much appreciated. Hoping you're all safe and healthy and doing well ❤️

#KlapolloWeek2021 #klapollo #kyodoroki #klapollo fic #ace attorney #ace attorney fic #myfic #long post #i've made that dumb goodreads joke before lmao #anyway happy klapollo week y'all!!

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agentaletha · 3 years

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Raybearer

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? - Goodreads

Raybearer by Jordan Ifeuko, 2020 Amulet Books

Raybearer is a lovely young adult fantasy novel, the first in a two book series. I read a fair amount of YA, and a good amount of speculative fiction and still Raybearer felt new and exciting. In fact I’d say it’s probably my favorite YA I’ve read so far this year. The world building is unique with a wide variety of cultures (obviously influenced by certain real world countries but with enough departure to not feel just relabeled with fantasy names), interesting magic abilities, a sense of history, and an unusual system of government.

While stories of youths rebelling against oppressive regimes are YA’s bread and butter, this takes a deeper look at justice and inequality. I love that Tarisai’s goal for most of this first book is just to protect her friends and chosen family. There are so many that we don't really get to know all of them, but the ones we do know are perfect. While Tarisai has a strong sense of right and wrong (literally, she gets physical symptoms from injustice) the entire time, the book covers her journey from ignoring it, then trying to save individuals, to trying to affect the whole empire. But even when her purpose is to protect, she still sees systemic injustices and comes up with systemic solutions, wanting to fulfill her role as more than keeper of the status quo. This is a story that questions why things are the way they are and how the status quo is maintained, but also looks seriously at what can be done better in the future. The problem isn’t one bad person abusing their power, the problem is the system that supports and maintains inequalities. I appreciated that there are no scenery chewing villains here - everyone has understandable motives, from lashing out to hurt because they were hurt, to fear, and to how easy it is to dismiss injustices that happen to other people, in other places and justify that that’s just how it is, no point in trying to make a difference. Everyone is treated with compassion, even when they make bad decisions or react from their emotions, which they sometimes do.

I’m really looking forward to the second book! In the words of George Washington from Hamilton,”Winning is easy young man, governing’s harder.” I love seeing what happens next and I’m going to leave it there to not give any more away.

Spoilers ahead as I talk about representation

As for LGBTQIA representation, it’s there but fairly background. Same sex relationships aren’t stigmatized and it seems there’s a bit of an “everyone is bi” default, although all the main on-page romantic relationships are male/female. Gender roles vary by culture but don’t seem to be strictly delineated in the palace although gender does seem to be considered strictly binary. One of the 11 is gay and fairly flamboyant about it - he’s described as a “bleeding-heart poet” dreaming of handsome swains, but that’s about it. However, there is an asexual character and while he’s not the protagonist, he is one of the key players. A little less than halfway through the book, when she is an anointed member of his council, Tarisai asks the Prince to meet her privately at a known lovers’ meeting spot. He’s afraid she has the wrong idea and this is what he tells her:

“There’s something I should tell you. I don’t...I don’t think I want sex. Ever. And I don’t mean with you, I mean - with anyone. Girls, boys. Anyone.” He stared at the leaves on the ground, smooth brow furrowing. “I mean, I’ve had crushes before. On you, on Jeet, and some of the others. I’ve just … never been interested in the sex part. Sometimes I wonder if I’m broken.”

You aren’t broken, protested the voice inside me. You’re the kindest, most loving person I know. Run. Live.

“But I’m crown prince,” he continued, grimacing, “and I have to have heirs someday, so… I guess - if I could choose anyone-”

The conversation ends there because Tarisai stabs him.

Ekundayo, or Dayo for short, is described as happy, naive, trusting, and having a “big fragile heart”. He is the Crown Prince, but he believes in the best of everyone. He’s well meaning but doesn’t always get it. They don’t have a word for asexual, but the author makes it clear by indicating that it’s all genders he’s not interested in and that he’s not aromantic as well. And the author includes the classic, “I wonder if I’m broken.” On the one hand, broken would go on my ace characters bingo sheet, but on the other, it’s a classic for a reason. Asexuality is already so much more visible than when I finally encountered it over ten years ago that maybe in another ten private wonderings about our brokenness will no longer resonate with the younger generations. I hope so. In the meantime, I already liked him as the soft-hearted prince and this made my heart go out to him. I love that Tarisai’s immediate reaction is “you’re not broken” although she doesn’t get the chance to say that out loud or even finish the conversation. I assume it will come up again in the next and final book. I really don’t know what’s going to happen next and I love that.

In summary, I loved Raybearer and I think it’s a good representation of an ace character that doesn’t fall prey to stereotypes (although I am keeping an eye on how often naive tends to show up) and I highly recommend it as a diverse thoughtful YA fantasy.

#acereads #asexual #asexuality #asexual character #asexual literature #ace #aroace #aspec #aro characters #ace character #book review

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richincolor · 3 years

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Interview with Axie Oh

We’re excited to feature an interview with Axie Oh today. It’s release day for her latest novel, XOXO.

Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.

Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

*There will be several online events to help celebrate release week and you can find out more about those here.

Congratulations and happy release day. Thanks so much for taking the time to share a little bit about your writing. I just re-read XOXO and it was even more fun the second time through. I had so many smiles and plenty of laughter. I also had to find and listen to a few songs along the way as music is such a big part of the story.

Axie: Ah, I love that!

Jenny is clearly a music lover–though K-pop isn’t exactly at the top of her playlists. Has music and/or K-pop always been important in your life?

Axie: It has! My mother, who immigrated to the US when she was in high school, listened to Korean music—though I’m not sure if that would be considered K-pop at the time, and so did my older brother. In elementary school, I was into 1st generation K-pop groups like Fin.K.L and Shinhwa, then in middle school I was obsessed with Super Junior, and finally in high school and college, my favorite groups were Big Bang and Exo, among so many others. BTS debuted in 2013 right after I graduated from college, and I was a fan of theirs from the beginning!

Is there a K-pop song you’re loving right now or a K-pop group you think people should listen to immediately?

Axie: Right now I’m really into TXT and ENHYPEN’s music. If you like BTS, you should give them a listen! See the below question for what songs I think you should listen to immediately!

I’ve seen playlists for Rebel Seoul and Rogue Heart. Do you make one for all of your novels?

Axie: I do! I make playlists after each book I write as something fun for myself and they also provide some nice extra content for readers. I recently shared my playlist for XOXO, which I spent months on—it’s a K-pop book so I really wanted to showcase a variety of artists, and curate it well with songs that fit the book’s mood and tone. I even attempted to match each song to a chapter, so there are 40 songs on the playlist! You can check out the Spotify playlist here.

Do you feel like you are finished with the characters in XOXO or is there a possible follow-up?

Axie: I wrote XOXO as a standalone, but if my publisher came knocking, I wouldn’t say no!

What did you like about going from writing sci-fi books to writing a contemporary romance?

Axie: I liked exploring a completely new genre with so many fun, familiar tropes. And XOXO in particular is a very light-hearted and happy book, much different than my moody, atmospheric sci-fi series. Though there *is* worldbuilding involved in writing a contemporary, it’s not as intense as a sci-fi novel, so that was also nice for me!

And I see your next publication The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a fantasy re-telling. Are there things about writing a fantasy that you’ve appreciated?

Axie: Fantasy as a genre is actually my first love, and retellings my favorite subgenre of fantasy. I love how in fantasy you can explore new worlds, and there are no limits to one’s imagination.

No matter the genre, what do you love about writing and what can be a challenge?

Axie: As a generally private person, I love how through writing I can share parts of myself with others. I feel like I express myself best through fiction. I also definitely don’t feel like I create in a vacuum, but in conversation with others. What I mean by this is that I’m inspired by other forms of media when creating my own stories. For example, XOXO is inspired by my love of K-dramas, the Rebel Seoul series is a love letter to mecha anime, and The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is my addition to the YA retelling subgenre of books, like those written by Robin McKinley and Diana Wynne Jones.

As for challenges, there are so many—difficult revisions, bad writing days, comparing myself to other writers—but at the end of the day, the need to express myself through writing is most important to me than all the rest combined.

What are your most anticipated reads that haven’t been published yet?

Axie: I blurbed a few books that I’m very excited about! Nafiza Azad’s sophomore novel THE WILD ONES releases next month and it’s absolutely stunning. If you liked XOXO, and were curious what it’s like to be a non-Korean idol in the K-pop world—in this case, Chinese American—then check out Alexandra Leigh Young’s IDOL GOSSIP, out in September. And lastly, Julie Abe’s YA contemporary debut, THE CHARMED LIST, is as charming as it sounds, about two childhood best friends to enemies to lovers who go on a road trip together—they also happen to wield magic! This one isn’t out until Summer 2022.

We’re looking forward to seeing XOXO out in the world soon and having a group discussion here on the blog about it too! Thanks again.

Axie: Thank you for having me!! This interview was so much fun ☺

Axie Oh is a first generation Korean American, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California – San Diego and holds an MFA from Lesley University in Writing for Young People. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her puppy, Toro.

You can find her on her website and on Goodreads, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram.

#YALit #axie oh #xoxo #kpop

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riceball1759 · 3 years

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Reading Tips from your Hyper Librarian

"So many books, so little time", right? If anyone understands this, it's us bibliophiles and librarians (and publishers) -especially someone like me! My interests are super varied and many times, I'll start reading a few chapters in a book that REALLY REALLY interests me...but then, I have that ADHD SHINY moment and the poor thing is forgotten. Seriously, this is a constant struggle. Being a librarian makes this even more important that I know what I'm recommending. And I do! I just can't get the focus to actually read them>< I'm part of a committee that is assigned reading every year for 3 months (give or take) and -you guessed it- I get that done. Why? It's got a deadline and I churn through them like nobody's business. It also helps that I didn't choose them and they aren't always what I normally like to read. It gives me an edge when helping certain patrons look for something I normally don't read. Not that I don't have an idea already -it's just more cemented than usual since I actually read that particular book. Though I kinda gave you one of my tips in this blurb, I'll rehash later!

A little more on my SHINY moments and then we'll get to my tips! Like I said before, SHINY really takes a toll sometimes on my goals, but it also helps. How? Situation: I hear all this buzz about this upcoming book (debut author/fresh voice/intriguing plotline/etc.). I either miraculously get an ARC or I'm waiting with bated breath, for the dang thing to get shipped to my library so that I can "steal" it for the weekend before it gets catalogued (I tell everyone I'm borrowing it, so don't judge me!). If all goes according to plan, I DEVOUR it within a day and come back exclaiming all the virtues of reading said book. I might even write a glowing review (if I had the capacity at the time). This has happened with a few books in the past years: Stay Gold, Wicked Fox & Vicious Spirits, Ember in the Ashes, Invisible Differences, and a few others, but I can't remember right now. Point: it's super hard for me to get the reading I want done, actually done.

AND NOW, for the star of our show: The Hyper Librarian's Reading Tips!

Please remember, these are things I remind myself of when I'm having a hard time getting through my TBR (the library-books-out-that-are-due TBR). Some lead into or are extensions of others, but being specific is necessary for me. You can adapt them to your needs or or just copy/paste them into your life :)

1) It's ok to DNF. So you gave this book the 'old college try' and just can't do it -it's becoming torturous and you're at risk of going into the dreaded slump... Just stop already and save yourself more grief. Another reason is that you're just not in the mood to finish, so don't. Why torture yourself (again -I seem to like using this word, but it's so accurate at times!) by seeing a book lying close by that you wish was anywhere but? Some of us (incl. moi) have a shelf on Goodreads just for those pesky things. Let's cut the drama and move on! I find it therapeutic as well as final.

2) You are your own censorship committee. We all have that verbal content line where ~once toed/crossed~ our tolerance, belief, comfort level, etc., is compromised to the point where there's no enjoyment because of that one or more 'tidbits' giving you grief. Sometimes, I'll scan several reviews before starting because I want to make sure I don't get any 'surprises'. Most times, I get to that proverbial part that has me slamming the book closed, never to be opened again (dramatic, yes, but sometimes very true!). {{Point}}: you are the only person keeping you from reading something you don't like!

3) Be picky! You are as unique as your fingerprint. Why wouldn't your reading habits follow? If you get a rec that is absolutely not your thing, say no (thank you). It's not fair to you if you're just going to trudge through it anyway for the sake of being polite to friends/family/librarians/coworkers/etc (publishers, I'm sorry). If you like vampires, werewolves, and all things paranormal (like me) don't despair of the current books coming out -look back to the '90s and '00s! Reading is one of the most personal things we experience in our lives. {{Please, for the sake of your sanity}}: read reviews, look for trigger warnings (if that applies to you), verify that historically under-represented voices are portrayed correctly (misinformation is our greatest threat). For example: I won't buy a book about LGBT+ characters without verifying the plot as authentic (i.e. all fluff and no real problems vs real problems with a happy ending). I need to know that the book about that Transgender girl is written by someone who is either also Transgender or very well-informed.

4) Own your reading preferences. Just own it. I read somewhere in a journal interview that the concept of "guilty pleasure" shouldn't exist. So you like SJM's ACOTAR and are all about that fan community life, but are afraid to talk about it even though it's basically a mainstream subculture now? {{Point}}: Stop feeling guilty for what makes you happy! If people judge, that's their problem. I read romance for stress relief and because I just happen to like happy endings. Seriously, people need to stop shaming romance readers and self-shame is a huge part! Don't shame yourself, "SHUN THE NON-BELIEVERS"! (Charlie the Unicorn, RIP in Youtube history)

5) It's ok to read more than one book at a time. If you're anything like me (the Attention Deficit part), you probably have up to 5 books going at the same time: that paperback at home, the ebook on your phone, audiobook in the car, hardcover in your office, etc. (I know that's not 5 -I ran out of ideas!). Point: it's only natural you're in the mood for something different at certain periods of the day, week, or whatever. They'll get finished eventually. Just spare a thought for the 1 or 2 that are a little extra "dusty" cuz that might mean you need to DNF...just a thought.

6) Book clubs are your friend! They can be your enemy, too; but here's what you do: choose one that reads almost everything you want to in a specific genre. I'm not talking the next bestseller (unless that's you). I'm talking genre-specific and something you researched before joining. Online or in-person, this is has the potential for changing your reading habits for the better because you'll actually want to interact and read the books! I decided to join a book club so I could finally talk about a niche genre that is one of my favorites: Christian fiction. No one around me reads this (anymore) and I have no one to talk to (regularly) and trade recs with, so I joined a Facebook group and it's really nice to chat about all these great books and authors I've recently read with others who do the same:)

7) Book journaling. Yes, you may have heard of these things. There are so many ways to journal about your reading: bullet journals, the blank ones where you can let loose your creativity, the ones like from Moleskin where you just fill in the pre-determined spaces (aka: reading log), lined journals for writing your heart out, themed reading planners and TBR journals... Just look it up, the interwebs has you covered. The key is to use them as a tool for expanding and enriching your enjoyment or education (nonfic). I don't journal for everything, but I do like to do it for the ones I know I'm going to review later or for general reflections as I read. I started doing it by chapters, but that doesn't cut it when something jumps out at me from a random page and I NEED to write about it immediately. So, I make note of the page # and we good! I'm very personal in my writing (if you can't tell) and it can turn into tangents, but that's how I roll. I don't do that artsy stuff because that takes away from the reason I'm doing this in the first place. I write about anything regarding my reading -incl my reading slumps. I love it.

Wishing you Happy Reading! Thank you for reading:)

#reading #reading tips #books #reading is life #booksarelife #happy reading #reading problems #reading slump #book journal #booklr #reading blog #book blog #book club #reading advice #bookblr #adhd

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kiingocreative · 3 years

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If you’re familiar with my self-publishing story, you’ll know that I made a lot of mistakes when publishing No Pain, No Game. One of these was not getting Beta readers and ARC readers. I’ve learnt since that skipping those steps can seriously hinder your book’s chances of success, whether you self-publish or go down the traditional route.

What’s What?

But what, I hear you ask, is a Beta reader and what is an ARC reader?

1. Beta readers are people who will read your manuscript early on in the process (and before your book is published) to give you feedback and help identify any areas that may need to be reworked. A Beta reader goes beyond saying whether or not they like the book. It’s all about providing constructive feedback on specific parts of the story the author wants to test.

2. Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) are free digital copies of the ready-to-publish manuscript you provide to people (ARC Readers) who commit to reading it within a certain timeframe and to posting a review of the book ahead of release day (on Amazon, Goodreads etc.). The review snippets you see on a book’s front or back cover are often extracted from ARC Reviews.

What Happens When?

Beta Readers and ARC Readers come into the process at different stages, and since I’m a sucker for a good visual, here’s some of my latest diagrams to look at the full process from end to end.

Let’s think of the journey to writing a book as having two main parts:

3. Part 1: getting your manuscript ready

4. Part 2: the road to publishing

Working with Beta readers

You can use Beta readers at any time whilst you’re working on your manuscript (when you’re writing, before or after the book has been checked by a professional editor, before or after different rounds of revision etc.). It’s entirely up to you, based on what you want to get out of the Beta reading.

There are a few things to consider when working with Beta readers:

How many Beta readers do you need?

This is all a matter of personal preference, though the general advice is to aim for between 5 and 10 Beta readers, bearing in mind some may drop out during the process.

How to find Beta readers?

5. You can hire paid Beta readers on platforms such as Fiverr.

6. You can also find Beta readers through Bookstagram, especially if you have started making connections and have come across people who read your genre and whose feedback you would trust.

7. You can leverage people around you (friends, family) if they are your target audience and you trust they can give you honest and unbiased feedback.

How to get organised?

1. You can give them the entire manuscript at once, or drip feed them a couple of chapters at a time. That’s purely a matter of preference (yours, and theirs)

2. Either way, make it constructive for YOU: note down questions or points you’d like the reader’s feedback on at each stage of the story (what should they focus on? Dialogue, pace, characters, plot, inconsistencies, typos etc.)

3. Make sure Beta readers understand the commitment they’re making when they sign up to Beta read for you, for instance:

4. When do you need them to provide their feedback by? Are you working to a specific deadline? What will their reading pace need to be?

5. Do they understand they’ll need to provide detailed feedback as they read?

6. Do you want them to also write a review of the book that they can post online when the book releases?

Working with ARC Readers

How many ARC Readers do you need?

As many as possible! The more reviews you have ahead of launching (and later on in general), the better.

Not having ARC readers can damage your book’s chances of success when you release it. Research shows that, when shopping online, 75% of consumers are looking for the products with the best ratings and reviews. According to Jungle Scout, `increasing reviews is also a leading indicator of increased Best Seller Rank(BSR), which helps your product appear in more Amazon search results and earn more clicks to your listing`.

How to find ARC readers?

8. Leverage your network: If you’ve started your social media channels and started building a network you might have already come across people who may be the right readers for your book. Your most active followers on Instagram are also a good place to start.

9. Spread the word: You can post an announcement on your channels and through your newsletter to let people know you’re looking for ARC readers.

10. Use relevant hashtags: use hashtags to identify readers of the genre and find fellow indie authors who write in the same genre and may be interested.

Are ARC readers free?

You shouldn’t need to pay for ARC readers, especially if you’ve built a network you can leverage. My own experience has shown that paying for reviews tends to be a waste of time and money and that the quality of those reviews is often sub-standard. I recommend investing time in finding the right ARC readers for your book rather than throwing money at the problem and only half-solving it.

What you can do, however, is offer people incentives such as swag (if you have it), a complimentary copy (or even a signed copy!) of the book when it releases ,or offer to do read-and-review swaps with other authors.

How to get organised?

11. As with Beta readers, make sure ARC readers understand what’s required of them and what the deadline to read the book is, as well as the date they’ll need to post their review.

12. If you like, you can have your ARC Readers fill out an agreement form, which cements the understanding you both have about their commitment to the task.

13. Ask whether readers have a preference in file format (generally sending an ePub or Mobi file they can load to their e-reader is fine, but some may want a PDF).

14. Set up a spreadsheet to keep track of all ARC readers, and set up reminders to reach out to them closer to the deadline to make sure they’re progressing with the reading.

15. Give ARC readers plenty of time to read and review the book (several months before release)

Using Beta and ARC readers: The Hidden Bonus!

An added bonus if you work with Beta and ARC readers, is that you have a great list of contacts to build your Street Team. What’s that, you ask? Your Street Team is a group of people who agree to actively assist you with promoting your book release, and therefore help you widen your reach.

What does the Street Team do?

They can help with posting/reposting cover reveals, release day posts, character art etc. and spread the word about your book release.

How to get organised?

16. You can provide the Street Team with a schedule of these posts ahead of time so they know when and what they should post about and share.

17. You can create a group on Instagram or on Facebook with your Street Team members to get them coordinated.

18. Just like with Beta and ARC readers, be clear on what you’re asking of them. Be clear on timelines and make sure you should provide all images, captions, hashtags etc. for them to use.

19. You can offer incentives: offer to swap so you assist them with their launch when the time comes, offer swag, or arrange special events for the Street Team only (pre-release party, book signings etc.)

Last But Not Least: Make sure to say thank you!

Beta readers, ARC readers and members of your Street team give their time to help you make your book and release the best it can be. A common gesture is to send them a complimentary copy of your book when it releases. Needless to say, at the very least send a personal message to thank them when they’re done.

Skipping Beta readers and ARC readers can seriously hinder your book’s chances of success, whether you self-publish or go down the traditional route. Let's look at how to take full advantage of this important part of the publishing process.

#writingtips #screenwriting #creative writing #writers on tumblr #writers #writing #writerblr #writing advice #writing community #writing resources

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bookswritinghappiness · 3 years

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Title: One Last Stop • Author: Casey McQuiston • Number of Pages: 422 • Rating: 5/5 Published: June 1, 2021 • Read: June 11, 2021 - July 30, 2021

Content Warnings: sexual content, homophobia, racism, death

Goodreads Synopsis: For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

My Review: In case reading Red, White and Royal Blue four times wasn’t enough of an indication, Casey McQuiston is without a doubt one of my favorite authors. I’ve been so excited for this book since just the barest of details about it were released, and I’m so glad it’s finally out in the world!! I had very high expectations for this book, and of course this book met, if not surpassed, every single one of them. I have a feeling I’m going to have as tough a time translating joyous yelling into words for this review as I did when I reviewed RWRB, but I will do my very best : )

I’ll start with August. She’s just the most chaotic bisexual which is wonderful in itself, but when I saw the cover for the first time and found out that August is plus-sized as well, I only loved her more - the little things really do mean a lot!! Our personalities are nothing alike, but I loved going on this journey with her as she breaks out of her cynical shell and figures out how to let herself experience joy. As soon as her roommates and coworkers were introduced, I knew that I was going to fall in love with every single one of them too - Casey has this wonderful talent for writing characters that are so specific while also being so widely relatable, and I think the OLS characters are the epitome of that. They’re so completely unlike anyone else, and they’re the exact kind of semi-organized chaos that New Yorkers in their 20s are. Most importantly, though, they each have their own significant presence in the book, something that can’t be said about quite a few other ensemble casts of characters.

Jane was the character that surprised me most, though. I think going into the book, I expected her to be the tougher one, the one with more emotional walls built up after everything she’s gone through. And she has those, don’t get me wrong, but she’s also so open to loving and being in love with everything around her; even when her whole world consists of the Q train, she finds joy in the little things. A lot of that reminds me of myself, and I loved being able to relate to her so much, even though she’s displaced out of time.

Speaking of the time travel, One Last Stop would have been wonderful even without the added sci-fi component — and in the hands of another author, trying to fit all of that in one book may have just been too much, but that is absolutely not the case here. The sci-fi perfectly fits alongside the contemporary, the lines so blurred between them that for a moment I almost forgot that people don’t get displaced out of time on the Q train in real life. Without spoiling, I’ll say that I was anticipating a very different ending, but this one was perfect and everything these characters deserve. Casey’s writing is like magic; of course I knew that after RWRB, but OLS proved once again that Casey is a romcom legend.

I could go on about this book forever to be honest, but I’ll spare you all by ending this review here. If you take one thing away from this review, let it be this: One Last Stop is absolutely fantastic, and it should be at the top of your to-read list. I am so beyond excited for whatever Casey McQuiston does next!!

One Last Stop on Goodreads This Review on Goodreads My Goodreads

One Last Stop on Storygraph This Review on Storygraph My Storygraph

Purchase this book from Bookshop using my affiliate link to support indie bookstores while helping me earn a commission at no extra cost to you!!

#original #book reviews #one last stop #casey mcquiston #5 stars

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clumsyclifford · 3 years

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I think u said that you’d still like some more prompts, so #89 “I noticed” with either muke or malum pls ♥️

well i asked pairing bot and it said muke, so there you go. thank you @allsassnoclass for helping me Establish The Setting of this fic. by which i mean Providing The Setting For Me. a gift to us all, that hazel

also as resident walking advertisement for @calumsclifford‘s fics i am contractually obliged to redirect you to her bookstore fic which is an absolute delight

read on ao3

Nothing hits quite like the atmosphere of a bookstore.

Shelves of books, racks of vinyls, displays advertising “Staff Picks” — the allure of the local bookstore will never not work magic on Luke. Even the pop music trickling down from the built-in ceiling speakers is charming, rather than annoying.

“Okay, go find your book,” Ashton says. “I’m gonna go in the nonfiction section if you need me.”

“Sure thing, old man,” Luke says.

Ashton scoffs. “I like nonfiction. If that makes me an old man, then so be it.”

“Hey, I’m not judging.”

“You are judging so hard, and I don’t even care. I’m going to go browse autobiographies and I’m going to fucking like it.” With this final word, Ashton marches in the direction of the nonfiction books. Luke watches him, smirking, until he vanishes into the shelves, and then he makes for the young adult section on the other side of the shop. If this book is going to be anywhere, it’ll be there.

As always, he’s immediately drawn off-course.

The staff picks catch his eye. Normally Luke breezes past them, but this time he spies a cover he actually recognises: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a book he’d read only a few months ago. As his gaze shifts lower, it catches on the note underneath the book, identifying the name of the staff member whose recommendation he’s enjoying: Michael. Next to his name is a short note about his choice. Luke steps closer to read it.

Philosophy and boys in love. And a general distaste for wearing shoes. What else do you need?

Luke smiles and reaches for the book. He’s already read it and he has a copy at home; he’s not going to buy the copy, but it’s nice to hold it in his hands anyway, flip through the pages and feel the air shift as he does.

“Good choice,” says an unfamiliar voice. Luke lifts his head and almost drops the book.

Woah. Cute boy alert. Extremely cute boy red alert. The levels of cute on this boy are enough to make Luke want to call Ashton over for backup. He’s terrible with cute boys, especially cute boys that also look really cool like this one, with bright red hair and a pierced eyebrow and a Nirvana t-shirt. Add that to the fact that he evidently has some degree of good taste in literature, considering he’s just complimented Luke’s selection, and Luke is flailing out of his depth.

In the deeply awkward pause before Luke remembers he’s supposed to say something to Cute Boy, his gaze travels to the nametag pinned to Cute Boy’s shirt. MICHAEL, it announces in block letters, and Luke puts two and two together.

“Oh, you too,” Luke says, which is a surprisingly coherent thing to say. All things considered it could have gone a lot worse. Which it then proceeds to do. “You’re the Michael who picked this? I guess? You — your nametag says Michael, so— I was just assuming. Which I know you’re not supposed to do because it makes an ass out of you and me, but since you said it was a good choice…”

Michael slowly smiles. “Yeah, I’m the Michael. You are?”

An easy question. Thank fuck. “Luke. I’m Luke.”

Michael hums and nods at the book. “Have you read it?”

Luke tries to take a discreet deep breath. “Yeah, I did. A few months ago. I might be due for a reread.”

“Well, it’s one of my favourites,” Michael comments. “So I’ll always be on the side of an Ari and Dante reread.”

“Yeah,” Luke says, nodding like this makes perfect sense. It does, but God, he doesn’t have to nod like a crazy person. “Yeah. Good point.” Then, directly contradicting this concurrence, he sets the book back down on the display. “I’ve got this at home, though. I’m actually here for a different book.”

“Oh, perfect,” says Michael, straightening up. “Then I can do my real job. What can I help you find?”

Luke does not need help finding this book, but he would be a complete idiot to refuse the help of Cute Bookstore Employee Michael. “Uh, The Cursed Child. I know it came out a while ago but I just haven’t had the chance to get it and I really wanted to get it from a bookstore, rather than online, you know?”

Michael brightens. “Oh, I can definitely find that for you. Follow.” He gestures, and Luke falls into step with him as they make for the young adult shelves, completing Luke’s aborted mission from earlier. “You want my opinion on the book, or you want it to remain a complete mystery?”

“You’ve read it? Are you a Harry Potter fan?” Luke asks, far too eagerly. Sheepish, he bites his lip, sneaking a glance at Michael to see him smile. “Uh, sorry. I’m— I really like Harry Potter, like, a lot.”

“I noticed,” Michael says, nodding at Luke, who glances down at himself.

“Oh,” he says, chuckling at his Deathly Hallows shirt. “I honestly didn’t do that on purpose. I wasn’t thinking about it at all.”

“Your subconscious enabling your love of Harry Potter, clearly,” Michael says. “Yeah, I like it. Not my favourite series, but it’s good. I mostly only read Cursed Child because I was bored, but—” He breaks off. “Sorry. Won’t spoil it.”

Luke grapples with himself. On the one hand, he is the most averse to spoilers of anyone he’s ever met. If it’s a book he’s looking forward to reading, he will ban all family and friends from even discussing it in his presence, lest their opinions on it taint his before he’s able to read it and draw his own conclusions. And this isn’t just any book; it’s Cursed Child, the long-awaited spin-off, the first official continuation of the Harry Potter ‘verse in years. No, he doesn’t want Michael’s opinion on it. He doesn’t want anyone’s opinions. He hasn’t even read the summary for the book on Goodreads. The more blind Luke goes into this, the better.

On the other hand, though.

Well, on the other hand, Michael is a cute boy who’s offering to talk to Luke about a book.

As a compromise, Luke says, “Honestly, I would really like to know your thoughts, but not until I’ve finished reading it.”

Michael glances over at him as they slow to a stop in front of one of the shelves. There’s a smile playing at his lips, a slight raise to his eyebrows, like he’s pleasantly surprised by something Luke’s done. What that thing might be, Luke has no idea. “Okay,” says Michael. “That’s fair. How about I give you my number, and when you finish reading it you can call or text and we can discuss it then?”

Luke blinks. Then blinks again. Is Michael flirting with him? He must be, but at the same time there’s absolutely no way.

And — wait. Does Michael think Luke was flirting with him? Was Luke? Not intentionally, but that’s only because he doesn’t know how to flirt and he’s fucking awful at it. Somehow, he’s managed to unintentionally flirt his way into getting Michael’s number.

Woah. Bookstores really are magical.

“Yeah, yes, that sounds great,” Luke says, clumsily digging out his phone. He unlocks it and passes it to Michael, who has an amused look on his face. “We could, um…get coffee or something?”

“Works for me,” Michael says. While he enters his number into Luke’s phone, Luke turns to the shelf. His attention immediately snags on his target: a block of bright yellow covers. Luke tugs at one, freeing it from its siblings, and brushes a reverent hand over the brand new dust jacket.

“I mean, say what you will, but it sure is a pretty fucking book,” he says, kind of to himself.

Michael chuckles. “Yeah. The second-prettiest thing in this bookstore, maybe.”

For the second time, Luke almost drops the book in his hands. Instead he tightens his grip on it, looks up at Michael, and steels all his courage to say, “First being you, right?”

The smile on Michael’s face is worth the risk of embarrassment, Luke quickly realises. And this, he senses, had clearly been the right thing to say. Michael hands Luke’s phone back to him an says, “I’m going to let you have the last word, because I think you’re cute and that was unexpectedly smooth. If you need me, I’ll be around, probably doing work that will be less important than anything you will have to say to me.”

Luke feels a blush colour his cheeks, but if Michael notices he doesn’t say anything. With a wave and what looks like a halfway bow, he backs out of the aisle, and Luke watches him until he veers off and disappears from view.

Everything from entering this bookstore onward feels like a fever dream. Luke glances down at his phone screen, and when he sees how Michael’s entered his name — Michael (The Real Cursed Child) — the giggle of disbelief building in his throat quickly turns to a laugh. If it is a fever dream, Luke hopes it never, ever ends.

#michael clifford #luke hemmings #muke #muke fic #5sos #5sos fic #fic #my fic #god i havent been to a bookstore in a long time i feel like #also i didnt really care for cursed child in case anyone was wondering MY opinion #sorry about the hp stuff #ari and dante is such a good book #it's on my shelf of favourites even though i havent read it in a while #maybe i should reread #i really enjoy book geek muke honestly #question for the class if you worked at a bookstore what book would be your Staff Pick #mine would either be paradox of vertical flight or a little princess #i realise a little princess is a lame answer but honestly i think everyone should read it #hmm my stomach hurts maybe i should eat #my only class today got cancelled so i'm suddenly randomly Very Free #but idk how to feel about that. feel like i should be responsible and read a play or start my final or smth #but i dont wanna soooooooo #we'll just See.#lmao #TOMORROW I GET TO SEE MY FRIEND THOUGH!!! EXCITING STUFF!!!!!#omg wait fam dinner tonight so there's that at least #okay i gotta go lmfao #i was gonna draft this but now that i've talked all about my plans i kind of can't huh. oh well that's fine #anonymous #ask

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mediaevalmusereads · 3 years

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Pekolah Stories. By Amanda Bales. Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2021.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: short stories, literary fiction, contemporary

Part of a Series? No

Summary: “Amanda Bales’s Pekolah Stories reveal the desperation of rural communities eviscerated by economic collapse, steeped in an unforgiving, poisonous religion, and accustomed to everyday meanness and ravaged families. Children growing up in cultural swamps, in these stories and in real life, never recover. Many die of suicide or violence or drugs. Some go to prison, few go to college, and even the ones who appear to survive carry hidden wounds that threaten to drag them back down. Bales’s stories fearlessly trace the grasping tentacles of generational trauma, leaving readers to reckon with truths that land like a punch to the solar plexus.” —Jeanetta Calhoun Mish

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: violence, blood, homophobia, references to abuse and drug/alcohol use, self-harm and suicide

Overview: In the interest of full transparency, Bales is a friend and (former?) colleague of mine, so while I will try to be as honest as I can in this review, know that my opinions are not unbiased.

I’m not usually one to read short stories, much less short stories set in contemporary America, but because my friend wrote this, I bought a copy and read it cover to cover. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it resonated with me - I think Bales has a real talent for eliciting complex emotions, and I think her stories challenge us as readers to view small-town, rural America as multifaceted - the opposite of the flattened picture pop culture tends to give us. I give this book 4.5 stars primarily because of personal preference; while I enjoyed Bales’s writing and the way she portrayed her characters, I would have liked to see each individual story feel a little more self-contained. Some stories contained scenes that I felt were set-up for the next story (more on structure below), and I personally like my short fiction to stand on its own a little more. Otherwise, if you’re a fan of literary fiction and want to read a more compassionate, multivalenced take on small-town America, I would highly recommend this collection.

Writing: Bales writes in a very accessible manner. Her sentences flow very well, and they aren’t bogged down by too much figurative language (as is characteristic of some lit fic). Instead, it’s easy to grasp what is happening in any given story and Bales balances showing and telling so the prose doesn’t feel mechanical. It’s the kind of style that I think most readers - regardless of background - will find enjoyable and engaging.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Bales’s writing is the way she evokes small town “feelings” (for lack of a better word). Most of the things that punched me in the gut were not outright declarations of “this town is poor” or “this kid is messed up,” but the little details that evoke atmosphere or mood without much ado. For example, there are sentences here and there about kids needing to be bussed to a different school, about people who commute long distances for jobs, about “bibles weighing [people] down like stones.” A lot is communicated in such little space, and Bales don’t hit you over the head with its significance - she lets it sink into your bones, so to speak, and it’s a technique I find very effective.

If I had any criticism, it would probably be that some stories were in first person, and I didn’t quite understand the creative value of using it. I’m admittedly a little biased on this one, though - first person almost always feels unnatural to me, and I’m always looking for what value it adds to the storytelling.

Plot: This book doesn’t have an overarching plot like a novel, and I’m not keen on reviewing every story individually (not to mention that would spoil so much of the book), so I’ll instead talk more broadly about the construction of Bales’s collection as a whole.

Bales does something very interesting in that her stories are united by setting. Each tale takes place in the small town of Pekolah (Oklahoma, I think), and most characters make multiple appearances. In this, her book reads like a composite novel (as Carrie Gessner notes in her Goodreads review), and I think the effect is a good one. It makes the small town “everyone knows everyone” (and their business) cliché feel real, but more than that, it shows off Bales’s ability to make form match function. If everyone knows each other, and the town really is that small, it makes sense that multiple characters would pop up multiple times or that the same events would be referenced across stories. I also really enjoyed that each story felt like an individual thread and that Bales was weaving those threads together to create a tapestry - a picture of a whole town, if you will. I don’t think I’ve seen that structure used in many other short story collections (though admittedly, my experience is limited), and I enjoyed it very much.

If I had any criticism, it would be that I wish some of these threads were a little more self-contained. Some stories felt like they were setting up others, and some had unclear “messages,” so to speak, that I wish were a little more overt. To Bales’s credit, she does comment on things like conversion therapy, religion, poverty, and the like, and I think these themes do come through in the work. I’m just coming from a background of literature that hits you over the head with its themes and morals, and I tend to like texts that are a little more heavy-handed. But if you like things to be a little more ambiguous or don’t like it when authors hold the reader’s hand, you might like this collection.

Characters: Bales’s characters are complex and nuanced in ways that I didn’t quite expect (though I should have known better than to doubt her). The opening story features an out lesbian, while subsequent stories showcase gay men, Indigenous characters, Trump-loving queer people, etc. I liked the way Bales portrayed these characters as flawed; not all of them are “nice” people, but all of them have something that readers can connect to, whether it’s Jack’s frustration and despair or Teddy’s resentment of (certain) White people. While Bales’s stories are not always uplifting and optimistic, the characters are always interesting, and I think they all work together to create a nuanced view of what small town life is like - not homogenous, but still familiar.

TL;DR: Pekolah Stories is a brilliant collection of short stories that treats small town, rural life with compassion while also implicitly criticizing religious zealotry, violence, and the like, exploring the nuances of family relationships, economic despair, community, and more.

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zombiesun · 3 years

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Just wanted to tell you that you sound like a very interesting person! And was also wondering if you had any like books or youtube videos or something like that that you recommend about spiritual stuff (?), I’m not sure that’s the right word. But I’m very interested in your divination station tag and would love to read more on it :) xx

Thank you! I have been described as a character (derogatory and honorary). I actually have been trying to compile a list of resources so that I could have a ready list of books/media that has helped me with craft. I have yet to find a youtube witch that I’ve found as a valuable resource (they’re either very condescending or incredibly watered down in their practice for me personally) but if you want to get into tarot I do actually recommend finding youtube tarot readers and watching how they do their readings. That was my gateway to divination because I was fascinated with their craft and assurance and eventually got my own deck of cards because of that. I also recommend buying or making your own pendulum (if you want to know how feel free to ask it’s super simple and cost effective) regardless of whether you do tarot or not, it’s a great first magical tool.

If you want to buy (I think it’s 6.99 a month?) a pretty reasonable priced course on craft I did this for a few months. https://thetravelingwitch.com/ she has a very legible collection of beginner resources if you want a very basic overview of craft. I feel like of all intro resources I’ve found this one was the most helpful because it had all of the information in one place and a pre-organized course that takes you from topic to topic making sure that you have the understanding you need before introducing you to bigger concepts.

as for books here’s some that I’ve read in the last few months that I found incredibly helpful. I didn’t begin craft by reading (I was actually roommates with a practicing witch/reader for all of last year and that contributed a lot to my understanding so I think my biggest suggestion is befriending someone in craft or joining an online community. people are always going to be the best resource for seeing a practical application of this)

you can find all of these books online as pdfs. (zlibrary is my go to for downloading books - you get up to ten downloads a day and I’ve never gotten malware from their downloads) also I read about three books a week, usually on craft so if you/anyone else wants to follow my goodreads to keep up books I’m reading and rec’ing you are more than welcome to. x. <--goodreads

Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration by Mallorie Vaudoise is probably my favorite craft book to date. It isn’t necessarily about the herbs, smoke, and mirrors type of magic but about connecting with your bloodline and honoring the people who came before you. It’s a book that anyone can read/glean from regardless of religious practice or belief because we all have ancestors and they are watching us and invested in our lives. It also includes prompts at the end of each chapter which are excellent for beginner/intermediate shadow work which is a key part of craft.

Tarot Shadow Work: Using the Dark Symbols to Heal by Christine Jette is a great resource for finding tarot spreads and an introduction on how to use it for self-healing and understanding. this is an excellent resource for shadow work and was the first book on tarot I read that really influenced me as a reader. alternatively, Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up a Chair, Shuffle the Cards, and Let's Talk Tarot by Melissa Cynova is the perfect beginner tarot book. I just finished this one the other day and wished that I had read it much earlier. It not only covers the cards and their meanings but also what it means to be a reader, both for yourself and others.

Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation by Mat Auryn is a great intro to the mental side of magic. I see a lot of witches starting craft by making spell jars and charging crystals on their sill and there’s nothing wrong with that but ultimately your greatest magical tool is your own mind and you need to deprogram yourself from the capitalist aspect that has seeped into craft which is the idea that your tools make the witch when really we’re born with the only tool you need. I can do magic wherever I am regardless of what I have on me because I have my mind.

I think those are the four books that I think would be a necessary part of any witches library. There’s a lot of other “intro” to witch books that I just personally don’t like because I don’t make spell jars or work with herbs/crystals because I prefer divination/mental magic much more. I eventually do want to create a page on my tumblr that will link anyone curious about getting into practice a cohesive list. I feel like this is a pretty bare bones list of resources - honestly, my best advice is pick three topics you are intrigued by in craft and do your own research. I figured out a lot about what I know by deep diving. I don’t there’s a perfect entry point because your curiosity is ultimately going to lead you to what you want. The best part about witchcraft is each practice is individual, I can’t tell you how to become me because our journey will lead you to you. however, these are the topics I would rec you looking at once you get past your personal topics.

How to make an altar. How to make (and close) a magical circle + the cardinal directions. Meditation (note: there are a lot of different ways to meditate outside of traditional meditation) Cleansing. Shadow work. Spirit guides. Angel Numbers. Protection. Grounding.

Good luck!

#divination station #mailbox #anoncore #love that you guys are so curious about craft! hope this helps #bookshelf #witchcraft

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mego42 · 4 years

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I 100% agree about wanting more fanfic lists! I honestly think it's the best way to get a variety. Everybody has personal preferences, if someone, who mostly reads long, fluffy au Brio fic, is making recs, they're not likely to mention short, angsty, canon Brio (which is understandable and fair!) so ideally someone else, who does like those, would also do recs. I'm pretty sure I've read or at least tried the vast majority of Brio fics, but the recs often make me re-read the fic and author.

YAAASSSS!!! I mean like, okay, I v much get why people have issues with rec lists, and I def do not by any stretch endorse the idea that recs/rec lists should be considered anything other than one person sharing a think they liked, but to me a lot of the issues (the same fics/authors getting recced, feeling like awesome fics/authors are going unrecognized) can be solved by more reccing, not less. everyone’s got different taste and different stuff they look/read for and I am extremely pro sharing that.

Idk, I think about it like this: in a previous internet life I was a YA book blogger and I lived and died by recs from other bloggers whose taste and preferences I knew. I mean, you know, I’d check out a book bc the premise sounded interesting but literally the first thing I would do was go to Goodreads and look for a handful of people who tended to like the same books I did and see what they were saying about it bc that was the best way to get a good idea of if I wanted to give it a shot. Or, on the flip side, there were some people whose reviews I followed bc I knew we v much did not read for the same things so if they hated a book for X, Y and Z reasons, I was probs going to like it (one thing about book blogging is if you want to keep current, you do not have a lot of time to mess around, snap judgements are key but that’s a whole other thing and idk if it’s even relevant anymore bc that landscape has changed so much).

ANYWAY, the point is, I got in the habit and now I do the same thing with fic bc, tbh, I don’t have a ton of time to read, esp not when I’m actively writing which, with the exception of the last week or two, I’ve been doing p non-stop since I got here. All of which to say is, I am desperately in favor of fic recs for purely selfish reasons, I need them! Give them to me!!! Please!!!!!

That said, I uh, am v bad at returning the favor and I recognize that (I think I’ve made what? two rec lists for this fandom?) so I will try to do better to live by my own, idek what this is, moving on and here are 10 recs not really thematically linked by anything other than I’ve read them and loved them and don’t think I’ve put any of them on one of my rec lists yet (and if I have, my blog is a trainwreck I cannot be expected to remember what’s on it LET ME LIVE):

The Goodest Boy by EnsignDisaster

There’s a key turning in the lock and Buddy rushes over to greet his Master excited for her to meet his new friends. The door opens and he dances around Master’s feet rejoicing on the fact that she’s made it home. It's been literally forever.

“Hey Buddy what’s wrong? Need to go potty? Need to pee-pee?”

“Nah he’s good we took him out.”

Master does something very unMasterlike, she drops all the food she’d brought in on the ground and screams. It’s a non traditional avant garde type of hello…Buddy loves it. Mostly because while Master taps furiously on her small light box and sits tense in the corner opposite his new friend Buddy can lick up the egg smashed on the hardwood floor.

Buddy! The! Dog! POV! no further explanation necessary. Technically WIP, but it covers the whole pilot in a way that could be read as standalone (THOUGH THAT WOULD V MUCH GIVE ME A SAD though, when did the show forget the Bolands had a dog? so maybe that’s a tragic casualty of canon, idk)

May The Moon’s Silvery Beams by @pynkhues

Emma hums in agreement, and Rio turns her around to sit her on the counter, grabbing one of the older looking boxes of muesli while she kicks her legs out, heels bumping back against the counter, watching him. He gropes around the inside of the box, finally just opting to pull the plastic cereal bag out and peering inside. He can’t quite keep the grin off his face when he sees the wad of cash lining the bottom. This woman kills him, she really does.

Then there’s a little face peering up beside him, trying to peek into the box.

“What is it?” she asks, and he tilts the box sideways so she can see inside.

The upside to not getting here until s3 is that old fic is new to me! Huzzah!! Idk how many of y’all have already read this on but if you haven’t I highkey recommend. Extremely cute take on what if Emma woke up when Rio and came by to collect his/Beth’s/whoever's money during the shutdown. Cannot believe I’m reccing kidfic. Witchcraft!!!!!!

Maybe You’re My Fantasy by ohmisterjapan

He fucking loves the involuntary. It speaks to how he likes to unlock chaos and walk away. He's been called a control freak before and it felt like such a misunderstanding of him - he's all about self control but he doesn't want to control others. It's more that he enjoys revealing to them how little they can control themselves. It's more that he likes to stand still in the eye of someone else's storm and pick coldly through the wreckage.

Another oldie but a goodie. This fic is more like an extended character study (first chapter Rio POV, second chapter Beth) and I LIVE FOR THIS KIND OF SHIT. I really really really love the take on both characters, it really digs in and pulls out some nuances that made me sit and think about my own read of them and I love it.

A Shock Of Blue by mintletters16

“You don’t look very well. Would you… like me to get you a glass of water or something?”

Her voice is low but smooth, laced with a softness that cuts straight though to his core. Strawberry blonde locks fall gently just above the pair of magnets freezing him in place.

He can still feel the chaos tearing through his veins - emanating from the gold plated gun stuffed in his waistband - and suddenly he can’t be here anymore. Can’t meet this wide-eyed gaze that’s been locked on his for the past God-knows-how-long anymore.

Can’t see blue alive and concerned when he just left it cold and void somewhere in oblivion.

She’s looking at him like he’s on the brink of madness. He thinks maybe he is.

Apparently, it’s backlist rec day over here and I’m not sorry. This one is another technical WIP but the chapter works as a standalone (BUT if the author decided to return to it I WOULD NOT BE MAD). It’s a what if Beth and Rio met pre-canon and it works so!!! well!!!! The tension and fascination and build are all *chef’s kiss* plus the writing is gorgeous and lyrical and ugh, I love it.

for a moment we were strangers by openhearts

“We got stuff,” Rio motions with a nod to the backpack Beth hadn’t noticed when they arrived hanging on the back of one of the chairs at the island.

She swallows and turns back to the dishes, realizing Rio apparently means to sleep there , assuming the place isn’t bugged. Or for some kind of cover story if it is. She turns and fixes Rio with a narrow-eyed stare, studying his face, the corner of his jaw especially prominent from the angle she’s looking up at him. He’s methodical about drying each dish and setting it back on the rack, maddeningly ignoring her hard stare, so when he goes to take the next plate from her hands she grips it tightly and gets his attention.

“Hey.”

“What you on about now?” he asks, irritated.

It gets her gut uneasy, how he’s just . . . there, settling in, in ways he never had before, no matter how nonchalantly he would let himself in through her locked doors.

“This is,” Beth tries, failing, to find words for it, “. . . it’s weird .”

This one takes place post 204 and Rio and Marcus end up spending a long weekend staying with Beth and Emma for reasons (that work, for the record, I’m just not trying to summarize rn) and it’s domestic and cute but honestly my fav part of it is how weirded out Beth is by how easily they slip into sync. The story does an excellent job balancing where they are in canon (uneasy post-sex truce) with a snapshot of what they could be if they got over themselves (HA! as if) and Beth is DEEPLY FREAKED which makes her slow slide into realizing she could maybe sort of kind of oh shit like it/him??? that much more satisfying.

Not So Careful by @bensonstablers

When he doesn’t answer, her eyes go to his but he’s too busy watching the letter opener which is still pressed against the back of his hand. Curiously, Beth runs it up his arm, careful not to press too hard, and smiles a little as he shivers. Pulling her leg up onto the bed, she shuffles closer to him before pressing the tip of the sword to his chest and slowly circling his left nipple with it, being sure not to get too close.

“You ain’t gotta be that careful.”

And when she lifts her eyes to meet his, he’s got that look. The one that always makes a lump form in her throat and for her to fall back into bed with him without a single thought of what they have to do that day. Only thing is, this time they’ve got nothing to do for the rest of the weekend and well, staying in bed the entire time had seemed like an appealing idea so she allows herself to give in a little to that look.

It makes me EXTREMELY SAD that knifeplay ranked so low on the kink survey so I’m gonna need y’all to check out this V V V EXCELLENT example of it and come back and tell me you’re sorry and you voted wrong. I am v reasonable what are you talking about.

love (where it wasn’t supposed to be) by @lilliloves

"You know what I can't stand?" Rio asks, stepping closer. It's a rhetorical question but he pauses for a second and watches Dean sniff, watches a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, watches him shift on both his feet as he contemplates making a run for it.

"A guy who don’t realize how good he's got it." Rio continues, looking Dean up and down in disgust. "A guy that will literally fuck up a good thing just to get his dick wet."

"Yeah, well I can't stand a guy who can have anyone he wants but chooses the married woman he's not entitled to.” Dean shoots back. "And I really can't stand the fact that you're always in the room with us even when you aren't there."

And who brings him into the room Dean hmmmmm????? Jk, jk (or am I). In this one Rio catches Dean out on the town with another woman (bc of course he is) and tries to call him out but whoops! gets called out himself. I really love the like, idk, undercurrent of wistful regret in this fic. I love Dean straight up calling Rio out on his feelings (spoilers but there’s an exchange right after this one that made me straight up holler), and, you know, obvs I am here for Rio making Dean feel like an ass.

Hell Is Other People by makemanybraver

Rio: We're in Hell, Elizabeth! If you don't think you belong here, then repent! Don't fuck everyone in the room in hopes that you get to go out!

Beth: Why do I have to repent?!

Rio: Because you did some fucked up shit in your life, Elizabeth! You keep doing fucked up shit here, too! And you think you don't belong here!

Beth [screaming at the top of her lungs]: Because I don't!

This fic is existentially bonkers and I love it. It’s the kind of experimental format/homage/what have you kind of thing that I L O V E. Based on No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, Beth, Rio, and Fitzpatrick are stuck together in a room in hell for all eternity. What more do you need, honestly.

Working On Things by odenkirk

Unknown Hold up, Elizabeth. I'm really thinkin about you here.

Beth turned her face into the pillow, effectively suffocating herself for a moment, but thinking it was a good trade off for the way the cool silk of her pillowcase chilled her skin.

She lifted her head to glance at the still sleeping Dean before replying.

Beth I'm thinking about you too. But this can't happen.

She wanted him to know she wanted him, but she also thought that admitting she was already there would save Rio from trying to convince her. She wanted him, but morals had to win just once in a while.

YES this is technically Beth/Dean while also being Beth/Rio BUT it’s also sort of Rio/Dean and I am HERE FOR THE DIVERSITY OF SHIPPING leave me alone who asked you.

Five Times He Knew What She Was Thinking, and One Time He Didn't by JoeyLee

Aight, so tell ‘em I was hittin’ it. Said deliberately blunt, eyes locked on her face the whole time, just to see those blue eyes widen. She looked so shocked that he almost laughed, so he softened it teasingly just to keep her going. Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart, tell ‘em we were makin’ love.

Then he just watched her, just watched her face, just fucking fascinated. Her lips were parted and her eyes were big as saucers, and…there it was. Before she could look away flustered, he watched the thought go through her mind. Him and her together.

He wondered what she was picturing or where. Them in the back seat, her bed, a motel? Her on top or him from behind or his face between her legs?

Whatever it was, the blush started immediately, and he watched it bloom out from her cheeks to her hair. Then she was tearing her eyes away to gulp a little. But it didn’t knock her down for long before she was looking back. And then, wait, was she actually asking him how to go about telling a fed they were fucking?

Okay this is another technical WIP but works as a standalone. I am absolutely fucking feral for character POV takes of canon scenes and this is a supremely excellent take on Rio POV of some notable scenes from the pilot through 204. Imo it brilliantly captures Rio’s voice and I love it a lot.

HEADS UP I am absolute shite at tracking ao3 to tumblr unless people have specifically told me someone’s ao3/tumblr name SO if you recognize any of the non-tumblr authors on please lmk so I can tag them and YES I recognize that I am asking y’all to do things for me throughout this entire post and I’M SORRY OKAY I’M A WHOLE ASS MESS LOVE YOU BYE

#brio fic #brio fanfiction #good girls fanfiction #fic recs #anon #asks #gg disk horse #i feel like i had jokes i wanted to make in the tags but now that im here i've totally forgotten them #ANYWAY the important takeaway here is #tell me what you like and why i want to know okay #send me recs #ME ME ME #hahahahaha jk #sort of

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