Living Fiction

Psychology, D.I.D. hijinks, and literature. www.living-fiction.com Most posts are queued.

[livingfictionsystem]

-----~📖~-----

System FAQs

✎. ﹏ Living Fiction

⁀➴ alter count: 200+ inworld, 25 of which who can front, about 6 of which do regularly.

⁀➴ Host: Sparrow Hemlock Harvey ‣ Core ‣ He/they ‣ Genderfluid masc ‣ Bisexual/Biromantic ‣ Monogamously taken with an outerworld partner

⁀➴ Recent Frequent Fronters:

╰ Xanthe C.L. Zeitstück ‣ Fictive / Protector / Co-Host ‣ They/It ‣ Androgyne ‣ Pansexual/Panromantic ‣ Widowed, dating a long-time inworld partner.

╰ Polaris Seraphim Sterling ‣ Gatekeeper ‣ He/it ‣ Non-binary Male ‣ Asexual/Heteroromantic ‣ Dating an inworld partner/ambiamorous.

╰ Cinder Harbinger ‣ Persecutor ‣ She/It ‣ Femme ‣ Pansexual/Aromantic ‣ Situationship with an alter

╰ Rune Reverie Hallows ‣ Trauma holder/Protector ‣ She/They ‣ Femme ‣ Bisexual/Biromantic ‣ Situationship with an alter

╰ Irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück ‣ Fictive ‣ He/They ‣ Masc-leaning ‣ Pansexual/Homoflexibly romantic ‣ Committed to an inworld partner.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

︵ Boundaries . . .

⤻ Do not use this system as a diagnostic tool for yourself or others.

⤻ Do not claim that yourself or our system members are literally inhuman/fae/vampires/elves/gods/werewolves/etc outside of the inworld.

⤻ No, you didn't know us in a past life.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

︵ System Facts

╰ x2 Cult Survivor

╰ Many enjoy reading and writing, hence the name

╰ Many alters, lore, and power systems were/are our abuser's OC's introjects

----- ~📖~ -----

"We didn't ask to be this crazy, but since we're here, we'll give them a show."

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW] "Destroy the Day" by Brigid Kemmerer. (9.5 out of 10)

Well, this whole series was just a delight. Truly. Kemmerer is a master class of nuance and threading the individual personalities and backgrounds of more than a dozen characters into a dazzling tapestry. How each relationship develops, how people change one another for the worst or for the better, how the reader goes from hating characters to lighting up when they grace the page---this is excellent. I don't often go for the 'romantasy' genre, because I personally feel it's a little oversaturated, and I'm also a bitter, widowed codger. That being said, budding romance is just one of the many developments of entwining plots. I'm not forced to sit on the edge of my seat to see whether a protagonist will choose hot guy #1 or hot guy #2. Couples are more treated like actual partners as well as additional reasons to grow. More than that, Kemmerer definitely highlights nuance the multiple shades of grey as well as nuance. And it was sort of a bold choice to do this in the 2020's, I will say. Having the lower class die off due to a pandemic and then having a plot line be, "Okay, but what about the royals' POV?" was a hard sell. If I were in the author's shoes, I'd be tempted to panic-tweet "THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO TRUMP." But she does pull it off extremely gracefully. Each book can lag in the middle. Sometimes her pacing lulls you into complacency before metaphorical (and literal) explosions sound off in the final 50 pages. But that's really my only nitpick. Without getting into the spoilers, at least. Speaking of which...

SPOILERS AHOY

Harristan and Quint getting together was not exactly expected, but very welcomed. I loved watching those two interact and fuss at each other. Though---not a couple, but watching Corrick and Lochlan slowly become begrudging friends was a treat. I loved them getting to know each other via sniping at one another. And---addressing the Sullivan in the room--- Some people definitely do not like that. They think that it cheapens the emotion if a character thought dead is revealed to be alive. And while I sometimes agree, I don't in this case. I was halfway concerned there would be a 'bury your gays' moment. And by the time Harristan and Quint were freed from the rubble, Corrick already thought his brother was dead. So, it might have been a short chapter to save our hearts from aching, but I enjoyed it. Also, very well-done to have made King Lucas in on the plan to poison Kandala. That was stunning and I wouldn't have predicted that at all.

Overall, this series surprised me. Lovely work, I may have to check what else the author penned.

-Xanthe

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW] "Defend the Dawn" by Brigid Kemmerer.

Tessa and Corrick are back for their new arch of defending Kandala from plague and the 5 -D chess of nobles and going overseas to Ostriary to do so. Tessa's still adjusting to court life, Corrick is... Y'know, Corrick. This leads to miscommunication and mistrust in others as well as each other. But they're stuck on a ship, with all the close quarters in the world to work it out! I must admit that the rating is moreso for the series than this particular book, but as the middle edition in a trilogy goes, it remains pretty strong. It does slog midway through---I think if I had suspected that nearly the entire book would be taken up by the sailing a ship, I wouldn't have felt so impatient. I also think the writing had to keep Tessa off-balance (or... a bit slower on the uptake than usual) to keep conflict going for that whole ship ride, but she came off as naive and obtuse. It seems that Lochlan and Harristan got a good load of character development whereas Tessa and Corrick's development sort of stalled---but the plot at least acknowledges that. I'll have more thoughts when I finish Destroy the Day, which ought to be... Well, likely tonight.

((Spoilers below))

I figured out that Harristan was Fox waaaaay too late. He always did give me closeted furry vibes. When Corrick thought Lochlan was trying to kill him and shouted, "I love you!" to Tessa in his 'last moments', and Lochlan, exasperated, just called him dramatic before freeing him from his ropes---that was hysterical.

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW.] "Lights Out" by Navessa Allen. [4/10]

Okay, so I was enjoying this book and there are some aspects to it that can be enjoyed. Josh's personality and narration---he's legit everything Joe Goldberg wants to be and isn't. He's a cool character, not gonna lie. And this is coming from someone not even attracted to men. The overall humor of the book makes most of the journey actually fun and I loved being there for the banter. Until. Until... Why the FUCK are you villainizing people with ASPD??? Every time Aly or Josh seems to consider whether another character is irredeemably fucking evil, the answer always lies in, "Oh but I don't think they have enough traits of ASPD." People with Anti-Social Personality Disorder are not monsters, they are not serial-killers-to-be, and people aren't 'safe' just because they don't have the diagnosis. For fuck's sake, this novel was written in 2024 and we STILL have to have this conversation?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

So, the first time is when a known serial rapist comes onto the scene. He acts like a creep and Aly says something like, "I swear he must have ASPD! Those are the EXACT kind of empty, soulless eyes that that other monster had!" Then later in the book, Aly discovers that Josh's father is a famous serial killer. (Which, for the record, cool angle, but ya had to ruin it.) When Josh's best friend is reassuring Aly about it, it's all, "Oh, don't worry, Josh doesn't have any of the markers for ASPD, he's safe."

There's not even like a throwaway line like "Well, obviously having ASPD doesn't mean you're a monster---" No, this book has their psychological boogeyman and they're sticking with it. And contrastingly, they're woke enough for there to be a whole dialogue segment for Aly to correct "h**kers" to "sex workers", you can tell the author was really patting themself on the back for that one, but, and read this carefully--- YOU CANNOT TAKE POTSHOTS AT STIGMATIZED MENTAL ILLNESS JUST SO YOUR CHARACTER LOOKS MORE VIRTUOUS IN COMPARISON. Cluster B, including ASPD, is statistically more likely to be abused than to abuse. NPD and ASPD may be short pre-wired empathy, but not as much empathy as this author lacks to paint traumagenic illness as if it's irredeemable.

GodDAMN.

-Sparrow Harvey

P.S. If you guys were wanting an in-depth look at how moral the in-story kink is, you're asking the wrong alter. If not, the wrong blog entirely lmao

[livingfictionsystem]

May 25th, 2020, was the last time I ever saw my husband. I thought that I would die without him---and what I've been doing since certainly isn't living.

When I see the fog, I always think of you.

"And all that I want is your chance to see tomorrow In a skin that you could live in Or a life that wasn't borrowed But I will love you always I will love you always"

Visarden Blackthorn, my velvet shroud, magic died when you did.

-Xanthe

[livingfictionsystem]

Sparrow and I making pasta.

He's trying to fish a noodle out and throw it at the cabinet because he says that is how it was done where he grew up.

Which makes me very wary of Ohioans.

He doesn't use a fork to fish it out. Not a spoon. A knife.

I say: Sparrow, you're never going to get it. I can tell the pasta's done, we're going to strain it.

Sparrow's hand catapults out. Takes me by the arm. He looks me in the eye and says "Let me have this."

I let him

Because I'm frightened.

He did achieve his goal. But at what cost?

-Irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück

[livingfictionsystem]

I'm pretty sure Xanthe showed my brother and i "The Room" before we learned the earth revolved around the sun.

Just in case you thought your parodies of the Zeitstück family were too absurd.

-irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück 🍁

PS I knew the V for Vendetta speech word for word before I knew how to write my name. :l

[livingfictionsystem]

Is Xanthe a bad parent? No, not at all. They didn't even plan to have us but they protect and love us dearly.

Is Xanthe a Good parent?

...

...

...

VOILA. In view of vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously upon---

[livingfictionsystem]

Say what you want about my problematic faves, but Tommy Wiseau was never in the Ep$+€in files. ✨️

-Irran

[livingfictionsystem]

Walking into the bar like I'm covering Xamthe's shift instead of just drinking and lightly tormenting its coworkers.

"Ah, yes, it's an ol' 7pm-2am job at the pun factory. I have to meet my quota of six drinks and ten terrible jokes or I've shamed my bloodline."

-Irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück 🍁

[livingfictionsystem]

I'm pretty sure Xanthe showed my brother and i "The Room" before we learned the earth revolved around the sun.

Just in case you thought your parodies of the Zeitstück family were too absurd.

-irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück 🍁

PS I knew the V for Vendetta speech word for word before I knew how to write my name. :l

[livingfictionsystem]

This life and the skin I'm in is borrowed. I'm around perhaps once a week and I announce myself every blue moon. The wig is a hassle and despite the effort, I look a cosplay of what I am.

And believe me, I've always been anxious before going out. Sat for a half hour wondering if my unearthly self was pushing things.

It's splendid to have such a non-judgmental community with me.

Well, in real life. Gods know this screenshot will end up who knows where~

Anyway. I am fortunate, and I have the rare privilege of being aware of it. Cheers, bar friends. Community saves more lives than abstinence ever will.

-Irran Blackthorn-Zeitstück 🍁

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW] "Roar of the Lambs" by Jamison Shea. (10/10)

Sometimes the term 'Generational curse' is a little too literal. So, even though I found 'I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me' pretty unwieldy, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this one. So, Winnie is a legitimate psychic who plays a fake psychic, just because being the bearer of bad news tends to earn her less money. She's brought together with the under-achieving but sensitive Apollo and his entitled, violent cousin, Cyrus. As it turns out, their bloodlines have met a few times before and it's all because of a Lovecraftianesque little box that drives people insane. Once Winnie has a vision of that same box destroying the world during an eclipse, she and Apollo do their best to keep it out of Cyrus' hands, which tends to be more difficult when the box is kind of trying to kill you. This is also a profound allegory for racism and how history doesn't tend to stay in the past. Also, a non-binary character is always a treat to see~ The stakes are high and Shea's writing has a way of putting you right into the character's POV. The characters were well-rounded and believable. I loved the way the jumping timelines puts the reader back into the sordid family history with its generations of greed and obsession---making you question if the world is even worth saving. -Rune

[derangedrhythms]

Dylan Thomas, The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas; Pamela Hansford Johnson, March 1934

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW] "Under the Same Stars" by Libba Bray. (8.5/10)

~SPOILERS BELOW~

Three intermingling stories starting in small-town Germany in the 1940's, swinging past Berlin in the 1990's, then plopping us down in a series of 2020 zoom calls. So, this was a brilliant idea. It was also highly ambitious; I could sort of tell that Bray was having a little trouble balancing all three plotlines. And Bray writes beautifully but I do think the result was a tick clumsy. I understand what it was saying, how historic revolt gives the current generation the courage to stand up for what's right. But when you have people defying actual genocide in one plotline and a girl coming out of the closet while dodging Berlin Wall snipers in another, a high schooler slowly making up with his crush seemed really lacklustre. And yes, he does also go to one protest in the end. The influence of the other plotlines helped with that. And it was nice to see where Hanna ended up. But I found myself almost skimming the 2020 parts to get back to the baby gay and her punk-but-elitist-somehow girlfriend. But yes, that's my only true complaint. Bray is a master of character development. She has a way of making both the setting and the people within it feel intimately real. This was a profound page turner. I also loved how instead of just having Dallas' first ever girlfriend be her true love that Lena ended up a prickly gatekeeper that essentially abandoned her anyway---that's extremely realistic and I say that as an alt queer person. I also immensely enjoyed the threads that join the three plots together. That was a treat and impressively well-researched. So, yes, a bit disorganised, but overall, an incredible story that deserves to be told again and again until we remember what it looks like to have hope in revolution again. -Xanthe

[livingfictionsystem]

When you've been really loving a book but it starts to hate on pwASPD out of nowhere.

-Sparrow Harvey who happens to love smooching their fave socio~ <3

[livingfictionsystem]

Hey Google how do I say "Honey it's just reflected light on the ceiling, we're not being invaded" in cat?

-Sparrow

[livingfictionsystem]

[BOOK REVIEW] 'The Merciful Crow' by Margaret Owen. (6/10)

I've been sitting on reviewing this book for so long. Mostly because... I mean, it's a fine book. It's, y'know, definitely coherent, has a beginning, middle, end, all of those bits. But to be honest, I remember about as much about it now as I did when I first finished it months ago. The bird-themed caste system was original and caught my attention. And the 'Crow' caste system carried simultaneously such a stigma and importance was some clever social commentary, but not any that hasn't been done before. As far as its flaws, not even they are too remarkable. The pacing dragged, particularly through the middle. The protagonist gets into an ill-fitting and somewhat forced-proximity love affair. The 'rogue prince' was fussy, petulant, and spoiled. Not one character really seemed that memorable, other than the Crow that backstabbed them. It has the bones of a good series, but none of the meat.

-Xanthe