Electrum experiment and nebulous update

So everybody, whaddya think of the experiment? So far the reviews I've gotten have been very, very positive on the new format for Electrum. This means, it'll probably stick. Nebula still works very well first person, but Aurora will at least be getting the occasional 3rd person story. It just works for having a larger cast like she does. Things can happen without her noticing. It's freeing.

Sorry no Nebula this update! :( I tried, but I just couldn't do it justice.

If I can finish it before the update, I'll post a pre edit version just to whet appetites. Or post if I can get it done quick enough. Time will tell! Either way, check back often, and thanks for reading!

~Madam Kistulot

Closing off Tabico week!

Honestly, did you chose your pen name just to ruin this for me? So not fair! I kid of course, but if I didn't, I'd be old!

Please, imagine that you clicked here after I said that.

There are still a lot of good Tabico stories, so to end this week I'll look through the list and grab out a few more to point out as must reads. Tabico is another author whose work deserves to be devoured completely, so don't think less of stories I don't recommend.

Community

This is a story I've read several times, and enjoyed each time. A cop finds herself a part of a very special new community, and is shown the ropes by the lovely "D" as she is converted for it's use. There's just something I always loved about the way her clothes were removed by scalpel and the back and forth as she loses her mind to her new life. Hot, sizzling, read it.

In the Back of my Mind

This is a story that like Sweet Oil comes off with a young, innocent and adorable feeling. Two girls stumble upon something best left alone, and wind up servants to its whims. Their reactions to finding it, and as they begin to tread closer and closer to the end of their independence, is so delicious to savor.

Kaleidoscope Mind

I like to think of this tale as an MC story mixed with a good ol' slasher flick the likes of Friday the 13th. I choose that one due to it's setting. Camp councilors, pre-camp, wind up receiving a lovely little gift that has so much fun with helpless minds. The way they're taken down one by one until all of them are helplessly lost has such a hot, fun feeling to it, and I find myself coming back to this story often hoping one day to write something in a similar vein.

Lord May

I only happened upon this story rather recently, and it was an unexpected pleasure. A chance encounter leads a couple to meet their paralyzed next door neighbor who has mastered an exquisite process allowing one to control another's pleasure or pain via remote control. There's so much more to that premise, but there's where it all begins. The protagonist this time is male, and not who Lord May is after. A twist, huh? A most unusually happy ending, and hilarious outtakes frost this hot yummy cake of a story. Dig in!

Rewired

This is a yet another delicious story. Without going too far, or even saying much at all, I will recommend this story for its line of "fucking home appliance" if nothing else. Honestly. I think that's all I need to say. Read it.

Wrach

Another story that takes place like a horror story - only this time there is more gruesome attached to the sexy side of things. something long since buried is unearthed, and one by one . . . well . . . it gets just what it wants. Another one I read more recently than the rest of her work, and it definitely deserves a read. Very yummy.

This closes off Tabico week then, and I hope you're all looking forward to Iago week! Othello sure isn't.

~Madam Kistulot

Tabico Week Part Deux

Hello everyone! This time around to make sure every entry get's up on the right day I've decided to write them all ahead of time. If this starts a trend, hey, you'll be able to rely on me like a webcomic.

As I mentioned in Monday's post, Tabico doesn't pull back from raw, squicky, powerful stories. While Monday also showed she doesn't need to, today will show that not only can she, but she can - amazingly.


Adaptation

Let me start my praise of this story with a simple fact: I am deathly afraid of wasps. The cutest non cartoon bee comes anywhere near me, and I scream. I will hide from bees, or sit/stand incredibly still. It's not going to far to say they scare me to my very core. Even with that said, this story is hot. Her slow response to the fate that befalls her is amazing, and it's defense for her resistance makes it all the more delicious. This story hasn't made me less afraid of wasps, but it is still so amazingly hot. Does have a squick warning, but I think it's worth it.

Allegiance

Another story set on a distant world like Adaptation (in fact, due to a similar curse used I believe them to be in the same universe, more similarities to follow) this one with a more romantic tone to it. Old lovers meet anew to talk about what happened between the last time they've seen each other. One of them has a very hot yummy evil mc insect filled story to tell, that leads to a sweet happy reunion. Sounds unbelievable? Read it. Maybe not as squicktastic, but it fits to mention after Adaptation.

Bitch

This is probably a story you've heard mentioned before. It's the classic "I don't find bestiality even vaguely hot, but . . ." story. I have another, but that's going to have to wait until after Iago when I get to arclight. Anyway, this story really is fairly legendary amongst the EMCSA. MC device owes a nod to Eye of Serpent, and from there Tabico hits the ground running and doesn't stop. Twisted, messed up, and yet somehow very hot. Definitely, give this one a read.

Herd Instinct

A story that unknown to me at the time helped inspire part of "Silver Eclipse", Herd Instinct is another story you've probably heard of. If you haven't read this yet, you're missing out. It is extreme, with a business woman - the owner of a paper plant if I remember correctly, being more or less turned into a cow. Not to a level one would associate with the story above (no grafting horns for instance), but still extreme. Even better is when she has one more use after you think she's finally been made into just what they want her. An awesome story.

Riders

Tabico describes that this makes her "Mind Worms" story seem like "Horton Hears a Who" and recommends you read Sweet Oil if it doesn't appeal. This story is definitely unashamed, raw squick. Slime, ugly slug parasites, but yummy betrayal and re purposing of humans. Not including this on this list would be remiss. There are other stories of hers involving parasites, but this one works best for an extreme, and is a yummy read none the less!

Yellow

I've had this up as a pick on my site during the first listing of picks, so this one shouldn't come as a particular surprise. Definitely a rather extreme story, and even based on something from D&D lore! A powerful wizard buys slaves, but just what does she use them for? I wouldn't want to ruin it, nor the delicious epilogue scene. Its all just so delicious. There are a few details that are less than overflowingly sexy, but make it more real and intense for me. Not for the faint of heart, but otherwise, this is one everyone should read.

It feels good to have this post done early, as I'm sick of feeling like I'm scrambling to give good authors the feedback they deserve - even if they never actually read the blot. After I cover enough authors, I am tempted to email links, but that sounds so silly to actually do.

So, another full list of stories to read if you haven't gotten to them already! Enjoying my reviews? I hope so! Nebula Volume 3 is going slowly, but I'm excited for November! Are you?

Happy Reading!

~Madam Kistulot

Tabico Week Part 1

Damn you Tabico. You write awesome stories, you know that? Why did you have to chose a pen name I can't riff on? I can play with it, say tabsico amongst friends when being silly (I don't know why I started saying that) and tabi could be a cute thing to riff on, like tabby cat, but I can't really get away with that in good conscience.

So, ignoring my little tirade, welcome to Tabico week! The last, but by no means least, of the t-trio! Tabico's specialty is the rawness in everything she writes. She has no limits - or few and far between - and you can feel it in her writing. If something is going to happen, it happens. She doesn't pull away from the squick, diving in head first to stories most authors wouldn't even touch.

Tabico has written a wide variety of stories, including color codes for an author most well-known for her "red" or f/f contributions to the archive. She's collaborated with thrall and the next on my list Iago, and has an impressive series of interrelated stories that have never gotten a name, but I lovingly refer to as the Snowdonverse. She's not exactly the main character, but she is a recurring character that I enjoy quite a bit. Plus, I can never spell Arundsen's name without looking at how it's spelled.

So, for Tabico week, I'm going to start there. This will be a long post - making up for it's lateness - and giving you plenty to read if you haven't gotten to these lovely gems already! Warning, scrolling past where you've read may give spoilers - but not horrific ones.

New Tunez

The first story starts innocently enough. Lissa, a college student, gets an email for a new site that offers music downloads. Deciding to give it a try, she downloads some music that has a delicious affect on her mental state. Losing time is such a yummy way to show someone is being programmed. The fun doesn't stop there, and soon her friend is giving these new tunes a try. A yummy story, full of heat, and delicious mind control.

Cross My Heart

Nicole, Lissa's friend, has worried parents. She's been acting a little differently... and so she winds up being sent to see a shrink. The title comes from an adorable piece of hardware she wears, and I won't spoil that at all. The web of mind control grows further as yet another mind is drawn in deeper, and escape is so rarely an option.

Sweet Oil

Most of Tabico's stories are raw, evil, perhaps even cruel in a way. It would be hard to call most of them sweet, even when everyone is euphoric by the end. Sweet Oil is a sweeter, more lighthearted story as the title would suggest. A few girls get their hands on some special massage oil that has some yummy side effects, and get caught up experimenting, enjoying . . . savoring. No enslavement, nothing lasting, just hot fun. No less worth a read.

Hot Oil

But of course, the oil doesn't need to be used for sweeter purposes, as shown in this sequel. The woman supplying the oil returns to collect, and a sorority is turned into a pack of pets one after the other. Tabico writes a lot of serial recruitment, and perhaps this story is one of the best examples. A yummy story, sizzling really. Read it!

Fitness

A woman's gym changes ownership, and things start to change, dramatically. The changes happen so sweetly subtly to those involved, and for those of us with the luck to watch, you can see the options for anything but enslavement melting away more and more as the story progresses. Also a yummy dehumanization piece, though I don't want to ruin much more. Lots of women being taken all at once - yummy!

Temp to Perm

Snowdon herself pays a visit to collect a new girl, and winds up with another. A delicious short story with a fun protagonist - a temp who enjoys being a temp fluttering from job to job, doing good enough work to get away with surfing for porn on her work computer. I love the title, and this story.

Ronin

Another story where we get a more direct glance at Snowdon, though admittedly the first that I had any problems with. It is a very hot story, with a woman being caught between the games of two powerful mind controllers . . . but the way some characters act, and are allowed to act, strikes me as a little out of character for what we've seen in the past. Its a yummy story, with yummy bikes, but the latter half just doesn't sit right with me.

Arundsen's Device

This story feels to me almost like another half to the 'verse, even if there are only three stories with Andrea, and only two where she is given a more central role. Andrea, a grad student, stumbles upon a mind control made by Professor Arundsen, and indulges in it. She even uses it on herself - a detail that has always made this story stand out in my mind. But things are turned on her, and then once she manages to recover, things are turned again . . . a very fun protagonist, and supporting cast. Yummy.

Socket

Sort of a side story, a colleague of Arundsen tests his own device ant takes himself a yummy new slave. It is m/f md, but its still a yummy story for it's mind control if nothing else. Andrea makes a cameo. I'm feeling at a loss for what else to say for this one, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

Summit

This story is a direct sequel to Arundsen's Device (I finally spelled it without looking! holy crap!) as well as continuation of the earlier stories with Nicole. A 'natural' has been found, and several mind controllers are brought together, made aware of the situation . . . some manage to pull through, while some are taken apart. This story alternates between our more familiar characters and the natural, a man who has the ability to instantly conquer a mind with almost no effort. Arudsen is made a much more interesting character here (as he's actually present for one), Snowdon is developed deliciously, and the Andrea/Nicole interactions are some of my favorite scenes in MC. If you enjoyed the previous stories, you need to read this one. It's delicious.


Wow, that was a lot, but really, these stories deserve to be read as all one big lump - maybe not all at once, but as a continuing growing world with so much to delight in. I enjoy rereading parts of them, or stories in their entirety quite often, and never find myself regretting it.

Until Wednesday!

~Madam Kistulot

p.s. - I need to update the updates page and the front page of my site, but my story picks have been updated again! Give them a look if you still want more to read!

In thrall's thrall

I know, lame title today, but if you want me to come up with a better one it'll take me until it's no longer Wednesday, and I'd love to get one of these author weeks on mon/wed/fri!

Continuing as before, we'll hit on some more of thrall's stories, another three lovely pieces that I consider must reads - especially if you liked the last three stories. Honestly, a lot of the authors I'll be going into? I think you should read all of their work. What I'm doing here is just telling you why I love them, editorializing a little, while trying to give some authors I really love a boost to their readership.

Do they need it? From me? Probably not. Honestly, I'd prefer riding on their coat tails. Being an author thrall would want to co-write with? That would be a dream. Getting a mention in a trilby story for inspiration? Equally awesome. The one such reference I got from an author I'd read for years, arclight, still has me beaming.

And I mean really, really beaming.

So, without further ado, less about me, and more about you, thrall! On to today's reading suggestions!

Raggedy Anne

This is a most delightful story all about a delightful little girl who bares absolutely no ill will to our protaganist whatsoever. Sorry, couldn't resist, I'm in a strange mood. Cherie is a door to door saleswoman. That's crappy enough job as it is, driving around, hoping to make a sale, without running into a girl who intends to make you into a toy for her own amusement.

Raggedy Anne is another story I don't want to say too much about because part of the thrill (at least for me) is getting to the reveal. Obviously, the girl who answers the door isn't nearly what she seems, young, or normal, and our protagonist Cherie is irrevocably changed from woman into well . . . literally a doll.

Not a plush doll mind you, but a sextoy, albeit a cutesy one. Body and mind changed for the convenience of her new owner in a lovely transformation sequence.

The mischevious bratty nature of the domme in this story makes it an especially delightful read. Don't miss out!

Love In a Silver Socket

In the future, there will be aliens. Not the nicest aliens, either. World conquering, mind controlling aliens who have plenty of uses for their subjugated slaverace. Why wipe out humanity when they're such a malleable race and so happy to please once you've installed some extra hardware?

The silver in the title, and the story, might make some giggle that I'm reccomending it, but it is truly a wonderful story. Our protaganist is one of the humans who have been "upgraded" by our new alien overlords - a once member of the resistance remade to service her alien owners, and she's all too eager. Wether it be on display, being controlled for her owners' amusement, or being used against her former friends, there's nothing she'd like to do more . . .

But her mind isn't gone - just repurposed, and a slip by her alien owners in addition to some of their upgrades could mean a much different result than intended. Another story with a delightful twist I don't want to ruin. thrall is no M Night Shamalan with her plot twists. No one turns out to be really dead or allergic to water. It flows from the story. And that is why I would absolutely hate to spoil it. Read it, and enjoy it. Neither task is difficult.

Solitaire

We've all at one time in our lives or another played a game of computerized solitare to make the time go by. Does the computer cheat to make us groan in abject terror, or is it as much an exercise in learning to accept that which you cannot win as much as a game where victory is the intended result? Who knows. That's not the purpose of this story, but it gives us some background.

Hidden within our narrator's (I don't believe she gets a name - I should reread it anew soon) otherwise harmless game is an insidious like or two of code that makes the trance of red on black, black on red, king through ace, so much more satsfying and affecting than any game of cards I've ever played.

By the end, that lovely computer mouse has been repurposed most delightfully, and free will is a thing of the past. A nice quick read that's definitely more productive than playing a game of solitare.


Thank you again for reading through my reviews and reading suggestions. I'm debating taking a break from these sorts of posts after hitting through Tabico next week since I think my skill at writing engaging, enthusiastic reviews is slipping. It's just not where my writing tallent lays. Of course, it doesn't fall in any form of nonfiction writing, but you get what I mean.

So if I seem less enthusiastic, it's not because I reccomend the stories any less. Read! Multiply! Play solitare! Visit my blog, and tell all of your friends!

MK out!

And thus begins the week of en-thrall-ment!

Hello everyone, and welcome to thrall week on the Kistublot!

The timing couldn't be more fitting, as according to her own blog, she's been reworking some of her classics. In fact, she's already reworked my personal favorite! I haven't yet read over her new version - but I intend to soon as I can find some time with my head not swimming in sicky dizzyness.

If you didn't already look, the main page has an update under my reading suggestions. Give those a look! Here, I think I'll give them all three a deeper delving. Wednesday I will go into some other stories, and I think I'll end the week with her collaborative efforts. Only fitting, no?

So, first up . . .

Willing Subject

I remember finding this story when I was first getting into the archive. I had yet to develop a discerning taste, but I knew what I liked and I loved this story. I read through this one quick as I can and savored each and every hot little detail, but now I prefer to reread it slowly and savor each and every little scene.

Missy's transformation from kinky college girl to helpless little toy is so savoring. There's no jarring moments, only a slow sweet spiral. In fact, the use of spiral imagery in this story is something I always remember. The use of a classic black and white spiral changing from one solid color slowly to the other is one of the strongest images I've read in any MC story, and I savor it.

Not only is her transformation sizzling, but it shows perfectly the way that thrall does dehumanization. The loss of self, of self concern, of self control, of everything but obedience, becomes so sizzlingly erotic. Her pure desire to lose everything so completely is so overwhelming, strong enough to flow out and over the reader.

Even when she realizes things are illusions, she savors them for that, and their strength over her. Every time that I read the story, I press my teeth together and indulge in a little fantasy of them being trapped like that. Read the story to know just what I mean.

It even uses the location from the trilby else story Dark Forest to aid in our heroine's transformation... so deliciously, too. If you haven't read this, read it now, then read the revision!

A Tenpack of Trixies

Another absolutely sizzling story, Tenpack gives us a glance into a not-so-distant future where criminals are remade into slaves, dolls, for the use of others. There's other details (and honestly, I need a reread to do this story justice but I want to get this post out tonight) about their world, but that's all you need. A woman went missing, and now ten dolls have shown up, and one of them might be her . . . and hell hath no twisted sense of humor like a Domme scorned.

The dehumanization here also happens in reverse. Objects becomming more human - though they were rather human to begin with, and theres a hot yummy dose of tables turning.

The real delightful edge of this story is when it changes into a struggle between those who've kept their minds, and those compromised into pure obedience. I won't ruin anything more, but you really ought to give it a glance over!

Mirrored in Your Eyes

thrall surprizes all of us - or at least me - by writing one of the most romantic mc stories on the site. Another alternate world is shown here, one where it is the norm to decide to become either a dominant, or a completely helpless submissive. There are packs of "norms" but they're the exception and by no means the rule.

In this world, you don't ever need to be dominant . . . but everyone must take a run as a helpless obedient thrall - body and mind altered, to be used by anyone and everyone.

Some are forever changed by this proccess, and become submissive when before they were so dominant - now that they see the perks in an obedient lifestyle. That fact weighs heavily on our protaganist after her time ends...

Read this. You don't know what you're missing if you don't.

thrall is a wonderful writer, giving us hot erotic heat, yummy mind control heat, and never writing a story that feels supurfulous or pointless. She writes stories that are gripping stories as well as wrist-ruining reads. Every time her name appears in the update, I squeal.

I imagine I'm not alone. More on wednesday.

~Madam Kistulot

What else is left? The last trilby post!

Truth be told, this post should be "for now."

I hope in a year or so, I'll be able to go back and have a few stories left to go over, or some new insight . . . or something. trilby is an awesome writer. I don't consider myself in his league, and that means I still have a lot more to learn from how he accomplishes what he does - and I hope he has more stories to give us!

So, to finish off trilby week (a day late you'll forgive me, but I'll be posting tomorrow too to start thrall week so sue me) we have a fist full of one shots to give you something to read on this weekend without an update!

Held

I remember when I first read this story I kept waiting for the dark twist to come... and itended up romantic and yummy instead. A good example of a story where what qualifies it for the EMCSA all really happened beforehand. This is divulged - and hotly so - but I enjoed it for the present more than it's past.

Sleeper

To ballance Held, here is a story just flowing with all of the things a yummy dark MC story is made of. Trish is a secret agent ryng to bust a dangerous woman, and she knows going in that she'll be subjected to mind control . . . is her training enough to resist succumbing to the villain's wiles? No. Is her decent to devoted love slavery delicious? Yes.

Taker

This story is one I adore for it's candid dialogue, and the reveal and how it's handeled. I don't want to ruin anything with this one if you havent given it a glance yet, but it's hot dark, with a very sweet ending.

Dark Forest

This story in turn influenced my favorite thrall story, so it's only appropriate that I list it last for trilby week. A visit to a fetish store ends up goinga lot dfferent tha the visitors planned, and just as the owners desire. Another one I feel you just need to read, enjoy . . . then read Willing Subject. . .

Which I'll be talking about tomorrow!

For now, happy reading!

~Madam K

trilby beyond

WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead. Nothing story ruining (in my oppinion) but you're warned in advance.

Okay, no more bad puns... But for some reason the cartoon "Batman Beyond" came to mind, and that my friends is where you get the name for this blog post.

I said three this week, so I guess that means one today, one tomorrow, and one Friday. No trouble by me, I just had forgotten I'd meant to do more this week. I'm not used to keeping a schedule for this thing - which anyone who reads can tell you I'm sure.

We're still on trilby else, and I would be remiss if I didn't cover trilby's recurring Domme, Joss. She is powerful, sexy, and most importantly knows how to manipulate people - not just slaves.

The most infamous story Joss's presence fills is without a doubt Bridesmaid. As the synopsis suggests, Bridesmaid follows Tegan as she worries about her best friend's new lover, Joss. Over the course of the story we see that these worries definitely have a basis in reality, not that this realization does much good for Tegan. It isn't much of a spoiler to say that by the time she might have any inkling of what to warn her friend about, she's already far too caught up in the Domme's web. This story has one of the most yummy heavily vocal and hypnotic inductions in the archive, and is worth a read.

Tegan's surrender is not instant, however, and she can also be found in Bait, again as our protaganist, struggling (or perhaps merely putting on a show?), and of course failing to resist being used for serial recruitment - a thing trilby does often and very well.

Joss first chronologically appears in Underling. This doesn't give us a lot of backstory for her so much as for characters who appeared in the first story, Depth. Both stories are yummy, full of heat, and show a deliciously calculating mind. It can be so very delightful to watch a delicious character at work, and Joss is most definitely one of them.

My favorite of Joss's tales is Bond, a story with a strong emotional edge. trilby is not one to shy away from emotion in his erotica as I've said before, nd it serves him especially well here. I don't want to say any more than this: You need to read Bond eventually. I'd reccomend sooner than later.

Lastly, I believe (if I'm missing one, comment or email to let me know so I can edit this post!), Joss appears in Falconry- though well hidden until her reveal. Another one I don't want to say much about, sans to reccomend it glowingly.

We might not know a lot of facts about Joss, but what we can take out of these stories is more than enough to feel a familiarity, and keep a pair of fingers crossed for her next appearence.

Here's to the delicious dark domme, Joss!

And now for something trilby else...

Yeah I know, the same bad pun twice in a row, but I promised another update about trilby (I'm looking at giving it another two or so, then giving thrall similar treatment, circling back around to hit Tabico who is already in my recommended list, then on to Iago...) and I like feeling clever, so here goes!

I updated my recommended reading section with three trilby stories - Pawn, Outcall, and Hive. All are must reads that I felt would be good to start off the trilby list. Honestly, so far I would reccomend most, if not all of his stories that I've read sans Honeycomb, the sequel to Hive, that just felt dull and let downy.

Anyway, I'm left with a connundrum. Do I talk about the stories I've already posted, or do I go on about ones yet to be discussed to give even further coverage?

The latter sounds good to me, with maybe a brief turn around at the end. I feel like being dramatic.

First up, is a legendary story in the MC community. I could build up to it, but I'm occasionally bad at delaying. So, without further adieu, we begin a twisty path into . . .

Tether

This story clocks in at 103 chapers spread over fifteen parts and 179,549 words (give or take a chapter block missed by my quick fun with XP's calculator) - and took years to get out. I don't remember when I first found it, but I do remember watching it as it updated and I still wasn't technically alowed on the site. I'm going to feel bad for kids in the future when they have to deal with more than just "if you're not 18, leave" because, yeah.

Anyway, my sordid past asside, I remember reading this story not neccessarily from its first update, but definitely early on enough to coo each time it came up in the update. It's full of that classic trilby hotness that flows from MC, not sex - though we get plenty of that. At first we get a very lovely story about a young rich girl, Meredith, kidnapped and conditioned. And I do mean conditioned. A long, thorough, drawn out proccess.

It's delightful, sizzling, and may be over extensive, but it appeals to my love of attention to detail. So much put into play early continues through most of the tale, which makes it all... work? Fit? It's delightfully yummy.

But the story is really two stories, and about halfway through our protaganist is released back to her mother - who becomes the next target. All of that built up effort begins to spread out, as more and more people are drawn into the web that is Alice Holloway - a name I rather enjoy (who is not in any chains, inky or otherwise) and a Dome I rather delight in.

There is valid criticism for the story. It does go on for a very, very long time. After a certain point, there's no debating that no one in the story but Alice has any true hope of escape. She's just playin a game, whittling down at what's left util she's ready to be done, lay back, and savor her victory . . . but I enjoyed the journey. It wasn't the ending that mattered, it was the mind control that happened over and over and over again.

It shows all of those little steps, instead of point a, conditioning described, point b, end prophecized. Every last little sordid detail of this lovely group of women's fall from thinking about what to do with their lives to obedient mewling slave sluts, well... there's something fun about seeing that. Its hot seeing Meredith used against her mother, friend agaisnt friend, betrayal after betrayal after betrayal, which after a point is just two toys being put in a room to have fun for her amusement.

Its more of the game than we usually see, and I savor it. I reccomend this story, if only in little chunks spread over a long period of time.

So now that we have that out of the way, I reccomended Pawn, Outcall, and Hive, didn't I?

Hive is a very yummy story. Sister looking for sister, but of course it won't matter if she finds her or not. Theres robot stuff in Tether, too, which is in the end very similar to the way Hive does it. Thats not too big of a spoiler really, but I apologise if you felt anything was ruined by this. A lovely holding pen that she shouldn't have gone lookin through. Silly protaganists of mc stories, if you find a conspiracy, it'll find you befoe too long.

Pawn was one I found when reading "its new to me" stories from old favorite authors. Our protaganist is very loyal to her queen. Infinitely loyal. So much so, that she will march right into the depths of hell as a messenger, knowing there is little to no chance of a happy ending for her, and the end is heartbreaking while the center remains hot.

Outcall, uses pocketwatches, and a hot trait trilby is good at using: giving the MCer the wonderful trait of being a superb actress to get what they want. Amnesia, fantasy, blurring the lines of reality . . . Mmmmm . . . this story is delightful.

Well, I guess that covers us for today! I plan on doing three next week - more stories reviewed/reccomended, culminating in more reccomendations, and leading us into thrall's body of work. Hope you enjoy me posting more!

Hmmm... what trilby else to write about . . .

Lately I have been awful with this, and I apologize. Not just lately, but since its creation.

Recently my fellow Midasverse contributor J Darksong sent me an email telling me I really don't need to post about anything important. Just more often would be nice. So, I'm going to try to force myself to a vague schedule. I had tried before, but when I found that reviewing updates for awhile would have consisted of "nothing worth reading" or another rant about how I'd like some literature to go with my mc fanservice, that got distorted.

Also, this weekend I WILL update my recomended reading, as I will once a week. I'm sure it won't be hard, and if it ever becomes so I'll start just adding obvious stories and going on about why!

I'll start this post though, by mentioning that I've been reading a little bit of the unread portion of one of my favorite MC writers, trilby else. For awhile, I have to admit, I had to take a break from his work. He writes great MC, and shares the feeling that copious ammounts of sex is dull. Copious ammounts of MC is where it's at!

I've never had a problem with his quality, or his style - merely that too much of his work can have a repetative feeling to it. Each story taken on it's own? Amazing. Awesome. Thigh clenching. All of them taken together right at once? The first set will feel awesome, and over time, you might start to feel frustrated at each prostitute metaphor that at first fit its use perfectly.

Every writer is writing themselves out onto the page. Not that he is an evil lesbian mc conspiracy - but every writer pours a part of themselves into their writing unless they're writing formula as oringly as can be - and even then some if themselves will peek through. With my writing, I've found that incestuous relationships, and comming to terms with one's taboo side are things that permiate my writing. I'm sure there are others. There have to be.

Still, not about me! Just going into my own side of this to show my own lack of immunity to such things. Still, even with that, I always come back. With the exception of one story, every one I've actually started (many were tabs in firefox that fell the wayside with a reset or a crash) I've savored. I havent touched on them all yet, but that's just a matter of time.

trilby often uses real forms of mind control, such as hypnosis, drug aided or not, and obeys their limitations. Characters will not be drooling slaves after a single trance. A night of backed up suggestions? They'll be pretty messed up, but even then, it's not unlimited. But at the same time, you don't have any "deep yearlong mc is beaten by a single tear from a lover" going on. There's just a variation in strength you don't seen in all - or most - MC. Usually, it's all or nothing, or level varying depending on the story. An alien laser should be stronger than hypnosis, unless not properly configured.

One aspect of his use of hypnosis is one I adore pointing out for its eroticedge, and for its warning one. Hypnosis can't make you do something you don't want to do, but it can make you want something. Then what?

Women betraying eachother and getting off on it, serial recruitment, long drawn out conditioning, resistence, even the story here and there where MC is overcome . . . that's how awesome trilby's writing is.

I'll go into more specific pieces soon.

~Madam Kistulot

44 Posts Already?

That's the number blogger showed when I logged in! Not sure if that44 counts the pending post I have or no, but hey, if it doesn't, that's still a lot!

Less than I promised to have, but still something.

Besides, I have so much writing done! Not really, but I can pretend. It's not like you can check.

Anyway, I know it's a bit late, but if you haven't read Tabico's latest, Ronin, you need to. I won't ruin anything, but I did fan mail her, and her response has me waiting for this update quite eagerly! That means something.

I actually grew up spending a fair amount of time on the back of a bike - a shovel head actually. A lot of people argue that was after Harley's hay day, but that bike was a beaut. She was gorgeous, she purred loudly, and I loved her. She was also one of two things my father cared about more than me and my mother, but I try not to think about that too much. Growing up, Easy Rider was my first glimpses of porn.

My mom is oft to go on about how Easy Rider was better back when the women were real, and I bet she's right. You can find the sexiest picture of a porn star, a model, and she can be gorgeous . . . but there's something special about a woman who isn't that stretched out along the back of a bike.

American, of course.

I know, Sarah's bike is Italian. I don't remember the exact model, but I found it doing some research on Ducati's website. They're good bikes, really good bikes. Specifying is more to discount crotch rockets. You wont earn any respect on a hyundai or a kawasaki if you ask me.

A bike is a horse of the modern day. It's if you make a horse out of metal and give it an engine. It's a thing of raw power. Give it to a hooligan, and you get a black knight. Give it to a man or woman of virtue? You get a paladin. Ironically enough, my dad had a biker friend named Paladin. There are some pictures of him holding me as a baby. He looks like he was super nice. Never met the guy myself.

Still, it's a symbol of power, of raw sexuality, of force, of movement, of friction against the world, of air resistance, areodynamicism . . .

To me, a motorcycle is the closest you can get to giving a character a heroic mount, or a villainous mount a the case may be. Cars are just . . . they're not the same. They're shields as much as transport. Fiction has given cars magical bullet deflecting/absorbing powers. Sure, you can shoot a car and it'll explode, but a motorcycle? It's you and the road. There is nothing else. My father only survived long enough to take part in my creation due to a monkey wrench in his ass pocket.

Ice might take drinks stay cool, but it also tears flesh apart if you have a motorcycle's weight on the other side of you as you slide.

Plus, in a car, the person next to you might be on the other side of a gear shift in no way close. Bike? They're at your back. Intimate. Or in a side car, which can be it's own kind of awesome. Plus, saddle bags!

But yes, why are bikes coming to mind sans Ronin? You'll need to read in November to find out.

Speaking of reading on, I intend to in the next couple of days update my "reccomended reading" list heavily. It's far past due. I intend to add stories by the t-trio, some archive.org stories if need be by other authors . . . at least one. An old story by miketheFable, at the time mikez was lost due to identity discovery. I helped write it. Well, edit it. I intended at one point to write the sequel to it, and even with it less absurd than your average mike story, I'm just bad at following others' ideas.

What else would be interesting to say?

Ah!

The new Metallica CD? It's awesome. You need it. Death Magnetic. I have nicknamed it Rereload, because it feels like the third load, or second reload. It's that awesome, and it makes Aurora flow amazingly, as well as the last Evanesence CD makes Sylvia flow.

You get some priceless lines, like . . .

You crawl back in/but your luck runs out!

and

Like a bullet/keeps on bleeding/to remind me not to think!

It's just awesome. You need it.

So I'll leave you with that for now, best wishes till next time!

The Less Common Paraphilliae

The other night, a couple things were suggested to me-- one was that i post again. I'll never understand why, but i won't complain if people enjoy reading my posts! The other suggestion was that I write about one of my non-hypnotic fetishes. One of the less common ones (or at least so it seems), and a subject of mild embarrassment to me, is a little kink called dendrophillia.

For those who don't know, dendrophillia is a... fascination with plants. Now, this might bring to mind images of a hippie a little out of control-- a literal tree-hugger if you will. This is deeeeefinitely not the form it takes for me. If nothing else, in reality i'm badly allergic to a large portion of the plant kingdom, a fact which severely limits my capability, and passion for the outdoors. Instead, my fetish takes more of a science fiction angle--think that one scene from The Evil Dead. Plants as controllers, plants as inscrutable, unpredictable plotters. Which sounds a little silly, i suppose, but it can be hot indeed.

Like so many things, i was utterly unaware i had this little fetish until i stumbled upon the EMCSA. So, rather than go into technical, and boring detail about how exactly this fetish works, i figured i could talk about a few of my favorite dendrophilliac stories from the archive. There's no hidey text, because these aren't detailed treatments, and i think i kept pretty spoiler-free.

Fruition by Trilby Else
This was, interestingly enough, the first actually enjoyable story i ever read on the archive. My first exposure to the archive was unfortunately through a google hit on a rather dismal story. But i digress!
Fruition, the story of a botanist on an alien world who gets in... shall we say, over her head, wonderfully illustrates my fetish-- the protagonist is caught utterly unaware, and completely helpless. She's not even fully able to comprehend what's happening to her until it's too late, and her captor's control is an inextricable, and physical part of her.
The sex scenes are enjoyable in themselves-- tentacle in any form can be a squick to some people, but in the right context it's meltingly hot to me. The... biological aspects of the mind control are touched upon, but not gone into so deeply as to squick. Biology is sort of a razor's edge for me, as it easily descends into unpleasant territory to me, but it can add so much hotness.

Pea by Tabico
This story has an entirely different feel to it. Pea's protagonist becomes increasingly aware of her own fetishes as she watches everyone around her succumb. Struggling with desire can be so awful when done badly, but in this story it sizzles. The final descent is almost cathartic after nearly an entire story's worth of induction.

Avatar by thrall
A love story at heart, Avatar features an even deeper transformation than we see in either Pea, or Fruition, it ends on a melancholy note, but is filled with botanical heat. Glossing over the biological details suits this story just fine-- it's about personalities, and not process. Avatar has beautiful, if star-crossed emotion behind its heat.

Yellow by Tabico
I have a confession to make-- i don't actually enjoy this particular story, but i can't really have a post on dendrophillia without at least a mention in passing. Yellow, which is in fact a red story, is well written, and admittedly has some delicious moments, but it goes a little too far for me, and into severe squick territory.
But don't let this stop you from enjoying it. For someone who can appreciate the darker aspects of botanical mind control, this is a must-read.

Fey by Tabico
Beginning to notice a trend here? Me too. Though she certainly deserves attention, i don't mean for this to become a complete Tabico spotlight--but she does write probably the best biological MC i've ever read.
Fey is a little different, though. A story of an innocent forest denizen caught in a tangled web of intrigue, it's not quite.... being-bound-and-fucked-by-a-plant dendrophillia, if you will ^^;. Instead it's more subtle. The... Villain, for lack of a better term, is not an antagonist, but a delicious character nonetheless. Supremely confident, she doesn't hide her plans, controlling by sheer persuasion. Even as cruel as she, it's hard not to be drawn to her.

I'm sure there are many others (in fact, i'm certain i've read several, but these were the only ones that came to mind when i set about writing). I may trawl the archive sometime in the future to look for other good ones. Stay tuned!

But, to get back on the original subject, Madam, of course, is not one to leave a good fetish untapped. When she learned about this little desire of mine, she not only gave me an unexpectedly hot little 'waking dream' that ended with a lovely little obedience seed in my ear, she's also given me a trigger that sets off an apparently random, and usually very powerful dendrophillic event every time she says this particular word ~.~ Things like thought-stopping vines in my ears... swirly flowers that draw one's attention in, and steal it.... and sparkly silver pollen-- the sort you get from a LaSilvas tree.

But, that covers an oft-neglected, somewhat embarrassing little fetish of mine. Now all of you know something that only two people ever knew about me before! It's been real, but i think it's time for me to finish up this post. Happy weekend!

EDIT: Oh! And for those three of you (that's not a joke-- i actually checked the reader count) that read the 'Blot through its LiveJournal Syndication, it should work again now.

--erislave

The Dark Knight

Sarah: Welcome everyone, to the Adventures of Silver Girl . . .

Olivia: And Aureus!

Sarah: As we sit back and give you reviews on comic book movies . . .

Olivia: From real super heroines! . . . Sarah?

Sarah: Yeah sweetie?

Olivia: Why do you get all of the long lines in the intro? I don't think that's fair. Your name comes first, and I never spent any time as a super villain, unlike someone.

Sarah: . . . Next time. I promise. Your name goes first, you get the longer lines. Promise!

Olivia: Sounds good! So! Today's film is The Dark Knight, Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, and the adorable Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Sarah: And Garry Oldman with a guest spot of Cillian Murphy, both of them reprising their roles from the previous films. But those don't get adorable added to them.

Olivia: Hey. I can't help it. Maggie is adorable, and you know it. She's cute as a button. Plus, she's a very welcome change from Katie Holmes, whose husband is more mind fried than you were back during your bouts with the Stockholm's.

Sarah: True, and . . . true. Rachel Dawes goes from seeming pouty and annoying to an actual character, even if her primary function is as before to affect the Bat, and this time, Harvey Dent. Her much cuter voice makes it much more enjoyable to watch.

Olivia: Agreed! The casting was excellent, period. Well, everyone that worked last time still worked. Michael Caine was great as before, and Cillian Murphy's brief little cameo does well to remind all of us that just because you deal with someone, if they aren't dead, you shouldn't count them out.

Sarah: One of these days, hopefully, that'll stop being the case.

Olivia: Hopefully. I wouldn't bet on it though. Mourning Frost, Dust, people like them have a tendency of just not going away.

Sarah: Better than going around killing them, which is an important.

Olivia: Obviously. And more important to be aware of the stronger you are.

Sarah: That's right, my gold little fighter!

Olivia: That is horribly uncreative, sweetie! Call me something cooler.

Sarah: Well uhm... The Golden . . . The metal . . . maiden!

Olivia: . . . Saraaaaah . . . Okay. At least you didn't call me Liv.

Sarah: You got it, livie!

Olivia: -whines- Okay . . . Well, for one, Batman passes out not at all through out this flick, therefore making it inaccurate to SARAH'S experiences . . .

Sarah: Now you're just being mean! But yes, the Bats pulls everything off with an amazing amount of skill and far cooler toys than I ever had as Patina. The "Batpod" looked rediculous on the movie posters I know, but It looks awesome in action, and its awesomeness is functional as well as visual. If Sylvia had those kind of moves . . .

Olivia: If Sylvia could move like that, you'd be wearing a helmet.

Sarah: . . . -whimper- You're not very fair.

Olivia: Hey, I've said it before. I won't splatter.

Sarah: You got anything to add?!

Olivia: Of course. The action scenes were all very energetic, though at times things felt a little one sided, and our heroes and their allies/patrons were a little hesitant to do anything besides get the crap beaten out of them until things go just a little too far. A lot of good people, innocent people, got hurt because people were kinda... waiting.

Sarah: And Bruce is a little... emotional. Lets face it Bruce, you dress like a bat. Even at worst I only dressed like- and don't you say a word Olivia- a figure skater or a sailor scout or something. Though I didn't realize the latter for looong time. That was embarrassing . . . but anyway! If you dress up like that, you've gotta do dark things. You've gotta kick ass. And you don't get to quit.

Olivia: Well, it did have some familiar feelings to . . . which batman movie was that where batman wanted to quit, but realized he couldn't? Forever? And Robin? I don't remember. Either way, well, it shows that bats' treatment isn't new at least.

Sarah: TO be fair, he deals with it fairly decently . . .

Olivia: Yeah, I know. For a rich boy whose biggest threat is a clown with bad makeup skills.

Sarah: Do not make fun of the joker. Heath Ledger did an awesome job.

Olivia: He did, honestly. He made you believe that a clown could be the biggest threat to Gotham. A gangster clown, sort of. Part of this is because the town seemed ill equipped to deal with anyone who wasn't afraid of getting killed or arrested doing crazy things. The Bat is good, but he can't be everywhere.

Sarah: True. Mostly.

Olivia: Not everyone has an alternate future self.

Sarah: Batman does! Sort of. He's from the future!

Olivia: Terry doesn't count.

Sarah: ...point...

Olivia: So! Action was good, and Sarah has adorable problems. All a part of why we love her. Characters were good. Actors were good.

Sarah: The theme was hammered in a little hard. Like way too hard. I think they told me the moral of the movie every five minutes.

Olivia: That's because it'll be on the test later.

Sarah: True! Because at the end, if you weren't really following that meaning, its just a kick in the teeth.

Olivia: It is anyway! Its the kind of story that demands a sequel, and this one took what . . . four years?

Sarah: Fuck.

Olivia: Well, I give it two golden thumbs up. Over all, the only flaws I can think of didn't detract from the movie, even when pointed out by Jade when we had her over for dinner the other night.

Sarah: Mmmm that was some dinner . . .

Olivia: A-hem? -glare-

Sarah: Oh! Right! I give it five sparks!

Olivia: And thus concludes The Adventures of Aureus and Silver Girl!

Sarah: Hey, you said that backwards!

Overdue, APU

It should be no surprise to anyone when I'm a little, or a lot late on a post.

So, what is this post late for?

Last week, one of the best MC stories on the whole site popped up. Maybe I'm a little more mature in saying this, but well . . . enthusiasm never hurts, does it?

I've been reading mc stories for a good . . . six years now? seven . . . I know I already knew the site freshman year in high school . . . I was one of those latch-key kids, so I had plenty of time to get away with things I wasn't supposed to. I actually remember times when I would stay up extra late to catch the update to uhm . . . peruse before my mom woke up, then crash and sleep in late.

Anyway, I've been reading for a long time, and I've developed strong preferences and a strong knowledge of the site. At least I think so. There are a lot f stories that I enjoy - something I need to update on the main site - but honestly thrall's Mirrored in Your Eyes hit on everything that makes a good story, and good mc story. There was hot yummy mindlessness, sweet sizzling romance. . . doubt that whets ones curiosity, conflict, twists that make you doubt what you've been thinking all along about the characters . . .

I might not go into long diatribes, but perhaps I should? I don't think it would particularly hurt, but honestly I enjoy just giving little blurbs of how these things affect me and what I reflect on most. I don't do my best long winded descriptions as myself. Need character voices for things like that!

But yes,read Mirrored in Your Eyes. Its everything you could ask for, and more! once again showing that thrall is one of the finest names in mc fiction! Really need to add her and my favorite of her works to my recommended reading section.

Right off the top of my mind, Tenpack of Trixies, Willing Subject, Solitare, Softbots, Inc., and Love in a Silver Socket would rate very highly and should be required reading if you enjoy f/f. Really. Salvation too no doubt, which is a co-op... and the other co-op, Goldilocks.

All amazing stories, those.

Speaking of character voices, I decided that time to time I would write movie reviews. . . but that doesn't fit this blog, does it? Nope! But I thought it up when I saw Dark Knight the first time, last week, and it occurred to me... what would Olivia and Sarah think of these movies, all cuddled up on a movie night? Written in scrip format, it could be pretty fun.

Sarah: I give it five and a half sparks!

Olivia: I think its only supposed to go up to five . . and what am I suppsed to give it, golden thumbs up?

Sarah: Well lots of you is golden, I'm sure we can think of something . . .

A-hem, appears we've interrupted a private moment . . .

Still, would that be something people would like? Work on the continuing Midasverse and rewrite of tAoSG continues, just so you all know!

Happy reading!
~Madam Kistulot

June 1st Reviews, Somewhat

Eri’s latest post has me thinking I should do something similar. What would you like to know about my life as a slave or about my experiences in general with hypnosis and D/s?

* * *

Reviewing is more stress and obligation than enjoyment, so I’m going to step back from doing anything but brief mentions and shorter thought-oriented summaries. I’ll still occasionally make highlight posts such as the one I did of Nexis Pas.

* * *

"Helpers" definitely makes up for the lack of "Undertow!" I can tell 8-bit enjoyed writing this. "Helpers" is a refreshingly different kind of story coming from him. This is campy in a good way: I could see this being a short made-for-TV movie or an episode of The Twilight Zone.

8-bit writing tech is . . . drool-worthy. His sharp, stark style is a perfect medium for technical themes. He messaged me before sending this off to ask if he should recommend the rb tag. My final answer was a tentative "yes," though it would have been a strong one had I read this first. This isn’t robotisation or even AI (at least not yet), but the human-machine interaction with the machine completely in control sizzled over my robot fetish just as much as if the robot element had been closer to what most think of upon seeing the rb tag.

Archeology students, an underground brainwashing facility, anachronistic mind control—only 8-bit could turn that into a unique and engaging story! His settings are always so tangible. He uses just enough cliché to create familiarity without making things tepid.

Already the beginning of the overarching ethical and moral-but-not-preachy themes his work explores is evident. I adore 8-bit’s ability to explore touchy themes so casually in his writing without preaching or making such things the focus.

The ending could be darker than most would find comfortable, but I think that’s a jump perceptually: this is 8-bit! Something logical and fascinating is going to happen. This installment screams for elaboration. I can’t wait to see where 8-bit takes this story!

* * *

Recently, I started doing some face-to-face hypnosis with a male friend (most assuredly vanilla), so maybe I’ll write about that if he consents. If he happens to see this before we talk: I’m sorry! Most of yesterday was spent without a keyboard due to Madam using mine since Asher (our insane kitty) destroyed hers with soda. I also needed a nap. My sleep cycle wasn’t nearly so corrected as I thought. I think things are under control, now . . .

~Valbot

Review Post: May 18th Update

Briefly, purely for the heat, I want to mention Cafetray's "Chocolate Milk." I don't have much to say about this as a story, but it's well-written stroke with a premise one can buy long enough to get off on it. This is a very short read. The backstory is pleasant, the subway ride edges slightly into exhibitionist territory, and the sex at the end is only lacking in that it's too short. Cafetray does write good, believable, intense sex. Even valbot can appreciate stroke, sometimes.

* * *

As usual, these are my opinions. Spoilers are in black text.

* * *

"Fragments from the Violet Hour"
by Bad Penny mc mf md (2,990 words)

Classic Bad Penny. “Fragments from the Violet Hour” is worthy of praise as a title alone for the mood of curiosity and confusion it set. Every word of this casual masterpiece was sharp and gritty. Mixing memory with desire in a marriage tested by a fire sermon? Recognizing which part of “The Waste Land” so heavily inspired this story was not difficult. Bad Penny winning Michelle's April writing contest on the MCF came as no surprise to me. Eliot’s influence on “Fragments” was not so readily apparent as it was on Virginia’s story, but it was no less poignant and I think the subtlety lent the imagery greater strength.

**begin spoilers**

This was an intense, gritty, lewd, disorienting, and utterly smirk-worthy masterpiece. A casual masterpiece: there is no grace or refinement to this story in the traditional sense. Graphic descriptions abound, but Penny wrote them with a finesse atypical of erotica in general. The story itself was deceptively simple: Lil and Albert had a troubled marriage and sexual relationship due to Lil’s out-of-control rape fantasies. Albert paid their counselor to alter her perceptions and to find suitable candidates to rape Lil so Albert could be in control of a fetish he knew he could not stop Lil from pursuing. Albert’s career would have been jeopardized by his wife soiling his reputation, and that’s exactly what she tried to do (at least, it’s very strongly implied Lil did that at the end). Doesn’t that sound like any other stroke piece? Well, it’s a Bad Penny story, and the tightly interlaced layers of control and disorientation matched the skill and complexity of any trilby story.

Graphic descriptions: I would have been reading one-handed had this been an FF story. Despite the MF pairing, despite the MF oral sex which is normally a horrible squick for me, I still got a pleasant buzz purely from the twisted power exchange and the intensity of Lil’s reactions to such a dangerous fantasy-turned-reality. Only at the end of the second rape scene did the rapist’s identity as an extension of Albert’s control become clear; before that, Lil was being raped by who she thought was a random stranger, which definitely increased the thrill. The revelation that her assailant wasn’t random was its own thrill: Lil was being more than physically controlled, and the mental side of things wasn’t a mere lapse in perception. What was tampering with Lil’s perception of time and place? I initially guessed telepathy since that is the common theme of Bad Penny’s writing, but who was controlling her? The rapist didn’t seem like he would care enough about his victim to invest that extensive of an effort. Albert didn’t seem important at first aside from being the disgruntled husband. Maybe something was actually wrong with Lil. But her assailant revealing that he had a connection to her husband slammed this story into unwittingly fierce perspective: the tables had been turned on Lil by the last person she would suspect of turning them, and his hold on her, as shown by the perceptual lapses and her "daydream" of oral sex, was quite firm.

Shock can be an effective deprogramming agent. Shock paired with anger can break programming altogether. Lil’s moment of clarity and her ability to hold on to her memory enough to be able to tell Albert’s boss was believable given how well Penny detailed Lil’s reaction to Albert’s smug and dispassionate admission. Lil’s desire was being used against her to control her. When Lil’s desire was redirected through her anger at being played and her shame over allowing such a thing to happen, the control was also redirected at least in part into her own hand. Or was it? There was another possibility: the exchange Lil had with Albert’s boss took a flirtatious tone at the end. She told him to just come find her. If he wasn’t the same man who raped her in the alley (her perception was being altered; he could have been disguised), then he could have at least been her next fetish encounter. Was Lil about to play into her husband’s hand yet again? Was she experiencing yet another loop of seemingly fresh experience that she had actually repeated multiple times without recollection? Maybe she was being led to think she could remember and break free. Either ending is believable. Both are deliciously smirk-worthy: one for its comeuppance, the other for the firmness and depth of its control. This was left open-ended enough that I think either guess could be correct. This made the story even better, another layer of perception left entirely to the reader: true reader-writer interaction beyond the already vividly engrossing narrative.


**end spoilers**

Even without the outside assistance, Lil would have been firmly controlled by her own desire. She was never in control of herself. A strong fetish can drive a person to destruction. Anyone who has spent any length of time in the fetish community has heard of or known at least one person whose life, or at least sense of self, was blurred or destroyed by the pursuit of erotic fulfillment. Instances like this remind us that we can still easily become chattel to primitive urges and that our attempts to intellectualize and romanticize them are laughable at best. This is where erotic mind control comes in: intellectualizing that which is primal; applying mental, spiritual, and emotional themes to something that used to be a simple matter of the natural order of things. Some of us were stronger than others. Now, in this context, some of us think we are mentally stronger than others while the rest fall victim to their own urges to be shaped and directed. Those who perceive themselves as stronger are really victims of their own urges, but they are harder to recognize as such since they take a decidedly outward and dominating tone. This is a crude and simple way to put it, and is definitely not the case overall, but “Fragments” incorporated and exemplified it to an extreme. This is why I think “Fragments” is a masterpiece for the modern age. This is art imitating life as it has evolved in this present day in a very specific and very primal context.

Every scene transition was just abrupt enough to prick without startling me out of the story. In fact, these abrupt pricks drew me deeper into the narrative through surprise and curiosity. I didn’t anticipate any of them, even the later ones after I knew abrupt scene breaks were being used as a device. Normally things like that are gimmicky, or I at least see them coming after the first or second time, but this narrative was so vivid that I forgot about the process of reading and savored the process of visualizing. There are not many authors on the Archive or in general who can write vividly enough to make me forget analyzing! Upon reading the last word, I was startled to remember I was sitting in my apartment with a mug of coffee. So far as I could tell, within what felt like the mere minute reading this took, the warmth against my hand was the sting Lil felt while holding her mug. Escapist literature is difficult to find, escapist erotica even more so. “Fragments” was definitely literature—prose artistry and a deep sense of empathy that happened to incorporate and refine the lewd and gritty edge so common to porn.

I had to spend a few minutes thinking about negative things to mention. This was such a wonderful story! The storytelling was holographic; the writing was polished and tight; the heat was scalding; the thematic elements were subtle yet pristine in their clarity. The few things I found were laughable. Some of the dialogue read as though it had been punctuated more grammatically then stylistically. This is a frequent snag for me since I hear what I read; this didn't snag horribly in "Fragments," but it stood out a little more than it would have otherwise given how smoothly written the story was overall. One homophone briefly confused me: “To bring you to heal since you act like a bitch in heat.” They were in counseling. Lil had a severe issue. She did indeed need to heal. This didn’t snag for more than a second, and I wasn’t thrown out of the story, but even small things like this can nick a masterpiece given the contrast. There were several missing particles and a few typos, but none snagged enough for me to remember. All of this feels like nitpicking given how wonderful this story was, but I wanted to be balanced. I honestly can’t think of anything beyond purely personal taste that could have been done better with the characters and story. Maybe a little more punch to the dialogue during the rape scenes? Now I’m grasping at straws. This was a fabulous story, period.

My biggest problem with this story was that it wasn’t RED! But that is definitely personal taste. I have a bit of a rape kink, and those descriptions were absolutely scorching. I would adore reading something so skillfully written and biting from a lesbian perspective. Finding quality rape stories is difficult. So many of them are gritty and nothing else—tasteless, needlessly cruel juvenile power fantasies. But “Fragments,” truly, is a masterpiece. This will definitely be one of my yellow nominations for next year’s Spiral Awards.

“Fragments from the Violet Hour” was graphic in physical descriptions and in its alteration of memory and perception. If you don’t like rape descriptions, or if extensive disorientation of the controlled sort bothers you, save yourself the squick. This was a fabulous story, but the descriptive writing is more than sharp enough to cut in an unpleasant way for those easily squicked by such themes. Otherwise, regardless of what color you prefer, READ THIS. Read this to see how good, actually story- and character-enhancing sex scenes are written. Read this to see how gritty and uncouth themes can be written classily. Read this for the sake of admiring a literary masterpiece for the modern, rushed sexual age. I don’t gush often. This is an intriguing and aptly titled erotic escape, or at least an enlightening story for those who don’t share these grittier kinks.

* * *

Suggestions on how to review better are welcome. I want to get better at this.

I also want more "Undertow." *sigh* Who am I to nag about online things when I chronically neglect e-mail? I am reading "A Story for Mike," though, as I said I'd get around to: great thus far, something I've been savoring along with my coffee in smaller bits. Coffee is definitely my cigar equivalent . . .

Madam, I will go get you your own huge bucket of Neapolitan if you post more. I can add sprinkles and chocolate syrup. POST MORE! Or get Quillspawn/Eutrepe to post more.

~valbot

Review Post: May 4th Update

Before my review, I want to mention a non-Archive short story that recently delighted me: “Eat the Peach,” by Virginia Plain (a very short read, by the way). Virginia is a formal poet who is new to prose, and her poetic background helps her greatly. This was a contest story based on T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land.” Hers, more than any of the other entries I read, truly engaged the poem and in fact wove the story from its threads of lyrical insight and haunting resonance. Read the poem, then read her story. The parallels are absolutely ardent. The story itself is a lovely read for its vivid descriptions of place and personality even without an understanding of the poem. I hope Virginia polishes this and submits it to Simon. Apparently she was rushed with edits and wanted to work on this more, but it still came out wonderfully despite the rush. This, truly, is lyrical prose.

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As always, these are my opinions. I do review critically. If you don’t want honesty, don’t bother reading. Spoilers are in black text.

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8-bit, I will hurt you if there's no "Undertow" next week!!!

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“Errant”
by The Once And Future Kim
mc ff sf rb (1,970 words)

Well, I don’t like cyberpunk, at least unless there is a unique spin or exceedingly good writing to hold my attention. Kim emulated the style of another cyberpunk author a little too well for me to deeply enjoy "Errant." Most of this was standard cyberpunk description written with a glowing violet pen. Despite this, the writing had redeeming qualities I desperately hope emulation won’t squelch in future stories. The dialogue almost read like timid, erotic whispers, and there were a few places where the purple phrasing actually worked (the temple, for example; the purple really helped to convey Jacqui’s sense of unreality).

I found the description of the reefs alluring for the pleasant introverted feeling. This whole thing read like a soliloquy of emotions that was pleasantly broken when Jacqui met her goddess. Jacqui's infantile perception was gently echoed through this soliloquy. Her goddess’s tender though deliberate approach added a dynamic I would have enjoyed reading more of, but the body of the story was devoted to the redundant techie description that is the standard for this genre.

Kim is an author I really want to like. He does wonderful characterization, and I adore the wandering introverted headspace his narratives conjure. But he spends so much time emphasizing the draw of the Machine and the ridiculously cliché techie surroundings in such a derivative way that, sans very short pieces such as this one, I can’t force myself to read his work.

There’s a genre labeled “post-cyberpunk” that focuses on the social struggles of advanced societies as opposed to the doom and gloom of the inevitable drowning of humanity by technology. I think “Errant” falls into this genre, which is a plus.

I find myself struggling to work out the emotions Jacqui’s infantile view of reality and her interactions with Chiron stirred in me. There was poignant emotion in their encounter, and Jacqui’s limited view of reality was almost tearfully beautiful in its dangerous innocence. Please focus less on writing a genre piece and do more of this gorgeous characterization and interaction!

The cyberpunk description felt clunky because it screamed of setting up a genre piece instead of actually helping the story. A little of that was helpful, such as the reefs and Jacqui’s method of clothing herself, but the rest felt like a constant tap on the shoulder to remind me what genre I was reading. I thought I smelled a hint of video games and some of another author's specific fixations, but the characterization and headspace were almost unmatched in poignance so far as my reading on the Archive (and certainly of cyberpunk stories) goes.

* * *

Tell Madam to post more! At least she has been writing, lately. And Fru won a Spiral! I knew she would. I'm sad that Gasman didn't, though, and I'm actually vaguely annoyed that "Go Team Porn!" did. At least red was a tie—though a horribly insulting one to Iago and 8-bit. I would have been happy to see either of them win, even over Madam, and I was secretly hoping for the niftiness of a three-way tie (though I knew it was incredibly unlikely). In the end, I find the awards themselves horrendously amusing and am glad true quality was recognized in a few areas, including cyan: congratulations, Nex! Apparently sex isn't the primary interest of all cyan readers. ^.~

~Valbot

Review Post: April 20th Update

"Undertow"
mc ff (20,564 words)
by 8-bit

I won’t do a full review since this story is a work in progress. I might not ever since I read a preview and talked with 8-bit enough to bias my perception.

I want to briefly mention that, despite the slow start, this is a delicious, intriguing, comfortable narrative. I think the pacing thus far contributes to the comfortable feeling—comfortable in the sense of enjoyable to read, not content! 8-bit’s controllers are often conflicted and some of the interactions in this piece explore rough ethical territory. 8-bit has a distinct "southern novel" style to his storytelling. Slow starts and character development often seemingly for their own sake are common. This is a valid style and one I deeply enjoy. Regardless of your color preference: READ THIS! Start now before it becomes an even longer story.

Believable, rounded characters are 8-bit’s forte. Getting lost in his stories is effortless for me. June’s sensual, literally hands-on control method could easily be something ethnic. Perhaps she’s practicing an ancient tantric or healing art without realizing it. I’m not sure if 8-bit knows what June is doing, but what she’s doing is easy enough to believe in this fictional universe just close enough to our own to be that much more approachable. I don’t think he’ll disappoint with future chapters, and I’m sure he’ll take this story in a good direction (and I’m seething to know where!).

My only real criticism thus far is that the "this limb did this while the other one did that" description of actions feels a bit clunky. Is this level of detail really necessary? 8-bit uses some interesting punctuation and sentence structures in those descriptions. This is a bit odd to read sometimes. This is a small niggle within an amazing story.

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That’s all for this week. The Updates really haven’t held my attention, lately. I did read the two recent trilby stories (I enjoyed them, mostly), but I’m still pondering them and I’m not sure what I think of them. I might post reviews or at least rambling comments about them in the future.

~Valbot

This quick shout-out became a review, of a sort . . .

Skip to the post below, if you haven't read it, for a preview of the first Silververse spin-off story!

* * *

I am thrilled to see Gasman's "Trailer Park Tango" as a green finalist. He truly deserves the encouragement and recognition for this honest, well-crafted, touching, and delightful story.

Daisy is the most poignant Domme I've read in a very long time. I abhor hicks, but this one grew on me as she cleverly and tenderly broke Mike of his prejudice and helped him to embrace his submissive nature. This was not a typical mean-and-green story; this was savoring and gentle. This could have been a cliché story—Mike is a football player and Daisy is a bit of a slut—but the clichés were spun well, background coloring instead of driving elements, and the focus was entirely on the D/s interaction. The control method isn't my favorite, but it works well in this case: Daisy does the real work to solidify and enhance the control it facilitates. Gasman weaves in his foot fetish enough that any foot fetishist reading this would be happy, but that isn't even the primary element. This is about submission: sweet, but firm, Femdom submission. Daisy is the gentle but incisive Domme most straight submissive men likely dream of meeting. This story is wonderful process: thoughts and motivations are detailed enough to enhance the story without lapsing into rambling or shifting the focus. This is about the process of submission, emotionally and mentally as much as physically.

The worst criticism I can think of for this story, aside from the phonetic handling of Daisy's dialogue being a bit much, is that it does look like the work of a less-experienced author . . . but one with real talent. One of my favorite things, period, is watching talented authors emerge fully into their gifts. I want to watch this with Gasman.

"Trailer Park Tango" is a beautiful story. I've always enjoyed Gasman's Garden flashes, so I was happy to see his name while sifting through the 2007 archive in search of Spiral nominations. I'm not sure how I missed this one originally! Please consider giving this story your green vote. Penny's "Bound by Name and Blood" is a good story, but her other three nominations are much better representations of her talent, I think. Sara's two stories in this category are good compared to the (other) dreck surrounding them in green overall, but they're really not shimmering. I think the synopsis says it all about "Chain of Command." Truly, Gasman's story is the stand-out story of this list. His would be worthy of a nomination or vote in any color.

Red? I can't talk about red or I will snark viciously. If you abhor Madam's work, please vote for "Gospel" or "The Happily." I did read the other two finalists . . . one is good, but not Award Good. The other, I really would viciously snark if I even mentioned the title. How these two excuses for quality got in over thrall and Tabico, I truly do not know!

Anyway! Encourage good writing. Encourage lesser-known good authors. Vote for "Trailer Park Tango!"

~Valbot

I am a Lesbian, and I Read Cyan!

Blame a lovely woman named Virginia for this post.

Cyan deserves more attention as literature if not as sex appeal.

Read "Making Jeremy", a touching first-person narrative that twists blunt description and purple phrasing to hilarious effect. I think this is Nexis’s most approachable work, despite the graphic male/male sex, given its lighthearted humor and pathos. Saying this story is cleverly constructed is almost a spoiler. Read this as a good piece of short, piquing literature. Looking at it this way should make the sex scenes less squicky.

"Before I Forget" is a tech-centered story with glimpses of detailed conditioning and a creepy conspiracy. This one diverges from humor and clever wordplay in favor of a minimalist narrative with a trilby-esque flavor. I can't say much about this one without spoilers, either. "Before I Forget" is a succinct take for this niche of the genre. Usually these stories are redundant or serpentine; even trilby frequently writes into that trap. What little "sex" there is in this piece shouldn't squick any who read it as literature.

"Mac's Vacation" could be read as stroke, but it’s good stroke. This is a great, nicely paced sci-fi piece, succinct where it needs to be and obsessively detailed where the target audience would likely most appreciate it. This one really isn’t about the sex either so much as the kinks: tickling, teasing, freezing, drugging, milking, massage, technophilia, and androids. This probably won’t be enjoyable at all to non-cyan readers unless one is looking for a story to read only as mind control through physical manipulation. The entire point of Mac’s trip is to experience orgasm after orgasm with detailed play in between.

These stories are worth reading purely for the quality of their construction and content. “Making Jeremy” and “Before I Forget” were two of my cyan nominations for the Spirals. My other was A Dark and Stormy Night. A literature professor reads several stories from a student with subtle (to him) hypnotic ability. There’s a hilarious, intentionally awful writing assignment starting this piece, a detailed and emotionally engrossing account of Holmes and Watson as a gay couple, and an alluring vampire. This one is a little creepy and sexually graphic. Nexis has a thing for biting! This one is also worth reading purely for the story.

Nexis understands writing. All of his stories are distinct in tone. All of them are solidly constructed. He actually uses literary devices masterfully, and his attempts at wordplay are actually clever. His fetish writing is obsessively elaborate. His characters are poignant and believable. He writes strong, natural dialogue. He already writes better than all but the Archive's almost universally agreed upon masters. Based on some of what I read from last year while looking for Spiral nominations, he stands among them.

Nexis does write good sex, at least what looks to me like good sex for those who enjoy male/male sex. He can write tender or rough, sappy or dispassionate, tailoring the language expertly to the type of situation and personalities involved. Sex is the vehicle for mind control, or an adjunct to other methodology; sex is not the destination or the bulk of the stories. He enjoys underwear, biting, massages, and slow hypnotic patter. His enjoyment of the themes he covers is evident from the obsessive detail and the seamless way in which he interlaces them into narratives often unrelated to them.

Nexis's characters are always poignant. Thought processes, visceral reactions, minor quirks, distinct voices: this writer understands people and knows how to vividly write them! Character voice varies magnificently from story to story and within each story. He knows how to incorporate natural dialogue. The social dynamics threaded through many of his stories feel organic; these could be case studies as easily as they are stories. Nexis isn’t afraid to be blunt, but he’s good at being subtle and eerie, too.

Nexis writes better short stories, I think, but what glows in his longer stories makes me think he’ll eventually master that style, as well. I didn’t get far with Brighton Rock, but I’m extremely picky with comic book stories, and this was his first EMCSA posting. His recent work shimmers. Those who don’t mind arrogance in writing might be able to appreciate his reality-based writing. He does explore his interest in writing as an art in fascinating ways. I read those stories as case studies, which is pretty much what they are since Nexis is speaking clearly as and about himself.

I advise avoiding Nexis’s stories about writing. Nexis gets downright masturbatory in an extremely unflattering way when he writes about the craft itself. "A Story for Mathew," "Whatever Happened to What's His Name?": these works paint him as disgustingly arrogant and a touch sardonic. One of these stories details an unappreciative fan who may or may not be a real person being trained to, well, appreciate him. As much as I adore this man’s talent, I find this side of his work appalling. He’s great so long as he’s not writing about himself. These stories explore fascinating points, but the tripe and arrogance makes them extremely difficult to appreciate. Edit: An e-mail exchange with Nex leaves me rather ashamed of this assessment. He really is disturbingly good at intense characterization! These stories are not based in reality; they are merely explorations of a different kind. If anything, my reaction is a reflection of his talent as a writer and of my lacking talent as a reviewer.

A smaller flaw is his minor technical errors. Missing particles, tense errors easily attributed to typos: these things are hard to catch without a proofreader. Sometimes his writing gets a bit gimmicky (obvious twists, verbatim repetition of an earlier scene to show hypnotic change, scene arrangement itself used to pull a story along), but not nearly so gimmicky as most of the stories I snark. Nexis has enough talent for me to notice these things more than I would in most stories on the Archive. I think he will attain the level of skill for which he is obviously striving. He improves dramatically from story to story, sans the ones about himself, and even those (he tends to place full, shorter stories within longer ones to show various points) sometimes contain good shorter stories.

Some other stories to consider:

"The Magic Words" This is a beautiful, short, well-spun D/s exchange. Nexis writes particularly interesting submissive characters!
"Dreamwork" Not all of his writing-about-writing stories are bad. This one has a turning-the-tables slant, and I think Nexis might be a switch (this would explain his ability to write so well from both sides).
"Dear Robert" This gets a little pompous, but the twist is done well enough to make this a good read. Nexis really does seem to have a thing for turning the tables. This one gets a little creepy.

I'll post from time to time about good cyan finds. I read this color purely as literature. Some of Nexis's stories would probably turn me on to no end if they were red. Erotica rarely turns me on in anything but an engrossed intellectual way, so this, to me, truly says something about Nexis Pas's ability to tell a good story.

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Also: visit #argentgarden on bondagenet! Madam's IRC channel is growing. This is really a geeky hangout where the geeks happen to enjoy EMC, or at least erotic hypnosis. We play Scrabble, give ourselves headaches by discussing temporal mechanics, share hypnosis experiences, geek out over D&D and video games, and discuss the weekly updates. #argentgarden is busiest in the evening (PST). Darksong and his infamous Shelley were there earlier tonight. Some of the regulars don't even visit the forums: one doesn't need to be aware of community politics or events to fit in with us. Why not visit our odd, geeky corner of IRC? (One doesn't need to be a geek, but the Madam is a touch insane. Beware!)

Madam's first Silververse spin-off story is sizzling. She is much better now at tightly braiding heat with complex plot, and her worry about Aurora sounding too much like Sarah is a silly one. Aurora's first story is dark in a way Madam hasn't explored previously. This series will be readable without knowledge of the previous series. Please comment on her post below, if you haven't already, so she'll post a preview! She's going to make everyone wait until November for the entirety of these stories (but they'll be much more thoroughly edited, at least).

~Valbot

Been Awhile!

Hey, all!

I know, it's been awhile. Not even months and this blog is underposted in, huh?

Problem is, I kinda don't wanna talk about this writing project too much! It's going very good, but as I have like 50 ideas of where to take it, I don't want to start having Vaporstories. How do you make vaporware refer to storytelling? I don't know. I don't want to get hopes up or confuse people, because thats just a shit thing to do.

So, I've been kinda quiet. Updates have just been meh overall, so I haven't commented on them. I decided to take the stance of "unless this is so painfully bad I need to say something, I'll only comment if its good" if only because I'm sick of being told I'm only negative just because I'm responding to things that I react to negatively. If I were writing about politics after the 2004 US Presidential election? It would be even worse.

Legacy was a good trilby story, but it left me feeling disappointed. I enjoy a lot of trilby's stories, and it hurts to see a good writer become so predictable. I know some people really like formulas, but this felt like it was being spiced up. It made me a little depressed and doubt my own writing that it failed to deliver.

Taken has so far held my interest, but failed to really feel all that full of life. Maybe I'm bored with the genre? It doesn't feel like that's the case at all. I'm full of ideas and I've been enjoying some older stories I didn't get a chance to read when they were new . . . sigh.

I know it makes me sound awful, but I'd love a thrall or Tabico story for 2008 so badly. I know there are other good authors - and I'd love to see something from them too - but sometimes you just need to see writing from the people that inspired you to write in the first place that doesn't resonate as being hollow and oddly unfulfilling.

Sigh. I'm getting snarky in a melancholy way. That can't be any better than angry.

So I'll close this by saying that posts by me are likely to be somewhat infrequent.

The Spiral Awards also failed to meet their deadline. One thing I've been looking forward to in the MC Community was the chance to see if even with the animosity I've inspired if my writing is worth even being nominated.

Them dropping the ball like this really disappoints me. The Spirals have done very little to establish themselves as a valid MC Story award. They can't happen every year, keep to their own time tables . . . and their site shows no changes for two years, nor is it quick loading or efficient. Most people I've sent there get confused.

I screamed in support of them before. I wanted to do so again as a sign that I do believe parts of the community have good to them that can even get me involved.

Also, the website does not indicate this, and as far as I know, the only place you can see voting is extended is if you're a member of the forums. So, instead of being able to . . . oh . . . I dunno . . . actually look at the HQ for this thing, I have to reload this page to know what's going on. This feels to me like a train wreck so far.

Way to drop the ball.

Well... If ten people, different people, comment on this post... I might post the rough rough draft of the intro to the story I'm working on. Tell your friends!


~Madam K

"Quillspawn" Reviews

Good evening to you all!

I should introduce myself-- In her last post, Valencia made mention of having Madam hypnotically turn Erika into Quillspawn for the purpose of reviewing stories.

Unfortunately, neither Erika nor I really have the capacity to become a writer of Quillspawn's caliber, so you have the lovely me instead.

Who am I? Well, to make a long story short, I'm a hypnotic personification of Erika's creative and artistic impulses. Though, at the risk of being pretentious, I like to think of myself as her Muse. I'm one of a few aspects of Erika's personality who have the privelege of being manifested and allowed to temporarily borrow her body. Valencia has nicknamed me Quillspawn because I share Erika's fondness for the character, and have.. imprinted on the her, if you will.

So while I am not Quillspawn, I am a fan of hers, and perhaps even a spiritual sister.

If you're curious about technicalities, I'll try to elaborate a little bit... As I write this, Erika isn't conscious of what's happening-- while I share her memories, she doesn't share mine. She will, however, see and approve this post before it goes up on the Kistublot. She will, of course, be able to respond independently of me, and if I reply, I will try to make especially clear that I am Erika's "Quillspawn". Even though I'm a manifestation of Madam's control of Erika, I have no wish to see her embarrassed!

Anyhow, I was brought out to review stories, and review stories I shall! I'll start with a short review of Trilby Else's Legacy, and as a warning, I do spoil certain elements of the plot within. Since the Kistublot doesn't have something equivalent to Livejournal's cuts, I've posted the review in white text... selecting it should hopefully make it readable!

*** Beginning of Spoilers ***
Legacy follows Robin Weyler and her mother Christine and their experiences in a secluded, and hypnotically driven academy known only as The Abbey. Robin's story is punctuated by flashbacks of her mother's experience. Trilby accomplishes the split narrative beautifully-- the reader is never left confused which time the story is in. And the glimpses into the past also offer a view of our protagonist's future. The eventual fall of Robin is well written, and despite not sitting well with my alter-ego in a purely emotional way, searingly hot.

Unfortunately, this story is not without its blemishes. Robin's descent is scorching, but too easily anticipated. Glimmers of foreshadowing in the beginning of the story quickly gave it away, and not halfway through the first chapter, I had already anticipated the ending-- This is forgivable, given the nature of the story, but I personally believe the reader isn't allowed enough uncertainty. From nearly the moment she confronts her rival, Robin's fate is obviously sealed--we aren't allowed a moment in which we could root for her-- or believe she might have a chance. And on that note, I also need to add that the Abbey's apparently negligence stretches believability, unless we are to believe in a farther reaching conspiracy than what we're shown in the story.
*** End of Spoilers ***

But, despite these flaws, Legacy is certainly above-average, and worth the hour or two it takes to read.
~Erika's QS


As a post script, I'll just note that that signature feels a little awkward. Should anyone have any suggestions as to how I should refer to myself, please feel free to let me know.