#the ''shoot us??'' is far more about her concern for penance than about herself

[gunmetalarchived]

an unexpected visitor for @epiitaphs​ and @diabolicaltendencies​

ALEX She sat in semi darkness, waiting for him. He would be home soon. His routine had become predictable, his patterns of behaviour easily traced. maybe that was the idea, he wanted her to track him down. She had stared at him across the base, not even sure if he had time to spot her. This figure of resentment and pain, and yet the only stable relationships she had ever been part of. and she had run. Changed her name, cut her hair, erased every piece of the creature that had thrived in captivity. Alex had tried desperately to make something out of herself that wasn’t the image they had built, the issue was hydra was still ingrained in her skin. The name, Alex, they picked it. They poisoned the simple things to let freedom die at the root. No doubt he would have a gun pointed at her, no doubt he was ready to kill. He should be. Right now, she wasn’t sure what her next move would be, but she had to see him. There was no way out of this without seeing him. Some piece of her needed to know if Samuel Prescott was the one holding her captive, or if the file she read was true. Either way, forgiving him was out of the question. they had lived their lie together and yet he had kept so many secrets. marrying your handler wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Alex held her weapon trained on his outline. “ You need to change the lock, darling.”

SAM Sam was under constant surveillance while on the ‘road to redemption’. Of course any good he did was like trying to use feathers to outweigh heavy stones, but he didn’t really want redemption at this point - he was growing comfortable with the idea of suffering through his penance. he gave away information, provided insight that was in the process of taking down massive chunks of hydra’s infrastructure, and most importantly was aiding with the recovery of former assets, helping to undo mental conditioning and the like. When the “good guys” were done with him, they tracked him back to the tiny, bare apartment above a little clinic he was restricted to. Each night he let the dark, heavy chill of the space consume him. But this time, he was greeted by her. He didn’t raise a gun. He didn’t even have the sedatives he used to keep on hand in case of emergencies. He just stood there, staring at her for a long moment before a small smile tugged at his tired features. There was something behind his eyes, it looked like relief. “I wondered if you’d come back…”

ALEX Watching him from a distance had been easy, he was far enough that all the could remember was the pain and pretence. The problem was his smile, in the dim light, it felt like the closest thing to home in a long time. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, his face aged above his years. Funny, how good people could look when they were lying compared to telling the truth. How could Sam be relieved to see her? And worse still, how could she feel relieved to see him? “ You and me both.” She kept her weapon trained on him, reminding herself how dangerous he could be if he wanted to. charming was almost worse. Her hands moved to her pocket, throwing a small metal device down on the table. about the size of a dime, it still had dried blood around the edges from where they had fished it out fo her body. It landed on top of a brown manilla envelope, the file of all the notes he had kept on her and her progress. His status reports. then she placed her hand in her pocket again, in search of the last tie between them. That god awful ring. Her life boiled down to objects, it looked so pathetic like that. “ I believe these belongs to you.”

SAM He stays silent. He barely moves as she fishes around in her pockets. The smile fades as he looks down at the device, the file. He looks back up to her and there’s pain in his eyes, but not the kind of pain that comes from someone throwing a ring back in your face - it was a different kind of misery. The same self-hatred that he’d finally given into when hydra fell. Sure half the reports were vague if not straight lies towards the end, but that didn’t make up for the bloody metal device resting on top of the folder. “Did you take it out by yourself?” he questions, a note of concern buried in the cold reserves of his voice. He knew she would have generally avoided contact with anyone who had the skill set to remove the device - but it was an insane risk to remove it on your own half-blind working with a mirror or worse, by feel.

ALEX Quiet, watching her carefully. It felt like a surreal kind of familiarity. Now he was trying to play the hero, trying to get her to remember him fondly? did he have no shame? “What does it matter to you? just another scar to join the rest of them, right?” Her tone was cold, and biting. Any sense of the fake kindness she could turn on so easily completely gone. This was how she existed now, and in the last five minutes she had spoken more than the last few weeks. Alex Moran was a ghost, even if she was still breathing.    “ or is this you being shield’s errand boy? want to know who helped me so you can lock them away too?” Telling him anything was too much of a risk. Letting him move was too much of a risk. Given her conditioning, the ingrained respect to him made him a weakness. He was a constant threat. Alex stood up, her gun trained on him as she moved a little closer. She needed to see him better in the dim light to read him properly. “ I saw what you wrote. You were lying to them. You were lying to me.”

SAM He blinks, jaw tight and lips pressed in a thin line. He speaks patiently taking her anger, internalizing every word, “lying was the only way to give you a chance in hell of getting out without hydra or shield stopping you.” “But where this was?” He picks the device and holds it up between them. “Taking it out could have killed you if removed incorrectly. You’re lucky. And i wouldn’t be surprised if you had nerve damage if it wasn’t done by someone with the proper training…” His words are almost informative up until the point that guilt is seeping through his clear blue eyes, “I would have done it if you asked.” He throws the device back down on the table where it clatters to a stop. “You here to kill me, Alex? i’ll warn you, it’d probably be a mercy, but if it gives you some kind of closure.” He holds his arms out in a vague gesture before they fall back to his sides. “Go ahead.”

 ALEX “ So this is about me now? first time for everything.” She watched him carefully as he picked up the rusted tracker but made no move to shoot. This could have been him testing the waters, figuring out how much he could get away with before she became violent. Of course he would have. And then Sam could have given her location away, or worse. “ Breathing could get me killed, or have you become so used to trading sides you forget that some of us don’t have that choice?” There was a reason she looked thinner, tired. She hadn’t slept solidly since the fall. The last night before had been spent preparing what was going to come, but he had been there too. He had laid by her side, and listening to him breathe was enough for her to get some fitful rest. Now it was exhausting watching her own back. Alex moved the gun higher, aiming it at his temple for a moment. A moment that seemed to last a lifetime. Sam deserved this, and so much more.

BUCKY He did not need to go to Sam's for any reason that night other than he wanted to. He could want - that was allowed. There was no one watching. No one watching specifically him, at least. They were watching Sam, but it was the security that sounded someone who was no threat at all. Sam was a threat to Bucky only because he knew who he was - and he might know how to control him. And yet, he was still slipping in the window at Sam's for what? To watch the man exist in the small space? To maybe talk? They did that sometimes. Bucky liked that. But as he entered, he heard voices - agents did not come on this night. That was why he had chosen this time. A threat, then. A knife in his flesh hand, he slid through the shadows into the main room - - and was in motion instantly, grabbing for her gun with his metal hand, swiping up at her with the knife. All of this, silent. Sam would understand to get out of the way.

ALEX There was something, something in the corner of her eye that pricked at the hairs on the back of her neck and told her to fire at the oncoming mass from the shadows but it was too late. His hand practically swallowed the barrel of the gun, and Alex let go of it to step back and away from the blade that now caught her eye. He swiped at her, and she swore, backing up as far as she could before crouching low. Low enough to aim a kick at his legs to try and throw whoever this was off balance. This wasn't in her research, and he hardly looked like SHIELD....

SAM Sam's eyes flick to the gun before looking back to her. He realizes in that moment, despite everything, there is a part of him that doesn't want to die. He wants to stay, to try and use his knowledge for something better. To help. But.. if he was going to die, she certainly deserved to be the one to pull the trigger. He opens his mouth to say something, but in a blink a shadow is between them. Sam stumbles back, slamming back into reality as Alex kicks out at Bucky's legs.

BUCKY She's trained. She was sent to kill him, then. HYDRA's training has gotten worse, he thinks, if their agents hesitate before pulling the trigger. Maybe that's not where she's from, but there's no other organization that would be interested in Sam, and SHIELD would do it more cleanly. Easy to cover up. She doges the knife, at least. That's alright, Bucky has no plans to stop throwing himself at her. She kicks at his legs and he dodges, bending lower, throwing the gun full force at her head before hitting at her center of mass with the metal arm. He should not waste weapons, but she won't be able to catch it at that speed, and he can do enough damage without any weapons at all.

ALEX The gun hit first, the blow to the head making her stagger backwards just a step to regain her balance. But before she had time to settle, the stranger slammed into her chest. Hard. Far harder than the blow would normally land. It was only now she realised that the hand wasn't really a hand at all, the way it shined in the dim light of Sam's flat was starting to alarm her. Winded, she hit her back against the wall with a cry of pain, fully aware he still had the knife in his maybe human hand. Was this a machine? What the hell did Sam have guarding him? This hadn't been in her research at all.

BUCKY She staggered, staying upright well. No matter. It would have been too easy had she gone down immediately - it would have been a trap. She's clearly trained. His metal arm slammed into her chest, pushing her directly into the wall enough to bounce a little, her cry of pain evident in the silence of the rest of the room. Bucky, after all, knew better than to make noise more than necessary. He rushed her, noting the way she was struggling to breathe a little. She would be just that bit more distracted. Good. She was tracking his knife, but he had two weapons - one attached and one in hand. It would never be enough. The choice here really was how to kill her. Snapping her neck would be the quietest, but the knife would be satisfying, which was a thought that did not belong to the Asset. He pushed forward, knife out initially, but changed quickly to grab for her throat with his metal arm.

ALEX He kept charging, it was definitely a he from the build and the flesh on one side. Before she could think more that to take a breath into her lungs, now sharp with pain, the metal fingers had wrapped around her throat. They lifted her off the ground, her fingers clawing at the cold surface to try and pull his fist apart. It wasn't going to do much, whatever it was seemed to be on a warpath. She kept struggling, gasping painfully for air as black spots filled her vision. She aimed a kick at his fist, the one with the knife in, praying it might throw him off balance...

SAM Sam moves forward quick and careful, "Wait!" He shouts, a rare but solid authority entering his tone. Its probably one of the closest things to an order he's ever given Bucky, but even then it's merely a delay. He makes enough noise that Bucky can easily track his progress through the room, coming up behind him. "Wait, please. Both of you." Sam reaches out for his arm, gently touching his shoulder. "You don't have to hurt her. You're on the same side."

BUCKY The shout from Sam locks Bucky up. He stops - waits - in that he ceases all movement, his arm still around her throat, holding her off the ground. He knew Sam would give a real order eventually. He'll have to address how he feels about that, later, though. She's still kicking, still struggling, so he keeps most of his attention on her and a very little bit at the sound of Sam approaching. It confuses him when Sam addresses the woman. Does that mean he knows her? It's not a question that Bucky needs answers to. She's a threat. That is all that matters to him. But Sam is, ultimately, in control of the situation, so Bucky will listen. He feels a light touch on his shoulder. That keeps him still as well. Perhaps there is a sedative in the other hand. Not having to leaves too many options open and Bucky does not believe that she is on his side. However, he does lower her to the ground, fingers whirring open, his eyes staring deep into hers.

ALEX Same side? That made no sense. Not when the sides were so murky all of a sudden. Did he mean Hydra? Because anyone there, by rights, should want Sam dead. And yet this thing was protecting him. Did he mean Shield? Because she had no loyalty to them. The only side she took was her own. And she certainly didn't know what the fuck this was. Despite the coughing and spluttering, Alex's eyes flicked to sam the second he moved in command of the situation. Sam was kind with the stranger, almost reassuring... As soon as Alex hit the ground, she bolted for the weapon. The gun might have been used for a projectile, and she was still trying to regain her breath and her footing but she needed something to put her on a level playing field. She had her hands around the grip before it caught up with her

BUCKY She seemed equally confused at the statement that they were both on the same side. Perhaps Sam was unaware of changes in the ranks, then. That would make sense. He was kept in the dark by SHIELD and clearly had no communication with HYDRA. She watched him, not the Asset. She knew him, then. But she was uninjured - or had been - and did not require medical attention. There was no reason for her to be here except to kill Sam. Resourceful, she dove for the gun resting on the floor. He should have kept his hold on her, but Sam had been convincing and Bucky had thought that was the choice Sam wanted him to make. But now, Sam had been proven wrong. That was alright, he did not understand these things. Bucky dove on top of her. He might have pulled her back by an ankle, but she'd managed to grab the gun, so he simply crashed down on top her, trusting his weight to do the trick of keeping her down, before slamming his metal hand on top of her wrist, assuming that if he broke the bones, it'd break her grip.

ALEX She screamed. A full body, blood curdling scream. The weight on her forearm was too much to bare, worse still, it was the side connected to her reconstructed shoulder. She tried to keep her grip tight on the gun but it was hard, when the pain shot through the entire limb. Finally she cut through her own scream. Funny, how she said she would rather beg than ask for his help. This was going to sound a lot like begging. "STOP. MAKE HIM STOP." If Sam cared, if any of it was real, this was the moment to use it.

SAM Sam knows how to dance out of the way of dangerous people, but that's where his ability to do anything besides talk in this situation ends. And even then... words are dangerous. He's trying to sort through them, anything to avoid flat out ordering Bucky to stop. But then Alex is screaming the very same word. Sam moves around again and crouches down, trying to catch Bucky's eyes with a open palm held up, pleading, "James. Please. Listen to me." He talks fast. "She's a former asset, like you. I understand she's a threat, but you're both in the same situation caught between Hydra and Shield. Do you understand? She might be able to help you. Please, don't hurt her for my sake."

BUCKY She screams, which the Asset disregards. They all do, when things drag out like this. He would barely notice if they weren't so close together. Sam intercedes this time too, crouching down by the pair of them. That is dangerous, but he seems to risk his life for no reason regularly. Bucky keeps the pressure on her, but looks over at Sam. He listens because he was told to. She is struggling less this time, which makes it easier for him. The information goes in, is remembered, but all he really understands is that she is an asset too. They did not train her very well, if she screams like this. "I understand." The first time he's spoken this whole time. He doubts that she can help him. Sam is a good doctor, but does not understand danger properly. He doesn't move. "The asset will drop the gun at your order, then," he tells Sam, the underlying current of his words being or I will make her.

SAM "What?" Sam blinks, the statement guts him but he's used to that. He has a thin skin these days, every truth cuts deep and there's plenty to use against him. But it's what he deserves. "Are you really asking me to do that? No. Just-- damn it, Alex, please." It's not an order, its not even a proper request. "We can talk about this."

ALEX She winced, trying to wriggle free before she let out a grunt through gritted teeth. The weight was too much, the pain was too much. The tight grasp on the gun beneath the strangers grip was the only thing holding her to sanity. Her face was twisted in fury, glaring back at Sam's broken blue eyes as he begged. This was on him, all of it. He was close enough from his crouch, almost within reach... Alex pulled her head back, aiming a ball of spit straight for his face. If she was going to die at the hands of this, she would go out fighting. Baiting him, even. If any of what he said was true, that he lived with regret, then he would have to watch her die screaming. "Order me. Go on, do it." She snarled at him, her biting voice echoing off the walls as she tried to channel her pain into anger. "Order him to stop, or order me to let go and watch him kill me. Use your fucking words, Agent Prescott."

SAM Sam flinches, turns away as she spits at him. He closes his eyes for a moment before looking over to her. He's not hiding anything anymore. "I won't do that." He'd already toed that line too closely, the one he promised he wouldn't cross, trying to save her from getting her neck snapped. "I'd rather you kill me. And if that's really the root of the problem here I'll happily do it myself if it would stop you two trying to kill each other."

BUCKY She was still trying to break free of his grip. She wouldn't manage it. He was many times her size and she had to know just how outmatched she was. "Yes." Though, Bucky wouldn't tell Sam that he had to. Commands didn't sound right, coming from him, and Bucky was not sure whether or not he wanted Sam to actually give such an order. But it would work, if she really was a former asset. Or - really, it proved that her training had been less extreme. A different kind of asset. Still, Sam refused, which he had the power of choice. She spat at Sam, but that would do nothing. He let her, keeping his eyes on the gun instead. Until Sam made his threat. "You told me not to hurt her," he reminds Sam.

SAM Sam huffs, "I'd tell anyone that. Whether they listen or not." He didn't want her hurt, but he follows Bucky's gaze to the primary concern. Sam shifts forward and pries the gun out of her grip himself. Despite his threat, he doesn't point it at himself. He doesn't point it at either of them. But he's still quick. He doesn't hesitate dismantling it - popping the round from the chamber immediately, dropping the mag out, and with a few flicks taking it apart. He stands up and puts all the pieces on the table behind Bucky. "Are we good now? Will you let her go?"

ALEX His huff. His dismissal of the whole thing. She was furious. Alex dug her nails in, her eyes tracking Sam furiously as he finally removed the weapon from her hand. She kept wriggling, kept grunting in pain but she couldn't keep hold of it. She could hardly do anything but sit there under the dead weight. This was it. For a split second, the pure panic registered on her face. It was funny, how she had assumed for years he wouldn't hesitate if he had to kill her. And yet maybe there was something in her that believed he was telling the truth, that he might have cared... In moments, the weapon was in pieces. But there was still the knife, and the stranger, and the throbbing pain moving from her wrist all the way up her arm in waves.

BUCKY She struggled to hold onto the gun, but Sam pulled it away eventually. Her wrist was likely broken - it'd be difficult for her to really keep a proper grip on it. And if it wasn't broken enough, he would hurry things along. Surely that was a minor enough injury that Sam wouldn't count it as hurting her. He was watching her closely and so couldn't miss the moment of panic when the gun was finally taken away. Good. Now she understood what was happening, that she was going to die if she tried to struggle further. Sam wouldn't kill her, but she clearly didn't know that. That was helpful. He hears the pieces of the gun hit the table, but doesn't relax even a muscle until Sam speaks. It's not an order to stop, but the question rings with enough of that tone that Bucky is learning to read that he'll do what he thinks is what Sam wants from him. "Yes." She's not, but if Sam is asking, he is okay with observing from a distance. "I will." He stands up and away from her, though he reaches down to grab his knife, tucking it away. He'll need it soon enough, he thinks. He doesn't face Sam, but risks a question. "You know her?"

ALEX As the weight lifted, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, using her legs to scoot as far away across the floor as she could. She wrapped the injured arm across her chest, holding her good shoulder with a nasty grimace. If she wasn’t going to get hold of the knife, she needed to backtrack and find something else usable. None of this had been her plan. Alex finally stopped as her back hit a wall, so at least the stranger could only approach from behind this time. “You said go ahead, you fucking liar. All you do is lie, over and over. You worthless piece of shit, you traitorous bastard. My mistake, thinking you might have a conscience- believing you might have actually done something good-“

SAM When she's released he takes a step forward, habit, instinct, concern, all of it muddled into a mess that made him do stupid things like move towards the person actively here to kill him. "Will you--?" He's cut off by Bucky's question which is promptly answered, sort of. It's pretty obvious there's a history. The funny thing about her words is that they're not new. Sam bounces those same things around in his head all the time now, an echo chamber of his inadequacy. Hearing it from someone else should sting. And while the weight of it is clear in his eyes, he doesn't argue, doesn't defend himself. He's resigned to it. "Will you let me help you?"

ALEX She didn’t move as Sam approached, but she leant back into the wall as if to pull further away from him. Her eyes moved between Bucky and Sam, anxious of both of them. There wasn’t a realistic chance of her finding a doctor on her own, but trusting Sam was a risk that she wasn’t willing to take. Not now. “What is that?” She flicked her head towards Bucky.

BUCKY Bucky took a step forward, matching Sam’s distance. She would try to hurt him again, he thought. Probably just playing up her injuries to get him close. Bucky wasn’t supposed to hurt her, but he would if it was necessary. Sam doesn’t answer the question - instead she screams at him. Bucky files away what she says, but watches her hands instead, eyes flicking to Sam to see if he’ll stop her. He should. He doesn’t. She’s watching them both, unsure of which is the greater threat. That, at least, is smart. “The Asset, designation Winter Soldier.” It rattled off his tongue the way all programming does. “I left them.” If she reports back, Sam is dead and Bucky is out of a safe place to hide. He’ll kill her if he has to. Sam doesn’t have to know - though Bucky is only so good at secrets.

ALEX As Bucky stepped forwards, alex pulled her injured arm closer into her chest. She needed something, anything to help her out if he came at her again. Gingerly, she lent forwards with her uninjured arm to try and get to her feet. She wobbled, clumsy in her movements and dizzier than she was letting on. No doubt the gun had left an impressive bruise when it had hit her head. “What the fuck is that?” This agent, former or current, barely made sense. Probably because he only seemed half human. “You left? Why the fuck are you protecting him?”

BUCKY He watched as she wobbled as she tried to stand. This could be an act, even if he'd felt how he'd crushed her when he'd gone for the gun. It was better to watch and wait. She was injured, and that was always a dangerous thing. A low-level asset, then. That was why there were no urgent memories filtering in. "HYDRA's fist. A ghost. A wind-up toy that kills." He'd heard several names given to him, some worse, some better. "He provided medical care. He is nice." Simple as that. Nice as in: hadn't yelled at him, hadn't hurt him beyond patching him up, hadn't turned him in, and would answer questions.

#discord thread 004 | sam and bucky hydra #diabolicaltendencies #epiitaphs #( v: hydra ) #gun tw #injury tw

[badluckcllub]

verse | far cry 5 ch | stevie brewin, joseph seed ft. everyone’s (my) fav asshole sam wright lmaoo summary | it only took me about 800 years to write this and it’s nothing but self-indulgent bullshit. 

stevie meets joseph, it’s kinda weird, sam’s an asshole. end scene. xoxo. cc: @egosumdivina for reasons

i. THE FIRST MEETING

The first time she sees Joseph after the helicopter crash she’s coming down from Bliss, sitting against a tree, the assault rifle resting on her lap and only loosely in her grip. Eyes closed, she’s breathing steadily, trying to ride out the high until she’s feeling clear-headed enough to get to the outpost down the road. This isn’t the first time she’s been exposed to the drug, and Stevie has a nagging feeling that it won’t be her last. Faith and her Angels seem to have a fondness and talent for drugging her, but at least she has a talent for managing to stumble away still in one piece.

(The Angels are never quite as lucky.)

It certainly doesn’t help that this whole region is covered in patches of Bliss. It feels impossible to go ten feet without stepping into one of the green clouds and spending the next ten minutes staggering around in search of a place to lay low and ride out the high. Things would probably be a whole lot easier if everyone hadn’t wound up kidnapped by a bunch of religious lunatics – or, in Quinn’s case, gone straight up missing – and she wasn’t alone out here.

A clusterfuck doesn’t even begin to describe what’s going on.

Hope County is a war zone and an isolated one at that. All the surrounding roads out have either been caved in by the mountains or are being guarded with heavy machinery. Trying to leave has become as much of a death trap as staying, and without a way to reach anybody on the outside she’s stuck with the impossible task of trying to clean up this mess herself.

God, she hopes Quinn is out there somewhere and alive. The guilt of letting her come out here when she damn well knows she should have said no would eat her alive if something happened.

Fuck. She can’t keep wasting time like this. High or not, the outpost down the way isn’t going to take itself and the sun is beginning to set. The night provides enough cover for herself and the Peggies, and that slight advantage in their favour is not something she’s willing to hand over. If she can clear it and get the Resistance in there before night falls she’ll be able to sleep soundly tonight.

The dimming sunlight shining through the treetops sparkles in a way that threatens to undo any grip she has on coming down from the Bliss, and getting to her feet proves to be a little more difficult than she anticipated. Despite knowing better, Stevie flips the safety off on the assault rifle and begins to take small, steady steps through the brush, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest instead of the way the world threatens to tilt and spin in her vision.

She shakes her head to clear the fuzz from her mind and raises the rifle a little higher in front of her. She doesn’t get very far before the distinct crack of a foot snapping a branch sounds off like a crack of thunder in the silence. Stevie spins around, beginning to aim the barrel in the direction of the sound, but the world keeps spinning even when she stops.

She stumbles, trips, begins to fall and –

She never hits the ground.

Someone’s sturdy grip catches and rights her before she can ungracefully eat shit in the dirt. For a split second she thinks it’s a member of the Resistance, but it turns out to be quite the opposite.

“Careful, Deputy.”  

She’s only met him once before, but she’d recognize that drawl anywhere. Her heart lurches in her chest and she wrenches herself free more forcefully than necessary because he lets her go without a fight. Odd behaviour coming from someone who knows she wants them brought to justice, but Joseph Seed is pretty fucking weird in general. She can dwell on it later.

Her finger moves to the trigger as she raises the rifle to aim for his chest and she spits, “What are you doing here?” with a slight slur in her voice.

He smiles ever so slightly, knowledge glimmering in his eyes. “I simply want to talk. You can put the gun down.”

“Fuck you.”

The gun aimed at his chest doesn’t seem to phase him in the slightest. “Very well. Will you at least permit me to say what I wish to say?”

She has to admit that she’s curious. It’s a bold move to come out here by himself to talk, and he looks awfully confident that she’s alone and there’s no one lurking in the brush. Has he been watching her? How much does he know about the Resistance’s work? Her grip on the gun tightens, knuckles turning white with the effort. She should get the fuck out of here.

So why does she let him speak?

She remains silent, lips pressed in a thin line of anger just bubbling under the surface, and he takes that as permission to continue. “I wanted to welcome you. Formally.” He takes a step forward, and she can see the purpling of a bruise beginning to fade around his eye. She takes solace in the fact that the crash wasn’t very kind to him either. “I admit, I’ve been praying for someone such as yourself to come to Hope County.”

“Really?” she deadpans. “You want to be taken in? Gee, why didn’t you say so earlier? Could’ve saved me a lot of trouble.” She speaks slow enough to enunciate each word to mask the slight slur in her voice, but something tells her that he knows the Bliss is still running its way through her system, and that’s probably why he decided that now was a good time to have a conversation. Her heart leaps in her chest at the thought of how vulnerable she might actually be right now considering. He doesn’t look armed, but he’s dangerous as hell and she’s still struggling a little to keep her attention focused on reality. For all she knows he didn’t come alone and there could be a gun aimed at the back of her head.

“We both know that’s not what I meant. You see, sometimes one needs an obstacle to overcome before they are ready to fully believe. These people  –  they have no faith. They need to see the work of God for themselves before they realize the truth.

And you, Deputy, are Hope County’s obstacle. You will help these people see the light.”

Her skin runs cold. The conviction in his voice and the leftover Bliss swimming in her head almost makes it enough for her to believe his words. Stevie swallows hard, pressing the gun stock hard into her shoulder as a painful distraction.

“You really buy into your own hype, don’t you?”

Joseph smiles, faint and unnerving. “It is not mine, but God’s.”

She bristles and has to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from snapping at the obvious bait. Her jaw clenches and she exhales her frustration through her teeth. Enough with this religious bullshit. As far as she’s concerned none of this has anything to do with God and everything to do with humans being exceptionally shitty. “Are you done?”

He takes another step forward  – a single bold step, not once moving away from the barrel of the rifle. She could shoot him now and have him in cuffs before he could blink, but his family would certainly pull the trigger on whatever fucked up plan they have. It might be a better idea to get rid of them first. He’d be less dangerous without his cronies to come to his aid.

“God’s work is never done.”

Stevie rolls her eyes. “Sure, yeah. Whatever. Go preach at somebody who gives a shit. I have to – quote-unquote – take care of some of your people.”

“‘It is only by sacrifice and suffering, offered as penance, that you will be able, by the grace of God, to convert sinners’. Go. Show Hope County the truth.” He holds his hands behind his back and makes the slightest motion of his head.  

Stevie freezes, recognizing that he’s not signalling her, but someone else. Before she can react an Angel steps out from behind some brush and blows some a familiar powder into her face. She gasps, and in the surprise inhales the Bliss. It slams into her like a runaway freight train and her surroundings begin to double-up.

“Fuck – you,” she manages before collapsing. The last thing she sees is something like hope shining behind Joseph’s eyes.

“Hey. Hey! Wake the fuck up.”

Something cracks against her cheek. Once, twice, a bold third time. “Aren’t you supposed to, like, be the one getting us out of this fucking mess?” There’s a fourth crack and the stinging pain against her flesh jolts her out of unconsciousness. “Fucking finally.”

Crouched above her is a stranger and she blindly fumbles for her gun in case it’s a Peggie, but her fingers close around nothing but air. The rifle is resting in the grass out of her reach. The stranger notices and hands it over to her. “Don’t shoot me, alright? I get shot at enough out here and I’m fucking tired of it.”

He gets up and reaches out to help pull her to her feet. She’s unsteady and Joseph’s words are still echoing around her head. Groaning, she rubs at her forehead and says, “What happened?”

The stranger shrugs. “Does it look like I know? I just found you like this. You’re the Deputy, right?” She follows his gaze to the badge attached to her belt.

“Uh, yeah. Call me Stevie.” As her head clears, she looks him up and down and decides that he’s not much of a threat. He has a handgun holstered, but he’s scrawny and looks like she could snap him in two in a fight. “Who are you?”

“Sam. I’m not one of those religious freaks in case you’re wondering.”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“Yeah, because I’m smart enough to keep to myself and not get involved in… Whatever the fuck this is,” he grumbles. “You alright?”

“Uh….” Stevie rakes her fingers through her hair, mussed up with leaves, grass, and dirt, and she still feels a little woozy from the Bliss. She picks out a leaf from her hair and lets it fall to the ground. “I’ve had better days. What time is it?” The sun is about to disappear underneath the horizon which means she was out cold for at least an hour.

“About seven-thirty.”

“Shit,” she hisses. This is about the time she should’ve been finishing up dealing with the outpost down the road, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow now. Besides, the world is still spinning a little.

Fuck the Bliss. Fuck Eden’s Gate, and fuck Joseph Seed. She can’t settle on a single reason why he would so boldly show up like that other than to fuck with her for his own amusement.

(But he seemed to so genuinely believe what he was saying. She doesn’t want to admit it out loud, let alone to herself, but it frightened her.)

“Look, no offence, but you look like shit. What happened to you out here?”

Stevie shoots him an icy look, but he seems completely unperturbed by it. “The Bliss,” she says, leaving out the bit about how Joseph Seed himself was involved. The people of Hope County don’t need to know that he caught her off-guard like that. Their belief in her ability to stop this mess is too strong to let seeds of doubt grow.

Sam barks out a laugh. “Yeah, that explains it. You kind of have that pale, sunken-eyed junkie look like the Angels.”

Her expression collapses. “You really don’t sugarcoat anything, do you?”

“I don’t see the point,��� he says with a sardonic grin. He unholsters his handgun and nods further into the woods. “Since my getting out of this fucking place is entirely dependent on you being in one piece how about you lay down for a bit? I got a place just up that way. It’s a shitty cabin, but it’s something and it’s got a couch you can crash on. I know what it’s like to come down from a high.”

Stevie scrutinizes Sam a second time before wearily agreeing. She’s got nothing left. “Yeah. Fuck, I really need to lay down.” It feels like she’s been running on empty for days, going up and down Faith’s region to take it back from the Peggies. “Tell me you have liquor. I need a stiff drink.”

The grin on Sam’s face becomes a little more real and less plastered on. “You’re in luck. I do. It’s shitty and cheap, but it’s alcohol and it’ll probably help with that blistering headache I bet you got. Come on.”  

The relief Stevie feels is palpable and her muscles unwind from the tension she’s constantly wound up in. The outpost will still be there tomorrow and so will Joseph Seed, but she needs to rest if she wants a chance at doing any good.

Walking to Sam’s cabin drains her of the little reserve energy she still has and she all but collapses on the couch the minute she gets in. Sam, busy bitching about the Seed family and the cult, goes to pour the both of them a heavy-handed drink, but by the time he turns around Stevie is out like a light.

#writing* #verse | welcome to hope county #oc | stevie brewin #oc | sam wright #ch | joseph seed #i cant believe i finished writing something i thought it'd never happen again #i thoroughly enjoy this au thanks

[rakuraiwielder]

it was never about that

Nothing could have prepared her for the lurch in her chest when the intercom clicks open with buzzed static and familiar screaming. Post Volume 6 reunion.

RWBY, Blacksun.

Also on A03

Foreword:

breaks my 1 year writing hiatus with the underdog ship ahahah AAA im back bABEYY

go easy on me please I worked on this with only post vol 4 spoiler knowledge and a-not-so-accurate world map so have some au content for events that have yet to transpire(?)

They had barely made it to the command room before the alarms blare again; red and fire illuminating the cold marble of the corridors. Blake stiffens, pushes away the echoing screech of Grimm ringing in her ears as she eyes the ominous lights, frowns minutely as the building gives one ominous shudder. Beside her Yang tenses with teeth clenched, and she drops her shoulder in response to cover her, ignores the throbbing of her knees and wrist as she fingers over Gambol Shroud.

Their ragtag group huddles further into the cold, ruined room amid burning cinders and shocked circuits, but she has little time to make sense of it all before Ruby was calling her name and the screens over the shattered glass overlooking Atlas flares to life.

Nothing could have prepared her for the lurch in her chest when the intercom clicks open with buzzed static and familiar screaming.

“-is a distress call from- cuos, --overru- -e Grimm are- , if anyone can hear me-“

“Neptune!” She wasn’t aware she had waded up to the front of the monitor until she sees Ruby retract her hand from the buttons, shooting her a concerned look. She swallows, feeling pain wreck the expanse of her throat, wasn’t aware of the crack in her voice until the pain persists.

A two-folded attack, and Salem still three steps ahead of them.

Blake’s ears fold back as the roar of cannon fire in the background swallows the muffled sounds of battle, feels anxiety spike when Neptune yells for a Captain to be careful. The bad feeling only pools further when she picks out a pained groan through the static.

Another groan behind her, and Blake tries to close her ears to Weiss’s sob as her father struggles to stand.

“Ru- y? Bla-? W -need reinforcements, please, NDGO and BR- -wn. – is here! Can’t ho-“

“Neptune!” Weiss’s exhausted shout goes unanswered as the feed cuts off, leaving the static screen smoking with fried wires.

No one says a word as dread hangs in the air.

“No..”

Blake can feel her team’s gazes on her as she shuts her eyes, holding the grimace at bay. Panic comes first; springs free from her eyes when she turns to face them. If Neptune was there, then that would mean…

“Blake?” The room was silent, stray sparks crackling as Ruby shuffles closer.

“We have to help them.” She says, feeling helpless even as the words leave her mouth. The threat to Atlas had yet to be fully neutralised; as it were, the ramifications of the destruction must be answered for and the crew were short of hands. The nation of Atlas must know. But more importantly, more importantly…

Blake bites her lips and swallows a curse, clamps down the tremble that runs down her spine as every instinct of her body screams otherwise. Those were her friends out there, comrades who fought beside her as Beacon burned with cinder and ash all those months ago. People she refused to desert again.

Her eyes find Yang unconsciously, sees an unknown emotion flit across the blonde’s face as she presses her lips into a grim line. Guilt stems from her conscience, unconsciously; she hunches her shoulders even as lavender looks steadily at her. This was not her decision to make.

Never again. She had made a promise.

The nauseous feeling persists.

“Then you must go.”

In the hushed silence of the command room Yang’s voice rings clear, her soft grunt of admission that follows carrying a hint of her usual cheer. She levels a look at their leader, who looks equally surprised at the declaration. Blake’s axis stutters to a stop; disbelief clouds her mind, for it was Yang; Yang whom took her departure hardest, whom she strove so hard to mend her relationship with; Yang, whom she blamed herself most over.

Yang, whom was trusting her to leave.

It is relief that hits her first after the shock, and Blake cannot help but feel guilt at that too. She feels wronged somehow, like she had gotten a free pass at something she was never meant to have. So muddled in her thoughts she missed the unspoken exchange that passes between the sisters, darting to attention only when Ruby chuckles and Yang breaks away with a resolute grin.

“Yang,” Weiss sighs tiredly. “you know that’s not possible, there’s still things we have to-”

“I know. Which is why you and I will be staying here. Ruby and Blake will head to Vacuo.”

“Are you sure?” Blake says again, sees the grin curl into a smile as Yang levels her with a stare that spoke volumes.

“Yes, go to them.”

A weight eases off her shoulders even as she tries to smile back, blood rushing through her ears in waves.

Things are a blur after that; from running down the decks of metal grates to the roar of an engine taking them to the skies. (There is an airship bounded for Sasus, I’ll have them adjust coordinates-) There was no time for long goodbyes -the four of them barely had time to trade quiet glances-, and before long the team had split again. (Don’t worry kids, got some unfinished business to do here. But then I’ll be right behind you. We all will.) She doesn’t feel any better when the clouds part and the guilt leaves.

There is an itch under her skin, emphasized by her own worry. It gnaws at her, bit by bit at the crevice of her mind that she actively tried to avoid. It is not long before she cannot close her eyes without seeing a mirage of a dimming tower within the harsh desert smothering with flame and ash.

The memory of a shrug, an easy-going grin, (Me? I’m going back to Vacuo./You are with who you need to be with now./Hey…I’m sure we will see each other again soon.) haunts her behind closed eyelids; grows stronger with each passing day they take to reach the far ends of the sea.

She would be lying if she said she hasn’t thought of him. It had been months long, but in her mind the culmination of her journey to and from Menagerie longer still, and he had been there, every step of the way, wading through the darkness of the White Fang beside her. He had been by her side so long until he wasn’t, and the first few nights after their parting she wakes up disoriented at the absence of an earnest voice and golden hair.

She misses Sun, she thinks, but under no circumstances did she want to see him again this way. The faunus boy who never failed to come to her aid, who offered and offered selflessly and gave himself to see her smile, whose homeland now burned under the eye of the cruel witch. She hopes this time she can be strong enough to return the favour.

Sun and his team were strong, she has no doubt about this, strong enough to give them a run for their money if they so wished. But then she thinks of confident Neptune; voice frantic and laced with pain, of what might have caused him to sound that way, and her instincts continue to spark something unpleasant in her gut.

The nightmare drags on, reveals fallen bodies both civilian and Hunter, a thousand possibilities that led to stark-white skulls glowing within burning destruction. A sinking sense of déjà vu comes over her when a limbless creature emerges from the inky blackness, morphs into tormented human.

Her throat closes with a sickening feeling.

Think positive, Ruby says, but even Blake can see the searing conflict beneath her eyes.

“This time, it won’t be too late.”

She surprises herself by placing a hand over her arm, and the smile that lights Ruby’s face makes her feel better too. She returns it, feeling a twinge of amusement at how hypocritical they both seem to be.

Sun used to do that; ground her back just as her thoughts spiral off into tangents that had her want to pull her hair in blind panic and frustration. She always had a penance for the worse-case scenarios; one would think he would get sick of it. But he had always grasped her shoulder and shot back a what-if, juggled Jingu-bang and Ruyi-bang with a goofy sort of confidence in a way he knew she would rib him for.

She had not realised the first few times, but he had made her forget. Ebbed her stress away until the darkness in her eyes left.

And for just those few moments, Adam’s hold on her was no longer as potent.

Her mouth twitches and furrow. She was thinking of him again.

She would have been blinded not to see it, and that was why she tries not to dwell on it at all. There was something there, small and rooted and growing, distance only putting a temporarily halt to the slow culmination of what she suspects, what she fears, would be a finite end she would have to face. Sun had gave, but he had also taken; nudged and prodded and tagged along with a stubborn refusal to leave her alone until he had cemented himself as a trusted companion.

He had become important to her. Important enough to warrant the odd clench in her chest at the thought of him incapacitated.

But Blake knows herself; knows the gentle inkling festering underneath all those layers of doubt and deceit she placed around her wary nature could possibly be more.

And that, above all, scares her more than anything.

She thinks back to a moonlit night of him lying on a cold concrete roof with a wound through his chest and feels a surge of aching so strong her breath rattles through her lungs. It was no longer just an eye for an eye, of give and take, of being there to catch him the way he had for her.

She gasps, snaps her eyes open and lunges from her seat when Ruby calls for her from the Captain’s bow.

Their ship doesn’t stick the landing, deterred by tumultuous windstorms and cascades of sand. The weather barrier had enclosed much of the inner city, disrupting any radio waves or signals honing out. Their Captain risks it, crash-dives the ship over the rapid beatings of murky black silhouette. The Nevermore plunges to its death, carrying the airship with it as it breaks through the sandstorm.

Ruby draws Crimson Rose just as the shutters shatter and the ship makes its crushing presence known, and then they were off at touchdown, a trail of rose petals and nifty shadows cutting a path to the city centre.

Staggered groups of survivors spot then first. Then the automation soldiers. Then rogue Hunters. Ruby blazes through a pack of smaller beasts in a flurry, throws her scythe open as she starts to fire. Blake darts into an opening she makes, curls Gambol Shroud into whip form and lunges. Her semblance ripples in frozen apparitions, dancing around and leaving the faintest trace of a cat-o-nine-tails.

She snatches the Grimm away from cornered bystanders as she advances further, clicks Gambol Shroud into position as the distorted monster tugs and struggles under her grip. Leaps. Then, a flash of red hair and singed clothes as someone lunges from the air toward her.

Her blade slashes pass the Grimm’s neck just as a cutlass cuts through its opposing side.

Blake lands just as red eyes flicker grey and white skull dissolves, turns back with widened eyes to the sight of Scarlet panting and speechless.

“You came.” He looked weary, but the surprise on his face soon wore off into a pleased grin. “Neptune really pulled it off.”

“Not all of us.” She says just as Ruby runs into view. Relief soothes a little of her rattled heart to see him standing. He was fine. That would mean the rest of SSSN had to be too.

“It’s fine,” he says with bravado as they turn their backs to face three lumbering Deathstalkers. “You two are probably all we need.”

Blake watches him huff at the corner of her eyes, sees him catch her looking and gestures to the path forward. A hand on her elbow; she glances back to see Ruby raise the ends of her rifle, hears the clicking of bullets load in wait even as her leader smiles at her with a wild, determined sort of look that held fire.

“Go. We will take care of this.”

“Be careful.” Her smile does not come fast enough for either of them to see; gone in a flicker as her shadows snaked right into the path of a striking stinger. She twists, and feels Gambol Shroud slice through flesh cleanly, side-steps the creature’s thrash of pain and hurries on deeper into the wreckage.

Fires burned hotter the longer she heads straight, and she pulls a few trapped civilians from smoking debris before her ears pricked at the noises of nearby snarling. Screams. She runs against the rushing crowd, sheathes her blade and flicks out the single leather whip. She emerges into the square to see Grimm breaking out of the back alleys at the other end.

Returning fire causes her to look up, and in the distance she sees him, a figure restless as he swipes at an offending mouth with his staff. An inaudible click as he knocks the Grimm on its stomach, and Jingu-bang swings free, metal chains leading trajectory as bullets rain from its other end. Ruyi-bang follows its lead, aims at the opposite direction as Sun spins in a wild circle. Blood stains a little of his shirt, but the agile way he moves gives the creatures no quarter to strike at weakness.

It had been months long and they were in the middle of the heat of battle, but to see him now; Blake feels something unravel within her chest. Her mind, usually so full of denial and second-guessing, was suspiciously clear. No growing warmth, but a flood of something tingling down her nerves that made her want to smile in the bleak situation, despite herself. This at least, she knows. She was living a moment.

She does not falter as she leaps down the stairs.

Flashes of semblances leap around the square in golden wisps, illuminating the darkening sky every time one is torn apart. She dashes past them all, gold eyes sharp as she throws Gambol Shroud forward to intercept the downward plummet of a claw. The leather cord catches and holds tight; she slips around its leg, the cock of a revolver as the mechanism shifts into a gun. Blake fires, uses the force of the Grimm’s backward collapse to slide under the group of them, fingers cracking the trigger as bullet lands mark after mark.

Her Semblance makes no lasting illusion as she crotches down and springs forward, and she reaches Sun just as the last bullet leaves its place. A nudge of her elbow against his back pushes him away from immediate range, causes him to lean forward in surprise, tilting his head back with an unsteady hand to see her sink her katana up the lower jaw of a Beowolf in mid-strike.

“Leave him alone!”

Her blade slashes through its mouth as she pulls it free, its howls quick extinguished by a volley of dust-enhanced bullets. Blake struggles to stand upright, brandishing Gambol Shroud as the smaller Grimm start to back away. The moments where she hears nothing but ragged breathing behind her felt like an eternity.

Then, finally-

“Blake?” His voice; wrecked with disbelief.

The feeling comes loose within her, and this time she cannot help the quiet free-fall of her heart as she turns to face him halfway. He looked as rough as that first night back in Menagerie, but no worse for wear. A shallow cut on his chest reveals a scabbing wound, but that was as much she could see before his gaze catches her again.

Shock, swimming in silence from spluttering lips as he remains at a loss for words. But amid it all, a familiar fondness in his eyes as he tries and fails to hide his spreading grin.

It truly feels like they had reversed roles from their meeting on that ship in the distant past. She can’t help it; the slight curling up of her lips.

“It’s nice to see you again, Sun.” Her hand reaches for his shoulder, tries to remember the way he used to hold hers. She only realises she was shaking when her fingers clench his sleeve too tight.

Ragged silence as Sun stares at her almost reverently. She has half a mind to pull away before he laughs, a breathless sound as he shifts Ruyi-bang aside and fumbles to place his hand clumsily over her own.

His smile was radiant when he looks at her, mirrors the relief that reunites them both.

“My hero.”

x

A/N

don’t you just love this pair and their dynamics and how amidst all the divergent story arcs post-pyrrah roosterteeth still managed to craft a fascinating faunus side plotline for blake and have!! sun be a constant presence throughout it all hOO BOY i’ll be damned if I don’t see the reverse happen soon with imminent Vacuo arc

#rwby #rwby blacksun #blake bellodona #sun wukong #writing #Property of the Rakurai #enjoy the good food guys this fandom is parched #hAH the one fandom I can get back into writing for and it’s the one known for ship toxicity man I just know how to pick and choose don’t i

[laniakeabooks]

2018 Wrap-Up

Hey guys! So, this is my first post on my first book blog – bear with me! I’ve posted my introduction so if you’d like to know more about me check it out!

Many of these statistics are taken from my Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/LaniakeaBooks) which I use to track my reading… as many others do.

I pledged 30 books for 2018 (I don’t have a lot of time to read which sucks) but managed to surpass that goal, and not going to lie, I am hella proud of myself!

Number of books read: 68

Number of pages read: 21080

Average rating: 3.1 stars

Books and ratings: All synopses are pull directly from Goodreads along with the page count. If you’d like a review from any of the books I’ve read in 2018, feel free to request it!

The Trickster’s Lover by Samantha McLeod - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Caroline Capello doesn't take chances.

A graduate student at the prestigious University of Chicago, Caroline dedicates her carefully-planned life to the serious, academic study of mythology.

Until a god shows up in her bedroom.

Loki, the enigmatic and irresistibly sexy Norse god of lies, appears late at night in Caroline's apartment, cuts her clothes down the middle, and rocks her studious world in ways she couldn't even imagine. The next morning, she's convinced it was a dream--until she sees her clothes on the floor, cut in two.

When Loki's appearances stop as suddenly as they began, concern for her lover forces Caroline to risk everything in an attempt to reach Val-Hall, the ancient home of Óðinn's army. Once there, she must put all she has learned to the test.

If she fails, there's far more than Loki's life at stake...

509 pages

 Hungry by H.A Swain - ⭐⭐⭐

 In the future, food is no longer necessary—until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.

In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.

H. A. Swain delivers an adventure that is both epic and fast-paced. Get ready to be Hungry.

384 pages

 Shift by Em Bailey - ⭐⭐⭐

 Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.

She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After “the incident,” Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.

But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.

But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?

A chilling psychological thriller that tears through themes of identity, loss, and toxic friendship, Shift will leave readers guessing until the final pages.

320 pages

 The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting - ⭐⭐

 Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... she might become his next prey.

327 pages

 Hourglass by Myra McEntire - ⭐⭐

 One hour to rewrite the past…

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

390 pages

 The Program by Suzanne Young - ⭐

 Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

And The Program is coming for them.

405 pages

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2340984030?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

 The Pledge by Kimberly Derting - ⭐⭐⭐

 In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

323 pages

 Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier - ⭐⭐⭐

 Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

354 pages

 This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - ⭐⭐⭐

 10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

Told from four different perspectives over the span of fifty-four harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

288 pages

 The Merciless II: The Exorcism of Sofie Flores by Danielle Vega - ⭐⭐⭐

 Sofia is still processing the horrific truth of what happened when she and three friends performed an exorcism that spiraled horribly out of control. Ever since that night, Sofia has been haunted by bloody and demonic visions. Her therapist says they’re all in her head, but to Sofia they feel chillingly real. She just wants to get out of town, start fresh someplace else . . . until her mother dies suddenly, and Sofia gets her wish.

Sofia is sent to St. Mary’s, a creepy Catholic boarding school in Mississippi. There, seemingly everyone is doing penance for something, most of all the mysterious Jude, for whom Sofia can’t help feeling an unshakeable attraction. But when Sofia and Jude confide in each other about their pasts, something flips in him. He becomes convinced that Sofia is possessed by the devil. . . . Is an exorcism the only way to save her eternal soul?

Readers won’t be able to look away from this terrifying read full of twists and turns that will leave them wondering, Is there evil in all of us?

320 pages

 The Merciless III: Origins of Evil by Danielle Vega - ⭐⭐⭐

 Brooklyn knows that there's no good without evil, no right without wrong. And when a helpless girl calls her teen helpline, whispering that someone is hurting her, Brooklyn knows that she needs to save her anonymous caller, even if it means doing something bad.

Her parents and friends assure her the call was probably a prank but Brooklyn has always had a tendency to take over, whether someone has asked for help or not.

She discovers the call came from Christ First Church and finds herself plunged into the cultish community of its youth group. She's especially drawn to Gavin, the angelic yet tortured pastor's son.

Torn between an unstoppable attraction to Gavin and her obsession with the truth, Brooklyn is forced to make a devastating choice to rid Christ Church of evil once and for all. . . . But the devil has plans for Brooklyn's soul.

304 pages

 Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

339 pages

 Camp Follower: One Army Brat’s Story by Michele Sabad - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 In this memoir, Michele Sabad takes us on one army brat’s journey with stories about a childhood in Calgary, Germany, Labrador, and Saskatchewan; becoming a young Air Force wife and Hockey Mom in Edmonton, Kingston, Winnipeg, and Cold Lake; building a career in Information Technology; and finally, settling in a new culture and life in Ottawa and Aylmer, Quebec. Michele’s story will interest, inspire, and enlighten both those who grew up in “the life” and those curious to peek at how this kind of life turned out. A base brat life, sure, but one unique in Canadian history—kids don’t grow up like this anymore—not even base kids. Fascinating insight; a slice of Canadiana.

196 pages

 Nemesis by Brendan Reichs - ⭐⭐⭐

 He killed me. He killed me not. He killed me.

It’s been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown—alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he’s not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.

443 pages

 Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Welcome to a dark new world where lethal, beautiful archangels hold sway over immortals and mortals both, with the Guild Hunters caught in between, tasked with retrieving those vampires who break their contracts with their angelic masters.

Elena Deveraux is a Guild Hunter. She was hired to do the impossible - to hunt down a rogue Archangel - and she suceeded where none had believed she could. But in the process, she fell in love. And not just with anyone: with the Archangel Raphael. It a love that's as powerful as it is terrifying and dangerous.

But the world won't stand still while Elena and Raphael enjoy their new-found love. Vampires and angels still go rogue and it's still Elena's job to hunt them down and return them to their angelic masters. While she is exceptional, Elena isn't invulnerable - and the more obvious her talents become, the bigger a target she becomes...

336 pages

 The Gender Game by Bella Forrest - ⭐⭐

 A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender.

Women rule the East. Men rule the West.

Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus...

Ever since the death of her mother, Violet's life has been shadowed by bad luck. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now after two unfortunate incidents resulting in womanslaughter, she has been sentenced to death.

But one decision could save her life.

One decision to enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit.

Everything about the patriarchy defies Violet's identity, but she must sacrifice everything if she wishes to survive the forbidden kingdom... including forbidden love.

How much of yourself could you give up to keep yourself alive?

418 pages

 The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest - ⭐⭐

 The Tower's survival is humanity's survival, and each must serve it faithfully...

Twenty-year-old Liana Castell must be careful what she thinks. Her life is defined by the number on her wristband -- a rating out of ten awarded based on her usefulness and loyalty to the Tower, and monitored by a device in her skull. A device that reports forbidden thoughts.

Liana is currently a four, the lowest possible acceptable score, and despite her parents' perfect scores of ten, she struggles to increase it. Rebellious ideas come all too easily, and resentfulness seems part of her being. She is an overseer-in-training, but her future will be dark if she cannot raise her worth...

Threes require drug treatment.

Twos are isolated.

Ones disappear.

When Liana's worst nightmare comes to pass and she drops to a three, desperation spurs her down a path few dare to tread. A chance encounter with a cocky young man whose shockingly dissident attitude toward the Tower couldn't possibly have earned him the perfect "ten" on his wrist, sets her on a trail to save herself--even at the risk of dropping lower.

Stalking the young man seemed like a simple enough task, but after events take an unexpected twist, Liana finds herself taking a treacherous dive into the darkest depths of the Tower... and the decades' old secrets buried within.

In a society where free thinking can make you a criminal, one girl dares to try...

410 pages

 Banded by Logan Byrne - ⭐⭐

 In dystopian Manhattan, society is divided into six zones, with each one representing a citizen’s benefit to society: Stalwart (strength), Astute (intelligence), Collusive (greed), Radiant (beauty), Quixotic (no life direction), and the Altruistic (willingness to help others). On a citizen’s sixteenth birthday, a computer suggests a new zone for them based on their inherent benefit to society. When Kalenna Slater is sorted out of her home zone Quixotic and into Altruistic, she thinks things can’t get worse. Life looks dismal until she meets Gavin, a boy also just sorted into Altruistic who becomes the light needed on her cloudy days.

During sorting she receives a device known as ‘The Band’. It’s a large watch-like device that never comes off, and it measures a citizen’s karma on a scale from one to one hundred. If a citizen does good, they gain points. If a citizen does bad, including breaking laws, they lose points. When your number reaches zero, the band acts as judge, jury, and executioner, and you are injected with toxins that kill you within minutes.

After sorting, recruits are taken to a three month long mandatory school named HQ. It’s at HQ she meets new friends from different zones, and finally begins to feel at ease. Everything goes well until a rare trip home makes her discover that her father, who has been missing for a decade, may have taken part in a terrible program that stands to shake the fabric of society.

342 pages

 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

602 pages

 Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nalini Singh steps back into the shadows of her heartbreakingly original world where angels rule, vampires serve, and the innocent can pay the greatest price of all ...Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil ...A vampire has attacked a girls' school - the assault one of sheer, vicious madness - and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear. An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed ...

324 pages

 They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire - ⭐⭐⭐

 Every year, the lives of ten junior girls at Vienna High are transformed.

All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the prettiest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes.

If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

352 pages

 What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang - ⭐⭐⭐

 I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

343 pages

 Remake by Ilima Todd - ⭐⭐

 Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision

and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom

Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is

pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test

her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

304 pages

 The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons by Same Kean - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike-strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies, horrendous accidents-and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival was miraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took place afterward, altering victims' personalities. An injury to one section can leave a person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you a pathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized that these injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes. With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways while recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles, resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.

416 pages

 The Compound by S.A Bodeen - ⭐⭐

 Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

For Eli, no amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day.

As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can't help but wonder if he'd rather take his chances outside.

Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—or sorry?

256 pages

 Enclave by Ann Aguire - ⭐⭐

 New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight--guided by Fade's long-ago memories--in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

259 pages

 Slated by Teri Terry - ⭐⭐

 Kyla’s memory has been erased,

her personality wiped blank,

her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

439 pages

 Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Emily Carroll - ⭐⭐⭐

 "Speak up for yourself-we want to know what you have to say."

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless--an outcast--because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.

374 pages

 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - ⭐⭐⭐

 Brave New World is a dystopian novel written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State of genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that are combined to make a utopian society that goes challenged only by a single outsider.

288 pages

 Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney - ⭐⭐

 Walking around New York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He loved the city, and even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mitty was a carefree guy: he didn't worry about terrorists or blackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was late getting started on his Advanced Bio report.

Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something in if he doesn't, he'll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia's in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in his family's weekend house that focus on something he could write about.

But when he discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer about the grades: it's about life and death. His own.This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless.

200 pages

 Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither - ⭐⭐⭐

 When Cate Benson was a kid, her sister, Violet, died. Two hours after the funeral, Cate’s family picked up Violet’s replacement. Like nothing had happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to give their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth—which means this new Violet has the same smile. The same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all of the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

At least, that’s what the paparazzi and the anti-cloning protestors want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that. She’s used to defending her sister, too. But Violet has vanished, and when Cate sets out to find her, she ends up in the line of fire instead. Because Cate is getting dangerously close to secrets that will rock the foundation of everything she thought was true.

In a thrilling debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

352 pages

 The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle - ⭐⭐⭐

 Every October Cara and her family become inexplicably and unavoidably accident-prone. Some years it's bad, and some years it's just a lot of cuts and scrapes. This accident season--when Cara, her ex-stepbrother, Sam, and her best friend, Bea, are 17--is going to be a bad one. Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There's a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she'll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she'll uncover the dark origins of the accident season--whether she's ready or not.

320 pages

 Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu, illustrated by Kaari - ⭐⭐⭐

 Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Born into the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives are not as sinister as they often seem. One day June’s brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June tries desperately to avenge her brother’s death. And the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together and the lengths their country will go to in order to keep its secrets.

160 pages

 A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L’Engle, illustrated by Hope Larson - ⭐⭐

 Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murry, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract — a wrinkle that transports one across space and time — to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murry is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murry but the safety of the whole universe.

Never before illustrated, A Wrinkle in Time is now available in a spellbinding graphic novel adaptation. Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, Mrs Which, the Happy Medium, Aunt Beast, and the many other characters that readers have loved for the past fifty years. Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet.

392 pages

 Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

310 pages

 The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton - ⭐⭐⭐

 Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

301 pages

 Once We Were by Kat Zhang - ⭐⭐⭐

 "I'm lucky just to be alive."

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

352 pages

 Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout - ⭐⭐⭐

 Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

335 pages

 Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins - ⭐⭐⭐

 Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shape-shifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world-the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good-or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

359 pages

 The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - ⭐⭐

 Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

341 pages

 The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, illustrated by Veronica Fish - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 16-year-old Wendy Davies crashes her car into a lake on a late summer night in New England with her two younger brothers in the backseat. When she wakes in the hospital, she is told that her youngest brother, Michael, is dead. Wendy — a once rational teenager – shocks her family by insisting that Michael is alive and in the custody of a mysterious flying boy. Placed in a new school, Wendy negotiates fantasy and reality as students and adults around her resemble characters from Neverland. Given a sketchbook by her therapist, Wendy starts to draw. But is The Wendy Project merely her safe space, or a portal between worlds?

96 pages

 Torn by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

 When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story...

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits... and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted... in both worlds.

324 pages

 Ascend by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

 Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself.  If she doesn't surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe.  But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind... even if it’s the only way to save them?

The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn't the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice... who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.

Everything has been leading to this moment.  The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

326 pages

 The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings - ⭐⭐

 Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

398 pages

 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children

No Solicitations

No Visitors

No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

173 pages

 Red by Allison Cherry - ⭐⭐⭐

 Felicity St. John has it all: loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Redheads hold all the power in Scarletville—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note: I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be a social outcast faster than she can say strawberry blond.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?

336 pages

 Frostfire by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

 Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

321 pages

 Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

 In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…and the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss, Ridley Dresden, is overseeing her mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it will change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.

309 pages

 Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

 The kingdom she loves has turned against her. Can she save it before it’s too late?

Bryn Aven—unjustly charged with murder and treason—is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the gorgeous and enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him?

As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers’ darkest secrets are coming to light…and now the entire troll world is on the brink of war. Will it tear Bryn from Ridley Dresden, the only guy she’s ever loved? And can she join forces with Finn Holms and the Trylle kingdom? Nothing is as it seems, but one thing is certain: an epic battle is under way—and when it’s over, nothing will ever be the same…

432 pages

 High-Rise by J.G. Ballard, read by Tom Hiddleston - ⭐⭐⭐

 When a class war erupts inside a luxurious apartment block, modern elevators become violent battlegrounds, and cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors. In this visionary tale, human society slips into violent reverse as once-peaceful residents, driven by primal urges, re-create a world ruled by the laws of the jungle.

 Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - ⭐⭐⭐

 1 hour, 43 minutes

An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.

A cannon. A strap.

A piece. A biscuit.

A burner. A heater.

A chopper. A gat.

A hammer

A tool

for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

306 pages

 The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

409 pages

 The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron - ⭐⭐⭐

 While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh's Colorado home. But Josh can't resist Lucy's soulful brown eyes, and though he's never had a dog before, he's determined to do the best he can for Lucy—and her soon-to-arrive, bound-to-be-adorable puppies.

Soon in over his head, Josh calls the local animal shelter for help, and meets Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals. As Kerri teaches Josh how to care for Lucy's tiny puppies and gets them ready to be adopted through the shelter's "Dogs of Christmas" program, Josh surprises himself by falling for her.

But he's fallen even harder for his new furry family, which has brought incredible joy into Josh's life. He barely has time to sit down, between chasing after adventurous Sophie and brave Oliver, but when he does, his lap is quickly filled by the affectionate Lola. And Rufus and Cody's strong bond makes Josh wonder about his own relationships with his family.

With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh finds himself wondering if he can separate himself from his beloved puppies. At odds with Kerri, Josh isn't willing to lose her, but doesn't know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man's life?

233 pages

 Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevive Tucholke - ⭐⭐⭐

 Every story needs a hero.

Every story needs a villain.

Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?

Someone knows.

Someone is lying.

247 pages

 Enthralled: Paranormal Diversion by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong - ⭐⭐⭐

 A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

443 pages

 The 100 by Kass Morgan - ⭐⭐⭐

  No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents -- considered expendable by society -- are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves -- but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope.

323 pages

 Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

187 pages

 Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic.

174 pages

 How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - ⭐⭐⭐

 Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she's never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it's a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy's uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

194 pages

 Defy by Sara B. Larson - ⭐⭐⭐

 Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

336 pages

 Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve - ⭐⭐⭐

 Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice. In a time and place where women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only female to serve in the order.

Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb - nearly the only person she's ever known - to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project. As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. Fever has also been singled out by city-dwellers who declare her part Scriven.

The Scriveners, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated.

All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr. Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?

326 pages

 The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch - ⭐⭐⭐

 In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing--and their lives--forever.

278 pages

 Legacy by L.J. Swallow - ⭐⭐⭐

 Verity Jameson's day switches from mundane to disastrous when she runs down a stranger with her car. Fortunately for Vee, she can't kill Death.

Death, who just happens to be one of the Four Horsemen, and he's looking for her.

The Four Horsemen spend life preventing the end of the world, not bringing on an apocalypse. As gatekeepers of the portals which exist between the human world and other realms, the team fight to keep the portals closed and the supernatural forces under control. Without their fifth member, the Four Horsemen are losing the battle.

Now they've found Verity and what they tell her goes far beyond the conspiracy theories Vee spends her free time investigating.

A new life with four dark, sexy and dangerous men fighting demons, vampires and fae? Not what Vee had planned, but a hell of a lot more interesting than her boring job in tech support.

So what happens when the unbreakable bond of the Five takes control in a way none of them expected?

133 pages

 Bound by L.J. Swallow – ⭐⭐⭐

 Ewan's shock revelation sends Vee's life further into chaos, and she faces an uncertain future in a secret world she never knew existed.

Vee joins the Four Horsemen's hunt for those behind the plot to murder a fae queen, where she discovers society faces bigger dangers than she realised.

One night changes everything and increases Vee's determination to harness her power and step into her new role.

The Four Horsemen now have their missing link and will each do anything to protect and support her, but Vee's determined to show them she can be their equal.

The group are about to find out exactly how powerful Truth is

170 pages

 Hunted by L.J. Swallow – ⭐⭐⭐

 Who is Vee? Where did she come from? And what is the darkness the fae can see inside her?

Xander's reaction to these questions drives a bigger wedge between the fae and the Horsemen. His move isn't popular with the others because right now they need fae help more than ever.

A bloody message and a series of murders lead to a search for a threat from the past. Instead, the Horsemen encounter something new and dangerous. The race is on to find out what the creatures are and how big a threat they are to an already chaotic world.

Vee discovers using her powers has a strange effect on her relationship with the Horsemen. Although this pulls her closer to the guys, the conflict between Vee and Xander continues. But is the greatest conflict within himself?

And as the Five search for answers, someone watches. What does he know? Can he help? Or does he have an agenda of his own?

180 pages

 Guardians by L.J. Swallow –  ⭐⭐⭐

 Assassins, ancient magic, and the mysterious Collector bring new challenges to the Horsemen. Can the five find the answers they need before it's too late?

Three humans are dead, and the search is on for the surviving member from Vee's online group. If he's alive, Seth could hold the key to who's behind the attacks -- and why the group are targets.

Thanks to their broken alliance with the fae, the Four Horseman and Vee must turn to others for help and are pulled deeper into the supernatural underworld. The danger the world faces is greater than they imagined and someone is determined the Horsemen will fail.

The Four Horsemen will each do whatever it takes to protect Vee, but as Vee's relationship with the guys intensifies, so does her power. How powerful can she become and at what cost to the Four Horsemen's future?

171 pages

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[dramacurrent]

In our fourth episode of Devilish Joy, fate does its best to throw our leads back together.  But as Ma Sung tries his best to remember her, Gi Bbeum has to face her own struggles and fears.  Will fate be enough when life is against them?  Join us as we continue recapping Choi Jin Hyuk’s “Devilish Joy.”

Devilish Joy Episode 4 Recap:

We open only moments after Ma Sung discovered Gi Bbeum’s shoes.  As Ma Sung stares at the shoes, Ki Joon arrives on his doorstep and demands to be let in.

Once inside Ki Joon dashes from room to room as he laments, “It’s true! You really do live here! Why do you live here!?”  Ma Sung is baffled by his cousin and asks what is wrong.

Apparently, Ki Joon had purchased the house three years ago as a gift for Gi Bbeum.  He had even used the company’s name so he wouldn’t be caught by his mother.

Ma Sung scolds him for using company money so flippantly and declares that he is lucky that Ma Sung bought the house instead.  Ki Joon tearfully begs Ma Sung to sell or give him the house.  At the sight of his cousin’s agony, Ma Sung asks if he has some connection to the house.

“Of course!  It’s Joo Gi Bbeum’s house!”  He wails.  Astonished, Ma Sung looks down at the red shoes and tape player still on the table.  But no matter how much Ki Joon begs, Ma Sung still refuses to give him the house.

After Ki Joon leaves, Ma Sung looks around his quiet house wonderingly.  If this was Gi Bbeum’s house, then the shoes and tape player must be hers too, right?

The next morning Ma Sung rises, showers, and sits down to read his newest memory journal: his book of Gi Bbeum.

Meanwhile, Gi Bbeum’s Dad hunts through their recycling pile for a poem he had written last night that went missing.  He finds it, written on the back of the contract Gi Bbeum had recycled, and stuffs it into an envelope to mail.  After addressing the envelope, he goes inside to join his family for breakfast.

While doing her makeup, Sa Rang, Gi Bbeum’s younger sister, asks what happened to their picture of Mom.  She wants to see it because she thinks she was the only one in the family who got Mom’s “ugly eyes.”  At this all three of her family members announce that they have ugly eyes too and squint at her.  Adorably, Sa Rang is encouraged by this.  (Their family is so adorable.  I love these little moments where we get to see how supportive and loving they are to each other.)

While they eat, Gi Bbeum’s phone rings with a call from “Gonggalbbang,” that is, Ma Sung.  (Translation: Gonggalbbang is a type of bread in Korea which is crusty on the outside and hollow on the inside.  The word literally means “fake.”)  However, Gi Bbeum announces that she doesn’t need to answer it.

On the other side of the line, Ma Sung sits in the backseat of his car listening to the phone endlessly ring.  At last a voice answers, but it is Sa Rang.  She tells him that her sister doesn’t want to talk with him.  Ma Sung asks if her sister could call him back since he has something belonging to her.

But Sa Rang startles him by abruptly asking, “Mr. Gonggalbbang, do you like my sister?”  Before he can answer Gi Bbeum discovers Sa Rang on her phone, and Ma Sung hears the two sisters fight before the line goes dead.

Across town, Lee Ha Im scrolls through her phone before her next shoot.  She exclaims in shock as she discovers an article about an actress she knows who reconnected with her past love and got married.  Just then two variety show writers arrive to meet her.  The two women greet her politely, but Ha Im just growls at her assistant that he must have a death wish if he brought them to her.

The writers go on to explain that they are working on a variety show which helps stars find their lost first loves.  Ha Im rudely interrupts them to say that she is a top actress so she doesn’t do variety shows.  The women leave mumbling about “that evil woman.”

Meanwhile, Nan Joo has been trying to sneak the faux fur necklace Gi Bbeum made away from Ha Im.  But it is no use.  As she reaches for it, Lee Ha Im picks up the necklace and fondles it loving.

Moments later, Ha Im, proudly wearing her fake necklace, sits across from an interviewer.  As her final question the reporter asks about Ha Im’s “Eco-fashion choices,” such as the fake fur necklace she is wearing.  Ha Im is stunned, but recovers quickly to tell the interviewer about her environmentally friendly choice.  As she does her eyes cut over to Nan Joo, who watches in horror.

Just then Ma Sung pulls up to Joo Gi Bbeum’s house.  He finds her hanging clothes outside and asks her why it is that she isn’t answering his phone calls.   Instead of answering, she taunts him that he must be able to waste a lot of time coming to see her since he is rich.  Ma Sung retorts that he is using his very precious time to visit her and again asks why she isn’t answering.

“What could we possibly need to talk about since we had a fleeting connection?”  She replies sharply.  Ma Sung extends a shoe box to her.   He tells her that he isn’t giving it to her, he is just showing her and opens the lid to reveal one perfect red shoe.

Gi Bbeum’s expression shifts only subtly, but Ma Sung notices and watches puzzled.  He tells her that he found them in his house, the house she used to live in, and asks if they could really only have a fleeting connection.

But Gi Bbeum steels herself and tells him to throw the shoes away.  He is shocked and tells her that there were other things hidden with the shoes.  Without hesitation she snaps at him to throw them all away and promises she will have no regrets.  Suddenly, Nan Joo calls.  Frantically she tells Gi Bbeum the horrible news that Ha Im has discovered their fake necklace.  In a panic, Gi Bbeum rushes out, leaving Ma Sung behind.

At the film site, Ha Im rages at Nan Joo and threatens to call her manager — Nan Joo’s employer.  Just then, Gi Bbeum arrives to everyone’s amazement.  Ha Im greets her with a prickly “long time no see, Gi Bbeum.”

Apparently, the women did a shoot together 3 years ago, although Gi Bbeum has no remembrance of it, during which Gi Bbeum told Ha Im that “That’s not how acting’s done.”  Ha Im puts up an icy exterior, but she is obviously still wounded by the old words.  As they talk, Ma Sung lumbers up to watch from a distance .

Gi Bbeum apologizes for what happened back them and admits to having made the fake necklace now.  Ha Im rages that because of her from now she will only be able to wear fake fur to match her new “vegan” image.  She yells for Gi Bbeum to get down on her knees in penance.  (This girl is just way too petty.)  Nan Joo tries to get down on her knees instead, but Gi Bbeum insists on taking the bullet for her friend and kneels.

The crowd that has gathered watches in amusement and a cameraman begins to film the “huge news.”  Finally, Ma Sung can’t take it anymore, turns the camera away, and borrows a pair of sunglasses from the camera assistant.  (So we’re going with the Clark Kent method of disguise?)  Bursting with masculinity, he strides over to Gi Bbeum and picks up the fake necklace off the ground.

“I’d like to buy this,” he announces and asks Ha Im how much it would cost for her not to be angry anymore.  Amused, she responds that it is really hard to appease her anger, so Ma Sung tries a different approach and offers to let her into an Honor’s Society for the benefit of her publicity.  Ha Im considers this.  Seeing that he has won, Ma Sung pulls Gi Bbeum to her feet and drags her away.

After he leaves Ha Im reads the business card he left with her:  “Neuroscientist at Sunwoo Hospital, Gong Ma Sung.”  Her eyes light as she wonders whether this is the same Gong Ma Sung she knew in elementary school.

Back at Star Entertainment, Ki Joon’s manager (Manager Jang) happens to pass jerk manager on the street.  Jerk Manager feigns concern for Manager Jang about his signing an old lady like Joo Gi Bbeum.

However, Manager Jang angrily retorts, “I’m angry enough that you stole Lee Ha Im.  Are you plotting something else to destroy me?”  (So jerk manager has an unreasonable grudge against him too?  Ugh.)  The two men nearly come to blows when they are interrupted by the arrival of a delivery for Manager Jang — it’s the contract Gi Bbeum’s dad accidentally mailed.

Meanwhile not far from set, Gi Bbeum and Ma Sung peacefully walk together.  She scolds him for paying so much for the worthless necklace, but he responds that it was worth that much; she saved her friend, and he could save the brave woman who rescued her friend.  (swoons.)

“There is nothing more worthwhile than saving others,” he tells her.

Just then Ki Joon rushes up to them.  He is surprised to see them together and asks how they are together.  Gi Bbeum says they just “happened to run into each other” — which annoys Ma Sung.

The boys begin to banter about not talking to each other, and Gi Bbeum wonders aloud whether they had a fight, but receives no comment from the boys.  Remembering the reason he is there, Ki Joon asks Gi Bbeum to follow him (back to the company), since she signed their contract.  As one Ma Sung and Gi Bbeum exclaim in confusion.

Back at Star Entertainment, Ma Sung, Ki Joon, Gi Bbeum, and Manager Jang stare at the sauce smeared contract, and Gi Bbeum wonders aloud repeatedly how the contract came to be here.  Manager Jang explains that someone named “Joo Man Shik” submitted it with his poem.

“That’s my dad.”  Gi Bbeum says and then realizes with horror what happened.  She and Manager Jang  agree that they should pretend the contract was never signed, since it wasn’t signed officially after all.  But Ki Joon has what he wanted and tell her if she wants out she will have to pay the termination fee — knowing of course that she won’t.

After Ki Joon happily strides away, Gi Bbeum repeats his words, “termination fee,” and then turns to  bat her eyes at Ma Sung.  Just then he gets a call from his Secretary reminding him of a meeting, and he happily flees.

At the hospital, Ma Sung gives a presentation about his project, “The Healing Village.”  He explains how it will be a place where dementia patients can live happy, ordinary lives safely.  The board questions how he plans to fund his village, but to their amusement he announces that the village will be run free of cost to the patients and will rely on donations.

After the meeting, Evil Auntie expresses interest in the project to Ma Sung and encourages him — even to telling a board member to “just trust him.”  But when her back is turned her eyes harden and grow fierce.

After she is gone, Ma Sung’s secretary turns to him and asks if he is scared of his aunt.  But Ma Sung is unconcerned and asks if he should be.  Afterall she raised him like a parent since he was 8 years old and always supports and cheers for him.  (If only Ma Sung knew how much she is “caring” for him.)  His expression knowing and sad, the secretary hands Ma Sung a USB drive.  “When you feel depressed, lonely, and alone watch this.”  He tells him.

Later that day Ma Sung visits his physician.  The physician questions whether he is rushing the development of the Healing Village, but Ma Sung tells him it is because he must work quickly before his condition worsens.  At this, the doctor asks if he is having new symptoms like having holes in his memory or a hard time seeing.  Thankfully, he tells him he has not.  However, he has discovered that the woman he remembers was a person he met the day of the accident.  (Nooo!  Don’t tell him anything.  He’s spying on you, Ma Sung!!!)

Outside at their favorite drinking spot, Gi Bbeum tells Nan Joo that she has signed the contract.  Gi Bbeum looks forlorn and depressed, but Nan Joo rejoices that this is a divine opportunity.  After pouring another round, Nan Joo slyly asks who that tall handsome man from today was.  But her face changes to one of shock when Gi Bbeum tells her it was the guy who abandoned her three years ago.

However, it changes back to delight when Gi Bbeum adds that he is the heir to Sunwoo Group.  “Break up with him.”  She says suddenly, her face shifting back to disgust.  “Joo Gi Bbeum, the one with a million anti fans and a chaebal?  How would you overcome that?…There’s more than love in this world,”  Nan Joo tells her.

At the word “love” Gi Bbeum lashes out that it isn’t love, and at that exact moment the shop lights go out.  (Ah, the fate is strong with this one.)

When Gi Bbeum arrives back home she discovers her whole family rummaging through the house in search of their only picture of their mom.  Dad says that he thinks they forgot it when they moved, which makes Gi Bbeum wonder if…

At that exact moment at his house Ma Sung puts the USB drive into his laptop.  Clips of Gi Bbeum in a recording studio play on his screen.  As her voice drifts gently from his speakers, Ma Sung becomes entranced.  Another clip of Gi Bbeum smiling in a lacy white dress makes him laugh.  He wonders how this could be the same Joo Gi Bbeum he knows.  He continues to laugh and smile about her beauty until he remembers that she still hasn’t called him.

Just then the phone rings.  Giddily happy, he picks up the phone but forces his voice to be serious when he answers.  On the other end of the line, Gi Bbeum nervously asks if maybe he found a photo among the things he found, and she is ecstatic when he tells her he found one.  But the schoolboy in Ma Sung can’t resist, and he teases her that he is about to throw it away with his trash.  Desperately, Gi Bbeum tells him to save it for her until she can come get it tomorrow.  Still having more fun than he should, Ma Sung pretends that the connection on the phone is lost.

Gi Bbeum franticly rushes over to his house to catch him before he takes out the trash.  But he meets her at the door expectantly.  To himself, he wonders if this unkempt woman with two different pairs of shoes on could be the same woman in those clips.

Gi Bbeum asks for him to give her the photo, but he insists that she sit down first.  He offers to get her a drink and heads to the kitchen.  As she sits down Gi Bbeum notices her big toe sticking out through a hole in her sock.  Mortified, she tries to cover the hole with her other foot — all of which Ma Sung notices.

When he comes back with a bottle of water for her she scoots to the opposite end of the couch.  He playfully scolds her for moving so far from him and jokes that he must have thrown the photo away already.  This agitates her like he had hoped, and she leaps to her feet, revealing her naked toe.  Ma Sung laughs and chivalrously offers her his house shoes, which she hurriedly slips into.

Trying to increase their time together, Ma Sung tells her he will need time to think about where he put the photo and, since she knows the house so well anyhow, for her to clean the house as his reward for finding it.  Gi Bbeum is at first disgusted, but eventually agrees when he brings up throwing out the photo again.

Gi Bbeum wanders about the house doing simple chores: make the bed, do the dishes, etc. all the while trying to secretly search for her photo.  But when she comes to his memory room, Ma Sung stops her saying it is off-limits.  She peeks through the wooden slats into the room and remarks that it looks like a nice study.  In that moment she sees his sketch of their meeting on the day when she told him to forget her.  She immediately recognizes it, but before she can say anything he rushes her off to “cut the grass.”

Outside Gi Bbeum kicks the push mower and wonders whether he is intentionally trying to make her suffer.  (You are just so fun to pick on, Gi Bbeum.)  She looks around the yard and spots an old patio table and chairs.  As she sees them, her memory drifts back to a celebration party her family had at that same table three years ago.

After finishing the lawn, Gi Bbeum slips back into the house and starts her search again for the photo.  But Ma Sung quickly catches her.  Dripping masculine charm, he stands closely over her.  Gi Bbeum nervously waves her hands insisting that she wasn’t looking for the photo and accidentally knocks her hand into a cactus.

The couple move to the living room couch, where Ma Sung goes into doctor/concerned lover mode as he gently plucks the cactus from her fingers.  As she watches him work, Gi Bbeum softly asks if it would be possible for him to get her out of the contract with Star Entertainment.  Afterall, she’d only signed it as a joke when she was drunk.

But Ma Sung cautions her not to ask him, but to ask herself.  Perhaps, her drunken brain was telling her what it is that she really wants to do.  His words obviously touch a nerve, because Gi Bbeum shifts uncomfortably.  As he dabs ointment on her wounds, she notices that he has written something on top of the tattoo on his hand.  She asks what he wrote, and he shyly tells her it is a name he doesn’t want to forget.

Apparently, Ma Sung has run out of ideas to delay her, because next they move to the front entrance and he hands her an envelope.  He asks when she will come back for the rest of her things, but she again tells him to throw them away.  But this time he doesn’t really believe her since she told him the same thing earlier and still came back for the photo.  Jokingly, he tells her there were many strange things that she left.  This gets her attention and she demands what he means by that.  But she quickly realizes she fell for his trap and rushes out the door.

Later that night, Gi Bbeum lies in her bed as Ma Sung’s words swirl over and over through her thoughts.  She looks at the old pictures of herself hidden above her in the bed frame and wonders what her true feelings really are.

At the same time, Ma Sung is also remembering.  In his mind’s eye he sees Gi Bbeum bustle about his home cleaning, and this makes him chuckle happily.

The next morning at breakfast Gi Bbeum announces to her family that she signed the contract.  Her brother and sister are scared and disgusted respectively, but Dad’s eyes fill with tears.

On her way out later that morning, Gi Bbeum discovers her father sitting by himself outside.  She snuggles up next to him and teases him about secretly listening to her old song on the cassette player.    He admits that he listened to it in secret because he was scared she’d be mad at him — she did get her mother’s fiery temper after all.  Clearing her throat, Gi Bbeum earnestly promises him she will work hard to make her comeback.

But Papa asks her tenderly if she knows why they named her Gi Bbeum(happiness.)  “It is so the sadness in this world wouldn’t even dare talk to you…it is so you would be joyful and happy every day.”    Tearfully, Gi Bbeum notes that she hasn’t really lived up to her name, since she only ever cries.

Meanwhile, Ki Joon has just finished getting dressed in his room at Star Entertainment.  (Wait, so has he been living there this whole time or is he only staying there because his cards are frozen?)  Manager Jang and his assistant arrive and Ki Joon bounces over happily to greet them.  Now that they have signed Gi Bbeum, he announces that he wants to start working on dramas again too.  But Manager Jang reminds him that in the real world you have to wait for offers to come before you can star in dramas.  However, Ki Joon is in too good a mood to be dismissed and declares that he should be in a variety show then.

But Manager Jang is incredulous and asks whether Ki Joon has any special talent.  To that Ki Joon declares he does…dancing! and proceeds to demonstrate with a horrifying display of “moves.”  (He looks like a pogo stick.)  Manager Jang looks as though he is going to cry and leans on his assistant for support.  But he rallies himself and declares that they should do it.  They will get him on the “Brain Q Show.”

Excitedly, Ki Joon asks what the “Brain Q Show” is.  The assistant explains that it is a show where a celebrity and their friend work together to answer questions ranging from easy to Mensa level.  Ki Joon’s excitement deflates, which seems to make Manager Jang happy.  But that quickly changes when he declares that he will do it.  (I see what tried to do there, Manager Jang.  You thought he wouldn’t do it because it would be too brainy.  Clearly, you don’t know our boy’s determination yet.)

But Ki Joon has a plan.  Since it is done in pairs, he will go on with a genius.  And he just so happens to know one.  It is then, however, that he remembers that he cut Ma Sung out of his life.

Meanwhile, Ma Sung is having tests done at the hospital.  His physician explains that the stress he has had since he was a child has begun to manifest physically, such as his hypersensitivity to light.

In flashback, we see Ma Sung as a boy having a family picture taken with his parents.  The photographer snaps their photo — flash of light.

We see Ma Sung still as a boy riding in the backseat of the car with his mother.  Ma Sung accidentally drops a toy firetruck on the floor of the front seat, and his dad reaches down to pick it up, accidentally turning the steering wheel and veering the car into oncoming traffic.  A massive truck barrels towards them headlights blazing — flash of light.

Their car spins wildly as his dad tries to regain control.  He hear a crash and see the overturned car.  Ma Sung lays sobbing on the ground, while the rain pours around him and his toy firetruck’s lights blink on and off — flashes of light.

Ma Sung looks over and sees his injured parents still inside the car.  Car after car passes their accident.

Flash.

Flash.

Back in the present, the tests are over.  Ma Sung tells his physician that he is alright, as long as he is careful to avoid bright lights.  The physician makes some notes.

After Ma Sung leaves, his doctor immediately dials Evil Auntie to give her an update.

Meanwhile out in the hallway, Ki Joon bribes a child to deliver a message to Ma Sung.  Ma Sung happily takes the note at first, but trashes it once he realizes it is from his cousin.  Ki Joon rushes towards him and asks why he trashed a handwritten attempt at making amends.  But Ma Sung sets he jaw firm and again tells him he won’t sell the house — he needs a comfortable place he is used to.  Ki Joon whines that he could just move to a more comfortable new house, but Ma Sung mutters that he won’t since it would just cause him stress.

“I need a place that I know so well that I know where everything is with my eyes closed,” he snaps.  Ki Joon scoffs and asks if he is some kind of dementia patient that he is so obsessed with living in that house.  (Wait, so Ki Joon doesn’t even know about Ma Sung’s condition?  Why wouldn’t he at least let his close family know so they could be supportive?  This family just gets weirder.)

Ma Sung hesitates, but brushes him off, telling him to ask for a different favor instead.  This is just the chance Ki Joon had hoped for, and he asks him to go on the quiz show with him.  But Ma Sung just shakes his head in disgust and walks away.

On the other side of town, Gi Bbeum sits down to talk with Manager Jang and his assistant.  She promises to do well and make a comeback, but Manager Jang is dismayed.  He tries every possible angle to explain why what she is asking them to do is impossible.  Understanding, Gi Bbeum starts to leave, but then sits back down.  Mustering every ounce of her courage, she firmly promises that, if they will let her, she will work hard to do the impossible.  Manager Jang collapses into his seat.

Back at his home, Ma Sung tends to his lettuce garden.  Wondering why his babies look so droopy today, he lifts up Gi Bbeum’s cassette player so they can get energy from her singing.  (Aw my gawsh.)  But just then disaster strikes and the cassette tape stops working.  Distressed, Ma Sung bangs on the player for a minute.  (Really?  That’s his solution?  How many college degrees does he have?)  When he opens the player he discovers that the tape has become tangled inside it.

Ma Sung wonders if this is some kind of bad omen and quickly dials Ki Joon.  When he answers, he asks how signing up for the quiz show went.  Ki Joon responds that it is fine: he is asking Gi Bbeum right now to be his partner.

Ma Sung immediately dials Gi Bbeum to ask if she is going to take Ki Joon’s offer.  When it seems like she might agree, he blurts out “What is the capital of Madagascar?”  and then adds a few more countries for good measure.  Taken aback, Gi Bbeum admits she doesn’t know, and Ma Sung declares this to be absolute proof that she shouldn’t participate and risk a million more anti fans for humiliating herself.  Gi Bbeum hangs up on him.

A little while later, Ki Joon, Gi Bbeum, Manager Jang, and his assistant all gather at Star Entertainment to discuss the quiz show.  Manager Jang is uncertain that this will work out, since usually one of the participants is very smart.  Annoyed, Ki Joon interrupts him to say that Gi Bbeum is smart.  (I find it hilarious that even he knows he isn’t the brightest lightbulb.)  But Gi Bbeum admits that she isn’t confident in her brains so much as her physical abilities — which Ki Joon considers to be further proof that they are a match made.

Just then Ma Sung walks in and hears them cheering themselves on.  He rolls his eyes and makes a snide remark about them needing brains not brawn for a quiz show, then plops himself down on the couch next to Gi Bbeum.

The assistant begins listing off quiz show practice questions, “What is the capital of Madagascar?” He asks first.  (Bwahaha!)  Swiftly, Gi Bbeum raises her hand and answers.  Everyone is impressed, but Ma Sung chides her for cheating off him.

However, the next question stumps the duo and Ma Sung gives the correct answer in disgust.  The same thing happens again with the next question.

By now Manager Jang and the assistant realize how badly the duo need Ma Sung to participate.  But Ma Sung is non-committal.  Finally, Gi Bbeum turns with a pitiful expression and says that she thinks it would be better if he participated too.  That does it.  Ma Sung feigns self-sacrifice for the general good, but even Ki Joon thinks he’s acting strangely today.

Later on, Gi Bbeum and Ki Joon pull up to the building where the quiz show will be held.  A group of teenage fangirls stand outside the entrance, which sends Ki Joon into a frenzy of delight.

Ma Sung and his secretary pull up to the building right after.  Ma Sung is astonished to discover that the quiz is being held at a broadcasting station.  He had understood that it would be an intimate town gathering, not a TV show.

Just then Ki Joon steps outside his car and walks up to the group of rowdy fangirls only to have them all run off in the other direction.  They weren’t there for him at all.  For a moment he pouts alone, but a handful of girls soon come running to greet their “beautiful Ki Joon” — that is until Ma Sung steps out of his car.  The girls look over at his lanky gorgeousness and run en masse towards their new obsession.  However, Ma Sung is stunned and overwhelmed by the screaming girls and flees into the building.  Left alone, Ki Joon chases after his fangirls.

In the confusion everyone has forgotten Gi Bbeum who now sneaks into the building dressed like an old woman.

Inside, Ma Sung has finally escaped his fangirls.  Adjusting his clothes back into place, he tells his secretary to bring the car up.  He is leaving.  Just then Ki Joon calls angrily for his cousin, which sends Ma Sung dashing into a nearby studio to avoid him.

Gi Bbeum and Ki Joon come around the corner in search of Ma Sung.  Stomping his foot, Ki Joon wails that if his cousin isn’t there he can’t participate either.  But Gi Bbeum soothingly holds his arm and tells him that she will take Ma Sung’s place if he doesn’t come.  (Ki Joon may have been hoping for a dating relationship with Gi Bbeum, but he has definitely got the mother hen relationship.)  Rotten toddler, Ki Joon is effectively soothed and suggests that they split up to look for Ma Sung.

As it happens, Gi Bbeum starts her search in the very studio Ma Sung is hiding in.  Of course, she still doesn’t find him.  But before she leaves, jerk manager happens to spot her and approaches her.  (It’s a coincidence pile-up.  Only in a KDrama.) He starts to ask what she is doing there, but Gi Bbeum nervously interrupts him to say that she has signed a contract with Star Entertainment.  Jerk manager scoffs at her bravery in making a comeback, and she admits that she has always felt sorry for what happened to his agency because of her.

But jerk manager isn’t interested in giving forgiveness, his voice grows more intense as he recalls what happened and his losses.  Slimily he asks if maybe she was even dating Hyung Joon behind his back.  Gi Bbeum yells that he knows she didn’t.

“How would I know what happened between you two that night?” He asks her sharply.  Enraged, Gi Bbeum shouts his name, and at this jerk manager smacks her viciously across the face.  As Gi Bbeum nurses her cheek, jerk manager shouts for her to “know her place” when she speaks to him.  After he leaves, Gi Bbeum stands for a moment and pushes away the tears from her cheeks.  From a dark corner, Ma Sung has watched everything.

As Ma Sung wanders about the building he overhears jerk manager tell the show host to ask Gi Bbeum a new question.  “Ask her what happened between her and Min Hyung Joon that night,” he suggests encouraging the host that it will increase his ratings.  As he listens, Ma Sung’s face grows stern with resolve.

A few moments later Ma Sung’s secretary brings him a pair of thick sunglasses which he promises will block out any light.

Meanwhile, the contestants, including Ki Joon and Gi Bbeum, have lined up for the quiz show roll call.  Gi Bbeum is very pale, but determined to do her best.  When the set manager reaches their name on the list, Ki Joon starts to inform him of the change in his partner, but in that instance Ma Sung strides in like Gi Bbeum’s personal knight in shining armour.  The damsel breathes a shaky sigh of relief.

After that everyone takes their places and the “Brain Q Show” begins.  Excitedly, the contestants and crew clap, but Ma Sung stands like an impassive statue in his shades.

The show begins with the contestants introducing their teams.  Signaling for Ma Sung to stay silent, Ki Joon excitedly introduces himself as “Star Entertainment’s rising star, Sung Ki Joon.”  The crowd again cheers.  It is Ma Sung’s turn to speak, but instead he gives Ki Joon a head shake and a growl.  “And this is my older cousin,” Ki Joon finally tells the announcer.  Intrigued by his shades, the announcer asks if there is a special reason for him wearing them.  Again Ma Sung doesn’t respond, so Ki Joon simply tells them he is “doing it to seem cool.”

With the attention finally off of them, Ki Joon whispers to Ma Sung asking if he is going to be like this the whole time.  Ma Sung clicks his tongue in response, but he is obviously uncomfortable.  “Do we have to get first place?” He asks.  Ki Joon responds that they must since that is how they can get the most screen time.  Ma Sung breathes deeply to himself.  (Methinks Ma Sung might prefer less screen time.)

The questions start, and not surprisingly Ma Sung answers them correctly and quickly every time — some even before the announcer can finish reading them.  As the points pile up, Ki Joon and Gi Bbeum dance happily from their respective places on and off camera.

But a problem arises when the next question requires the participants to read the screen.  We see from Ma Sung’s perspective the lights blaring around the corners of his lenses.  He struggles to read the words, but can not look at the screen without also seeing the lights.  He recoils in discomfort.  But the announcer begins to read the question, and Ma Sung quickly clicks in for the correct answer.  But the announcer tells him that even though his answer is correct, he can’t accept it without the correct number from the board.  Thankfully, Ki Joon clicks in ahead of the other team and yells out the correct number for Ma Sung’s answer.

But their luck runs out for the next question.  Like the last one, it requires the contestants to read the screen, but this time it is a math question so the announcer does not read it.  Ma Sung whispers to Ki Joon that he can’t answer this one, and they lose the point.

The rounds continue.  The questions which are read Ma Sung continues to get right, and the questions on the board they continue to lose.  At the final question their team stands tied with another at 950 points.

But in a stroke of tremendous bad luck, the last question is a puzzle which must be read to be solved.  Ma Sung leans forward on the podium, but it is no use.  The lights are just too intense.  Resignedly, he tells his cousin he is going to pass this time.  But Ki Joon can’t accept this for the winning question and begs his cousin.  The other team clicks in, but their answer is wrong.  More desperate than ever, Ki Joon turns to his cousin and pleads with him.  Under his breath, Ma Sung admits to him that he can’t see the board.

“Then just take those off!”  Ki Joon yells at his cousin and rips the sunglasses from his face.

The lights hit Ma Sung in wave after crippling wave.  Gasping for air, he crumples in increasing agony while in voice over we hear Evil Aunt read aloud the physician’s report from that morning.

“Shame death,” she says.  And we see Ma Sung gasp again as his thoughts flash back to his parents’ car accident.

“He’ll feel as much pain,” the physician tells Evil Aunt, “as if he is really dying.  If he looks at a bright light, he’ll have difficulty breathing and experience immense pain.  As if he is experiencing a false death.”

“Almost like death,” she repeats, “so that means he could actually die.”  And we see Ma Sung shake from the pain, his breath coming in short, hard-fought gasps.  From across the studio, a concerned Gi Bbeum watches him.

My Thoughts:

Okay, this drama has officially become a trope fest.  We have the jerk, genius male lead with a penchant for showers and who thinks that hitting on a girl means bullying her; the plucky poor girl who constantly has to be rescued regardless of how capable she appears to be; amnesia; a lead who occasionally passes out; and a tragic backstory.  At this point, I’m thinking of turning this drama into a drinking game.

All that said, I’m still enjoying “Devilish Joy” for the makjang mess it is.  The leads continue to be adorable and have great chemistry together.  Gi Bbeum’s friends and family are still both wonderfully supportive and quirky.  And we’ve had a shower scene in every episode so far…so no serious complaints here.

But one character is starting to bother me: Ki Joon.  At first he was an adorable puppy we all could love, but lately he has been more like an entitled brat.  His only saving grace is that his bromance with Ma Sung is one of the highlights of the show.  It is just so much fun to watch Ma Sung tease his cousin.

But my feelings are more mixed about Gi Bbeum.  Ever since Ma Sung appeared in her life she has been the quintessential fairy tale “damsel in distress.”  Watching her fall into problem after problem, it is easy to forget that before he arrived she had capably, albeit naively, provided everything for her family.  She made herself a new life as a seamstress after falling into disgrace and learned to do everything else that a plucky poor girl should.  You have to know this was a huge culture shock for her after her luxurious celebrity lifestyle.  But she did it.  Without Ma Sung, Gi Bbeum had to be her own hero.

So are you enjoying Devilish Joy so far?  What did you think of episode 4?  Shall we start a “Devilish Joy” drinking game?

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Last Episode: Recap: Devilish Joy Episode 3

Next Episode: Coming Soon!

Recap: Devilish Joy Episode 4 In our fourth episode of Devilish Joy, fate does its best to throw our leads back together.  

#Choi Jin Hyuk #Devilish Joy #Devilish Joy Recaps #Hoya