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edoro · 2 years

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Sorry, that ask singlehandedly reignited the portion of my brain that was responsible for Belord in the first place and now I can't stop thinking about it. When does Ford first realize that he's being courted in the most awkward, repressed, bisexual-but-biphobic-only-internally way possible by Belos? How slutty does Philip Wittebane become in this quest? I am falling apart

please never apologize for this, you've brought such a wonderful thing into the world. i love nothing in life more than giving Philip extremely horrible cross-dimensional relationships, although in this case it's worse for Ford than it is for Philip.

i literally kicked my feet like a giddy schoolgirl when i saw this much like Philip does every night while writing in his diary about the handsome human stranger who fell Possibly Almost Literally into his lap no doubt by the work of divine providence

as for your question, oh my god. that's a really good one. like, Ford is the most oblivious motherfucker on any number of infinite earths, and Philip has never courted anyone ever in his life but all of his vague ideas of how it probably works are rooted in whatever nonsense he remembers from growing up in a goddamn Puritan colony in the 1600s so like. what DOES that even look like.

you know Philip is just absolutely moony-eyed over him tho. gives him the nicest suite of rooms. always taking him on tours of the castle and his labs and stuff. shows him The Weird Experiments. lets him play with his staff. gives him his own custom-embossed hand-bound leather journal to write in since his current one is looking a bit beaten-up. shares all of his Forbidden Texts with him.

and i mean really like, Ford has been crowned king of at least one dimension he went to, so all of this just looks like your fairly standard "fantasy ruler showering honored guest with gifts and privileges" stuff, although Ford at least has a few more decades of lived experience on Luz to know that that sort of thing usually doesn't come without expectations.

...actually you know what the most beautiful image just barreled like a derailing train into my brain, and it's of Ford sipping Boiling Isles liquor with Philip in his sitting room after the fourth Personal Dinner With The Emperor, looking at the way Philip is sitting there across from him petting his own hair and winding it around his fingers as he tells some deeply fascinating story about historical myths that Ford's of course never been able to get a real live actual first-hand source for before, and abruptly realizes that what Philip wants from him in return for all of this generosity appears to be, in fact, Intimate Relations.

he promptly chokes on his drink, Philip has to thump him on the back for a bit, he looks up from where he's fallen on the floor at the man leaning over him half holding him up looking at him with such concern on his lined, scarred face, there's a moment of Very Pointed Tense Silence, they both blush, the background goes all pink and soft focus with some lens flares...

as for how slutty Philip gets, incredibly so. he wants this man carnally and he is going to have him. sure he's a 400 year old shambling semi-solid monstrosity wearing a human suit whose proportions he has at best an approximate grasp on at any given time, but that's not going to stop him. his new best friend Stanford is clearly a monsterfucker and by God he is going to work every advantage he has.

do you know how long it's been since he got any action? Ford is going to have to clean out his hole(s) with one of those cans of compressed air. when he spreads his legs it's going to make a rusty swingset noise. the sheer novelty alone is going to mean neither of them need any fantasy viagra for at least a couple of weeks.

as for what Philip Wittebane slutting it up actually looks like, though... i'm just imagining him down to like, tunic + trousers + knee-high boots + however many underlayers he's got going on but also he leaves the gloves off. tantalizes Ford with whorish glimpses of his bare wrists. gets all sweaty in the lab and takes off the top shirt leaving him in only three more layers of undergarments.

do you think it's Hunter's job to lay out the Imperial Lingerie so his uncle can thot it up for the human i'm imagining some kind of softly coquettish gauzy night-gown. like full neck to ankles coverage but it's sort of see thru and it's just one layer, he's naked under there, unbelievably scandalous. hello Ford yes he hopes you will excuse his appearance it's just that he was on his way to bed when he realized he needed to share something with you and well you know how it is, those late night ideas, one has to grab them before they flit away, right?

(Ford, having gotten used to literally not seeing an inch of this man's skin below his chin, is absolutely bewitched by the visual implications that he has an actual body under there. grandpa piss is getting it ate like groceries tonight.)

...also we know Ford likes his "set his face on fire" shaving routine but there absolutely needs to be at least one incredibly homoerotic scene where Philip treats him to like, an old-style full-service wash-n-shave with the hot towel, the lather, and more importantly the antique straight razor. i've said it and i will not be deterred.

#belord #philip wittebane #emperor belos #stanford pines #the owl house #gravity falls #asks

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checkoutmybookshelf · 10 months

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The Start of a Grudging Self-Explanation

Ok, having made exactly zero bones about why I am pissed as hell with Jim Butcher and the Dresden files in general and dedicating this whole entire post to explaining why the books took a shitty ableist turn, I suppose it's only fair to explain how I got involved in the series in the first place, and why I was such a mega fan until Peace Talks and Battle Ground. Because I was, and frankly there is a reason for that. Admittedly, most of the reason is that Jim Butcher and William Shakespeare both have the ability to pull lore and extant texts into the blender that is their mind and spit out something that is somehow exponentially more than the sum of its parts (yes, I will explain this more). So let's start this Dresden journey, and let's talk Storm Front.

My original choice to pick up the Dresden Files was quite literally a case of exposure therapy. I was a library aide for my entire senior year of high school, and part of my job was updating the school's Library Thing account (literally I have no idea if this site sitll exists, I never used it after I graduated and uh...yeah). That was also the year that the school got all the Dresden Files books that were out at the time (and this was 2008/2009, so that was Storm Front through Small Favor), and not only did I spend an inordinate amount of time staring at the covers when I was updating Library thing but I also was shelving them on the regular, because they kept being checked out.

So I was seeing and holding and interacting with the physical book objects on the regular, and those early covers are legitimately eye-grabbing and I got curious. So the summer after I graduated high school and kind of didn't have anything to do while I was waiting to start college, I picked up Storm Front, the first Dresden Files novel.

I'm not gonna surgarcoat these books, especially the early ones. Storm Front is fine. Fine enough that yeah, I picked up the next book, and the next, and the one after that, but as far as debut novels go, there are WAY stronger ones out there (if anyone is interested, let me know, I will happily make a list but I'm not derailing this post for that right now). The writing is fine; it's grammatically correct, it has a strong voice, and it clearly and interestingly conveys the plot to me. But it's not any better than fine.

What hooks you for this first book, though, is Harry himself. Our little baby wizard is a hot mess, and he knows he's a hot mess, but that self-aware hot mess-ness is constantly and consistently at war with his self-professed chivalrous side.

I gotta say, that chivalrous side reads HELLA paternalistic and patriarchal, especially early on. It tones down--sort of--in later books, but it never goes away and it has a tendency to return with a goddamn vengeance in situations that lend themselves to Harry's idea of white knighting. I have dropped books never to return to them for significantly less paternalistic, patriarchal chivalry, so what made me keep reading here? Genre.

The Dresden Files, and the early books in particular, have deep, strong roots in pulp fiction, hardboiled detective fiction, and noir fiction. Misogyny, the male gaze, and paternalistic attiudes tend to be baked into the genre in the same way morally grey antiheroes are. So I didn't love it, but I was prepared to accept its presence because if you walk into a noirish detective story, it's kind of not fair to complain about the things that MAKE it noir. The series as a whole also does this weird thing where it starts really noir and detective-y, then that fades to the background as the world expands, but then it comes ROARING back in the later books. It's a weird arc, I gotta say.

Storm Front itself is a pretty straightforward urban fantasy noir hardboiled detective book, with a pretty straightforward plot. The world and characters were sufficiently interesting to hold my attention, and this is where we return to the "Shakespeare and Butcher are both phenomenal synthesizers" claim, which as a Shakespeare scholar feels both hideously accurate and exquisitely cringe.

Wizards aren't new to Dresden Files. Vampires aren't new to Dresden Files. Chicago gangsters aren't new to Dresden Files. Fairies are not new to Dresden Files. Butcher actually introduces very very little in terms of original ideas to the series--and believe it or not, this isn't actually a criticism. Lore, genre, and tropes exist and persist for a reason, and the skill comes in how you take a zillion disparate parts and combine them into a new whole. Shakespeare did this with all his plays, and as a result his plays are the versions of many much-older stories that are baked into our current pop culture. Jim frickin' Butcher has somehow managed to take Harry Dresden and do a very similar thing. It's a wildly on-the-nose parallel, and I kind of hate it on principle, but then we remember that Shakespeare was the pulpy pop culture phenomenon of his day and we cannot close our eyes to the parallel evidence. Even though we hates it, precious.

To bring a chapter of a much longer story to a close for now, I would tell you that what kept me reading this series after the first book was the synthesis of the lore, and Harry Dresden being a compelling character in his own right. I was half expecting this to be a gimmick and that I might not make it through the whole series, but I very much fell down this rabbit hole, to the point that I am furious and will die mad about the latest entries into the series. But for there to be that level of fury and betrayal, there had to be a deep love first.

Stay tuned, I will go through the series and keep telling this story.

#jim butcher #the dresden files #dresden files #harry dresden #adult fantasy novel #detective fiction #hardboiled detective fiction #noir fiction #books & libraries #books and reading #books and novels #book recommendations #books

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sailxrmxrs · 1 year

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hello it is i, your resident fantasy au enjoyer anna reporting in with yet another fantasy fic. giving rory the fantasy au treatment bc the beloved boy deserves the beloved au hehe. filled with some of my favourite tropes too bc i've been reading a lot of books to fuel the brainrot. i am suffering (in a good way). for today's instalment of the fantasy aus, mc and rory are informants working undercover for the queen in search of a rebel faction. very important very exciting. oh and part of the whole undercover thing is they're pretending to be married. everything they do is fake and pretend. no real feelings whatsoever. simply a falsified display as part of their cover story. nothing else at all. lmao kidding they're madly in love but won't admit it. secretly pining but also definitely not pining. only the most delicious brainrot being served here. enjoy. also a note that there's some mild violence/injury towards the end but nothing too wild.

A hum of jovial energy filled the crowded tavern, its dark oak tables crowded with patrons and piled high with empty tankards. There was no shortage of celebration that night, the townsfolk spending their hard-earned coin on whatever ales and meads the tavern staff had to offer. The booming shouts and cheers of the rowdier patrons, along with the thrum of general chatter from the more reserved of tables provided the perfect cover to divulge one's secrets; cautious whispers were nothing in their wake. And who would ever suspect the quiet couple sitting in the corner, nursing their drinks as they intertwined hands across the tabletops. Who could ever assume that those glazed eyes and withdrawn smiles were anything other than the expected behaviour of newlyweds drowning in the other's presence, entirely numb to the world around them. Surely such an unsuspecting pair could never be working undercover for the queen with directives to root out a faction of rebels seeking to overthrow her reign. Yes, as much as you hated to admit it, pretending to be freshly married to your colleague had proved to be the perfect cover story. Where before someone might suspect the lone ranger shrouded in the shadows of their cloak, no one paid a second look to the couple with stars in their eyes nor did they doubt their intentions. If only you had been assigned the task with a more agreeable person.

Rory was not the worst of your potential partners for such a mission. Of the other informants of the castle, Rory was one of the best at his job but his hamartia was his disagreeable personality. He was all stern looks and entirely too serious. For most, there was a time and place to let your guard down or shed the hyper-awareness that being an informant entailed. Not for Rory. Even in the privacy of your company he remained as high strung as ever. Still, despite his hardened exterior you would happily accept Rory over some of the less pleasant options. Especially given the fact he'd proved himself to be exceptional in the role of doting husband. Even tucked away in the corner of the busy tavern, his hand was wrapped in his. He hadn't paused the gentle back-and-forth of his thumb against the back of your hand since arriving. It had taken some getting used to the way his movements synced with yours, mirroring every step with expert ease. Now the tender touches felt almost like second nature. Almost. You were treading a fine line here, precariously walking atop a wire looming over a deep abyssal pit. Getting too comfortable here would only end in the coldest of pains when the job was done and you returned to the castle and continued as normal. There was no doubt that once you'd finished receiving ample information and had reported to your superiors that Rory would go back to acting as he'd always done—as though you didn't exist. It wasn't anything personal. That was just how Rory was. He'd explained one night that he simply didn't care for upholding relationships when his job meant that he was putting his life on the line with every excursion beyond the castle grounds.

While his reasons were understandable, it didn't make Rory's apparent disdain for casual conversation any less vexing. When you'd tried to spend a few minutes savouring the plate of hot food before you, Rory had instead leapt straight into strategy discussions, admonishing you for your lack of concentration. He'd grumbled to himself when you quipped back that you were focusing perfectly fine on monitoring the comes and goings of tavern patrons. Rory quietened on the matter, opting to trust that you weren't letting yourself grow complacent even in the seemingly uneventful night that descended upon the tavern. Nothing seemed out of place nor concerning, though that was no excuse to let your guard down.

"Everything seems clear tonight. Tomorrow we should make our move for the next town over," Rory instructed as his eyes focused on you, a perfectly composed smile on his face—it looked as though it came as naturally to him as breathing.

"Works for me. Although I believe the morning market could be a veritable source of information. We might be able to find a lead or two if we're lucky."

"I suppose replenishing a few supplies couldn't hurt either," Rory replied. He let his gaze flicker to the tavern door every so often, each look only lasting a split second before he returned his attention to you.

Looking over the drained remnants of your tankard, you let out a yawn. "Should we perhaps retire to our room for the night? We'll need to be up and out around sunrise if we want to do one last scope of the area." Rory nodded in agreement, stepping out from the booth and reaching for your hand to help you up. He guided you through the crowd, a protective touch on your waist that tightened whenever someone edged closer. He truly pulled off his role excellently. Almost a little too well. If you didn't know better, you'd be beginning to suspect that this was all practiced behaviour with a loved one back at the castle. Still, wherever he learnt it didn't matter, just the fact that he was convincing enough to everyone around the both of you. By the time you returned to your shared room, sleep was lurking ever closer. So close, in fact, that you barely even registered each beat of movement that led you into the bed, Rory following close behind. Part of the pretence of being married meant being confined to the same room and same bed, though traveling together had left you both desensitised to it all. Still, it didn't make you any less flustered waking up to Rory's nose a hair's breadth away from yours. Luckily he always rose after you, giving you a precious few moments alone to compose yourself. Appearing anything less than composed would no doubt earn a scathing remark from Rory.

Morning arrived in what felt like no time at all, the sun peeking over the rolling hills of the horizon. Sunlight poured over your skin, gently warming it in the morning chill that struck in those early hours. The town streets were mostly quiet save for the early risers setting up their stalls before the bustling marketgoers arrived. Rory was surveying one half of the town while you searched the other for anything out of place or anyone that arose suspicion. So far all seemed to be in order, although there was no telling who might show their faces when the streets were bustling with people, believing that the crowds could hide their nefarious intentions. Upon reuniting with Rory, he shared his own lack of activity outside of the expected. It was then, as Rory detailed the plan for the day, that you recognised a face across the market square. It was undeniably the exact man who'd disappeared from the castle grounds just two weeks ago without a trace save for the correspondences to an unnamed individual sitting in the ashy remnants of his fireplace. Most of it was indecipherable, fire having burned away the words but there had been one singular letter that remained unscathed enough to arouse suspicion. And seeing him in this part of the kingdom only incriminated him further.

"No sudden movements. But I just found us our biggest lead yet," you informed Rory, as he slowly turned his head to follow your line of sight. Recognition settled over his features, alarming concern creasing his forehead.

"If we're recognised we're as good as dead. We find higher ground and keep eyes on him at all times. Wait until there's more people around before tailing him. Crowds make the perfect cover."

"Then we better move and move fast. He's turning this way." Urgency rang in your voice, eyes searching for the most conspicuous way out.

"You trust me?" Rory whispered, offering no other context.

Slightly bewildered by the sudden question, you faltered for a moment before answering. "Well, yes. But I don't see what—" And then Rory's hand was on your waist, the other cradling your chin as he leaned so incredibly close. His breath was warm on your cheek, though that could have easily been your face burning under the close proximity. Then his lips were ghosting over your jaw, the frame of his body concealing your from any onlookers. If anyone spared a glance all they would see was an amorous display between unidentifiable lovers. The seconds dragged like hours, your heart pounding so hard in your chest that you feared Rory might be able to feel it. Of all the pretences you'd put on together, this was by far the most daring. He hadn't gone further than a tight grip on your waist or the press of a kiss to your temple. His lips were barely touching your skin and yet you could feel electricity striking your skin for every moment he lingered. Not to mention the way his hands held you firmly in place. It was all so dizzying you were dangerously close to forgetting exactly what your mission here was.

"Coast clear?" He asked, every whispered word brushing your ear with a delicate softness that almost made you forget who you were.

With a nervous clear of your throat, you managed to look past Rory's shoulder to find your target with his back to you once more. "We're safe."

There was roughly another hour before the marketplace would open to its customers, meaning there was an hour of waiting before you and Rory could set your plan into motion. After the close encounter, the two of you had separated from the other's embrace just enough to move out of the square and into a quiet alley. From there, you'd made your way to the rooftops, using a thick stone chimney to keep hidden from sight. It wasn't difficult to keep an eye on your target, his own movements clearly purposeful so as to blend in with the other market stall owners. Anything that made your job easier was a welcomed turn of events. That was, until Rory decided to strike up conversation, clearly deciding the threat level was low enough to break the deafening silence.

"You've been oddly quiet all morning. What's going on in that head of yours?" The question felt more like an accusation—a weighted statement so as to draw out every thought that swam in your mind.

"Normally you're complaining I talk too much and now I'm too quiet. What do you want from me, Rory?" Your reply sounded less relaxed than you'd intended, residual nerves shaking your voice a fraction.

"You're avoiding the question." He folded his arms, stubborn to a fault as he stared you down. "Ever since we saw... Wait, this isn't because of what I did earlier is it?"

You felt your cheeks begin to heat and could only pray they didn't betray you. "What? No! I'm just focusing. Much like you should be too."

"Don't think I don't know you well enough now to not know when you're lying. I would've told you what I was doing if time was on our side but it was either I act fast or we get ourselves caught. Still, sorry about that."

You blinked, noting the rise of colour that seemed to appear on Rory's cheeks. It was faint, but you could've sworn it was there. "It's fine. You did what anyone should have done in the moment so don't apologise. Just took me a little off guard is all."

Rory relaxed a little, grateful he hadn't crossed a line or backed you into a corner you weren't willing to tread. Then, a rare smile grew as he tested just how far he could push you. "Don't tell me you got nervous. One of our finest informants and fighters in the branch and you got a little nervous over your partner getting too close? Thought you were stronger than that."

"Brave words from a man who was just blushing as he apologised. Really changed your tune there, didn't you? Still, it's of no matter to me. Think whatever you'd like to get yourself through the day."

"What I'm hearing here is that you wouldn't have reacted at all if I'd kissed you?"

You glared back at Rory's testing smile, hating the way your stomach twisted. You knew you had to choose your next words carefully, the thought of being caught lying already bruising your ego. "Who knows. Not like you had the gall to do it anyway."

"Oh? Is that a challenge? Or perhaps an invitation?" Rory edged closer, running a finger along your jawline before taking your chin in his hold and angling your face so that you couldn't avoid meeting his gaze. No words were spoken, just heated stares as though you were waiting for the other to crack first.

"Neither. It's a 'we better move or else we lose our lead'," you uttered, hand moving Rory's face so that he could see your target weaving through the crowd. Rory cursed, leaping up and into action. This was the first time you'd seen him taken by surprise and if you weren't in pursuit of a traitor to the crown, you'd be taking great joy in that fact. Weaving through the side streets, uneven bricks beneath your feet slowing your pursuit, Rory called an instruction from just ahead.

"We split up here. You continue on and I'll take a left down here. We surround him and wait for his contact to show up. Out of sight unless absolutely necessary."

"Sounds like a plan. Don't get yourself caught, beloved husband." Rory did little more than roll his eyes before running off down a side street, leaving you to continue down the cobblestones in the direction of your target. The road led to a series of seemingly abandoned buildings. Infrastructure was beginning to crumble in places, its inhabitants long gone for an undeterminable amount of time. There were no visitors to this side of town—the ideal place to rendezvous with one's conspirators. From the shadows, you had a clear sight of the man you'd been pursuing. He was speaking with someone you did not recognise, their face shrouded in shadow from the hood atop their head. Whoever this person was, they were doing little to conceal their desire to remain anonymous to any onlookers. Curious suspicion grew in the pit of your stomach, aching to edge closer so as to be in earshot but even one step forward could lead to being discovered. Across the way, you caught sight of Rory hiding from his own shadowed vantage point. He was closer to the suspicious characters and, hopefully, able to garner some useful information in the process.

As you crouched in the shadows, attention honed in on your target, you missed the person quietly approaching you from behind until it was far too late. When you heard their footsteps and twisted, dagger in hand, they were already upon you. The hilt of their own dagger collided with your chin, throwing you off your balance and striking the alarm of your targets. Shouts sounded along with heavy footsteps, no doubt your biggest lead making his escape. But that was not your greatest concern right now. What mattered more was finding your footing and fighting off your assailant.

"Didn't anyone teach you it's rude to eavesdrop? Suppose I'll have to be the one to do it then," he threatened, a sinister smile growing as he crept closer. He had the advantage of preparation on his side, but you weren't going to go down that easily. Your opponent was strong but you were quick, able to dodge his heavy handed attacks and strike any opening in his stance. Whoever he was, his grasp of strategy was weak, leaving far too many openings for you to kick and slash. That was, until you went for another opening only for his thick boots to strike your stomach and sending you crashing to the ground, winded from the attack. He loomed over your body, preparing to go for the kill with an arm raised until a throwing knife struck his wrist perfectly. Before you could dwell longer on the matter, you rolled to your feet. Rory was at your side in seconds and matching your stance.

"Took you long enough. Did our culprit run off?"

Rory chuckled, the sound devoid of any genuine humour. "He tried. Didn't get very far. Looks like you didn't do much beside almost get yourself killed."

"I had the situation under control, thank you very much."

"Sure you did. Were you just taking a nap on the ground then?"

You glared at him before lunging to deal with your attacker. You made quick work of him, his movements having slowed greatly thanks to Rory's expert aim. "You know I could just as easily throw this at your face to shut you up."

"Don't threaten me with a good time, beloved."

Once you'd taken care of your attacker and quiet settled over the scene once more, your pulse finally returned to normal. A series of aches ailed you, though none were cause for concern. It was nothing some rest wouldn't fix up. Whenever you had the freedom to rest, that was.

"You okay?" Rory's voice dropped lower as he came to stand in front of you, carefully inspecting you for any serious injuries.

"All good."

He raised an eyebrow, not fully trusting you were being completely honest with him. "This isn't one of those 'I'm going to be stoic and pretend I'm fine and then later I try and tend to my very much not fine injury' moments is it?"

"First of all, mildly offended. You're not entirely wrong, but I'm still mad about it. And second, no this is not one of those moments. Just a little tender in places. I can walk it off." Rory contemplated his next move as his eyes dragged up and down your frame.

"I swear if you even think about carrying me anyway I won't hesitate to cut the first appendage I can reach."

He raised his hands in innocent defeat. "Consider my thoughts blank, no carrying considered. Anymore."

With a roll of your eyes, you made to walk away until Rory's hand grasped your wrist. There was an earnest look in his eyes that you'd never seen from him before. He didn't speak for a moment, glancing at his feet before meeting your gaze once more.

"I'm glad you're okay. You worried me there for a moment." Sincerity laced every word he uttered, so quiet and heartfelt and only for your ears.

"Don't worry, you won't be left partnerless just yet." You tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had descended but Rory's expression didn't change. You'd seen him look serious, of course, but this was something else entirely. It was like a layer had been stripped back, shedding the wall he presented to the world and revealing another version of himself. One that allowed his weaknesses to be presented on full display. One that deeply trusted his company so much as to bear his every worry and burden without fear. It struck you to your very core, keeping you rooted in place and barely able to breathe let alone move.

"Good. How could I play the role of doting husband if you got yourself killed?" A gentle smile breached the final crack in his walls and let what remained of that outer shell come crashing down. A hand reached to cup your cheek, every callous and scar that marred his palm decorating the sensation of his gentle touch.

"I'm sure you'd figure out a way. Not that you'll need to just yet."

"Yet? I hope you're not planning for some martyr-like sacrifice. It would be unbecoming of you." Rory brushed a stray strand of hair from your face, smiling to himself as he no doubt felt the way your skin heated with the featherlike touch of his fingertips.

"We'll see." The words were so quiet, barely audible to either of you if not for the pindrop silence that had settled. There was no tearing your eyes away from Rory's, feeling yourself stumbling into the vast green that gazed back. This certainly wasn't the behaviour of two individuals pretending to be married. Not when the nearest person was far beyond the winding streets of the bustling market town. There wasn't a single soul to witness the display, and yet that didn't stop either of you from remaining there, both unable to tear yourselves away. Perhaps that would be the smartest thing to do. Feelings were messy; they got in the way and complicated matters to an incomprehensible degree. But maybe, just once, you could give in to the magnetic pull that reached into your heart and tugged. Just once wouldn't hurt, would it?

Clearing your throat, you tried to pour even an ounce of conviction into your voice. "What's the plan now? Find our man and get some information?"

"You're the boss. But first, there's another, more pressing matter to attend to." Rory didn't bother to offer any verbal clarification when your eyebrows knitted in confusion. Instead, he twined his fingers with yours, pulling you closer until his face was mere centimetres from yours. Every breath and blink felt like an eternity until that painfully small gap finally closed. Rory's lips was soft, tentative as they explored new territory. There was no going back from this but you didn't care. Maybe you should walk away and preserve what little remained of your self-restraint. Maybe you should continue letting yourself believe this was all for the sake of your cover. Or maybe you could enjoy it just a little while longer, believing the lie that every action leading up to this moment had been faked when every part of your soul said otherwise. Though nothing felt more real than this very point in time, Rory's gentle touch the only thing keeping you on the ground.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered as his thumbs brushed the backs of your hands.

You shook your head, knowing there was no way you could even begin to string the tangled mess of emotions into coherent sentences for him. Another fleeting touch of a kiss was all you could offer before breathing in a deep sigh. "Words aren't quite enough to explain it. That, or I'm just a little too distracted to think of them right now."

Rory laughed, a beautiful sound that caressed your ears with each lilting cadence. "I think that's a first for you. Being rendered speechless, I mean. Cute."

You pulled your hands from Rory's and glared, only making him laugh harder. "Make fun all you want. I'm not the one making moves while on the job."

"Isn't that what this whole job has been? Me making moves and pretending I don't enjoy it as much as I do?" To say that was a loaded comment was an understatement. And it was one you could dwell on later under the cover of night where Rory would be none the wiser to your seemingly permanent flustered state of being.

"Ignoring that for now. We have actual work to do. Lead the way before I make you."

"Is that supposed to be a threat? Or a promise?"

#infinite blue #infinite blue x reader #infinite blue fanfic #infinite blue rory #infinite blue rory x reader #yes the fake marriage trope was because of foul lady fortune and the agency for scandal don't look at me like that #if i had a nickel for every book i've read in the last couple weeks with a fake marriage trope i'd have two nickels #which isn't a lot but it probably says a lot about me that it happened twice in a row #don't perceive me okay i am but a weak man who falls at the feet of slow burn romances #and this is my emotional support tumblr where i channel all the brainrot over my books and project it onto other fictional characters #if i can't scream about these books to people i will make them read about it in fic format <3 #anyway i return to my current historical romance cackling maniacally bc the slow burn is starting to heat up goodbye #anna writes

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boom-fanfic-a-latta · 1 year

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Call Me By My Name (Even Though I Can't Remember)

@shadowzmod Merry Christmas! Here's my Secret Santa fic for you! (Shadow REALLY needs to stop getting himself into Situations...)

{Archive Of Our Own Link}

“Well, this is just great. I’m completely lost.”

With a groan, Shadow plopped to the ground, sitting down on one of the large exposed roots of the trees towering above him. Turning his head, he once again tried to see if he could discern any sign of a way out—to no avail. Nothing but forest as far as the eye could see.

He honestly wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten here to begin with—the most he could recall was maybe the feeling of using Chaos Control, but that was about it. But no matter why he’d ended up here, Shadow was now lost deep in the middle of the woods, with no idea how to get back.

Frustrated, he clenched his fists, letting out a low growl. “This is pathetic,” he muttered to himself through gritted teeth. “I’m the Ultimate Lifeform, and I can’t find my way out of the %$#& woods—”

“Hey, why so glum?”

Shadow’s ears twitched at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and he immediately sprung to his feet. “Who said that?!” he shouted, looking back and forth to try and find the speaker—but seeing no one.

“Up here, buddy!” the voice called out playfully, coming from above him. He looked up, catching sight of something blue sitting on a high branch in one of the trees.

Since when had that been there?

“Who are you?!” Shadow demanded of the figure, shifting his footing into a fighting stance just in case. In response, they only laughed, before quickly dismounting from the branch and landing with surprising grace on the forest floor in front of him.

They looked to be another hedgehog, now that he could see them more clearly, with bright blue quills and a peach muzzle. They were wearing a dark blue tunic and white tights, brown gloves and boots, and a green riding cloak—an outfit that all around felt more like something from a fantasy story or renaissance fair than something suited to the modern day.

They also had an infuriatingly cocky grin on their face, one that just seemed to be asking for trouble.

“What, no applause?” the stranger quipped, their emerald-green eyes twinkling. “I feel offended.”

Shadow sighed, turning away in annoyance. “I don’t have time for this…” He started walking away, but abruptly felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hold on, buddy, where are you going?” the blue hedgehog asked, somehow having gotten right in his path without him noticing.

Shadow blinked, caught off-guard. “...None of your business,” he eventually replied, shaking himself free of the other’s light grip.

“Well, that’s just rude,” the stranger said with a slight frown. “I was just asking—you look pretty lost.”

“And so what if I am lost?!” He really wasn’t in the mood for this. “Leave me alone, okay?!”

“Woah, calm down!” They backed away slightly, holding up their hands. “Look, I had thought that maybe I could help you, but since you’re being such a grump about it…” They folded their arms, staring at Shadow with what seemed to be disappointment.

“...Wait. Are you saying you know how to get out of here?” Shadow was skeptical.

The stranger grinned. “Oh, believe me, I know this forest like the back of my hand!” They patted the trunk of the closest tree as they said this. “But…with your attitude and all, I’m not sure if I still want to help you—heck, I don’t even know your name!” They paused. ”...Actually, what if we make a deal out of it? If you give me your name, I promise to help you find your way out of here.” They reached out their hand.

…Something about that offer sounded off. But Shadow couldn’t tell what.

But—as much as this stranger was getting on his nerves—if they really did know the way out…and all they wanted in return was to know his name? It didn’t seem like there was much risk to this if it didn’t turn out to be true…

“...Fine.” he relented, taking the other’s outstretched hand. “My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was abruptly hit by a wave of intense vertigo, putting him off-balance. He found himself stumbling forward, almost falling over, but the stranger managed to stop him before he hit the ground. They carefully helped him back upright, holding him steady.

“Woah, easy there. Don’t want you to hurt yourself, do we?”

“What…” He put a hand to his forehead, still feeling strangely disoriented and unsure as to why. “What just happened?”

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Like something was suddenly missing.

The stranger chuckled. “Man, has anyone ever told you that you look adorable when you’re confused?”

He tried his best to shake off the last of the dizziness and glared at them. “Will you please just be quiet for once?!”

“Oh, come on, the look on your face was priceless!” They gave his nose a tap. “Honestly, I didn’t expect you to fall for it this easily…”

He froze at this. “...What do you mean, fall for it?” he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing further.

In response, the stranger gave him a smug, mischievous grin. “Well…try telling me your name again. Go on, try it!”

Bewildered, and very much irritated, he frowned. “Why? I already told you, it’s…” His brow furrowed in confusion as he trailed off. “My…my name is…”

He couldn’t remember.

He knew he had a name, he’d said it out loud barely a couple of minutes ago! So why could he suddenly not remember it?!

He could feel his eyes widening in shock at the sudden realization that he didn’t know his own name anymore.

What the hell had happened?!

The stranger had started laughing again. “Oh, you really should see the look on your face, it’s priceless!”

They seemed far too amused by his reaction, almost like…wait.

“You,” he realized, practically snarling at the other. “You did this—what the hell did you do to me?!”

“Oh, nothing much, I just took what you gave me.”

He was at his wit’s end with this stranger’s refusal to give him a straight answer. With anger in his eyes, he took them by the shoulders and slammed them into the tree behind them, pinning them against the bark.

“What do you mean?!” he hissed, outraged.

“Hey, buddy, there’s no need for the hostility,” they said, a bit nervously. “I guess I should give you an actual explanation, huh—you really do seem to have no idea…”

“Explain. Now.”

“Alright, alright—but can you let me go first?” They rolled their eyes. “If I’d known you were gonna get physical over this…”

Reluctantly, he let go, taking a step back and folding his arms. “Well, go on.”

The stranger brushed themself off, adjusting their cloak carefully. “Thank you. Now, you see, what I did was a classic Fae trick—I got you to give me your name.”

“Yes, I know that, you asked what my name was—”

“No,” they cut him off, shaking their head. “I mean, literally, I took your name from you. It’s mine now.” They gave him a sly grin.

“You…you what?!” He blinked, trying to wrap his head around this.

“Man, you’re slow—I told you, I took your name. I’m a Fae. We do things like that.” They winked at him, their eyes—wait a second, were their eyes glowing?!

He shook his head, turning away from the stranger. “No…no, this can’t be real,” he decided. “This is all just—”

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to deny it, buddy,” they laughed. “Trust me, this is very real.”

“But how?!” he retorted, whirling back around to face them. “How can—”

“Shadow, shut up.”

Something in their words seemed to grab hold of him, something familiar, something that should be his. And suddenly, he found that nothing came out as he tried to speak.

Startled, he grabbed at his throat, vainly trying to force any sound out, to no avail.

“Yeah, that’s another thing,” the stranger—the Fae—said with a chuckle. “Because I have your name, I can tell you what to do. Names have power like that.”

He glared at them, folding his arms indignantly.

“...What, I had to get you to believe me somehow—besides, I do still have to uphold my part of our promise.”

His brow furrowed. What promise?

“You know, helping you get out of the woods? In exchange for your name, I promised to show you the way out.”

Oh. That. Right. Honestly, he regretted agreeing to that deal now—how was he supposed to have known the other had meant to literally take away his name?

“...Well?” the Fae asked, looking at him expectantly.

He frowned, tapping his muzzle.

“Oh, right. Forgot about that. You can talk again, Shadow.”

He audibly gasped as whatever power that had been keeping him incapable of speech dissipated in an instant.

“I hate you,” he stated, glowering at the Fae.

“Okay,” they replied smugly, “but do you want to leave the forest or not? Come on, this way.” They grabbed him by the hand, pulling him along before he even had time to react.

“Hey!” he protested, trying to wrench himself free, but the other’s grip didn’t even budge. Sighing, he reluctantly stopped struggling, letting them lead him through the woods. Eventually, the mass of trees thinned out, until the two made it to the edge, where it turned into a grassy field, a familiar city skyline visible in the distance.

“Here we are,” the stranger said with a grin. “Out of the woods.” They turned to him, their green eyes glittering in the sunlight.

“...Thank you, I guess,” he muttered, not meeting their eyes. “Now, about my name—”

He was about to demand that they give him back his name, if that was even possible—but then, the Fae suddenly pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek.

“What the—”

“Meet me back here tonight, Shadow—don’t be late.”

He felt a shudder come over him as the order set in, and instinctively he pushed the other away—only to suddenly fall over as his momentum somehow carried him to the ground. In bewilderment, he looked around, discovering that the Fae had just…vanished, somehow, leaving him alone at the end of the woods.

He lay there in silence for a moment, trying to process what had just happened, before he finally managed to collect himself enough to actually react.

“What the #%?$—”

#shadow the hedgehog #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #mint writes stuff #secret santa #sonadow #sonic is a fae au #honestly I think I probably might do more with this in the future #it was fun to write and I left the ending in a place I can easily pick back up on #fun fact when I initially had the idea for this #my first thought was to have the fae!sonic specifically be Devin (Evil Sonic) from heritageblr #honestly he still ended up acting a little like devin #I also was thinking of writing something about hypernova shadow initially but then I realized I had no idea what to actually WRITE for that #so instead we got Shadow losing his name and also his temper #another fun fact #sonic doesn't lie ONCE in this entire fic #everything he says technically has some truth to it #also once Shadow's name is stolen #the narration no longer refers to him by name #i like fun details like that okay #seriously though hope you like this Shadz #fellas is it gay to steal someone's name and then use it to magically coerce them into coming back to see you again that night

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jones-friend · 1 year

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Avatar: The Way of Water

December 18, 2009: Avatar releases

2010: I have my first girlfriend

2011: I graduate high school and attend college moving from Illinois to Iowa, making a number of lifelong friends in the early months

2012: I declare a cinema arts major

2013: me and a small number of friends form a media production company, I have no idea what I’m doing

2014: I get more into dnd and mtg as hobbies with my friends

2015: I graduate from Iowa with a bachelors in cinema arts and move to Chicago interning in the Hancock building

2016: my grandmother passes away from a stroke and I return to semi-country Illinois to live with my grandfather

2017: I have a major falling out with friends I have had since elementary school and college leaving a permanent scar on multiple friend groups

2018: I escape a league of mentally detrimental jobs that put me in a dark dark place and start working in higher ed

2019: family life becomes so stressful I am forced to move out of my grandfather’s house

2020: COVID rocks the world and changes everything. We are locked down with a life threatening virus running rampant as US fascism hits its fever pitch

2021: I cut ties with my biological family

2022: multiple friends have had children or are pregnant, forming families of their own

December 16, 2022: Avatar Way of Water releases

I’ll be 30 this coming year. It has been 12yrs, 11mo, and 29 days between Avatar films. 410,140,800 seconds. It is an interesting feeling to come back to a world depicted on screen after so much time has passed, very nearly half the amount of time I’ve been alive.

My initial impressions of Avatar Way of Water is that if you enjoyed living in the world of Pandora in the first movie and would love some more adventures in Pandora you will enjoy the second movie. If you liked the tighter moviegoing experience the first offered you will feel a little let down. I don’t think this is a bad movie by any means, nor is it a mediocre movie. It is good. It just isn’t as tightly crafted as the original movie was.

God knows, it’s been so long most movies have been remade since then. Or revived under new premises a la Fantastic Beasts (which is a whole other animal to tackle). But I fully understand I’m coming to Way of Water with an entire kit of analytical skills I did not have when I watched the first movie, and this will impact my enjoyment of the second and let me look back fondly on the first.

Thinking between these two, not much has changed. Humans are one note greedy, comfortably made into cannon fodder for thrilling fight sequences. The navi are in tune with nature, peaceful, someone we can root for without complicated emotions. We have a new McGuffin or item everyone wants but it gets a back seat to the grudge match that takes importance over it. And rightfully so.

This is a movie that wants to do a lot of things in the three hours and twelve minutes it runs for. I’m not sure it is successful in all of them, feeling a bit like Star Wars Episode IX in that scenes run fast and loose, a little too loose in some places. The ending especially felt that fervent pace and could not slow down where it really needed to and let some scenes sit for more than a few seconds, instead summarizing via voice over because with 20-30mins of trailers frontloading this your audience has been sitting for four hours and we gotta get👏this👏shit👏going.

This movie s a Star Wars in that its science fantasy and don’t worry we can just make computer chip copies of your brain. It’s also a Toy Story 3, we’ve aged up the characters and moved their lives along to reflect the aging audience who first watched Avatar. It’s also a Star Trek IV where we’re saving the whales. This movie is trying to be a lot of things in 3hrs 12mins. Roughly, it succeeds.

There is a lot to be charmed by in the world of Pandora. It is a different kind of movie because in describing it, the movie acts more like an immersive experience with the viewer so I wouldn’t say “characters do X Y and Z” but you as the audience get to “make friends with a whale” and “learn to ride alien dolphins”. It is a world that continues to be lovingly crafted, like sitting in dnd with a dm who has laid out so much of their own lore and worldbuilding its just a delight to immerse yourself in.

Even when it is unfocused Avatar Way of Water is far and away a better experience than so many other theater movies. It’s drop dead gorgeous, and it doesn’t mind getting its hands dirty in that new aquatic environment immersing scenes in and out of water with ease. If you enjoy escapism I absolutely recommend seeing it while it’s in theaters, preferably IMAX.

A lot has changed since the first Avatar dropped 12 years 11 months and 29 days ago. Well, longer now, writing this on January 2nd. This movie is a comfortable return to the world of Pandora with uncomplicated premises and setups that do not challenge the viewer. It is a movie made by an action movie director with a long resume of quality work. If you bothered reading through my ramblings you likely have already made up your mind on whether or not you’d enjoy such a thing. I give a recommendation to seeing it, I love fantasy, I love escapism, and I love the world of Pandora. I am always down to revisit this chapter and will be excited to see later movies. Is it perfect? God no. There’s alien jesus, major death retcons, silly pacifism philosophies, its got flaws. But I do enjoy the quality of the world it gives me. Its one of the few things that can instill a sense of childlike wonder in myself and I treasure that sensation greatly.

#avatar #way of water

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wondereads · 2 years

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Personal Review (09/04/22)

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Why am I reviewing this book?

Not only have I been looking forward to this book, but I received it as an ARC! As such, as the release date draws nearer, I'm getting my review out now.

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

In the aftermath of the Nationalists taking power and dissolving of the two ruling gangs in Shanghai, Rosalind grapples with her past actions. On top of that, she has been granted practically immortality through a dubious experiment; she no longer ages, and hardly any injury is enough to kill her. She now utilizes her skills under the Nationalists as an assassin with the code name Fortune, but when targeted killings begin to spread, she is forced to team up with another Nationalist, Orion, to infiltrate a Japanese company and find out their motives.

I actually like the plot of Foul Lady Fortune more than Gong's previous duology. It seems that this book embraces the fantasy side of historical fantasy a bit more, and I kind of just enjoy how almost ridiculous this story is. It's far-fetched and unbelievable at points, but I personally like it that way. Especially since I want a lighter tone in this book as it's based on a comedy (As You Like It).

Rosalind and Orion are trying to discover why these chemical killings are happening, and you'll probably figure it out early on. The context clues are a little overkill. I will say, there is a great plot twist around 2/3 through the book. It's predictable in a very good way, the way that makes the reader feel vindicated that they were right. I, unfortunately, came to that part and then had to put the book down, and I was truly thinking about it until I could pick it up again.

The big thing I didn't like was that Rosalind's newfound immortality is gained entirely off-page. Apparently, she got very sick and Celia took her to a doctor of dubious morality who then turned her immortal. It's glossed over for the most part, which felt rather odd to me. Other than that, it was predictable but a lot of fun. (Bonus! There are some allusions to some characters I didn't think we'd be seeing again!)

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

It's hard to root for Rosalind. Most of the readers of this book will likely have read These Violent Delights before, and—spoilers—Rosalind betrays Juliette and Roma in that one, pretty severely too. She doesn't get closure, and that is reflected in her character this book. Her past actions haunt her to the extreme, which I loved. Despite my initial aversion to her, getting to see her side of things and the intense manipulation she went through; it was all just done very well. It also gave a good reason for her hostility towards romance, which was actually done right; Rosalind has a genuine, personal reason to not want to be romantically involved with Orion and she doesn't immediately throw it out the window. It takes a while for her to even consider it, and then everything goes to shit anyways.

Speaking of Orion, he was pretty flat for the most part, but I have high hopes for book two. Gong really put this poor boy through a lifetime's worth of trauma in the last fifty pages of this book, and he's going to be all kinds of screwed up in the sequel. As for the romance, all I will say is that Miss Gong is definitely reading Stucky fanfiction in her spare time, especially considering that ending.

This book also sees the return of other beloved characters, such as Alisa and Celia who are also coincidentally assigned to coinciding assignments by the communists. Even though it is very convenient, I liked the decision since I do love these characters. Personally, I am rooting for a book focused on Alisa.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

As I've mentioned before, I love Chloe Gong's writing. It's detailed, flowery, and a great medium for descriptions. It's not for everyone—I know people who have DNF'd because of the writing—but this style is one of my favorites. I think it especially contributes to the atmosphere of the setting since everything is so vividly described. Sometimes certain settings, particularly historical ones, get away from me in that I forget the time period and can't properly picture things. I've never had that issue with Gong's books. Also, I just enjoy long-winded writing sometimes.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I really enjoyed this book as a high-stakes fantasy, even if it did feel a bit ridiculous at times. I liked that Gong leaned into the comedy of the original play, even if the story itself is pretty serious. I think if she'd done another tragedy it wouldn't have been able to distinguish itself from her previous books. The story itself was separate enough but Rosalind's character development was based on other books, so there wasn't a complete divorce. Rosalind as a character is very well done, but I'm hoping for some more depth to Orion. As always the writing is stellar, and I do think the pacing has improved from Gong's previous works. Although it has its faults, I liked this book and I think it shows that this author will only continue to improve.

The Author

Chloe Gong: Chinese-New Zealander, 23, also wrote These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every week, and I do themed recommendations every once in a while. I take suggestions! Check out my about me post for more!

#books #reviews #foul lady fortune #chloe gong #ya #fantasy #historical fantasy #shanghai #1930s #immortality

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hcolleen · 1 year

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Reading wrap up

So, I see a lot of these going around (I follow a few book-tubers) so I'm going to give one of my own here. Keep in mind that I don't always read the newest books and I often reread things that felt good to me.

Best books that I read this year (not in a ranking order, just when I decided to add them to this list as I was looking through my audible library [yes, I am aware there are alternatives and I would support them, but my budget and my rereading habit make them something I can't support at the moment, as much as I would like to]):

Sucks to be Me: First Fangs Club book 1 by Kristen Painter: Widow of a high ranking mafioso goes to his grave to tell him off one last time and is turned into a vampire in the process. She ends up being the Vampire governor of New Jersey and that's only the beginning. The most recent book (book 5, Embrace the Suck) made me yell at my cat for the ending! OMG! Seriously. Though, I recommend it to people who like snark and caring and making the best of an extremely weird situation and some fantasy fulfillment, too.

Noble Roots: Spells, Swords, & Stealth, book 5 by Drew Hayes: A noble band of once NPC characters from an RPG game continue their journey, unable to return to their home since the king is perusing them and having been targeted by an evil god, too. They end up at a gathering of lords and ladies as they compete for the ability to wield magic and must untangle who is trying to destroy the competition and protect a stolen soul. This one also made me yell at my cat at the end. I want more! I highly recommend this book and series to those who like RPG books, adventure, the blending of two worlds (I didn't even mention what was happening in the 'real' world with the players who interact with these characters!).

Only the Start: A Death Gate Grim Reapers Thrill Books 1-3 by Amanda M Lee: This series has wonderful action and suspense. The first 6 books are available in anthology form, the last 3 will likely be available next year as the series just finished this year. It ties into a few of her other series and you'll miss some things if you don't read them all, but you can understand this series without the others, if you want to read it alone. I like the author's works, so I would suggest reading as many of them as you want. So, a woman who lost her parents because there was an attack while they were guarding the gate between worlds becomes the gate keeper, against her grandfather's wishes. She is a bruja, also trained in voudun, and is challenged with attacks that shouldn't be happening and what appears to be a concerted effort at sabotage, so she has to choose her allies carefully. There's also her missing memories around the attack, which lead to questions about whether her parents died or were subverted.

It's a Wonderful Midlife Crisis: The Good to the Last Death Series, book 1: Thirty-nine was a good year for Daisy. She was married to her best friend, her body didn't creak, her grandmother was still healthy. One year later, she's a widow, her joints are starting to ache, her grandmother is in a nursing home, and home is full of dead people who keep losing body parts. She helps by super-gluing body parts back on and doing her best to fulfill her new role as the death counselor as well as keeping up with her boisterous friend group and avoiding the office harridan who is trying to keep her away from the new lawyer working at the firm where she's a paralegal. It's a lot of fun and so far, each book ends with a cliff hanger.

Witches Get Stuff Done: Starfall Point book 1 by Molly Harper: Riley finds out she has an inherited job in a historic home full of antiques…oh, and she's a witch, too…from her aunt who died just before they could meet. Then there's Edison, the overqualified librarian with a phobia of boats, who's been trying to get into the house for research purposes since he arrived on the island. And there are the ghosts that haunt the antiques in the house. I love Molly Harper's writing, it's a lovely blend of snark and passion and compassion. It's a new series, the first book published this year, so it's a lovely start and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Fortune Favors the Dead: Pentecost and Parker Mystery Series book 1 by Kirsten Potter: So set in the early 1940's, a gender-flipped, textually queer Sherlock expy that takes inspiration from the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout. Will Parker is a circus runaway after witnessing a crime. Lillian Pentecost is a detective with MS who needs someone to help her with daily tasks and running errands for her private investigation firm. There's the interactions between the two that balance caring and snarky, and the mystery itself involves prognosticators, steel magnates, cover ups and more. And Will finds herself targeted by the prognosticator and someone else who leaves her pointedly threatening notes.

A Killer Sundae: Ice Cream Parlor Mystery series book 3 by Abby Collette: So, I'll admit I started this series because it was by a black author and I was looking to make my reading list more diverse and the premise of the first book sounded interesting. But, if you love cozy mysteries or mysteries in general, or ice cream, read these books. They're wonderfully written mysteries with great characters set in a small town in Ohio. There's the quaint (in a good way) town square with quirky shops and their owners. And Wyn finds herself both frustrated and attracted to the lawyer who abets her and the cop who tries to stop her from interfering.

Riley Jensen series (books 1-9) by Keri Arthur: I read these back when they first came out in 2007 (I own them in paperback and read that version). Rereading them after…probably 12 years of not reading them (the last one came out in 2010), I forgot how good they were and why I was lugging them around when I moved. Riley, a dhampir, half vampire, half were, was just a secretary for the Directorate of Other Species (the department that is responsible for policing vampires, weres, and other non-human species) until she comes across a few baby vampires (baby as in newly turned, not as in infant) snacking on a nightclub owner and his staff. From then on, she finds herself caught in a web of conspiracies and the target of people who want her for the skills her mixed heritage grant her. Along the way, she meets a super sexy, very old vampire who has his sights set on her, but she wants it on her terms, not his.

Dark Angels series (books 1-3 of 7, though I'm mad I lost the first one in the move. I'll have to get it again) by Keri Arthur: Spin-off from Riley Jensen's story, this follows Risa Jones who was a baby in the previous series. Now she's an adult in her mid-20s. Risa is the child of a powerful psychic and a creature called an Aedh. She's able to travel the lands between life and death and talk to souls there. She finds something terrible when she looks into the case of a little girl who fell into a sudden coma. From there, she's caught between the orders of her father and the oldest vampire in Australia, if not the world, who heads the Vampire Counsel and the target of multiple attempts on her life. She escapes with the help of a Mijai and another Aedh who had his wings removed as a punishment for an undisclosed crime. She and her friends are in danger as she struggles to find three keys for the gates between this world and hell itself and also tries to keep them from being used. This is another that I haven't read in a while and I'm very much enjoying revisiting the series. As noted above, I'm on the 3rd book.

Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow: I'm still reading this, but I really enjoy it and how it makes compelling arguments that we didn't come from innocents nor did we come from absolute terrors. These ideas came from a conservative reaction to Indigenous observers critiquing Europeans and have held sway over much of anthropology to this day. This book explores the structures of power in our ancestor's way of living, how they led to the ones that we have today and how we can reorganize society to have more freedom for everyone. With everything going on these past few months, I haven't had the energy to get back to this one, but I'm hoping to have some time/energy soon because I'm excited to keep reading it.

I'd love to see other's lists of great books they read this year. :)

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buzzheadchick · 1 year

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Television and Ancestor Work

So this is a bit of a strange post, and honestly I’m not sure exactly if it’s going to be beneficial to anyone else, but I think my experience here is indicative of an idea I’d like to share with people.

When I first watched the TV Show The Good Place, I didn’t practice witchcraft. I had some budding spiritual beliefs, but they were tentative and I didn’t really act on them. I did love the philosophy aspect of it though. Still, at the time, I was often acting like that one “Sure, I’ll incorporate that into my belief system” meme with anything intentionally fictional that made sense to me about the universe. The fact is, often those things I adopted were INSPIRED by existing belief systems. For example, the, “You are the instrument through which the universe cares” speech from Fantasy High is capped with “as above, so below,” because it was inspired by that real life phrase many actual witches adhere to! I may not espouse that phrase myself, but I do believe in the sentiment of the show, and it’s important for me to know roots.

With that being said, when I finished The Good Place, I loved the idea of its ending. People getting a chance to change forever, and even if they never make it, they can always get the chance? And souls getting at much time as they want in the afterlife until they can choose to dissipate, and their soul is returned to the world in pieces as their earthly body was long ago, and the goodness in them coming back as little good deeds here on earth? Inspired. I adored the notion. I didn’t quite adopt it, but something about the idea of it just felt right to me.

Much later, as I got into the craft, I wanted to find what my ancestors would’ve practiced. My main issue is that I’m “percentages of European” type of white American, with VERY few extent cultural ties to anything earlier than USA’s manufactured commercialism and bastardized legacy. I only have two leads in terms of cultures I was exposed to from my family: my great grandma (who I’m named after) who was a member of the Mvskoke Creek nation, and a variety of Italian Americans from both my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family. I learn about Mvskoke culture, but I don’t feel close enough to practice any of it myself, but I feel it’s important for me to at least learn what it is. As for Italian… well, my family is from all over Italy, and less detached Italians could tell you that culture can vary greatly all across that peninsula, and the folk magic is no different.

Still, I was born in Naples, so at the very least I have a geographical tie to one place, if I can’t rely on my ancestral ties. And I’ve been doing research on Naples, the beliefs there, the folk magic. I’ve learned of spirits like the Bella ‘mbriana and the Monaciello. I learned of many of the practices based in Catholic superstition. I am not Catholic myself, but a fair amount of my family is, and I consider (like with my Mvskoke family) learning about their beliefs to be ancestor work. Then I read about something called the “Neapolitan Cult of The Dead.” While that English title can be a bit misleading in terms of connotation, the aims of the congregation opened my eyes to something I had previously not considered. The Church of Saint Mary of the Souls In Purgatory has a large ossuary, and people pray for the souls the those unidentified bones belong to to expedite the “purification” process in purgatory to get into heaven.

This sent me down a path of questioning and research. The notion of redemption even after death, once again it resonated with me, but this was something older, and what’s more, something practiced not far from where I was born. They prayed for the unidentified remains, but through this I learned about how people pray for their families and their souls. Typically when I’ve heard or read about praying for the dead, it’s for safe passage into the afterlife, but this is the first I’ve heard of praying to help them be redeemed. I made me think of that “good place” end state, where people can learn to be better. And that’s what feels correct to me, to what I believe. If I pray for the souls in purgatory, I’m not asking for them to be granted grace or mercy per se, I’m sending them encouraging messages that they can become compassionate people, that even after they have passed, there is someone who hasn’t given up on them.

And yeah, I was just thinking about that. I don’t form my beliefs off of television, but television has certainly helped me to find what I believe.

#witchblr #long post

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th84u · 2 years

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temptations: ateez x the seven deadly sins

contents: ot8! ateez x reader. seven deadly sins au. angst, fluff and smut. all works will have their respective warnings.

note: ahajshsidjs collabing with @mingirn !! mars has such a brilliant mind– i still truly cannot believe i am collaborating with him! i hope all of you look forward to what we will post! i tried my best to change the colour of their eyes in the banners, but it isn’t showing up :/ quite annoyed by that.

greed.

contents: seonghwa x reader. more to be added

summary: seonghwa’s greed has led him to great prestige - he's top of his class, team captain, class president, the perfect son - seonghwa gets everything he sets his sight on. except you. seonghwa can't get you by sheer greed.

pride.

contents: basketball player! hongjoong x rival! reader. angst; high school au, bully au. warnings: profanities, bullying (verbal, physical and mental), suggestive content, joong is an asshole.

summary: hongjoong thinks he’s the best at what he does– no one comes close to being half as good as he does. so when he meets you, the only person who rejects his advice and insults his skills, he has plans on making your life absolutely miserable.

envy.

contents: ex! yunho x reader. more to be added.

summary: it's foreign to him, the vapid envy that sets its roots in him when he can't get over you after your breakup. it lays dormant, settles deep, while yunho pines and wants you back.

sloth.

contents: quiet kid! yeosang x friendly! reader. fluff, angst; high school au. warnings: profanities, yeosang is an asshole.

summary: you’d been trying to befriend yeosang for the entirety of your high school life. but to him, you’re just someone who he can use. so why does he feel so terrible when you start ignoring him and returning the energy he had been giving you for so long?

lust.

contents: incubus! woosan x witch! reader. fluff, smut; fantasy au. warnings: (nsfw warnings will come soon), profanities, woosan flirting with you suggestively, descriptions of injuries and fighting.

summary: you accidentally summon two incubi to help you with daily chores. despite wooyoung and san’s efforts to seduce you, they fail. although they aren’t getting what they want, they can’t stop coming back to you. why? they have no idea.

gluttony.

contents: mingi x reader. more to be added.

summary: he shows his love for you through this; a meal. one for each meaningful moment, a realization, a confession, an anniversary.

wrath.

contents: gryffindor! jongho x slytherin! reader. smut, angst; hogwarts au, enemies to strangers au. warnings: (nsfw warnings will come soon) profanities, hate sex, use of derogatory names (slut, whore, harlot), racism (purebloods to muggles).

summary: you and jongho are enemies. it’s simple, really, but after you share a passionate night together, you start being nicer to him. flustered by the rumours, jongho exposes you in a fit of anger, but never did he realise how dire the consequences would be.

#ateez #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez fics #ateez smut #hongjoong #seonghwa #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #smut #fluff #angst #ateez fluff #ateez angst

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writingwithcolor · 3 years

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Gingerbread man as golem

@yaronata asked:

I would like to write a character who is Jewish and uses a Golem. She's based on the D&D class of the artificer which looks magic but isn't, because they produce all their effects with inventions, like the "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" quote. Her story is that her very Jewish town was under attack from a terrible monster when she was little. Her Rabbis made a Golem to protect the town, and it succeeded but was torn to pieces in the process. She was fascinated by the Golem and as a kid didn't see a big difference between it's sentience and person's so was really thankful for its sacrifice like you would a person's sacrificing their life for you. They thought all the pieces had been devoured by the monster before it died, but she went looking and found the piece used to animate the Golem, which she, kinda misunderstanding called its "heart". She kept the piece and grew up to be an incredibly skilled cook, specialising as a baker in the town. I imagine she would make a lot of really good food for the Jewish holidays, or to break fasts on ones like Yom Kippur or Tish'abav. But she also made a town specific holiday to honour the Golem's sacrifice and the town still being alive, because I feel "we are not dead woo" is a big theme for Jewish holidays from my research, so it could fit, for which she invented ginger bread men to be the golem, and gave them little "hearts" of fruit or honey, and you're meant to eat them limb by limb like the beast did before eating the heart. This would be the inspiration for using the "heart" piece later to make her own giant gingerbread Golem to help her save the world.

These are my questions 1) would it be considered bad or disrespectful for someone who isn't a Rabbi to make a Golem, or is this method of taking an animating piece someone else made disrespectful? 2) Her journey will take her far from her town and her Jewish family and friends and she will likely travel with gentiles. Would it be disrespectful for a Golem to be used to protect a lot of gentiles and one Jew in the course of saving the world? I don't want to fall into the stereotype of someone putting all their effort into valuing and protecting very specifically the group that in real life is oppressive to them. 3) While she is not using magic and is actually mimicking its effects with technology she invents, is this drawing too close to the line of "magical Jew"? 4) I like to "play test" my characters in ttrpgs to really get a feel for them before I write. Would it be disrespectful to play a Jewish character when I am a gentile, and would it be disrespectful to play a Jewish character in a setting where there are demonstrably real gods other than the one of Judaism?

I really like this character idea and I think it's cute and fun and rooted in Jewish culture but I really want to make sure it's respectful and as good as I, a gentile researching on the internet, thinks it is. Thanks so much! Have a nice day!

My answer to this is very complicated because there are things I both like and do not like about this premise. First of all, I love the idea of a cookie golem, and I'm even imagining the magic word that brings him to life (EMET/truth) would be written in icing. And I'm okay with the part about how she found a piece of the old golem and used it to build a new golem, because that makes sense for a golem made from a baked good when you think about how people use sourdough starter to make a new batch of sourdough.

However, here are the thing that make me cock my head to the side like my little sister's German shepherd:

1. re: "magical Jew" - that's not a trope I've ever heard of. Remember, marginalized groups don't receive identical disrespect across the board. It is indeed a trope to use Black people or disabled people as supernatural plot devices who exist only to further the stories of white main characters or able-bodied main characters. But I can't say as I've ever seen anyone using Jewishness that way. Usually if we are someone's one-dimensional plot device it's as someone's lawyer, fixer, "money guy", etc, not a supernatural force. So this isn't something you have to worry about.

2. I have a certain level of discomfort with you playing as a Jewish character just because playacting as a marginalized culture you're not part of strikes me as off, but I understand that that's how you gain insight into a character you're about to write so it's more of a writing exercise than anything else. (I wonder if D&D regulars from marginalized groups have written about this -- I've only played a few times casually with family so if I did run into this type of discussion in my social justice reading I wouldn't have absorbed it. If anyone is curious I played first as Captain Werewolf, and then switched to playing as Cinnamon Blade because lawful good was too hard. :P )

3. I would prefer you omit the detail about eating the cookies piece by piece symbolically, for two reasons: a. it unintentionally evokes Communion by having appreciative people consume a baked good symbolic of an entity who sacrificed his life for theirs, and b. focusing on the details of flesh consumption reminds me too much of Blood Libel (yes, a gingerbread man is in the shape of a person but how many of us actually think about it literally, the way this act would cause?)

As to your first question: I'm fine with her making a golem even though she's just a rando. Second question: I see what you're saying and maybe it could be more okay if it's really clear how well these gentile folks are treating her? And questions three and four are answered above.

I really do love the idea of a giant gingerbread man golem. Cookie golem T_T <3

--Shira

I would like to second Shira’s point about not ripping apart the gingerbread cookies. I honestly would prefer they were used as decoration, and other cookies eaten instead, since that part just feels so not-Jewish to me, but I don’t have golem-specific issues other than that. It seems like you have already been doing a lot of research, which is appreciated.

As far as the ttrpg/DnD aspect… I bounce back and forth on the topic of playing characters that are so very different from our experiences, other than in fantasy-related ways. However, I am aware that a lot of people will play with, and experiment with gender in game, and learn something about themselves in the process (the number of trans players of ttrpgs who tried out their gender in game before they were out is high). It’s different with Judaism, and even more significantly different when it comes to things you can’t convert into, like various actual, real-world races. But because people do sometimes experience growth from experiences like this, I’m hesitant to dissuade players completely. I do urge you to, at a minimum, bring the same care, research, and willingness to learn, that you brought to this question.

--Dierdra

This sounds like a creative storyline that you could have lots of fun with 😊

At first I was confused by this part:

She also made a town specific holiday to honour the Golem's sacrifice

But then you really got me thinking about different types of Jewish holidays and how they come about, so thank you for that!

Because it’s often the little details that either make a story super powerful or kind of nonsensical, I think it would be a good idea to decide what type of holiday is being created here:

A full-blown chag with restrictions on labour and halachic obligations? These are commanded in Torah and new ones can’t be added.

A minor yom tov with halachic obligations but no restrictions? These were instituted by the rabbis prior to the destruction of the Temple, so again new ones can’t be added.

A public holiday or equivalent? This would usually be declared by the Knesset in Israel, and filter to the rest of the Jewish world from there.

A community-based yom tov with specific customs only for people in the know, such as certain Chasidic groups celebrating the birthdays of their deceased leaders? I asked around, but no one can really tell me how these holidays get started, which is probably a good indication that they arise quite organically from a group of people who all just feel that it should be celebrated. Probably not created by a single person, as such.

Something she runs from her bakery, not religion-based, but more like a day of doing special products and deals the way many small businesses do on their anniversary?

Now, if the people of a modern-day town were actually saved by a real live Golem, that would arguably be the most overt miracle for many generations, so there would be a decent chance of options 3 and/or 4 happening. It’s entirely plausible that there could be special foods for this day that become a tradition, including Golem cookies. People who directly benefited might also return to the site where the Golem fought the monster and recite the prayer, ‘Blessed is Hashem, Master of the Universe, Who performed a miracle for me in this place.’

Alternatively, if it’s important that your MC created the holiday, something like option 5 might be the best. Hopefully this will still fulfil what you need: you describe her as incredibly skilled, so I can imagine the day when she goes all out on the Golem cookies being one of the most exciting events of the year for the townspeople, just because her baking is that good. Plus, they already have a personal stake in the Golem’s sacrifice, so I definitely think it could be a thing without being an official holiday. Also, if she is outside of an all-Jewish environment, don’t forget that she would have to decide whether to commemorate the anniversary in the Hebrew calendar or the local one.

Coming back to the cookies, sorry if we’re getting a little repetitive on this point! But I don’t see the cookies being torn limb from limb as part of a celebration. First of all, this doesn’t sound like a very celebratory thing to do, to say the least. Can you imagine explaining that to a three-year-old on their first Yom HaGolem? They would be terrified! (I don’t read this suggestion as accidental anti-Semitism so much as getting carried away with a metaphor, which I’m sure as writers we have all done!)

But also, it’s worth pointing out that our commemorative foods aren’t usually that literal. If you think about hamantaschen, maror, or apple in honey, they’re all symbols. That’s not to say that having Golem-shaped cookies is a problem, as this sounds like just a bit of fun that the MC is having and not something that is directly at odds with Judaism or Jewish culture. But it’s worth bearing in mind that the more literal you go from there in terms of tying the cookies to the event they commemorate, the less culturally aligned your holiday food becomes.

Finally, about the Golem protecting non-Jewish people: I like this idea! There’s a stereotype that we only use whatever is at our disposal to help ourselves and other Jewish people, so a Golem being created by Jews but helping others as well is a big plus for me. Of course, as has already been pointed out, this would be an odd choice if her Saving The World team were anti-Semitic or otherwise disrespectful to her/her community, but I don’t think you were headed that way!

-Shoshi

I have to come back in here just to squee over the phrase “Yom HaGolem.” Well done :D

--Shira

#asks #Jewish #dnd #golem #food #Jewish stereotypes

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