#these two need to a relationship councilor before they have even gotten to the dating section of love

[masshirohebi-moved]

Affections Starter ✔ - to carry my muse bridal style // @peepingtoad “If alcohol poisoning doesn’t kill you dear, Tsunade-hime certainly will,” they say, golden eyes following their team mate with little amusement. This mission certainly was a slap in the face. A measly C rank, for shinobi of such high caliber they demanded nothing short of an S rank. Of course, that had been due to banter and tomfoolery. Where the trio got up to shenanigans that truly weren’t up to the standard of their reputation. Again - not their fault. That mission had also been a waste of their talent. And when sharp minds were not presented a challenge, they so often sought appropriate stimulation for themselves. As such, a lesser task is given as some kind of punishment. Either way, drinking on the job (even an easy job) likely wasn’t advised. Regardless of if the group could handle this assignment half asleep. It had been the serpents idea to have the first drink, and maybe the second and third... But they swear on a shinobi’s oath that the drinks to follow were all Jiraiya’s idea. And so, they decide to pull this game to a stop, so that if Tsunade did come across the drinking duo, they could swiftly place all blame on the man beside them. Getting out of jail by truthfully saying they had told him to stop too. Underhanded? Yes, but he knew who he was dealing with. The trio had been told to fit in, and as such, formal attire is donned over their figures. And what an experience it was to see how eye catching Jiraiya could be in flows of his dark hued haori and kimono. They catch themself staring a bit more than was acceptable for mere meaninglessness curiosity, but then, they swear he passes them the same look. And they can not help it, with the moon cast a glow over their figures, the lanterns casting a glow on the scattered cherry blossom path, the gowns, the music, the stolen glances and of course, the stolen breaths. It is truly romantic, even if the serpent isn’t one for such cliches to begin with. Something about him under the pale night sky makes each aspect more enchanting. Running off to share a few secret drinks behind thicker forest foliage proves a grave mistake when they feel something cold cling to their lower leg. Water splashes on to their furisode, the reflection of mud evident on the shades of lilac. They huff softly, a hand running through their hair to keep it out their face as they examine the damage. “How wonderful,” they mutter, tossing their partner in crime a rather unimpressed look, but his smile doesn’t waver, and they’d have called him out on his sadistic pleasure if only he hadn’t solved their problem with one long stride. Their slender form is scooped up, the mud below no longer able to reach the flowing bottom of their gown. He will evidently sacrifice his own attire, which had been more practical from the get go they now acknowledge. And perhaps it is the alcohol, or the fact that their lips are so close, but they feel a flutter in their stomach which forces brief silken laughter from their throat.

for it is then that they realize what a powerful thing love was. That love could make people stronger. That love could fill empty spaces. That love could bring people together.

Too caught off guard by the closeness, they can not help but dread him kissing them. Even if they have wanted it since first sighting him all dressed up. They fear it now. That if they lock eyes a moment too long, he may expose them more than they are willing to be exposed. That they may fumble and lose their mask of being perfect, that they may miss his lips and make a fool of themself. The pressure is too much, so they brush him off with a far too well done lie of carelessness. Looking away to leave him as the last one lingering with a ‘what if’ look in his eyes, returning to what they are, mere friends, “you owe me this much, it was your bad idea to come here,” they settle with saying, a friendly sounding accusation. But perhaps it merely being friendly is what will be hurtful all the same. If there is any pain in his eyes from rejection, they do not look to see it. For if they do sight any disappointment or misery, they will know that he had in fact been wanting the same. That they had blown off the chance due to a crippling dread that he didn’t see them that way. When he places them back down, they are among the festivities once more. They offer to fetch something from the buffet, in a means to settle any nausea that may follow from drinking. To ‘sober up quickly’ they had said, but both knew the viper never cared for eating much. So if ever there had been a poorer lie to spin for getting a momentary breather, they had certainly spoken it. All the same, the moment away from him gives them time to think. To reread his body language, to go over his words again and again. The signs... they were not imagining them, surely? Maybe once or twice, but this has not been the only occasion where their male companion offers a suggestive moment, where he leaves it in their hands to answer. Fear has made them behave this way too often, perhaps that is it. Perhaps their cautiousness is costing them. And since when did they ever let fear be their master? It is decided rather finally in their mind, that they would set the stage again. That a moment lost didn’t end the game. That they could make the first step and see his reaction, to finally get an answer to their question. They cross the enchanting path and search the crowd for him, but it is perhaps their biggest regret to find the man. Golden eyes land on his figure, then hers. And how he looks at her with the same eyes... if not something more. Tsunade and Jiraiya always did look far more comfortable together. The scene made more sense. He didn’t have to play guessing games with her, he didn’t have to catch her socially in situations, nor predict when a mood had declined and he needed to clear the crowd. And it catches them by quite the surprise how cold they feel when they spot the two speaking. How natural it is for the two to converse, how his smile is so brutally genuine. And they realize now that perhaps thinking him shy due to their hesitance was a juvenile belief. He wasn’t shy when she said no, why would he be shy when they had merely said maybe? Fools did not let evidence lead them to a conclusion, they found a conclusion and let it lead them to evidence. Was that what they were doing then? Playing the fool and tricking themself in to thinking he was just as enchanted by them as they were him? Suddenly they feel a great detest for the misleading moon and it’s promising glow, they feel repulsion at the scattered pink petals across the cobbled floor, the grotesque shades of light emitted from lanterns, the sickeningly cheery music, the charade of pretty gowns.

For it is then that they realize what a powerful thing love was. That love could make people vulnerable. That love could create empty spaces. That love could tear people a part.

#||●ANSWERED-❝disclosed❞ #peepingtoad #my read more is broken heh #so no hiding this essay for the dash I'm afriad #also :') #these two need to a relationship councilor before they have even gotten to the dating section of love #they are useless #/long post #/novella #||●QUEUE-❝the white serpent hides❞

[nerielle]

shut up and dance with me

shut up and dance with me (fake dating au feat. cullen/female trevelyan from dragon age: inquisition)

I haven’t written fic not on AO3 in at least five years and I barely post any fic I write any more, so forgive me if I transgress on any fandom expectations! 

ANYWAY.

Rating: T for cursing because fuck the Winter Palace

Warnings: Dumb fluff, author self-indulgence, mild handwaving of plot, if that counts. 

Relationships: Cullen/Female Trevelyan, implied Iron Bull/Dorian

Characters: Cullen Rutherford, Inquisitor Trevelyan, The Iron Bull, Dorian Pavus, Cassandra Pentaghast, Leliana, Josephine Montilyet, random Orlesian nobles

Tags:��fake dating au, mostly canon-compliant, cullen is a precious pup and I love him, elinor trevelyan is not here for your shit

Word Count: just over 3000 words

Notes: I wrote this little (by my standards!) ditty for an anonymouse in my ask box and I wrote it in one sitting, so all errors are mine!  takes place during the “Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts” quest, with a little fudging of timelines so that they have not yet kissed on the battlements but he has told her he’s stopped taking lyrium. 

Also, I wrote this all in lowercase because that’s my current aesthetic and I do not describe the Inquisitor on purpose because Elinor is not my “canon” Inquisitor—she’s the one I write when I want fic that doesn’t work with my canon, which is apparently a thing I do now. (I blame @monthofsunday even if she wasn’t the anon, lol.)

"you know this isn't something we did on purpose, right?" elinor trevelyan finds herself telling her councilors for what seems like the thirtieth time in the past ten minutes. 

"it's my fault if anyone's," leliana adds. "this is what happens when i don't pay attention to what you two are getting up to." 

josephine sighs, sharing an exhausted glance with cassandra, and then turns to elinor and cullen. "will you recount the events again? i need to consider how to address this tomorrow morning before we depart." 

elinor and cullen share a long look, much to dorian and varric and the iron bull's amusement, and elinor nods and begins the tale.

***

the first hour at the ball is exactly what elinor expected it would be; she spends so much time exchanging pointless pleasantries, fielding innuendos, and smiling her most devious smile that the first opportunity to go snooping around the winter palace is a godsend. if someone calls her lady trevelyan one more time she's probably going to scream—and that includes cullen, who has been fastidious about addressing her formally since they arrived, as if there were something terrible about the fact that they are on a first-name basis. they've been through some shit, thank you very much, so she can call him whatever the fuck she wants. 

when she returns to the ballroom after her first excursion, she makes a point of making eye contact with every member of her party she can find before walking back to the vestibule to talk to leliana and get direction for her next steps—and elinor busies herself investigating and networking in equal measure.

elinor's on her third run back into the ballroom to make an appearance when she realizes that she hasn't seen cullen in almost a half hour. as she makes her rounds, her eyes roam every corner of the ballroom to try and spot cullen. she misses the mantle, she realizes after a few minutes, because it would make it so much easier to find him—but then she spots his blonde curls, disheveled due to his nervous habit of pushing it back. she straightens her back and glides gracefully across the room—mother would be proud, she thinks—and makes her way through the throng of people around cullen. 

she's still several feet away from him when she realizes that he is surrounded by admirers, and the blush on his cheekbones and discomfort radiating from every bone in his body makes it clear that he's realized it as well. elinor clears her throat and flashes some smiles to get through the crowd, and cullen is so relieved to see her that he begins reaching out for her, pulling back as soon as he realizes it—a new habit, elinor's noted—but this time she doesn't let him. instead, she takes the hand he has extended towards her and uses it to pull him to her so she can step into his embrace. 

"sorry for disappearing for so long, my dear," she murmurs, batting her eyelashes. "but now that i've returned, i was hoping you would dance with me."

to his credit, cullen only stares at her with wide eyes for a brief instant, and then he's inclining his head and tightening his arm around her. "it would be my pleasure." 

the small crowd parts for them, buzzing like bees—but the buzzing becomes deafening silence as cullen and elinor step onto the dance floor.

cullen's amber eyes dart around the room as she steps into his arms, and elinor can feel him tremble lightly. "lady trevelyan, perhaps..."

"elinor," she reminds him a little forcefully, "and it's too late now, cullen—we've got to dance." 

he nods and leads her smoothly enough, if a bit tentatively, into the first steps of a dance. as they begin to find their rhythm, cullen smiles softly, his hand tightening around hers. "thank you for rescuing me, elinor."

i did it for myself too, she thinks, but she just smiles at him. "always glad to be of service, commander."

he smirks, twirling her out of his embrace and then back into it, and his smirk widens as the silence ends abruptly and the chatter in the ballroom returns to a dull roar. "we're going to hear about this, you know." 

"i'm certain," she replies quietly, her eyes searching his face. "but even if it ends up being not a brilliant idea by orlesian standards, i'm... glad that we got this chance." 

"me too," he replies immediately, his voice low and warm and honeyed. elinor shivers, involuntarily taking a step closer to him, and it is not until he's dipping her gently that she realizes that their dance has concluded. cullen offers her his arm and leads her out into one of the balconies and, as soon as they have walked past the curtains, they both take deep breaths. 

"this will only be a temporary reprieve, you know," elinor says after a moment, letting go of his arm and walking over to lean on the balcony railing. "as soon as we go back inside, they're going to start asking you about me and about the dance and it might... it might make everything worse. i'm sorry. i wasn't really thinking." 

cullen scratches at the back of his neck, sighing, then leans into the railing just beside her. "if the price for them to stop propositioning me is that i have to spend the rest of the ball speaking of you, then... that's more than a fair trade." 

elinor laughs, turning to face him—and then they're too close and all she can see is his mouth and she feels light-headed all of a sudden. 

"we should get back to work," he says after a moment, turning away from her, and elinor takes a deep breath before grabbing the proffered hand and stepping back into the ballroom. 

***

less than an hour later, cullen finds her in one of the hallways, looking frazzled. "we need a story." elinor blinks at him for a moment, unsure, and cullen sighs. "they keep asking for the love story and i keep demurring, telling them it's our private business, but... it will keep them distracted, i hope." 

elinor feels her cheeks warm—and smiles as a blush covers cullen's own cheekbones. "right, yes, our love story," she begins. "is it a recent thing, or have we been keeping it quiet for a while?" 

"for a while," he says immediately. elinor raises an eyebrow, and cullen shifts his weight from foot to foot, avoiding her gaze. "they'll be less likely to try and sway me away if it seems more... established." 

she nods. "a while, then. let's say... we talked about it after haven? since we'd come close to losing one another and did not want to leave things unsaid any longer?" 

cullen's eyes widen and the flush adorning his face deepens, extending into his neck. "that... yes. makes sense. excellent." 

"anything else about our relationship we should discuss?" she asks after a moment, her gaze fixed on the freckles she's found dusted across his nose.

"no, that... that's perfect." he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "maker, how i hate these things." 

elinor chuckles, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "help me save orlais so we can go home?"

"absolutely," he replies immediately, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from her forehead. his hand lingers from an extra moment, making elinor exhale shakily, and then he's inclining his head and turning away.

what the hell have i gotten myself into? she asks herself, shivering, and then she forces herself to return to the ballroom for her next round.

***

the rest of the night is, to be quite frank, a comedy of errors. sure, elinor saves the empress and exposes a conspiracy and saves orlais from chaos... but she actually spends a lot more time fielding comments and questions about cullen. he is immensely popular with the orlesians, for some reason—you know why, her traitorous brain accuses—and they are all completely fascinated by the idea of the inquisitor and her commander. by the time it is all said and done, elinor is so exhausted that she barely manages to make it out to a balcony before bursting into frustrated tears, trembling against the railing. 

she hears footsteps behind her and she is about to whirl around and scream when she hears cullen's quiet voice.

"elinor, are you alright?" 

she shakes her head, trembling, and cullen rushes to her side. he rests a hand on her lower back and cups her face with the other, turning her face so he can examine her gaze. "what do you need?" he asks gently. "what can i do?"

"nothing, i... i'm sorry," she says, leaning into his touch. "i'm just... so exhausted and i've... lost it. i'll be well soon enough." 

cullen pulls her closer and shifts them both slightly so that he can shield her from view of the ballroom. "it's quite alright, you know," he whispers. "it's been nonstop madness since you came out of the fade. you're allowed to lose it. maker knows you've seen me in worse states. and, silly as it is, i worried for you tonight—even though i know you are a storybook heroine who will save the day and be just fine." 

she chuckles shakily, smiling up at him—and then she closes the distance between them and embraces him. his arms encircle her immediately, one of his hands moving to stroke her hair gently, and elinor trembles and buries her face in his shoulder. "thank you," she says after a long moment, taking a step back. "i can't imagine doing any of this without you." 

cullen smiles, bowing exaggeratedly. "at your service, my lady."

she laughs, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ears, and then grins up at him. "my valiant knight." 

he inclines his head, a soft smile still on his face, and then extends a hand. "may i have one more dance, lady elinor, while we still have time?" 

"i'd love that," she replies, placing her small, gloved hand in his, and the smile remains on her face as they spin around one another on the balcony. 

*** 

elinor ends up walking back to their temporary quarters—as insisted by empress celene—with cullen by her side, their walk punctuated by a companionable silence that does nothing to calm her racing heart. as she opens the door to her own room, she is startled to find the rest of their company awaiting them, and so she ends up telling them the story of her daring rescue of cullen from a gaggle of orlesian nobles. 

"i couldn't make this up," varric declares when her tale is finished. "but good on you for rescuing curly tonight." 

"a regular savior," leliana says with a smirk. 

josephine shoots leliana a look and sighs. "this is an absolute disaster." 

"and we will have to sort it in the morning," dorian says after a moment. when all eyes turn to him, he sighs dramatically. "we are exhausted, it's been a long night, and i need my beauty sleep. we can do whatever yelling we need to do in the morning." 

"maybe curly should stay in here to keep the tongues wagging," varric adds, and elinor is certain her face matches the bright red of her uniform. josephine sputters off to the right, looking absolutely scandalized, and bull and dorian laugh in perfect sync. 

it is, of course, cassandra who restores order. "enough. everyone out. we will meet here in the morning." she nods at elinor gently enough, but her face remains impassive. "good night, inquisitor." 

"good night," she echoes, watching them begin to file out. cullen hovers for a moment before squeezing her shoulder—and then walks out wordlessly. she is about to start undressing when dorian clears her throat, bringing his presence to her attention, and elinor sighs. "what is it, darling? out with it."

"did it occur to you, dear cousin, that you were not saving cullen simply because you are altruistic?" 

she tugs at the ribbons in her hair, releasing it, and shakes her head. "i'm sure i don't know what you mean." 

"he means you were jealous because the orlesians want your templar," bull clarifies from his spot by the door, making elinor jump. 

"cullen isn't a templar anymore," she replies automatically, and the smile on bull's face makes it clear that she's walked right through the door she opened. "oh, by andraste, you can't be serious," she mutters, tugging the buckles on her boots. 

dorian laughs. "as entertaining as the pining glances are, my dear, i think it is time for you and our dear commander to have a chat about your feelings." 

"i'm sure i don't know what you're talking about," she says, stepping out of her boots, and she sighs. "look, it's late and i'm tired and we all need our sleep." 

bull looks ready to protest, but dorian shakes his head before stepping up to elinor, resting a hand on her shoulder. "just think about it, elinor dear—you said it yourself in your love story, after all... we don't have time to leave things unsaid." 

elinor stands there and considers the words long after dorian and bull have departed. 

***

i hate everyone and everything, elinor thinks to herself as she finally gets out of bed after hours of trying to fall asleep. she pulls a cloak over her nightgown and runs a hand through her hair, trying to tame it before she steps out into the hallway. she tiptoes down the hall until she comes to cullen's door and knocks before she loses her nerve. 

the door swings open quickly—almost too quickly, she thinks—and he is as surprised to see her as she is surprised to find him shirtless. "elinor, is everything alright?" 

"i don't know," she says, her eyes fixed on the slope of his shoulders. "i just... can't sleep." 

cullen takes a step back from the door, waving vaguely towards the interior of the room. "would you like to come in?" 

she nods, stepping past him, and she lets her eyes make a quick inventory of the room as he reaches for a shirt on top of a nearby chair. he hovers near her once he's put on his shirt, and elinor examines his expression for a long moment before she decides to jump into the deep end. 

"cullen, i... perhaps you wondered how i had such a ready answer regarding the love story tonight." 

"i did," he says softly. "but i did not want to... presume." 

elinor chuckles quietly. "presume away, cullen." his eyes widen, and elinor takes a step closer to him. "the story came so easily to me because it's not just a story... at least not to me. i did want to tell you after haven. hell, after redcliffe. but it just... never seemed like the right time." 

"we're at war," he murmurs. "i don't know that... there is a right time. definitely not now."

"i know," she whispers. "and yet... you were worried for me tonight and... it made me realize that you are often left behind, waiting... and if you care for me as i do you, then you are also left worrying. there might be a time where i don't return, cullen—and, if indeed that is the case, i don't want to leave anything unsaid."

he reaches out to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand, and elinor closes her eyes and shivers at the touch. "neither do i." 

she forces herself to meet his gaze then, her eyes searching his. they both steps closer to each other, close enough to touch—and cullen bridges the distance by leaning down to kiss her, except he stops a hairsbreadth away. elinor has to smile—she knows what he is doing—and then she's leaning in that last fraction of an inch and their lips are meeting and oh, there are lights going off behind her eyelids. one kiss turns into another into another into another, and his arms are tightening around her, and elinor is dizzy and bright-eyed by the time they part. 

"thank the maker," he whispers. "i was so afraid that you wouldn't..."

"how could i not?" she replies incredulously. 

"i'm not the man you deserve, elinor," he tells her, his voice breaking, and elinor trembles and then surges forward to kiss every doubt away. 

"we can talk more later," she says between kisses. "we have time. but i'm here and you're here and i'm going to show you just who you are to me." her mouth trails over his jaw and down his neck, and cullen's hands curl into her coat before he kisses her more insistently. elinor smiles into his mouth, tugs at his hair, and resolves to make him feel everything she is not yet ready to say. 

*** 

they walk back into her room at dawn, smiles sparkling and hands clasped, so they can wait for the rest of the councilors to join them. cullen sits by the window, his packed knapsack resting by his feet as he watches elinor change into her travel clothing and then gather her own things. when she's finished, elinor steps up to him and offers her hand. 

"will you dance with me, even without music?" 

cullen laughs, taking her hand and using it to pull her against him. "any time, my lady. i'm yours." 

"and don't you forget it," she replies with a brilliant smile—and they are still dancing, starry-eyed, when the others begin filing into the room. 

no one comments on the dancing except for varric, who compliments their form, and elinor has never been more delighted by cullen's blush and the warmth of his hand in hers. the dances alone were worth it, she thinks to herself even as josephine yet again launches into her long speech about the importance of regaining and maintaining the court's favor, and the rest has been a lovely bonus. 

she is not sure what things will be like for her and cullen as they move forward—but she hopes that there will be a lot more dancing.

#cullen x trevelyan #nerielle writes

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 12/5/17

Son of Cornucopia of Briefs!

Akashic Records of Bastard Magica Instructor, Vol. 2 | By Hitsuji Tarou, Tsunemi Aosa and Kurone Mishima | Seven Seas – Last time I said Glenn was too irritating, this time the opposite may be the case. Part of that is due to the fact that this is mostly just a big battle, as Rumia has been kidnapped and Sistine and Glenn have to rescue her. This involves a pile of fights, some of which are more exciting than others. The final fight is an anticlimax, partly as the villain is dull and gives up very easily, and partly as Rumia, in order to contrast with Sistine, is also quite dull. The best part was Glenn pushing Sistine out of the building, frankly. This is an OK series if you like magical high schools, but there’s honestly better ones out there. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 5 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – As I’ve said before, the quality of this series is dependent on the amount of music depicted in it, and this volume has a LOT of music, making it easily the best volume to date. Nino can be good at playing and singing, or she can blow everyone away with her voice and emotions, but she cannot, seemingly, do both at the same time. The result is a concert that looms towards trainwreck the entire time but never quite gets there, riding entirely on the skill of the band and Nino’s desperate cries of the heart. The art here is stunning, and remains the best reason to read it. The romance, honestly, is the weak link, and you’d really like it to resolve itself but know that it won’t. Get this for the band. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 7 | By Izumi Miyazono | VIZ Media – The more things change, the more they stay the same. Ryu has been offered a promotion to the Washington, DC branch of his news organization, and, with encouragement from Asuka, decides to accept. They attempt to make the most of the months they have left, including a few fun dates and an outing in which Ryu introduces Asuka to his brother. He even proposes, sort of. “In spirit,” he says. But still, once he’s gone, we get essentially the same stuff as before. Vague glimpses at Asuka’s job, her brother showing up to poke his nose into her business, and, most significantly, yet more of Kamiya and his persistent angling for Asuka’s affections. It’s not bad, but it’s a dynamic that I’m pretty tired of. Still, it’s a quick, light read, so I’ll probably keep following it. – Michelle Smith

Frau Faust, Vol. 2| By Kore Yamazaki | Kodansha Comics – I must admit, I was very disappointed at the big plot twist of Frau Faust‘s second volume. I really liked the badass adult heroine, so seeing her, though the bargain she has with her demon, have her body stripped away so she looks younger and cuter strikes me as not the best bargain I’ve ever had. That said, her personality remains the same, and it wouldn’t matter if she was young or old, nothing was going to be able to stop Marion getting himself into trouble, as he possesses a thirst for knowledge second only to her own. And most of the horror in this book is given over to a creepy church with an evil priest and nun, always popular with readers. Despite the age regression, I’m still enjoying Frau Faust. – Sean Gaffney

The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 6 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics – I expected to be happy and relieved when these two awkward failboats finally got it together, confessed they liked each other, and had their first time. And I was. The good news is that it does not in any way detract from the fact that they are still two really awkward massive failboats, even as they deepen their relationship. Because they still can’t think of it as a relationship—in particular, Mikuri is panicking at the fact that being his real wife means giving up on the income she’s been getting. Which you could argue is meant to be a comment on the sheer amount of unpaid work the average wife goes through, but I think is more meant to show that Mikuri has serious compartmentalization issues. I love this series. – Sean Gaffney

Idol Dreams, Vol. 4 | By Arina Tanemura | Viz Media – Idol Dreams has always been “problematic but readable,” and both qualities amp up in this fourth volume, as Chikage deals with her decision to date Ru as a 15-year-old. She thinks of things as an adult, so can’t really understand a teenage boy’s drives and desires, which almost leads to tragedy, and does lead to her doing something very cruel in order to “fix” things. The other problem is Chikage’s complete and total lack of self-worth. This is, after all, a woman who tried to kill herself near the start of the series. It’s so bad that she even gets “confidence” lessons from the other girls in the office. Tanemura is always readable, but I still can’t see this ending in any way other than everyone being very, very unhappy. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 2 | By Rin Mikimoto | Kodansha Comics – Despite still having issues deciding how much of a comedy it’s supposed to be, this is a better volume than the first. Our heroes have gotten together, though of course given Kaede’s idol status it’s a big secret—if found out, Hinana could be in big trouble. I liked the added depth we got from Hinana here—she does initially have confidence in her relationship with Kaede, but is still a teenage girl, so lies can persuade her. She also reveals that she’s adopted, which means she feels the need to excel in school, and being around Kaede all the time is not helping, especially when he keeps trying to distract her. (The sniffing scene was a highlight). I’m having sufficient fun to continue. – Sean Gaffney

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 13 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – As ever with Ooku, time moves on, and when I first started reading this volume, I missed the beloved group of characters involved with eradicating the redface pox. Soon, though, I realized that Iesada, the first female shogun in over sixty years, is awesome, and that Takiyama, her new senior chamberlain, is likewise awesome. Moreover, her female senior councilor (becoming more of a rarity as the male population recovers) Abe Masahiro is seriously awesome. Now they (especially Takiyama and Masahiro) are as beloved to me as the other group! The moral of the story is: never doubt Yoshinaga. She even knows how to give a reader goosebumps via a dramatic reappearance of a symbolic kimono design! I’m so happy there are at least two more volumes of this. – Michelle Smith

A Polar Bear in Love, Vol. 1 | By Koromo | Yen Press – This is a cute and seemingly heartwarming manga, but its relationship between predator and prey makes me a bit uncomfortable. I think the manga artist is aware of this—we get constant reassurance from the polar bear that he does not, in fact, want to eat the seal but has fallen in love with him instead. And the fact that they’re both male is also not overlooked. There’s a lot more going on here than you’d expect in a series that’s meant to run on “ooooh, adorable animals!” Still, there’s no denying that the seal is terrified the entire time and unable to really escape for a while, and the fact that he’s slowly starting to fall for the polar bear does not really quiet my misgivings. Warily recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 7 | By Aya Kanno | Viz Media – Say what you will about Kanno, she really knows how to drag out the canon scenes to serve her own interests. And serve them very well, as this is another volume of Rose King that you absolutely can’t put down once you start reading it. Margaret’s downfall will be very familiar to readers of the Henry VI plays, but that doesn’t make it less tragic. As for Richard and Henry, Richard seems to be descending closer and closer to madness, and he doesn’t even need Joan of Arc’s ghost this time around—his mother fills in nicely. Add to this Anne being ABSOLUTELY BADASS, and you have another volume of what may be the best Shojo Beat series out there that isn’t Shojo Beat. You need to be reading this. – Sean Gaffney

Sword Art Online: abec Artworks | By abec | Yen Press – It’s always nice to see a series do well enough to justify licensing the artbook, and I’ve always liked abec’s work. We get some gorgeous art here, of course, along with some insight into the process (such as Kirito being added to the cover of book seven by editorial fiat). There’s also a short story at the end by Reki Kawahara, which involves an artist who’s trying to figure out a way to paint in Aincrad, whose game nature does not make it easy on artists requiring a large canvas. There are also lots of pieces unseen by North American fans, as we get art for promos and magazines. Basically, anyone who is a fan of Sword Art Online should be getting this. It’s also out digitally, but that may not do it justice—go for the bigger print book. – Sean Gaffney

Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Vol. 9 | By Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha Comics (digital only for the moment) – I was equal parts anticipating and dreading this final volume of Tokyo Tarareba Girls, because I wanted a happy ending for Rinko and Key and Mr. Hayasaka, which was going to be impossible. That said, I’m quite satisfied with how things turned out. I won’t give away any plot details, but I loved how Rinko both changed and did not change, in that instead of saying “what if” and regretting the state of things, she’s now determined to say “because” and be grateful for events and people who have helped her grow as a person. She’s now more honest with herself and with others, and yet she’s still the Rinko who periodically gets sloppy drunk with her friends. This is a really strong conclusion that even made me a little sniffly! – Michelle Smith

By: Michelle Smith

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