#but in this case i really wish i'd checked out the reviews
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Dare to Surrender (Series) Part 2
Pairing: Javier Pena x f!reader [no name/ physical description/no use of y/n]
Words: 5.9
A/N: This is porn with a dash of plot because my other story is angsty and stressin’ too many people out and I love me a good enemies to lovers story.
Its important for me to tell ya'll some important information that is relevant to this chapter.
1. Its possible to get pregnant from precum, and the pill is only 91% effective so ALWAYS WEAR A DAMN CONDOM IRL (unless you're tryin' for a baby)
2. If Javier Pena offers to go down on you, you fucking say yes and thank you.
3. Reviews make me write faster. (Can't explain it. Science, I guess.)
(Check the pinned post in profile for all my story masterlist!)
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Dare to Surrender / Chapter 2
The week that follows is a busy one. You barely see Peña in the office and that's actually a really good thing because after everything is said and done you're kind of embarrassed to see him.
You'd both gone into the challenge as two people trying to prove a point. But right now all you can think is that all being said and done you went down a co-worker and nearly got caught.
There are other little embarrassments that go along with the first.
Like the fact that Peña convinced you to do it at all. Or that you thought sucking him off would quiet the unexplained desire to sleep with him (it hasn't). Or that when you went home that night you came twice in quick succession with your fingers between your legs and the memory of "pretty girl" hummed in that low, cracking voice of his.
So when he, you and Murphy are all gathered in the office at the same time later that next week you can't help but feel a little. . . Not quite yourself.
Murphy is at your desk with you, passing back notes and photos while Peña has sequestered himself at his desk, his spine and broad shoulders faced towards you.
Maybe you're not the only one with regrets.
You throw yourself into the work, hoping that if you just focus on something professional that everything else will fade away into the back of your mind.
"And the file follow up from last week?" You ask looking at Murphy. You forbid yourself from glancing towards Peña as you reference the file and the day you went down on him.
Steve shoots a look at Peña typing at his desk, jerking a thumb in his friend’s direction.
"You'll have to ask Peña. He took over for me that night."
You notice the way Javier is clearing his throat as he leans forward, pretending to focus on what he's writing. Since when was that true? Hadn't Javier been bragging about that "sure thing" date?
You don't bother questioning it. Murphy is obviously mistaken and you don't feel like arguing.
///
You go to have lunch, then head to the other agent’s office for a few hours to go over details of the latest raid with some of Carillo's men. You're deep in conversation with Ortiz about the satellite phone when a deep voice rumbles beside you.
You glance over to see a tall man with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He has a few days worth of stubble, but it really works for him.
"Files for the raid you requested," he tells Oritz before his eyes fall on you. He extends a hand to shake and you do so gently, praying you don’t blush.
"Agent Williams," he introduces himself, his light eyes trailing over your face. "You're the one working the Escobar case right? With Murphy and the... The one who goes to all the brothels?"
Reducing Javier to ‘the man who goes to all the brothels’ seems like an unfair maligning, but it's also not inaccurate.
"Yeah, Murphy and Peña," you nod.
"Any advancement on the case?"
"Nothing I'd share with an agent I just met," you say quickly. While not inaccurate, you wish you had said it more flirtatiously. But agent Williams doesn't seem to mind, in fact he's grinning.
"Understood," he chuckles before giving a small salute and striding from the desk.
You don't watch his muscled frame go, but upon later reflection heading back to your own office you kinda wish you had
///
"You know anything about agent Williams?" You ask Murphy later that day when it's just the two of you and your days after dwindling to a close. "Tall, blonde guy?'
Maybe his first fucking name? Why didn't you ask?
"I thought I was the tall, blonde guy," Murphy teases. You roll your eyes at him. "Why?"
"Oh, I was just with Ortiz and he was there and I'd never seen him before. Just wondered if you knew anything about him." You keep the cool edge to you tone and are gratified when Murphy just shrugs.
"Nope. Never heard of him."
Peña walks into the office just as Murphy is reaches for his jacket hanging on the back of his chair.
"Think we might be getting closer to intercepting his satellite phone," you tell Murphy, watching him pull on his jacket. "Gonna stay a bit longer and finish these up. Might be in a bit late tomorrow."
"You sure?" Murphy asks.
"Yeah yeah," you wave him off, your eyes fixed on the papers. "It's better when I'm in the zone to just finish stuff off."
"The zone?"
"Tennis term," you smirk. Murphy chuckles before turning his attention on Peña who has been unusually quiet today.
"You still coming for a beer?" Murphy asks him. Peña is still sitting at his desk, looking strangely stiff.
"Uh, actually not feeling so hot. Catch ya next time."
"Suit yourself."
Murphy heads out the door, whistling to himself (a habit he indulges in every time he leaves for the day) and you go back to your notes. You're so invested you barely remember Peña’s there until his low voice reaches out to you from across the room.
"How late you planning on working?"
You lift your gaze from the desk to see him facing you now, his typewriter in front of him. He's typing something, his fingers working lazily over the keys as he stares at you. You life one eyebrow curiously.
"I thought you weren't feeling well, Peña."
Peña doesn't reply to this. You tilt your head, appraising him as he looks back at whatever he’s typing.
"Murphy seems to think that you were here in the office the other night."
Javier hums a reply, his fingers typing slowly. But you don't miss the small pull at the corner of his mouth.
"But that couldn't have been you," you say affecting clear confusion. "Because you had a date that night, right? The sure thing?"
Javier gives a playful shrug of one shoulder. "Not completely... Real."
"You actually lied about having a date?"
"Yep."
"Why would you do that?"
"To hurry the bet along."
You gape at him and now he's just grinning over at you, tilting back in his chair.
"Worked didn't it?"
You shouldn't laugh but a sharp one escapes from you before you can suppress it, followed quickly by another one. The unflinching honesty from the sloe-eyed man across from you makes you laugh hard.
He chuckles back at you, his head tilting a bit as he watches you laugh. You lean back in your chair feeling strangely relaxed with Peña for the first time since you started working together.
This relaxation is immediately replaced with a coiled tension the second you watch him rise up from his desk and wander over to yours. His hip tilts there and you glance up to see his gaze is heated.
"Should we see who wins the bet now, osita?"
"Here?" You say looking at the empty office. "Right now?"
"Yeah."
His voice is honey over gravel. If you had any doubts about his sincerity, the look in his eyes and the bulge in his jeans have you convinced.
"But last time-"
"It's late. Barely anyone here and I'll lock the door."
He strides from your desk and does just that before you can reply. You watch his shoulders move as he does this, making it impossible not to appreciate how tight his shirt is. It’s straining over the shoulders. And now he’s leaning back against the door and staring at you with that same, flirtatious look he gets with the secretary’s.
"Well?"
Why not? Why not experience him?
So much of your life is spent on rules and regulations. So much on regret of missed opportunities. It’s not awkward between you two right now, so it stands to reason that things won’t be awkward after you fuck.
You tell yourself this as you come to a stand, your heart beating in your ears so loudly you think you must shout your next words at him.
"I don't know Peña," you tease, feeling strangely at ease as you pull yourself up onto the lip of your own desk. Your feet dangle over the edge. "You were pretty close to losing last time. You really wanna try again so soon?"
Javier smirks, his pelvis leading the way as he approaches you, coming to stand in between the v of your legs. You look up at him in a way you hope is seductive before slipping your palms down over the tops of your legs, your hands hooking the hem of your skirt and sliding up back up to your hips. Satisfied you lean back on your palms and spread your thighs just wide enough for him to see exactly what you want him to.
You don't miss how his dark eyes go there, inhaling gently at the sight of your panties. His broad palms fly to the top of your thighs, gliding up and along towards your hips. His dark eyes skip back to your face.
" I feel better prepared after last time.”
You say nothing to this and he moves his right hand under your skirt, tracing the seam of your cunt through the fabric. It feels good. Impossibly good considering he's barely touched you. But you will yourself not to move.
"You better be," you say with a voice much more confident then you actually feel. "I need an actual challenge otherwise when I win it won't feel like I really earned it."
Javier's eyes are glittering. Up this close you can see them twinkling before he smiles by way of reply.
His finger curls along the gusset of your damp panties, dragging them down your knees. Javier glances down, seeing the soaked cotton and smirking back up at you.
"Afraid you've given yourself away," Javier teases.
"Don't flatter yourself," you breathe shakily. "Been like that all day. There's a sexy new agent I met earlier today."
Javier laughs, actually laughs out loud at this. He shakes his head before his hands are on your knees. His foot hooks the wheel of your rolling chair, pulling it under him. There he settles between your legs, hands on your legs and looks to you.
"Lean back."
The smirk dies on your lips.
"No," you tell him abruptly, realizing exactly where this is going.
Payback.
You slam your knees together because you know that if Peña goes down on you it's game over. You'll lose. Because if the rumors from the embassy secretarial pools are to be believed, Javier Peña's tongue isn't just sharp, it's fucking talented.
He looks confused. "You sucked my cock."
"Uh huh."
"So, I get to taste your pussy," Javier demands, trying again to part your thighs for him. You keep your knees shut tightly, denying him.
"No."
"Fucking cheat," Javier says almost pouting, but there's a small lift at the corner of his mouth as if he can't believe you two are arguing about whether or not he gets to perform cunnilingus.
"I'm not cheating."
"How is that fair, then?"
"You didn't have to let me go down on you," you reason.
"But you did."
"You let me. I'm not letting you go down on me."
There's a beat in which Javier blinks up at you before he responds with a small shrug, as if this deviation means nothing.
"Fine."
He's standing again, towering over you still seated on the desk. He kicks the chair away, it rolls clattering into Murphy's desk. Then his hands are palm down on the table on either side of your thighs and he just stares at you. His eyes travel from your eyes to the curve of your mouth and then slope back to your eyes.
You feel your nipples tightening under your blouse just at the way he's looking at you. Why did he pick today to do this? You're so fucking horny today.
His eyes are closing and his mouth is pressing against yours until you jerk back, swallowing.
"No kissing."
Javier immediately looks put out. "Last time-"
"Was the first time," you finish for him. "Getting the kinks out. Kissing isn't necessary."
"All these fucking rules," Javier sighs, looking at your mouth. You take a moment to see he's still hard there in his jeans.
There's still hope. Your hand goes to his chest, sliding down the buttons of his shirt until you reach his belt buckle.
"C'mon now," you urge him. "Hurry up and lose."
Javier is annoyingly calm as you undo his belt and jeans. You reach inside to grip him, your mouth parting in response to his doing the same.
He feels good in your palm, warm and thick. You slide your hand over his shaft, disappointed to only see a twitch in his cheek in response. He's focusing on you right now, his eyes on your mouth and then back to your rapidly un-focusing eyes.
As you gently trace the head of his cock with your thumb he keeps your gaze locked with his. His eyes are like dark tunnels, pulling you in as he raises his fingers to your mouth. Without thinking your mouth parts further for him, eliciting a small crooked smirk from the agent across from you.
His fore and middle finger slip smoothly between your still parted mouth, slowly inching themselves over your tongue. There they rest, salty and heavy and waiting.
"Suck," he orders gently.
You want to refuse at first but realize that you've already denied him twice. You need to participate in some way otherwise you're being a spoilsport. And so you allow your tongue to travel along the thick slopes of his fingers before gently sucking.
"Mhmmm ... Just like that."
Javier watches your lips close around his fingers, sucking obediently as you stroke his cock and feels himself twitch in your grasp. But then he shifts, urging his fingers deeper into your mouth and you drop his cock, your hand flying to his shoulders for purchase.
You look good like that, Javier decides. You look impossibly fucking good sucking on his fingers while gazing at him with that dreamy, unfocused look.
It seems almost a shame to pull them from between your wet mouth, but he does, pushing them against your full lower lip before dragging them away.
///
You watch as his fingers coated in your saliva disappear under your skirt.
You jolt when those two fingers splay around your clit, building you up. Your hips urge themselves forward into his hand, the rest of you trying to stay stationary.
Without thinking Javier's mouth moves over yours and your rules about no kissing are forgotten. His mouth is lush against yours, and as his finger begins to curl inside you, his tongue slips into your mouth.
Fuck he kisses well.
Your head cranes backwards at the force of his kiss, overwhelming you as his finger begins to curl and coax slowly within you. When he adds a second slick finger to mimic the first and the kissing deepens you catch yourself.
You're entire sex is in Peña palm as his fingers fuck you. Your straining there, urging him to go faster, you're thighs spreading obscenely for him. His one free hand is balanced on the desk beside your hip.
Snap out of it!
"Quit it," you manage, breaking your mouth from his. "We said no kissing."
///
"You said no kissing," Javier corrects you, watching as you move back from him. He looks momentarily irritated before he takes in how flustered you look.
You were getting close.
A self satisfied smirk crosses his features. He hadn't even been trying all that hard but you'd been so responsive. And fuck he likes kissing you. Your lips are so plaint against his, so eager to open and taste him.
Peña moves his broad hands to your hips and he tilts you to the edge of the desk. You ask what he's doing but he ignores you, urging one of your knees to crook, your heel placed on the edge of your desk, opening yourself in to him.
You're so deliciously wet and Peña is still irritated that you won't let him taste you.
Yet.
He convinces himself of this. Not yet.
There will be a chance, a time that he will.
He can be patient.
///
Peña's cock is twitching eagerly and he lines himself up against your entrance.
He's so close, so fucking close to your cunt you feel yourself panting in eager yet frustrated anticipation when he just rests there, stroking himself slowly.
"You still want this?" he asks in a deep rumble. The sentence isn't even out of his mouth before you're nodding.
"Yes."
Peña hides the delighted smile from his features, worried if you see it you'll think he's laughing at you. He shifts closer, his hand guiding his cock to nudge at your entrance.
"Watch," he tells you softly.
You don't know why but you feel hypnotized into obeying him. He slips just the head of his cock inside, testing you, making sure you can take him.
You can. You can and you want more because you nod sharply, shifting your hips.
Greedy for my cock, he things with satisfaction. Good.
As you sit there, taking him into you inch by inch with your flushed cheeks and damp mouth, Javier stares at you. His eyes never leave your face.
His pants are hung low on his hips, the only part of him exposed is his cock. You too are fully dressed, your desperate pussy the only secret part he can see. His belt buckle makes the odd clinking noise, but other than that is just the sound of Bogotá traffic outside and the increasing whimpering and groaning from the two of you fucking in your office.
Your eyes are half lidded, watching as his thick cock pushes achingly slowly into your pussy, sheathing him to the brim before slowly dragging out glistening, leaving only the head for your pussy to flutter around.
You whimper when he does it again, your eyes shuttering but never closing. Javier's broad hand spans over your lower back, guiding your hips to his, urging you to take him deeper.
"Feel good?" Peña murmurs, smiling to himself. He feels your hand snake along his shoulder, holding his collar for purchase. "This cock making you feel good, pretty girl?"
He feels you tighten around him as the name slips from him. Pretty girl. You are pretty. What could be prettier than you exposed to him on your desk, taking his cock like you were made for it? But there’s something there in the blush at your cheekbones, the way you bite your lip when the nickname is spoken.
“Pretty girl,” he coos again, testing it. Again he feels your pussy twitch, pulling him deeper.
Bingo.
He sees the way you’re screwing your eyes shut, trying to turn off the arousal you’re feeling. Are you really that desperate for him to do your paperwork that you won’t allow yourself a chance to enjoy this?
"Stop fighting it," Javier murmurs, coming to kiss away lines of your furrowed brow as you internally battle yourself.
Javier knows that this isn't fucking. That this slow languid dance feels much more intimate than that. He can't help it though, his brain yells at him to move faster, to fuck you deeper, but he's completely enraptured with this moment. Wrapped up not only in how beautifully you take his him, but by the dueling emotions crossing your face as you do.
The first is the obvious frustration you feel at how good his length fills you. The sharp drag of your brows pronounced as you take him deeper.
Open desire is the second. It makes your jaw hang loose and your eyes flutter as you whimper.
"Beautiful," Javier murmurs without thinking.
///
He's called you osita and pretty girl. But never beautiful. Beautiful is what you say to someone when you like them or you want to seduce them.
You realize his strategy now. He's trying to seduce your mind as well as body. Have you convinced that he wants all of you.
Your eyes slide open, emboldened by this. Peña is staring at you with a dreamy look that makes your heart jump a moment. The look disappears when your hands curve around his ass, still covered in that tight pair of jeans.
You pull his cock deep into you, not wanting this slow dance of seduction. You begin to thrust your hips against him shallowly and you can see the fire licking the edges of his pupils.
His movements increase, hips circling and then hitting you deep. You make a small noise halfway between a groan and a whimper.
As if remembering himself Peña pulls back and out of you slowly. You watch as he reaches into his jeans pocket, pulling out the condom. You watch him rip the foil open with his teeth, sliding the rubber over his cock swiftly, all the while never looking away from you.
You realize something has to change. This is too easy, he's gonna win because part of Javier Pena’s seduction is just in how he looks. Not just his handsome face with his plump mouth and strong features, but that heated way his eyes pin you, making you squirm.
You gently push him by the shoulders, surprising him. He's about to say something when you slide off your desk and twist against him, bending over the desk.
"What are you-"
He stops talking when you raise your skirt to your waist, tilting and arching forward so that he see how you glisten for him. You stretch your arms to either side of the desk the width of your wingspan and grip the edges of the desk.
You arch again, presenting your wet and swollen cunt to him.
"It's yours for tonight and only tonight, Peña," you say with a pounding heart. "Fuck it how you want."
Your eyes are shut and the desk is so cool against your cheek. Already you feel some of the self control you'd lost returning to you. Without Javier's eyes burning into yours you can finally breathe.
///
Javier takes in the sight of you bent over your desk wearing nothing on your bottom half except your black high heels and tries his best to hold in a groan.
Fuck this is . . . a dream.
Something from a magazine he read as a teenager. A wanton woman begging to be fucked over a desk. This can’t be real.
You crane your neck when he doesn't touch you right away, worry covering your features.
"Did you want to stop?"
Your voice is so soft, so nervous. Javier can see the concern there in your wide eyes. Why does that turn him on?
"No," Javier shakes his head, coming to marvel at the smooth skin of your lower back as he pushes the skirt higher, the strength of your ass flexing back into his hands as he comes to grip handfuls of it, exposing more of you .
"Can't stop now," he assures you before he curls over you, watching your eyes close, your cheek pressed against the desk.
You're beautiful like that. Your body just there, serenely waiting for him. He gently nudges your feet a bit further apart to accommodate him.
His fingers dance along the back of your thighs before he grips himself, aligning himself with your dripping cunt and pressing forward.
At this angle it feels like pure fucking bliss. The kind of bliss that has you shuddering with every inch he gives you.
"Jesus;" you cry out, your hands firmly gripping the sides of the table after one particularly deep thrust where you’re convinced his cock kisses your cervix. Peña smirks down at you before his hand comes to loosely press along your lower back, holding you there in place.
"I told you I'd make you feel good," Javier tells you gently. "Come for me. Just give me the first one and I'll fuck you until you can't walk. Just surrender."
///
Surrender?
Like hell.
You are not losing this.
You are not going to give Javier Peña have yet another thing to hold over you. With that one word uttered from him you remember why you agreed to this in the first place.
"C'mon," he tells you through grunts above you. "Come for me right now and then let me fuck you properly. No rules."
No rules. Going down on you. Kissing you as he fucks you. Wouldn't that feel so good? Just letting Peña do this and just letting go? He could fill you so well.
You stop these traitorous thoughts with a growl.
You know how to win.
"I think you're gonna come, Peña" you whisper back, glancing up at him over your shoulder. "Take off the condom.”
Peña's eyes blow wide and you feel the stutter of his hips. "W-what?"
"Take off the condom," you repeat, turning your cheek back to press against the desk. "I wanna feel all of you."
You hold in a laugh as he physically moves away, pulling back and out from your cunt all flustered. He's sure he hasn't heard you right but he really hopes he has.
"You're not serious."
"I am."
You nod your cheek flush with the cool table. You arch your back, presenting your glistening folds to him once more.
Javier feels a whimper rip from him which he muffles as a cough. You're cheek is on the desk, your hips raised and your cunt fucking begging for him.
How can he refuse?
"I don't wanna be a dad," he ventures. "Not yet-"
"You honestly think I want to raise a kid with you?" you snarl, the veil of you act temporarily lifted as you glare at him in irritation. "I'm on the pill."
There are a few minutes of silence in which you wonder if you've gone too far.
And then you hear the sound of the condom being rolled off and disposed of and his hands are coming to land back on the small of your back, holding you in place.
You hold in a secret smile as you feel the head of his cock coming back to trail between the seam of your cunt once more.
"You're on the pill," Javier repeats in a trance as his hips thrust forward and his cock begins to fill you again.
You can't help but let out a small moan at the sensation. It feels pretty damn good. With the condom off you can feel every ridge of him, silken and warm.
His hand moves to the back of your neck, pinning you down and now his hips snap sharply against yours.
"I want to fuck me deep," you purr, your eyes twisting to meet his over your shoulder. "Can you do that Peña?"
You hear Javier murmur something in Spanish. It sounds ragged and desperate. You hold in a smirk.
"You gonna come in me, Peña?" You ask, your eyes glittering as you watch him falling apart. "Gonna fill me up?"
You part your legs further, arching so he can hit you deeper. Javier is panting at this, his hips slapping against yours obscenely and he's staring at you as if you're a stranger to him.
"You're fucking filthy. Letting me fuck you bare."
Peña goes to say something more acerbic but then you shift back against him, arching as he hits that sweet spot.
Fuck.
His lower belly tenses and his hips stutter. He needs to pace himself. You’re taking this bet seriously and so now he will too. And your cunt has already given away a valuable piece of information – you like when he talks.
His hips slow, pressing into you deeper and languidly. His hand comes back to cup your sex, his finger curling against your clit.
"Gonna make you see stars," he rasps against your jaw, curling over your body. "Gonna fuck you how you need, pretty girl.”
This isn't what you want. You need him fucking you hard and fast so he'll come. Right now his movements are slow and sensual, almost tender.
He tilts you up, the front of your thighs braced against the desk. One arm is over your chest, holding you to his front, his fingers along the base of your throat. His other fingers rub and curl around your throbbing clit as he fucks you deep and slow from behind.
You feel it. That deep shudder that starts in your core. The one that once it spreads will spell victory for Peña and a loss for you. You panic, throwing yourself forward.
He lets out a low groan as you curve on the desk, your head tilting as you look up into his face over your shoulder. He makes a soft choking noise when your eyes meet because you’re jerking there below him, your ass shaking enticingly wither every thrust he gives you.
"I need it faster," you moan slowly urging him deeper. "Please, baby?"
Baby.
Javier has never had you use a term of endearment for him before. Never heard you use a pet name for anyone, ever. You've told him you find them demeaning for both parties. So at the husky sound of it coming from you as he fucks you against the desk, with your eyes half lidded and stuck on him, he feels himself unravel completely.
His forehead drops between your shoulder blades and he lets out pained moan as he urges himself deeper.
"You want my come?" he groans savagely. "Gonna fill this sweet cunt right up."
Perfect.
"Gonna have me leaking out of you," Peña promises , pressing you harshly into the wood grain of the table with his hands as he pants and thrusts. "You want that? Huh? You want me marking you with my come?"
Oh shit. That was kinda hot.
"I bet you do," Javier continues, emboldened by your silence. "Bet you secretly love getting fucked like this on your desk. You pretend like you didn't want this but the way your cunt is gripping me tells me everything I need to know, pretty girl."
Uh oh.
His fingers have flown back to your clit and is teasing forth more pleasure there. The desk creaks as he ruts his hips against yours, tilting you to get you at the perfect angle. The sounds your bodies make each time they collide is obscene.
No. Fuck. Stop. Think of something. Paperwork or cocaine or Murphy’s legs in shorts-
But you can't. When you close your eyes all you can think of is Javier Peña. His dark eyes and his lean neck and his fucking shoulders in those shirts he wears. They're always strained in arms, showing off his biceps and fuck, does his ass have to look so good in those jeans?
Stop it. He's going to win.
“Gonna fuck you right, Osita," Javier groans raggedly. “So every time you sit at this desk you remember how good my cock felt filling you up."
Fuck he's right. Why didn't you think of that?
"And when you do, you're gonna get wet right there in the middle of work," Javier continues painting this scene with his deep baritone as he fucks you. "But don't worry. You come get me when you do and I'll make you feel good all over again."
You think that you're done for, your thighs already trembling when the overconfident Javier shows his hand.
"Call me baby again."
You're taking him deep, your jaw slackened when he says this. You're not sure you heard him right.
"Call me baby again," Javier repeats in a rough whisper when you don't reply. His thrusting increases in tempo. You hold in a secret smile.
Gotcha.
"Please baby," you breathe.
"Look at me when you say it."
You don't want to look at Javier right now. You're afraid if you see him unkempt and needy it’s going to be your undoing. But you steel yourself and acquiesce, willing yourself not to notice the flush on his cheeks or the way his dark hair is falling into his eyes.
"Please," you breathe raggedly, looking between his eyes instead of into them. "Please fill me up, baby. I need it."
"Where do you need it, pretty girl?" Javier asks between thrusts. Even though he knows your answer he wants to hear it.
"Inside," you say with a shiver. "Come inside. Deep.”
His hand is wrapped loosely on the back of your neck, holding you in place for purchase. His hips are starting to jerk unevenly and now the desk is starting to squeak with how fast he's sliding into you.
"Gonna come deep for you," Javier insists through clenched teeth. "'Cuz you take me so fucking well."
You moan lowly, feeling his hips snap against you, his fingers still dancing along your clit. You have to hold out longer than him. He just has to come first. You arch yourself back into him, feeling him bottom out inside you.
"Knew... Knew you wanted it this whole time," Peña is cunt drunk, his words have a slur as he tilts his head to better watch his cock thrusting in and out of your swollen pussy. "Knew I'd make you feel ... Feel so fucking good."
"So good," you coo as his thrusts become increasingly erratic. "Just surrender to it, come for me, baby."
He comes with a shuddering roar, his hands gripping your hips so harshly you can already feel the bruises starting. You feel him start to spill into you, painting you from the inside and you bite back the orgasm that's been teetering on the edge.
You need to win. But fuck you can't stop. Your hips jerk against him, his positioning cock going just at the right angle as he climaxes and then fuck, you do see stars.
You come but you do it silently, biting into your lower lip so harshly you draw blood. You rock your body slowly coming down from that high with a shudder. You feel boneless, sagging on the table, your eyes closed as you breathe.
He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know.
Javier’s forehead is between your shoulder blades and he's panting heavily. You can feel yourself full of him, wincing when he gently pulls out, placing a kiss to your spine. He pulls your skirt down, smoothing it over the swell of your ass.
"Well osita," he says with an amused rumble. "You seem more relaxed."
Don’t let him know.
"Course I am," you say victoriously. "I just won our bet."
"Did you?" Peña laughs faintly, zipping himself back up as he stares down at you. "Because last time I checked I just fucked you bareback and got you to call me baby. All in all feels like a victory to me."
"A pretty hollow one," you surmise as you pull away from him.
"You're really claiming that you won," Peña says in a voice of soft awe.
"You came, I didn't so I won," you say beaming. "Thanks for playing, sorry you lost. I'll be sure to leave my paperwork on your desk first thing."
You don't even give him time to reply.
You're already dressed and heading out the door.
#javier pena smut#javier pena x you#javier pena narcos#javier pena x reader#javier pena#javier pena fanfiction#smut#fanfiction#fanfic#dirty talk#coworkers#desk sex#enemies to lovers
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if said content was from someone whose account name was related to thinking my best friend and i were romantically involved, i'd check out the account before reposting (even if the content i was planning on reposting didn't have anything to do with said shipping thoughts)
i don't blame th, but i do wish he checked the account 😞
TW: mention of triggering words/actions such as “rape” but not the actual action.
Hi Anon,I hope you can forgive me for using your post to address a topic I've been meaning to discuss. The following has absolutely nothing like for real 💜🙏🏾 against you, but it kinda sets the perfect scenario, so imma take advantage it. BUT imma offer you a jikook hug in exchange, hope you can accept this for your very honest and not blaming frustration 🥹🫰🏾💜
So the topic is: SHIPPING.
Remember that chapter 2 blog which I promised, but NEVER delivered? 🤡🤡🤡 Yeah, so,shipping was going to be one of the many subsections of that blog, which to be honest with you, is sitting unfinished in my draft, and most likely will stay like that … BUT, luckily for me not sure for y’all 😬😬 today serves itself as a perfect day to actually give it an applicable context. Through today's familiar mayhem, I read a post which I think will give the perfect context to the topic of shipping. It is a post from @akookminsupporter, the following one:
I actually happen to agree with this 100%, because I do agree that we don’t want the people we stan to directly, or indirectly, endorse problematic situations, particularly those that are recognised as such universally. For example:
GENOCIDE a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM
RAPE a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM
RACIAL SLURS a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM
You get my point.
Now when it comes to shipping, it is WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the greatest plights within our fandom in particular, but in reality it is an issue in kpop and other music genres as a whole. Yet, the reality is that shipping is indeed a traditional tool REALLY HATE CALLING IT THAT BUT … that is almost always used as a means to a common and popular end. So the questions are:
Do fans within the kpop fandom consider it an issue? Yes and No.
Do people outside the kpop fandom consider it an issue? … Do they even know about it, or about it being a serious issue, within its perimeter?
Do the idols consider it an issue? … Yes? and No?
In its entirety, as all the questions don’t actually have a universally unanimous answer, SHIPPING in general, as of 17 January 2024, can’t be considered a universally known and agreeable issue. BUT, in the case of kpop, the situation is much worse. To begin with, we are unable to definitively agree on whether, or not, shipping is actually an issue to begin with, or not; be it the idol or the shipper. Nobody, in their right mind, is out there making jokes about, for example, genocide. If they are, they will righteously face big ass consequences by almost ANYONE who stumbles upon said comment/s. Shipping, on the other hand, the only people who would care, are the people within said field/environment. But, as I am a very integral part of this fandom, I know that, for us, it has become quite a nerve wracking issue, so let’s go a bit deeper.
Let’s go with the generally known concept within kpop that a debuting band is very likely to engage in fanservice and, consequently, form ships. The idols know, the fans know. Then, let’s give it 4 years? More or less many bands decided that “you know what? I don’t need to do this anymore” and as a consequence, some have tried to address this subject, and some just pretend to not know anymore. No matter the choice, the fact still remains that their related shippers were created, toxic or not, and 9 out of 10 cases; they ain’t going nowhere.
In the case of BTS, it is actually very funny because the only person who has allegedly tried to address this, is the one person who is constantly under fire for “feeding his shippers”. What is even funnier, to me at least, is that none of his 6 members actually came out to back him up, the day he challenged his viewers regarding shipping, at least not that I recall, if you know of any members that was actually supporting Tae, please let me know. So, if none of my bandmates seem to find it an imminent problem because let’s be honest, they had to deal with far bigger shit, apparently, and the company seems to not find it a panic-worth problem, apparently, then, if I were Tae, I’d be initially hella frustrated, but eventually I’d be like: FUCK IT. Which is the mentality I honestly think they all end up applying, in the kpop world.
So, what EXACTLY IS considered shipping?
Repeatedly mentioning the name of a shipped/rival member? Posting pictures with a shipped/rival member? Touching a shipped/rival member? Spending time with shipped/rival member? Standing next to a shipped/rival member? Etc. Just so you know, If any, or all, of these qualify with shipping, then maknae line is UNIVERSALLY within our fandom FUCKED, and yes, only them, because, let’s be real, not many care about the shipping involving the hyung line, even though they do engage in the same type of behaviour … except for Yoongi, he is kinda in the middle, like some sort of collateral damage.
So then what should we do? Should we completely ban shipping? Should shipping be banned maybe 4 years after the debut of all groups? Or should shipping have regulations, some kind of universal judge that presides and guides shipping behaviour? Should shipping fanfictions be abolished? Should unit names be restricted to the sole use of members? Should members cut out time in their life to make sure that they are aware of shipping and their consequences? Soooooo many questions, and probably tooooooo many answers, but the one fact still remains that MOST LIKELY these are all issues for those consuming the provided “shipping content” but not for those providing said “shipping content”, because for example:
And here I will be applying the parent/guardian/teacher/authority figure test, as in , for the next set of examples would any of the aforementioned figures be alarmed? Following are my test results on whose problem it is, between the fandom and its idol.
A JM fan-dedicated birthday party, being crashed by rival shippers: Shippers problems. JM’s mail being stolen: Park Jimin problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.
JK having to look at a poster saying that he is in love with Tae at the airport: Shippers problems. JK having an actual stalker: Jeon Jungkook problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.
Tae posting a picture with an shipped/rival member: Shippers problems. Tae finding a girl in his private lift with a marriage certificate: Kim Taehuing problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.
And don’t get me wrong: name dragging, defaming, lying,character bashing, graphic obscenity, etc, they are all very painful issues to witness, and endure, but it always mainly occurs within the kpop environment. When articles write about perhaps a lazy member, when other fandoms drag our favs to pieces, in the end, when the global announcements are made, none of those descriptive, obscene qualities follow. Grammy nominated BTS, is just Grammy nominated BTS, not paving crew Grammy nominated BTS, or “worst fandom” fuck y’all possessing Grammy nominated BTS. ‘Namean?
Furthermore, the truth probably is that, at the level of BTS, the artist DOESN’T HAVE TO SEE ANY OF THAT BULLSHIT, which is why it ultimately ends up being an “US” issue. Even when toxic shippers reach higher entities, like the company, government offices etc, the second these entities see that it is about a ship, after I am hoping due diligence, they are dismissed, pronto. And so, reiterating, we are left with the bulk of it all 🤡🤡🤡.
So if, taking today as an example, Tae sees a post ABOUT HIMSELF not even his ship, just himself, by one of his shippers, we can assume that he has a pretty good idea about what might be on their page, which to be very honest, I won’t blame him for not wanting to check, but obviously, given all that we’ve been discussing, the idol themself is probably made to not have to think about it at all, as it is considered accepted, not acceptable, behaviour. ALSO they would leave any related, and/or possible issues, to a designated team, which will assess if there is or not a real threat. Because historically, thus far at least, if there were any life-threatening hazards the company seems to take it VERY SERIOUSLY and any other threat is also dealt with accordingly.
But what if, for example, by not checking the shipper’s page, Tae had allowed a human trafficking account to prolifer?! … let’s not 🧢:
TODAY, nobody was angry because of the fact that him not checking the page meant that he could have missed a potential infringement of human rights.
AND If they were a human trafficking page, why is IG allowing them a platform and not quickly doing something about it?
In addition to the fact that, it is a real thing that, CURRENTLY, the accounts that are most likely to post about Tae aren't OT7s nor his biased fans (they may not be that fast or have the numbers) not even tae solos (for lack of numbers or different immediate priorities, such as streaming) but, you guessed it, taekook shippers. Hence, his algorithm will reflect accordingly.
I mean, are we to tell JM to stop affectionately hug his members? Do we dare telling jk to stop liking shipping tiktoks or mention members' names? ….
All that just to say that @ejassy, in reality and effectively, by reposting said story, Tae wasn't actually endorsing shipping, because shipping in SK, differently from smoking or doing drugs, is generally not frowned upon. It is not an action or message that needs any kind of endorings, because within the kpop world, those who use it as a tool do not consider it a problem, hence, it is very openly accepted as a part of the culture they willingly, or not, help create.
“But so-and-so gets dragged viciously, and disgustingly, everyday” I know. They probably know as well, but I’ve already discussed their responsible personnel. As for us, we know what to do, report report report! . I mean, I’m sure that they have a PR team that tells them about the good trends or good SM news, achievements, etc. “So what? .. we fans are stuck with toxic shippers and our favs not acknowledging or doing anything about it?” … 🤡🤡🤡
I don’t know.
We mostly all know about shipping culture’s systematic past, we know about its problematic present. In all honesty, it feels a bit like a lost battle but recently Kpop fans were able to make it known that, for example, for good reasons, they are against Starbucks. And it very effectively got to their idols, because said fans were united and in agreement. But within the shipping world, they all hate the other shipper and at the same time they kinda don't want to stop their own shipping, because they are really not against it, in fact, perhaps, they’d like some boundaries set, but who is to decide said boundaries? OR should shipping be considered a universal issue? … I think shipping has actually become an issue, particularly when regarding the queer community, BUT, what do I know, right? So, what's the solution ....
Y’all tell me.
Always respectfully yours,
Marengo.
PS - Once again, thank you Anon, now I'm off to bed 😴😴😴
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Hey! I hope this isn't weird but I thought you might be a good person to ask. Are there any good movie adaptations of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights? I've never seen any movies based off of them and don't want to dive into one that isn't half-decent. Thank you!
Hi!!! Not weird, not weird at all, very welcome!
Problem, though. What "good" means in this case is contentious XD
Related problem: I did start a series of reviews of Jane Eyre adaptations... two years ago? Did 83' and 96' and got stuck on 97' (the plan was to do 73, 2006 and 2011 afterwards, then do Wuthering Heights 78-92-98-09).
The thing is that they are all different, and counted the exceptions I DNFed or just outright disliked, I have enjoyed them all in their own ways, even ones that the fandom at large thinks are bad. My recommendation in terms of my value judgement of the things is probably not to be trusted XD But I'll give you a summary of what I think are the strengths and weaknesses of each, and maybe that helps?
Jane Eyre
Movies:
1943: it is acclaimed for its visuals, which are really interesting and Gothic. Did not care at all for the writing or the casting or the acting.
1970: DNFed, but I wish I could have finished it. I think the most fitting description of the core of this adaptation is how someone in a podcast characterized the main couple as "a cute middle aged couple". The budget is low. "that woman is wearing a reject Sound of Music costume" low. George C. Scott and Susannah York in the leading roles are... a choice. Even the John Williams (yes, THAT John Williams) score is kind of underwhelming.
1996: If you have watched the 1996 Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow, this is kinda sorta the same thing for Jane Eyre. But it has more substance. It is transformative in a very intentional, commentary way, there's an interesting play with the imagery of portraits-true character and mirrors-anxiety, it focuses on the concept of tenderness for the romantic plot, and highlights more than any of the others the themes of providence and compassion/mercy. But... well, because of all that, it is very... ungothic. So if you love Jane Eyre because of the gothicness and the Rochester shenanigans then you'll probably hate this one.
Check out the OST, though. It's wonderful. I'd say it's the best Jane Eyre score so far, and it's at the very least severely underrated.
Charlotte Gainsbourg is probably my favorite Jane. She embodies really well the "nunnish on the outside, a storm of passions underneath" thing, even if she's tall (and yay for a non-supermodel in the role!), and I also really like the expanded role for Adele.
1997: the Cinderella of Jane Eyre adaptations. Yes, Ciaran Hinds has the mustache of horrors, and for some reason his Rochester here is so much more exaggerated and cartoonish than the one he did in the 1994 radio drama. Yes the modernized dialogue is painful at times. It deserves some of its bad reputation. But I cannot hate it because it has some fine things that I think are often downplayed:
-It's the movie adaptation that manages to cram in the most plot, even if it sometimes does it in a kind of ridiculous way (the worst offender is Jane leaving Thornfield for Gateshead and returning on the very next scene.): it has the rendering of the veil and the trip to Milcotte, for example.
-It has a really great Adele. You can tell how someone like Charlotte Brontë would see this girl as a mini-slut in the making because FRENCH, but she's actually just a lively, charming little girl.
-the sunrise scene after Mason is attacked is not noticed enough. The work of filming and editing a sunrise scene so that the continuity of it works... is definitely more than the writing of this one deserves.
-The portrayal of Bertha. Curiously enough, this is the Rochester that shows the most compassion and understanding for Bertha, and in general it is done so that the audience also feels the same.
-The reunion scene is good. "I am reminded that Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton are great actors" good. The way Hinds delivers "My heart will burst for want to see your face" almost makes up for the rest of his acting in the movie XD
-I honestly think that "St John Rivers but with the vibes of a manic crazy cult leader" is kind of inspired translation??
The score on this one is really pretty too.
2011: What can I say about this one, on Tumblr dot com of all places? it's really atmospheric and moody and pensive. If you are a Gothic vibes girlie, this one is for you. It is a movie I like the most when it's been a long time since I have watched it XD It's weird, but it is what it is. The whole thing plays with this concept of sleep and the sleep of death, and of being in love as being awake, so that both Rochester and Jane are asleep until they fall in love with each other, and they feel so alive once they become engaged, but it is the "alive" inside a strange, twilight dream, unlike the very end when they are both alive and awake with the freshness of an early morning, and it ending with the exchange "-I Dream! -Awaken, then." muaaah, *chef kiss*
It is a dem' vibes movie. If you are not a dem' vibes person, I don't think it will be for you. Fassbender makes for a rather dour Rochester, and many pieces of dialogue and plot are sacrificed to this dreamlike concept (which I'm not mad about it. There's so many adaptations it is good that there's the room to play with that).
The series:
1973: Listen, I love 1973. It is the most complete adaptation (some people will contend 83 is more complete, but 83 omits the whole of Helen Burns' death and that's such a huge omission in my eyes I cannot concede). It takes its time to do Lowood and do it well, with a really good Helen and a really good Miss Temple. But the crown of the thing is Michael Jayston's Rochester. He just embodies Rochester's pathetic, unhinged, impish and at the same time dead seriously emotional character SO WELL. I know people love Toby Stephens, and who doesn't, but he's helped by being a very athletic and handsome man who looked younger than he was. Jayston has none of that going for him, and he still manages to deliver a fascinating and touching performance.
What can be a stumbling block with this adaptation is... Jane. She's not a bad actress, not at all, and she has the most delicious chemistry with Rochester, they are very much on the same wavelength and play off each other really well. But this Jane is a happy go lucky creature, and it cannot be helped XD woman goes through life experiencing the horrors and most of the time reacting to them with a smile and a "LOL", and I get how that could be disappointing for some people.
But in the end, I feel the combination of "really good Lowood" "Really good Rochester" "fidelity to the novel language" and "thoroughness with the plot" is a rare one and puts this adaptation on the top.
1983: This one has many, many fans. I'm ambivalent about it. It is a pretty complete series, and I know a lot of people find Timothy Dalton really good as Rochester. I personally feel that this is the one adaptation where Rochester and Jane are being directed and portrayed in such a way as to never really connect or play off each other. Even 1997 with it's mustachioed shouting, personal effects throwing, arm grabbing Rochester is matched by a Jane who is never afraid of him and who swears she will POUND DOWN A DOOR if he throws her out, and then proceeds to grab his jaw tight to deliver the rest of her line. Truly crazy x crazy in that one. 73 is fun x fun, 96 is tired x tired, 11 is depressed x depressed... in 83 Dalton is larger than life, and Zelah is at turns confused, apparently hurt, or straight out bewildered at him.
And it isn't the actress fault! Because here is the thing I love in this adaptation: the Rivers plot. The Rivers plot is excellent. The way Jane and St. John's actors play off each other is so so so so good. How she starts by being very free and independent and contestatarian, and how his influence creeps on her and subjugates her bit by bit. It's wonderful. So well done.
So, hm, overall, it goes pretty low on my list but be fully aware this is an unpopular opinion XD
2006: What to say about 2006? It is beloved for a reason. I'd characterize it as the romance novel of Jane Eyre; it cares very little for anything that isn't the Jane-Rochester romance, and it does a lot to sand down the less likeable aspects of it in the original story (for example, Rochester is characterized as younger and Jane as older).
It is somewhere halfway between Emma (2009) and North and South (2004) in the Sandy Welch screenplay scale in terms of the bold choices that sometimes pay off and sometimes don't. They addition of contexts in natural science, the fascination with phrenology and heredity, those are well done. The twin metaphor is not. The modernization of the language works really well, and Welch has always been really good at that (I mean, she sneaks a star wars reference in a st. John line, and then there's the literal red flag, how does she do it).
It is a very enjoyable period drama, and has all the touching bits, but personally I sometimes feel like I am cheating the novel when I watch it XD Well, and of course it has the advantage of modern filming techniques against both 73 and 83.
Wuthering Heights! This one is trickier Because the adaptations are fuzzier in my mind, so it will be shorter, but something is something (?)
1970: It's only the first half, and I. Did. Not. Like. It. Someone would maliciously say that it is because I hate Timothy Dalton, but that's not true, he's a riot in Hot Fuzz, and I have even considered watching his James Bond movies because of him. It just... IDK. Didn't care for it. I remember it has a very long, very uncomfortable kiss scene that makes the one at the almost-end of Persuasion 2007 feel quick and breezy.
1978: This one has the advantage of being a miniseries. For the BBC in the 70s, they really splurged on this one for sets, cast, and it even has some interesting camera work in it, which wasn't common. I do have the idea that it is, of the filmed adaptations, the one that seems to be overall most liked. I remember I really liked the kid actors, but didn't jive with the older actors at all.
1992: This one is kinda sorta similar to Jane Eyre 1996 in that it is a very softened, stylized, "prettied" adaptation of the story. I remember Cathy I being kind of a manic pixie girl but with a bit of a temper? And Binoche played Cathy II as well, which was A ChoiceTM?
But I cannot say I disliked it overall, because it IS pretty (and if you are a costume person then it is for you). The score was gorgeous, and I like Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes a lot. But definitely get why if you are a big Wuthering Heights fan it wouldn't be your cup of tea.
1998: I remember really liking this one, specially in terms of the atmosphere. It departs from the novel in some significant ways that don't always land, it gets a bit silly several times, but I felt it was dynamic and grim enough without being unbearable, and I really liked the cast too, specially Orla Brady's Cathy, and think Robert Cavanaugh would have done really well with less flanderized characterization.
2009: This one... this one is... not good XD It cannot agree with itself which is the time setting, the opening in media res is a very confusing choice, and the recourse to adding some sex scenes to make it hip (it has that "made for high school classes" vibe to it) is *something* as well. The poorly modernized language doesn't help.
BUT
Tom Hardy as Heathcliff. He may not look the part, but he plays it deliciously well in every part of the story. It is truly inspired and mesmerizing to watch, and that alone would make it worth watching. And there's also Andrew Lincoln as Edgar, and who can resist Andrew Lincoln?
2011: I DNFed this one. It has a very Terrence Malick sort of style going for it, minimal dialogue and lots of long moody shots, and I cannot explain enough how I don't have the patience for that.
Now, Unlike Jane Eyre, for which I haven't found a radio drama that I like, the 1995 BBC radio drama for Wuthering Heights is just excellent, one of the best they have ever made, IMO. So while I know when someone asks me for an adaptation they mean an audiovisual one, I cannot help but recommend this one as the best I know, just in case.
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Hey there!
I wanted to ask, where did you buy your persona Inuis? I've been looking for weeks and most places are sold out?
I'd really appreciate your help 😭💙
hi anon! thank you for reaching out to me!
regarding the nuis, i pre-ordered them from the atlus shop and sent the relevant links to japan shopping service (https://jpshopping.jp/). however, i'm not entirely sure if they still have any in stock which takes me to my next point...
since the nuis have already been released, you'll likely need to buy them through third-party sources/resale for aftermarket price. there's two things that come to mind:
mercari: a keyword search of "persona plush" should get you multiple listings of the nuis, as well as other persona-related plushes. you can also choose to look through the tags #atlus, #persona3 (replace 3 with the game of your choice) and find merch that way. make sure to read reviews of the seller before buying and check the product photos + description! ^-^
other JP proxies: there is a REALLY nice guide from aikotos that i reblogged some time ago, if you wanted to buy from JP sites. i think using keyword searches like "ペルソナ３ぬい" for persona 3 nui) should help! hell, if you wanted to buy the fabled pitanuis, you might be able to find them here too.
while i don't have personal experience buying from these sites, i have friends who can vouch for these... mercari especially ^-^ ! hopefully these anecdotes can help you.
in any case, i wish you the best with getting your own nui! they're absolutely 100% worth purchasing methinks i mean just look at my nui tag...! if you need any additional help feel free to send me an ask and i'll try to get back to you when i can. happy nuimas!
#lizzy askbox#THANK YOU FOR FEELING LIKE YOU CAN ASK THIS TO ME!!!#I LOVE NUIS!!!!! EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE NUI!!!#of course i should also add that research and checking places you are buying from is important ^-^#i wanted to include the aftermarket sites not just for nui but for other merch needs too.#like if you wanted other official persona merch that's already been sold a long time ago#you should def look through these!!!#linked aikotos guide too bc its such a valuable resource. i don't really buy much merch so its better 4 me to just link 2 someone who does#lots of love to you anon! was fun to answer this
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Hey Makenzie! Bookblr ask for you - have you ever read any of the books that Bridgerton is based on? Idk if you ever watched that show but the books are... interesting to say the least. They are all trashy romances set in the historical era (regency era England tho iirc the author is American). I've read a couple of them and they're a bit basic, but you mentioning your tolerance for bad shit in romances did make me wonder if you might like them? Deffo do think they have their moments of joy sparking although there's other questionable shit in them too. Anyway if you do ever check them out I'd love to know what you think of them!
hi! fun question!
I actually haven't delved much into historical romance, with the exception of Alexis Hall's A Lady for the Duke (it's EVERYTHING, very swoony and silly in the best. I wish the last chunk of the book had just been about the duke sucking Viola's dick instead of the very goofy plot that actually happened, but no book is perfect) and KJ Charles' Magpie Lord (it's fine, although I commend the use of jizz magic).
I first started the monthly romance reads last year basically because I wanted to study the genre and figure out how it works, but Romance as a category is so huge that I figured it made the most sense to focus in one area - in my case, popular contemporary romances rather than historical or werewolf stuff or romantasy (again, exception for the Magpie Lord) or whatever's going on in those ones that are about romanticizing the Amish. if I remember correctly, I only branched out to A Lady for the Duke last year as a little pride month treat for myself, because I wanted to get at least one trans romance in for the year (this was back when I thought I was only reading romances for 2023) and that book was really well-reviewed.
I haven't explored into historical romance beyond that. I think maybe it feels a little less interesting to me than contemporary romances for reasons I can't quite place - maybe because the image I have in my head of "historical romance" is very Bridgerton-y, and the particular set of tropes I affiliate with that isn't very compelling to me. say what you will about contemporary romances, but at least it's just a given that women can vote, you know? but I don't know, maybe that's exactly why I should give historicals a chance. I didn't know a lot about contemporary romance either when I first dove in, and now I can complain about them in a way that's way more detailed and informed. I need a theme for my July romance poll; maybe I could celebrate the 4th of July by reading a book about shitty dead white people?
if nothing else I have to say that it compels me that you think I might like Bridgerton specifically because of my high level of shit tolerance, that genuinely makes me more interested in the books than anything good you could say about them.
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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!
EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.
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119. Delinquent Daddy & Tender Teacher, Vol. 2 by Tama Mizuki--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The way this series has a chokehold on me. The adorable little kid? The heartwarming relationship between the characters? The slowly increasing seriousness of their relationship? Please, this is both the cutest and sweetest series.
This was also surprisingly...spicy? I was not expecting that LOL.
I also thought the way Mizuki marked the passing of time by seasons was really smart and well-done. It also helped set the pace of the relationship between the two MCs.
I can't believe we only have three volumes out physically in North America 🙃
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120. Delinquent Daddy & Tender Teacher, Vol. 3 by Tama Mizuki--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Omg I love seeing the jealousy in this one because it helps bring to light some of the insecurities so the main couple can have solid communication about it all. I love these two because even though they get frustrated or hurt, they always manage to talk things out. I also loved the introduction of another set of characters and a new situation that proves to both be challenging for the little one, but also a chance to further showcase how much these characters care for each other.
I do like that one of them, despite his fears, was able to set his boundaries so well. I think that was pretty well done, as opposed to a few other storylines I've seen where everything happens so quickly and it's like boundaries don't even exist or matter.
I honestly need more. I want to devour everything this author brings us with this series.
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121. Murder Road by Simone St. James--⭐️⭐️⭐️
While Simone St. James is definitely an auto-read for me (I still haven't read her older stuff, but don't judge me too much, please), sometimes her books can really be a hit or miss.
MURDER ROAD is a story that kind of sits in the middle for me. It was...okay? And I kind of wanted it to end by the time I reached around the 70% mark. The mystery itself was intriguing and I loved that twist of this being set in the 90s (those comments about Princess Diana and Kurt Cobain threw me the hell off and I kept thinking "Who's gonna tell her?"). The twists were good and so were each of the reveals.
The thing is that something about this book just...felt off to me. I think it was just very slowly paced. The story starts off strong and metaphorically punches the reader, but then it just kind of...enters this moment in the story where it's both frustrating and drags on a bit.
I'd still recommend this to thriller fans, since I can definitely see this grabbing a thriller addict's attention, but I do wish the book had kept that same energy of the beginning all the way through the book.
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122. Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think DEEP WIZARDRY was better than the first book. While it still had some of the confusing magical math that the first book had, it wasn't as dense. We still got to see a lot of the magic at play, especially when the kids find themselves in a dangerous ocean.
This book also gave me heavy A WRINKLE IN TIME vibes. I think if this book was on today's book cases, it would be a pretty strong seller. It has the friendship goals of two young magicians, skeptical parents, and the wild adventures that kids are somehow surviving when we know in real life, adults wouldn't survive.
This also did have some creepy moments, especially when we meet some of the characters.
Okay, will be attacking book three soon!
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123. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I spoiled myself for who Sookie ends up with and while I was disappointed, I HAVE enjoyed seeing her navigate her relationships. DEAD RECKONING doesn't disappoint as we learn some truths about Sookie's relationship and the heartbreaking reality of her situation.
One of my favourite things about this series, now that I'm one step closer to finishing, is how much Sookie has grown as a character. Thinking of how she was in book one in comparison to her now is wild. Her naive nature has changed and she is much more aware of her humanity and fragility. She is also more aware of the people around her and how her actions affect those she loves.
This instalment also tackles a situation that has been brewing for several books and it had a very, very satisfying conclusion. I'm also now very curious about what's happening with a few certain people in Sookie's life.
I'm excited to get to the next book because I'm so, so close to the end!
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124. Stay Out of the Basement by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️
STAY OUT OF THE BASEMENT was entertaining for what it was--especially since the concept of plants becoming self-aware and actively trying to get humans is a creepy topic. The story itself was entertaining and less frustrating than other GOOSEBUMPS titles.
There is some language in this that are very reminiscent of the 90's blasé way of speaking. Calling a kid "Fatso" because she's skinny, and having that girl make her younger brother by one year sandwiches every time he was hungry were a couple of the things that threw me off. I don't even know how many times I asked myself "Doesn't this kid know how to make himself a peanut butter sandwich? She's eleven and he's ten..."
Anyway, another classic GOOSEBUMPS bites the dust.
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Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?
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Happy reading!
#Review#Reviews#Reviews of the week#book blog#book blogger#Features#on books#on reading#read#reader#reading#my opinion#my writing#long text post#book list#books#booklr#bookish#bookworm#bookaholic#bibliophile#bibliomania#book reviews#manga#bookblr#readers of tumblr
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Episode 8, here we go! Finally! Im dedicating this review to @noybusiness and @shallowseeker for the encouragements to return to this.
Oh yes, Loki/Gabe! I forgot that's this one. I will say I still could not tell you which one it is. I WILL try to figure that out by the end of this.
I appreciate Mary immediately going to wanting to punch her dad while he's unconscious. Top tier sentiments.
I love (read: am banging my head against a wall) that John thinks what happened last ep counts as having hit the Akrida "pretty hard". It's kinda laughable tbh. The Akrida have already shown extrmely adept at infiltration (basically their whole thing) as well as the whole swarm of locust vibes associated. What i mean by this is, they have no clue how many Akrida there are or where and the dozen or so Samuel got rid of could easily be such an expendable number. But John assumes they weren't... why? Based on what? I also highkey love that Carlos just fully skirts addressing John's remark here and instead refocuses on the case du jour while Lata and Mary also say nothing. It's just funny to me.
Yessss, Lata and Carlos team up!!!
Ughh Dean's talking about dreams and sacrifices, just rip my heart out why dont u? Tho I will highlight his words about gaining more than u lose, Ive always appreciated the fact that Dean prefers to focus on what he has if possible. And it's not like he doesn't have a plethora of regrets, but he has reached a point by like.. season 11/12 I'd say where he became content with himself enough not to wish it different. I also deeply love the acknowledgement of said sacrifices made, it's not this empty optimistic view of things, shit has been bad before, but that doesn't negate or dimish the good that you've also gotten/found.
Lata's absolute judgement and unimpresed reaction to what Carlos has just called a "cathedral" give me life. This ep I think is one where we really start to see some more contrast in Lata. Because up until now, she's certainly been there, has def had complexity, but now we're not just seeing her be excited about knowledge, but rather learn some of the minutiae of her personality. Like how she is not easily impressed and also her niche interests and Carlos' dont match. We've seen Carlos be interested in her hobbies before, begrudgingly and with vague horrified expressions, but intrigued nonetheless. The opposite, we can now see for sure, does not apply in reverse for Lata. She genuinely doesn't seem to give a shit about the supposed prestige of the Knave and is more than happy to fall back to what she enjoys.
I adore the bartender. He is my fav and I am endlessly mad he dies. I loved that man and his "leave me.tf alone kid" vibes.
Carlos not wanting Lata to know about Rivers Gemini is soo funny. And 100% reminds me of Dean and how he prefers to hide his interests so he isn't made fun of/keeps appearences. And this won't be the only Carloa Dean parallel this ep. Hell, Dean's intro words apply most to Carlos this ep as is.
I love the fact that Mary and John actually TALK about their relationship and boundaries and the kiss. The emotional maturity is astounding tbh.
Jericho immediately making his excuses for why he hadn't seen Brock when he died gave me apprehension when I 1st watched this ep live, but now it's very obvious he was preemptively giving his alibi. It's honestly subtly done especially when contrasted to how obvious Loki/Gabe are. Glorious mustache on him btw.
Carlos has a very... interesting view on hunting. Because on the one hand, it did kinda kill their dream of being a musician, but they alao very much approach hunting with a lot of enthusiasm and genuinely seem to enjoy it. Again, the Dean vibes are off the charts with this one. I love Lata for adressing and checking in with Carlos as well, just making sure they're ok.
The roadie/Loki/Gabe is also pretty obvious in hindsight. It makes little sense to have this dude just go fuck off but oh no actually lemme tell u exactly what u need.
Oh no, Millie and Samuel. I am not ready for this. They are so similar and so different at the same time. Mainly because I genuinely believe Millie by this point has had the chance to process part of her issues whereas Samuel very much so is ... Samuel. And you can see this plainly for both of them. They are similiar, they butt heads because of it, but Millie has spent all this episode giving both John and Mary the space they need to work their shit out, without making any of her usual comments except for the tea Ada gave Samuel and even then she's quick to retract her statement when the tea works. Samuel meanwhile spends a good chunk of the episode saying shit that only serves to diminish or undermine.
I do appreciate the confirmation that Samuel knew who the MoL are/were. It makes perfect sense for the Campbell's to know considering their hunting legacy. And it's endlessly funny thay both him and Henry (when he met Sam and Dean) put down the other's profession. It's a fun parallel (i hate it). Millie putting him in his place was very very satisfying for me.
I will forever be screaming about Chuck being front and centre in this episode several times. An episode where we have Loki/Gabe and is about music (Chucks already said music is where humanity popped off for him) and on top of that discusses the themes of making up ur life as you want it despite whatever fate decrees (aka hunting means sacrifice and death but Carlos get to perform on the best stage in the area in from.of their friends regardless). Not to mention that I constantly have Chuck saying he likes "front row seats" and "hiding out in plain sight" on a loop in my head. Like of course he'd be keeping an eye out for his faves or would've done so before he was defeated. The timeline's a bit messy here because either this version is no longer the Chuck that Sam and Dean fought and defeated and is essentially the leftover consciousness from this particular world or time happens sorta simultaneoualy? I lean toward the 1st tbh, but then the question still remains of how much does he know. It's very very incriminating that he is in fact there.
And all this to say that I cannot believe that we have Loki alone here. I don't see it, can't. It makes more sense to me to actively mess with the Campbell-Winchester bloodlines via fucking with their friends while giving a speech about playing ur part for Gabe. But then... it ain't like Loki's mythos don't also deal with themes of predestination... soo...
And it's so so obvious that Loki/Gabe is gunning directly for Carlos btw. Like so obvious.
The bartender deserved better and I will go down with this.
Yep, that tattoo is def a parallel to the Mark of Cain. Which again, interesting choice 🤔
I love Mary's no nonsense vibe with Samuel, especially when he's trying to fuck around and find out aka deflecting the bullshit he's been pulling.
The photossssss, yesss.
I need John Winchester to not say shit like "should treat her more like a daughter less like a soldier' because I will have a stroke. I am so so in agreement and applauding but simultaneously thinking how fucking rich it is that this comes from any version of him. I am.in paaain. I wanna kill SPN!John with my bare hands and hearing this John say shit like this only adds fuel to the fire.
Ah yes... the innuendo. Forgot bout that. More on it, the personality Loki/Gabe shows here matches Gabe wayyyyy more than Loki, but the outfit and earlier peronality matches Loki. Cannot speak to MO since that's fully dif fron SPN, no just deserts here. Just a very bitter demigod/archangel. I am starting to think they are actively working together here and are both present and fucking around. He really really hates Lata tho. Like he's gunning for Carlos, but actively scorns Lata. Interesting.
Also also the disappearing Jericho thing... yes Loki could, but we've most seen in with Chuck and Lucifer, so I fully believe that the version that gets Carlos to make a deal is heavily leaning towards Gabe moreso than Loki.
Maggie's books save the day once more. God Maggie could've been a glorious Woman of Letters (to quite Charlie) in another life.
Uuuuuh Samuel seeing how things have changes, yess. Makes sense of course he's the one who's literally been on the outside and not being influenced by the Dean meddling til now so he still relates everything to what used to be true of the people we've been watching. But they aren't the same anymore, shit's changed and they've changed. This is what I've been trying ro highlight as it's been happening these past 8 ep that led us to Samuel confirming it.
At least he's self aware hes not a people's person. I do appreciate the distinction between monsters that kill to survive vs those that kill for fun. (And I am once more wondering if I should just post my bachelor's on the nature of monsters in spn)
Winchesters and their family specials... Aaaand I just realized they SPN!John likely had made his moms recipe for Sam and Dean when they were sick... think Dean called it cure-all kitchen-sink stew? If I remember my spn correctly...
Uuuu it was Samuel who mentioned the weapon...not Lata as Loki/Gabe accuses and mocks.
I love the arguememt between Mary and Samuel. And am mad that Samuel actually shows more emotional maturity in explaning himself here than SPN!John every did... I feel like I'm chewing glass here fellas, pray for me. Wonderful self awareness actually, love the clear generational trauma "dont want you to hate me like I hated him" indeed Samuel. Aaaand he's pulling a SPN!Mary move of rationalising his being away and distant and working on his own while his kid worries and fights the same fight by saying he's doing it for her...
So Samuel is Spn!Mary and is fueled technically by the guilt of what his choices have wroth his child. And Millie is son!John and is fueled by the grief and rage of having lost her husband to the supernatural and is reflecting it onto on her kid.
But... vitally, both are trying to fix shit and are given the space/time to do so.
Fun fighting sequence.
The bait and switch is a Loki/Gabe classic.
The Samuel stabing his daughter... oooof. Not left handed??? That's what u based it on, you absolute moron! I agree with Loki/Gabe mocking Samuel here tbh.
I will say the personality has shifted a bit after the bait and switch. The version of Loki/Gabe is now simmering with barely contained anger and is far more serious in his comments. There's more bite to them. I do believe thats more Loki leaning.
"For someone your height, you're very loud" was a helluva projection for Loki/Gabe.
I adore how Carlos breaks the rules here. And it's based in the sacrifice of hunting, but it's not because of it per se. And in doing the selfless thing, impulsively I'd even say, he broke the deal/curse. Ah... the free will of it all.
It's a very interesting arguement that Loki/Gabe gives here about humanity. Could fit either really.
Lata's mild sadistic pleasure about annoying Loki/Gabe, my beloved.
Awwwwww, they're familyyyy
I still like the Millie and Samuel dynamic. It's kind ... juicy with trauma in such a specific way.
At least now Samuel tells Mary where he's going, rather than just taking off like an asshole.
Calling Samuel, Sam... oh John, you disaster of a person, I kinda love you.
Carlos being fully behind forgiving Jericho, lovely. And omg Jericho is basically Lee here, isn't he? Is that a stretch??
Uhhhh such a gorgeous fucking voice.
Fucking Chuck still there tho and it gives me anxiety even tho I know how this ends.
I do like seeing everyone during the song montage, love the forward movement of it. The future it sorta aludes to. And Mary deciding to go on with her and John's relationship only adds to this sentiment.
Aaaanddd Dean MOTHERFUCKING Winchester has join the chat. I remember that moment when I 1st watched this... on his bday. Such a great time seeing this live tbh and it still is a hell of a reveal now too.
See y'all next time where we'll be diving into my still unresolved trauma of the spn finale, vampires (my beloveds), the Ursitoare and how annoyed I am constantly about the pronunciation of most Romanian in English shows and much more!
#spnwin#spnwin rewatch#spnwin 1x08#lata dar#carlos cervantez#mary campbell#john winchester#millie winchester#samuel campbell
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tagged by @bittercape <3
Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.
First fic published on Ao3: House of Red Dreaming, a post-S4 Whitechapel fic following the detectives as they attend a remote team-building session which was definitely haunted. Intended to be the first in a series which would resolve the Louise Iver arc. Baby Duck was ambitious.
Last fic published: A Village Built on Bones, a Midsomer fic in which Barnaby & Winter investigate the murder of a gothic horror author. Not entirely sure when I'll be able to update it, what with Whumptober and NaNo coming up, so it's languishing a bit on the to-do list. Adult Duck is. also ambitious.
Fandom/ship I only wrote once: There are a few of these, but I'm going with Pyre (in which Owen has fire trauma) because frankly only having written once for Parkdale Haunt is an error I'm hoping to correct.
Favorite fic in most popular fandom/ship: Assuming the most popular ship I've written for is TMA's Jon/Martin (which I've not checked, but. it's Jon/Martin), Autumn, in which Martin is Missing Presumed Gone and Jon has feelings about it. It was the first Jon/Martin fic I wrote and a friend told me it made them cry at their workplace, which is the kind of review I'm proud of.
Fic I wish more people read: Going to go with Firelight's Edge/Paper Boats, in which a traumatised Nelson returns to Midsomer but can't quite make it home, and Winter tries to help while ignoring his rapidly-developing crush. Because it's my most Winter/Nelson fic so far and presumably if more people read it, that would mean that there were more people thinking about my pool noodle ship, and the more people think about the ship, the higher the odds of someone else also writing for it? This is how maths works, right? Also I think the fic's pretty good.
Fic I agonized over: I have 107 fics posted and I don't think there's a single one I didn't agonise over. So. All of them. Especially the ones I didn't post. For the purposes of this, though, between the dark and firelight, a RQG fic following Tjelvar, Edward and Carter as they're hired to seek an artefact that could bring magic back to the world. Big Bang fics are always agonising, trying to strike the balance between The Vision (TM) and what you have the time and ability to write, and this one had the additional difficulty of dealing with characters who were deeply traumatised in ways that made them behave badly towards others (and trying to treat that sensitively), while also trying to contain an adequate quest and romance arc. Might just be a case of "most recently quite agonising", though.
Fic that popped out fully-formed: prooobably blood on the beach and a wreck in the water, currently my only fic for The Secret of St Kilda, feat. Lockie hiding an injured Matthias post-S1, because if I don't see the body there's no MCD, and good luck with that in an audio medium, okay? I'd been struggling with writing and then I was poking bits of this out on my phone and the words came easily and felt good as I was writing them which. never happens. I'm scared to look at it again in case it isn't as good as I remember thinking it was.
Fic I'm proud of: uhhhhhh proud of things I've written isn't really a state that comes to me naturally but I guess I'll take In Sunlight, in which Edward searches for Tjelvar after escaping Rome. Ed/Tjelvar is a very special ship to me, as it started off as just me and two people who are now some of my fondest friends, one of whom worked with me on this fic as my Big Bang artist. It was one of two RQBB fics I wrote that year (we've since changed the rules not to let people do this because it turns out it's a fast-train to burnout, who would have thought?), so I'm kind of baffled that I finished it, and it had a great response for what will always in my head be a rarepair (though apparently has 88 works now? wild). The (69) comments assure me the fic is good which is very nice of them.
No-pressure tags for @an-anonymous-friend, @badgerhuan, @icescrabblerjerky, @kd-heart, @pjmarvell <3 also anyone else who sees this and would like to do it pls take this as a tag for you
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✨🌻💝 for the fic writer ask :)
Thanks for the ask, @lilolilyr! Here is the orignal post.
✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)
I have two answers for this. (As you all probably noticed) I've recently become fixated on the X-Files, but before that it was Star Trek: Voyager, so most of my fic is for that show. But I'll give one from each, because it's hard for me to consolidate the two. I was in a very different mental space writing Voyager (circa 2015-2017) than I am today.
For The X-Files: Keys,Wallet, Phone. It's the first one I wrote for this fandom, and it's very different than anything I'd written before. One of the asks on here was 'which fic would you like to be a podfic?' and this one would be my answer as well. It has a lyrical quality that I really like and I think would be great read aloud.
For Voyager: My baby, The Lament of a Daughter. This is all B'Elanna backstory... the culminations of years and years of thinking about this character. This, and The Sea of Gatan are probably some of the best things I ever wrote.
🌻what makes you want to give up on writing? what makes you keep going?
What makes me give up? Two things: anxiety and lack of head space.
For the anxiety bit, this is why I stopped writing in 2017. Trying to improve and what not was just driving me insane. This is also why, despite the fact I want to, I'll likely not participate in exchanges. When the prompt is right, it's magic. But man, it can really get to me if I can't think of anything. So this time around I've been posting things unbetaed (which likely leads to way more typos, sorry) but this has really been a path back to joy for me. Just write and release.
On lack of head space: I have a job that could consume every moment of my life if I let it. I have an idea for an original novel, which I started writing, but I found my mind was always preoccupied with it, and I wasn't thinking about my research (and therefore not making progress.) So, I don't really know what to do about that. The problem is less one of time, and more about have to pick and choose what I think about. (Which might be a weird problem to have.) It seems to work better for me to write short things to get the idea out of my head, and then move on. I am looking forward to a stage in my life where this won’t be an issue anymore.
Moving on to what makes me keep going: it’s fun (if I'm not busy being my own worse enemy). I like getting my thoughts out of my head and I like the reaction others have to those thoughts. Most of my stories are about something that is going on in my life, so it’s cathartic (or amusing, depending on what it is) to put OTP of the week in those situations. Sometimes I wonder if I could write professionally, but I do that would remove the fun and the joy. I do like my job, but there are for sure times that are NOT joyful.
💝what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?
Well, I didn't expect people to like Qualifying Life Events this much! I wrote it in like an hour on Monday when the internet went out, so I couldn't do work. (Well, really, I should have been reviewing papers, which were saved on my computer, but see above comment on not concentrating on work so well these days.) In general, all the pieces I’ve quickly written and posted have been way more enjoyed than I expected. They tend to be silly little things (ex: The Case of the Nip Slip, The Joy of Cooking, and the above-mentioned Qualifying Life Events). I have other pieces that took way more effort, but they are just as enjoyed as the short silly ones. So, I think it’s been freeing to break the association of my effort to other people’s enjoyment (which is probably a capitalistic way of looking at things, anyway).
(Aside: for some reason, the tumblr editor isn’t spell checking, which is a huge issue for me. So I had to write this elsewhere and paste it in and Tumblr was being a dick… Why is this editor so bad?)
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It says I also wrote this one on May 1, 2023. I have 6 more Chapters that are completely written now
𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝟏 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝟐: 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒉𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 (𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝟐)
➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳
Thea took Oliver outside at the back of the house where there are graves of him and his father.
"I used to come out here... Just when I felt.. Whatever." Thea says
"About a month after the funerals mom stopped going out. And shortly after that, she stopped talking all together."
"The house was so quiet.. So I came out to talk to you."
The gravestone of Oliver says; 1985-2007, a loving son and brother whose light was dimmed far too soon.
"Just simple stuff... I'd tell you about my day, who I liked..."
"I even begged you to come back to me somehow. And now that you're here, I hardly recognize you. I was closer to you when you were dead."
"I know you went through hell, but it was hell here too. You don't have to let me in, but you have to talk to someone at least." She says walking away
Laurel is in her apartment reviewing the information on her case when she hears a knock on the door.
She gets up to answer the door and sees Oliver.
"There's two cop cars outside, is everything okay?"
She glares "How am I supposed to stay away from you if you won't stay away from me?"
"Why are you here Ollie?"
"My sister.. She brought to my attention that I've been distant since I returned and it would probably be a good idea to let someone in."
"So you choose the first person you pushed away?"
"I did that to protect you.. But I realized all I did was hurt you." He says
Laurel let's him in and notices a brown paper bag in his hand.
"Wow. This place hasn't changed in 5 years."
"Been a bit busy." She says
"I'm a jerk, before the island.. And now, I'm just a damaged Jerk." He sighs
"What did you bring?"
"On the island there's one thing I really wanted to do when I got back." He takes some ice cream out of the bag.
"Eat ice cream with you."
She sits on the couch, and he sits on the floor enjoying the ice cream.
"My mother wants me to lead the company." He says
"This is as good as I remember." He says with a smile
There was a pause
"I can't exactly picture that life for you." Laurel says with a bit of a smirk
"It's... After 5 years I have things I want to do, need to do. I can't do them if I'm leading a company." He sighs
"Oliver, you're an adult. You can say no."
"Believe me, I tried."
"Then show her. Make them see who you want them to see." She says
"Believe me, I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents."
"I have been on the other end of your father's disapproval." He says
"He blames himself more than anyone. Well besides mom. But uh. He thinks if he'd been closer to her in her teen years, maybe she'd have told him about the trip."
"I am sorry." He sighs
"I know you are. I just wish everything could've been different."
"Yeah, me too." Oliver says as he heard a thud
"Did you hear that?" He asks
"What is it?"
Oliver grabs a knife "someone's in the fire escape."
He grabs her hand, keeping her close as he moves around the house.
They ran towards the door as a man breaks it down. They keep running.
He begins shooting the machine gun as another man crashes in through her window and China White also comes in.
Diggle enters from behind and shoots one of the men. China White knocks the gun out of his hand.
Laurel and Oliver are both secretly contemplating whether or not they should keep their skills secret.
Oliver grabs a knife from the kitchen and China has Diggle pinned down, ready to stab him as Oliver knocks the knife out of her hand with his.
As the woman runs off, Laurel discreetly checks Oliver for injuries as she hugs him.
Diggle gets back up and grabs his gun "Are you hurt Mr. Queen?!"
"No!"
"This is why it's a good idea to have a bodyguard."
Police sirens wail outside the window.
"Hey are you okay?" He asks
*Flashback*
✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠
Laurel, aged 4 or 5 is in the room with another woman.
"Laurel, I was a bit disappointed with your last training session. I already warned you that once we started, you wouldn't be allowed to quit." Says the woman.
"I'm not quitting. I'm just tired!" Laurel snapped
"Good. Use your anger. This is a tireless trial."
"When I kick your butt someday, you're gonna wish you were nicer." Laurel grumps
𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕥ𖤓ꕤ𖤓ꕤ𖤓
The woman laughs at her. "You'll never be better than me."
The police and the EMT's are bustling around the room as Quentin hugs Laurel.
"Laurel thank god." He said relieved
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, we're fine." She says
"What about the cops?"
"I'm sorry. I found them dead in the squad car, so I rushed in." Diggle says
"Thank you so much for protecting my daughter. Feel free to run as many red lights as you want." Quentin says
"I was just doing my job, sir."
"No, your job is to protect him."
"Seems like whenever you're with one of my daughters, people die." Quentin says
"You stay away from her!"
"Dad stop. If I wanted him gone, I would've kicked him out." Laurel argues.
"It's okay Laurel." Oliver touches her shoulder before he leaves
Oliver tosses a towel at Dig "I'd say thanks, but I don't think that'd begin to cover it."
➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶
"Like I said, I was just doing my job, besides, I should be thanking you." He responds
"Why?"
"The knife."
"Oh right." Oliver says pretending to have forgotten
"Must've gotten lucky."
"You threw a kitchen knife, not weighted properly ten feet across the room perfectly. I'm not the kind of person you want to take for a fool Mr. Queen." Dig says
"I got it Diggle."
"And I think I'm finally starting to understand the kind of man you are."
"Shouldn't take you long, I'm shallow. Tired too.. So good night." Oliver says as he walks away
➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴
"Good Night sir."
Oliver is putting his suit on. He was thinking of Laurel's reaction to the night.
Laurel's response to tonight was a lot calmer than he'd have expected of anyone, but more so her. But he'd think about that later.
*Oliver's Voiceover*
I wanted to give Somers a chance to confess and face justice, but he went after Laurel. So now he'll have to deal with me.
Somers is packing his files at his warehouse when he begins speaking. "The triad bitch screwed up their hit, now they're gonna destroy all evidence of their smuggling operation, including me."
➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳
"I'm getting out of here tonight. Prepare the boat."
The man he speaks to tries to reach Wallace multiple times to no response. Until there is one. "Wallace isn't here."
"We need to move now!" Martin panics
"We have 6 armed men out there."
"It's not enough."
Back in Laurel's apartment, her and her father talk "Tomorrow in that courtroom, you're gonna tell them you're dropping this case." Quentin says
"Like hell I am."
"I'm not abandoning Emily Nocenti. And I'm not running away like a scared little girl." Laurel argues
"I'll lock you up in a cell if that's what it takes!"
Laurel lets out a sultry laugh "I guess that's what it's gonna take then, but good luck finding probable cause to do that."
"Damn it Laurel! Even after Sara I thought you'd stop being so reckless!" He tells
"It's not reckless! I'm making the city a safer place, just like you!"
"You're the only person I have left. You're all I have left to live for."
"What you want isn't life. I know what you lost dad, I lost it too. But I can't constantly be treated like I'm fragile. I can't even do my job like this." She sighs
"Your job isn't going after people like Somers and the Triad!" He screams
"My job is fighting for what's right with the law, like you taught me."
"Using me? Against me? That's dirty. You can't do that."
"Well maybe I picked that up along the way too."
Before he answers, his phone rings. "Lance."
"Sir, the hood has returned for Somers." Says the man on the other end of the call.
"I'm on my way." He says as he hangs up
"Gotta go." He says rushing out.
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The Hood starts picking off the 6 men stationed at Somers imports.
The first man is taken out quickly with an arrow.
He jumps down from a metal beam, and shoots the second man as he crouches behind him.
The third man walks around a corner with a machine gun, then arrow jumps over him and the fence into the warehouse.
He shoots the fourth man as the next sees him, taking him out shortly after he took the fifth out with an arrow and he fell off the ledge.
The hood sees Somers run into another warehouse and he screams after him "Somers!"
The hood kicks down the door and shoots an arrow into a wooden crate next to Somers' head.
Somers screams.
The Hood shoots an arrow by the other side of his head. "If you don't admit the truth about Victor Nocenti, you'll wish the triad had killed you."
"If I say anything they will!" He begs
"Not your concern!" The hood yells as he shoots another arrow between his knees.
"Okay! Okay! It wasn't me who killed him! It was the triad!"
The hood shoots again above his head "on whose orders!" He growls
"It was mine! Okay! Nocenti said he was gonna testify!" He says as China White enters
"Lí tā yuǎn diǎn." (Move away from him)
"Ràng wǒ" (make me)
The both begin to fight in skilled unbroken hand to hand combat until the police sirens begin closing in on them.
She knocks him to the ground as over a megaphone the police say "drop your weapons! You are surrounded. Come out with your hands in the air. "
China and the hood run opposite ways to escape the cops.
The Hood vaults over a storage Unit when he hears the click of a gun.
"Drop the bow. If you twitch you're dead!" Quentin yells as he aims his loaded gun at the hood.
The Hood grabs an arrow from his boot and quickly throws it, pinning Lance's gun to a storage container.
He looks at it, then back where the hood was to see him gone. He presses the button of the blinking arrow where Somers' confession is repeated.
"Son of a bitch." Quentin mutters.
*Oliver's Voiceover*
Oliver is taking off his costume back in his hideout.
Laurel was right. I can't be who my mother wants if I am to keep my promise to my father. I'll need to show them.
At the ceremony, Tommy walks up to Laurel. "Did you make your way here by mistake?"
"Oliver invited me last night, He doesn't want to do this, and well he needed advice."
"Last night?"
"Oh don't be jealous Merlyn." She chuckles
"Look. I just don't want him to know. He's been through a lot." He sighs
"All of us have."
"Good afternoon. Welcome to the soon to be Robert Queen Applied Sciences Memorial." Walter announces.
"Here, it will stand as a memorial to his company and legacy. " he continues
Oliver walks up interrupting as he takes champagne on the way. "What about me? Right? Who's a bigger legacy than me?"
Oliver grabs and almost drops the shovel as he takes it from Walter.
He stands in front of the microphone. "Hey, Oliver Queen. You all probably know me, I'm kind of everywhere."
"But mostly I'm famous because I'm Robert Queen's son. And as Walter, who is my new dad..? Was saying. I'm not much of a legacy."
"...I was supposed to come here today, and take my rightful place at the company. But.. I'm not my father. I'm not the man he was, so please stop asking me to be."
Moira puts her head down.
As Oliver walks off the stage he sticks the shovel in the dirt.
As he walks off with Diggle, he and Laurel make eye contact briefly.
At CNRI, Laurel, Johanna and Emily watch a news report "Martin Somers was arrested last night for the Murder of Victor Nocenti. He is also accused of accepting over $10 million in bribes."
Johanna looks at Emily says "We can continue the civil suit, but now the DA has no choice but to prosecute him with the confession."
"He's going to jail for the rest of his life." Laurel says with a smile.
"Thank you for everything." Says Emily as she leaves.
Then Quentin enters "This isn't another police protection thing, right?"
"Just here to see my daughter."
"Are you okay, you look worn out?" She asks
"Tired. Had to fill out reports all night on how I let the Archer get away."
"I have to admit, I'm kind of glad he did. He got Somers." She says
"He's not a hero. He hurt a bunch of people." Quentin argues
"It seems like he's trying to help."
"Remember what I've always said, you don't need to go outside of the law to find justice. And I believe it."
"And when I catch this guy, he's gonna believe it too."
A picture of a Canary flashes through her mind and leaves as quickly as it came.
✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠
At the desk in his room, Oliver crosses Martin Somers off his list.
*Flashback*
A limo pulls up next to Moira's car. She gets out and sits in the limo.
As he finishes burying his father's body in the rocks, he sees a book in his father's pocket, and he takes it. As he opens it, it has a design (the glades)
"Well, you've seen it for yourself. My son knows nothing."
"And he has no idea the yacht was sabotaged."
The other person is holding open the same book as Oliver's.
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Back in his Backyard, Oliver kneels in front of Robert's grave. And speaks to him
"All my time spent focusing on my return. I never put a lot of thought into how hard it would be to reconnect with Laurel, Mom and Thea. I didn't realize keeping these secrets... That they'd hurt so much. You asked me to save this city. But, to right your wrongs, I have to dishonor your memory."
Oliver sighs and walks back to the car as he says "Take it down." to the workers
"Will you be going out tonight sir?" Diggle asks
"Definitely."
*Flashback*
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As Oliver placed the final rock on his father's grave, he was in a lot of pain as an arrow went through his shoulder.
He screams as he looks back to see a man in a hood aiming a bow and arrow at him.
#arrowverse rewrite#arrow rewrite#arrowverse#arrow#green arrow#black canary#oliver queen#dinah laurel lance#laurel lance#john diggle#thea queen#quentin lance#moira queen
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A Raccoon's Fragmented Audiobook Reviews 2023-ish: Part 1
[My raccoon self Geo Holms listening to audiobooks apparently. Art by @QuaggyArt]
The last year or so, my job has consisted of work that affords me time to listen to stuff. At first, was listening to podcasts. Good light background listening content as I went about my day. Then I signed up for the various local libraries within close proximity to me, and then discovered Libby, an app where I could check out both eBooks AND audiobooks with the use of my library card.
My check outs started slow at first, then increased as time went on, sometimes listening to 2-3 books in a week. Sometimes revisiting some books from my youth. Sometimes trying a book I'd always meant to read. Sometimes just wandering into something with a neat cover. It has been a treat to sample more books than I have in years.
In some ways, I worry that I don't connect with the books in listening to them instead of physically reading them. I am, after all, usually doing other stuff while listening. However, there's also cases I'll stick out a book based on the narrator alone, who will give a book more personality than I would reading it myself.
I do find myself wanting to read more books in this coming year, I have many physical books and digital books hoarded away after all, but also find great value in listening to more audiobooks. Unfortunately, my job has shifted in a way that haven't been able to do either as of late. But hopefully will settle enough that I'll be able to scamper back into my extensive list of audiobooks I wanna check out from my local libraries.
In the meantime, wanted to take a look back at the books I've listened to the last year or so, give a brief rundown of what I've sample. These are out of listening order and some I may have forgotten the specifics but will do my best to give my honest thoughts.
Peter Grant Series (1-3) by Ben Aaronovitch
Rivers of London
Moon Over Soho
Whispers Underground
Premise: Peter Grant, a London cop, gets pulled into the weird/mythical division to solve supernatural crimes, and become a wizard.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Haven't dug too far into this series and there was a long gap between books. 'Tis a fun take on urban fantasy from a fresh perspective though.
Recommended for: Personifications of bodies of water.
The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning
Premise: A guy dealing with the death of his father, also has to deal with his dad’s fantasy world bleeding into reality.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Revisited this to share with my husbando and it still be a treat. Really love the fox-like species characters who are a main part of the cast. Makes me wish that The Dark Crystal had more fox creatures (which is literally the world this book imagines). This has some fun takes on the nature of fame and fandom and one of my favorite twists near the end that I ought to make a fanfic related to…
Recommended for: Those who think Jim Henson dark fantasy needed more anthro foxes.
Murderbot Diaries (1-7) by Martha Wells
All Systems Red
Artificial Condition
Rogue Protocol
Exit Strategy
Network Effect
System Collapse
Fugitive Telemetry
System Collapse
Premise: A security robot breaks its programing. Hijinks ensue.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Speaking of a fun perspective, Murderbot is a great one. It just wants to enjoy its soap operas with its newfound independence, and keeps ending up in situations where it needs to be responsible for humans. UGH! I love Murderbot and its adventures, especially Network Effect, which is a novel that serves as culmination of all novellas before.
Recommended for: Would-be murderbots with social anxiety.
The Misewa Saga (1-3) by David Robertson
The Barren Grounds
The Great Bear
The Stone Child
Premise: Two Indigenous children find a portal to another world, complete with talking animals.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Mixed feelings on this one. Love the premise and some of the characters (Arik the squirrel = <3). The execution is a bit mixed at times. However, no matter what, 'tis a series I'm glad exists for YA readers.
Recommended for: Kids who need a break from their well-meaning foster parents.
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Premise: A man is abducted (by humans) and brought to a strange new planet.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Been a while since I read this one! I mostly remember how much C.S. Lewis was enamored describing how handsome the otter aliens were.
Recommended for: Otters seeking insight on Christian philosophy.
East by by Edith Pattou
Premise: A girl is taken away from her family by a polar bear. An adaptation of an old Norwegian folk tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon".
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This caught my eye long ago because "prince cursed into being a polar bear" content and in finally reading, I think I would have appreciated more if I'd read in middle school. Still! A neat Arctic romp with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.
Recommended for: Those trapped in an ice castle with a polar bear.
Relic Series (1-4) by Maz Maddox
Smash & Grab
Sink or Swim
King & Queen
Lost in Amber
Premise: A series of books about queer dinosaur shifters who supposedly protect fossils, but mostly just fall in love.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Very silly. Very queer. Very fluff. I find it funny how all these shifters keep going on missions and falling for the first polar opposite character they're thrown together with. But does make me smile. The audiobook narrator does top notch job with giving each POV character their own voice.
Recommended for: Gay secret dinosaurs.
A Shady Hallow Mystery (1-4) by Juneau Black
Shady Hollow
Cold Clay
Mirror Lake
Twilight Falls
Premise: A vixen reporter solves murder mysteries in a sleepy little town.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Enjoyable and cozy, even if the mysteries are pretty clunky at times. Another where the audiobook narrator adds enough charm to each character that I enjoyed myself overall. HOWEVER, the warning at beginning of each book about the book having GASP TALKING ANIMAL CHARACTERS is super weird and distracting. Trust your readers to accept such things.
Recommended for: Someone seeking to cover up a murder from a nosy fox reporter.
Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown
Premise: Murder in a small cozy Virginia town, with talking pets.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Wish I'd read this while living near the place it took place. Alas, now that finally visited, was a quintessential cozy murder mystery about a mail-mistress and her pets solving a murder mystery.
Recommended for: Bored talking housepets.
Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett
Premise: A series of short stories by Terry Pratchett.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: The titular Dragons at Crumbling Castle was fun, but I can't recall the rest of the stories much. You can see hints of where he'd go, but Pratchett hadn't quite found his voice yet.
Recommended for: Civilizations living in the carpet.
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Premise: An intelligent cat, his educated rodents, and a kid, set off to fleece a small town with a Pied Piper scheme. Nothing goes according to plan.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: One of my favorite Pratchett books, lovely when read it as a kid, lovely to revisit in audiobook now. Will absolutely read again in my future. Also, a brilliant standalone Discworld book. Love love love this book.
Recommended for: Fans of Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure.
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
Premise: Kids intersect with the hijinx of Mrs. Dowdel.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: These books charmed me as a kid. They charmed me now. Grandma Dowdel is a larger-than-life character who just does her own damn thing.
Recommended for: Grandmas with shotguns at the ready.
Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Martinez
Premise: A raccoon god of luck couch surfs at new followers' house.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: The premise is GREAT! Lucky, the raccoon god of luck is GREAT! Quetzalcoatl, Lucky's best friend, is also GREAT! The execution of the story is...rather mixed. Lots of great ideas that don't quite all come together.
Recommended for: Lovers of raccoons in Hawaiian shirts.
Rats, Bats, and Vats by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
The Rats, the Bats, and the Ugly by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Premise: A vat grown clone human, and gang of genetically elevated rats and bats, go to defeat an alien bug army, then human bureaucracy.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: This first book is a hell of a fun ride. I never got into military sci-fi, but adding goofy rats and bats characters made this entertaining. The second book is...a lot and have some Very Mixed Feelings on some parts. The charm of the books is when the group is together and knocking off each other, and the second book removes that factor, downgrading it a lot. If you do pick this up, just read the first one.
Recommended for: Revolutionary bats or drunken rats.
Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
Premise: Kitty, a werewolf, unwittingly starts a late-night mythical advice radio show.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Liked the premise. Didn't like the werewolf dynamics (and the terrible ending).
Recommended for: All those monsters out there on the late-night airwaves.
Enchanted Forest Series (1-4) by Patricia Wrede
Dealing with Dragons
Searching for Dragons
Calling on Dragons
Talking to Dragons
Premise: Adventures in the Enchanted Forest following Cimorene and friends.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Pretty mixed bag of a series. Dealing is GREAT (because Cimorene is the BEST). Searching is fun. Calling is...pretty insufferable. And Talking is fair enough. Maybe reading would be better than listening to audiobook, because there are some TERRIBLE voices for some of the characters, especially notable in Searching.
Recommended for: Princesses who just wanna hang out with dragons.
Penric and by Lois McMaster Bujold
Penric’s Demon
Penric and the Shaman
Penric’s Fox
Premise: Penric gets possessed by demon, Desdemona.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Entertaining enough, though not sure if I'll continue on with this novella series. I do love Desdemona and there's some top notch world building at play. However, not quite capturing me. (I fully admit I sampled this because of possible possessed fox in fourth novella. Sadly, did not lead to a talking fox. :<)
Recommended for: Alternatives to Catholic church for dealing with demon.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Premise: Body-swapping time-loop murder mystery.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: In some ways, I love how this is an Agatha Christie murder mystery turned up to 11 and the truly original story telling at play. However, totally have mixed feelings on the conclusion ...still, will highly recommend.
Recommended for: True Crime fans stuck in a Groundhog Day situation.
The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher
Premise: A girl dealing with Gothic mystery nonsense and a jerky clockwork crow.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: I love the clockwork crow too much and think this almost pulls off the Gothic mystery nonsense. I'm totally here for the jerky clockwork crow no matter what. <3
Recommended for: Those cursed into the form of a clockwork creature.
David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd
Premise: A kid meets a phoenix.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Charming and pretty funny. The phoenix is juuuuuust on the edge of insufferable, but not enough to wreck the book's charm. Totally a classic of "kid being pulled into series of hijinks by mythical creature".
Recommended for: Kids dealing with a new mythical creature "friend".
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
Premise: A girl comes to terms with her wild magic powers.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: I read this because there was a badger on the cover. The badger in question was not in the book nearly enough. So I am inclined to dislike this book. But it was actually pretty good so I'll just leave it as "good book, not enough badger". (Which I suppose could be my review of any number of books.)
Recommended for: People not expecting a badger as main character.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Premise: A coyote shapeshifter mechanic deals with supernatural hijinks.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Enjoyed reading this series years back. Revisiting the first book was a fun urban fantasy romp. Mercy is a neat character.
Recommended for: Shapeshifters dealing with B.S. werewolf politics.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Premise: A colorful cast of characters attempt to solve a mystery.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Perhaps could be considered more of a character study than mystery, the game shifting the courses of all the characters’ lives. Made me cry at the end, so it must have done something right.
Recommended for: Would-be puzzle solvers.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Premise: A princess plots to save her sister from a jerky prince.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Ursua Vernon's take on fairy tale tropes is always a treat, and this no different. Especially adore the fairy godmother lore at play in this one. And the bone dog~ <333333
Recommended for: Owners of undead pets.
Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani (unfinished)
Premise: Fairy tale retellings.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Each ensuing story made me more and more angry. Maybe some of the stories are fine, but the ones I listened to were absolute junk, the only one with some merit being the one with a gay vampire (???).
Recommended for: Fairy Tale Edgelords (?????)
Skellig by David Almond
Premise: A kid dealing with trauma finds a raggedy winged man in his family garage.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Trip of a book. Don't know what to make of it.
Recommended for: Chinese food takeout connoisseurs.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Premise: Two rival time travelers flirt across time and space.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Lyrical and beautiful. Deeply interesting take on time travel and unconventional relationships.
Recommended for: Those sending love messages via owl pellets.
From the Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Premise: A brother and sister run away from home and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: The title of this book has intrigued me since elementary school, and in finally visiting it, and finding out eponymous "mixed up files" are barely a factor in main premise confused the heck out of me. Also Basil E. Frankweiler is barely a factor either! (Though she is great in brief time she actually appears, and she does serve as a fun narrator.) My imagination thought this would be a sci-fi/fantasy romp and it is neither. Still a good book, but my childhood imagination stewing for 30+ years left this book with waaaay too high of expectations.
Recommended for: Kids plotting to run away from home to live in a museum.
A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton
Premise: Baba Yaga body swaps with a wolf to bring down a king.
Brief Raccoon Thoughts: Of the three perspectives at play (a young girl, a young wolf, and Baba Yaga), the wolf stuck in Baba Yaga's body is by far the best, trying to untangle some nonsense WAY above her paygrade, and finding herself in the process. Pretty neat take on Russian fairy tale elements.
Recommended for: Those dealing with Russian fairy tale nonsense
Continued in Part 2 because darn it I decided to put more than 30 pictures in a post. >.>
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HAKOZUME: Police Box Girls Strike Back" - Thank God Kenkova was there!
HAKOZUME Part I is complete!
The first part of "Hakozume: Police Box Girls Strike Back" is now complete. At the end of this issue, there is an announcement that the final 23rd volume will include a special drawing of a later story. Since the author said, "See you again in Part II," it seems that the story is scheduled to continue. Still, it was so abrupt that I can only feel really sorry and sad.
reference：amazon Hakozume - Police Box Girl Strikes Back - 1 - Morning - KC - 3
URL:https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%8F%E3%82%B3%E3%83%85%E3%83%A1-%E4%BA%A4%E7%95%AA%E5%A5%B3%E5%AD%90%E3%81%AE%E9%80%86%E8%A5%B2-1-%E3%83%A2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8B%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0-KC-%E4%B8%89%E5%AD%90/dp/4065113229
I prefer the one that appeared in the ↑first issue to the renewal cover.
When I read Hakodume for the first time, volume 3 was already out. I was hooked by the light tempo and sensible gags, and I think I've read volumes 1-3 over and over 20 times so far. It was just the right content to reread in my spare time. I was thankful that it was a weekly serialization and that the author, Taizoko, had a fast writing style, so that a new issue would come out every couple of months. I have written several articles on hakozume on the da Vinci Web site.
Drug dogs are more powerful than their bosses! The reality of policemen" as revealed in "Hakozume: Policewoman Strikes Back.
What does the title really mean? The story moves in volume 10 of "Hakozume: Policewoman Strikes Back! A review of 5 mysteries and foreshadowing!
Many people have become addicted to the police manga "Hakozume! The police manga "Hakozume" has been adapted into a drama starring Erika Toda and Meiku Nagano! I've taken the liberty of making a big prediction about the highlights!
I checked and found that I had written about it three times.
It was already a popular manga, but I decided to write about it for the sake of further propagation! I wrote about it three times. But even without my proselytizing, it became a very popular manga that was dramatized and even made into an anime. It was at that time that I heard that comedian Kenkova was also involved in the manga. I learned that comedian Kenkova was also a Hakodume fan.
I think it was when Hakodume won the "Man-do Kobayashi-Manga Grand Prize" on his TV show "Man-do Kobayashi-Kenkoba. I thought to myself, "Kenkoba, you know what you are doing.
Later, when Ametalk's Manga Lover Comedian was to be aired, I was praying for Kenkoba when I found out he would be on the show. I thought, "Kenkova will do it, Kenkova will do it. My wish came true, and I was very happy when Kenkova introduced Hakodume as a recommended manga. I have nothing to do with the production side.
I'm just glad Kenkova was there.
I heard that Taizoko's new series will start in October, and I wonder if it will be a relief for me from my Hakodume-suffering. I feel like I'd rather she draw Hakodume than this. In any case, I will of course read the new serial and will continue to support Yasumiko-sensei. I wrote this briefly, but my love for Hakodume is not really like this.
Golden Kamui is over, Hakodume is over, and my Thursday fun is gone in quick succession. What can I look forward to in the future? I thought to myself, "But then again, Kenkova is the one I can count on at times like this. I think Kenkova's taste in manga is very similar to my own, so I would like to read the manga he recommends. I will also sign up for the Niketsu viewing next time.
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haha, i do love cats! i have two of my own, with matching names: daisy and lily.
not sure how much you already know about twisted wonderland, but i'd like to try and explain it a bit, attempting to be as brief as i can: it's a mobile game with gacha mechanics and an anime art style, but if you've ever heard claims of it being a disney villain dating sim, that's not actually true! the characters are simply inspired by disney villains in terms of design and backstory and/or personality (riddle rosehearts is based on the queen of hearts!), while the villains themselves are legendary figures who once existed in-universe. the main focus of the story is on the player character, a normal person who's been transported into a magical world, learning about each of the boys and helping them with their interpersonal problems, but there's no romance. it might not be for everyone, but i'm a big fan of the ways that it uses the original disney movies to tell its story and the unique spin it puts on things. and it actually has an entire event based on HoND! you should let me know if you do check it out.
right?! i've been a huge disney fan since i was a little kid and i don't see that ever changing, i love disney movies and animation in general far too much. but it's crazy how much things have changed. starting with princess and the frog i have a streak of seeing every new WDAS film in theaters (the only exception being raya and the last dragon because of covid, but i did watch it at home as soon as possible). but after i saw wish i regretted going to the theater and wished i'd saved money to see something else. every film they currently have announced is a sequel, and pixar has several upcoming sequels as well. not that sequels are always bad, of course, but when they're so focused on sequels over original ideas it makes me fear that disney/pixar is just making them for money and not because they truly think they have a great story to tell. i'll probably wait for reviews to decide if i wanna see any of them.
if you'd like to check out the blog i mentioned, it's "feelinganimatedblog" on wordpress. they have a lot of reviews of animation-related books as well as highly detailed reviews of disney movies. i haven't fully read their tarzan review, because it's very long, but the part i did read had some interesting info about the production of the movie!
it's funny that you say that about germany loving tarzan, because i have an online friend who's from germany. he's never been super into disney or seen many of their movies, but lately he's been watching some of them and he told me tarzan was his favorite so far! i wonder what it is that makes it so popular there.
ooh, it's cool that they expanded on kerchak's character like that! i love when disney uses their stage musicals to flesh things out that wouldn't have fit into the limited runtime of an animated movie.
oh yeah, i forgot that they removed tantor. in that case i suppose it makes sense, but i do like how in the original movie tarzan has a female best friend in terk, and she's not involved in any sort of weird love triangle with jane. it's another thing that i think makes her pretty unique as a character. whenever i do listen to the cast album i'll definitely let you know!
awww, that's awesome! Kitties are the best, and I love that they have matching names! I have 2, Taz (going to be 18 soon!) and Oliver. And my dad has 2, Oero and Beckett)
Oh wow, twisted wonderland sounds really interesting! That's such a neat idea, will definitely have to check it out.
Sequels are fine if they are few and far between, or if they really have something interesting to add to the original story. But the rate they're coming out at is insane. It's easy and cheaper for them, because the characters are already designed and have a fan base, they just need to find a new situation to drop them in. The fact that there's going to be a 5th Toy Story movie?!!! Between the constant sequels and the never ending remakes it's getting so boring. I used to get so excited for new Disney movies, but now… I got far more excited about the 4K edition of Snow White (a movie I've seen so many times I know it backwards and in a format I can't even watch!) than any of the new movies that have been released since Moana.
I used to pride myself on knowing the all Disney Feature films in order of release (I grew up in the 90s, and I actually remember important events in my life by what Disney movie was released that year… like, my I know my mom got remarried in '98 because that's the year Mulan was released), and at the drop of a hat could tell you who animated which characters. I actually had to look up which movie came out before Wish, because I just don't remember any of the recent ones.
That's so sad you regretting seeing Wish in the theatre. Disney's fallen really far when that's the case. I'm almost glad I live in a small town and our theatre never even got it. Everything I've heard/seen about it so far makes it easier to just wait until it's on Disney+
I had a quick look at the blog, and I'm definitely going to have to find time to read through it! I love that in the beginnings of the movie reviews there's a section about what was going on in history the year the movies came out.
lol, you'll have to ask your friend if he has any ideas as to why Germans love Tarzan.
I think the little expansions the broadway shows have with story and characters is one of the reasons they're so popular. It's already exhilarating seeing the shows live, but it's even better when you get to learn new things about the characters you already know so well.
I've always thought the avoidance of a love triangle (or even just the suggestion of any inter-species relationships) was a key factor in making Terk male. Seems like in most media if you have a male character and a female character hanging out together all the time they have to fall in love at some point. It worked in the movie because with Tantor you had a group of friends, but maybe they thought if they had Tarzan hanging out with only a female Terk, people might get the wrong idea.
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The Books I Didn't Review
I dropped the ball on book reviews in 2023. I'm not surprised. It was a rougher year than 2022, and I also dropped that particular ball then as well. It's hard for me to stay motivated, especially since when I get stressed out I simultaneously read more and want to write(including blogs) less. But this is a new year(I have realized, more than two weeks into it) and I can wipe this slate clean. Start with a book I'm very excited to review, and then...nothing! Empty pile!
So I'm going to do a very brief overview of some of the books I read in the last few months of 2023. Some stuff I read completely fell through the cracks, because it had to go back to the library and I just wasn't able to write up anything about it. Most of these are ones I'd tried to save though, because I was excited to make a record of them in the blog. So I'm disappointed in myself that I couldn't do as well as I'd hoped, but at the same time I recognize that I did as well as I could. Haven't ragequit my job. Still meeting the important bills. Am reading, and writing, and having weird-ass dreams about what if Beauty and the Beast were mutual beards. So it could be a lot worse. Let's see what happens when I give myself permission to start fresh.
Golden Boys, by Phil Stamper
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Young adult gen fic. This is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but with less 00s-era weirdness. Brotherhood of the super gay boys, as I deemed it in a work e-mail. I didn't expect to like this one, but I actually found myself incredibly invested in these boys' lives. I especially appreciated how their friendships were centered above all else, even in the cases where romance was also taking place. I intend to read the sequel if I can find time, because y'all I have *got* to know where these boys go next.
The Darkness Outside Us, by Eliot Schrefer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Young adult science fiction. This is a love story, but not a traditional romance(even though it starts out looking like a straightforward enemies to lovers in space). High appeal to people who enjoy brainfucky sci-fi as well as gay romance, though if you come solely for the romance you're probably going to walk away disappointed, confused, and possibly vaguely traumatized. I'm so glad my coworker insisted I pick it up, because I never would have read this based on the cover.
Horse Barbie, by Geena Rocero
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Adult memoir. This is about a Filipino trans woman's experience in the pageant circuit in the Philippines as well as her time modeling in the US. I wasn't really into the performance-oriented segments, but I found it illuminating how she contrasted the US's legal acceptance(but social hostility) of trans identity with the Philippines' social acceptance(but legal hostility). Someone who's more into glamour/fashion might get more out of it than I did, but it's still a solid trans memoir even if you're not into that stuff.
Never Whistle at Night, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Adult short stories. This is an anthology of "dark fiction," horror-adjacent, centering North American indigenous voices. Almost all of the two dozen~ stories were good or great, hitting a diverse selection of tones and content. I loved too many of them to list favorites. The stories might not be the type to make you check under the bed, but come prepared to be unsettled and disturbed.
Citadel, by C. M. Alongi
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Adult science fiction. Featuring a nonverbal autistic protagonist, who seems to have been researched very thoroughly, this is a story about uncovering the truth about what happened long ago. My main gripe is that it ends rather suddenly, leaving me feeling like there's meant to be a sequel, but as far as I can tell there's no plans for that. But the story it told was fantastic, I just wish I knew where some of the loose ends and teased bits were going. Probably has strong crossover appeal to an older YA audience.
Blackouts, by Justin Torres
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Adult general fiction. Won the national book award this past year. Three and a half stars for the novel, bumped up to four for the excellent use of blackout poetry on found text throughout. It's about an inter-generational friendship between two gay men, one of whom is on his deathbed and gifts the other a selectively blacked-out copy of Sex Variants, a real publication from the 40s, as well as a selection of other photographs and artifacts. This is all characters and no plot. Highly recommend reading this in the print edition, as the best parts seem like they won't translate to audio.
Out There Screaming, edited by Jordan Peele
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Adult short stories. Horror-adjacent "dark fiction"(to borrow a phrase from a previous book) centering Black voices working in a variety of formats and genres. Picked this up for the names included(Nnedi Okorafor, Tananarive Due, N.K. Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse, P. Djèlí Clark, Tochi Onyebuchi, and of course Jordan Peele himself), but was happy to enjoy some of the other stories as well. My favorite story by an anticipated author was Clark's Hide & Seek(though it had stiff competition), and my favorite story by a new-to-me author was Nicole D. Sconiers's A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree.
The Possibilities, by Yael Goldstein-Love
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Adult speculative fiction. A new mom struggles with contradictory memories of whether or not her child survived the birth. Then he disappears, as if he'd never been, and she has to go find him. I haven't read/seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, but people keep bringing it up when I describe this book to them, so it must be similar! Heavy content warning for baby-related trauma. This is not the book for you if you're going through an anxious time with a pregnancy or young child!
The Future, by Naomi Alderman
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Adult speculative fiction. In the near-future, tech bro CEOs have a plan for the end of the world. In the lead-up and as the plan deploys, we follow a survivalist blogger and a cult survivor who muses about the end of the world seen through the lens of god's wrath. A surprisingly hopeful pre-apocalyptic(the event itself happens roughly 3/4 of the way through) novel, with some sapphic shenanigans in the background. Funny coincidence: I finished this and handed it to my mom at the same time as she tried to hand me The Power by the same author. 😂
Us, by Sara Soler, translated by Silvia Perea Labayen
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Adult graphic novel memoir. Originally published in Spain, this is the story of Sara Soler's experience when her partner comes out as a trans woman. I read this hoping for more insight to their particular experience, especially when Soler mentioned early on that she discovered she was demisexual, but ultimately it reads as more of a primer to trans issues in general. No hate for that, it's just not what I was expecting. While this is marketed to adults, I think there's cross-appeal to teens who are interested in the subject matter. There was nothing that struck me as particularly scandalous, mostly a lot of swearing.
#books#book review#golden boys#phil stamper#the darkness outside us#eliot schrefer#horse barbie#geena rocero#never whistle at night#shane hawk#theodore c van alst jr#citadel#c m alongi#blackouts#justin torres#out there screaming#jordan peele#the possibilities#yael goldstein-love#the future#naomi alderman#us#sara soler#silvia perea labayen
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DAY 143
I feel like shit and it keeps getting progressively worse somehow.
These past few days I've just been in bed, trying to get at least one or two things done a day, meaning I really haven't progressed as much on preparing my US trip as I'd wished, although there isn't THAT MUCH stuff left to prepare. I genuinely haven't been this miserable since the winter of 2020-2021 when I first got depressed and had no medication. Yesterday I slept til 4PM, and that's only because I'd set an alarm to wake me up "just in case". It's not that I'm physicially exhausted, it's just that my thoughts consume me so much that the only peace I can find is in taking big amounts of medication or sleeping. So I do both.
The day before yesterday, I got the worst of lucks. Was going to the cinema with a friend to see Oppenheimer and got like 5 unplanned events on my journey to get there (closed metro lines, bus being late, etc.) so I arrived RIGHT on time for the movie. Then I went to do some shopping and my card declined and I had to run to get some cash instead but it took me so much time that by the time I was done all other stores I needed to go to were closed. Then I wanted to some very quick grocery shopping near my flat but when I got to paying for my items the cashier told me the cash register was closed and I could only use the machines, which don't accept cash. He must have seen my utter despair because he kindly called me back and told me we could use the automatic machines to check out, he would pay with his card, and I'd just give him the cash. And the sweetest part is that the total was 15.50 but I didn't have the .50 so I wanted to give him a coin of 2 instead but he declined and lost the .50 – and he did all of that for a STRANGER! I'm forever greatful. Made me believe there is at least a little bit of good in humanity.
But still, overall I feel miserable. I've been more suicidal and in pain lately. My emotions can't really get out of my system because of the antidepressants. Yesterday they did though. I was on a call with my mom and I hadn't cried this much in a long, long time. We were basically talking about the fact she has a... partner? Boyfriend? I'm not sure how they define their relationship because she never clearly stated it. It's a tad difficult for me since my dad passed away. It all hurts so much.
I wish I could have stayed in bed and slept all day but I'm going home to see my family very quickly, my mom, my grandparents, and also my cousin because it's her birthday.
Today I'm really upset because the first reviews for season 2 of one of my favorite shows dropped and many fans are twisting the words or making speculations and spitting at the screenwriter, whom I love so dearly. It breaks my fucking heart and I hope they see none of the negativity.
I think for this train ride, I'll just listen to my "Breathe." playlist and try to empty my mind as much as I can.
Talk to you later, I guess.
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Slackers Guide To Dating
Do you find yourself in a dating rut? One can find it straightforward to enroll and access all the singles searching for love, just like you! I like my dwelling, but not a lot. As you possibly can probably tell, we think about this entire love-at-first-sight factor totally an excessive amount of. נערות ליווי באילת Wedding, kids, the whole thing! Who we attract and who we want will not be all the time the identical factor - and who would really be good for us could also be another category solely. I don't need to take things so sluggish we lose that initial spark. Ugh, I wish we may simply return to how things were earlier than. I take issues sluggish for, like, no less than a month. Maybe, like, a fleeting thought. Online dating rumors about Paula Zahns’s previous will be contradictory. Many people are prepared to look previous the incapacity and focus on attending to know the individual inside.
Yes, but I'm also type of a shy particular person. Yes, I have a tarantula. More importantly, have they met any interesting professionals and have any of the reviewers been able to construct a lasting relationship through the web site. Almost 14% of online daters get married to somebody they met on a dating site or app. Hozier is just not married. 24KGoldn has by no means been married earlier than. I can't think about life with out them. Jordan Pruitt (2009), Jackie Castro (2008 - 2009), Hagood Coxe (2008), and Fernanda Andrade have all been in David Archuleta’s life (2009). We’re at the moment attempting to locate data on previous dates and hookups. Yes, I have two canine. Yes, even greater than I'd like typically. I like my males sturdy and assertive. And who knows - perhaps after getting some basics information, sooner or later you'd also prefer to share your dating websites assessment with different customers? While that may pose some certain quantity of nuisance, it implies that the viewers on the website goes via a check, in order that other users wont experience undesirable situations. Meanwhile, if customers discover any suspicious users, they'll block them or report them to customer support. With so many dating apps and web sites available at the moment, you've got plenty of choices to search out your perfect match - but all of it starts with the precise device.
Our quiz will help you find out! Yes, I could not get a phrase out. No, I wish to get out and about continuously. This factor is very essential particularly if you find yourself dating in one other country, like Kiev Ukraine. Yes, I like what I like. Yes, it's all stunning stuff I found at little stores and auctions. How Whitney Found Her Relationship Ready Man. Gwyneth Paltrow has reportedly discovered romance with 'Glee' co-creator Brad Falchuk. The Covid-19 pandemic, she provides, additionally habituated individuals to online interactions, and made many really feel the necessity to screen their dates earlier than meeting them in actual life. In case your love life has been dragging by in a swell of tears and rebounds, it could also be time so that you can step back and rethink the sort of individuals you are dating. I have to, on a regular basis. Yes, I like to be house all the time. Yes, however I'm not. How vital is it for you to be physically interested in the particular person you are in a relationship with?
You, lover of tall people, can finally search the world for an individual of just the fitting height. Whoever you had been into, we're constructive we will guess which stereotype they had been. We even created this quiz to see if we are able to guess the place you stand on this concern. We're confident we can guess how you are feeling about love at first sight, and since you low key need to know if we're right, what are you waiting for? From day one, I need to spend each second together. Never for a second. I want one only. I do not know what I want. Whether you know you're a hopeless romantic or in the event you troll anybody who considers themselves as such, take our quiz. Now and again (usually on Twitter), we hear these romantic stories about people locking eyes from across the room and falling madly in love. If not, it's time to do this grown-up factor and break up without bloodshed or nastiness.
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