#(but i guess it is a good thing i haven'T got around to selecting more fav OSTs... there are so many good ones)

[akai-anna]

to everyone who has participated (and especially reblogged with tags) in my DetCo song polls: it is so such a pleasure to come home to y'all enjoying (AKA making hard decisions) these

thank you for blessing my day after work, y'all the best💕

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

am i the asshole for not lending my uncle my copy of zelda tears of the kingdom?

i (17f) have two uncles which are relevant to this story, both maternal. they're the oldest and youngest (not sure exactly how old, one is around 30 and the other is in his late 40s/early 50s.)

last year, the older uncle lent me his copy of zelda breath of the wild. this was after about a year and a half of him having it. during that time he made sure i was well aware how difficult and lengthy it was, which was why he couldn't give it to me to play yet. i don't profess to be a gamer or anything- i just enjoy playing videogames, and i didn't really know what the zelda series was at the time, so i kind of just shrugged it off. when he finally did give it to me, it was after i let his kids borrow my personal copy of animal crossing, and he kind of just stuck the cartridge into my hand while i was leaving and insisted i take it.

i was and still am a student, and just didn't have the time to start casually playing until a few months later in the spring, around may. i really enjoyed it and got 75% of the way through by the time summer vacation rolled around, which was when my cousin (his son) started dropping by to ask when i would be giving zelda back. i told him every day for three consecutive days that i would give it back when i was finished, but he was really anxious to start playing because my uncle only lets them have their nintendo switch in the summer. i offered my cousin his selection of any game we had (as we have done multiple times). he said he'd already played all of our games and that a couple of the newer ones my brother had gotten for his birthday were "trashy" and left.

the fourth time he came over he basically stood in the doorway and demanded the zelda game, said it was his dad's, and that he'd give it back when he finished it. my mom scolded him because of his attitude, saying that my uncle mostly just borrows whatever games they want to play from us for up to a year and a half at a time, and we never complain. she told me to go get the game and give it to him, and he started crying and left before i could. my uncle came over ten minutes later to smooth things over and left with botw. he never gave it back and i never got to finish it.

back in around november, my younger uncle, who is unmarried and has no kids, gifted me zelda botw and totk, specifically because he'd heard about what happened with my older uncle. when my older uncle found out at thanksgiving, he asked me to give totk to him. i told him i was busy with college apps and haven't opened it yet and he said it was fine, and that he would play it and give it back in a few days. i refused, saying that i wanted to open my own game when i wasn't busy, and my mom, who was also there, agreed with me and said that i deserved the experience of opening a present and enjoying it on my own time. he tried a few more times to convince me unsuccessfully and eventually relented.

two months ago i opened botw and am making very slow progress on it because i just don't have the time to finish it as quick as i'd like. totk is still in the plastic on my dresser. a few days ago my uncle messaged me asking for totk, and i ignored it. my mom told me just to tell him i already lent it to someone, but today he turned up on my porch while i was waiting to go to school and asked me for it, and in my exasperation i said, "i haven't even opened it yet." he again told me to let HIM open it and that "he'd give it back in three days after finishing it," and just to let him have it. i told him no. and then i told him no several more times. at one point he got annoyed and said, "fine, be like that," and walked away.

some additional context: my uncle is not broke. he makes six figures and has a very good engineering job. he bought a ps5 almost as soon as it came out. he makes the conscious choice not to purchase his own games, i guess because he feels no need to when he could just borrow them from us instead? my family doesn't make a lot of money but my mom saves up so we can have games, usually as birthday or holiday gifts. i have never borrowed a game from him except botw because he doesn't have any to lend. i also feel like if he really wanted zelda totk that bad he could just buy it himself, because he can definitely afford it. my mom, maternal aunt, and cousins (not his kids) are all on my side, and my aunt says that my younger uncle doesn't like my older uncle and would be pissed if i lent them to him. on the other hand i just feel bad for holding out and being difficult because i want to open it on my own time, and i even though i don't like him as a person i still feel guilty for being rude to and pissing him off because he's my mom's oldest sibling.

so, aita for not lending it to him?

What are these acronyms?

[ahgasegotarmy116]

One more idea cause the Bang-Able couple inspires me greatly. What about the first time she gets her period after she gets him. Maybe he's very concerned for her getting cramps and bleeding and he goes to buy her all kinds of craving foods and heating pads and medicines. You could have him go buy pads or tampons and he has no clue what to get so he buys a bunch of different things. You could even end the drabble in a kinky way and have him give her an orgasm to help relieve her cramps.

You know what fucking sucks? (tmi) I just started my period tonight 😭

So I guess this is a little selfishly written drabble to make myself feel better 😭

This is written in Jungkook's p.o.v

~~~~~

"So what exactly might she need?" I turn to Ava who's kicking back and enjoying my struggle.

"You're the robot sir I thought you would know everything. Plus you live with her? Haven't you seen her period products in the bathroom?" she asks, watching me as I pace up and down the aisle trying to figure out what she might use.

"I think she keeps them hidden or something because I've never seen them" I say and reach tentatively for a couple of products. "Do you at least know if she uses tampons or pads? Or does she use one of those diva cup things?" I ask, trying to squeeze some sort of information out of her.

"Y/n is honestly pretty private about her period. That's probably why you haven't seen anything" she says and I nod my head, everything making sense now.

"We could always call her?" Ava says but I panic and stop her. "No no no, she was sleeping when you picked me up and I know she needs a lot of rest so let's just leave her be" I say and grab three different kinds of pads and tampons and Ava scoffs at the sight.

"Aye you're not helping so I figured third times a charm no?" I say but I'm only graced with a shrug in response and when I toss the items in the basket she whips it around and goes back into the main aisle.

"So what next?" Ava asks and as I look to the left I see exactly what I was searching for next. "Ice cream" I say and walk over to the freezers, not bothering to pay attention if Ava is still following me but after dodging a few rouge carts she pulls up to me.

"Oh no that's fine Jungkook you go ahead, I'll just catch up" she mutters and I turn and look at her apologetically. "Sorry I'm jus-" "Just focused on y/n I get it, it's what you were programed to do. Do you at least know what kind of ice cream she likes?" she asks and as I look up and down the various selections I find it.

"This one! I'm sure of it!" I say and she chuckles. "You really love to please her don't you?" she says and turns the basket towards the snack aisle as our last stop.

"Well like you said, it's what I was programed for, plus you were the one who programed me so you should know better than anyone else" I argue and she sighs in defeat.

"You got me there I guess. What I don't remember though is giving you such golden retriever energy when you're eagerly getting simple items together for your master like tampons and ice cream" she teases and I roll my eyes, a habit I've developed from seeing her do it whenever y/n and I are doing anything remotely touchy feely.

"She's my girlfriend remember?" I correct her and she rolls her eyes proving my point perfectly. "Sorry, this concept is still new to all of us so it's gonna take some getting used to" she sighs but I take no offense to it.

I mean I literally can't because I'm just programed to have these reactions superficially but it's nice to see that she has manners to a certain extent.

"Are we good?" she asks, making sure I've got everything and I nod in confirmation and soon we're back at the house.

"Thank you for your help" I say while unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out to grab everything from the back. She would offer to help but I literally could carry a car if need be which is honestly a cool yet completely pointless feature if you ask me.

"Yeah no worries. I usually go on these snack runs on my own when she's like this so it's nice to have someone to come with" she says once I've come back around to the passenger side again.

"You heading home?" I ask, seeing that she's not making a move to get out. "Yeah I figured she probably wouldn't be in the mood for any company but have her call me when she's feeling better" she says with a pained expression, knowing how painful your periods are.

"I will" I say simply and wave before walking into the house to take care of my very sleepy girl.

"Baby" I whisper to her, caressing her face softly and she hums in response. "I got you the pain meds you asked for...and a lot of other stuff too" I say sheepishly, not having told her I was planning to go a little (a lot) over the original amount she had expected me to spend.

She breathes out a quiet thank you, her eyes still closed as she hasn't made any sort of effort to get up. "You want some help?" I ask, my thumb brushing up against her cheekbone and she nods slightly.

"Alright come on" I say softly, not wanting to startle her awake or anything. I brace her and sit her up against the headboard before giving her a glass of water to drink first which she downs half of.

"Good, now here can you eat a couple of these? I don't want you to be taking these pills on an empty stomach" I say, giving her an open sleeve of plain crackers so as to not upset her stomach and she does as she's told again.

It's good to see that she's obedient even in this state so this although painful situation for her can go as smoothly as possible. After she's eaten about seven to ten of these little crackers I give her to two little pills and hand her the glass of water again and she take it without a second thought.

"That's my girl" I say and caress her face which she leans into, making me smile at her clear want to be close to me. "Can you come lay with me?" she asks and I nod my head and go around to my side of the bed.

"Lay on your back" I say when she tries to cuddle in close and she looks at me suspiciously. "Don't look at me like that just trust me" I say and she sighs and does as she's told.

I settle in next to her, cuddling up close and slip my hand under her shirt and rest it against her bare stomach but before she can even ask me what I'm doing she practically moans in content.

"You mean to tell me I can use your hands as heating pads?" she asks with her eyes wide and looking down at where it's resting. "I thought you might like that" I chuckle and she places her hand on top of mine to apply some more pressure and place it exactly where she needs it.

"If I wasn't on my period I would jump your bones for doing something like this for me" she says and I laugh, "We'll I don't have bones but I can definetly help you out with that right now if you want? Studies show that orgasms can help relieve period pain" I say, trailing my hand down under her waistband but she stops me before I can get much further.

"Maybe later, I just wanna stay like this for a while" she says and I apply some more pressure since she seems to enjoy that, turning the heat up a couple of notches but not enough to hurt her.

"Get some sleep love" I whisper and kiss her temple. "I'll be right here when you wake up"

~~~~

Decided to go the fluffy route because that's exactly the kind of attention I would love to have from him right now 😭

I know I'm delulu but you are too 😭

But anyways I hope you liked it 💜

[wrongcaitlyn]

do you have any jegulus fic recs??

YES ABSOLUTELY

it's been a bit since i've read jegulus fics bc the solangelo hyperfixation has been so strong but i still have plenty bookmarked!! i'm just going to share my favs of my favs, but i have even more (21 total) bookmarked on my ao3 :)

(also, just gonna put this right here, that i 100% would rec crimson rivers, best friend's brother, and just lovers by bizarrestars, and art heist baby! by otrtbs but i feel like everyone in the jegulus fandom has already read those bc they're pretty much classics, so just know!! i love those fics!! but i'm gonna try and rec some other possibly less known fics here :))

ALSO ALSO - all of these authors have incredible other fics and i highly recommend you check out their entire dashboard!!! for literally every single author on this list. i'm subscribed to all of themjkdf

You Signed Up For This by Solmussa

James and Regulus have a summer fling that they promised their friends they wouldn’t have. Remus and Sirius discover their mutual hatred is just pent-up sexual tension. Dorcas and Marlene are always winning, even when they’re not. It’s a cruel summer for all. first of all i'm extremely attached to this fic bc it introduced me to maisie peters, which led to one of the best concert experiences of my life!! but other than that, this is just so beautifully written, so detailed, and an all-around incredible fic. everything by this author is incredible too!! it's got the perfect balance of angst vs fluff and just summer vibes, which is prob the perfect thing to read right now - anyway, DEF read if you haven't already!!

Mastermind by pieceofchocolate

Regulus Black is the mastermind behind the Liberal party. Unfortunately, he’s never been very good at the more outgoing parts of politics – on a more fortunate note, he has his brother to act as a front figure. Sirius Black has always been the sweetheart of British politics, charming the voters with his wit and charisma. That was until James Potter came around, becoming party leader of his own party, the Leftists. Sirius would probably hate him, if they weren't such good friends. Regulus does not share this problem. Remus Lupin literally just needed a job, and got thrown into the mess of secrets, games and an upcoming parliamentary crisis. With an election around the corner, things are bound to go awry. MCD WARNING but so worth it. like genuinely. it's a painful fic but there's also a good dose of fluff and i enjoyed every single second of reading despite it being politics and.. well, i'm from america so you can probably guess that it was very strange to actually be attached to these characters while they were politicians😭 this one's also so well written and - there are fics where you can just tell that the person cares so deeply about the topic they're writing about, and this is one of them!!! i love finding fanfics where authors are just incredibly passionate about the subject/au OH and it has a taylor swift title. so like. yk it's already gonna be good. (this is also actually one of my favorite songs ever so i was soo excited to read)

blue and yellow skies by alarainai

Quidditch Rivals turned Quidditch Lovers. That's what the world sees them as, at least. Too bad Regulus hates James Potter's guts, and James? Well, it doesn't matter what he feels about their definitely fake, definitely emotionless relationship. c'mon. there had to be one fame au on this list. and i KNOW that this one's sports, but it's so so so fucking good - and i'm gonna be honest, i've read so many of the band au's (there are quite a lot in this fandom, even i've written one) but for some reason i didn't have any of them bookmarked - which tbf, i'm very selective with what i bookmark lmfao but!!! this one is just SO good the plot, the social media aspect, the background wolfstar, just 10/10 fic!!

these violent delights (have violent ends) by damagecontrol

titanic au prepare for pain. MCD warning. but like, the pain is written so well, and it's so heartbreaking, and i literally remember staring at the ceiling after reading this (finishing at like 2 in the morning) and just not being able to think of anything but that ending, and like, you KNOW that you're going to be in pain bc it's a titanic au, but like, GOD it's so good. i genuinely don't even have the words i'm still depressed bc of it (but in a good way)

The Mystery of the Pears by sonwar

In the cave, Regulus doesn’t beg for it to stop. He begs not be left behind, alone. Perhaps this is why, when Kreacher gives one last look over his shoulder and sees terrible, pale hands reaching for his master, he appears in a flash at Regulus’ side, clutches him by the elbow, and Apparates them both out of the cave, directly disobeying his master’s last order. canonverse fic!! and such a lovely au. the romance between them is just so natural, and yet there's still the war going on - but really, it's just so well written, despite all the angst of the war, imo it's just such a feel-good fic. love this one so much.

Only the Brave by Solmussa

A fic about two idiots falling in love (x2 because there's wolfstar, too) during a war, and the sacrifices they'll have to make to survive it. andddd this one's the big one. this one's the one i choose to accept as canon. like. GUYS. THIS ONE'S SO FUCKING GOOD if you haven't already and you're a jegulus fan, you just HAVE to read it like genuinely. the plot is so well-thought out, all of the interludes give these other characters their own stories too, and the angst!!! but also the badassery!!! i can't even explain it but if you want a canonverse war au where jegulus survives and they all win, then, like, this is the one. it's so perfect. prob my fav jegulus fic of all time.

and those r my recs!! hope that you enjoy them, and i have several others in my bookmarks!! i've also written some if you haven't checked those out, but!! happy reading :) thank you for the ask!

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere! Miles Upshur with selectively mute! Darling? He’s her voice but she’s his eyes. It could be seen either as platonic or romantic. :))

Sure! Been awhile since I've written for Outlast so I can try. I haven't played Outlast in years so I may be rusty to events in game. I just did mute darling as I'm not sure what selectively mute means but I guessed.

Wrote this late at night/early morning as I had some trouble sleeping due to my sleep schedule being out of wack due to the summer, if something seems off I apologize.

Potential Spoilers for Outlast maybe

Yandere! Miles Upshur with Mute! Darling

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Trauma, Overprotective behavior, Grotesque descriptions, Dubious relationship, Nudity, Blood, Miles tries to comfort darling, Murder, Gore, Isolation implied, Walrider! Miles mention near end.

I like to think how you meet is within the asylum.

In fact, the asylum may be why you're mute in the first place.

You probably went mute due to the trauma you were subjected to within the facility.

Let's be honest, a lot of things in the asylum would cause you to feel more reserved.

From disgusting nudity and gore to the constant threat of death... no wonder your sanity is strained.

You are no variant.

You're not even crazy, at least not yet.

Miles most likely came across you during his journey deep into the asylum.

You're very hesitant of each other at first and Miles is not too quick to obsess.

Miles is a cynical and sharp man, but has a strong will.

At first he thinks you're a variant but a harmless one.

You clearly don't show any signs of hostility.

You more want to hide and run more than anything... it's actually a bit sad to see.

Miles hasn't seen many women in this place and gets concerned about what you may have been subjected to here.

He's seen how the variants act.

Miles most likely hunts you down in the asylum, but not to hurt you.

He wants to help you.

He tries to portray this to you the next few times he meets you.

If he's lucky, you'll stick around and trust him.

Miles has some trouble understanding you're mute at first.

He wonders why you're so quiet all the time... and when checking you over he sees no throat injuries.

He'll come to the conclusion you're mute due to trauma at some point.

Upon this realization he tries to show you he's non-threatening.

You two actually become quite the duo.

There's no one sane enough to talk to here but he soon learns to understand your lack of words.

If you both ever got out of here then he'd probably become your mouth piece for you.

In return for his protection, you become his eyes in the asylum.

You know all the best hiding spots and shortcuts due to your time here.

Miles is concerned about how long you've been here.

Since he's gotten here he's seen nothing but piles of organs and blood on the floor, naked bodies both living and dead, along with everything trying to kill him.

How did you manage to survive any of this?

How did you eat? How did you keep warm? The lack of clothing you have is tattered and barely considered decent at this point.

It disturbs Miles to think about what you must've had to do to survive this place, especially since you would've been considered a target here.

I can picture Miles sharing tender moments with you, for example he'd probably give you his jacket to wear so you can cover up.

Miles may appear cold, which is understandable due to the injuries he sustains in the asylum, yet he does have a soft spot for you.

You two only ever grow closer when you bandage him in return for him staying by you.

You two benefit from each other here.

Even if you can't speak to him with words, gestures get your point across.

Plus... sometimes you just like to listen to him talk.

This companionship between you two could be seen as platonic or romantic.

For the most part it's just you two helping each other.

Miles really does want to help you.

You're the only good thing that's come out of this asylum in his eyes.

He wants to get you out of here, he wants to get you help.

Surprisingly, over time you aren't the 'crazy' one.

It's Miles who begins to lose it by the end of it.

Due to what he's seen in the asylum, thoughts you've managed to repress, he loses his sanity.

This could morph his care for you into something darker.

He's suffocating to you, his protective behavior transitioning to something more possessive like the inmates in the asylum.

He doesn't mean it half the time but he always has a tight grip on your hand as he runs from horrors with you.

When you stop to take a breather with him... you can tell he's changed.

He still looks at you with care... but there's a darkness that's begun to fester within him.

It scares you a bit...

Yet you can't voice your concern.

Outlast is a game where you can't really fight back.

Which means during most of your time with Miles he isn't really violent.

He shows frustration at the fact he can't do anything like kill to protect you, but that's it.

During any point where an enemy or variant dies, Miles most likely covers your eyes.

You don't need to see anymore of this... just lean into him and you'll be fine.

Miles doesn't start getting bad until he becomes the Walrider's new host.

His yandere tendencies finally have a chance to flourish as he has so much power now.

When he becomes a host, you harbor mostly fear for him.

He can kill anyone in a matter of seconds, exploding their bodies into a mess of bloody chunks.

You actually want to hide from him....

Even more so when he screams at the variants for supposedly hurting you...

Miles appears to still act as your guardian despite this.

In fact, he's much more capable of protecting you from the horrors of this asylum now.

The issue is the Walrider is a separate entity from Miles.

He is its host... but it still has its own thoughts.

Yet it can see how much this human likes you... so it spares you and listens to its host.

While you once cared for Miles and appreciated his help...

Now he just feels like a new monster.

Miles keeps promising he'll take you out of here.

Eventually he does, but you don't feel safe.

You can't say anything when he offers you to live with him.

You don't know if you should show fear for him or not... you're scared yet have nowhere else to go.

By the end of the journey between you two, Miles becomes a monster that's attached to you.

He claims he now just wants to focus on helping you, despite his situation.

You only stare at him with wide and fearful eyes.

Your mind echoes with memories... the most recent ones being of Miles murdering others in an explosion of gore.

Miles... the very same man who bought you new clothes and hugs you in his home with such care.

He says he doesn't want you to feel alone.

He smiles at you and tells you he'll take care of you from now on... but your focus is only on the dead look in his eyes.

The blank gaze of those blackened bloodshot eyes....

You go along with it... fear guiding you as it once did in the asylum.

Monsters follow you wherever you go it seems....

Miles sets you up to function as you would've before the asylum.

He cares for you in his home... but you're never allowed out.

You're scared to leave... yet also scared to stay.

You want to find help, you want to help him as much as he did you...

Yet you fear Miles may be beyond help now.

[biscuits-of-bagend]

DnDoc, Space Band #3 - Childhood Favourites

Kind of want to make a playlist of Rogue's music library now... any suggestions? I'll explain the whole 'Space Band' thing and what that is in the real world at the bottom of the chapter.

Part 1 Part 2

Previous story: DnDoc, Coming Home

---

Rogue's music selection was displayed on a large touch-screen set into one of the walls and Ruby's face passed through various expressions as she scrolled through it.

   "Taylor Swift, nice, Queen, of course, Linkin Park…" Ruby looked around the room then back at Rogue. "Sounds about right."

   "Hey, they're great," said Rogue. "You don't realise how lucky you are for music in twenty-first century Earth."

   "Ooh, you have music from other centuries?" said Ruby.

  "And other planets," said Rogue. "Hang on. Listen to this."

   He tapped the screen on a song called Rock the Socks off the World. A short sharp riff blared out of the speakers then a young-sounding male voice starting singing about rocking the socks off of planets. Rogue bobbed from side to side and nodded his head up and down.

   "Space Band?!" the Doctor cried.

   Rogue looked round and saw the Doctor standing near the entrance where they'd left him. He had looked up from his sonic screwdriver and was staring at Rogue, mouth held open.

   "They were my favourite band when I was little!" said Rogue. He laughed and said, "Will you two leave me and my music taste alone?"

   "No no, I love Space Band," said the Doctor.

   "Also they're actually called The Earthlings. People just get confused because of their song 'Space Band.' They were from Earth, originally," Rogue explained to Ruby, "But they've played all over the galaxy."

   "They're fantastic," the Doctor said. "But I haven't listened to them since I was like, a hundred."

   Rogue closed his eyes and breathed out nervously. "Forgot about that. The age thing."

   "Ah," said the Doctor. "You… okay with that?"

   Rogue nodded. "You just look way too good for it so I keep forgetting."

   The next Earthlings song had started, a two minute fifty-nine second track commenting on its own length from beginning to end.

   Ruby thought for a moment, then said, "I can see how this would be awesome if you were a kid."

   "Ten-year-old me thought this was the greatest band in the universe," said Rogue.

   "You ever been to see them?" asked the Doctor.

   "No, I always wanted to, but we were quite a mobile family and our paths just never crossed. I've seen the livestreams, but never in person," said Rogue.

   The Doctor cocked his head to the side and listened to the sonic cloud for a moment. "Oh boy, careful everyone. Step the wrong way and I reckon you'd fall into the Space Band audience right now, unless the sonic's just got really into drum solos in the last ten seconds."

   "The portal…" Rogue screwed up his eyes and tried to work it out. "It took me to music, to my Kylie-obsessed ship, so it could get fed? And now it wants to go see The Earthlings for dinner? …That sounded more sinister than I meant it to."

   "I think you're right," said the Doctor. "And most people who made it that far into the forest had no music left to offer it."

   "Did you ever work out why you were immune?" Ruby asked, looking up from scrolling through the rest of Rogue's music library.

   "Honestly, no idea," said Rogue. "I guess just different biology. I'm from a whole different dimension, so the bacteria just didn't know what to do with me."

   "Maybe, could also be the TARDIS protecting you. You were in there for a little while," said the Doctor. "And nothing's as magical as the TARDIS."

   Rogue smiled across the room at the Doctor. "True."

   The Doctor moved the sonic screwdriver slowly back and forward through the air. "Excellent, the cloud's latched on. If I put the sonic screwdriver in its console slot back on the TARDIS I should be able to take us wherever the cloud feels like showing us. Right now, I reckon that would be a Space Band concert. So, what do you say, Rogue, would you like to make your ten-year-old self's dreams come true?"

---

Part 4

SO, Space Band. It's a children's novel written by Tom Fletcher, one of the guitarists and singers from McFly. He and the rest of McFly made an album to soundtrack the children's novel and it is genuinely really fun. I ended up reading the book as like, research for this last week? And frankly, it's excellent. If I was 10 years old it would probably be my favourite book in the world... or should I say universe...

@off-traveling-in-the-stars @casavanse @monster-donut @letsargueacrossthestars (let me know at any point if you no longer wish to be tagged in each post)

[ballsballsbowls]

2024 Reads in Review # 3-10

@wordcubed wanted me to answer all of the questions for this ask game. Because it's all of the questions, and I am still working on it, this section is going to be questions 3-10 (I wanted to save overall best/worst for last).

I guess it's worth a reminder that my ebook TBR has only been cleared to about September, so a lot of the true gems I have been getting from events haven't come up yet.

3. DNF With Prejudice: Book(s) you didn't finish on purpose

I DNF a LOT of books (print books, probably hovering right around 50% and with ebooks probably more like 75-80%). I’ll stop basically the second I realize I’m bored. Most of them are wholly unmemorable, but I keep brief-but-detailed notes on why I DNFd if I get past the 25% mark in a book (mostly so I know if I should try something else by the author or not). These were my favorite DNF notes this year, lightly cleaned up for other humans to read.

The Bride of Lycaster by Perci Jay – DNF notes: ~75% No fucking?

Suck It Up by Emm Darcy and May Sage – DNF Notes: ~70% Everyone here sucks so bad

Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell – DNF Notes: ~30% insipid and unrealistic even for a romcom

ETA: Mercy by Ian Haramaki - DNF Notes: ~30% "What's with the boob window?"

4. DNF With Regrets: Book(s) you didn't finish but want to get back to

I can’t think of a single one. Even the books I DNF’d in November/December, I don’t think I cared enough to go back and try again. I did set a few aside to try again later but I don’t count stuff like that as a DNF.

5. Crowd Pleaser: Book you would recommend to almost anyone

Bombshell by Sarah MacLean (Historical Romance MF). I recommend Sarah MacLean to anyone who thinks they’re “just not into” Historicals/Regencies. The fact that most of her series exist in an interconnected world makes it that much more fun. She was inspired to write this series based on historical accounts of a girl gang. Bombshell would be a fantastic entry point into her books and into Historical Romance/Regencies in general.

Dragon Blood Series by Lindsay Buroker (Fantasy Romance MF). I’ve read the first three books and bought the next three. It’s got WWI-style airplane dogfights; it’s got someone using magic to give a guy jock itch; it’s got a steampunk society; it’s got romance subplots; it’s got a sword infused with the spirit of a horny woman. If you’d rather not read sex scenes it’s got shockingly few of those, too.

Playing the Game by M.Q. Barber (Contemporary Erotica MMF). This came highly recommended to me, and I can see why. It’s really sweet and well-written.   

6. Dead Dove Do Not Eat: Book you would recommend to a select audience with a mountain of caveats

This one’s only really the caveat that it’s, you know, Phantom of the Opera, but Angel’s Mask by Jessica Mason (Historical Romance MF) was quite good. It’s just also, you know, Phantom of the Opera but hornier. If that’s a problem.

I also have been having a lot of fun so far with the Seven Omegas for Seven Alphas series by Vivian Murdoch (Historical Omegaverse Erotica MF), which starts with A Duke’s Christmas Rejection. But Vivian Murdoch is not playing around when she says a series is dark.

7. Wasted Potential: Great premise and/or characters but fell down on execution

House Isador series by Joely Sue Burkhart. The worldbuilding is fascinating and fun and there’s MMMMMF and it still manages to be shockingly unpleasant to read. I read the first 6 books in a sort of fugue state and remember saying “I am still reading this and I’m not even sure why” a few times.

8. Blorbo Of The Year: Perhaps not your favorite of the year, but contains The Character

This series could easily have been slotted into almost any other “not perfect but fun” category on this list, but The Wayward Sons series by L Eveland (Contemporary Serial Killer MM) has THE blorbos of 2024. Mind the trigger warnings, mind the continuity and timeline, mind fifty other things, but definitely my favorite of the suspiciously prolific “gay serial killer adopted brothers and the first one is a psychopath and the second one has OCD and the…” genre. I had a FANTASTIC time with them and read all 4 existing books this year and have been sending my loved ones screenshots of pages where my Blorbos are Blorbo-ing. I am not even much a person who ends up with Blorbos or Book Boyfriends and I’m deeply invested a few of these idiots. It’s a shame that they are such fun and interesting characters and that their boyfriends are all thoroughly mediocre by comparison.

9. Compels Me Though: Okay, maybe not all of it made sense, but you had a great time anyway

I’m not sure it’s quite as bad as the ask implies, but Merry Farmer’s MF historical romances that I’ve read are definitely proof that there’s value in books that aren’t an A+ read, too. Her stuff is fun and an easy read and a solid B+. She’s a prolific writer as well and has started getting into MM historicals and MM contemporary now as well.  

I think On Thin Ice by Calliope Stewart (Contemporary Omegaverse Romance MMF) fits in this category as well. There’s a TON of stuff in the book that simply doesn’t work, but what does work really, really works.

10. Sleeper Hit: Not a book that you have to force into people's hands, but well-executed

Lord Holt Takes a Bride by Vivienne Lorret (Historical MF). It was silly, it was touching, and even people whose opinions I respect are completely unimpressed with her work for some reason I currently cannot fathom.  

Come Undone by Madelynne Ellis (Contemporary Rocker Erotica MF). I’ve been a fan of hers for years and rarely hear anyone else talking about her, and the Black Halo universe is surprisingly complex for being marketed as an erotica. She’s currently doing a lot of promos for Reflex/Replay/Refrain/etc., since she just finished that series but Come Undone is the first in the overarching series and has a couple major plot points that come up later.  

[hot-take-tournament]

by the way, i've been wondering

if we do go back to the preliminary polls after the mini-bracket

what do we, like, call them...?

i mean, realistically, we should stop calling them preliminaries now, right?

because, at least for the forseeable future, we'll never do the bracket - so calling them preliminaries will just be confusing for anyone who finds this blog in the future and doesn't know the context behind it

so, we should obviously stop calling them preliminaries, and call them something else - that just makes sense

...

but

the take you guys validated wasn't 'we should cancel the bracket', it was 'the bracket should never start'

and according to the rules of the tournament that were laid out from the beginning, if that take is generally considered to be true, it means the actual bracket, the one in the master post, hasn't actually started yet, and also isn't actually cancelled

it's just that we're stuck in an endless hot take time loop of preliminaries and we'll never actually do it, which is different - we haven't officially decided not to do it, it's more like... we'll just never quite get around to it

and after all, i didn't actually decide to do the mini bracket until after i posted the miku vs chicken smoothie matchup, which was unironically randomly selected out of hundreds of possible takes - that's why it doesn't have '#1' in the title, it was intended more as a sneak peek of the actual bracket, and also because it's insanely cursed. i only decided to add the other 6 takes after that one was posted

so the bracket we're doing now is still a preliminary bracket, just one with (mostly) unselected takes - it might be a bracket, but it's not the bracket, which was never technically cancelled

so really, we are still doing preliminaries - it's just that we'll be doing them forever, for a bracket that will forever be just out of reach

like sisyphus endlessly pushing his boulder up the hill, but never quite getting to the top

and despite it clearly being the worst option, honestly the idea of still calling them preliminaries forever but just never reaching the actual intended bracket is weirdly hilarious to me

tl;dr: basically, it's either do the sensible and helpful thing by changing the poll titles so the blog is more accessible to everyone - or choose the infinitely worse and more cursed and confusing option of vehemently following the rules and keep calling them preliminaries forever

because it's got the same cursed energy i've come to expect from this blog

i know the first choice is clearly the better option from pretty much every angle, but the second one is weirdly tempting

so i'll just go with whatever you guys decide

lawful good or chaotic evil

i think i know you guys well enough by now to know which one you'll pick so i'm going to write down my guess and if i get it wrong i'll drink orange joe lol

[mistresswriter19]

His Prize Possession

Striker X Oc ( Requested By @scarlattobrightstar )

Author's Note: This is a very long delayed request I am so sorry about this one taking forever but I hope you enjoy. I'll definitely try not to keep others waiting like this. Really appreciate the support ^^

Mistresswriter19 X

Ellie eyes flutter with a blur using her claw to rub so she can see clearly she looks up

Ellie: Uhh I need a boyfriend…

Getting out of bed, Ellie went skip breakfast, taking a shower, putting her lovely dress on and tira with her dark green fluffy coat around her elegant Cinderella color blue dress top along with her white skirt that sparkles as she twirls with glee then opens the door heading out of the royal area because she was in a mood for a hotdog but of course if she says it in her area they would laugh and mock. Ellie had to go a different route: the area where the best hot dogs were was in " Not Mafia Town". She knew it was the worst idea to go alone so she called Blitzo to help her out.

Blitzo: Hey girl! How's it going didn't get any cock yet?

Ellie: Uhhh no…. I just wanted a hot dog and I knew going by myself would be dangerous.

Blitzo: Well you came to the right bodyguard girl I can grant ya full protection like this rifle, pistol, handgun, arrow, chainsaw, needles, and silencer really does work smoothly.

Ellie: I think I'll be happy whatever doesn't get me shot.

Blitzo: I got ya back babe~

The two imps enter "Not Mafia Town" one of the most dangerous places to enter in the ring of wrath. Everywhere you would go someone would be either shot, building would be burn into flames, deadly car chases, and torture. It made Ellie's skin crawl as Blitzo would cuss out a storm or shoot anyone that got near him or Ellie. For that Ellie kind of questioned Blitzo and his weird ways but she was grateful to trust him as a friend. Finally a nearby hotdog stand.

Blitzo: You think you can add cheese and hot sauce on that dog Senior ~

Hot Dog Imp: Sure I guess gonna cost ya more

Blitzo: Fuck it lay it on me

Ellie: One hotdog with extra mustard please

( BANG, BANG, BANG)

Blitzo: Are you fucking kidding me!?

Ellie look back to see a gang of sharks shooting there guns as one of them grabbed Ellie by the waist taking her in the car using rope and ducktape. Blitzo was fighting and shooting more of the Mafia sharks as he turns back to see Ellie kidnapped

Blitzo: ELLIE!!!!!! ( CLANK)

Crimson: That's for fucking shooting most of my men prick!

The head boss of the Mafia known as Moxie's father used a loaded gun to knock Blitzo out as he was dragged but in a sack being taken away like Ellie. In the car a good looking around as she sees a very attractive imp that wasn't like any others in the car who was looking the other side but Ellie kept her gaze on him he then look back as she turned away fast with her face turning into pink which made this rattlesnake imp chuckle. Ellie was already drawn to him but it seems strange how a cowboy like him can be involved with the Mafia gang.

Crimson: Alright cowboy show me what you got!

Striker: First of all I'm kinda rusty haven't kidnapped anyone for a while so this bastsrd I had to fucking deal with from the harvest moon festival and my lair of the ring of wrath!

Blitzo: OH YOU'RE THE SEXY ASS COWBOY!

Striker: And this pretty little thing is a royal which I despise but I think I wanna keep her for a while. She sparks my interest ( Place his claw caressed her neck)

Crimson: Good start cowboy, need more fuckers like you around come with me to the officer we have some discussing to do

Striker: Right boss, I'll be back with you later princess ~

Ellie: Uhhh…

In the office Crimson discuss the situation between why he wanted a royal because most of the royals are powerful compared to the mafia industry so what Crimson wants vengeance and goes out selecting a royal to experimented with no mercy this is when he calls on Striker and cowboy rattlesnake who would kill a royal in a heartbeat. However the Mafia crew is going to have a get together party once the party is finished at midnight Striker must exterminate the royal.

Striker: Some of your ways when it comes to dealing with royals makes me sick to my stomach

Crimson: I get my profit those bitches and fuckers stole millions from my industry and I want all of them to pay even for ones who don't know who the fuck I am

Striker: I always hated royals from all my years. I see some cry, some beg and some fight which makes me lose my temper to do the bidding and get paid .

Crimson: And this is why you're one of my most valuable clients who's a cowboy~

Striker: I'll kill the royal at midnight

Crimson: Good choice you can do whatever you want with her but when midnight comes it's off with her head.

Striker: Yes boss…

In the distance Ellie can hear Blitzo cursing once again a storm using anything to break but he keeps getting zapped causing him to knock out. Ellie was shaken and felt like a caged animal looking around seeing powerful shark gangsters with their guns, cigarettes, playing pool and drinking and talking as Ellie couldn't help but cry as she remembered she never liked being alone. She tried to calm herself down as she healed and exhaled while curled up in a ball. Suddenly Ellie hears the cage open and she looks up to see the cowboy that held her captive earlier in the car.

Striker: I brought you something to eat and some water. You're going to need it

Ellie didn't know what to do either if she should trust this rattlesnake imp or not but she had no choice maybe she can gain his trust. Ellie grabbed the water bottle off his claw and had the food he brought for her. She finished her white gloved hands tugged on her dress.

Striker: Please stop crying it makes my job harder…

Ellie: Why are you doing this?

Striker: Princess you do not want to interfere with someone like me.

Ellie: I can see in your eyes that you hate it… I just know

Striker: We had to make sacrifices and for me I made a ton didn't get me anymore but it get me some drinks or something to eat once in a wild I just can't think just do the thing.

Ellie: What if you don't want to

Striker: Have to suck it out like I always done

Ellie: You were flirty with me earlier but seems like you hate me to guts

Striker: It's just for show but truth be told you are a beautiful princess I laid my eyes on. I can't get attached to you

Ellie: What if you change, leave here and have a better life without the Mafia? They play really dirty and they're going after the royals like me.

Striker: There's nothing you can change princess about me

Ellie: I understand you just let me

Striker: NO!

Ellie try not to show fear when Striker tugged on her white glove hand. Ellie just stood still with the tears down her eyes Striker kept yelling at her to stop that because he will lose it. Ellie turned away but she felt her lips place into Striker's who gracefully kissed her full of passion. He laid her down as Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck. The bodied were close to each other Striker knows what he's doing is wrong especially to the royals. Ellie then also hugged him in between there passionate kiss. Striker let's her go but Ellie didn't want him to leave her.

Striker: I'll be back for you Ellie

Ellie: H…H…how did you know my name?

Striker: I know alot of royals but you the good ones.

Placing his finger around her face to hold Ellie's tear he gives her another kiss and he closes the cage and hops down to join Crimson. Ellie placed her gloved hand on her cheek still feeling warmth from Striker's touch.

Ellie: Striker…

In the party, the Mafia gang was using Blitzo as a pintia. Making Crimson laugh off a storm as Blitzo pretends to enjoys himself since he always gets into situations like this. However for some reason he's suppose to be torture but the Mafia gang seem to like him especially how he made drinks and this made Crimson piss more since he knows Blitzo is his son's boss he can be crazy but he's there for his crew. Something that Crimson never did for Moxxie as a father figure. Striker comes in drinking bottles of whiskey when he see Blitzo his blood boiled .

Blitzo: So came to talk dirty sex me

Striker: What the fuck are you saying?

Blitzo: ( Hiccups) I meant to say "saaaaaay you came to talk dirty about my suit.

Striker: I'm not gonna either bother

Blitzo: Alright fuck you then but listen cowboy your on my one night stand list!

Striker rolled his eyes he dropped his glass when he say the clock struck midnight with Crimson lighting a cigar and he went up to Striker.

Crimson: It's time cowboy go get the princess.

Striker sighs as he goes back to the wearhouse where he stares at the captive Princess for a long time she was singing and Striker thought it was beautiful. He felt like she was a true Cinderella or Belle. Striker opens the cage as Ellie looks back frighten which crushed Striker's heart.

Ellie: NO….NOOO NOOO AAHHH!!!! ( Covers mouth )

Striker: Just follow my lead darling. Your not going to die.

Ellie look back at him as she nods her head Striker then ties her with rope around her arms carrying her like a princess going up to Crimson and the Mafia Gang as they watched Striker carrying Ellie in his arms.

Striker: She wouldn't stop squirming so I held her to calm her down but doesn't know that she'll die.

Crimson: What a devious way of making her think. I love it!

Striker gives Ellie to Crimson as she's placed on a old beat up mattress. He takes the rope out of her arms and replaced it with rusty chains that go on bed post. Crimson lifted up Ellie's dress and threw her green fluffy coat aside she knew what was going to happen and wanted to scream but can she trust Striker.

Crimson: Since you been good with capturing many royals I decide this you can fuck her then kill her

Striker: My pleasure Crimson.

Crimson: If the bitch gives you any problems just shoot her.

Striker attends to walks to Ellie as she tugged on the rusty chains which lead to nothing her legs attend to shake. Striker's body went up against hers as she gasps he then kisses her with passion as she does the same with him behind his back Striker pulls out his pistol to shoot a Mafia shark down.

Crimson: THE FUCK GET HIM!

The Mafia sharks drawn there weapons and start to shoot. Striker shoot in between while protecting Ellie in his arms. Then out of nowhere Blitzo breaks free as he starts to fight and shoot up a rampage while chugging down leftover booze at the same time. Striker then breaks the rusty chains with his kicks and grabs Ellie managing to escape.

Ellie: What about Blitzo

Striker: Ehh I was going to kill him but maybe another time.

Ellie: Blitzo is my friend

Striker: Princess your making it really hard for me but I can't stand you being sad and not wanted.

Ellie: I'm no longer sad Striker, because I have you.

Blitzo had explosive as he plans to burn the place as he jumped out of the window as Striker dives down running from the flame as Ellie holds onto him, never letting go. They made it as they both panted as he then goes to bombproof pulling out his poncho wrapping it around Ellie to keep her warm and showing a way of comfort.

Striker: It will keep you warm

Ellie: Thank you

Striker: Your my prize possession Ellie

Ellie looked back and couldn't help but cry but this time she smiled and embraced her body close to Striker to two of them once again kissing showing their love and connection together. The two ride on Striker's horse as Ellie fell asleep into Striker's arm he rubbed her soft smooth magenta purple shade hair as they made it to the royal where Striker holds Ellie in place carrying her upstairs and putting her back to bed. He looks back at the sky where the colors purple and green form reminded of himself and Ellie. He attends to get up but Ellie tugged on his coat

Ellie: Please stay…

Striker: I'll stay for you my princess.

The two laid in bed together cuddling under the sheets slowly falling asleep together what a day it was almost being killed and shot but Striker knows for him he has to face it however someone like Ellie he didn't want her to face that danger side of anywhere she would go.

Striker: Blitzo made it because I like you so much your lucky I spared him .

Ellie turns to see a photo Blitzo posted on his Sinstagram he in the hospital with his crew and daughter with get well flowers and cheese and hot sauce on the table

Blitzo: I LIVED BITCH XO

Ellie giggle and was glad that her friend Blitzo was alive she then heard her stomach growl she forgot to eat anything.

Striker got out of bed to step out as Ellie lay there exhausted to do anything. She was happy to have someone like Striker she'll definitely help him change and be more loving and understanding Ellie has a good sense of that because compare to anyone in the royals she was always a devoted and kind princess. Striker return as be gives the bag to Ellie her eyes sparkle when she saw it was a hot dog with extra mustard that's all she ever wanted but maybe it was good because sure she got kidnapped but she finally went home with a cowboy who doesn't seen not so bad after all.

Ellie: Thank you Striker for everything

Striker: Don't need to thank me Ellie your life means more anything to me

Ellie: Your life matters too

Striker: I'll be by your side

~End~

[aijamisespava]

2023 vs. 2024 Part 2: Semi-Final 1 Countries

Continuing on our little adventure into the competing countries, we now look at the countries performing in the first Semi-Final in this year's contest and determining which entry I liked better...their 2023 entry or their 2024 entry.

Also, while there is one returning country and one non-returning country, I will go into those countries first before moving on to the countries with a 2023 and 2024 entry.

Luxembourg: Fighter. Okay. Yes, I am still sad about Drowning In The Rain not being the song talked about. But we are here to talk about Fighter, so let's do that. It's a cute lil' song that with right staging and running order could be a great performance! BUT, the reason it ranked low is the fact that with all the other shiny songs that came after it, it got lost in the shuffle a little. I do know we are getting a revamp, so maybe that will help the song a little more, we will have to wait and see.

Ukraine: Heart Of Steel vs. Teresa & Maria. Winner: Teresa & Maria. While Heart Of Steel is a wonderful song and great addition to my playlist, it had to grow on me a little bit before I could really appreciate it (thank the revamp too). But Teresa & Maria stays with me. I've seen so many reels of alyona and Jerry singing the song on Youtube reels (per algorithm), so I guess that's fate saying something.

Cyprus: Break A Broken Heart vs. Liar. Winner: Break A Broken Heart. Both are kinda sorta breakup songs. While Liar takes the sassy approach to the end of a relationship, I loved the melancholic feel that Break A Broken Heart has. I'm also a real sucker for high notes (need I remind you that I'm a Gjon's Tears fan?), which Andrew Lambrou does so well too.

Poland: Solo vs. The Tower. Winner: The Tower. There is no denying that Solo has cemented its place in the Eurovision meme world. And while it has grown on me enough to listen to it when someone put it on the aux cord, The Tower just sounds so good. I would literally be sitting around as the song starts and I'm like "wait, what song is this?" and then Luna starts singing and I'm like "ooooo yes!" Needless to say, I haven't tired of The Tower yet and still feel like I'm listening to it for the first time.

Serbia: Samo Mi Se Spava vs. Ramonda. Winner: Samo Mi Se Spava. This was so hard for me to decide as I actually really love both of them (I mean they both ranked 2nd). Ramonda is so beautiful and emotional, and may have changed what my favorite flower is. And Samo Mi Se Spava is an auditory experience. It went onto a WIP soundtrack within MINUTES after first listen, which is really the only thing making the decision. This will certainly fluctuate over time.

Lithuania: Stay vs. Luktelk. Winner: Stay. Luktelk, a great entry in full Lithuanian, a bop, a total dance song with great staging potential. I've liked it since I ranked the Lithuania songs in the NF. But with Stay, it's one of those songs that really came out at the right time, so I'm in emotional debt to that. But it was another tough decision for this country.

Croatia: Mama ŠČ! vs. Rim Tim Tagi Dim. Winner: Rim Tim Tagi Dim. Let 3 brought forth a piece last year that was also an experience. It was certainly an acquired taste, garnering as many fans as people who ranked the song dead last. But Baby Lasagna and Rim Tim Tagi Dim scratches that itch in my brain that I didn't know I had. Listening to it is fun, plus the lyrics kind of resonate with me (as a college student that moves out of her hometown to attend school).

Ireland: We Are One vs. Doomsday Blue. Winner: Doomsday Blue. I don't think there is another country that took such a drastic turn between what they sent in 2023 and what they send in 2024 as Ireland. We Are One was a great safe entry that fell victim to early selection and a bloodbath semi. Doomsday Blue, however, has something more. My biggest complaint with We Are One is that I felt something was missing. Doomsday Blue feels like a complete package that I know Bambie will bring to life on the stage.

Slovenia: Carpe Diem vs. Veronika. Winner: Veronika. Another tough decision here. Carpe Diem is up my alley musically with rock elements mixed with a spice of pop with an infectious attitude that makes me want to get up and dance. But Veronika? That song puts me in such a trance when I listen to it. The operatic spice adds a cinematic feel to it too.

Iceland: Power vs. Scared Of Heights. Winner: Power. Similar to Lithuania, Power came to me at a time where I might have really needed it. It's still such a great song (listened to it just the other day). Scared Of Heights has great energy which should garner some votes too, but only time will tell.

Finland: Cha Cha Cha vs. No Rules!. Winner: Cha Cha Cha. I don't think any entry can top the iconic energy that Käärijä and Cha Cha Cha had. No Rules! is a good follow-up to try and mimic (or better) the success their predecessor had. But I still dance around my room to Cha Cha Cha once in a while.

Portugal: Ai Coração vs. Grito. Winner: Ai Coração. This is my reminder to listen to Grito some more. Ai Coração jumps around my mind. It's fun, the performance was sassy. It is one of the best Portugese entries I have seen. Grito, however, has a very beautiful tone that should not be slept on either.

Australia: Promise vs. One Milkali (One Blood). Winner: Promise. One thing about me is that I love my ballads, and I love my rock entries. Promise is just that. It's a thrill from start to finish that I enjoy listening to whenever it plays on my playlist. However, I really liked the feel that One Milkali (One Blood) had when I listened to it. For my take, it's best described in the post I made about the song when it came out.

Moldova: Soarele Și Luna vs. In The Middle. Winner: Soarele Și Luna. This feels like an All-Star battle. We have Pasha Parfeni from 2012 and 2023 vs. Natalia Barbu from 2007 and 2024. And while In The Middle has one of the CATCHIEST hooks of this year's selection, Soarele Și Luna was my sister's winner last year. So whenever I hear this one, I tell her and it makes us happy.

[aprilblossomgirl]

Tagged by @colourme-feral to name 9 favorite TV series -- I chose 9 Asian dramas that I love so dearly, listed by the order of time I watched them. The names of the shows -- with a little personal story for each; feel free to skip :) -- are under these posters.

I've been watching Asian dramas for an almost good two decades now, mainly because I feel that they're closer to me contextually and that they offer comfort exactly how I needed them. It all started with my love for Japanese dramas, and then expanded to Korean dramas, and finally my latest fixation, Thai dramas. (I find it a bit weird that I've just discovered the 'magic' of Thai dramas given the country is so much closer -- regionally and culturally -- to mine compared to the other two.)

Anyways. It was always hard for me to choose from these dramas to make, like, top 10 or top-any-number kind of favorite or best list. Because I got to admit, that when I decided to see everything from the good lights, almost each show holds a special value and viewing experience on its own, a reflection to my own inner space at the time I watched it. Eventually my list is going to be a fluid little note, but one thing about a favorite drama to me is that the show needs to have at least a bit of slice-of-life vibe to it (as you might see above with the exception of Healer).

So, here it is. My favorite nine (Asian) TV series, in a chronological order of watching, selected mostly by the sheer number of rewatch I did with the shows. (I tried to be fair, so three dramas for each country.)

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (2007) -- This show used to be my number one favorite show for a very long period of time.

Sunao ni Narenakute (2010) -- This one is so very personal to me. That's it.

Love Shuffle (2009) -- I LOVE this drama more than I expected to. Surprisingly good and just 'realistic'.

Healer (2014) -- My very first K-drama obsession. I watched each episode thrice; once the raw version and twice with the subtitle (oh those good old days when you didn't get the subtitle at the same time the episode was released). I followed the discussions board on Soompi, I read all the meta about the show here and there, and had a very VERY hard time moving on to a new show after it finished airing. Seo Jeong Hoo was my all-time favorite male lead.

Hospital Playlist S1 & S2 (2020 & 2021) -- The first season of this show came during the early days of pandemic and needless to say it was a comfort-shaped best friend I had in my isolation. Everything about this show is a perfection.

Run On (2020) -- This one came during the peak of my dissertation writing period in a place literally half-around-the-globe-far away from home. It gave me the spirit that I exactly needed to finish everything and call it what a time. This show will always have a special place for me -- if you're familiar with the characters, you'll know why.

A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) -- Watching this after I finished everything with my (formal) studies gave me such a whiplash. In a good way. There's a reason why Tian Sopasitsakun is so dear to me on a spiritual level.

The Eclipse (2022) -- Needless to say no more about this show. My current obsession number 1a in a form of #weeklygiffingakkayan.

My School President (2022) -- My current absolute favorite and obsession number 1b, tied with Hospital Playlist in terms of the level of comfort and the uncountable rewatch numbers. Rewatching this show with subtitle in my mother language was such a delightful spiritual experience that transported me back to my own high-school days that none of other shows gave me. I guess this show will stay with me for a long long time. I have yet to navigate a way out of my love for SoundWin, I haven't even started my #tinngunedit era. So, yeah. Please bear with me for this one.

As usual, I'm too shy to tag others 🥺👉����👈🏼 If you see this and would like to, feel free to play along!

[bikwin5]

pikmin 4 thouts

i haven't actually posted that much about pikmin 4 now that i think about it but i finished it a while ago. as close to 100% as i think it can be. i don't have the drive to make a complete review so i just wrote down a list of things i liked and didn't like. there are no huge spoilers in this until the very end

THINGS I LIKED -adding a marketable dog is usually a sign of getting desperate. the simpsons did a whole episode about it. even in the ask the devs interview they were like yeah we added a dog to create appeal. but despite all that i ended up warming up to oatchi not just as a character but his gameplay as well. letting him swim, carry, attack, and act as a second leader all works very natural in pikmin's world and he basically acts like a very big and powerful pikmin. it takes a bit of getting used to learning the new mechanics but i think it was a good idea overall. still kind of wish they went with the playable bulborb idea instead. -the biodiversity is kind of ridiculous in this one. pikmin 4 has 100+ different creatures and a piklopedia to interact with them all, making for endless hours of fun without even playing the game. in fact there are so many creatures it felt like some had a pikmin 3 problem where they weren't used enough even though this is a big ass game!! i also like the return of pikmin 2 styled bosses in contrast to 3's where most of them felt very scripted. -the selection of things to collect is no doubt the best in this one. i like that completing a set of treasures lets you look at everything at once. -i like the hub area. its nice to walk around a bit. -having 8 pikmin types is a bold move but they pulled it off pretty well. the 3 types limit on the surface actually works well. i like that each area has "recommended" types but allows you to swap out others regardless. it makes it so advanced players can do more tag barrel switching if they want to. -the level design feels a bit of a departure from past games with how expansive each area is but i do like it, it keeps things fresh. there's still a lot of depth to clearing out each area and cave efficiently. -it was at least harder than pikmin 3!!!! yippee!!!!!! -the gwafics are goregous in this one. pikmin is one of those series that only looks better with visual fidelity. -i like the equipment upgrading system. i enjoy how it allows certain equipment to be optional even after you already make it. this lets me get rid of the power whistle because i don't like it.

THINGS I DIDNT LIKE -my #1 complaint is the auto-lockon feature. i desperately wish i could turn it off. i think they intend you to have motion controls on for more precise aiming but i don't want that. i just want to aim with the stick. the lockon makes some things trivial and some unnecessarily frustrating. there's a FUN to be had in trying to get perfect aim with pikmin! it's a BALANCE!!!!!!!!! but maybe nintendo doesn't realize that… nintendo if you patch this game to give me an option to turn off auto lockon i'll be a good kid and buy your new mario. -pikmin 4 has the best pikmin AI in the series but there some small changes are so frustrating. in particular they REALLY hate the idea of using more than the minimum number of pikmin to carry something. they physically stop you from throwing for a bit and then pikmin that are already idle don't even bother. it's a small thing but it's persistent and it drives me insane. -balancing 8 types of pikmin is not easy. that being said i think pikmin 3's types in particular got shafted a bit. rock pikmin have a weird nerf where they can die from crushing but only on hard surfaces? i guess it's to prevent trivializing certain bosses. winged pikmin don't act much different but they feel like what blue pikmin were to 3 in that they barely get a chance to shine. it's fucked because all the earlier areas probably have winged pikmin paths programmed in that most people will never see… it breaks my heart just thinking about it -ALSO the white pikmin damage nerf was totally unneccessary. as a result all the poison themed enemies are so weak and oatchi can dispatch them easily with the poison upgrade so its like why are these guys still candypop bud exclusive -the controls might be almost TOO tight. particularly the oatchi bunchup is really OP when it comes to fights. i think this game throws a lot of tough situations at you but jumping on oatchi trivializes them a lot of the time. -enemies not respawning is really weird. particularly on the surface where they NEVER respawn. it kind of strips the organic feeling of pikmin away. -everyone says this but too much tutorial. please stop making the characters talk to me every time a pikmin dies on screen. i'd say it feels like nintendo is regressing to the skyward sword era but not quite, if they did then then there would be a cutscene every time you break down a wall.

looking back at this section i sure did CAPITALIZE a bunch of arbitrary words. i think shepherd was right when she said bernard's speaking style rubs off on you.

VERY MINOR NITPICKS -i wish my man hajime wakai was still doing the soundtrack cause you can tell he didnt. pikmin 4's soundtrack isn't bad it's still pretty "pikminlike" but i think you can tell its not the same as it was -for having a "dandori" theme pikmin 4 doesn't feel nearly as incentivized to be efficient as much as 3 or even 1. the fact that night expeditions take up full days bothers me and i can't help but wonder how much replays will be affected with how much stuff they crammed in the main game.

BIG SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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-i think olimar and louie got a lot of fun exposition but the new characters not so much. it feels like they got disregarded later in the story. -final boss was the easiest in the whole series. yes even more than hey! to me. i lost like maybe 5 pikmin total. i think what makes it so easy is that there is very little risk in engaging, you throw 2 purple pikmin on the tail and when it falls over you rush with oatchi and that's it. the one scary thing about it is the final phase where it can do the roar that scatters pikmin into death pits but i didn't get hit by it because i'm epic and awesome like that. even then having one difficult thing at the end of an otherwise easy final boss just feels kind of cheap. -i wish the lineup trumpet wasn't a secret late game upgrade because i would have liked to play the rest of the game with it.

[coreene-simblr]

Get to Know Me - Sims Edition

Thank you all so much for tagging me @papermint-airplane @treason-and-plot @hazely-sims I feel so grateful to have wonderful mutuals like you guys!

Answers are under the cut!

What’s your favorite Sims death?

I play Sims 3 the most so I'll answer it for that one. There are so many cool deaths in Sims 3, unfortunately I only experienced a few and in those my favourite is definitely the meteor one. I got this only one time in my 10+ years of playing. I remember it like yesterday, I had just made a new sim, was planning on playing a legacy and sent her to university. I shit you guys not she got hit by a meteor on her first class activity. As that was my only sim, the game was over xD

Alpha CC or MaxisMatch?

Ahh, hard to answer. You kind of have to go with Alpha hair in Sims 3. I remember I used a lot of Alpha cc for sims 2 back in the day. Before MM was this popular. I really do not like alpha cc in clothes for Sims 3 though. I guess a bit of both?

Do you cheat your sims weight?

I never actually felt the need to do that. I personally like exercise and my sims usually are on the active side as well and they keep good shape. I certainly don't mind seeing sims who are a bit on the heavier side around town.

Do you move objects?

Probably not as often as other simmers, tbh. I do build but I don't like clutter. If I feel the need to use it I will, but it doesn't happen often.

Favorite Mod?

Definitely Nrass MC. It just makes it so easier to fix some of the quirks this game can have. Also being able to just makeover townies, is a must for me. Even though I carefully select my randomizable outfits I'll still take them to cas for a touch up.

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack?

Ah, hard to remmeber. I think I had open for business in Sims 2 as my first expansion but the first one I specifically saved up money for was Late Night for Sims 3.

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing?

Alive.

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

Kara Down, had a post dedicated to her a few weeks back and it's here xD

Have you made a simself?

Eh, not on looks exactly like myself but definitely on traits, Kara is pretty much me/my alter ego. I made her when I was 12 and didn't know how much I liked dancing or clubbing xD Realized it after I grew up and got to do those things, haha

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

Hmm, there was this hair mutation my only 4 generation legacy had. It was a very nice shade of blonde, I liked that.

Favorite EA hair?

For Sims 3 it's this hair Karen has in this post.

For Sims 2, harder to choose. I love all these ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) my favourite is gonna be the Bella hair.

Favorite life stage?

Always gonna be YA. In every iteration. Loved university stuff in Sims 2 and I love that stage in all other games.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

Well, I like building the lots my sims play in. A lot of the cc lots out there have too much clutter and I do not like clutter. Whenever I download a lot I'll end up deleting all those decorations anyway so why bother. Adding the fact that I'm an architect in RL, I just notice, specially in residential lots, some no-no's we were thought in school.

Short answer is, I build them for myself to play in and share just in case if people would like to add my things to their games.

Are you a CC creator?

I haven't dabbled with creating meshes but did some recolours, tattoos, lots or whatever. Am I a cc creator tho? Nah, I just share the stuff I make for myself.

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad?

Sim Squad? No. Simblr friends? I would like to think, yes. I consider people I chat regularly under posts as my simblr friends :D

Do you have any sims merch?

nope

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

nah

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?

I am in more control of the town but less in control of my sims these days if that makes sense? I try to do what they would wish to do and leave certain things to their autonomy.

What’s your origin id?

Do not use origin. I have the games on discs and I created their disc images long time ago. I use the no-disc crack for them now as I couldn't set the disc image to work for Sims 3 on this laptop.

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

I do not have that much cc for sims 3 but first people that comes to my mind are @sweetdevil-sims and @simlicious. Love their edits to simple maxis clothes and simlicious' patterns. They are out of this world in quality! looking at @aroundthesims for some objects I find myself looking for also.

How long have you had simblr?

I think I have been sharing my lots on @simsitecture since 2017 but haven't interacted with the community much back then due to my main blog being something else. I changed this blog to be a simblr I think about a year ago and since then I've been more active here.

How do you edit your pictures?

I have a few actions for brightness and saturation in PS. I use those on images I think that are too dark etc. Nothing else.

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite?

Sims 2: Nightlife

Sims 3: Late Night

Sims 4: Get Together

Hmm, think there is a pattern there...

I think most of you guys have already done this but I'll tag some people I haven't seen share this yet. There is no pressure to do this and also if you want to do it and haven't been tagged consider this your tag!

Tagging @simstryingtheirbestok @zergula @ts3strayastray

[hotarutranslations]

ZDO Iwate and Miyagi!

Evening

Iwate, Miyagi! Nationwide Simultaneous Send-off Meet!

Thank you very much🤭💙💜

The members visited all around the country,

Did you enjoy it~🤯👏

We were responsbile for 2 prefectures in Tohoku, Setting a talk theme and do mini talk events! was decided,

We both brought our iPads lol

Talking about Suggoi FEVER! Mezameta Talk Family Talk Member Talk Talking about Each Other Talking about Happy Things Talking about what we've done

We selected a theme based on a roulette function, and we shared our stories like that--🙈

It was fun🙈

But, really!

After it was over!

I should have chosen an episode more in line with Iwate, right!?!?!?!? and, we had a little review meeting, I'm sorry everyone in Iwate😂💫

I was too much fun speaking normally, as there was a warm and good response😂💫

There is a story about going to a cafe in Iwate

But I'll post a photo about it next time!

I'm glad I was able to visit Iwate twice in October🍀 Thank you very much🍀

Today! There were guests from around Tohoku, like Akita and Fukushima, thats right, I also, haven't been to the 6 prefectures of Tohoku but I want to! Thats what I thought🍀

Thank you very much for your kindness🍀

From Aeon Mall Morioka South,

In the morning,

We made an appearance on Iwate Asahi TV-san's, "Go! Go! Iwate" live broadcast🩵

The MC was Tenshin Kimura-san, and the announcer, and the entertainer Underage-san who is living in Iwate as well, We received a supper fun and warm welcome! with the original quiz that is unique to the show, Guessing the name of a child you've never seen before, was super fun😂🩵

Thank you very much for watching this as well!

Well then after traveling to Miyagi,

It was just cold nationwide today, it was particulary cold in Tohoku, Within that, since we were holding an outdoor event,

Really, thank you very much😭🩵

I was thinking of you while you were waiting~

I hope you were staying warm during the, Ishida and Nonaka talk!

🙃🙃🙃lol

The themes prepared for Miyagi were,

Amazing talk 17th generation talk Family talk Member talk Behind the MV talk Talking about Happy Things Things that happened talk

We also decided the theme by the roulette in Miyagi as well💫

Come to think of it, there aren't any, opportunities for us to speak freely like this!

If this becomes another event for all of us, The contents of the talks will change so, While having various meetings with Nonaka and I, It was to be able to share various talks for the first time🤭💙💜

Really, really!!! Spend tonight!!! Staying warm!!!

Its been awhile since having a ZDO, Well it also suddenly got cold,

It felt like we had failed to protect everyoneeee from the cold😂

Me too though 😂lol

Thank you very much for your hard work, everyone, everyone! Lets hang out again--!

see you ayumin <3

[aceofwhump]

Question is the legacy editor any good? I've never used it because I'm paranoid about it messing my posts up lmao but I'm curious

The short answer is yes. Legacy editor, the older way tumblr did posting, is in my opinion, the superior editor. I love the legacy editor. A lot. It is definitely superior and I'm sad staff has decided to slowly get rid of it.

However! With that said I've been pretty much exclusively using the beta post editor for the last like year when staff announced that they'd be eliminating the legacy editor eventually so I thought it'd be a good idea to get used to the beta editor. Which I suppose I did. I've gotten used to it and don't use legacy much at all anymore. I also wanted to use it because I got really tired of not being able to edit in mobile the posts I made on web using the legacy editor. With the beta editor you can edit across platforms which is soooo nice. (although it appears that in one of the apps many updates I can now edit a gifset I made today via legacy editor but not the posts I've made in the past using the legacy editor so who knows what's going with that).

But there's a lot of annoying things about the new beta editor that make it inferior to the legacy editor and I'm praying that staff will improve it. For starters, and probably my biggest complaint, is how awful it is to upload and rearrange images. It's so much easier in legacy editor to move images around. In beta the page moves when you start to move the image and it drives me CRAZY!!! I always end up putting the image in the wrong place because the page won't stop moving! Legacy is wonderful to arrange images. I do think the upload is slightly better in beta purely because it uploads multiple images in the order I select them where the legacy just puts them in whatever order it wants to and I have to remember what order I wanted my gifs in.

Legacy is also better because it actually differentiates between an image post and a text post. With the beta editor everything is technically a test post. So my gifsets are not considered an "image post". Some people have noted that the beta, since it's not an image post, it resizes the images a little and sometimes decreases the quality of the gif by doing that. I haven't really noticed that myself with my own gifs but doesn't mean it isnt happening.

The legacy editor also allows me to upload my gifs without stupid errors for no reason. Lately any time I upload more than 6 gifs at once I get an error message and have to upload them one by one. Its not because of size because they're always under 7mbs so I don't know why I can't upload them all at once. I hate it actually. And sometimes my gif will be under 10mbs (like 9.7mbs) and it'll tell me that the gif is too big. Excuse me tumblr but 9.7 is smaller than 10! I never had this problem in legacy.

The legacy editor is also better when it comes to using html, inserting links as text and not the stupid thing beta does where you paste the link and it becomes that stupid post preview thing that I hate, and oh my god is it awful for text blocks! When it first came out you couldnt select multiple texts blocks at all. You can now but it isn't the easiest. And it like expands when you do and makes it weird. Idk it's hard to describe. In legacy you can just...select all the text with no problems. Text blocks are treated like individual sections in the beta and make editing a major pain in the ass.

I also don't like thst apparently new xkit won't work in beta and you have to use xkit rewritten because fuck I don't want to learn how to use that one when I've been using new xkit for years but I guess I'm gonna have to now. I haven't been having any problems with xkit yet but who knows....

So yeah I think overall legacy is better. Beta Post Editor has some good things (I like the increased image upload limit, the editing tags is good) about it but there's so many problems. Unfortunately we're stuck with it so I've been sticking to using it exclusively to make the transition easier on myself. I do suggest becoming used to how it works and to just continue to provide feedback to staff about features we dislike or bugs we come across. Hopefully they'll listen and improve it.

[moongurl95]

Chapter 6.1 – In The Shadow of Yesterdays

“Somewhere unsanctioned.” He’d said, if Sebastian hadn’t the good sense to turn around at that moment, he was sure Beatrice would have seen the beginnings of a blush painting his already freckled cheeks. And if Anne was here, she wouldn’t have let him live this down and might as well have dug a ready grave to swallow him whole.

Great Merlin, just several months without his twin sister’s guiding humor and he was starting to sound like a rake, it also didn’t help that Ominis was starting to get snippy these days. He was well aware how his friend relied on Anne to “give color” to his surroundings, she was great with words and the way she told them— a true storyteller, he called her— and Ominis would always be happy to listen.

Sebastian had an inkling that the very thing that made Ominis cranky these days was the barrage of thoughts he had to “wade pass” every time the Gaunt’s curiosity got the better of him. He even once assumed Ominis only preferred using Legilimency with Anne, after hearing his friend once remark how his twin had an active imagination the boy could get lost in.

Those were the days that made him happy for his sister and how he’d probably found a potential brother-in-law in his best friend, but all that changed, and the one thing that would make him happy now was finding a cure for his sister.

Before his thoughts could take a grim turn however, Sebastian found himself almost unceremoniously shoved on his rump as a Gryffindor girl all but rushed out from one of the Library’s doors in a panic. Judging from her head of wild curls, Sebastian could guess it was Cressida Blume, as to why she had suddenly ran out like Cornish Pixies were after her was beyond him though.

He almost felt a sense of dread as he went down the narrow stairs leading into the Library, taking a moment to push open the door, quite prepared to see chaos being wrecked between the tall shelves of books when suddenly the door pulled back on its own—

“Gah!”

“Godric’s balls, Sebastian! Pipe it down!”

Ominis was quick to cover Sebastian's outburst as he held a hand out to cover the boy's mouth, only removing it as the audible click from the door shut behind them, an awkward silence settling amongst the narrow stairway where they both stood.

“Ominis, what the hell—”

“I'd tell you what hell is like but have decided to spare you from it instead, lest Scribner catches sight of you beyond that door.” Ominis interrupted Sebastian's hushed whispering as he steered the boy to go up the stairs instead.

“How could I have possibly earned her ire on the first day of the school year? I haven't done anything wrong, besides I actually do still borrow books from the regular shelves, you know!” Sebastian protested as he found himself in the Central Hall again with Ominis further leading them up the stairs.

“Need I remind you of the many detentions you've somehow managed to 'slip away' from? The next time Scribner catches you, she'll see no reason but to head straight to Black for it and Anne and I wouldn't be able to keep your uncle from finding out!” Ominis whispered harshly as they came out towards the Viaduct Bridge.

“I would have done those detentions, regardless... Though I do owe you in sparing me most of them.” Sebastian sobered as they quietly walked side by side, “But honestly, what made you think Scribner's got her drawers in a twist more than usual today?”

Ominis made a face at that, possibly from Sebastian's question or what he had to say next, “The same reason I couldn't find myself a quiet place to read in there anymore when Blume released her flying books, or so I've heard Amit explain.”

Reaching the Great Hall minutes later for lunch, Sebastian was now quietly skimming through the selections Ominis had borrowed from the Library when he realized a particular title that could greatly help them with their homework wasn't even in the pile—

“Indulge me Sebastian, did Lucan Brattleby wet himself when he saw how the new fifth-year handled herself in a duel?” Ominis had asked him out of the blue in-between bites.

“Hate to disappoint you, the kid seems pleasantly curious about her.” Sebastian answered offhandedly, his mind already mapping out ways to go back to the Library without possibly triggering the wrath of its Librarian while his eyes unconsciously landed on the next table, trying to spy a familiar dark head but to no avail.

next chapter ⤜⤏