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hyperionswrath--archived · 4 years

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@onepartbrave :

Usually, a walk of shame consisted of something else entirely, yet here Squall was, taking an impressive one. After nearly losing his cool when first running into Seifer and the man had done nothing to aggravate him (really), he’d not even thanked him properly for saving his imbecilic hide after getting shot. And he’d taken a bullet for Squall, too. Frustration ran deep in Squall’s veins as the thought steamed through his head on a constant loop. Stomping along the deserted sidewalk, he took his anger out on a random can, booting it as far as he could. Which wasn’t an impressive feat, the tin landing with a few irksome clanks in the middle of the road. Feeling no better, he berated his own incompetence and childishness as he jogged out into the lane to retrieve the can. He wasn’t one to litter…

Depositing the tin in the next trash receptacle he found, Squall contemplated abandoning his post altogether and palming the mission off on someone else. Then, another schmuck could deal with Seifer run ins that wouldn’t leave them reeling all night. Sighing heavily, he tucked his hands away inside pockets to stave off the biting cold and hurried his pace along. It seemed just his luck lately, spontaneous misfortune and completely whacked out events occurring. Out of all the people he could’ve met, all the people in this damned city, it was him.

The worst part was, he wasn’t even sore at Seifer. There was no underlying resentment, no grudge to be found, no vendetta. Hell, he was privately pleased the man was doing so well for himself. So where his displeasure sourced from, he was yet to discover. He had a feeling it was all self-inflicted, though.

After taking a long walk to try and clear his head, Squall eventually returned to the hotel he was booked into to rest. A fitful night of tossing and turning left him grumpy come morning when his alarm clock blared to life, and he felt no revitalised after his morning coffee and energising breakfast. The coffee alone normally succeeded.

Thusly, he pegged the day down to be another blow out from the start. His morning, midday, afternoon and a fine stretch of the evening consisted of making amends with the local authorities (aka, the Glaives in this case) and promising he’d caught no more trouble for the duration of his stay, As a result of his poor decision making and atrocious actions the night prior, he was removed from being the lead in the case he’d been working. Normally, taking the back seat wasn’t an issue for him, but the target he’d been chasing for three fucking weeks had made it personal, so… you know, he wasn’t at all pleased. Some rookie was being flown in the next morning to “watch over” Squall and his apparent disruptive tendencies.

Whatever. One mistake and all he worked towards in the litigation was thrown out the window.

It was ticking past latish when he eventually dragged himself out of the Glaive’s office. Some character that had the gall to imply SeeD were incompetent (or maybe Squall was bitter enough that everything else seemed as such) and the encounter left a sour taste persisting on Squall’s tongue. Meandering aimlessly through the headquarters now he was officially on vacation and not a task, he considered going for a real drink somewhere. Just to take the edge off the stinging blow he’d been dealt and then tomorrow, he’d retire to his hotel room and catch up on any missed paperwork until he was allowed back on Garden premises.

Accordingly, whenever he had a plan, fate desired him on another path. When he turned the next corner which was on-route to the exit… he ran into the one and only (current) Bane of his Existence. Officially known as Seifer. Concurrent with the realisation of who and what, Squall’s face fell into an incredulous pout, astounding at his terrible luck… or stroke of fortune? Since yesterday, he’d been plagued with feelings of remorse over how he reacted to the blond’s otherwise pleasant behaviour. Really, Seifer hadn’t stepped out of line once and he’d sprinted clean over it numerous times. As backwards as it seemed, he couldn’t part with such heavy qualms weighing his shoulders down.

“Seifer,” he called out to him, insistent on getting the man’s attention whether the blond wanted it or not. Approaching without caution, he blocked any direction the other might want to take and planted himself firmly. Though stubborn defiance danced in his gaze, a vague sense of imploration resided alongside it. “…I still owe you those drinks. Show me where another bar is?”

Pleasant sting in his throat as the whiskey ran down, the tall blond released a sigh not half as content as it usually would have been, given the loot he'd acquired. What a shit day. And since his entertainment plan, namely a certain brunet, was nowhere to be seen anymore, all he could do was spit out another curse and wash it down with some more alcohol. He'd lie if he said this hadn't been just his kind of fun, but... Shit, why did Squall always have to be so hyne-bedamned dramatic?! Give him a SeeD mission for his final field exam and leave it to the guy to get chased and nearly squashed by some huge Imperial contraption on the shore when all they had to do was retreat. Rolling his eyes at the memory, he slowly fell into step, not bothering to deal with any of his comrades (and knowing full well Kerr would hand him his ass for that come tomorrow), turning back the way he had been walking when he ran into Squall.

He'd take the long way home, maybe stop by the harbor to sit there and get shitfaced in peace. There were some most discomforting thoughts rolling in his mind that needed sorting out, and for the first time in a decade, they all consisted of a brunet little shit.

One entire bottle of Galahdian Whiskey and approximately ten wrong turns to find the house his apartment was in later, all he could thank the Six for was that he'd been able to find his way at all instead of blacking out on some bench in the parks. Fumbling with his keys for the better part of twenty minutes (this damn lock kept moving around and somehow the fucking keys wouldn't fit either!), he dragged himself to his bed, crashing there without even bothering to undress, ignoring the nagging thought that he'd have to change the sheets tomorrow because he was now ruining them with blood, dirt, grime, and soot.

Needless to say, his morning didn't turn out to be much better than his night had been. Once his hand found and smashed the obtrusively noisy alarm clock, he groaned, already feeling the incessant pounding of a severe hangover drum behind his eyes. Neither shower nor breakfast was able to rid him of it and he was also shit out of luck since he had used his last remedy a couple of days ago to remove his last hangover which had been, in hindsight, not that severe. Spending the better part of the early morning not moving about too much, cleaning his uniform to the best of his abilities, he arrived at the Kingsglaive's Headquarters just on time. As he had expected, Kerr made a point of berating him for just rushing off like that, trading some answers about what had happened (Seifer realized at this point he didn't know that much either) for a remedy that finally rid the tall blond of his thundering headache.

The next one already lurked around the corner though as during his afternoon training session none other than the captain bellowed his name all over the place, reaching him even on the high pillar he was just perching on. Seifer knew he was in deep shit, but he hadn't expected it to be that bad. Nearly two hours of shouting, arguing, the captain repeatedly slamming his fist on the table and Seifer nearly decking him later, the tall blond finally got out of the man's office, his entire body tense from suppressed anger, fists clenched and trembling as he made a point of closing the door extraordinarily gently. Nostrils flaring, eyes a dark shade of emerald, and shoulders firmly set he marched down the hallway, steering his steps to a corridor he knew to be not frequented too much so he would have his peace and quiet. Still fuming over the blatant unfairness of the whole situation, his fingers deftly opened the clasps of his uniform jacket while he walked, shrugging it off his shoulders and flinging it on the nearest bench once he arrived at his destination.

Suspension. An entire week of suspension. He was positively livid about the fact that him helping to secure the bar and probably safe a bunch of lives had that result. It was Garden all over again. Gritting his teeth, he flicked his hand and procured needle and thread from his amiger, uncaring if anyone saw him do that. Another thing he didn't care too much about - the 'don't abuse your granted powers of the king to your convenience and only ever use the amiger to store weapons and items' -blablabla. Accompanied by a heavy sigh he removed his gloves and set them aside, now fingering over the material of his coat to find the hole still remaining there. Getting shot at seemed to be of not much interest to the captain but a tarnished uniform did. Said a lot about his worth here, huh? He slowly sank down, pulling the coat into his lap and had only gotten a few stitches in, when he could hear steps approaching if his ears did not betray him.

Brow furrowed, he made a point to look as threatening as possible while not acknowledging whoever it was' presence, so when he heard Squall call out to him his head shot up so quickly he was sure he could hear a joint pop. Hyne below and the Six above, how could he run into his former rival twice in one week? On two successive days at that? Brows lifted not entirely as annoyed as he would like them to be, he cocked his head inquisitively as the brunet made a point of stepping close enough to effectively block him from moving away. That in and on itself was curious enough to blow some of his frustration to the wind as a teasing smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. Just a bit closer and Squall could just as well sit on his lap. And well, would you look at that, the SeeD really wanted to keep his word after all. He had not expected that. "Lemme just finish this," he replied instead, first nudging his chin towards the hole in his coat he was in the middle of fixing, then nodding towards the free space on the bench. He eyed the man towering over him for a moment, emerald gaze flicking to where he was wounded the night before. "How's your shoulder?"

Part of him wanted to straight-up follow old behavioral patterns and annoy the living shit out of Squall, but quite frankly the mere fact the very same had approached him on his own will, even asking him to follow up on the offer to get a drink, was enough to pique his interest and he was willing to see where this was going. At least for the time being. Deftly working the hole shut with needle and thread, he was almost done when a ripping sound came and a sharp curse followed as he successfully stabbed his finger, making him flinch back. "Fucking shit!!", he growled shaking his hand out and feeling the frustration creep back into his mind. Seifer stared at the mischievous needle reproachfully for a moment before finishing up his work, biting the thread off unceremoniously and letting both the yarn and needle disappear into the amiger again. "What are you doing here anyways?"

#onepartbrave #believe me he isn't quite sure what he's doing either xD #look squall seifer is a big boy now and has his life together hurrhurr #OUTWARDLY at least #rp #long post

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wetalkinboutbooks · 5 years

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Summary: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. (Taken from Goodreads)

Our Ratings:

→ Geena: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

→ Kae: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: We genuinely love this book series so much that our brains recircuit talking about it... all we can do is say if you’re looking for good fantasy with amazing characters and plot... this is it!

Check out the spoiler full review below~

The Good:

→ The Worldbuilding

Kae: Worldbuilding baybeeeeee. I LOVE IT. Reading this series was such an eye opener for me. It was so far from the usual European magic and broomsticks, that I NEEDED MORE. So I kept reading lol. The worldbuilding in this series is fantastic. There are Efrits, Jinn, magic, and more. This world is set in a Romanish Empire/Pakistani fusion of cultures. You have the Scholars are the lowest caste of people, the Tribes which is basically just a step up from ScholarS, but they are free. Then we have the Plebeians and the Martials. All of these cultures are so well written and developed that you have no trouble differentiating what culture certain characters might belong to just based on their name. Ex: Afyah, Ilyaas = Tribes; Darin, Laia, Izzy= Scholars; Markus=Pleb; Helene, Elias = Martials. All very easy to distinguish, I think.

We also have some magical beings who are more or less immortal. The Jinn and Efrits, the Nightbringer, Shaeva, the Augurs. They’re all linked to a literal higher power.

We also have The Waiting Place, which is basically purgatory. But it’s where the dead go to be escorted to the next life.

Geena: I deserve no rights because I've always loved the whole roman empire history shit, it was always the most interesting shit to learn about so when I read the synopsis like roman inspired… written by a SA woman… i LOST MY SHIT!!! AND LIKE KAE DESCRIBED Sabaa does an amazing job of weaving in magical elements too, and ugh….. Her mind… BUT ALSO WHAT I LOVED IS, something a lot of fantasy authors do is fall into a hole of introducing race politics (aka RACISM) based on skin colour, but Sabaa was like… Wait Ik how to format this

Tired: Fantasy world skin-colour based racism

Wired: Fantasy world-class system based beef

Sabaa tackles the issue of class systems and so on, and she did it all from scratch and I fucking loved it, it was gratifying to see an author who put so much effort into her worldbuilding. Also… this is v dumb… but the whole detail with sending messages using drums….. I was here for it

→ Laia and Elias

Kae: They’re wonderful and need a hug

Geena: Sabaa made an executive decision to write two whole cinnamon rolls and she did! COMPLEX cinnamon rolls that we love from the bottoms of our hearts. We start off with Laia’s perspective as she waits for her brother in her room, but shit hits the fan real quick and the Martial empire’s elite soldiers storm their small home searching for her brother. We learn that her brother, Darin, has got his hands on top secret info and if he doesn’t turn it over they’ll murder everyone. Darin and Laia try to make a run for it but are apprehended by a Mask (Essentially an elite soldier) and they’re forced to watch their grandparents die, Darin tells Laia to run and get out of there and our girl… our girl listens but she has mad ragrets. We follow Laia as she stumbles to the Resistance, an underground Scholar organization that has mad beef with the Martial empire. There she’s tasked with acting as a slave to hands down, the WORST person in the empire, Keris Veturia. All of this in the hopes that the Resistance will help save her brother who’s been imprisoned in the most brutal prison in the empire.

What I love about Laia is that she’s not perfect, she’s not an amazing fighter and strategist off the bat… she’s an 18/19 year old girl from an oppressed group that has no idea what’s going on and her only skill set is that of a healer. BUT!!! Throughout the book we get to watch Laia make mistakes and learn from them, all of which makes her stronger and smarter. She’s so determined 🥺 even when Keris is carving her initials into Laia’s chest, even when she’s brought to the brink of death, Laia sticks with her goal to find Darin no matter the cost. Anyways.. We stan…. THOUGH TO BE HONEST, when I had started reading it, her first few chapters were frustrating to read because I was like “why would you do that1!!!” but then I set the book down at one moment and thought about how I’d act in the same situation and I was like….. I would’ve fucked up and been killed like 10 pages ago so Laia is doing really well LMAO… and since then I’ve been ready to fight for Laia whenever I see people shit on her.

Kae: BOOM! So Geena summed up Laia’s character/situation perfectly. WE STAN LAIA OF SERRA. Now, we’re gonna talk about our brooding, handsome boy, Elias aka Ilyaas. Elias, is WILDLY the son of Keris. Keris had a lil boo thang back in the day and got preggers. She did everything she could to terminate the pregnancy, but nothing worked. So she was forced to give birth to him. She fucked off to the desert tribes for a while and learned how to deliver a baby, so she could deliver her own. When the time came, Keris gave birth to Elias. She cared for him for about five minutes before she was like “Yeah, I’m not with the shits. Fuck this kid.” And she left Elias in the desert near the tribes so he could be raised with them. Years later, Elias was chosen by the Martials to attend Blackcliff. Blackcliffe is a school where the Martials train to become the most elite soldiers in this world. Elias trains and trains and is ultimately the top of his class. At a certain age, the students are given silver mask that will eventually completely fuse to their face. Elias hates his mask. He takes it off every night, so it still hasn’t fused to his face like the rest of his class. Elias also hates Blackcliffe and was planning on being a deserter. He had a bag packed and was fully prepared to leave. He was sad to leave his best friend and confidant, Helene, but he was RET TA GO. That is, until he was selected to compete in the Trials that would change his world forever. These trials are to select who is to rule the Empire. He gets this news, when Laia, Keris’s slave is sent to retrieve him. When he meets Laia, he is instantly smitten. He forgets himself, is smiling, shooting the breeze, asking her names, etc. Then realizes, he could get her in trouble just for being nice to her. So they move along.

Elias is a very sweet boy who just got caught up in a lot of shit with the trails. Every day he spends at Blackcliffe is another day he hates himself. The kid (well he’s like 20), is just straight up MISERABLE. These trials are to rest his mind, power, and strength and all the usual. The last two winners in the end will be the ruler and the Blood Shrike, aka advisor. This is almost a good thing, because Elias is competing with Helene and if they both win, they can both rule. Things are going pretty well for them. They’re winning, it’s looking good. But then, Elias has to go against Helene and they both have to lead a small armada against one another. It’s either kill or be killed. In the end, he has to go against Helene . In the end, he and Helene reluctantly battle it TF OUT. Elias wins because Helene had to forfeit because she was wearing some magical armor that couldn’t be penetrated. Elias feels HORRIBLE. His friends are dead. He ALMOST killed his best friend. He feels ashamed and like a monster. If he hadn’t hated himself before (which he totally die), he SURELY hates himself now. Laia is then sent to his chambers/rooms as his prize. He’s meant to sleep with her, but he hates himself too much and he doesn’t want to take advantage of her. So they just talk and end up sharing a little smoochy smooch. But uh, ya boy is lowkey SPRUNG cause Laia is cute and she got them CHILD BIRTHING HIPS.

Geena: Kae got that *Chef’s kiss* Elias/Ilyaas summary I s2g. I loved Elias because he was honest to god such a refreshing character to read. Like he seems like the typical YA boy → Tall, dark, handsome, and brooding. BUT!!! He’s so different and in the best way possible. FIRST OFF!!! He actually has such a fulfilling childhood (no sad backstory other than learning his mom is an actual piece of shit rip…. More like sad present story). Secondly, he recognizes that what he’s doing is wrong and the way the Martials terrorize Scholar’s is garbage and he wants no part of it. THIRD, he doesn’t like to push his own trauma on those around him? IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT WELL, but like he’s such an upstanding guy that treats people well no matter what? Also… he’s lowkey a dumbass… like Kae mentioned when he first met Laia his brain hit a reset and he was essentially like “Me name potato.” We love a hot dumb jock that chugs that respecting women juice.

Kae: OMG HE’S A TALL, THINNER ALTAIR MINUS DICK JOKES. HE’S NASIR AND ALTAIR IN ONE. ASDFGHJKL

Geena: YEEEEAASSSSS (check out that review here). ALSO MY final thots on Laia and Elias that as a duo they’re amazing! Laia gives Elias advice when they’re stuck in his room together 🤪 and he finally chooses that he’ll do what HE wants and not what the empire wants. Elias, in turn, vows to help find and save Darin…. I love them sm they bring the best out of each other 😭

→ Izzy ft. Helene’s One Singular Good Person Moment

Kae: IZZY! Izzy is the epitome is sugar, spice, and everything nice. Well, minus the spice because she’s really just a sweet little sugar plum. Izzy is also Keris’ slave. She’s around the same age as Laia if not a year or two younger. She’s very quiet and tries to keep to herself. But she finds herself secretly being friends with Laia and helping her when things are the absolute worst. When Keris carved her initials into Laia’s chest, Laia got really sick. Our girl had a crazy fever and Izzy was there to help her through it. Well, she got Elias and he got some herbs and shit, BUT IZZY HELPED. Though Izzy has been a slave her entire life, she has always wanted to be free of Blackcliffe and all of its horrors. So she works with Laia, sneaking out, and sometimes stealing, to make sure that can happen for the both of them. I should also mention that Keris took Izzy’s eye as a child. So Izzy is a small, skinny, fragile, one eyed sweetie. But all of her hardship doesn’t stop her from being such a genuinely good person.

Geena: Izzy is such a sweet character who tries her best to not be friends with Laia, but people GRAVITATE to Laia (good and bad rip) so she didn’t hold out very long. My favourite scene with them was when they sneak out to participate in some yearly festival that is ~~illegal~~ such a sweet moment I lowkey died. Moving on to Helene though, the poster child of brainwashed, patriotic, eating-propaganda-for-breakfast, and the second best Mask after Elias. Helene is also shown to have feelings for Elias so when Laia shows up she’s not pleased at all! And Elias himself is confused about his feelings and rip when he was like “Let me try to kiss Helene and see if I like her too” LIKE BOY…. DON’T PLAY HER LIKE THAT PLS…. BUT he doesn’t bc Laia is ATTACKED thus interrupting their moment and Helene is annoyed like “OFC IT’D BE THAT BINCH!!!” like Helene the poor girl was attacked by another walking bag of shit o my god… BUT!!! Near the end of the book when Elias and Laia are escaping Helene is the first one to catch them, but she lets them go! A turning point for her character maybe? Though I know for a fact she didn’t care about Laia, but was doing it bc she still cared for Elias and didn’t want to see him slaughtered no matter how much she’s a ride-or-die for the Martials.

The Bad :

→ The Scholar Resistance

Kae: Is that what they were called? Because they HIGHKEY played tf out of Laia. Alright. The Resistance. They’re mean and I HATE THEM. The Resistance is a rebel movement by a few Scholars who are fighting for the freedom and equality or their people. Laia’s parents were like, the biggest, most badass leaders who have ever lead them. But after they died, things kind of fell apart for The Resistance. Laia, stumbles into their hideout after she runs away from home, after her brother was kidnapped and her grandparents were killed. She begs for them to help her and they’re basically like “Mmmm. No. But you look familiar tho… Who ya momma nem?” and she’s like “lol yeah actually my parents used to run this shit so help me.” And they help her… Kind of… They basically send her ona dummy mission. A SUICIDE MISSION to be the Commandant’s slave (Keris), to gather information about the Martials and their next plan. In return, they were to help free Darin. Laia was to gather info, then meet with Keenan (a boy in the Resistance) to give over said info every week. Well, they also chose not to tell Laia that she was basically on this mission for nothing. They had no real way to get Darin out of the prison he was being held at. They were really just sending her to die because they KNEW Keris was ruthless and that none of her slaves lasted more than a few months before they were killed or killed themselves. Long story short, FUCK The Resistance. They’re bitches and we HATE THEM.

Geena: Kae’s right… the Resistance is a bunch of wrinkly ass losers that can kiss our asses. When it was revealed that the Resistance didn’t know SHIT about Darin and were just fucking with Laia…. I was ready to to go down to this place and fight them mySELF. Laia risked EVERYTHING to get them information, she survived for god knows how long under Keris and when she couldn’t come up with something substantial they’d be like “Oh well you’re fucking useless” as if she’s not the daughter of the Lioness aka the most fierce Resistance leader that they ever had. Also, Keenan (....) comes through in the end and offers her a way to break her slave cuffs and escape, but Laia decides that Izzy deserves that more than she does and that Laia would find her own way out… But also imagine the betrayal that Laia felt, the people that were supposed to keep her safe and help her were just screwing her over the whole time. But… despite everything that happens Laia is still her sweet self? Just like Ilyaas… both manage to maintain their humanity no matter the shit thrown at them.

The Ugly:

→ Keris’ tiny little mean ass

Kae: Geena said that shit, baybeeee! Ugh, her MIIIIND. Alright. Now. Let’s talk about “The Bitch of Blackcliffe”. This woman. Evil, vile woman, is basically a 5’3, blonde hair demon. She has absolutely no patience. If you sneeze in the same room as her she’ll probs slit your throat and make a disgusted, disappointed face at you while doing it. She will tolerate NOTHING. You will not speak to her unless spoken to. I mean, this is a woman who wanted to look like so much of a badass that she thought being pregnant and delivering her own baby in a cave alone would make her look weak. I think that was actually pretty tough of her though because whew… I couldn’t do it.

Geena: She got back to her neanderthal roots

Kae: LMAOOO GIRL IM DEAD.But like, in her youth, Keris went to Blackcliffe. As we heard from her father at some point, Keris was miserable there. She was taunted, picked on, and beat up (mind you she was the only girl at that school so that’s fucked up). She had absolutely no friends and had to fend for herself. So, to make up for it, Keris became ruthless. She became a heartless woman because people made her that way. I hate to be that person, but like, I get it? I can see why someone would become so coldhearted. She did not have a good life. Her mother died when she was young, her father wasn’t there, and she had no friends. I’m not surprised at all that she turned out to be such a horrible person as an adult. No, I’m not giving he an excuse. She had the option to be a good person and she didn’t choose that. But, yeah. That’s my take on her evil ass. WHEW. OKAY DO YA THANG.

Geena: TRUE, Kae’s right, Keris had that sad :( childhood :( but at the same time, it’s like… you didn’t have to continue being a dick like people were to you but here we are. Also, she’s genuinely such a terrible person and orchestrates the genocide of the Scholars and is a BITCH about everything. What I realize now is that…. She’s essentially Elias’s foil? Like neither had a solid father figure, both had a tough time growing up (with Elias missing his tribal home and being forced to murder, and Keris being bullied), but Elias does his best to break out of that cycle but Keris is like… *slurps up the shitty Martial mudwater*... she is the bootlicker supreme who finds joy at having her son beheaded (Helene is Bootlicker Lite because at least she let Elias live whereas Keris tried her best to get him killed) BUT JOKES ON THAT BITCH BC ELIAS LIVES!!!! Elias would send Keris a crude drawing of himself like “I lived bitch!”

Anyways, she’s an extremely well-written villain else we wouldn’t hate her so much lmao…

Conclusion

Kae: In conclusion, we fuck with it. I loved this series so much, I read the first three books in one week and was heartbroken to find out that the fourth book wasn’t out yet. YA GIRL IS ATTACHED TO THESE CHARACTERS, OKAY!???? An Ember in the Ashes is a wonderful, extremely well written book. I think Sabaa is a literal genuis. This book made me fall in love with reading all over again. I think the characters are so individually different, it’s amazing. They are well distinguished and independent of each other. They are strong and sweet and funny and evil. Just all around AMAZING as well as the folklore, stories, and cultures that are presented to the audience.

Geena: yyyeeeaaaass the care that Sabaa Tahir put into this book, ranging from how each character is written to the intricate worldbuilding got a bitch tearing up, BECAUSE ONE DAY I WISH TO WRITE THIS WELL!! An Ember in the Ashes draws you in from the first page, and I litcherally say this for every book we’ve reviewed but there’s NEVER a dull moment (I need a new phrase lmao) you are constantly stressed reading this book (in a good way) and there’s like 2 more books after… and the last book in the series on the way. BLEASE READ Ember, because Kae and I have spent our whole time talking SCREECHING about this book. THINKING ABOUT IT, WITHOUT EMBER WE WOULDN’T HAVE THIS BLOG LMAOOO

Kae: OKAY BUT LIKE. LITERALLY. WE STARTED TALKING AND BECAME REAL GOOD FRIENDS BECAUSE OF THIS BOOK. LIKE, WITHOUT EMBER, THIS WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED. SO THANKS, SABAA.

Geena: WE LOVE YOU, SABAA!!

Kae: And I guess that concludes today’s book rant/review! I hope you all enjoy our ramblings and more!

#an ember in the ashes #sabaa tahir #aeita #book review #booklr #bookworms #book blog #book blogger #book blogging #bookblr #Laia of Serra #Elias Veturius #books #reading #wetalkinboutbooks

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skullysbekloppteplotideen · 6 years

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-squishes misfits in here-

Der Anfang

Einsamkeit und Langeweile sorgen nicht selten dafür, dass ich Leute sehr dummen Ideen hingeben. Sasha ging es da nicht anders. Zusammen mit dem Reiz des eventuell verbotenen war es schwer dem Verlangen zu widerstehen, die Nummer auf dem gefundenen Zettel zu wählen. Mit jemanden zu reden, der keine Ahnung hat wer er sein könnte, und auch kaum über die Mittel verfügte das heraus zu finden – eventuell vielleicht einigen seiner Verwandten eins auswischen – klang nach einem wundervollen Spiel.

Sasha hatte nicht erwartet auf jemanden zu treffen, der genauso wenig ernst und dafür umso gewillter war das Ganze spielerisch an zu gehen. Sich in der Sicherheit der Anonymität wiegend, bietet Hyena ein Deal an. Das Museum seines Cousins als Ziel und Geld plus /Bilder/ als Bezahlung. Mit dem Geschäftdetails geklärt hätte das Gespräch enden sollen, zog sich aber dennoch – nicht allein durch Hyena’s Unwillen so früh zurück in die Einsamkeit zu kehren – hin.

Tage später und der Erbe musste feststellen, dass der Auftrag, den er aufgegeben hatte, tatsächlich erfüllt wurde. Das schlechte Gewissen blieb allerdings aus, ersetzt durch die Freude darüber einen neuen Grund gefunden zu haben erneut mit besagter außenstehender Person – oder irgendeiner außenstehenden Person - zu reden. Treu seinem Versprechen folgen Bild und Bezahlung. Entgegen seiner Erwartungen blieb es jedoch nicht dabei, ein Bild von der anderen Person folgte, im gleichen Stil – und ein neues Gespräch, entgegen sein besser wissen.

Von gesunden Menschenverstand keine Spur, folgten mehr Gespräche, mehr scheinheilige Gründe der Stimme am anderen Ende der Leitung zu lauschen. Hyena könnte jede Zeit einfach… aufhören und so tun als wäre nichts geschehen, richtig?

Der Moment an dem er seinem Cousin an den Kragen ging hätte eventuell Warnung genug sein sollen, dass diese ‘konzequenzslose Bekanntschaft’ längst etwas ernsteres war. Und wenn nicht das, dann die Tatsache, dass er dem Söldner unbedingt davon erzählen musste.

Die Erkenntnis darüber, wie sehr er sich in den Schlamassel bereits gebracht hatte, kam ihm jedoch erst als er Jamie im Zug begegnete, der ihm daraufhin mit einer herzerweichenden Begeisterung mitteilte, dass er ihn besuchen will. In seiner aufkommenden Panik gibt sich Hyena als irgendwer anders aus. Wie genau ihm Jamie das eigentlich verziehen hat? Keine Ahnung.

Und natürlich wird es schlimmer. Mit dem Wissen, dass aus seinem ursprünglichen Spiel und Spaß längst etwas ganz anderes geworden ist, kommt Sasha nicht drum herum sich an genau das zu erinnern, was er eigentlich zu vergessen gedachte.

Die zweifelhafte Ehre seine Zuneigung zu gewinnen kommt gewöhnlich mit Unheil, Tod und Verderben einher.

Der Nervenzusammenbruch lässt nicht lange auf sich warten und trifft – wie sollte es auch anders sein – den Söldner, welcher das Geständnis des Erben, dass dieser sich unmöglich verlieben kann, da dies immer nur zu Unglück führt, völlig falsch aufnimmt.

'Wen auch immer das betrifft, kann sich glücklich schätzen.’

'fühlst du dich denn glücklich?’

Mit dem Groschen gefallen entscheiden sich die beiden letzten Endes doch dafür, es wenigstens zu versuchen, egal wie ungleich das Paar für außenstehende aussehen muss.

Verschiedene Treffen beinhalten, in Reihenfolge:

Jamie, der mit Essen durch das Fenster in die Villa einsteigt, obwohl er einfach die Tür hätte nehmen können und daraufhin lernt, was ein Wasserbett ist (abandoned) – und dann vermutlich einfach wieder geht

Ein weiterer Besuch in der Villa und possibly nsfw Gespräche über Wasserbetten

Sasha, der versucht Jamie zu trösten, welcher um seine Mutter trauert, ihm allerdings nicht erzählt worum es geht. (abandoned)

JR, der Sasha betrunken anruft und mit den Konsequenzen leben muss, dass der Erbe viel zu viel Spaß daran hat aus der Sicherheit des Telefons Dinge in nsfw eskalieren zu lassen.

Ein Ausflug nach Vegas nachdem Hyena zurück von dem Buisnesstrip ist (unfinished)

Und die Rache dafür, die sich als Maskenball herausstellt (unfinished)

more phonesex

Diese ganze Geschichte um Hyena’s selbsternannten größten Makel – oder das was ihm seine Ex eingeredet haben.

The movie was arguably awful but still captivating in it’s horribleness. He had noticed Jamie moving but paid the other barely any mind.

The touch? Went completely unnoticed and when the other talked to him he even turned his head to his friend in complete and utter oblivion. It even took him a few more seconds to follow the taller’s arm from him to his own body.

Oh. The blonde clicked his tongue, fingers trembling lightly when the wrapped around the wrist to carefully pull the hand from him. Yeah, he should probably explain, right? “Matter of factly, I don’t.”, came quietly. That most certainly explained nothing to his friend. “Truth be told, I actually feel nothing at all down there.”, he shrugged but his expression betrayed him. He tried to look nonchalant a bit too hard. Congrats, you found his weak spot.

He blinked in confusion - and started to turn visibly flustered. “Like…what, really? Nothin’ at all?” He peaked downa t the other’s lap again. “Ah…w-was that…sorry if I…”

Jamie seemed upset and the notion of it didn’t help calming Hyena down at all. He just grew more nervous, feeling inferior all of the sudden. The questions directed at him only stung more, hitting the facade he tried to keep up hard. He was the worst, shouldn’t have fooled the other for so long. When the other’s gaze wandered to his lap, Hyena’s fingers rubbed over his own tired face. “Yeah.”, came a weak reply, body shifting to hide his crotch instinctively.

“Me namesake used t'joke it ain’t fair I got a dick if I ain’t able t'use it.”, he tried – but his voice couldn’t be convinced to make the words sound amused. The blonde perked up however when an apology reached him.

“Sorry?”, he asked, sounding confused. “What are ya sorry for?”, he led the other on, shouldn’t it be his part to feel guilty? - Which he did, without a doubt. “If anything I owe you an apology. For, y'know, acting all flirty and suggestive when ’m likethis.”, a wave of his hand followed. “But being desired feels so nice.”, his hands clenched and he grew more and more uncomfortable. “But, me Ex’s are right – I don’t deserve to feel desired if I ain’t ever be able to give that feeling back.”

The blond looked up again, arms still crossed as he listened to what the other said. He just shook his head a bit.

“Look. That ain’t the problem. I just don’t wanna make ya uncomfortable…ya…ya a good bloke and I like ya and shit and I don’t wanna mess it up…and if ya don’t want that, that’s cool!”

That wasn’t the problem? What exactly? That he said those things or, well, the whole problem in itself. He wanted to hope on the latter but up until now? This had been the case just once. And Heath didn’t really count if you asked Hyena.

Fingers clenched and unclenched, his body shifting awkwardly still. The words however caused him to smile lightly. “A good guy? Doubt that’s a statement many would make over me.” but it was nice to know that Jamie was just as uncertain about their relationship as he was. “’m not touch-averse.”, came from him – he felt like he better clarified it, even if his overly affectionate and clingly personality should have made it clear without words. The blonde relaxed, sighing and setting into motion, reaching out to place his hands onto his friends chest. “So, I might not feel anything but that’s fine. Just, y'know, ignore that part.” - of him. “N concentrate on the more interesting bit.”, given that there surely was a reason the other had acted this way. “would you feel that?”, his hand twitched, tempted to just dip deeper but he figured he should at least give the other the chance to reply, given he still believed his flaw might’ve ruined his mood.

Einführung des gewohnten Nicknames „precious“, general cuddles und Komplimente.

more uncontinued possibly nsfw aka Hyena, der dumme Kommentare einwerft, weil er zu faul ist aufzustehen und die Fernbedienung zu holen.

Das Ende von Jamie’s Matratze und das Versprechen für ein neues Futon, sowie Angebote, die wie immer unterbrochen werden.

Familiendinner, mit Sasha, Jamie und dem Großvater des Erben – inklusive (oder eher nur) dem Baden:

“Ya gotta clean up 'fore dinner.”, otherwise the staff would surely kick him out. He even reaches out to rub off any dirt he can get his hands on. Until he falters. “Amalia’s grace. Ya’re gorgeous.”

“Whoever that is.” He stood up, soaking wet, water still hip high. He groaned frustrated and tried to shake water off of his hair and face. “Ya need ta check ya eyes, mate. O’ maybe I need ta check me ears. Thought ya just called me gorgeous…” His pinky cleaned one er from water. ///

“Me eyes are perfectly fine.”, he squeezes the others shoulders maybe a bit too hard to underline his words. “Ya’re always beautiful t'me but, y'know cleaned up n with yer hair down? Ya’re actually conventionally attractive. Like, a lot.”

The blond huffed in an offended matter. “Ya make it sound like I’m not always a hottie!” And with a tight grip around his waist Sasha was pulled into the jacuzzi as well by a now cackling Jamie.

“/Ya/ made it sound like tha-”, but he doesn’t make it any further. Now, he expected this to happen, had dressed - or not dressed up in that matter - accordingly. Yet it still catches him by surprise. ��Oh, /that/ was a mistake.”

The blond poked his tongue out at him. “Empty threats!”

Empty threats, huh? He snickers “Oh, ya think?”, he gives a pat to the others hair and then pulls backwards, possibly dragging Jamie along towards the water again.

The blond gurgled some water as he fell into it but quickly resurfaced, holding onto Sasha again. He laughed, hugging him closer as he started to kiss his neck. “Ya the only gorgeous one here.”

He’s slightly worried at the sounds and also more relieved when the blonde’s still laughing at him. “And I worked so hard on ruining that. Didn’t wanna model ever again.”, he tilts his head, baring more of his throat. “N I’ll keep callin ya gorgeous for as long as ya can’t tell me why I shouldn’t”

He cackled, holding Sasha against him, nuzzling into his wet hair. “Ya weird. But I like weird.” He kissed his cheek gently. “We should do that mo’ often…”

“Like, bathing? Cause sign me up for that. I love bathing.”, or cleaning up in general for that matter. “So, ya gonna use the shampoo all by yerself, or do ya need me t'help?”

“Not if ya sit down and lemme wash ya hair.”

Don’t have to tell him twice, he sits down in an instant, just expecting Jamie will let go of him eventually for that. “Yes, /please/ do.”

He chuckled and let him go, letting him sit between his legs. He started to shampoo his hair. “Ya want me ta massage ya?”

He leans into the touch eagerly, eyes closing “What do ya think’s the answer to that?”, /yes/, obviously. - to all the affection he can get.

The blond whistled and continued to massage. Simple pleasures are the best. “Ya look cute like that.”

He’s purring, relaxing into the touch some more “Ya think?”, cute’s not the word he’d usually hear but he’d take it. “Ya’re the person who was meant t'clean up though. Look at me now. Didn’t quite turn out as planned.”

“Ain’t no problem with company.” He hummed, finger nails digging at the skin under Sasha’s hair. “I’m not exactly sure why ya stayin here when ya mind it so much…”

“Wouldn’t wanna miss the chance t'enjoy this.”, or did he mean, like, staying with his family. “Gramps is alright. He’s a good guy, really. But that also includes he can’t get it over him to push any family away. 'specially after what happened with me mother. So the others? Come and go here too. Big 'nough place t'avoid me family. So, ’m fine here. Still prefer me own, aka father’s home.”

He started to hug him around his shoulders. “The days I’m glad ta not have ta worry about that shite…” What a bad lie.

There, have a kiss to the cheek, followed by a chuckle. “Oh, ya gotta care fer it today. Don’t worry, ’s just Gramps and staff. Ya ain’t gonna chicken outta it, right? ’s free food after all.”

“Free food, yeah, that’s the thing that keeps me here!” He returned the kiss gently. “Don’t blame me fo’ being anxious though. I ain’t good around suits.”

“See? I’ll even carry ya back t'bed if ya overdo it, so, don’t hold back, just take as much as ya can.”, he ignores the actual message of the words for a few seconds. Reaching for the shampoo instead, to signal the other he hasn’t forgotten that Jamie still needed that too. “Listen, precious. I know ya’re here for me n that’s incredible sweet.”, he smiles “I promise it’s going to be fine. Ya might even like him.”

Precious. That made him blush more than it probably should have. He cleared his throat. “Yeah…uh…no worries I will be on me best behavior…”

Die Sache mit dem Sex in der Öffentlichkeit und die Voraussetzung, dass JR zumindest offiziell als Sasha’s Boyfriend betitelt werden will.

Und Sasha der daraufhin losgeht und ein Zimmer für sich und besagten Boyfriend mietet, Jamie einlädt und nicht begreift, dass dieser eifersüchtig auf den vermeidlichen Boyfriend ist – also auf sich selbst. Possible nsfw etc, thread lost in time and space

Bianca’s Rückkehr, die dadurch hervor gerufen wurde, dass sich Hyena plötzlich doch darum kümmerte, dass Erbe für sich zu gewinnen. Angst vor dem, was sie tun könnte (und schon einmal getan hat), bringt Sasha dazu mit Jamie Schluss zu machen, ohne irgendeine Erklärung zu liefern. Auf weitere Fragen folgt die Antwort „So macht meine Art Mensch das halt.“. Die Drohung, dass er JR nicht so einfach loswerden wird folgte und sorgt ironischerweise dafür, dass Sasha wenigstens sein wenig an der Hoffnung fest hält, dass ihn irgendjemand anders vor Bianca rettet.

Daraus wurde allerdings nichts, bis heute weiß Hyena nicht, dass Jamie sich eingeschlichen hat, um ihn und Bianca zu beobachten und sich dann dazu entschied der Erpressung zu zu sehen, die ihn zu ihren Ehemann machte.

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philipshay · 7 years

Text

this lost and lonely part of town

instead of doing any of the shit i probably should do i wrote this during math lmao

a jeremy x jean fic in which jeremy finds a broken jean in his dorm room (aka jean has a nightmare and jeremy pulls him out of it)

Jean Moreau is not used to letting people in. While things may have been different when he was a kid, his memories of that time in which he might have been happy and loved have been shoved out, their place taken by Riko’s sharp words and sharp fists and even sharper knives.The trojans have an open door policy, both when it comes to their dorms and to their hearts. They’d all welcomed Jean into their world before he’d even left his bed, broken and bloody and raw.

They’d welcomed him before he decided he wanted to live.

But no one has pulled him in as close as Jeremy Knox. He hadn’t let them.

Jeremy Knox wormed his way into Jean’s heart; a heart he wasn’t sure still functioned, a heart he didn’t know was capable of caring.

Still, Jean walked a barren road for a long time, a road full of raven feathers and short nights and skin slick with sweat and blood. Sometimes it’s hard to step off of it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that he’s left it, and the Ravens, behind.

He still has nightmares, and they still bring the so-called unbreakable Jean Moreau to his metaphorical knees. And, until now, he’s fought his battles alone.

Until tonight.

One minute he’s trapped beneath Riko on his bed, caught beneath his fists and the crack of his knuckles against Jean’s face. The next, the door to his room is opening and closing and someone is slipping inside, moving to the edge of the bed, and Jean is being torn from a nightmare.

Jeremy doesn’t touch him; he knows better. He knows that if he were to bridge the gap between them without permission, he’d likely end up with a broken nose. Not because Jean means to, but because he was taught to reply with violence; he was raised by pain.

Jean, part of his mind still trapped in Evermore, launches back into the wall, scrabbling for something to hold onto, something more solid than his sheets.

Jeremy shifts further toward him, and a noise that belongs to a trapped animal slips through Jean’s lips. Jeremy goes still, holding Jean’s gaze.

“It’s me. It’s just me.”

Jeremy swallows bile, trying to catch his breath, heart beating like a kick drum.

“It’s okay. It’s me.” He says.

Jean’s breath heaves, and he sits against the wall, knees drawn to his chest, perched on the edge of his bed, ready to spring if he needs to.

Not that he was ever very good at escape.

When Jean doesn’t shift any further away, Jeremy slides onto the bed, dropping onto the mattress. He reaches out, fingers stopping when Jean flinches, hand hovering inches from Jean’s cheek.

“You’re bleeding.” He says. Jean lifts his own hand, eyes never leaving Jeremy’s, pressing his fingers into his cheeks and pulling them away to look at the red blood coating his skin.

“I’m fine.” Jean says, voice hard.

“Let me clean it out.” Jeremy says.

“No.” Jean says vehemently.

“You don’t have to do this by yourself anymore.” Jeremy says, eyes flicking around Jean’s face.

He’s right, and Jean knows it. He knows that he’s created a family for himself here, a family within Jeremy and Alvarez and Laila and the others.

It’s why he gave Jeremy the spare key to his room. It was a show of trust, a way of telling them that he wanted to be part of what they had.

But old habits are hard to break. Jean spent far too many nights in the bathroom in Evermore, sponging the blood from his skin, cooling the burns with wet paper towels, drinking from the tap because he was too tired to go find water elsewhere.

He’s trying to be different; that’s why, instead of shutting himself down and shutting Jeremy out, he nods.

Jeremy, knowing that’s as much of an ‘okay’ as he’s going to get, stands up and moves for Jean’s bathroom. He comes out with the first aid kit, and flicks the lamp beside the bed on before sitting down next to Jean, who has moved from the corner of the bed to the edge. He turns to face Jeremy, who reaches up, hesitant fingers fluttering over the cuts from Jean’s fingers.

He takes Jean’s hand from his lap, inspecting the blood beneath his nails before setting his hand back down.

“I’m guessing you don’t wanna talk about it.” Jeremy says as he pulls out the gauze and dumps alcohol onto it.

“You would be correct.” Jean replies. Jeremy lifts the gauze to Jean’s cheek, dabbing it at lightly, likely in an attempt to lessen the burning sensation.

But Jean isn’t new to the burn; he practically welcomes it.

When Jeremy drops his hand to dump more alcohol on the gauze, Jean reaches over to his bedside table and pulls a small bottle of tequila out of the top drawer, taking a long swig and setting it down. It’s warm as it goes down, filling the hollowness inside Jean.

“You alright?” Jeremy asks, though the answer to the question is obviously set in the marks on Jean’s cheeks and the paleness of his face.

“Peachy.”

“Liar.” Jeremy says. Jean doesn’t reply, sitting silently as Jeremy finishes cleaning his cheeks. He doesn’t bandage them up, seeing as there isn’t a bandage big enough, and Jean doesn’t ask him to.

Instead of leaving after he puts the first aid kit away, like part of Jean wishes he would, Jeremy sits back down beside Jean and stretches his hand up, thumb grazing the ghost of the number 3, the scar from where Jean tried to burn the number away one night at Abby’s, when he wanted to feel and couldn’t figure out any other way.

Jean knows that he isn’t pretty to look at. He knows that his hands will never settle easily in someone else’s, nor will he ever bear skin without scars. He knows that when people look at him, the first thing they see is the scars and the crooked nose and the tattoo.

Jeremy doesn’t seem to care. He’s never seemed to care, and it makes absolutely no sense to Jean. Jeremy with his toothy grin and his kind eyes and his tan skin and his heart; a heart that never seems to fill.

Jeremy with his open door and his kindness and his patience; all things that Jean doesn’t deserve.

He doesn’t understand why Jeremy is so gentle with him, so careful, as if he’s something to be protected.

At first, it drove him nuts. He figured it was because Jeremy still saw him as the broken man in the bed, the man who still flinches at the sound of a raven’s call.

But eventually he realized it wasn’t that Jeremy thought he was weak; Jeremy knew-Jeremy knows-that he’s strong.

That fierce protectiveness that Jean has developed toward Jeremy, that willingness to jump in the line of fire for him, is the same in Jeremy, it just presents itself differently.

Jeremy doesn’t look at him like he’s broken. He’s never looked at him like he’s anything other than whole.

“Do you want me to go?” Jeremy asks, almost uncertain.

Jean’s brows pull together.

“No.” He says.

Jeremy nods, and waits for Jean to make the next move.

He does, climbing back into the bed, settling on one side, flipping the lamp off.

Jeremy lays beside him, tugging the blankets up, dropping his head on the pillow.

Jean shifts closer, moving his head so that they’re sharing a pillow, warm breath hitting Jeremy’s lips.

“I’m never gonna force you to talk about it; about what happened there. I get it, you’ve got your shit. But if you ever do want to talk about it, I’m here. I’ll listen.” Jeremy whispers, the darkness making the quiet necessary.

Jean doesn’t want to talk about Evermore, not now. He doesn’t think he will for a while. But, eventually, the claws the Raven’s have in his back will fall off.

And when that day comes, he’ll tell Jeremy all about it. He’ll tell him about the Castle, he’ll tell him about Riko, he’ll tell him how he grew up.

But for now, he just closes his eyes.

“You’re not theirs anymore. You’re never gonna be theirs again.” Jeremy says, fierce in his words.

Jean lets out a breath.

“And whose am I?” He asks.

Jeremy pauses, before asking, “Whose do you wanna be?”

Jean opens his eyes, hand sliding up the mattress to settle against Jeremy’s cheek for a moment before letting it fall back to the sheets.

“Yours.” He says. Jeremy smiles, both pleased and surprised with his answer, and closes his eyes.

Jean Moreau has always been property. Property of the Ravens, of Riko, of the Moriyama’s, of Castle Evermore. He was a puzzle piece, a pawn, a knight.

He wasn’t allowed to be his own person until he was shoved out the Raven’s door, a bird kicked from the nest, left to die. And it was the worst thing he could possibly imagine. Most of the time, even worse than Riko’s torture.

But now, Jean thinks, maybe belonging to someone isn’t so bad. Especially if that someone is Jeremy Knox.

#brooke writes fic #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean #the foxhole court #all for the game #i became utter trash for them overnight #literally #like last night i found a fic and i read it and woke up this morning like JEREMY X JEAN FIC HAPPENIN

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riffrelevant · 6 years

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(By Brian Halsey, Staff Writer, RiffRelevant.com)

Where do I start with THE AGE OF TRUTH and their début full length, ‘Threshold‘? What a goddamned beautiful piece of heavy rock.

The first listen was so moving that I took back half of the bad shit I’ve ever said about Philly, the other ten million complaints are just facts, but alas the city may finally be redeemed. ‘Threshold’ is a masterful display of fuzzy riffage and vocally driven horsepower.

THE AGE OF TRUTH crushes a dreamy brand of blues inspired doom, mixed with a voice that is eerily familiar, in a way that is magically nostalgic. The guitar work is sharp and the recording is clear. This band would not sound out-of-place in a dive bar with 28 drunk dudes, or in front of 100,000 screaming fans in an arena.

It’s a really weird vibe to nail down, because to most underground bands, being called a “radio band” is not necessary a compliment. But they are kinda like what a radio band would sound like, if the radio was good. Get it? Every note and melody sounds carefully constructed. Every song is catchy and memorable. There is an extraordinary quality to the aesthetic of Threshold that makes this album an appealing listen for a wide variety of people.

THE AGE OF TRUTH features Kevin McNamara (Vocals), Mike DiDonato (Guitar), Scott Frassetto (Drums, *current) and William Miller (Bass). These guys are totally self-aware of what’s going on here, this is much more a brotherhood than it is a band. Their sound is fluid and cohesive, you don’t really need time to get into the album. It just rocks. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Boldizar at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia, PA, and was mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering Chicago, IL.

Threshold chugs along and does its thing with style. The album sounds tough on every track without trying too hard. THE AGE OF TRUTH has just enough ruggedness to get lumped in with some really strong doom bands, but overall they’re just dishing out hard rock the way it should be done.

Play it loud, or don’t play it at all:

*Eric Fisher was on drums during the recording sessions for Threshold.

I was (un)lucky enough to catch up with some of the dudes from THE AGE OF TRUTH and put their geographically renowned shit-talking skills to the test. With the Eagles finally putting a competitive squad on the field, I thought I’d ask them some questions about their team, album, and unique brand of culture. I’m happy to report they didn’t let me down.

The Age Of Truth

HALSEY – Congrats on Threshold. The album sounds great, it is both unique and familiar at the same time. Could you try and describe the sound you were going for, and how you feel about the outcome?

BILL MILLER – Thank you Brian! We weren’t really going for anything, we just had songs in us and this is how they came out. The idea was to record it as we sound when we get on stage, so we tracked it live using our tones and kept it as real as possible. We had great help, Joe Boldizar from Retro City Studios in Philly is great to work with, and after all of it he is family now.

He let us do all the things we wanted to do and contributed great ideas, as well as a calming sense of confidence as we worked through it. We really do love Threshold, had a great time making it and are proud of how it turned out. It gets better with every listen, which is insane, because we have been with these songs since the very beginning and still love hearing and playing them.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Well, we basically wrote everything on the spot? Like literally on the spot (beers and other things included😁) and just kept rolling. I wrote a ton of lyrics while working (F U, work!) and that’s how we kinda did it. I just recently got asked to sing for this band by the way. (Craig) Gibbs from Sasquatch and Bill were drinking and texted me that I now sing for The Age Of Truth. Kinda bad ass when Gibbs texts you, you know?

HALSEY – As a band from Philly, I think it’s important to take note of the Eagles current Super Bowl run. What is your prediction for the game?

BILL MILLER – Prediction? Pain.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I’ll be drinking whiskey, for sure! Go Birds!

HALSEY – What do you say to the people (aka a vast majority of the country) who call you the worst fans in all of football?

BILL MILLER – Seriously? It brings nothing but joy to our hearts. We love that everyone hates. This is Philadelphia, it’s not a fucking Chuck E. Cheese. Pull out all the old clichés about snowballs and batteries, we wear each and every one of them with honor. It keeps all the pussies out and keeps the smart ones with their heads on a fucking swivel. We are the worst fans in all of football, just ask the Vikings fans or everyone else on Faceplant who’s not from Philly. It’s the latest outrage, if you didn’t know. Animals. Scoundrels. Maniacs. It’s all true. We will come into your homes, fucking eat your household pets and leave with your lady, right after drinking all of your beer and pissing on the rug.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I think it’s nonsense. Yo… every city has its share of assholes! We are no different! I’ve been in Baltimore and Kansas City and the fans were cool, but you always have that element that doesn’t know when to shut it off. It’s a game!

HALSEY – I just saw THE AGE OF TRUTH get some play on the Doom Charts. Great stuff. What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in the band?

BILL MILLER – Is being the worst fans in football an acceptable answer? If not, just being able to do this thing with a bunch of dudes who all love each other and want nothing but success for each other. We wake up every day, thankful that we get to play music with each other and pull this weird, heavy shit out of each other every single time we get together. At least once a week on the band text thread, someone will say “I love this band”. I hope that never stops.

Some really cool things have happened to us since the record came out in November, you mentioned Doom Charts, which is absolutely an honor to be on that list. Think about it man, 40 different people rated our album. That that alone happened is cool, and that they rated it highly enough that we even showed up on a list like that astounds us. So many cool things, like this interview, have happened and we welcome more. Our band is young, we will be two years old in March, we have a long list of things we want check marks next to before we end up down in that hole.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – That I got to meet Mike and Bill (and Scott I’ve known forever and always loved him as a drummer). We as a band always say after we talk, or whatever, “I love you bro.” It’s what we believe in. It’s a brotherhood always, and a sisterhood. Love our brothers and sisters so much! But for me as a singer? Meeting these amazing three people who became such a huge part in my life… oh and can I say hi to Gina? (Ha… hi gorgeous!)

(Editor’s note: Can confirm, Gina is gorgeous. – Leanne)

HALSEY – Do you have any shows, tours, or festivals planned in the near future?

BILL MILLER – Always playing as much as possible. We are a live band and that’s what we do. Hell, it’s why we do. We all love the experience of making an experience for an audience. This band isn’t about bringing light shows and fireworks and sharks with laser beams, it’s just sweaty, honest, heavy rock. We have been branching out and getting some states added to our list lately, and we want do the same with our passports, but no tours planned at the moment. The Age Of Truth will be at a few US festivals later this year, but they are under wraps for a few more weeks. Come to them even though we can’t advertise them yet. No bullshit, they are gonna be awesome even though we are sworn to secrecy at this time. We are definitely open to more.

HALSEY – If Foles pulls this thing off for the Eagles, will it prove they are a more complete team than people thought, and not just a product of Wentz’s great year? If Nick-folean Dynamite plays lights out and the Eagles win, do you have a quarterback controversy?

BILL MILLER – They are a complete team and they are brothers, you can see it after the games. Those dudes are fighting for the man next to them, it’s a powerful thing. An unstoppable thing. But a quarterback controversy is not gonna happen. Big Dick Nick, as he is known in the locker room, could go out there Sunday and roast a defensive backfield of Ronny Lott, Neon Deion, Steve Atwater and Jesus, and he is still carrying a clipboard next year in week 4. We will always love him forever and he will never pay for another drink again in his life if he makes it happen. But it’s the kid from North Dakota’s job. He’s magical.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Noooooo Wentz, did this theory evolve? Because that statement is Foles.

HALSEY – The entire band sounds tight, but a lot of reviews focus on the power of your vocals. When did you realize you had the voice of a golden god? Was that something you had to work on, or did you just sound that awesome since birth?

BILL MILLER – Since we are a completely one dimensional band, a better question would be – “are the rest of the band even allowed in the same room as the almighty, majestic, holiness that is the vocalist for this band?” The answer is: only by papal decree.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – No I am genital blessed… stuff is huge… ask around, but at one point I had a tiny peen and just went with it? Ha, no I’m kidding… I love the classic belters. It takes its toll, but I recover quick from the training (one bottle of whiskey a day… you’re welcome.) Walsh, Dio, Shortino, Bonnet, Morrison, Bowie, Ozzy, Anderson, Turner, Springsteen, and most def Peter Gabriel… all these bad motha fuggas… that’s been my source. I get a lot of ‘Cornell’, but Chris had me at one album, Ultra Mega OK, but he never shaped me. Shit, I was too locked in at that point to be shaped. It was already done.

HALSEY – If each band member had to be assigned a character from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, who would they be and why?

BILL MILLER – Oddly enough, since it’s Philadelphia, we are those people. Not exactly, but we do show tendencies. ‘Dennis’ sings, ‘Mac’ plays guitar, ‘Charlie’ is on drums, and the ‘Warthog’ plays bass. ‘Cricket’ is our road manager, and the ‘McPoyles’ are everyone trying to stop us. Fuck the McPoyles.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I’d be the homeless dude.

HALSEY – What are a few things you’d recommend to do around the city (that don’t include climbing greased light poles or fighting police horses)?

BILL MILLER – Don’t ever fuck with an equine cop, ever. Saw a horse with a badge kick some jackass right in the face once, and I guarantee that dipshit is wearing his terrible decision to this day. Philly actually kicks ass. The beer is amazing, the food is peerless, and the scene is special. At every show, all your favorite weirdos show up and it’s a family reunion. You can go to shows by yourself because you know everyone will be there anyway. Just check it out and live like we do, if you come to Philly. Skip most of the tourist bullshit and find a local spot to hang out in and get in arguments with your newest best friend. It’s like that. Bring an edge, but that’s just how you fit in. You won’t really need it, unless you are a jackass.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Ha, drink with Kevin! Who the fuck punches a horse by the way? Dickhead!

HALSEY – Thank you for your time, is there anything additional you’d like to say about THE AGE OF TRUTH to your listeners?

BILL MILLER – Absolutely. To everyone who has supported this band, buying our record and merch, coming to our shows, or sharing our songs with their friends, thank you. We love you. It’s real. We appreciate every single one of you who gets what we are doing. We have more, too, and we have a feeling if you like where it started, you are gonna love where it is going.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Our new drummer, Scott, is a beautiful soul who is one of THEE best drummers I’ve ever in my life played with. And I love my brothers in The Age of Truth. Totally random collision of worlds. Thank the gods… new songs underway.

There you have it, eggheads. I can lead you to lager, but I can’t make you buy. THE AGE OF TRUTH. A brotherhood of hard rocking, Philly assholes. If you’re not sold on this band by now, I don’t know what more I can do to help you in life.

The Age Of Truth:

Web / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Spotify / iTunes / Instagram

THE AGE OF TRUTH in NY, NY @ Arlene’s Grocery for Ode To Doom, 11/18/2017

Photos by Leanne Ridgeway (click any photo to open gallery)

Interview w/ THE AGE OF TRUTH – ‘Threshold’ Album Review & Stream; Live Photos From Ode To Doom (NYC) 11/2017 (By Brian Halsey, Staff Writer, RiffRelevant.com) Where do I start with THE AGE OF TRUTH…

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