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thatasianstereotype · 4 years

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Fuck. I’m Gay.

I’ve been reading a lot of ml salt fics lately (mainly @unmaskedagain which is a literal goldmine of saltiness). And getting into the Damienette ship. Marinette really does deserves better (Fuck Canon) but so does Adrien. He is not a “sidekick”. Chat Noir and Ladybug are partners = equals. So I decided why not write a fic where Adrien gets his own happy ending in the form of a grumpy assassin-turned-vigilante that loves animals more than people.

Somewhat of a crack writing where creative liberties were definitely taken.

Lila Rossi is a bitch and everyone knew it. Well, by everyone, Adrien means himself, his good-amazing-make-pastries-for-him friend Marinette, his maybe-not-really-sure friend Chloe and his-not-that-close-really-classmate Nathaniel.

Yeah. It was a small number.

But Lila is still a bitch.

Anyway, Lila’s lies and manipulations have disturbed the status quo and not in a good way. She ended up making the majority of the class fawn over her like she was a perfect goddess and not a pompous-temperamental-hormonal teenager. Teenagers were prone to be gullible; he can understand his classmates being inclined to believe her. But this was utterly ridiculous (man, Chloe is rubbing off on him). No. You know what’s even more ridiculous? Ms. Bustier letting Lila get away with it. She doesn’t even stop the class mistreating Marinette who claimed she was a bully just because of you know who - Fucking Lila Rossi. The audacity of that bitch and her bitchy followers, am I right?

Growing up he watched the tv shows and the animes. High schools always had their drama but he thought that was to get some plot going on. He didn’t think it was an actual thing that happens in real life. But he was proven wrong. Françoise Dupont High School had their drama and it was way worse than what he watched on screen.

The worst part was that he couldn’t get away from Lila. Or he’ll be pulled from school (Fuck you Dad). He had to sit next to that bitch and listen to her drone on and on about things they both knew she didn’t do, about things she promised to do for her ever gullible followers friends. And couldn’t say anything against it if he wanted to stay in school. But even his discreet questioning didn’t do that much. It got some of the class to think something’s possibly fishy with her stories but not enough to think Lila was evil. So he just gave up. Because what was even the point?

He was distancing himself from Alya and Nino. He couldn’t really be friends with people who thought Lila held the sun and moon. They didn’t hang out as much as they used to and he made excuses when they did invite him to stuff. Lately, he was making outrageous excuses - like he had to take his cat to the vet even though he didn’t have a cat - to see if they caught on. They didn’t. It was fun but he didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad about that. But feeling sad-depressed-pain over it was a bitch so he decided to take his victories as they come.

Chloe had left the school earlier on. Her mom wanted to spend one-on-one time with her daughter (Yeah, Audrey is better at being a mother here). She was completely out of this drama mess. And Nathaniel kept his head down to not paint a target on himself.

His only consolation and ally in this whole mess was Marinette. His darling angel. His sunshine incarnate. His own goddess (not like that bitch Lila let’s get one thing straight).

When he was feeling overwhelmed (which was a lot), he spent it at her house. They spent it discussing fashion, trash talking Liar-la and the sheep class, playing video games, and making/eating the best baked goods in all of Paris. If he wasn’t at his photo shoots or at school, he was at her house. And with how often they spent time with each other, it wasn’t long before they accidentally revealed their alter egos to each other.

(The class’ Everyday Ladybug was actually Ladybug. How amazing is that! Isn’t Marinette the absolute coolest?!)

Since they outed themselves to each other, they had to give up their miraculous. And new heroes had to be chosen. As the guardian, Marinette decided to give the Ladybug miraculous to herself and the Cat one to Adrien. And make them the superheros of Paris.

(Just when he thought that Marinette couldn’t get any cooler)

They both collectively decided that being friends were for the best and put away their obsession crush over the other far far away. Now they were best friends-almost siblings. Oh who was he kidding? He was an honorary Dupain-Cheng. Marinette and her parents said so. And who was he to deny the goddess?

All was well.

Until he met this gorgeous boy with raven black hair and piercing green eyes that made him question everything in life.

Like fuck. His life wasn’t hard enough already?

It was a slow patrol. Just stopped a few petty crimes. No akuma tonight. He wasn’t really expecting much to happen.

Mari said patrolling regularly gives citizens a sense of security and it helps if one of them were on scene if an akuma does appear.

He didn’t mind. He loved running on the rooftops and feeling the wind in his face. After some time, he stopped and stood on top of one of the tallest buildings. Just soaking the view. The peace and serenity of it all. Seeing the glowing lights of his beloved city. Seeing the Eiffel Tower standing tall and proud.

(Forget school. Forget Liar-la and her hoard of bitches)

This was his city. This was why he fights Hawk Moth with Ladybug. They had something precious to protect.

He was done patrolling the regular routes and all his schoolwork was already finished. He could go to sleep but he didn’t feel that tired. And he really didn’t want to go back home. Mari shared her theory on his dad being Hawk Moth. She had really good reasons and a plethora of proof. If they could switch miraculous, why couldn’t he and Mayura - most likely Nathalie? Which would explain how Gabriel got akumatized.

After all her support with dealing with Lila, he was way more inclined to believe her even without the evidence. But those things just made him more wary of his dad. And he wasn’t too stoked on spending more time than what he can get away with with the guy. Because his dad being Hawk Moth explains why he wants Lila (his strongest supporter - Chameleon and Oni-chan, anyone?) close and makes Adrien play nice with her. And anyone who enables Lila’s bitchiness is on his enemy list.

Anyway, he was out here to enjoy the good mood not think about evil bitches and evil dads. So he sat himself down and enjoyed the sights. It was more calming than you would think.

He heard cars blaring and even a dog barking. The slight breeze felt nice. The moon was pretty bright tonight. The stars too. There was a lone couple walking through the park. There was also another teen in black running on rooftops a few buildings away.

Wait.

What?

He blinked and looked again. Huh, there was another teen in black running on rooftops. And it was not a hallucination.

What the actual fuck?

He was instantly on his feet, baton already in hand as he raced across the roof to reach said stranger.

“Hey!”

But because he was the lucky owner of the unlucky miraculous, the moment he said that, the guy was about to jump off a building to presumably roll onto the next one like Chat was watching him do beforehand. But his call made him lose focus and Chat watched horrified as the guy slipped and started falling into the alley.

Oh fuck! Mari was going to fucking kill this dumbass kitty!

He hoped to everything that Mari thinks is holy that he makes it in time. Extending his baton, he used it as a huge Pogo stick to basically catapult himself towards the stranger and wrapped his arms around him as he braced himself for the full weight of hitting the gravel at this height and speed. But he wasn’t that that concerned. His suit protected him from the majority of the injuries that would’ve occurred if he wasn’t wearing it. It hurt but it isn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Remember earlier? He takes his victories as they come.

This was not the smartest of ideas, he’ll admit. Mari had the brains to be honest. But it wasn’t bad if he say so. And he does say so.

He rolled over and immediately looked over the stranger that was remarkably unharmed in this whole mess.

And oh.

Oh.

The stranger was taller than he was with a lithe and lean frame. He had raven black hair that complimented his tanned skin and gorgeous green eyes that pierced through him, making his heart do funny things.

He was not expecting him to look as hot as he did. He wore a simply black t-shirt and jeans but he looked like a fucking Adonis, what the fuck. Even the moon shone down on him, highlighting his handsome features even more.

He shook himself of those thoughts and focused on what was more important. “I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

He was rudely pushed away, but he didn’t take offense. He did cause the guy to fall after all.

“Do not touch me.” (What kind of accent is that?) “I’m fine. You are truly a moronic imbecile of the highest accord to yell like that. And what are you even supposed to be? Some kind of knock-off Catwoman?”

At that, Chat looked at Hot-And-Sexy weird. “Are you new here? I’m the superhero Chat Noir. I protect Paris with Ladybug.”

“You’re joking.”

“I know I come off as the goofy hero because I make purr-fect puns all the time but I’m not joking about this.”

He took out his phone to show the foreign (since he’s obviously not a Parisian) stranger the akuma attacks and Ladybug and Chat Noir being a dynamic duo, saving Paris and beating Hawk Moth. Ok, he showed the stranger a lot of stuff. Sue him. He gets to brag about his Princess. And himself too.

“I never heard about this before.” Hot-And-Sexy (he has got to come up with a better name) said afterward. “3 years this has been going on? Why didn’t you ask for help from the Justice League or other superheros?”

Chat shrugged. “We tried. But they said we’re obviously pulling a prank and making this all up. So we stopped asking for help.”

For some reason this made Hot-And-Sexy angry. “They ignored your plea for help and left you to fight for yourselves?”

“Pretty much, yea.”

“You and Ladybug are children.”

“Excuse me? Are you doubting our ability to protect our city?" He was not apologetic at the sharp edge his voice took. Forget looking hot. How dare he? The audacity really.

Hot-And-Sexy shook his head. “I’m not. I know some child superheroes who are adequate at their jobs and a few who are remarkable like Robin in Gotham. But the majority of them had adult mentors to guide them. From what you’ve shown me, you and Ladybug had no one. You were left alone to fend for yourself with essentially no help.”

He never thought of it that way. But hearing it like that made him think: Fuck Adults Who Chose Children to Fight Their War For Them and Fuck Hawk Moth For Putting Them In This Position In The First Place.

You know what. Just to clear all his bases - Fuck Everyone But The Dupain-Chengs.

Chat couldn’t help but shrug, not quite knowing what to say to that. “Life is a bitch, I’ve come to find out. But enough of that. Why were you running on rooftops anyway?”

“It calms me down.”

Relatable.

“Is...Is your tail moving?”

“Huh?” He looked behind him to see his tail was indeed moving lazily. “Yeah. I’m called Chat Noir for a reason.”

“May I touch them?” Chat was used to people (usually kids) pulling on his tail to see if it was real (It was). And it really hurts because they usually rough. Not that he blames them. Kids don’t know any better. Still, he usually says no when people ask.

But Hot-And-Sexy had such a sincere expression that he said yes. To his surprise and delight, Hot-And-Sexy was extremely gentle (Can this guy be anymore perfect?) and it felt nice to be petted like that. Curse his touch-starvation (again Fuck you Dad).

Hot-And-Sexy was apparently fascinated by his ears and tail.

“Are you a meta?” He noticed how Hot-And-Sexy’s voice turned softer and fonder (or was he imagining that?).

“Nah. I’m fully human. I just got powers to transform into this.” He looked down at his phone seeing that the time was nearing 2 am.

“Have you suffered any injuries from your stupid stunt?”

“Hmm?” Chat looked back at him before gesturing to his body. “Don’t worry. I may not look like it but I can take it.”

He can practically feel Hot-And-Sexy rolling his eyes. “What an utter dolt.”

But there wasn’t any heat behind it so he didn’t take it to heart.

“Thanks, babe.”

“That was an insult.”

“And I’m taking it like a compliment.”

Chat stood up and stretched his limbs. Hot-And-Sexy doing the same but dusting off his clothes instead.

“So, uh, need any help getting home?”

“I am perfectly capable of finding my own way, thanks.”

“Ok. Have a nice night.” He was about to leave when he was caught off guard by Hot-And-Sexy staring at him for a good few seconds, making his limbs freeze in place at the heavy attention.

Before he said. “You should try contacting the Batfamily in Gotham about Hawk Moth. They’re used to dealing with weird things. I’m sure they won’t turn you or Ladybug away.”

Chat was a bit distracted by how intensely those green eyes focused on him, making his heart beat faster and his cheeks turn a vibrant red.

He was so screwed.

He used his baton to shoot himself up so he can run on rooftops, hurrying to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

“Mari! I think I’m gay!”

“It’s 2 in the morning, Chaton. Go to sleep and we’ll talk about it in the morning.”

After a good night’s rest (and thank everything that was right in the world that today was a weekend), Adrien told Mari all about Hot-And-Sexy. And yes, he did call the stranger that out loud. His everything-that-actually-matters sister simply took it in stride after giggling a bit. They spent the majority of the day discussing emotions and everything that came with that bundle.

Before he finally came to a conclusion.

He is definitely gay (He liked girls but not like like them). And most definitely had a crush on Hot-And-Sexy with the pretty green eyes.

Good news: He is no longer having a sexuality crisis.

Bad news: He is going through an emotional crisis.

Like dealing with these feelings that is making his stomach flip flop over and over again? The only one he ever had to deal with was the one he had on Ladybug and that (he talked with Mari about it months before. She was amazing with these emotional matters) was more of a hero-worship crush than anything really romantic.

And his crush on Hot-And-Sexy was so much more.

So it’s been about 2 weeks since he encountered Hot-And-Sexy. And he still haven’t figured out what else to call him. But the nickname was growing on him.

(He also told Mari about asking the Batfam for help but she was a bit apprehensive after the disastrous attempts of convincing the Justice League. He shrugged, trusting her opinion and left it at that)

Anyway, Lila was being her usual bitchy self. Father was being non-existent like always. Mari was his only source of sanity at school. And Hawk Moth was being a bitch.

Because of course, the day before they have a huge test, he decides to akumatize someone (in this case, a businessman who was really unhappy with getting fired) and cut in on study time. And this akuma took a while to defeat. Guess he drew a lot of strength from his burning hatred of the failings of the corporate world.

And just yesterday, a teenager who was upset at being grounded got akumatized and terrorized the city for 3 hours before Ladybug could purify her. It did however confirmed her fears. Hawk Moth was getting stronger. It took longer to defeat his monsters. They needed to find him and ended this fast.

Adrien landed on Mari’s balcony and slipped in her room, crashing on her big comfy bed, de-transforming on the spot. Plagg sleepily floating and laying next to him on the pillow. He was so tired. And photo shoots and school drama were not helping things.

For the record, he was not at all expecting to see Hot-And-Sexy in a bookstore of all places.

He was so engrossed in looking through the latest Boku no Hero Academia manga (can’t wait until Season 5 comes out) that when someone touched his shoulder, he was not proud to admit he squeaked a bit.

He turned around and his eyes widened his surprise.

“Hot-And-Sexy!”

It was indeed the Adonis Adrien had a huge crush on. Today he was wearing a white t-shirt paired with a blue denim jacket and black ripped jeans. Wow. He really can make anything look hot.

No. Bad Adrien. Don’t let him know you actually have a crush on him.

And oh fuck. Hot-And-Sexy was staring at the blonde and Adrien tried not to let himself get flustered. He has a very intense stare. For all he knew, Hot-And-Sexy stares at everyone like that.

Calm the fuck down, heart. You too brain.

He raised a handsome eyebrow in amusement. “Excuse me?”

Adrien felt himself burn with embarrassment, his face turning bright scarlet. No wonder he was fit for the unlucky miraculous or was this just a side-effect? Note to self, ask Mari about this later.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t get your name last time. And I just started calling you that in my head. Cause you’re really hot and you have pretty eyes.”

Fuck mouth! Why won’t you stop talking! Please for the love of everything that makes Mari a BAMF stop. Stop digging further into the hole of embarrassment! Abort mission! Abort!

“When did we meet?”

At that, he blink a few times. Oh fuck. He was not Superhero Chat Noir. He was Civilian Adrien Agreste. Mari was definitely murdering his dumbass tonight. Lightning please strike him down right now. Where was an unlucky lightning strike when you need it?

After a few seconds of his horrified silence, Hot-And-Sexy chuckled (he had such a nice laugh). “You are extremely lucky I already figured out your alter ego beforehand, Chaton.”

Before Adrien could even unwrap that statement, he held out a hand and had a dangerously sexy smirk on his face. “My name is Damian Wayne. Would you care to get a cup of coffee with me?”

And Adrien nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak. He can deal with the superhero thing later when he can think straight (hah!) and is not distracted by Damian’s beautiful smile and alluring green eyes and perfect everything.

Guess what?

Ya Boi got game.

(At least, he likes to think he does)

After a successful coffee date (was it a date? Please let it be a date), they exchanged numbers (cue internal squealing) and met up a few times afterward to hang out.

Apparently, Dami was here on business to deal with something for Wayne Enterprises.

“Aren’t you 17?”

“Father believes in preparing us when we’re young.”

Dami was amazingly sweet. Arrogant and pretentious with a stick up his ass but sweet. He treats stray animals with such reverence that Adrien’s heart melt every time he sees it.

It was an added bonus when Damian scorned Lila with cruel words and disgusted looks when she tried to cut in Adrien and Dami’s date(?)/meetup(?)/spending-time-together event.

She cried and whined afterwards and Adrien has to endure his father’s lecture. But it was totally worth it.

Oh yeah. Mari was not pleased that he accidentally outed himself to a civilian. But nothing that a couple of sad kitty eyes can’t fix.

“You are so lucky you’re cute, kitty-cat.” Mari grumbled but she was smiling. “I just need to have a good talk with him on the importance of secrecy.”

That day Damian Wayne learned to fear a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

It was 2 weeks later when Adrien woke up to a package next to his futon in Mari’s room. When he opened it, he saw the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous inside.

There was a card beneath it. And in beautiful cursive script read:

I dearly hope you enjoy my courting gift, mon amour. Allow me the honor to formally ask you out on a date. I look forward to hearing favorably from you soon.

- Damian Wayne

He couldn’t believe it.

“Mari! Damian likes me back!”

“Chaton, I swear. It is 2 in the morning.”

#ml x dc #ml salt #ml salt fic #lila rossi salt #marinette deserves better #but so does adrien #adrien deserves better #adrien agreste #sexuality crisis #gaydrien #adrien agreste x damian wayne #adridami #oneshot #how the fuck did this crack idea span 3K words #apparently I'm down with this ship

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cummunication · 5 years

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What they don’t tell you about aging

My 25th birthday is in less than three weeks. You’d think I’d be excited but on the contrary... I’ve been dreading it. I started to feel bitter about birthdays after I turned 21. I joke that was the “last good birthday” and it all goes downhill from there. Instead of being happy I’m alive and grateful for living another year, I’m worried about what’s going to happen to me (skin, weight, hair, etc). This is due to society conditioning us that the younger the better and that older people (anyone after 30 or so) is doomed to a life of babies, marriage, midlife crisis, divorce, menopause, settling down, urinary incontinence and life alert. I know these anxieties aren’t completely true; since year after year I like who I am more and more. If I could go back in time, I would do things over for sure but I’m not sure I would like to be 16, 18 or even 21 again. “The reality is we are all aging. And we all will experience old age, if we’re lucky enough to live that long.” Don’t get me wrong, there’s many great things about being young; fast metabolism, plump skin, quicker recovery time, more energy etc. But in my opinion and what they forget to mention about aging is there’s also benefits to getting old as well. Experts say some of the best things about growing old include... “A Happier Outlook. More Time for Loved Ones. Opportunity to Pursue Your Dreams. Wisdom. Better Social Skills and More Empathy.” Notice these “pros” tend to be more mental/social & emotional whereas most of the pros of being young are solely physical. This has to do with the aesthetic focus our culture has ingrained in us. Society only deems you worthy if you are young, rich, fertile, hot and fit. They forget you are still the same person and have plenty to offer either way. “Today, with 30-plus years added to the life span, a new view of aging has emerged—one filled with anticipation and accomplishment. Standing in the way of optimal aging, however, is that familiar foe: ageism. Whether the older adult is viewed as a burden to family and society or as a “superhero,” unrealistic perceptions of aging can, and do, have a negative impact on the mental and physical health of this population. The media and marketers use fear-based communications to sell “anti-aging” products and services, driving home the message that aging – a natural process in life – is negative and should be fought every step of the way.” I tend to worry the older I get, the less desirable I am and what do I have to offer when my skin starts to wrinkle, my body starts to sag and my hair starts to turn grey?! Then I think of my friends and family who are older than I and realize at the end of the day I hardly ever love someone based on their appearance. I love my mom, my aunt, my grandma, etc. because of the way they make me feel, the value they add to my life and the lovely memories and experiences we have shared. “Negative stereotypes around aging run rampant in our society. This may cause many of us to fear getting older, yet there are so many tremendous benefits of aging that we tend to ignore.” There’s beauty in getting older and aging beats the other alternative, death. Although as we age our metabolism slows, we’re not as physically strong, we lose collagen etc. there’s numerous blessings if we open our eyes to them. Look at it with an attitude of gratitude; what can you still do? Be grateful you are still around to learn more about yourself and love others. When I was a kid I was super insecure (more than I am now which says a lot). As a teenager I was anxious and didn’t know how to deal with my neuroses. I had social anxiety (which has gotten 95% better). I was also more impulsive, impressionable and vulnerable to allow people into my life because I wanted them to like me. Currently, I rarely give two shits if my makeup and hair is done which is nice because it frees up my time to put energy into things other than if guys will find me pretty. I have a lot more confidence even though in the past I might’ve been thinner and “prettier”. I know people who deserve to be in my life will view me the same either way. I never let people use me for sex or whatever which I’d done in my late teens and early twenties. I’m so over random hookups and as you get older, the more sure you are of what you want and deserve. I’ve also noticed I have less tolerance for peoples bullshit and am pickier with whom I allow into my life. As an adolescent and young adult, I tried hard to be accepted so people thought I was good enough. Now I ask myself “is this person worth my time? What can they add to my life?” Although I had to go through many bad experiences to learn these lessons, I’m not sure I’d take them back because of the wisdom they have brought me. I also believe the older you get, the more humble you become. The less willing you are to “show everything off” i.e. take scandalous, revealing pics for the gram, since you realize you have more to offer than your body and want to find someone who loves your heart and mind, not just what’s between your legs. You learn people should earn your goods and there’s little to no satisfaction in receiving instant gratification and validation I see so many girls seeking through social media. The older I get, the more I respect myself and the more I appreciate who I am. “Other pros of getting older include but are not limited to... Increased happiness and peace is certainly something to look forward to as we get older. Not only will you have more time to spend with loved ones when you retire, but you’ll also have a greater opportunity to pursue different adventures. With age comes a plethora of life experiences. Older people demonstrate superior empathetic and social abilities, according to one study, and greater control over their emotions, according to another.” There’s no limit to the benefits of aging. It’s up to you to find them and take advantage of them!

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thesffcorner · 5 years

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March Reading Wrap-Up

March was not a great reading month for me. In addition to having a lot of things going on in my personal life, I also dove straight into a reading slump, courtesy of Miss Nora Sakavic and her All for the Game trilogy. Graphic novels were my savior for sure; I read 18 graphic novels, and 4 novels. In terms of genre, I read 3 contemporary books, and 1 fantasy, and overall, this was a pretty average month in terms of ratings as well.

So without further ado, let’s dive in, starting with:

Umbrella Academy Vol 2 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba (3 stars):

The first thing I read in the month was Dallas, the second volume of the Umbrella Academy series. I read up to issue 5 of Hotel Oblivion, but seeing as that volume is not yet out, I will only count the 2 volumes that are out, which are Apocalypse Suite and Dallas.

This series follows a group of 7 super-powered kids, all born during a simultaneous event, adopted by a crazy billionaire, and raised them to be superheroes. After he dies, the 6 surviving kids go back to the Umbrella Academy mansion, not knowing that their reunification will bring about the apocalypse.

Volume 2 follows the kids as they all go on their separate ways, involving lot’s or time travel and time travel paradoxes. I did like it more than volume 1, mostly because it focused more on Diego and Allison, my 2 favorite characters.

Archie Vol. 1- 6 by Mark Waid, and many illustrators (3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4 stars):

I wanted to start the rebooted Archie for a while, and I was in the mood for some fluffy contemporaries so I decided to give it a go. I read all the 6 volumes that are out, and i have to say I was not impressed.

This series takes the classic Archie characters and plops them in modern day, and as an idea I think that was smart. The Archie characters and stories are timeless; they deal with all the things anyone deals with while at high school and growing up, like first loves, friendships, finances and generally entering the adult world. The series is meant to be a slice of life style exploration of Riverdale, but I feel like perhaps Waid didn’t know want to write it like that.

The first few issues were fine, if a bit underwhelming, but volume 4 was where the story really took an unnecessarily dark turn. Having finished the series, I’m still not sure why that was necessary or what was accomplished; I’m just left a bit confused as to who this was really for and what it set out to achieve. If there are more volumes in the future, I don’t think I’ll be reading them.

In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard (3 stars):

This was the first book I read in March, and it’s a novella-retelling of Beauty and the Beast. There is a twist here, in that the romance is female-female, and it’s set in a fantastical land inspired by Vietnamese folklore and mythology, which was very cool.

It was a short read, which I feel was it’s biggest detriment, because the novella set up a pretty fascinating and rather complex world, which was barely touched on, in the 145 pages we got. The romance felt a bit rushed, though I actually enjoyed it a lot, especially with the examination of power dynamics and the focus on consent. De Bodard is an author I will definitely reading more of, and my next project will be her Xuya Universe series of novellas (who have some gorgeous covers).

Running with Lions by Julian Winters (4 stars):

The second book I read in March, was inspired by a disastrous Real Madrid game (also Chelseadollingreads’s channel), and it’s a book about football. We follow Sebastian, a senior in high school who is the goalie for his high school football team, and spends his last summer at football camp. However, his grand desire to have the best summer ever might becomes more complicated when his estranged childhood friend Emir comes back, and is now on the football team.

I really liked this book; it was very cute and fun, and it focuses on football. While the writing wasn’t the best ever, the characters Winters wrote were believable and very authentic, and it was refreshing to read about a male-male romance, actually written by a man. I recommend it, if you want a contemporary romance, and especially, if you, like me, love Bend It Like Beckham.

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic (3 stars):

This is one of those OG YA books that when I joined Tumblr in the distant 2012, EVERYONE was talking about. It follows Neil Josten, a teenager on the run, who gets recruited into a D1 Exy team for Palmetto State, where all the demons that haunt him start catching up.

I have made a full, long review of this book, which I’ll link here. I go into a lot of detail there if you want to know my full thoughts; all I’ll say here, is that this is one of the most affecting books I’ve ever read, and I still think about it constantly, even though I did NOT love it.

The Raven King by Nora Sakavic (3 stars):

This book threw me into a reading slump. Like the first one, it’s intense as hell, but it has both some major improvements and some MAJOR drawbacks. I have a review of it as well, which is here, where I go over details, but all I’ll say is that I have never needed trigger warnings more for a book, than I did for this one.

The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1- 4 by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (4, 4, 4, 4 stars):

The Wicked + The Divine is a series I had read before, but I had never finished or really remembered much about. So now, as this series is coming to a close, I decided to give it another try and finish it; and I really, really liked it.

The series follows a group of teenagers who are part of the Pantheon; a group of Gods reborn in the bodies of teens in 2014, UK. All the teens are superstars, but they will all be dead 2 years from the moment they become Gods. Laura, a teen who is obsessed with the Pantheon, gets involved in an epic conspiracy full of drugs, sex and murder; and possibly Godhood.

This series is a blast; the story is original, very captivating and revolves a lot around music, the cult of the superstar, love, and fandom. If you haven’t read this series yet I urge you too, especially if you are a fan of music and rock stars; it has a plethora of interesting, diverse characters, and the art is amazing: all volumes have been 4 stars for me so far, which I don’t think has ever happened in a series.

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince by V E Schwab and Andrea Olimpieri (4 stars):

This is the first volume in an ongoing series written by V E Schwab and set in her Shades of Magic Universe. It mostly follows King Maxim Maresh, when he was much younger, before he became known as the Steel Prince, as he first arrives to the Iron Coast. This first volume has him go up against a Pirate Queen with bone-magic, which was pretty cool.

I think I liked this volume a bit more than I should’ve. I really liked the story, but I found that 4 issues were just too short to really develop all the things that happen in this volume. A lot happens, but it all happens so quickly, that I think concepts that could have been explored better, were over too quickly. I still thought this volume was a lot of fun, and I will definitely continue in the series.

Isola Vol. 1 by Brandon Fletcher and Karl Kerschl (4 stars):

Last month I started Fletcher’s other series, Motor Crush, and this month I decided to start his fantasy series, Isola. This series follows two characters; a Princess named Olwyn and a soldier named Rook, who set out on a journey to find the fabled island of Isola where they could turn Olwyn back into a human, after she’s cursed to be a tiger. On their journey they have to contend with forest spirits, animal gods and hunters, as well as a conspiracy to plunge the Kingdom into war.

I liked this first volume a lot; I found the start a bit confusing, but once I got into the story, I ended up really enjoying it. The art is gorgeous, and the setting is unique and beautiful; if you can handle the first 2 issues, and you like Studio Ghibli films, you will probably like this series.

Paper Girls Vol. 1- 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (3, 4 stars):

On my never ending quest to catch up with all the comic book series I have been reading, I started a reread of Paper Girls. This series follows 4 paper girls who get caught up in a conspiracy involving time travel, pterodactyls and possibly aliens while delivering papers the morning after Halloween.

This is a super fun series. I really liked the characters, the art is gorgeous, and I am interested to see where it will take the plot. Vaughan is great at creating characters that are complex, albeit not always likable, and that’s mostly what keeps me glued to his series.

Snotgirl Vol. 1- 2 by Brian Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung (2, 3 stars):

I picked this up on a whim, as I was looking at my spreadsheet of comics I want to read/catch up on. It’s a strange little series; it follows Lottie, a fashion blogger, and her increasingly weird friendship with Caroline, another blogger who seems to attract death around her. It’s a series about pretty people being petty, awful and sometimes funny, and if you are not a fan of unlikable characters, and slice of life stories, I don’t think you will like this much.

#march wrap up #march reading #2019 reading #moni talks

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