#{december 23 murder games}

[scumbag-the-hedgehog]

“Sorry kid, this was the quickest way I could getcha out of here.”

[hedgehoghavoc]

"-h."

And he's alive again! Wasn't so bad, kind of fun! Maybe he'll join in again next month.

[dangermousie]

2023 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

Yes, we have a some of December left, and I want to check out Death's Game but whatever. I got time for this now and not sure if I will have later so here goes.

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2023; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. This was an excellent kdrama year, the likes of which we hadn't had in a long time.

DRAMAS WATCHED

In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality so pls don't come for me, fans of some popular dramas that are on my nope list. Also, I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list.

33. The Escape of the Seven - this is so aggressively stupid and mean that it feels like the makers are playing a practical joke seeing how much their audience will take. This has a season 2 coming, so the answer is a lot.

32. Behind Your Touch - the FL gets superpowers by touching people's and animals' butts. Yes, you read this right. Do I really need to add anything?

31. King the Land - yes, it was a hit. Yes, it stars popular actors. I HATED IT LIKE IT TOUCHED MY BUTT TO GET SUPERPOWERS!!! Plastic people in paint by the numbers story, with about as much genuineness or retability as a barbie aisle in walmart. I never expect much from Yoona so whatever, but to have LJH go from The Red Sleeve to this boggles the mind.

30. Mrs Durian - this is so dumb that I think I lost a few IQ points watching this, but its insanity becomes entertaining - I mean what kdrama can you name where a daughter in law declares her love and lust for her mother in law at a family dinner?

29. The Matchmakers - there is nothing offensive about this drama at all. But there is nothing in the least interesting either. If elevator music took drama shape, it would be this show.

28. Destined with You - sorry, Rowoon, I am still fond of you, but you are two for two in drama duds department this year. This is a drama where I loved ep 1, liked ep 2, was indifferent to 3 and...you get the point. Each ep was worse than the one before, and I bailed before I was dragged into a cosmic singularity.

27. Oasis - great first two episodes. Unfortunately it was not a two ep show. The performances are solid but the story is just not there - the effect is like a fancy chef making an amazing sauce to put on pig slop.

26. Boyhood - it's not you, it's me in action. I can see why people would like it but a 34-year old playing a high schooler in a Weak Hero Class 1 Slapstick Edition is no go for me.

25. Castaway Diva - it's so precious and kooky in the most annoying ways, with the most well-adjusted abused castaway in history. I like magic realism when done by Jorge Amado, but this ain't Amado.

24. Island - it had a good concept, good cast and fun visuals but the execution deserved one of ML's swords through the neck.

23. The Worst of Evil - if I wanted an American show, I'd watch one. Very solid performances though.

22. Song of the Bandits - period edition of what I said about The Worst of Evil.

21. Welcome to Samdalri - and goodbye to any hope of emotional involvement.

20. Joseon Attorney - I have yet to like a single sageuk centered around a profession and this was not an exception. I guess it could be worse but it also could have been so much better.

19. Twinkling Watermelon - everyone loved this drama. Everyone except for me. It's the kind of precious that sets my teeth on edge and I couldn't stand half the main characters we were supposed to root for. I guess I like my fruits to shine steadily.

18. Our Blooming Youth - probably the biggest disappointment on this list. This is not a bad drama by any means, but with that cast and that story (I loved the novel), I was hoping for a memorable sageuk not merely all right.

17. Vigilante - it has the emotional complexity and nuance of a punch to the throat but it gives us quasi-gay openly-murderous dudes going after psychos and Yoo Ji Tae holding feral Nam Joo Hyuk by his hoodie at his feet.

16. The Forbidden Marriage - expected nothing but it was a surprisingly enjoyable trifle of a costume drama that was also quite pretty.

15. Arthdal Chronicles: Sword of Aramun - a hot mess but such an entertaining epic one. And it gave us TWO Lee Jun Kis in period gear and who am I to cavil at the bounty of God?

14. The Story of Park's Marriage - it's a trifle, a souffle, so light it might blow away, but it keeps my attention and is so fun and sweet.

13. My Lovely Liar - a huge surprise, that manages to mix a murder mystery and a romcom, and shocked me by showing Hwang Minhyun can act.

12. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - the original ToNT was my fave drama of its year and I did not think it needed a sequel. But this is not a sequel but more of a side-quel and is such a total delight with brotherly love, adventures, romance and hijinks. It's a joy.

11. Perfect Marriage Revenge - it's actually very hard to do a soap right but this slim 12 ep drama managed. So fun, so crazy, such a good ship!

10. My Lovely Boxer - not really about sports, but about two broken people finding salvation because of and in each other. Also, if you like age gap romances, this is delicious. Sort of loses steam by the end but c’est la vie.

9. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - this was a sageuk that was not on my radar with a bunch of actors I was not familiar with but it took my heart away. A good plot that was perfectly paced, characters and ships I adored, a logical ending. This is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year for me.

8. Tell Me That You Love Me - a slice of life remake (sort of, it's more "inspired by") of my favorite jdrama of all time. It's not as good as the jdrama because nothing could be, but it's an aching lovely story with some incredible performances.

7. See You In My 19th Life - funny and romantic and haunting and hopeful and odd. This was one of my favorites of the year.

6. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - it's rare for me to like a (1) sequel (2) with FL actress change (3) that is a Hong Sisters drama. But this was such a gorgeous, surprisingly achy story of love and loss and love regained with some cool monster fighting in the middle. Between the two seasons, this is the first Hong Sisters' drama I enjoyed from beginning to end in well over a decade.

5. My Demon - so tropey (chaebols, supernaturals) but it proves that these tropes are popular for a reason. The chemistry is fire, the story is unpredictable and the whole thing is an addictive delight. A rare drama where I like each new ep more than the last one.

4. Goryeo Khitan War - an old school sageuk in every meaning of the term (no romance, no eye candy, lots of bearded men, battles and politics), this feels like watching an epic movie more than a drama. The vast cast all earns their place and the performances (mainly from character actors given a chance to shine) are incredible.

3. Call It Love - two very very damaged people finding love and healing with each other. This is a narrative very hard to do to my satisfaction but when it's done well, as here, there are few things that can hold a candle to it.

2. My Dearest - a masterpiece of cinematography, narrative, performances. This is an old-school epic romance in the best sense of the term. If it doesn't make you swoon or break your heart, there is something wrong with you. A story of two untraditional, strong-willed, flawed people who fall in love in the middle of the horrifying Qing invasion of Korea and have to deal with all that the world throws at them, this is a bona fide masterpiece.

1 - Moon in the Day - who knew my favorite kdrama of the year will star a store brand Domyoji from Extraordinary You and an actress I was never familiar with. But this part period/part modern fantasy tale of doomed cursed lovers is everything I knew I wanted and everything I didn't know I wanted but did. Two lovers where their love did not save them and in modern day it might not again, has got me obsessed the way I haven't been in years.

FAVORITE DRAMA

Moon in the Day - if there is such a thing as a drama made perfectly for me, this gorgeous, emotionally haunting, utterly romantic, twisty tale is it.

WORST DRAMA

The Escape of the Seven. This drama is proof that demons exist and not sexy ones like Song Kang but horrible nasty ones who delight in the torment this hot mess inflicted on its viewers.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Ha, Moon in the Day - a Silla general and a consummate killer who committed atrocities on the orders of his monster father and yearned to die for them, who found the meaning in life in loving his enemy but it did not make him better, a man so obsessed he literally was around for 1500 years of horrifying ghostly existence and still went "worth it" for a woman who killed him as long as he knew she loved him while she did it. He's intense and competent and beyond fucked up and has never had a normal day and I love him so so so very much from a safe distance.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Gil Chae, My Dearest - she starts out as vain and spoiled but the horrors that break so many others bring out all her fierce survivor potential and she becomes such a force of nature - capable of incredible love but also sacrifice and strength and compassion.

Runner Up: Shin Hye Sun's reincarnator in See You In My 19th Life - quirky, damaged, strong, so odd and so vulnerable at once.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

There are a lot of characters who fit that category (King Injo in My Dearest? My God) but the crown belongs to So Ri Bu from Moon in the Day. You think you've seen abusive parents but until you've seen a man abuse his son his whole life and then continue for 1500 years after his death, you ain't seen nothing!

FAVORITE SHIP

The doomed by the narrative OTP of Moon in The Day. Only thing that's better than enemies to lovers is enemies while lovers and their impossible relationship where her killing him is a supreme act of love and his refusing to let go is so strong that he stays around for 1500 years watching her, helpless as she dies over and over again, is everything you ever want.

Runner up: Jang Hyun/Gil Chae, My Dearest. They are so strong and so damaged and it takes them so long to figure out what they feel and what the other person feels but their love and sacrifice and complexities are perfect.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Kim Shi Yeol/Hong Joo, The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - an assassin bodyguard pretending to be a carefree scholar and a widow of the man he killed to protect his king (and whose life was destroyed as a result.) I enjoyed the main OTP of this drama but I was utterly and completely unhinged for the secondary couple.

I'd have probably picked Rang and his mermaid from TotNT 1938 even over them, but they really were the main OTP of that drama.

NOTP

King the Land couple seems like an easy target but honestly, they are both so terribly bland and antiseptic and marketing by committee, they kinda deserve each other. So I am gonna go with Destined with You, one half of which thinks supernaturally roofying someone into loving them is cute and the other half thinks dating one woman while wooing another is totally a-ok. Ugh.

FAVORITE SCENE

There is no competition for the scene in the slave market in My Dearest, where Jang Hyun finds Gil Chae - the way he screams and tries to clutch the hem of her skirt will live in my head forever.

And the scene where he 'wins' that horrifying bet, or the scene where she finds him in a pile of bodies - they are as good also. Or when he fights off a squad to protect her even though he's sick. That whole drama is perfect.

Runner up: the scene of Do Ha executing Ri Ta's family, covered in blood, as she looks at him from the crowd in Moon in the Day.

Or the scene where he talks about how he cannot live as a person but at least maybe she will kill him and he will die as one. Or when her confession in the past intercuts with his walking in the present, or when he comes home in his bloodied armor and she finds he has a fever and it's the first tender touch he's probably ever known. Her murdering So Ri Bu saying she knows she's going against filial piety in loving her parents' murderer, the way they hug, both bloody, as he says "let's live." The way she says she can't go on as she's hit rock bottom and he replies she cannot quit because she must accompany him to his rock bottom now. Honestly, the drama is a font of amazingness.

Also, the opening scene of Goryeo Khitan War or the scene of Yang Gyu ordering to shoot the captives and having to do so himself.

The OTP meeting again at the intersection at the end of ep 1 of Tell Me That You Love Me. SHS comforting ABH as he's having a traumatic breakdown in 19th Life. The love-making scene in Call It Love. There were a lot of great scenes this year.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Lee Jang Hyun, My Dearest - is that even a competition? He's flawed - vain, often emotionally closed off, not great at processing emotions, lashing out when hurt. He is also incredibly heroic in a real, knows the cost but bears it, kind of way. Whatever he does, he commits utterly but it's never without understanding the cost. He felt both larger than life and utterly real. He went through hell and maintained his soul and the way he loved Gil Chae was breath-taking to behold.

Runner Up: Yang Gyu, Goryeo Khitan War - an experienced military commander who wins an impossible victory even as it ravages his soul. Competence is sexy as fuck.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Rang, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - 1938 really was Rang's chance to shine and he took it. For a character I started out disliking in the original, he really stole my entire heart in this drama. I am so glad he got his happy ending with his brother and his girl.

Runner Up: Crown Prince, My Dearest. He started out as a sheltered, spoiled aristocrat, convinced the world owed him for existing. He grew up slowly and painfully into an amazing man. And then was murdered for it and I cried.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Arthdal - it leaves the story at a good stopping point but it's very much a "world in flux, adventures and conflicts continue" ending and I would love to see more of these characters. I know we won't but it would have been nice.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Behind Your Touch - should have been snipped at birth.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Vigilante - I don't mean it had scissors taken to it because it's not cdrama and there is no NRTA, but this drama would have benefitted from being longer. I mean, I love fights and gay polycules as much as the next tumblr person but a bit more character development would not have come amiss. (ahaha - I said come. Leave me alone.)

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

I don't care about cops/doctors/trash collectors/whoever - workplace drama centering on their "cases" needs to die. I hate procedurals from any country and Korea is no exception.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Supernatural critter devoted to their OTP with all the power of their long life.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Our Blooming Youth - it was far from terrible but it was a giant meh. I was so excited to see Park Hyung Sik in a sageuk (that wasn't the hot mess that was Hwarang) and I adored the source novel. It actually started well and then...it's like Revenge of the Beige!

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

I want to say Moon in the Day but to be honest, I was excited by posters and trailers so it wasn't wholly a surprise despite not having much of an opinion on the actors before I saw them. So I am going to say My Demon. I was bored by the trailers, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Kim Yoo Jung drama and before this year I would have said Song Kang was an incredibly limited actor in everything I've seen him in and not appealing to me at all. And here I am rabidly rabiding for this drama!

If I am not limiting myself to dramas but can use this for actors - Hwang Minhyun in My Lovely Liar. I genuinely did not think the man could act and then he gave such a pitch-perfect, nuanced performance out of nowhere!

2023 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

I have actually watched all the kdramas that aired this year that I wanted to check out except for Evilive. I am saving this for when I have time.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

I don't know if I'd say it's the best but Say You Love Me (2004) with Kim Rae Won as a quasi monk seduced away from his true love by an evil older woman was a hell of a ride.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Love Song for Illusion (Lady assassin falls for her royal target who has two personalities), Captivating the King (lady spy falls for her royal target who is tormented) - notice a theme? Also Flower that Blooms at Night because Honey Lee in a sageuk, The Life of Mrs Ock (Lim Ji Yeon in a sageuk), The Love Story of Chun Hwa (an "erotic" sageuk, hmmmm, what?!), Hong Rang (Lee Jae Wook in a super angst sageuk), Queen Woo (that cast and set in Goguryeo!), Wong Kyung (about Lee Bang Won's wife and I love the cast.) Basically, if it's period, I am there with bells on.

[threerattsinatrenchcoat]

12, 14 and 23 for the end of the year fic asks please!

Thank you for the requests!

23 - fic I wanted to write but didn't

Going Fezzerk :( the challenge it was for got put in hiatus literally the day the first section was to be released (Fezzerk is in the third section) and has yet to start up again. Sometimes I think about just finishing it up for myself but at the same time I love doing these shared things. I had a bunch of jokes and a bit of it written. I don't know what I'll do with it.

I also have a fic planned that I might get to next year, set post game. Basically, Zevlor and Tilses get roped into solving a series of murders tied together by one thing: all the victims are previous members of the Absolute's cult. It might finally wrap up a huge plot line from I Will Bury You In Diamonds, which was which tieflings got the other dolls that helped Guex get through the Shadow Cursed Lands? It might not, though, because the more I think about the murder mystery the harder it is to tie it to that plot, haha.

14 - fic I didn't expect to write

A Honeypot; A Thirst Trap (NSFW). I did it solely on a whim because I thought some people on a server were funny and wanted to make them laugh. I barely knew the characters, I hadn't written a ton of smut, it was big "senpai notice me" energy....and now the fic has several chapters!

12 - Fav character

Arg don't make me choose. Currently it's probably Lakrissa or Salazon. They're both kind of "fail" characters, Lakrissa because she's all talk no action and happy riding Alfira's coattails, Salazon because he's the most underfunded, unlucky criminal wizard to exist. While Lakrissa is actively trying to slack off, though, Sal is trying to get some respect.

Earlier this year, definitely Pandirna, Ikaron and Guex. I loved how the three played off each other (Pandirna as a hurt but healing character, Guex as a cheerfully proactive character, and Ikaron as a stoic and overwhelmed character. All three were principled and I loved exploring that.

And I really liked my OC, Thiamarz, who was a challenge to write but with who I got to explore some really fun smut.

Link to the list questions if people want to join in:

[ninevehsage]

Finland, the happiest country in the world, where 12 year old has shot three classmates (Vantaa, April 2nd, 2024), one dead and two badly injured. Where 6% of the youth are carrying a bladed weapon with them. Where 16 year old boy was beaten to death by his schoolmates (Helsinki/Koskela, December 4th, 2020). Where 23 year old man murdered three random women by shooting them on the street in front of a pub (Imatra, December 3rd, 2016). And these are only few most known incidents... first one happened today.

There is something seriously wrong with our children and youth. As one article that I read a moment ago said, one thing to blame for our youngsters mental health problems is smartphone.

"Anxiety, depression, suicides, stabbings and loneliness among young people rose sharply in the period 2010–2015. Worst with girls."

"2010-2015 is exactly the period when humanity moved from old Nokias to iPhones. Smartphones were also bought for children. The matter was not considered anyway. It was a great invention, it was modern, it was of today."

"From 2010 to 2015, the girls moved to Instagram. The boys disappeared into game worlds and porn sites. Play-centered childhood changed to phone-centered childhood."

"The youth are feeling bad because smartphones are programming their brains differently than children playing. Active and social playing was replaced by staring at the screen."

Read the whole article here (in Finnish)

And our government is helping the situation by cutting money from everyone else except from rich a.k.a. themselves. The cuts will mostly affect on poor families children, single parents children and students. Oh! And the government also wants to bring stronger alcohol to supermarkets so that it would be even easier to get more intoxicated, which certainly doesn't help those who are already suffering from alcoholism and its side effects (meaning also the abused family members).

I truly wonder from whom they asked, whether this country seems/feels happy?

[sterekposevents]

If you want a low-key Sterek event for fall, here's an open posting event to consider. @sterekposevents is hosting....

Fall in Love with Sterek

Autumn is calling… Fall in Love with Sterek!

This is an ao3 open posting event for fall themed Sterek stories but feel free to also post on Tumblr or Twitter and tag @sterekposevents so we see it and can repost it for you.

Hosted by Sterek Positivity Events (SPE), Fall In Love With Sterek 2023 will officially run from September 23, 2023 to December 21, 2023, though the collection is open for posting now if you write something early and want to include it.

So what are Stiles and Derek up to this fall? Are they just meeting, or have they known each other for a while? Are they coming back to town, or have they been in town for years? Are they pack, or do they barely know one another?

Take us on a journey with Sterek this season with all the fun things to do in fall…and let us fall in love right alongside Stiles and Derek.

Want to write a drabble? A ficlet? A one-shot? Novella? How about a novel-length story? All are welcome!

Ao3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SPE_FallinLovewithSterek_2023/profile

Here’s a few ideas of things Stiles and Derek could do or experience this fall…

Baking contests Pie eating contests Bobbing for apples Apple picking Candy/Caramel Apples Bake sales Cider tasting Wine tastings/tours Hayrides Corn mazes Halloween/Samhain, All Hallows Eve Thanksgiving Bonfires Sports: Football, Lacrosse, etc Dances Movie nights Fairs or festivals Craft shows Pumpkin Carving Crochet/Knitting Farmer’s Market Harvest Festival Haunted Houses Horror Movies Drive In Movies Jewish Holidays Polish Independence Day (November 11, 2023) Unconventional Handwarmers Hiking Horseback riding Octoberfest Leaf Peeping/Scenic Drives Fireplace Potluck dinners Candles Food bank Chili Cookoff Petting Zoo Murder Mystery Party Tag/Touch football Soups/Cooking/Recipe Sharing Pumpkin Patch Decorating Contest Camping Trip Reading/Library/Book Store Sunflower Field Pumpkin Art Cabin in the Woods Arts & Crafts Projects Acorn Painting/Collecting Leaf Jumping Scavenger Hunt Backyard Games Smores Fall Bucket List Cooking Baking Ghost Tour Escape Room Nature Walk Street Fair Scarecrow Contest Puzzle/Board Game Night Truth or Dare (Fall-Themed)

Questions? send an email to posisterekevents@gmail.com

If you're on the SPE discord server, you've likely already seen us talking about this. Same with the Sterek Writers server. If you aren't on those servers but would like to join, let me know and I'll get you an invite to both!

[sorenblr]

Prepare those calzones rojos and don't choke til you swallow that twelfth grape.

Any "best of '23" lists you wanna expose to this here tumblr audience?

I've waited until the very end to answer this, since my yearly vacation lines up with the last week of December, allowing maximum time to devote to "gaming like a monster". I still didn't play shit for new games this year, but I am confident that every title on this list makes Baldur's Gate 3 and Tears of the Kingdom look like a bunch of muddy, wet shit:

Heart of the Killer

The 8th and penultimate episode in thecatamites' Anthology of the Killer series, which in aggregate is the most compelling project to come out of the medium in recent memory. Follow zinester and aspiring murder victim BB as she navigates a strange world of maniac killers and maniac killer paraphernalia. Combines the warm trappings of pulp horror and associated genre schlock with the profound literary sense and humor of the author. Boasts the rare perfect art design.

This one features 'liminal spaces' and is about the regulation and dictation of desire. Oh shit!

Varney Lake

Another 'pixel-pulp' title by the Argentine LCB Studio, this time a King or Bradbury-esque portrait of mournful childhood nostalgia set in the summer of 1954. Three friends find a dracula in the woods and he turns out to be basically just a stand-up kind of guy. Sincere, intelligent writing and gorgeous CGA-inspired art that transcends mere imitation of that style.

Pseudo-sequel to the fantastic Mothmen 1966 and best enjoyed in sequence with that game.

Stomp Plonk

It's just good old-fashioned fun to stomp and plonk around in Marek Kapolka's wordless fantasy world. The character designs and animation here bring me a lot of joy. Sometimes a game just needs to be a collection of little cretins.

Pseudoregalia

Sharply designed 3D metroidvania based on an earlier game jam project. Strangely melancholic tone and a nice, expressive moveset. One of the more engaging translations of the genre to 3D.

You can tell the developer didn't expect so many eyes on this because the protagonist has her big goat ass hanging all the way out and they had to include a toggle for pants in the options menu.

Honorable Mentions:

Shards of God: point-and-click agatha christie murder mystery set on a dune-esque desert planet. good

Orbo's Odyssey: kinetic 3d platformer. movement funny... but good?? slay 4 golden draculas

Kowloon's Curse: Lost Report: any game with an explorable desktop w/ fake sites and shit is good

Tommy Gun Witches: if you haven't seen the main promo screen for this game, there's still time for you to correct that

DOCTRINESPACE: cool twine game about a future where crypto bullshit is king, and the doctrines are hotter than ever

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days: mostly about killing chinese police officers and any civilians foolish enough to enter your line of sight. kane and lynch are craaaaazy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2023 games that I would like to have played but couldn't squeeze in: Blasphemous 2, Crypt Underworld, Bahnsen Knights, Knuckle Sandwich, 24 Killers etc.

[july-19th-club]

READ IN 2023

TOTAL LIST LENGTH: 532 BOOKS LONG (jesus)

NUMBER OF BOOKS READ:  52, but like 18 of them were Animorphs books

The dates are from when I started the book to when I finished it, so sometimes there’s a considerable gap if I picked the book up, took a break, and put it back down again. Sometimes the gap is two or three years. Don’t worry about it.

TITLES & DATES:

Last Smile in Sunder City (Sunder City #1) – Luke Arnold (July 2020 – BREAK – February 2023)

Practical Magic – Alice Hoffman (reread; September 2022 – January 2023)

The Farm – Joanne Ramos (December 2022 – January 2023)

Leech – Hiron Ennes (December 2022 – January 2023)

Late Eclipses, October Daye #4 – Seanan McGuire (December 2022 – February 2023)

Close Range – Annie Proulx (reread; January)

A Head Full of Ghosts – Paul Tremblay (January)

The Pallbearer’s Club – Paul Tremblay (January)

“Red Ballooning,” short story – Aimee Pogson (reread; January)

The Visitor, Animorphs #2 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Encounter, Animorphs #3 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Message, Animorphs #4 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Predator, Animorphs #5 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Capture, Animorphs #6 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Stranger, Animorphs #7 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Andalite’s Gift, Animorphs #7.5 – K. A. Applegate – (January)

The Alien, Animorphs #8 – K. A. Applegate – (February)

The Secret, Animorphs #9 – K. A. Applegate – (February)

The Android, Animorphs #10 – K. A. Applegate – (February)

The Forgotten, Animorphs #11 – K. A. Applegate – (February – March)

The Reaction, Animorphs #12 – K. A. Applegate – (March)

Dark Places – Gillian Flynn (January – March)

Gather the Daughters – Jennie Melamed (January – February)

The Woman in the Wall – Patrice Kindl (reread; February)

“Through This House,” October Daye short story – Seanan McGuire (February)

The Dream House – Carmen Maria Machado (February – March)

Bunny – Mona Awad (February – March)

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead – Tom Stoppard (March 23)

Let The Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty – Maurice Chammah (March – April)

Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (March – April)

Feast Your Eyes – Myla Goldberg (March – May; skimmed to finish)

One Salt Sea, October Daye #5 – Seanan McGuire (March – December)

When You Reach Me – Rebecca Stead (reread; April)

The Twyford Code – Janice Hallett – DNF April

Screams From the Dark: 29 Tales of Monsters and the Monstrous – ed. Ellen Datlow (April – June)

Sex Cult Nun – Faith Jones (April – July)

Some Desperate Glory – Emily Tesh (April – July)

American History – Alexandra Petrie (June)

The Andalite Chronicles, Animorphs #12.5 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Change, Animorphs #13 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Unknown, Animorphs #14 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Escape, Animorphs #15 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Warning, Animorphs #16 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Underground, Animorphs #17 – K. A. Applegate – (June)

The Emperor of All Maladies – Siddhartha Mukherjee (June – August)

Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings – Shirley Jackson (July)

The Well of Sacrifice – Chris Eboch (July – August)

Plato & A Platypus Walk Into A Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes – Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein (July – August)

Babel – R. F. Kuang (July – October)

Boredom, Death Note #1 -Tsugumi Ohba/Takeshi Obata (reread; August)

Confluence, Death Note #2 – Tsugumi Ohba/Takeshi Obata (reread; September)

Hard Run, Death Note #3 – Tsugumi Ohba/Takeshi Obata (reread; October)

I Sing the Body Electric – Ray Bradbury – DNF October

Nickel & Dimed: On Not Getting By in America – Barbara Ehrenreich (October – December)

i actually can't find the ask game i thought i'd had last year and i might have just made that up in my head but if you want my opinion on any of these books please throw it in the ask box and i will do my best to answer :D

[thingy-wing]

Here I am once again speaking to the void.

I have no local book club anymore, and I just want to build myself a little community of book lovers with similar reading likes/dislikes! So here we go!

Hi all, I’m Mac (she/her)! I’m 23 and from western Canada! I’m currently working on my second university degree and as of December will be, officially, a teacher! I’m falling back in love with reading at the moment (I got to preoccupied with journals and research in my first degree for a lot of fun reading) and have been really enjoying rereading old favourites and asking those around me to read their new/old favourites!

Genres I like (and read most often)

- fantasy

- dystopia

- romance

- mystery (murder)

-historical

- horror (no particular subgenre as of yet)

Favourite books of all time?

- Taxidermists daughter, Kate Mosse

- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

- The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzzane Collins

- Piranessi, Susanna Clarke

- Horse, Geraldine Brooks

Favourite Books I have read in 2024

- Horse, Geraldine Brooks

- Everyone in my family has killed someone, Benjamin Stevenson

- Between two fires, Christopher Buehlman

- A certain Hunger, Chelsea G. Summers

Currently Reading:

- Wolfsong, Tj Klune

- The Cloisters, Katy Hays

- VenCo, Cherie Dimaline

I also read a lot of fan fiction which I am sure you will discover if you see my page!

[herecomesthefirstday]

herecomesthefirstday's year in review

Big things: Published a paper & a letter with my job, moved out of my parents' house and in with my boyfriend, stopped having a job, started watching One Piece, flew to Atlanta even though I hate flying, caught up with One Piece

TOP 20 FILMS OF 2023 / more & more year in review (music, TV, books, games) under readmore

Bottoms

Past Lives

Polite Society

The Holdovers

Oppenheimer

John Wick Chapter 4

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Rye Lane

Killers of the Flower Moon

May December

Barbie

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

The Pope's Exorcist

Asteroid City

Theater Camp

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

You Hurt My Feelings

Poor Things

They Cloned Tyrone

80 For Brady

BEST SHORT OF 2023: Take Me Home

Songs on repeat / movies I watched and rated 4.5 or 5 stars / books read / TV watched / games played by month

January 🎵 Marigolds - Kishi Bashi American Teenager - Ethel Cain 🎬 Hail, Caesar! (2016) 4.5 Embrace of the Serpent (2015) 5 Fail Safe (1964) 4.5 Honorable mention: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) 3.5 📚 World War Z - Max Brooks 🔁1/16 Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/18 Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/23 Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/26 📺 Dark

February 🎵 Partita for 8 Voices - Roomful of Teeth God Is a Freak - Peach PRC 🎬 Third Kind (2018) 4.5 Showgirls (1995) 4.5 Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) 🔁 5 📚 The Memory Police - Yōko Ogawa 2/7 Authority - Jeff VanderMeer 2/15 📺 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 🔁 Bloodline S1

March 🎵 Not Another Rockstar - Maisie Peters 🎬 Banshees of Inisherin (2022) 4.5 John Wick (2014) 🔁 4.5 John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019) 🔁 5 Honorable mention: 80 for Brady (2023) 3 📚 Acceptance - Jeff VanderMeer 3/4 How To Hide An Empire - Daniel Immerwahr 📺 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 🔁 Yellowjackets S1 🔁 S2 Poker Face Defending Jacob

April 🎵 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) - Lizzo Daytona Sand - Orville Peck Little Dark Age - MGMT 🎬 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) 4.5 Honorable mention: Rye Lane (2023) 4 📚 How To Hide An Empire - Daniel Immerwahr 4/1 📺 Succession Grey's Anatomy Yellowjackets

May 🎵 Home - Diana Ross Lipstick Lover - Janelle Monáe Gloria - Laura Branigan 🎬 Polite Society (2023) 5 The Joy Luck Club (1993) 4.5 Crank (2006) 4.5 📺 Succession Grey's Anatomy Yellowjackets White Lotus 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom

June 🎵 Lipstick Lover - Janelle Monáe Movin' Out - Billy Joel 🎬 The Fabelmans (2022) 4.5 Casablanca (1942) 🔁 4.5 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) 4.5 Deep Blue Sea (1999) 5 What We Do In The Shadows (2014) 🔁 5 📺 White Lotus Grey's Anatomy Marriage The Bear 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom

July 🎵 My House - Diana Ross Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell 🎬 Lady Bird (2017) 🔁 4.5 Pacific Rim (2013) 🔁 5 Whiplash (2014) 5 The Watermelon Woman (1996) 4.5 Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 🔁 4.5 Oppenheimer (2023) 4.5 📺 The Bear Grey's Anatomy Black Mirror What We Do In The Shadows Foundation 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom Rocket League

August 🎵 It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion Adagio in D Minor - John Murphy 🎬 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) 4.5 📺 Foundation Only Murders in the Building Grey's Anatomy One Piece 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom We Love Katamari 📚 The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

September 🎵 American Pie - Don McLean 🎬 Bottoms (2023) 5 📺 One Piece Foundation Grey's Anatomy 🎮 We Love Katamari 📚 The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco (9/9) Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg (9/26)

October 🎵 No One Comes Close - Infinity Song New Body Rhumba - LCD Soundsystem No One Dies From Love - Tove Lo 🎬 Past Lives (2023) 5 Deep Blue Sea (1999) 🔁 5 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy Lupin GBBO 📚 Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief - Maurice Leblanc (10/26)

November 🎵 Liability - Lorde Together in Electric Dreams - Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder 🎬 Annette (2021) 4.5 Electric Dreams (1984) 5 Honorable Mention: Light & Magic (2022) 4 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy GBBO The Crown Mindhunter 🔁 📚 The Uranium Club - Miriam E. Hiebert (11/16)

December 🎵 Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven) - Elisapie Butchered Tongue - Hozier Christmas Baby - Infinity Song Home For Christmas - Infinity Song 🎬 The Holdovers (2023) 4.5 x2 Take Me Home (2023) 5 - short Pro Pool (2022) 4.5 - short Mamma Mia! (2008) 5 🔁 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) 5 🔁 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 5 🔁 Honorable mention: The Quiet Girl (2022) 4 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy Only Murders in the Building New Amsterdam Frieren Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury The Crown Pokémon Concierge 🎮 Fall Guys Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 📚 Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (12/25)

[natashasbitxh]

💛Smoshblr December Asks Day 23💙

What are your top 3 favourite books (/comics/manga/poems/etc...) and/or top 3 you would recommend to others?

honestly any of the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins but I'll say Catching Fire

the Good Girls Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson, but I'll specifically says As Good As Dead cause that had me GAGGED

And Reflection by Elizabeth Lim from the Twisted Tale series

And I'd recommend all of those!!

[scumbag-the-hedgehog]

Managed five kills, including Sonic, in one night and is still just focused on doing the "flirty asshole" routine.

[hedgehoghavoc]

"Hu-"

*KABOOM*

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

Hallmark Publishing - Complete Book List (and all their covers)

Hallmark Publishing - Complete Book List 

Journey Back to Christmas by Leigh Duncan (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - October 17, 2017

Christmas in Homestead by Kara Tate (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - October 24, 2017 

Love You Like Christmas by Keri F. Sweet (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - October 30, 2017 

A Heavenly Christmas by Rhonda Merwarth (Based on the Hallmark Hall of Fame Original Movie) - November 7, 2017 

Dash of Love by Liz Isaacson (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - December 26, 2017 

Moonlight in Vermont by Kacy Cross (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - January 2, 2018

Love Locks by Cory Martin (Based on the Hallmark Hall of Fame Original Movie) - February 20, 2018 

The Perfect Catch by Cassidy Carter (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - March 27, 2018 

Like Cats & Dogs by Alexis Stanton (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - April 17, 2018 

Dater’s Handbook by Cara Lockwood (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - May 15, 2018 

A Christmas to Remember by Rebecca Moesta (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - June 26, 2018 

Christmas in Evergreen by Nancy Naigle (Book 1) (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - July 10, 2018

A Country Wedding by Leigh Duncan (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - July 24, 2018 

Sunrise Cabin by Stacey Donovan - September 16, 2018 

The Christmas Company by Alys Murray - October 16, 2018 

A Timeless Christmas by Alexis Stanton (Made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - October 21, 2018 

October Kiss by Kristen Ethridge (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - August 21, 2018 

At the Heart of Christmas by Jill Monroe - November 6, 2018 

The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle (Made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - February 12, 2019 

Love on Location by Cassidy Carter - March 12, 2019 

Beach Wedding Weekend by Rachel Magee - May 15, 2019 

Love at the Shore by Teri Wilson (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - June 11, 2019 

A Down Home Christmas by Liz Talley - July 2, 2019 

Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa by Nancy Naigle (Book 2) (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - July 16, 2019

Out of the Picture: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery by Tracy Gardner (Book 1) - September 3, 2019 

A Royal Christmas Wish by Lizzie Shane - September 10, 2019 

A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - September 17, 2019 

An Unforgettable Christmas by Ginny Baird - September 24, 2019 

Wrapped Up in Christmas by Janice Lynn (Book 1) - October 1, 2019 

Love by Chance by Kacy Cross (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - December 26, 2019 

The Game Changer: A Parkwood Mystery by Jennifer Brown (Book 1) - January 7, 2020 

Country Hearts by Cindi Madsen - January 20, 2020 

The Story of Us by Teri Wilson (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - February 4, 2020 

A Simple Wedding: A Heart’s Landing Novel by Leigh Duncan (Book 1) - March 10, 2020 

In Other Words, Love by Shirley Jump - April 21, 2020 

A Cottage Wedding: A Heart’s Landing Novel by Leigh Duncan (Book 2) - June 2, 2020 

Christmas in Bayberry by Jennifer Faye - July 7, 2020 

Sailing at Sunset by Cindi Madsen - July 21, 2020 

Behind the Frame: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery by Tracy Gardner (Book 2) - August 11, 2020 

Dead-End Detective: A Piper & Porter Mystery by Amanda Flower (Book 1) - August 25, 2020 

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson - October 6, 2020

Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy by Janice Lynn (Book 2) - October 27, 2020 

Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy by Nancy Naigle (Book 3) (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - November 3, 2020

Rescuing Harman Ranch by Jennie Marts - February 23, 2021 

Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews (Book 1) - March 23, 2021 

A Waterfront Wedding: A Heart’s Landing Novel by Leigh Duncan (Book 3) - April 20, 2021 

Wedding in the Pines by Cassidy Carter - May 4, 2021 

South Beach Love by Caridad Pineiro (Made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - May 25, 2021 

Once Upon A Royal Summer by Teri Wilson - June 15, 2021 

Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley - July 13, 2021 

An Amish Flower Farm by Mindy Steele - July 27, 2021 

Still Life and Death: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery by Tracy Gardner (Book 3) - August 10, 2021 

On Christmas Avenue by Ginny Baird - September 21, 2021 

Mistletoe in Juneau by Dahlia Rose - October 19, 2021 

Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope by Janice Lynn (Book 3) - October 26, 2021

Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing by Lacey Baker (Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie) - November 2, 2021 

Cowboy Ever After by Jennie Marts - June 28, 2022 

The Beach Escape by Rachel Magee  - August 9, 2022 

Murder Out of Character: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews (Book 2) - September 13, 2022 

Once Upon A Royal Christmas by Teri Wilson - November 1, 2022 

Christmas at the Amish Market by Shelly Shepard Gray - November 8, 2022 

Frozen Detective: A Piper & Parker Mystery by Amanda Flower (Book 2) - December 6, 2022 

Sweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane - January 17, 2023 (Made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie)

[purplemang0z]

I posted 204 times in 2022

That's 204 more posts than 2021!

106 posts created (52%)

98 posts reblogged (48%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cuphead-fans

@hey-imma-fangirl

@kate-cuphead-fans

@vampireium

@firecurls-27

I tagged 88 of my posts in 2022

#cute - 65 posts

#art - 51 posts

#digital art on tumblr - 49 posts

#cuphead - 35 posts

#cuphead oc - 30 posts

#king dice - 23 posts

#millie - 21 posts

#oc - 21 posts

#drawtober - 13 posts

#drawtober 2022 - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 31 characters

#*insert inspiration quote here*

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

hi satan

Devil: Hi Bitch

This is my first time drawing the devil hope you like it.

15 notes - Posted October 25, 2022

#4

I'm curious.

Why did king dice adopt Millie?

Like seriously why, in the game and show it seems like He HATES humans

See the full post

17 notes - Posted September 25, 2022

#3

How's Millie doing?

King Dice: She told me to answer for her because she’s heated. She is not in the best place right now. Millie in the background: IF EVER SEE HIM AGAIN I’M GOING TO MURDER HIM!!

17 notes - Posted October 1, 2022

#2

This is a redraw of King Dice's in my style.

Also, this is how he looks in my au.

21 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I am making a my own Picrew chain. Go here and make your OC or a human version of your Oc and Tag whoever you want.

Here’s mine

Milliana Dice

@cuphead-fans @hey-imma-fangirl @nightmaretherabbit @fanoffandoms23 @blackf1ower @askthetireddicehead. + anyone who wants to join

57 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[dpinoycosmonaut]

SAN BEDA’S RECORD-EXTENDING 23rd CHAMPIONSHIP VINDICATES RED LIONS’ PROGRAM

by Bert A. Ramirez / December 18, 2023

The San Beda team and its supporters celebrate after the Red Lions clinched their 23rd NCAA championship.  (Photo from Tiebreaker Times)

                Yesterday’s landmark championship victory by the San Beda Red Lions not only extended their NCAA record to 23 men’s basketball titles won but, more importantly, has vindicated the Mendiola squad’s basketball program.

                The Red Lions overcame a four-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to beat top-seeded Mapua University in their winner-take-all duel going away 76-66 and in effect avenged a close defeat in the championship battle between the two teams’ predecessors 32 years ago.  This, incidentally, was the Cardinals’ last championship victory in the league, a three-decade-plus drought that they wanted to end this year.

                It was not to be, however, as Yukien Andrada and James Payosing, the eventual Finals MVP, combined in the last quarter to deliver the killer blows that eventually wilted the favored Cardinals. Down by their biggest deficit 57-53 when the season’s final frame started after having led most of the way from the start, the Lions showed the heart of their mascot king of the jungle, coming up with their most lethal assault when everything was on the line.

Yukien Andrada unleashes one of the three-point bombs that eventually took the life out of the Mapua Cardinals’ cause.  (Photo from NCAA Philippines’ Facebook account)

                After top Mapua scorer and rebounder JC Recto (18 points, 13 rebounds) gave the Cardinals a 61-58 lead with a layup with eight minutes to go, the Red Lions, through Andrada, Payosing and Jacob Cortez, came up with a crippling 10-0 blow to take irretrievable control of the game.  Andrada first tied it up with a three-point bomb, Payosing then put San Beda up for good with two free shots, and Andrada then hit another triple before Cortez came up with a banked floater as the Lions roared to a 68-61 lead and their supporters from the 23.077 fans that packed the Araneta Coliseum cheered them on.

                Then, after Paolo Hernandez ended the Mapua drought with a long two, Clifford Jopia, playing in his last game for San Beda along with birthday-boy Peter Alfaro and Damie Cuntapay, scored on a putback to make it 70-63, time down to 3:22.  Payosing then clustered three more points to complete a murderous 15-2 San Beda onslaught and give the Lions their biggest lead at 73-63 and all but take the fight out of the Cardinals with barely two minutes remaining.

                Andrada topscored for San Beda with 20 points and also had six rebounds while Payosing had another double-double with 11 points and a game-best 14 rebounds and Cortez, who was cramping up as early as the third quarter, contributed eight points and eight assists after leading the Bedans to their series-tying 71-65 victory in Game 2 with 21 points as San Beda won its first men’s title since 2018.  That was when the NCAA still allowed foreign student athletes and the Lions, then with Donald Tankoua, was the object of protests, if not envy, by a number of league members owing to their dominance after having won 11 championships in 14 years employing such players, a stretch that started in 2006.

   ��            But since the NCAA has banned foreign student athletes in 2020, San Beda has failed to win a championship, further fueling sentiments that they only won because of such players, not even considering that many home-grown talents that went on to excel in the pros were also developed by the school through its basketball program.

                This latest championship should put that issue to rest, particularly after several key home-grown players left the school for various reasons just before NCAA Season 99 started.  Five of these players, for example, chose not to return following the Lions’ Final Four exit last year, with veterans James Kwekuteye and JB Bahio making the jump to the pros and younger guys like Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez and Gab Cometa all transferring to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.  Just to show how vital these five departing players were, they combined for 46.2 points of the Red Lions’ 75.7-point average in Season 98.

                Kwekuteye alone was the Lions’ undisputed go-to guy and was a member of the Season 98 Mythical Five, while the 6-foot-3 Bahio finished third in the MVP voting and was likewise in the Mythical Five while also making the All-Defensive Team, and Ynot averaged 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds and the 6-5 Sanchez 5.6 points and 3.4 boards.

                This is why Andrada, a 6-5 frontliner with a deadly three-point shot, now fittingly symbolizes San Beda’s basketball program as he is the only remnant of that old core they expected to build upon and, along with such guys as Payosing, Cortez, former Mapua Red Robin star Nygel Gonzales and 6-6 Fil-Canadian recruit Jomel Puno, would now make up the Red Lions’ new core in the next few years.

                San Beda’s resounding victory in this year’s senior basketball competitions should also entrench coach Yuri Escueta as the new undisputed head of San Beda basketball.  Escueta, in just his second year at the helm, has shown an excellent grasp of the nuances of the game and the psyche of his players.  Left without those major departures, it could have easily been a rebuilding year for the Bedans.

                But Escueta, armed with great leadership and motivational skills, made do with what he had and, as a scribe described it, “resharpened” the Lions’ claws in just one year.  Sure, he got help from elite basketball minds in consultants Norman Black and Boyet Fernandez, a San Beda champion coach himself, but on his own, Escueta has shown adept basketball knowledge.

Coach Yuri Escueta gets a victory lift from his players.  (Photo from Tiebreaker Times)

                When the Lions lost four of their first five games in the second round, for example, which eventually deprived the Lions a twice-to-beat advantage, Escueta rallied his guys and regrouped them to take the succeeding games one game at a time, and it worked.  The Red Lions won their last four assignments in the eliminations, including a crucial win over Lyceum of the Philippines, and they beat the second-seeded Pirates in the semifinals twice before losing their first game to Mapua in the finals to see that streak end at six.

                Yesterday’s clinching victory, however, showed that whatever Escueta cooked up and the Red Lions executed is just what they needed to show even the doubters that they were the best team in the league once more, and the San Beda program is indeed one of the country’s elite, with or without foreign talent.