#2023 starting March off with a bang

[sanyu-thewitch05]

Not Andrew Tate possibly having lung cancer!

Let’s see if he gets snatched off this earth like Kevin Samuels was.

[lovelyney]

────𝐀 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐒────

IN WHICH: You accidentally whack Wriothesley in the nose during a training session and feel bad !!

PAIRINGS: Wriothesley x (GN!) Reader

SCENT: fluff but gets kind of nsfw towards the end ??

WARNINGS: uh wrio makes a comment implying masturbation towards the end? that and you guys just makeout, lol.

FLORIST��S NOTE: Reader is a mix between Wrio’s and Sigewinne’s assistant !! Also happy belated new years, blossoms !!

SONG: Bang! Bang! (K,NAAN & Adam Levine)

───────────2023 !! #©LOVELYNEY

WRIOTHESLEY LAUGHS��as you drag him through the Fortress of Meropide, drawing the attention of those around you. Though typically, you’d feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or perhaps self-conscious under the scrutinizing gaze of others, this time, it’s different. Your attention is focused solely on Wriothesley as he holds his free hand up to his bloodied nose. Knowing Wriothesley and his job here, it’s easy to imagine it resulting from a scuffle with a particularly stubborn criminal or something along those lines. However, the truth cannot be farther from that. In actuality, you’re the one responsible for this bloody nose. . . Allow me to expand on the situation a little.

Around a week or so ago, he unexpectedly marched into your office and insisted you learn how to fight. His motives for the sudden declaration were not out of a lack of appreciation for your work at the Fortress but rather a desire for your protection while he’s away. On another note, he believes you’re too “reserved and gentle” with others—“too much like a frightened kitten rather than a fearsome lion,” as he blatantly put it. It was a comparison you found somewhat degrading, yet you couldn’t deny it did speak the truth of your nature. In the end, you decided to comply with his wishes, and from there on out, he started to teach you self-defense and train you.

Cut to the present: Wriothesley pulled you aside for your daily training session. Everything was going swimmingly at first, with you defending yourself from his attacks as usual. Then, amid it all, you accidentally hit him square in the nose and rather hard at that. The punch was neither intentional nor malicious, but it still managed to send him stumbling back and clutching his nose in pain. A tsunami of guilt and worry flooded your system as you frantically apologized to him, but he simply brushed it off and smiled. The look in his eyes was one of mild shock but also of something more. . . fond. He seemed amused rather than angry or annoyed, appearing to be impressed and even a little smitten.

Sigewinne enters the infirmary with the medical supplies you requested, stopping just inside the door to ask you a question. She furrows her brow in concern, noticing the panic in your expression. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take care of him, Mx. (Y/N)? You’re a bit pale. . . Maybe you should sit and rest for a little while,” she offers kindly.

Wriothesley observes you with a lovesick expression as you prepare a cotton swab, your tongue poking out between your lips from concentration. His heart singes when you take his hand that’s pressed to his nose and lay it gently on his lap; your skin is warm and soft compared to his, scarred and calloused, from his duties here at the Fortress.

When you assure her with that enchanting smile of yours—the same one that drives him wild—it feels like his entire body has been set on fire, and he’s certain you can feel that fire when you press your palm to his cheek to keep him still. “D—Don’t worry, Sigewinne. I’ll be alright. Thank you, though.” You answer calmly, despite your hold on him being slightly shaky.

With a brief nod of her head, Sigewinne slips out of the room, leaving you and Wriothesley alone. As you press the cotton swab to his nose, he lets out a sharp hissing sound as the disinfectant works its magic. “Ouch! Shit, maybe I didn’t give you enough credit. That was a hell of a punch. . .” he chortles, trying to lighten up your mood a little. But his amusement falters when you pout, your face a heartbreakingly adorable sight.

“I—I really am sorry, Your Grace! I didn’t expect to hit you so hard. . . In—In fact, I thought you’d move out of the way before I even got the chance too,” you lament and carefully tilt his chin up, making sure you cleaned all the blood off. “How badly does it hurt? Do—Do you want me to go get some painkillers or ice? Please, just—”

“Breathe, (Y/N).” Wriothesley’s tone is soothing as he speaks, seeming intent on consoling you. “I’m perfectly fine, sweetheart. I’ve dealt with far worse scuffs than this. So, please, don’t think for a second I’m mad at you or anything of that nature. I’m more proud than anything, really.” He adds, melting under the warmth and care of your gaze. He finds himself feeling a little selfish in this moment, wishing you’d always spend so much time doting on him. You’re always so engrossed in your work, and as much as he admires that side of you, he’s also become increasingly smitten with you without you even batting an eye. Your self-absorbed disposition has made you oblivious to his adoring eyes, and he can’t help but feel a mix of heartbreak and longing as he considers how blind you are to his affections. “Hm. . . Now that we’re alone, there is something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while,” he admits, humming contentedly as your hand presses to his face once more, oblivious to the surge of adrenaline that shoots through his veins with every touch. Your affectionate actions result from your nurturing demeanor, but he begs silently for them to mean something more.

Your puzzled expression, bearing a resemblance to a confused puppy, only further softens the gentle smile on Wriothesley’s face. “Is that so? Is—is there a reason you’re only bringing it up now?” You inquire anxiously, teeth sinking into your lower lip. You hope that your unexpected punch wasn’t the last straw for him firing you or something like that. The worry in your voice and tension in your body language betray your deep concern, and Wriothesley finds himself smitten by your innocence and tenderness.

The duke pauses momentarily, seeming to mull something over in his mind. “It’s been harder to get you alone these days, with you always engrossed in your paperwork or helping Sigewinne. I can’t bring myself to tear you away when you’re always so faithful.” He acknowledges. His eyes linger over your lips for just a moment too long, his imagination taking over as he considers the softness of them and how they taste. His heart pounds against his ribcage as he holds back the urge to kiss those teeth away and murmur how he’s the only one allowed to ruin your lips.

You mutter the words, “My apologies, your Grace,” as you press the bandage to the bridge of his nose. Taking a step back, you freeze under the intensity of his gaze. “Well, you have my full, unrivaled attention as of r-right now...?” You try to sound confident, but your sheepish expression gives you away.

Wriothesley hums in response, amused and enticed by the sudden color that washes over your face. Clearing his throat, he slips one hand around your waist and pulls you flush against his warm frame. His eyes flutter shut for a brief moment as he allows the intensity of the moment to sink in. “Oh? Do I now? Good,” he purrs, his voice deep and velvety as it echoes in your ears—sending vibrations throughout your core. You shudder when the smooth of his fingers glide over the exposed skin on your waist, and he almost finds it a little sadistic with how much he’s enjoying you squirm when he hasn’t even done anything.

Your breathing becomes a touch erratic as you feel the lingering touch of his hand against your waist. You attempt to mask your growing excitement, skin prickling with electricity. Despite your best efforts, there’s a faint quiver in your words that you can only hope he doesn’t notice. “G—Go on. . .”

Sadly, nothing gets past Wriothesley’s gaze, and he’s able to take note of your trembling voice and hands; he isn’t the duke for nothing, after all. He can’t help but feel the boost to his ego when he realizes he has a tight grip over you at this moment. With a swift tug, you’re suddenly pushed against his broad chest, eyes blown wide. He chuckles as you choke over your words, swiping his thumb over your bottom lip. “You know, (princess/prince). . . I can’t tell if you’re just dense or trying to prove something to yourself.” The raven-haired male teases. “I’ve been smitten with you for weeks now, you know,” he presses, eyes trained on your expression to read any changes. “I can’t help but wonder if you’re as aware as your actions suggest—or if you have been merely feigning ignorance. Please, explain yourself.”

Your breath catches in your throat as the magnitude of Wriothesley’s words settles in; he’s so direct and brazen with his declaration that it sucks all the breath out of your lungs. Your mind races as you grapple with the sudden realization that he is just as enamored with you as you are with him. Your expression must speak louder than words because as you open your lips to speak, Wriothesley closes the distance—slotting his mouth on yours.

It sends all your senses reeling like they’ve been drenched in ice water after burning for too long. Like a balm and a spark, it’s both a soothing salve and a blazing inferno, comforting and ravaging you in equal measure. All the tension of your attraction has suddenly become a physical manifestation, the culmination of all the unspoken words and feelings that have gone unsaid for too long.

Wriothesley pulls himself even closer to you, his passion only intensifying the longer the kiss carries on. The feeling of his body pressing against yours ignites a primal urge within you, driving the kisses to become more intense. His hands slide further down the bare flesh of your back, tracing your waist in a possessive claim to your body. His tongue dives underneath your bottom lip; it probes between them, trying to gain access to the interior of your mouth.

A noise akin to a muffled whimper escapes your throat as his tongue pushes into your mouth with a feverish, nearly desperate need. The intensity of the sensation is overwhelming, and you feel yourself shudder with a sense of raw desire as his hand slides down from your hip to your thigh, his fingers squeezing and digging into the soft flesh. His touch is both tender and possessive, sending your nerves reeling.

When his fingers climb closer up your thighs, you plant your hands on his face and gently push his head away, his mouth chasing after yours instantaneously. You sigh softly, your face flushed scarlet from the heat of the situation. “Wriothesley. . . We are still in your office. Anyone can walk in at any time.” You chuckle, swiping the saliva from his bottom lip.

His body hums with contentment at the breathless sound of his name coming from your lips. He lets out a displeased huff as he nestles his nose in the crook of your neck, sharply inhaling your scent and drowning himself in the warmth of your body. He absentmindedly starts nipping at your skin, “And? I’ve had enough nights getting off—”

“O—Okayokay! As an. . . apology for keeping you waiting, how about after work, we fulfill those fantasies of yours?” You chuckle nervously and thread your fingers through his hair, smiling when he leans his entire body onto you. “Don’t think I didn’t see the way some of the inmates looked at me when I dragged you in here. . . I don’t think I could recover if they walked in and found out they guessed right.”

Wriothesley’s laughter is like a deep, thunderous rumble that soon after swarms your stomach with butterflies. His kisses pepper your face in response, the sweet scent of your skin filling him with a sense of contentment. He pulls away and smiles down at you, the heat and adoration in his eyes impossible to miss. “After work, then,” he repeats and holds up his pinky, signaling you to do the same. Rolling your eyes, you indulge him and hook your pinky to his—a cutesy gesture veiled in a not-so-innocent promise. 

[marveybang]

Marvey Bang 2024

In 2023 Suits and Marvey returned - in 2024 Marvey returns with a BANG!!

We invite all Marvey writers and Marvey artists to take part in the Marvey Bang 2024!!

A Bang is a collaboration between fanfic writers and fan artists, and it works like this:

Writers and artists sign up. Closed!

Each writer provides summaries for the fic they want to write for the Bang. The minimum word-count for Marvey Bang 2024 is 15k, and there is no limit (= your fic can be as long as you want it to be). Once the Bang officially starts, please do not share more information about your work to the public beyond what is mentioned in the summary until your posting date.

The summaries are posted anonymously (we'll use google docs for that as well), and the artists have time to browse and think about which stories they'd like to play with.

The artists claim their top three choices.

The mods match writers and artists and puts them into contact.

Writers and artists work on their joint contribution.

Regular check-ins (see below) help make sure that everything's going according to plan. Extended deadline!

Posting starts September 6th and will be spread out over a couple of days, depending on how many participants we'll have. (Posting schedule will be communicated as soon as the matches have been made, so you'll know when your posting date is right from the beginning.

Contributions must be posted in one go. Fics can be chaptered, of course, and art can be spread over different chapters but on your posting date the entire thing has to be posted. BANG!

Sign-ups are closed (on google forms)!

This is our schedule:

Sign-up for writers: February 12 – February 26, 2024 (Sign-up is now closed.)

Sign-up for artists: February 12 - March 14, 2024 (Sign-up closed.)

Writers: Summaries due: March 11, 2024

Artists: Browsing period: March 15 – March 21, 2024

Artists: Artists’ claims (first, second and third choice): March 21, 2024 (or earlier)

Mods: Matches Made & Sent: March 24, 2024

Writers and Artists: 1st check-in: May 1, 2024

Writers: 50% of writing completed: June 17, 2024

Writers and Artists: 2nd check-in: July 25, 2024

Extended deadline!

Writers and Artists: Final check-in: August 29, 2024

Writers and Artists: Posting starts: September 6, 2024 (Friday) – 1 or 2 contributions per day, depending on how many there are/will be

We're so excited to kick this off and we hope that many, many, many of you sign up!!

Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any questions!

Marveylous greetings Aqua & Ems

[sophieinwonderland]

pissgenic changed their URL to syscourser-against-misinfo jsyk.

they posted something about DID being trauma based when (shocking ik /s) that's fact and what people are arguing is that one part of the disorder of DID is not exclusive to DID (aka SYSTEMHOOD).

like, yeah, no shit ofc trauma makes you have worse memory and big amnesia barriers that give you the criteria of DID. if you're a system but dont have trauma then you dont have the disorder.

i want to scream atp

Yeah, even as someone who believes DID can exist without trauma, my own opinion is that it's going to be so rare as to be statistically insignificant.

I do think the biggest stickler there is going to be the amnesia criterion as you say. There just isn't any research into systems, including OSDD systems, who don't meet that criterion.

I want to note a few things myself from that post in addition to your points.

Math Stuff

The percentage here is 1% of the general population. If we assume Tiktok as a perfect representative sample of the general population...

There should be 1.35 million Tiktok users with DID from the United States alone. This isn't including OSDD or Partial DID. Nor other forms of plurality.

Between January and March of 2023, 14 billion videos were uploaded.

This means, statistically, 144 million TikTok videos should have been made by DID systems in that three month period.

Putting this into perspective, the number of Tiktok videos made by people with DID (assuming that 1% of Tiktoks are made by people with DID) would be the equivalent to the entire population of Russia. In that three month period

"AFABs"

I don't understand why they pointed out this demographic when that's the demo most likely to have DID.

Different studies show different ratios, but with women (most of whom are AFAB) always being more likely to develop it.

By the way, Tiktok also leans female!

This means that this variable should increase the percentage of TikTokers with DID compared to the general population.

The Big Bang

I'd argue the only big bang is in awareness. If 1% of people have DID, then I think DID systems might be underrepresented.

If there's an increase in the number of people identifying as having DID, but that's still less than the 1% of the population who have it, then maybe that just means more people with the disorder are becoming aware earlier and more willing to talk about it openly.

And if a disproportionate amount of what you see on your home page is system content, as you suggest, this can easily be attributed to the algorithm.

People not in the system community would probably see little to no DID content.

This is really semantics.

John Locke defines a person as "a thinking intelligent Being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider it self as itself, the same thinking thing in different times and places."

I believe the explanation of alters in the above quotes meet that definition of a person under Lockian philosophy.

I also disagree with the idea that viewing alters as people is harmful. Viewing them as separate people can hypothetically foster both increased communication and empathy. (People tend to be kinder to others than they are to themselves.) This could aid in treating down dissociative barriers with the right mindset.

Current treatment does push parts philosophy, but treatment that leans into using person-philosophy to build empathy between members of the system hasn't yet been tested against it.

Personally, I'd love to see a person-based treatment plan devised, and an experiment conducted to determine which was most effective for the most people. As of this moment, any speculation as to which is healthier is based on opinion.

What?

The paper isn't supporting the sociocognitive model???

The sociocognitive model is the opposite of the trauma model, claiming all DID is created through fantasy! And it's clear from the moment this quote starts off calling it the "so-called" sociocognitive model that the paper isn't supporting it.

What I think they're thinking this is about is so-called "Imitated DID", which I've discussed the numerous flaws of extensively and in great detail:

Both of these are deeply flawed constructs. But DO NOT GET THEM CONFUSED!

They are incredibly different beasts!

The former claims DID isn't caused by trauma, while the latter was invented by psychiatrists to protect themselves from lawsuits from misdiagnosed patients.

[seoul-bros]

Six marvelous months with Park Jimin

January 2023

The year started with the announcement that Jimin had been appointed as the Global Brand Ambassador for Christian Dior (17/01). The occasion was marked with six Awesome magazine covers and the Dior Fashion Show in Paris (20/01). The fashion establishment was blown away by the response to Jimin's participation in the show.

The same month Jimin released Vibe (13/01) , a dream collaboration with his long time musical hero Taeyang from Big Bang.

This was both artists first solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 76.

February 2023

Jimin did a live on 03/02 in which he confirmed that his solo music, although a little delayed, was likely to come out in March 2023.

On 21/02, Big Hit announced that FACE would be released on 24/03/23. The next day they published the countdown schedule and on the 23/02 the tracklist for the album.

March 2023

On 02/03, Jimin was named Ambassador for Tiffany & Co which he wore spectacularly in his photoshoot for Vogue that month.

On 06/03, Soundcloud super track Promise along with Jimin's yuletide gift to ARMY, Christmas Love were added to Jimin's Spotify profile. The era of streaming Jimin's profile had begun.

From then on, everything started speeding towards the release of FACE. The Hardware and Software images came out.

Set Me Free Pt 2 exploded into the world on 17/03. Nobody saw it coming and it caused a furore on social media. It was a clear statement of intent. I am here to stay and I am here to slay. It debuted at No.30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

FACE was released on 24/03 along with the Like Crazy MV. Speaking for myself Like Crazy blew me away. Jimin set out to make a statement with that song and I will always be proud to be the fan of such an honest and brave artist.

With the release of FACE we also discovered that hidden on the record was a very special song, Letter, in which Jungkook sings background vocals.

That last week of March saw Jimin appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show with a live performance of Like Crazy.

In the next 9 days, he gave comeback performances on MCountdown, Music Bank and Inkiagayo. He came live to thank ARMY for turning up to his shows. He won awards. He appeared on the radio, on the entertainment shows Beat Coin, Ddeun Ddeun and Pixid. He even did fan meetings.

April 2023

On 01/04 Jimin gave an unforgettable acoustic rendition of Like Crazy live on Lee Mujin Service April Fools Edition.

And then on 03/04, Jimin made history. The first South Korean to ever make No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the first Asian Artist to do so in 60 years. He came live in the early hours of the morning, clearly shellshocked but brimming over with gratitude to everyone who had supported the album and the song.

Then on 05/04 the promotions were over and Jimin once again expressed his happiness and thanks to ARMY for supporting FACE.

It had been a whirlwind and I think we, as well as Jimin, were caught off guard when the promotions ended so quickly. We had a beautiful album to savour but we wanted to continue to savour it with Jimin.

The focus returned to fashion when Jimin flew to New York at the end of April to attend the Tiffany & Co Landmark opening (28/04).

He attended Suga's concert in Newark on the 29/04 and headed back to South Korea later that week. But why didn't he fly straight back after the concert we wondered?

May 2023

It all soon became clear, he had been filming the MV for Angel Pt 1 from the Fast X movie. The song came out on the 19/05 and debuted at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was Jimin's fourth chart entry in five months.

At the end of the month, Jimin made a short trip to London and we are still speculating on what that was all about. He posted photos of his trip to HP World as soon as he got back to South Korea on 27/05.

June 2023

Festa 2023 soaked Seoul in purple for nearly three weeks at the beginning of June in celebration of BTS's ten years since debut. Jimin gifted fans with a live performance of Dear.ARMY on 07/06 and....

,,,,,,on 13/06 BTS released this beautiful live version of Take Two with Jimin adding depth and colour to the song with his stunning vocals.

But there was still more to come, on 15/06 Jimin came live in high spirits and spent quality time with ARMY. It was the same day as the release of Angel Part 2.

On the 27/06 Jimin's solo profile appeared on Billboard and serves as a permanent reminder of everything that has happened in the short space of 6 months. It has been a roller coaster ride and I am still hopeful that we will still get more music from Jimin before he has to enlist. I wanted to make this post so that no one forgets what he has achieved and the permanent mark he has made on the global music industry since he took his first steps towards a solo career.

Post Date: 28/06/2023

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

Jewish students at Concordia University in Montreal must fend for themselves when their anti-Zionist classmates resort to assault and harassment on campus, according to students who spoke with The Algemeiner.

No single incident, they said, evinced their alleged abandonment by school officials more than one on March 12 in which Jewish students were trapped in the school’s Hillel office while members of the anti-Zionist club Supporting Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), concealing their faces with keffiyehs and surgical masks, banged on its windows and doors and stomped on the floor of the room above it.

“It’s usually just a safe place for Jewish people to come and hang out,” Chana Leah Natanblut, president of Chabad Concordia, said of the Hillel office. “We were all doing our work and chilling, and all of a sudden we started hearing chanting, like screaming and stuff. We thought maybe it had something with the student strike going on, but then we started hearing people scream terrorists and banging on the ceiling. The Supporting Palestinian Human Rights club is directly above us.”

Seeking the source of the din exploding around them, Natanblut and her friends walked to the window, where they saw a crush of SPHR activists, some standing on the fire escape outside of it, others standing in the parking lot below.

“B—ch!” “Dog!” “Zionism is terrorism!” they screamed, while the person on the fire escape whacked away at the window. The rioters came from “all sides,” Natanblut explained, sprinting through the hallways to hammer the walls outside the club and setting off what felt like seismic shocks that shook the room. Amid the clatter, Natanblut noticed that a shopping bag hooked on a wall mount behind the door was swinging like a pendulum, as if to count down the time they had left before the worst occurred.

“We immediately locked the window and made sure that the door to the room was locked,” Natanblut continued. “We really felt trapped, and I couldn’t even leave to use the bathroom. I was wondering how would I get out and if I would be attacked if I did. So, I started to videotape what was going on, and I called my friend, the person in charged of advocacy for Hillel, telling him to come right away. Then I called security.”

Security arrived promptly, Natanblut said, and reprimanded the SPHR rioters. However, to Natanblut’s astonishment, they refused to discipline those involved in the disturbance on the grounds that Jewish students had contributed to instigating the incident.

According to Natanblut, the SPHR students told the officers that they behaved as they did because the Jewish students had filmed them. To no avail, Natanblut and her friends explained that they only began recording after the banging and screaming started and that they had all been minding their own business. Declining to privilege one account of what happened over the other, security took their statements and left, refusing to answer questions about next steps, including whether the rioters would be allowed back in the building.

“We only filmed because they were harassing us, for evidence, and we didn’t feel safe,” Natanblut said. “Security obviously told them to disperse and that they couldn’t act that way, but they didn’t say what would happen and it felt almost as if they had taken their side. Who’s to say they won’t do it again? What kind of message does it send to do nothing about it?”

Similar occurrences are the new normal for Jewish students attending Concordia University, Anastasia Zorchinsky, founder and president of The StartUp Nation, a pro-Israel club, told The Algemeiner. On Nov. 8, for example, just over a month after Hamas’ massacre across southern Israel, anti-Zionist protesters approached Jewish students and punched several in the face. No one was punished for these offenses, she explained, and the university has had the habit of refusing to denounce antisemitism as a stand-alone problem, always being sure to mention Islamophobia as well to insinuate that Jewish students are engaging in hateful behavior themselves. With several large anti-Zionist events coming up later this month and in April, she fears Jewish students will be targeted again and denied justice.

“The university must enforce its policies, which it’s not doing,” Zorchinsky said. “There’s a clear double standard when it comes to violence against Jewish students, and there must be investigations of these students and expulsions of any found to have committed antisemitic violence. We don’t need pro-Hamas students on our campus behaving this way. We don’t need students who support terrorism on campus. They’re a danger to everyone. Not just us.”

Concordia University did not respond to The Algemeiner‘s request for comment for this story.

[intoloopin-archive]

LOOPIN, THE GROUP.

First announced as 'Boy Of The Week Project' in late 2016, promised to eventually become an extension of Blockberry Creative's LOONA mostly housed under New Wave Music, BBC's novice partner company, LOOPiN was for a long time a myth: with no official records of the reported 24 trainees set to compete on 'Boy Of The Week', a mix of korean and international young men and teenagers, it's impossible to know how and when exactly LOOPiN came to be. Off the pre-pre-debut official recruiting, only seven met debut – them being Beomseok, Taesong, Minwoo, Seungsoo, Haruki, Dylan (with a one year delay compared to all others) and Haegon. Remaining members O.z, Hanjae and J.J joined the final lineup under undisclosed circumstances.

Once officially formed, LOOPiN had an almost siamese start as their sister group: debuting two to three members, one in every week of the month starting from mid 2018, then conjoining them under a unit until all 10 members had been formerly introduced to the public, officially becoming LOOPiN on August 2019.

As LOONA had The Loonaverse, LOOPiN's cosmic horror, highly nonlinear concept, named as The Looploore, stayed heavily with them up until New Wave Music's split with Blockberry Creative and complete buyout of their exclusive contracts in October 2022. Beomseok was the only original member that refused to renew and left the group, as well as celebrity life, on March 2023, quickly being replaced by Gyujin.

Former leader and group producer Minwoo left the group and the music industry in April 2024, midway through New Wave Music's sudden bankrupcy scandal and the settling of the members individual contract signing with Rare Rhythm. LOOPiN will move on as a 9 piece act under the label.

Known for being a highly self produced act with all members deeply involved in the creation of the group's visual, musical and storytelling aspects, as well as for having the most unlucky and polemic starts to almost every year, LOOPiN keeps on kicking high and ranking as one of the most prolific and eye catching groups in K-Pop now – a merit that seems to be far from being taken away from them anytime soon.

LOOPiN, THE MEMBERS.

PARK TAESONG.

With a history of being mocked for his kindness and taunted for his need to please, Park Taesong has been from day one the weakling in the eyes of every single one of his teammates, and he's been fighting a never ending war to not let them mold him into something he's not – into one of them. Even when his high tendency to anxiously spiral and his chronic fear of his own frail health get temporarily in the way, Taesong is always choosing to try to stay calm, stay sane, stay by his own side – but he still might prefer to give up on himself before he gives up on LOOPiN.

He's gentle, cowardly, optimistic, controling.

GIVEN NAME: Park Taesong. OTHER ALIASES: Taeng (nickname). BIRTHDATE: 02.15.97. PROFESSION: Idol. GROUP POSITIONS: main vocalist, leader (2019 - early 2022). ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean. FACE CLAIM: Lee Minhyuk.

BANG MINWOO.

Bang Minwoo believes he's known hunger more intimately than anyone else around him, and for that, he is brutal. With a relationship with music that borders on obsession, he's given up body and soul for his art and will spare nothing to keep LOOPiN going – or so he wants the world to believe. Truth is, there is a caring, deeply empathic nature in Minwoo that he's been trying to ignore for years, and it's dormant now, but not gone. Ever since he began being confronted by past actions and his own secret history, Minwoo hasn't been able to sit with himself at peace and sleep.

He's dedicated, irritable, reliable, obsessive.

GIVEN NAME: Bang Minwoo. OTHER ALIASES: Noah Bang (english name). BIRTHDATE: 07.08.97. PROFESSION: Idol-songwriter (retired), music producer (retired), ??? (temporary). FORMER GROUP POSITIONS: leader (early 2022 - early 2024), main rapper, vocalist, dancer, group producer. ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean (Guryong natural). FACE CLAIM: Lee Changyoon.

NA SEUNGSOO.

Na Seungsoo has always marched to the beat of his own drum, in a rhythm that hardly makes sense to anyone else. The never serious, untalented with academics youngest child of a lineage of successful doctors, Seungsoo took a gamble with the entertainment industry and believes himself to have won big. But where his stage act is a success, his interpersonal relationships suffer – quick to love and even quicker to hate, practically a stranger to forgiveness of even the smallest off offences, Seungsoo can't help but hurt everyone he tries to guide to what he considers to be safety.

He's romantic, intrusive, enthusiastic, impulsive.

GIVEN NAME: Na Seungsoo. OTHER ALIASES: Sonny Na (english name). BIRTHDATE: 10.19.97. PROFESSION: Idol, music producer, choreographer. GROUP POSITIONS: lead vocalist, lead dancer, group producer. ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean (Busan natural). FACE CLAIM: Kwak Dongyeon.

FUKUNAGA HARUKI.

Coming from one of Japan's longest artistic driven families, a direct descendant of a long line of dancers, painters and classic musicians, Fukunaga Haruki was always expected to conquer the world. Now standing as a KArts drop out with an addition to highs and lows first, successful Idol second, Haruki can't see himself as anything but a projectile that failed on the launch path. He might be LOOPiN's most well known face, but that hasn't come without a price – as the keeper of secrets that can bring his entire company to ruin, he has to be compensated. But after years of pretending, his luck seems to have run out and the silent act has grown tired.

He's passionate, evasive, resourceful, mercurial.

GIVEN NAME: Fukunaga Haruki. BIRTHDATE: 09.22.98. PROFESSION: Idol, dancer, model. GROUP POSITIONS: main dancer, vocalist, visual, face of the group. ETHNICITY: Japanese. NATIONALITY: Japanese. FACE CLAIM: Takahashi Fumiya.

WOO GYUJIN.

A once commercial kid on the rise, Woo Gyujin vanished from the spotlight in his tween years and came back with a brand new face, brand new body and a fully developed voice, an adult with a solid base built over the buried skeletons that were once in his closet. His inherited need for a long, quiet life of stability keeps crashing with his want to be famous and seen. Now integrated into a group filled with chaos addicts and missing pieces, mess might crawl its way into his new life and doom Gyujin once again if he doesn't do something to help close the open wounds of his bandmates.

He's adaptable, incitive, assertive, unstable.

GIVEN NAME: Woo Gyujin. BIRTHDATE: 11.01.98. PROFESSION: Idol, actor (formerly). GROUP POSITIONS: main vocalist, songwriter. ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean. FACE CLAIM: Lee Jongwon.

DYLAN HWANG / HWANG CHIHOON.

An only child born from a dreamy teenage affair in South Korea, Dylan Hwang was raised by his single mother and his grandparents in Santa Monica, California, unknowing of the identity of his father, unknowing of what to do with himself. Picking up his mom's long lost dream of living trought music, Chihoon started auditioning to entertainment companies in hopes to find some sort of enlightenment in fame, got a break of spirit instead – it seems that as long as he's got an eye open, he'll keep on being a quiet witness and attender of the worst the world has to offer.

He's selfless, repressed, attentive, paranoid.

GIVEN NAME: Hwang Chihoon. OTHER ALIASES: Dylan Hwang (english name). BIRTHDATE: 03.17.99. PROFESSION: Idol, singer-songwriter. GROUP POSITIONS: lead vocalist, songwriter, concept co-director (2023-). ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: Korean-American. FACE CLAIM: Choi Taeyang.

WU ZHIMING / OH JIMIN.

Born chinese, raised with an iron fist in Seoul, O.z has felt essentially split from a young age. Absorbing a stoicism from his executive father he still can't let go off, Zhiming can only be unapologetically himself trough his genre defying, highly unpopular music. He became an Idol out of spite, set to hate it, but found a new side of himself trought his stage persona and the A list world he's set in – one that the black and white sense of morality he's cultivated trought life makes O.z an odd man out on. It seems Zhiming doesn't ever get the comfort of being able to pick the good side of fame.

He's truthful, blunt, confident, contrarian.

GIVEN NAME: Wu Zhiming. OTHER ALIASES: O.z (stage name); Oh Jimin (korean name). BIRTHDATE: 08.03.99. PROFESSIONS: Idol, DJ, music producer. GROUP POSITIONS: main rapper, group producer. ETHNICITY: Chinese. NATIONALITY: South Korean. FACE CLAIM: Zhang Linghe.

LEE HANJAE.

An extremely quiet child and an even more dismissible teenager, Lee Hanjae wouldn't dare to dream of the spotlight until it came offered to him in a once in a life opportunity. With an ease to art in it's many shapes budded for years while being the target of ill driven mismanagement, Hanjae is the new face being pushed, and to his own bewilderment, the public embraces him as an actor in a way that's foreign. Thriving on a new career path while his members seen close to reaching rock bottom, Hanjae can't make a single move – he's too afraid of what he might do if he ever let's himself reach for what he wants.

He's thoughtful, insecure, reserved, selfish.

GIVEN NAME: Lee Hanjae. BIRTHDATE: 04.02.00. PROFESSION: Idol, choreographer, actor. GROUP POSITIONS: main dancer, lead rapper. ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean (Incheon natural). FACE CLAIM: Oh Seongmin.

XU JIAHANG.

The youngest son of a blockbuster movie director and Miss Chinese International 1989, J.J had fame promised to him as a birthright. Spoiled rotten in his early years, the world took no time beating him off his pedestal while making him look cruelty deep in the eyes once he became a teenager, making Jiahang develop a need to hide every inch of himself, turn into a doll to keep – no more. Fully aware of his worth once again, he wants in back into the spotlight and the fun of adoration, and there's something not quite right about his ambition – it's a factor of deep change. But each step up the ladder only enhances the promise of a nasty fall.

He's loyal, cunning, understanding, overachiever.

GIVEN NAME: Xu Jiahang. OTHER ALIASES: J.J (stage name); Jason Xu (english name); Jay (nickname). BIRTHDATE: 12.10.00. PROFESSION: Idol, model. GROUP POSITIONS: sub rapper, sub vocalist, visual. ETHNICITY: Chinese. NATIONALITY: Chinese (Beijing natural, Hong Kong and Manila adapt). FACE CLAIM: Xue Bayi / Ling Chao.

KIM HAEGON.

Kim Haegon is a time bomb shaped kid trapped inside the body of not quite enough famous, just turned legal adult. Terrified of abandonment even if it's a feeling too well known, Haegon attracts and keeps cruel company, all to avoid being alone with himself. Recently and forcedly divorced off all the relationships that kept him grounded to his childlike ways, Haegon wants maturity, and he wants it now – to be good in someone's eye, he's ready to beg and kill. The road to emotional recovery is a long one, and Haegon doesn't yet know how far his feet alone can take him.

He's intuitive, dependent, devoted, desperate.

GIVEN NAME: Kim Haegon. BIRTHDATE: 03.22.01. PROFESSION: Idol. POSITIONS: vocalist, lead dancer. ETHNICITY: Korean. NATIONALITY: South Korean (Seoul natural.) FACE CLAIM: Park Jihoon.

[thenightpool]

rinharu wrapped 2023

We almost can't believe it's already time to bring out the kadomatsu again! 2023 just raced by, didn't it…?! Let's take a moment to look back on everything Rin & Haru (and their fans!) have achieved this year.

🌸 Archive of Our Own

The Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka tag on AO3 now holds 3,674 works!

That means 173 new fics were posted this year. (There might've been more than that, but it's hard to keep track of creators privatising their older fics!)

And the Night Pool's AO3 collection is up to 90 works!

.

🌸 The Night Pool

Here at TNP, we revived @sakurathon, a cherry blossom-centric event! This year, the event received 40 works by 19 lovely participants.

Since it was such a big success, we're bringing the event back on April 27th & 28th 2024.

°•. ✿ .•°

We also held the aquatic-themed Unleashed Blue, during which 20 participants created 51 (!!) otherworldly works for us.

With permission of the creators, we lovingly collected them in a 400+ page commemorative zine. You can download it on linktree

°•. ✿ .•°

Writers filled an impressive 35 prompts during our prompt meme Make a Splash! that we held in honor of Haru's birthday.

Read the fills on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

Rin & Haru's Big Warm-Up, our monthly prompt event, received 16 new works on AO3 across the year & more on socials.

Check out our collection on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

We also kicked off rinharu fandom's very first bang: MEDLEY!, a mini + reverse hybrid bang that will start posting in March!

(Psst. Sign ups are still open for a few roles!)

°•. ✿ .•°

We held 3 training camps – super fun writing retreat weekends – over on our Discord. We have 4 more retreats planned for 2024!

If you'd like to join us for the next one(s), here's the info

°•. ✿ .•°

We posted 33 new fanart translations!

Here's the link to our masterlist

°•. ✿ .•°

And finally, The Night Pool beat out Harurinralia to win our Ultimate Rinharu Moments Tournament that we held back in April on both Twitter and Tumblr!

.

🌸 Other Fandom Events

It's been a busy year!

In July, @starstarfairy hosted Wave Of Memory (@rinharumemories) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Free! The event ran in two wave on tumblr and Twitter and combined polls, fan memories, and all types of fanworks.

@sweetheavenfics helped us run the RH-friendly @soumako-week in September!

@ryu-outsider hosted the month-long daily prompt event Free!cember here on Tumblr. It welcomed the entire fandom. The event was promoted by eleanorenchanted and run via hashtag.

And @rinharuweek ran for a full 10 days this year in celebration of the show's anniversary! They are just wrapping up.

.

🌸 Official News

Free! turned 10 in 2023. Omedetou gozaimasu!

Free! The Final Stroke Part 2 broke all of the series' previous records in the box office, bringing in over 1 billion yen

It also finally made it to Crunchyroll.com for the US & select others

Miyano Mamoru & Shimazaki Nobunaga fed us (+ fanartists' inspiration) well by shouting "HARU!!" and "RIIIN!!" at each other before hugging passionately during the 10th anniversary event at the Saitama Super Arena

We got tons of amazing new art; including a cover illustration for Free! The Band Live's Ever Blue performance in Yokohama, Animedia's July W-cover, Sweets Paradise's promotional art, and Kyoani's 10th anniversary event's illustration

Rin's ripped jeans (+ THE ANKLETS) in the Matsukiyo & Cocokara's Top Of Summer collaboration launched a thousand fanworks

Matsuoka-senshu, Nanase-senshu, Kirishima-senshu & Yamazaki-senshu represented Mizuno at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka

Spoon2Di recently restocked volume 78 & 85 on their webshop, and Akiba Pass Shop opened pre-orders for some gorgeous tapestries featuring said art

Karatz, Bikkuriman Choco, Iwami & DECOL all bumped Rin up to 2nd place in character listings (where he belongs!!)

Last but not least, KyoaniShop bankrupted us all by releasing amazing new merchandise (and also did not try to hide that Rin is the Free! series' 2nd protagonist, either…)

--

Thank you so much for being here with us in 2023. We hope it has been a wonderful & creative year for you. Here's wishing you an even more rinharu-filled 2024!

[likeadevils]

Any timeline news bestie?

actually yeah!! a good chunk of news that i need to officially type up and source, but if you want to just take me at my word that i’m not making up interviews:

@1989worldtour and @taylor-on-your-dash found an old interview where taylor says she wrote back to december in new york, meaning it was likely written in early/mid may 2010

in that same interview she also said she wrote mine while on tour, probably in texas (that’s her saying probably texas not me). which would put it march 10-12 2010. the thing that trips me up about that though is scott borchetta said she showed it to him in february, which isn’t a big time difference, but taylor left for the bahamas right after texas. i don’t know exactly what day she left, so it’s possible she flew from texas to nashville’s to the bahamas and recorded the first mine demo then, but unless she did that the next time she could be in nashville would be on the 21st, and the next time she’s in nashville for longer than a day would be march 29, both of which are pushing the february mix up. but no matter what taylor probably wrote it in early march, since all the dates in february were in australia and tokyo, which seem hard to mix up with texas.

in that same interview she said she started mean in her kitchen but then had to leave to go play a show. that could be whenever, but the only 2010 show she played without a show right before/after it was in baton rouge on may 29, where she had two days off before and after it, so speculation but better than the “idk sometime in spring?” that i had it under before

(side salad: you might be thinking claire, is that too many may 2010 songs? and if you’ve read the speak now timeline you might be thinking, but what about long live in the first week of june and the story of us in the second week of june? is that too many songs? and to that i’d say wow, thank you for paying so much attention. but, taylor does go into writing frenzies in the months right before she finishes an album, and she finished writing for speak now in june and recording for it in july, so like. it makes sense that there’d be a cluster right at the end)

nathan chapman, the guy who produced basically every song taylor recorded between 2006-2011, posted a couple photos from the speak now and red sessions! unfortunately we don’t know which song she was making in the speak now picture (my kingdom for speak now studio credits), but the one from red is likely girl at home— it is the only released song taylor made with him at his house after cutting her bangs and straightening her hair

and some super early tortured poets speculation— on october 17, post malone said he’d just hung out with taylor, and on october 20 deuxmoi said taylor had just been in LA working with a new producer. dm is normally absolute dogshit at getting information out of taylor’s camp, but idk about post malone/whatever producer’s side of things. so i’m putting a very shaky maybe on fortnight in october 2023

if anyone has an opportunity to enter electric lady studios please tell me if they have a tan couch in front of a dark wood background. i have crawled through their website and instagram and i can find no such couch but taylor and jack working in a non-electric lady/his house studio would be insane (EDIT JACK BUILT A NEW STUDIO IN LA AND THE PHOTOS I WAS TRYING TO TRACK DOWN WERE PROBABLY TAKEN THERE)

[lululawrence]

lululawrence's March 2023 Fic List

Previous Fic Lists / Lulu’s List Podcast Masterpost

Happy 28th! I finally finished with reading Christmas, so the last batch of those are found here as well as a fun variety of other fics that kept me well entertained this month and hope you'll enjoy them too.

As always, be sure to show your love and appreciation with kudos, nice comments, and (when applicable) reblogging their fic posts!

it always leads to you (in my hometown) by @insightfulinsomniac / InsightfulInsomniac (41k, E, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, exes to lovers, famous/non-famous, childhood friends to lovers to exes to strangers to lovers, if you want the whole rundown, though not all of it is shown in this fic lol, pining, angst and fluff, this fic was so enjoyable i devoured it and enjoyed every moment, the way they both wanted it so bad and tried so hard to get over each other, it was just so pure and good you know?, i really did enjoy it very much a lot)

A Boyfriend for Christmas by @chelsea-frew / Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew) (6k, G, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, fake relationship, fluff and humor, Louis agrees to help Gemma by pretending to be her boyfriend to keep her family off her back, but then he meets Harry and lmao the STRUGGLE to hide the gay is hilarious I loved it so much, he was trying so hard, and Harry was so conflicted, but it all turned out alright and it's just such a cute fic)

Worries, Kisses and Surprises by @neondiamond / Neondiamond (3k, G, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, established relationship, fluff, mpreg, this short little thing is so funny because Harry is trying so hard to keep it together and not let things slip, and Louis is just really pushing it and not picking up on the clues, and it's just so funny and cute, very sweet)

santa, won't you bring me the one i really need? by @alwaysxlarrie / alwaysxlarrie (6k, T, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, meet cute, Louis is a last minute sub for a mall Santa, and Harry is the last minute sub as his helper elf, so many puns, so much flirting, so many horrible children and parents lmaoooo, this fic was silly and painful and cute and fun, just like a real mall santa gig lol)

when did i first know? i always knew by @panye / eynap (8k, E, Niall/Shawn, Christmas fic, established relationship, I would summarize this fic as anxiety and fluff lolololol, punctuated by some hot smut, it's Shawn's POV and you can FEEL his anxiety as he's starting to worry that he is SO in love and Niall.... is not, but oh gosh it's so perfect really it is, so sweet)

when I'm feeling alone, you remind me of home by pinkbathrrry (14k, NR, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, co-workers, strangers to lovers, closeted in the workplace, Christmas together, listen this fic was so soft, it had a really lovely pacing to it that made it feel like it was gently lilting like a poem or a song, with these sweet little ending statements to scenes, it was just such a soft little Christmas fic)

The Hour of Us by @niallziam / sitandadmire (6k, M, Niall/Harry/Louis, Reverse Bang fic, girl direction, polyamory, established relationship, magic, witches, cottagecore, this fic was unbelievably soft and sweet, and so silly, the scene with the frog was so funny omgosh, but it's just so sweet even with the slight feeling of things going wrong you just know it's going to turn out perfectly, you know?, anyway, this was so sweet)

bitter ends turn sweet in time by @greeneyesfriedrice / me_her_themoon (24k, E, Harry/Louis, Christmas fic, childhood friends to ex-friends to coworkers to lovers, miscommunication, homeless Harry, boss Louis, assistant Harry, dog walker/kind of personal assistant/bestie Zayn, this fic was so lovely, it was so interesting piecing together their background and trying to figure out what went wrong, and the PINING oh my word it was fantastic, so good, this fic was so goooood, when they finally come together and figure out what's going on with them and fixing what went wrong it just, chef's kiss, so good)

Let Your Heart Be Light by @cyantific / Cyantific (78k, E, Harry/Louis, Advent fic, Christmas fic, grieving, strangers to lovers, enemies to lovers, kind of, lol, pining, more grieving, and grief, and love and sadness and the holidays being incredibly difficult because, you guessed it, grief!, this fic isn't a happy go lucky one, it handles a lot of difficult subjects and these characters have a hard time with it all, i cried a lot reading it, but it is so perfectly and beautifully done, it is incredible and such a beautiful fic, the journey the characters all take together, and the camaraderie between all of the friends, it is such a great read, i loved reading it as a wip and cannot believe i forgot the last chapters posted for as along as i did lol)

Teach me how to love by perfectdagger (sincerelyste) (71k, E, Harry/Louis, Bad As Sex AU, Harry is bad at sex, like SO bad at sex lolllllll, it's kind of like, one night stand to enemies to friends with benefits to lovers, but only kind of because enemies isn't quite right and neither is friends with benefits, but it's as close as it gets i guess, anyway there's so much more to this, but it's so much vulnerability, and so much exploration and growth and just, this fic was exactly my shit okay it was so good, i don't even know how to fully explain what made it so special but it really was so good, the smut was sexy as hell and the chemistry between the two of them leapt from the page and it was just, incredible, a truly stunning fic from start to finish)

Late Night Talking by @kingsofeverything / kingsofeverything (54k, E, Harry/Louis, Reverse Bang fic, famous/famous, Harry is essentially Jimmy Kimmel, and Louis is... himself except he'd always been a punk rocker basically?, holy COW y'all, the PINING, the angst, the longing!!!!, you know i'm a hoe for those things so it was just everything i love, this fic i just inhaled it, like so many others this month tbh, it was an absolute joy to read it, so many incredible moments, just, yes, so good lol)

Slide by @this-onegoes / thisonegoes (88k, E, Zayn/Harry, I'm trying to figure out how to summarize this fic lol because it is SO MUCH and doesn't really fit smoothly into any trope exactly, divorced Zayn, father Zayn, music producer Harry, neighbors, sexuality crisis, emotional hurt/comfort, SO much hurt/comfort, puzzles, kid fic, navigating life changes, daddy issues, angst, pain, happy ending, the best happiest ending, i just loved this fic so much, i dove right in and could not handle how incredible it was, if you read rare pairs ever you have to give this a try because it is just stunningly amazing, and the women in it are fabulous, and just wowowowowow, i have no idea how i just discovered this fic now but thank you to @louandhazaf for reccing it because it's a new fav)

[cranberrymoons]

✨fic writing review 2023

thank you for the tags @mojowitchcraft @oh-stars @rindecision and @wynnyfryd!

my goal for 2024 is going to be writing and finishing my fics for the Reverse Bang and then after that i have a few ideas up my sleeve that i might use for a bang or just for fun 😊

stats

(everyone has done this a little differently so i'm just doing whatever i want)

140,270 words published on ao3

57 works published (mostly short stuff! it's been a year of one shots and microfic)

19 works and 62,220 words (almost half my total!) went to the future fic series, with a couple more short things coming in the next few weeks

2 current wips on ao3 (the seas be ours and back in the new york groove)

28 songs on my spotify wrapped that I know for a fact are only there because of specific things I was writing at the time

top fics by kudos

get it off your chest (rated e || 7,415 words)

can't start a fire (rated t || 3,231 words)

so fondly today (rated e || 8,272 words)

something so pretty (rated m || 3,087 words)

i carry this feeling (rated t || 860 words)

2023 fic events

@steddiemicrofic – 14 works posted this year – ao3 || tumblr

@steddieholidaydrabbles – 10 works with more coming throughout december – ao3 || tumblr

kinktober – 14 works posted on ao3

@steddieholidayexchange – gift fic posting on Dec 16!

@steddievember – the sweetest thing

discord drabbles – 9 works posted this year – ao3 || tumblr

upcoming 2024 fic events

@strangerthingsreversebigbang – 2 fics posting in march-april that i'm very excited about!

@steddiesummerexchange – posting in june

more microfic and drabble events, i love writing them!

rules & tags below the cut!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

tags: I'm sure so many people have already done this!! if so, feel free to ignore me 🤪 as always, no pressure: @starryeyedjanai @thefreakandthehair @shares-a-vest @just-my-latest-hyperfixation @thisapplepielife

[imogenlefay]

So, I read this book... Daisy Jones & The Six

so, i've been thinking about doing a thing, and maybe someone finds it interesting, or maybe it's just for me to order my thoughts and i'll get bored to it before march, but we'll see. basically, for the last two years i've been keeping track of the books i read (or audiobooks i listen to) bc i felt like i'm not reading enough (except for fanfiction). and while i'm far behind people who actually read a lot, and woefully behind how much i used to read when i was a teen, i'm actually pretty happy with the progress. made it to 34 in 2022 and 40 in 2023, and hope to get more done this year. 2024 is starting off strong, just finished my first book of the year, and usually when i do that, i have thoughts. so what's the point of blogs if not to put that out there, so it stops haunting my head? or maybe even get someone else's thoughts on things? so i decided to blog about the books i read (unless i forget or don't feel like it), starting with general feelings and then going into spoilery feelings. so, yeah, this is what this is going to be. let's go.

Summary: a look back on fictional rockband The Six rising to fame, where they meet It Girl Daisy Jones, leading to the collab of a century, until the band breaks apart after one show in Chicago. Told completely in interview snippets.

General Feelings: say what you want, it's a fast read, and it's fun. the style of writing with everything being interview snippets, aka the band members' and friends' memories, works really well, especially the parts where one person remembers things, and the next person directly contradicting their memory. it's a quick way to give you everyone's point of view, and sowing the seeds of miscommunication and conflict. the story is easy to follow, and it's also easy to feel for most of the protagonists. the characters are likable enough, and their conflicts are mostly realistic. the final show in chicago and the general fall out unfortunately fall kind of flat for me. like... this is it? it's not much of a bang, tbh... which maybe sums up my feelings about the whole thing. it's a fun ride, but at the end, it's like "huh, guess that was it?" it is fun, but it's just not very deep, i guess. although the way they describe the songwriting process and the songs that result from it really was cool to read. another fun fact, i totally forgot there's a show until i googled the book cover. and since i was reading and caught myself wanting to check out the songs, only to remember they're not real... well, that might be enough motivation to check out the show. Recommendation: yes, i'm doing that before the actual feelings part cause i can't discuss those without spoilers. so, if anybody cares, rec first. Daisy Jones & the Six is a casual read. like, vacation book. for the beach, for train rides, for flights. it's fun to breeze through, but i doubt it'll really grip most people. so yeah, not a must read, but can be fun, light reading.

Spoilery feelings:

(consider yourself warned)

there are a few things that really didn't work for me.

i never really got into the whole daisy/billy thing. like, his instant antipathy, the weird rivalry, and then her oh so deep love for him, and at the end, him finally kinda sorta loving her but loving his wife more... maybe that's part of the format. both of them looking back at it from the future, where it's just not that present anymore. but it didn't ring that true.

my biggest problem was probably drug use and how it was handled. it just felt so trivial and meaningless. like sure, for both billy and daisy it's supposedly the central struggle, but it just fell so flat for me. i know part of that is that early december i read Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, which (in germany) is a famous non-fiction account describing the fall into heavy drug use of an extremely young girl (starting at 12, i think), and it's the bleakest thing i've ever read, with the girl herself describing how she fell into heavier and heavier drugs, paid for by prostitution. so it's dark, and it's heavy, and compared to that the drug use in Daisy Jones feels almost offensive in how little weight it has. the comparison is super unfair, i know, i'm primed and biased, sure. but after that, the book may say a million times "oh yeah, that was a bad time for daisy", but it just doesn't ring true.

i'm not sure if the identity of the interviewer is supposed to come off as a twist? like, sure, i didn't see it coming, but it didn't really have an impact, either.

lacking impact is probably my final point. while the book, especially with the format of the interviews, is really good at painting the conflicts within the group, i didn't feel like these paid off in a significant manner. like, eddie's whole growing resentment never went anywhere except being a red herring. the show in chicaco wasn't that special in the end, was it? nothing happened at the show himself. just, the band broke at many different places at once, but they barely impacted each other. billy's struggle with addiction toppling over, daisy having a breakdown and camila helping her through it, pete getting married, the karen/graham thing exploding... like, you could see them coming, but the resolution all at once felt kinda random. like, it didn't feel like there's this big bang setting off all the dominos (yeah, mixing metaphors, i know), but more like "oh yeah, that's all happening now, i guess". sure, there isn't always a big bang, but i feel like they teased one, and then there was nothing. so i guess the end feels a bit anticlimactic, like it just fizzled out.

it was still fun to read, but more like meaningless fun, i guess. definitely preferred "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", which was super fun. interesting writing style, but story is a bit shallow. okay, now i talked enough about a book i kinda sorta liked but wasn't super impressed by. anyone else thoughts about it? did you read it? did you watch the show? do you or did you have feelings about it? seriously would love to hear them!

[rayrex0fartemis]

Artemisia: The Holy Days of Artemis

In Ionia and Crete had their New Year’s on the spring equinox, the month Artemisios (Artemision in Ephesus), which is associated with the Zodiac Aries. Later during the reign of Augustus, the New Year’s was changed to Libra, the month of his birthday.

Regarding festivals and celebrations, according to Mary Galvin in her “BIOΣ ~ APTEMIΣ” described common elements of Artemision festivals were “…eating and drinking, singing and dancing, precessions, competitions and sacrifice were common activities despite local variations…” (Vol.1-1, page 243). Night time festivals for Artemis were quite common.

The 6th day of every month is devoted to Artemis. Also in Ephesus, every night of the full moon and new moon is an Epiphany celebration that featured an appearance from Artemis to people celebrating.

Artemision

Zodiac: Aries; Spring Equinox; 2023: March 20th – April 20th

Also known as Artemisios. The New Year starts off with a bang! In ~162 AD it was declared that the month, named after Artemis is sacred and no public business will be allowed.

An annual pan-Ionian festival, “Ephesia”! It was held at Panionium from the 6th to 5th centuries BC, then it was moved to Ephesus. Nocturnal festival full of competitions and banquets involving the youth. It was also characterized by choral dancing and other musical competitions. Women and children were also especially encouraged to participate.

Artemisia festival. Month long festival with processions, sacrifice, music, dancing, and competitions. It featured a torch race and winners dedicated their success to Artemis.

A marriage festival was featured in Xenophon’s Ephesian Tales. Young men and women from and around Ephesus choose their spouse. After the young adults found their partner they’ll dress up in elaborate and colorful clothes and go on a procession to the Temple of Artemis. They are accompanied with music and dancing, sang hymns to Artemis with her images surround the procession. At the Temple they newlyweds confirmed their marriage with a sacrifice to Artemis.

The beginning of Spring marks the opening of the port of Ephesus after it was closed during winter. At the harbor an image of Artemis was brought from the Artemision and cast it into the water. They believed that her power would protect sailors, navigators, and people traveling on the sea. Artemis Ephesia was known as the “Queen of the Sea”.

Numerous other festivals were observed throughout the month making the entire month practically a “Holimonth”, as the days were called “Holy Days of Artemis”.

Richard Oster states: “We can be sure that this was one of the largest and most significant celebrations in Ephesus’ liturgical calendar”.

The observation of the month was taken very seriously, even Roman officials weren’t immune to criticism when some of them were seen as impious towards Artemis’ holy days. The numerous festivals brought many tourists that brought significant income to Ephesus.

Lastly, on the sixth day the there’s the Elaphebolia. Hyampolis celebrated their victory against the Thessalians, thanks to Artemis. People enjoyed offering and eating deer-shaped cakes with honey and sesame.

Notes taken from:

Riteveld’s Artemis of the Ephesians

Mary Galvin’s BIOΣ ~ APTEMIΣ

2023 Dates: https://www.yourzodiacsign.com/calendar/2023/

[fallout-lou-begas]

hi lou i was wondering if you had any recommednations as to where to start watching aew... ive only watched a little bit of wwe with some friends so i really have no idea if should start somewhere for Context or just dive right in with wrestling stuff lmao. but all of the pics of aew all out that im seeing are really really horny and it makes me think aew is up my alley. and i trust your opinions implicitly.

All Out 2024 is genuinely the most interested I've been in AEW in a long time because it was really struggling to retain me for the last couple of whiles, so I think my best answer to "where to start watching" is just "now"? like i seriously cannot stress enough how much it seemed like a major shaking off of a lot of funk that's kept me from watching live for a long time; maybe it's literally just because jericho wasn't on the card lmfao. i REALLY hope that they can keep up the momentum and it's not just a fluke, though

I don't consider myself particularly knowledgable or well-read about wrestling, I'm a admittedly a little myopic and maybe just a really horny dilettante, but what I recommend is finding a guy or a girl you like, and getting obsessed with them and looking through their backlog of matches just to see where it takes you, and maybe find other guys to get obsessed with through that. to be as brief as possible, here's just three of my own favorites and some pointers:

Kris Statlander: literally any of her pay-per-view matches after returning at double or nothing 2023. her whole history with Willow Nightingale especially is just amazing television, including their various tag team stints, like this personal favorite match against Mercedes Martinez & Diamante back when Collision. The reason that Kris and Willow clashing in a street fight at All Out was so significant was because these two are the street fight QUEENS, they've done 2-versus-2 street fights against the aforementioned Mercedes and Diamante, Julia Hart and Skye Blue, etc. before, and all of these are worth looking up.

Eddie Kingston: his journey through the Continental Classic tournament of late 2023 and early 2024 culminating in a grand finals match against Bryan Danielson at Revolution 2024 was something really goddamn special. The Stadium Stampede at All In 2023 is also lots of fun, he comes out bloody with a gas can and just looks sooooooo good

Bryan Danielson: he's world champion right now (incredible match against also-incredible previous champion swerve strickland at All In 2024) and obviously has no shortage of amazing matches across his very long history, but my introduction to live AEW was watching him TEAR through banger match after banger match on Dynamite from January to March 2023 (konosuke takeshita! bandido! timothy thatcher! brian cage! rush! literally so many different KINDS of wrestling) in the build-up to a 60-minute iron man match against then-champ, then-much-more-entertaining MJF at Revolution 2023, so check that out

Wait wait wait actually an honorable mention goes to FTR vs Bullet Club Gold 2-out-of-3-Falls, from July 15 2023, also from back when Collision was good. I love those wet freaks in the bang bang gang so much oh my god

[gaiaxygang]

2023 EVENT WRAPPED 😻🥲🤣

In 2023, you tiered for 8 events across 5 games! That's a lot considering you had major exams!

You started off with a bang, finishing in Top 5000 for an Itaru A3! event in early February, despite swearing off the game after Marionette Azuma!

Next, you broke your fingers in Ensemble Stars!! Music for Ibara! Absolutely insane choice considering the event started during Itaru's, in mid February. This was also your official Enst event point record for the year. You claimed Ibara's 5* but not without losing your mind a little.

Jumping back into A3! a month later in mid March, you tiered for Chikage's space themed event. Start with a bang and go out with a fizzle, I suppose, because this was your last A3! event and you didn't even get 2 copies of him.

Uh oh! New contender! 2023 was your first time tiering for Bandori EN, in a Rui event. The event started in the middle of Chikage's, because every game is out to get you. This is your highest rank in any game, at Top 25.

In early May, you decided to pick up Obey Me! Nightbringer after 3 years without touching the franchise. You lost your sanity tiering for Belphie, securing Top 2000 and his UR and not touching the game since.

At the end of the month, you played yet another Ensemble Stars!! Music event, this time for Rinne. Funny how you've never tiered for your top 2 oshis! You secure his 5* and move on.

In mid July, Project Sekai started to wrap up it's first in-universe year. You tiered for Mafuyu, clinching Top 10000 as always. You're very proud of Mafuyu.

Months later, in November, you tiered for the Mafuyu and Ena sections of Niigo's World Link event. You secured Top 5000, because 5000 + 5000 = 10000 so it's like getting Top 10000! Except it's not, you almost lost your mind. This was your final event of 2023! Are you proud of yourself for not going outside?

[bittermause]

End of Year Review 2023

It is currently Christmas Eve-Eve at the time of this writing, which can mean only one thing; The End of Year Review for 2023. These past three years held a lot of significant changes and growth for me, most of which I likely wouldn't have experienced had I remained in that horrible part of the mid-west. Despite the mass 'rona pandemic and the constant mental health battles/challenges, 2020-2022 were very good to me and I consider them the best years of my life.

2023 is a welcoming addition to that train.

The first major reason were the goals I set at the end of 2022, all of which were achieved without fail (to a point);

I continued making animated shorts, but only produced 2. However, this was a good glow up year for The Boris Blobinski Show! I got to manage a smaller production team, consisting of my talented friends, and together we banged out a beautifully animated episode!

I got my contact lenses! However I haven't really worn them since I left the optometrist's office. I still intend on using these for when I go swimming or to the spa, but I can see why some people aren't crazy about this option.

I finally got my hair dyed, and it wound up being a vibrant cherry red. Had it done back in March, and most of my hair is still pretty red despite the roots coming in.

Been losing a small chunk of weight still, which means I was able to convert to smaller shirt and pants sizes.

I did a lot more exploring this year! I finally secured my Californian rite of passage by visiting In-N-Out burger, discovered a couple awesome local bakeries, and went to the movies for the first time in years. First major achievement was going to Universal for the first time ever and visiting Nintendo Land! The second biggest crowning achievement was the daytrip to The Ventura Harbor in April, where I got to board a small wildlife sea cruise and witness dolphins, whales, sea lions and seals.

I got back to working on comics again, and produced two short stories for a larger collective that is still in production. Second major reason were the events that weren't planned out of the gate, but were absolutely welcomed;

I saved enough money to get a new desktop PC built. My friend from Colorado flew down and spent the week with me, partially to help get the PC built to proper standards and to also spend some quality time together in person.

I started freeway driving practice mid-year; taking smaller steps to feel more comfortable driving in the faster/wider lanes without having my PTSD invoked. I have a long way to go, but even driving within a 5 mile radius is still worth celebrating, especially since I've actively avoided freeway driving for most of my life.

My best friend is finally coming to visit me at the end of December! I have not seen them in person since 2016, and it will be their first time visiting my apartment space as well.

As far as plans for 2024 go, here's what I have on the docket;

I will be going to an actual jury duty selection at the end of January for the first time. (Exciting, I know!) I'm curious to see what the process is like, but I hope I can dismiss myself from the proceedings. (Respectfully, of course.)

I plan on hosting another friend visit me around the Spring/Summer.

I will be working on a very ambitious episode of The Boris Blobinski show that will take up most of the first quarter of my year.

I will continue my weight loss regimen as I have started back in 2021. As of this writing I am now down to 186 lbs. This is actually pretty close to my first goal, but I want to continue this trend until I hit between 135-140.

I still want to do more local travel and discover new venues. I'm eyeballing Downtown Ventura and will likely add a few more intended places to my list.

Attend activity based events like Life Drawing and other art related functions. As an artist, it's important I find different means to shake the rust off of my skills, and as a human I need to start making efforts in social connections again.

Continue freeway driving practice to the point where I can actually go beyond 5 miles comfortably.

Continue working on my one shot comics, see if I can at least produce two more stories before building a website/platform to host them all.

Outside of Boris Blobinski, I want to be more active in the animation space again and make a few more originals outside of that project.

Lastly, I want to look into Toon Boom Harmony official Certification. I've worked with the program for over 10 years, both for traditional hand-drawn animation and character rigging, and I would love to have that piece of recognition. Hell, I am not against the idea of applying as an instructor if I can get that far!

Of course I don't think I'll be able to jump into everything as intended. I know 2024 will also be met with some unexpected surprises, but I'll gladly welcome them all the same. And lastly, before we pull the plug on this, I want to thank everyone involved in my life that has made 2023 a fantastic experience. You know who you are.