#I love all entries in my ‘What Happened in The C-‘ series

[nomsfaultau]

When they first met, Wilbur would’ve sworn Philza was an Angel. 

It felt like awe. Never once did it cross his mind this was battle delirium, not when searing radiance poured over him as the basement door opened, causing his already ragged breath to catch in his throat. The writhing shadows shrieked and fled in a way Wilbur had never known before, leaving him vulnerable and utterly exposed. But why shouldn’t they flee when divine fire incarnate strolled into the room? An Angel, that’s all He could be, Wilbur knew it at once by the glowing arch of light around His head, by the glittering flash of emeralds and countless flashing eyes pressed into his skin, by the silhouette of imposing wings filling the doorway. The creature’s gaze felt like drops of sunlight, ancient and falling with equal deadly disinterest over sinners and saints alike. They quickly fastened upon Wilbur, the sole survivor amongst piles of brutalized dead. 

It felt like awe, but only at first, because then it felt like mortal panic. Wilbur didn’t believe in things like angels, he believed in hunger and pain and abyss and fighting for every second you breathed. But Wilbur knew well the horrors of the demons in the dark, surely there were others out there. A life riddled with shadow entities, was the end of both heralded simultaneously? That’s what the humans said angels were for, didn’t they? Collecting souls?

Did I die? Did I not even notice? 

Wilbur had been fighting for hours at that point, trembling and aching and vibrating with adrenaline. Monster hunters were relentless, and his mouth tasted like blood, both his and theirs. Perhaps he hadn’t actually made it out of this one, his fourteen odd years of life finally cut short like it was always going to be. He’d been running from the moment he could walk but finally it all caught up to him. 

The being stared at him with shocked golden coins for eyes, but it settled into what might’ve been a paternal smile if Wilbur had known what that was. All he could recognize was sharp inhuman teeth just as deadly as his own. As radiance dimmed, the figure sharpened into comprehension. Not eyes, but jade scales scattered like constellations. Not a halo, but the reflection of hellfire upon twisting ivory horns. Viscera decorated the being just as surely as silk did, or at least it did until the blood staining His hands steamed, unraveling into smoke until there wasn’t a single trace of violence on the holy being.

The question in Wilbur’s mind soon shifted as He descended, claws dragging against the series of wooden steps, leaving scorch marks. Not did I die, but will I die? And the answer was a short acerbic laugh and a yes, but was that reply now? Maybe the entity found a room of corpses, but maybe He was about to ensure totality of a reckoning. Wilbur could feel the familiar hands of mortal panic tightening around his throat. Whatever He was, He was like Wilbur, and that meant He was a threat. 

Not a lot of people have the bravado or the desperation to point a knife at a god, but Wilbur had never had much in the way of reverence when he was a teen. And if it took ending an immortal’s life so that his fragile mortal heart continued to beat, Wilbur wouldn’t hesitate to get ichor on his hands. 

[harlowhockeystick]

LUNCH ⎯ C. Berzatto

carmen interviews a new girl for the recent waitressing job at the bear, and she's been the recent reason for his journal entries the past two weeks.

carmen berzatto x fem!reader

warnings: sexual themes (18+ MDNI), cuss words, carmen being super whipped but also kind of a perv, reader is kind of a ditz but so am i, reader has tats because i do too, reader also doesnt have much dialogue bc it's mostly from his pov.

word count: 1k

a/n: not really based off any specific episode or season in the series. i just love carmy so much <3

"Chef i need you to take over for at least an hour, i got an interview in 10." Carmen instructed Sydney, walking into the office as the kitchen staff began to prepare for open. The staff- mainly Sydney, Richie, and Carmen desperately needed a waiter in house. With how busy the restaurant was beginning to get they needed more than Nat out there.

"Are you gonna hire her?" Sydney asked; Carmen had briefed her about the applicant a day prior. He sat down, refreshing himself on the resume before meeting with her.

"Well she's the only applicant so far, so I don't really think I have a choice chef," before he could finish his thought he heard the chime of the entrance door. Glancing down at the time it read 10:51.

Early, off to a good start, he said to himself quietly. He gave one puff of cologne on his neck to try and musk the smell of kitchen before going out into the front of house to start the interview. Carmen forgot how to breathe for just a few seconds when he saw her- easily the most beautiful person he's seen walk in his restaurant.

"Um- Hi I'm Carmen Berzatto, the owner, you must be Y/N?" He introduces through a deep breath and a shaky hand that he extends. She takes it with a smile, following his lead. The soft taps of her high top converse against the tile floor, the flow of her skirt twirling as she turns in front of him slightly. It's exhilarating.

"Can I get you something to drink before we start? Water, a soda, coffee?" He offers, standing tall next to the table side. She grins and shakes her head denying his offer, her sweet sounding voice making butterflies flutter around in his stomach. That hasn't happened in a while.

They make small talk for a little while, Carmen asking pre-thought out ice breakers before getting to the real questions. But if he's honest with himself he isn't even listening to her answers. He's too focused on the way her lips move and how she purses her lips when she thinks about an answer.

He's taken great notice of the tattoos she has on her arms, in similar places to his own, all black outlined like his too. one is written in french, he assumes, right above her wrist on her arm. One is two small birds on the inside of her forearm. He wants to pause the interview just to talk about what they all mean to her. Partially because he wants to hear her voice for the rest of his life. He wants to press record on his phone and listen to her talk about whatever she wants to, her voice is that angelic.

"Can I ask you what the tattoo on your hand means?" she asked and he thought he was going to faint because she grabbed ahold of his hand gently to get a better look at it. She giggled when she got a better look at the artwork.

"It's to remind me to be careful when I chop vegetables, essentially," Carmen explained with a chuckle. "What does the one on your wrist mean?"

"Terre à terre, down to earth. I dont want to stray too far from who I was raised to be, so that's a reminder. I also have a couple more in french- my grandmother was french so I have a lot of french things in my life." She pulls up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal another tattoo, "étoile filante, shooting star. The first time I saw a shooting star was on my sixteenth birthday, my worst birthday actually."

He reminded himself to close his mouth because he knew he was about to start drooling, hearing the way her silky voice sounded even better in a foreign language.

He breezed through the interview, Natalie insisting that even though there are no other applicants and she'll probably get the job, do it the right way. "I'll give you a call by the end of the week, Y/N. It was a pleasure having you today." He shows her out of the restaurant, walking her to her car for safety, of course."

When Carmen got back inside, before he got to joining the team in prepping for the lunch crowd he pulled out his journal that he started to carry with him. It was full of various things: different dinner ideas to try out on the menu for a special, addresses, phone numbers, and other journal entries. he's made a habit of journal three times a week and he has a feeling he's going to be doing it a lot more with Y/N joining the team.

-

I could eat that girl for lunch. She smelled sweet like fuckin brownies or something, rich and delicious. Her tattoos, her gold necklaces, her smile, her skirt. I feel like a perv but god i know her skin would be so soft, and she'd have the best blind reactions to recipes, and i bet she'd taste good too. I'm closing the applications, this Y/N chick is gonna be the death of me.

-

"Hi Y/N, this is Carmen from The Bear, how're you?" he couldn't even wait a full 24 hours before he hired her. Embarrassing. "I just wanted to call and let you know that we're offering you the job if you are still interested." He bit the cap of his pen with a grin hearing her cheer and laugh on the other side of the phone. "Yea- yeah that's great, listen could you start Monday? I'll get you trained n'all that."

Carmen ends the phone call and moves some papers around on his desk, printing the papers for Y/N and putting them in her folder. He couldn’t stop grinning like a kid from hearing her excited voice over the phone.

Instantly he’s thinking of a million things to write in his journal about her. But he doesn’t have time, he needs to prep the special for tonights dinner service before anything else. Carmen will be thinking of her, however. Thinking of how soft her hands must be, or how sweet her chapstick tastes. He'll think of how it'll be nice to have her around, not just the help but to have someone with a softer tone around the place, too.

He thinks about Y/N while making glaze, mixing everything together to get that perfect spicy honey taste, he's imagining how her face lights up when she laughs. He doesn't even really know her yet but he's already making up what a first date would be like. He'd take her out for coffee, go see a movie, then go for a walk. But not too late, though. Even if she might be a night owl it's still inappropriate to keep a girl out past ten, at least that's what he read in some magazine a long time ago.

"Chef you ready to prep the team for tonight?" Sydney asked, interrupting his thoughts. He stumbled, dropping the spoon into the bowl and biting his tongue.

"Fuck- yeah, yeah I am."

-

"'M gonna go over the menu with you, if m'goin too fast then stop me." He pulls up a chair and tucks his hair behind his ears. Setting the laminated piece of paper in front of her, explaining each dish to her in firm detail. Carmen watches as her french tip acrylic nails trace along the menu, guiding along the words that he says from memory.

She's impressed, shocked even that he came up with this himself. She jokes that she can't cook and it gains a laugh from him.

"I'll teach you a few things, if ya want." He didn't mean for it to come out sounding like he was hitting on her...but secretly he was. Since when was he that slick with words?

-

I can't stop thinking about her. She's on my mind all the fuckin' time. She smelled really good, must have been her shampoo. I would love to just sit with her there, not sexually. Just be. I bet she's really calm and chill. I'd love to get ready with her in the mornings, again not sexually. To spend time, to laugh, to talk. I could eat that girl for lunch.

-

When Carmen walks into the front he catches Y/N taking pictures in the mirror by the entrance. He chuckles, watching her pose and smile. She turns around and gasps, cheeks getting darker when she realizes she's gotten caught.

"Sorry, the mirror is just so aesthetic."

"That? Um, okay? Guess we have different opinions of what aesthetic is." Carmen guides her to the back counter, teaching her how to count inventory of everything.

He feels out of place- no, he feels gross when he watches her bend down. He sees a peek of white lace stick out from the band of her jeans and he knows he shouldn't stare, but he can't help his mind from wandering. He wanders about what other types of underwear she might have, if she has any special ones, what they'd feel like wrapped-

"Carmen!" Sydney snaps him out of his daydream. "Sorry to interrupt, but you have a phone call from the AC guy." He's pulled away, for the better, but he knows he's going to write about this as soon as he gets the chance.

-

I'm interested in more than just being her boss. I could eat her alive, i'd let her take a seat on me wherever she wants for however long she wants. She'd taste like....like sweet watermelons on a sunny summer day. Yeah, something like that. She can't be real can she? I don't know how long I can keep acting professional. I just know she'd be the one for me.

・。♡.・゜✭・.・✫・゜✭・。. ♡・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜♡・。

feedback | masterlist

[mylovelies-docx]

Sorry, I Love You - Part 7

Heyooooooooooo. I'm back and there are no longer any parts backlogged - I'mma have to get to work on finishing this series lol

Plot: You and Bucky have a good thing going - best of friends that also have more than a little chemistry between the sheets. Everything is fine until you develop feelings for the man who doesn't want a relationship. What will happen when Bucky finds out?

C/W: Meeting new people, feels

Word Count: 1,900

Tag List: NOW CLOSED! If you'd like to keep up with this story, please follow my blog and turn on notifications! ❤️ you :)

[Prologue][Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4][Part 5][Part 6]

The sunset blazes through the kitchen window, bathing you and Bucky in soft golden light. The focus you had not even five minutes ago is a distant memory when faced with the view in front of you. Bucky looks so fine sitting across from you with the light shadowing one side of his face and illuminating his shorter hair. 

You still can’t get over the fact that Bucky actually cut it – you’d mentioned a haircut on more than one occasion, but he’d always brushed it off and said it wasn’t his style anymore. You disagreed then and you absolutely disagree now. His long hair was gorgeous in its own right, but nothing compares to the uninhibited view of his face now. His hair is mussed in spiky clumps where Bucky has run his fingers through it in frustration, but you can’t help but think how good it looks even like this.

You’re pretending to type something on your laptop, ensuring Bucky thinks that you’re actually working and not staring at him like the love-struck idiot you are. Every once in a while you’ll catch his eyes flickering up to meet yours, so all you can do is act like you’re thinking about something really hard and you’d just so happened to have blanked out on him. 

It’s been quiet between the two of you for the last 30 minutes – the vigor and excitement for planning ratcheting down once you got into the gritty details. That’s why you’re not expecting the thump, thump, thump that echoes down the hallway from the front door. Bucky’s head jerks up and he looks at you with a quirked eyebrow, asking silently if you knew someone was coming over. You shake your head and rise from the table. 

Stepping under the kitchen archway and into the living room, you pad across the carpet and into the entry hall. “Just a moment!” you yell out to the stranger behind the door. Without looking, you slide the dagger hidden inside the entryway table into your hand and approach the door. Rising slightly onto your tiptoes, you peer through the peephole in the door.

A couple stands on your front porch, the view fishbowling to where it appears their middles are huge but their heads and feet are the size of golfballs. You look over your shoulder at Bucky, who stands behind the living room wall with gun ready. You laugh silently and mouth the Greten’s at him. He puffs his cheeks out when he exhales and drops his gun, tucking it into the waistband at the small of his back. You slip your own knife up and into your sleeve.

Opening the door with a reserved but polite smile on your face, you greet the nextdoor neighbors. “Oh, hello! I wasn’t expecting company.”

The tall woman before you blushes slightly and dips her head. “Apologies. We were just wanting to stop by and introduce ourselves. We wanted to wait a day and allow you the time to settle in. I’m Tessa and this is my husband Christopher, we live right over there in the blue house.” Tessa points to the home directly beside yours with several windows boarded over and paint peeling off in some spots.

You smile brightly at the pair and introduce yourself before yelling behind you, “James, we have guests!” Turning back to the couple, you step aside and usher them in. “Come, come! It’s freezing out there.”

Christopher tries to decline, but you won’t hear of it. You and Bucky had already decided to meet and befriend this couple, so them showing up works out well. Their dossiers noted that they were a well-off family that knew everyone and everything going on within the community, but you can’t help but note the discrepancies you find between the surveillance photos taken a year ago and the people in front of you now. 

Christopher’s thinning hair and exposed scalp are covered by a thin toboggan that can’t be effective in this weather, and you see that Tessa’s dress is threadbare with nearly half a dozen patches when she takes off her overcoat. Regardless of the state of their clothing, Tessa offers you the small bowl she’d been holding in her hands.

“It’s my grandmother’s recipe. Everyone says it’s the best they’ve ever had!” She smiles proudly at this statement and you can’t help but grin back.

“Well, I’m excited to try them!”

Bucky walks into the living room, acting as if he hadn’t been behind the wall with a gun only moments ago. You escort Christopher and Tessa further inside and close the door behind them. Bucky walks up and shakes Christopher’s hand and introduces himself. 

“I am so sorry,” you begin, “but I haven’t started on dinner yet. I can whip something up real fast, though!”

“No, no, dear,” Tessa declines. “We didn’t mean to intrude – only wanted to introduce ourselves and then get out of your hair.”

“Nonsense,” you say. “The more the merrier.” You pat Bucky on the shoulder as you walk by him and into the kitchen. “Tessa and I will be in here. I’ll let you guys know when the food is ready.”

Bucky nods and holds his hand out to the couch, offering Christopher a seat. Bucky takes the armchair across from him (which has a loaded gun stuffed between the arm and seat cushion). With your hands full, you look at Tessa and nod your head towards the kitchen.

She starts to shuffle across the living room carpet towards you, her hands clasped in front of her. “We really didn’t mean to intrude on you and your husband. We just –”

You let out a hearty guffaw to mask your displeasure in correcting her and shake your head. “He’s my brother,” you explain to them. 

She stops where she’s at, standing behind the sofa next to Christopher. They share a look with each other before Christopher turns to Bucky. “Brother?” he asks.

You and Bucky look at each other with small grins. There’s no way you could ever pass for blood-relatives.

“He’s adopted,” you say.

“Oh, well in that case,” Tessa says as she continues her walk towards you and the kitchen, “I have a son about your age…”

***

Dinner was a simple affair, but the Greten’s seemed to enjoy it immensely. Barely any food remains on the shared plates in front of you, your guests having taken second and third helpings. You’re glad to see that they enjoyed the meal.

The conversations were very surface level ‘getting to know you’ topics, which is always the most tedious part of meeting new people. But laying the foundation for your life in order to establish your cover sometimes: like now, when you and Bucky can relax into an easy ‘sibling’ rivalry and rib on each other. It keeps everything lighthearted and doesn’t allow you think on how this would have played out differently as ‘husband and wife’.

The couple are in their 50s and have lived in this town their whole lives, so if there’s anything you and Bucky need to find out then they’re probably the ones to help with that. They have 5 children ranging in ages from 28 to 13, all living at home with the exception of the eldest son that Tessa is dying for you to meet.

You laugh merrily as you follow the Gretens back to the front door.

“You both must come,” Tessa is saying as she pulls on her coat. “Most everyone in town is going to be there and they need to meet you.”

Christopher slides the thin toboggan out of his pocket and places it on his head. “You both are going to be a hit: it’s been so long since anyone new has come around.”

Bucky stands next to you and puts his arm on your head, leaning on you as if you were short enough to be leaned on. You scrunch your face and slide out from under him, elbowing him in the side as you do it. “We wouldn’t miss it,” Bucky replies.

“Great!” Tessa claps her hand and ushers Christopher out the door. “Saturday at 9pm. Don’t forget!”

“We won’t,” you agree.

After a quick goodbye, you close and lock the door.

“They were nice…” you begin.

“But…?” Bucky continues.

“But…something isn’t adding up.”

Bucky hums his agreement. 

You both stand at the door, contemplating what could have happened to this sweet couple since the intel was gathered, but without the people in question there to ask (and it being much too rude to ask) there isn’t much point.

You walk away to begin cleaning the kitchen. Tessa offered to help, but you wouldn’t hear of it – after her stories of how hard she’s worked to take care of her family and this community, you couldn’t dream of accepting. Bucky follows you into the kitchen and removes the plates from the table. You work in silence, the camaraderie from dinner fading away into something else. Not uncomfortable, but nowhere near as companionable as the silence used to be in the beginning of the year.

You and Bucky used to lay in the quiet dark after sex. Clothes on the floor, sheets rumpled, hair messy. There wasn’t much that needed to be said that couldn’t wait until after you’d caught your breaths. But the peace that arrived after the frantic activities led to you falling asleep in his arms on more than one occasion.

But you were always alone come morning.

The clack of plates stacking on top of each other rouses you from your thoughts. You’d been mindlessly scrubbing dishes while Bucky dried, but you realize that your hands have been floating in the soapy water with nothing to do. You quickly pull the plug and watch the liquid form a tight spiral over the drain. The glug, glug, glug precedes Bucky as he clears his throat.

“You wanna…” You look up at him as he says this and see him nod his head in the direction of the living room. “Uh. Wanna watch a movie?” His arm scratches nervously at the back of his neck and you can tell he’s uncomfortable. Why would he ask?

“No,” you say. “No, I think I’m gonna go to bed. Tomorrow’s the first day at the facility, ya know?” You give him a brittle smile as you say this. Stepping forward, you make sure not to brush against Bucky as you slide past him and out towards your bedroom. You hear him release a heavy sigh behind you, probably glad that you didn’t take him up on the offer.

He may have only mentioned watching a movie together to be polite, but a couch and a dark room with Bucky hadn’t ended platonically the last several times it’s happened. The memories will probably prevent movie nights together for as long as you still have feelings for him.

Which will mostly likely be for the rest of your life.

@jackiehollanderr @rabbitrabbit12321 @12345sebby @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @lauraashley93 @themorningsunshine @happinessinthebeing @nash-dara @calwitch @stany0url0calwh0res111 @pono-pura-vida @learisa @introverbatim @kentokaze @marvelogic @kaz11283

Part 8

[empress-violetlight]

My Speculative Biology Library

Got talking on Discord about biology (it started with laughing about a pic of a bacteriophage my husband freaked out about) and because we're all sci-fi loving nerds, the topic of speculative biology came up. I'm no biologist (unlike two very talented other discord members), but I love science, and love reading and writing about animal life, evolution, and figuring out how to make my own aliens as "realistic" as possible (i.e. at least scientifically plausible).

One of my fellow discord members (Discordians? Discordees?) asked if I would post my collection of speculative biology "research material", so @admiral-arelami, this one's for you!

In no particular order, with some entries being more scientific than others:

Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings

by Terence Dickinson and Adolf Schaller c 1994

A kid's book, this little volume actually gives a great introduction to the idea of looking at aliens from a more scientific perspective. It starts with looking at some popular sci-fi aliens, then moves on to discussing theoretical planetary environments, and the aliens that might evolve to live there. The cutie on the cover is a creature that might live in the atmosphere of a gas giant!

Speaking of which:

Cosmos by Carl Sagan. c 1980 Both the mini-series and the book. Wish I could find my beautifully illustrated hardcover edition, but oh well.

This absolute classic features an unforgettable chapter where Carl Sagan speaks about the possibility of life in the atmosphere of Jupiter, imagining "sinkers", "floaters" and "hunters", as a small example. I was absolutely blown away and I'm not the only one! Notable sci fi writers like Robert L. Forward and Timothy Zahn (I'm a huge fan, if you couldn't tell by my blog) have both written novels about the same topic. If you're a fan of Classic Doctor Who, the Cosmos mini-series won't disappoint in the aesthetics department either!

After Man: A Zoology of the Future by Dougal Dixon c 1981

Considered one of the most influential texts of the speculative biology sub-genre, and probably one of the first to treat the topic with genuine scientific curiosity. It looks at a world 50 million years in the future, and theorizes about how modern day animals might have evolved during that time, assuming that humanity has gone extinct. Beautiful artwork accompanies intriguing looks at possible animals, all sorted by biome.

After Man is part of a loose "series" along with The New Dinosaurs (a speculative Earth where non-avian dinosaurs never went extinct)and Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future (what might have happened to humans in the After Man universe, who aren't so extinct after all). I don't have the other two (yet), but the whole "trilogy" is available to borrow (for free, and legally!) on the Internet Archive, so I've read them. Man After Man is messed up.

The Future is Wild c 2002

Basically a spiritual successor to After Man, this 13 part mini series has the same premise -- looking at how modern day animals might evolve in the future -- though it examines different time periods: 5 million years, 100 million years, and 200 million years in the future. I love this series for its creativity, pretty decent CGI (especially for its time) and some absolutely unforgettable animals, like the giant Toratons -- tortoises the size of sauropod dinosaurs! Some of its premises are a little questionable as Science has Marched On, but it's still a really fun watch, and puts as much thought into its wildlife as its predecessor.

Future Evolution by Peter Ward c 2001

This book also looks at possible future life on Earth, but takes a much more pessimistic view of things, and the author honestly doesn't sound like he enjoys the topic at all, which makes me wonder why he wrote about it in the first place. Unlike the previous two examples, he assumes humanity will still be around in the future, and our presence alone basically prevents any cool megafauna from evolving in the first place, and he assumes we'll never make any headway into space either. Kind of a downer, actually.

HG Wells Science Fiction Treasury c circa 1895-1901

The previous entry compared his work to Wells' The Time Machine, and honestly, he shouldn't have. Wells was a visionary. In his novels, long before anyone else even considered doing so, Wells thought about the effects of lower gravity on his Martians and their susceptibility to Earth bacteria in War of the Worlds, the possible future evolution of humanity in The Time Machine, and more on alien life in The First Men in the Moon, to name a few in this collection. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a borderline case, since the "beast men" there were made and didn't evolve naturally, but is still an interesting look at humans' relationship with other animals. Basically, anyone interested in spec bio would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn't read Wells' novels.

The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth c 2013

Part guidebook, part novel, this work looks at popular creatures from mythology and actually tries to examine them from a scientific perspective, looking at how their anatomy might possibly work, and their relation to humans, if any. Definitely an interesting look at creatures that are usually brushed off as pure fiction, like mermaids, harpies, centaurs, etc.

Speaking of mythical creatures ...

The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickinson c 1979

The original "Dragonology", this book, which partly inspired the animated film of the same name (which was made by the same studio as The Last Unicorn). Its ideas on how dragons scientifically may fly and breathe fire have been "borrowed" by many other speculative works afterwards, and most theories seem pretty solid. However, I can't ever read this book again after it proposed wildly unfair sexual dimorphism for dragons. It said the cool, fire-breathing giant lizards we all know and love are the males, while things like Medusa or Grendel's Mother, mostly humanoid mythical monsters with barely any connection to dragons, are the females. Yeah ... that killed it for me, I'm sad to say.

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide

by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob CVarrau c 2001

This book looks at the animal life of various on-screen Star Wars planets, with specific chapters on Tattooine, Dagobah, Yavin IV, the Forest Moon of Endor, Bespin Hoth, Coruscant (yes, Coruscant apparently has some wildlife!) and 3 separate chapters on Naboo, with a little bit at the end showing off other notable Legends animals (such as fan-favourite Ysalamiris!) Not the most scientific on in-depth book in this collection by any means, but the artwork is beautiful, and at least it tries. I'm really glad I saw it on Ebay!

To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek

by Athena Andreadis c 1998

There's a couple Star Trek biology books out there, but I enjoyed this one the most. It doesn't really talk about animal life, but instead focuses on Star Trek's sapient (mostly humanoid) alien species, and tackles some philosophical questions, such as whether artificial lifeforms like androids or holograms count as life -- a topic the shows themselves have wondered about.

The Teeming Universe: An Extraterrestrial Field Guide

By Christine Cline c 2021

The newest book in my collection, the author and illustrator really puts a lot of thought into what alien life might actually be like, using the newly-discovered planet types of reality as opposed to science fiction, like a tidally-locked planet around a red dwarf star. He also assumes humans will be able to go out and explore these worlds ourselves, and that we can make peaceful contact with sapient aliens we may encounter (who will NOT be humanoid!). A refreshingly optimistic and fun look, and very up-to-date.

The Zoologist's Guide the the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum c 2021

I had actually completely forgotten that I picked up this book! Once I read it, I'll give a proper review, but considering it's just as new as The Teeming Universe, I'm hoping it will be just as accurate and fun!

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 23. Contraband

Day 23. Contraband Crossover: Craig of the Creek, Disenchantment Apparently Workshop toys are a pretty bad currency at least for the time being, but wait until you have some more of them, Kit, and you can make the best trade in your life: "limited edition toys from haunted studio, only from me!"

Kit, as well as the Trading Tree itself, come from the cartoon "Craig of the Creek" (I drew Craig once), which is an extremely nice Cartoon Network production showing kids playing on the titular Creek. I love it for many things - firstly, it brings back sentimental memories from my own childhood, secondly, it is a wonderful cross-section of different types of kids and their behavior, thirdly - it shows small problems in a completely different light. Every parent should watch this series to understand things better. I especially love the episodes that alternately show what the kids see - and what is really happening (e.g. during the game "the floor is lava"). My objection is the same as against Bluey: that it is a bit unrealistic that all the kids always take part in the games and accept the sometimes problematic rules (e.g. when playing hide and seek or being trapped in a maze) - that no one will say "ok, I've had enough, I'm not playing with you anymore". But apart from that - a wonderfully presented world of imagination, actually a mini-community. This series was also "nominated" for the City entry for a while, but I decided that I wouldn't find anything else for the Contraband (plus wanted to draw Kit).

I really like the character of Kit. This little, enterprising girl is something of a higher instance of the creek - thanks to her, kids (for a small fee) can eat their favorite sweets or snacks without having to leave their playground and go to the store, she also sells toys and gadgets. I ship her with Craig - all the episodes of them working together confirm in my eyes what a wonderful couple they'll be when they become teenagers. I'm honestly counting on it, because of all the girls hanging around Craig, Kit is the one who best suits him in terms of character and common interests.

More observant people may also notice a guest from another cartoon, this time absolutely not for children - the demon Luci from "Disenchantment" - a series by the creators of Futurama aimed at adult viewers, a somewhat modern fairy tale, and partly a parody of many well-known stories. If someone is an adult and doesn't know it, I recommend it. A wonderful story with a very good ending to the whole plot. Luci, the personal demon of the main character, Princess Bean, is undoubtedly my favourite character. I love his physical two-dimensionality, to his absolutely non-one-dimensional character. I love his texts and the fact that in all his participation in Bean's adventures, he never forgets for a moment that he is a hellish being, and his "do it, do it" is always wonderful. In his original storyline, Luci was considered a "weird cat" by those around him, hence Kit's text (while he's actually just another of Bendy's "cousins" that the ink demon is wandering around with).

As for the technical side... it took a lot of time to colour, but was surprisingly fun. It was the first time in a long time that I shaded in such a strange way. Oh, it's worth noting that the colours of Bendy's clothes were entirely developed by my daughter, Ursa. Kudos to her! By the way, I wonder who Bendy stole these clothes from X"D

Finally, I will just mention that the Contraband theme was originally associated with "The Owl House" and Eda's stall, but I moved it to another place with a better idea. And that's why Craig landed here.

PS. I don't like Kopiko, but I'm not crazy about avoiding showing existing products in my drawings. But seriously, I didn't feel like changing the name, so here you have it, a covert advertisement for the hideous Kopiko coffee candies. You're welcome, Kopiko.

Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. Craig of the Creek (c) Cartoon Network Disenchantment (c) Matt Groening Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat

[writingmochi]

ｌｏａｄｉｎｇ ｉｎｔｅｒｆａｃｅ．．．

you have reached year 2

lissie: greetings, visitor! this is your flight director speaking~ welcome to the two-year anniversary of this blog (freaking awesome if you ask me). thank you so much for reading, indulging, and/or interacting with this blog, me, or my works. the sentence before cannot describe the gratitude i'm expressing towards all of you. this is a yearly recap for me and maybe for new visitors who come to know what has happened on this blog for the year.

before we get to it, i'm doing a survey to get to know my audience better (and more research). if you have spare time, do fill in the survey so that i get to know more about the visitors, the works, and the audience on tumblr in general! (average time is around 3 minutes~)

survey link! (survey closed)

leggo!

all research done (read: works written and released)

troubled pixies | txt's taehyun (2 parts; 52k [novel])

smirch episode 2: jay | enhypen's jay (27.4k [novella])

isobel | txt's soobin (43.3k [novel])

pizzeria run | enhypen's sunoo (17.9k [novella])

total: 4 works (1 two-shots, 3 oneshots) and 140.6k words written

all the navigators connected (read: mutuals i got within the year. check last year's recap if you didn't find yours!)

@it-rains-blue (via @itz-yerin)

yerin! the other biggest bamtori i know here! gosh i hope you're doing well irl and online... hope for the best for your confession cafe >> check it out folks @the-love-cafe

@heart2beom

hey jazmine! i notice you haven't posted in a while now. so i'm hoping your doing okay, okay?

@tyunlatte / @wave2tyun

alex! if you are lurking, i hope you're doing so good irl! live your life for the best (edit: alex's back!)

@lovejoshua

1/6 angels: ilem istg! hi! you've been like one of the constant presence when i check the discord server. hope you treat yourself well!

@junniieesbby

2/6 angels: whenever i see a heart, it always reminds me of you, angie. i think you're busy currently, so the best i can say is that hope you have a good rest cause you need it and always hydrate ;)

@hanniejie

3/6 angels: hey lex! i just saw the band au teaser on your blog and i wanna punch myself for not noticing that sooner! /j hope you have a great time writing that one :D

@txt-yaomi

4/6 angels: sof!! i gotta have to consult you more for street spirit cause just the way you work with the album for angel is just *chef's kiss*

@talesofyuan

yuan~~ ngl i can't wait to read your kei lovesick series (tho i'm hoping to staying loyal to yixiang) can't wait to see more of your &team fics. check the blog out for &team content, folks!

@choistick

5/6 angels: saph !! thanks for the tag and hope your hiatus is treating you well~

@robin-obsessed

6/6 angels: lee~ i've just seen that you also like riize like akfjbaieufiw okayyyy i hope you have a good day/night whenever and wherever you are!

@dido-of-the-endless

hi nida! tbh you have so many side blogs i'm confused in which one you post your writing (so i'm tagging your main account). feel free to consult me if you have any wips you wanna let out lmao >.< n thanks for joining the txt hub server, i won't know you if not from there...

@pyeonghongrie (via @pyeonghongrie-main)

rie! thank you so much for letting me in the cult (mueheheheh) and hope we can interact more here or on the server

@aduh0308

welcome to the roster, ada! thanks for letting me join the soobin collab and nice to see you!

director's journal entries (read: all the rants i have thought out the past year. some are genuine, some are sarcastic):

wow… i freaking broke tumblr huh

i shouldn't have been too ambitous fook me

bruh my body's crumbling…

i swear i hate college for not allowing me to write

i broke tumblr twice w/ a txt fic alsnskdams

tumblr can’t handle things :(

is my mind running too fast or is it just harder for people to understand me? annoying much…

i’m literally a step away from going out of the kpop fandom. this kind of fan behavior is sickening

^ and the fact is: i’ll probably survive

kinda wish someone could appreciate my writing just like i do for other people here

is there something wrong with how i write asks? i should have put more tone indicators…

the desire for me to revert back to web 1.0 is crazy. like, me owning a blog? ughh yes pls!

i’m getting freaking frustrated!!!

AGGHHHGHHHHHHHH

… will i ever … :")

*queue yoda's voice* you pushing back more wips i see

how the fuck have i made fewer works yet the wc is 20k away from last year's result? (166k for 12 compared to 140k for 5 works)

^ it's quality over quantity now darling

^^ and the fact that the year 3 count will get higher because of the fics you've delayed

notable moments from the past year

established @a-dream-bookmark, a rec blog + kpop writer & reader network

reaching 200!

started writing for ateez!

joining @kflixnet, @k-labels, and @cultofdionysusnet networks

what’s next?

lissie: if you haven't seen it, i'm starting a new big-scale series called terra incognita for enhypen's jake, do check it out if you like cyberpunk, or dystopian fics! also, i an doing the wips that i promised will be released this year (will prioritize evaluation and subterranean homesick alien first)

lissie: once again, thank you so much for following me on this journey! cheers~

[moonlitempty]

Hot Fuzz (2007), Dir. Edgar Wright, Starring Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost.

Big cops. Small town. Moderate Violence.

And here is the next entry in the Cornetto Trilogy Journal Entries series (C. T. J. E.’s for short), and this time (a little predictably), it’s the phenomenal and timeless Hot Fuzz!

For this entry, you can see I went all in with the b&w with one specific colour highlight visual motif, but for this one, instead of using weird halo-ish shadows like I did for Shaun, here I used a bunch of little lines, not only to imitate cross-stitching (which I think is lovely) but to also, admittedly a bit shittily, imitate the look of action comics, the ones where cops always fight the bad guys. I didn’t quite succeed but it isn’t hideous.

I’m honestly very happy with how this one turned out! Not quite the same charisma as Shaun, but still on theme and it’s cute.

Shaun was the birth of my fascination for everything Cornetto related, and Hot Fuzz was the consolidation.

While I was already excited to watch Shaun and had heard a fair deal about it, before finding out about the Cornetto Trilogy, I had NO idea hot fuzz existed, so when I did watch it, it had no reputation to precede it, I watched it entirely blind.

So, it actually surprised me how immediately I was captivated by it, the opening sequence where the narrator describes the sleuth of qualifications and achievements by Nic’s hand had me glued to the screen! And the scene where Nic is transferred to the countryside, man. I must have rewinded that scene so many times that I lost count!

I loved Hot Fuzz to death and I hadn’t even gotten to half of the halfway point.

Simon as Nic was nothing short of amazing, despite him being incredibly uptight and strictly law-abiding, I never once found him tiresome or arrogant, hell, the scene where Nic age checks all the minor patrons in the bar was one of my favourite in the entire film. And that scene where Nic is riding the train out of London and we constantly cut to “WELCOME” signs for various towns and Nic’s phone signal decreasing with each cut, that IS true filmmaking.

And then of course, Nic’s shenanigans once he arrives in town are incredibly entertaining, there’s a certain charm to him taking everything way too seriously while being offered cake, and being screamed at about how long the precinct will have ice cream for. And there’s even more magic when you realise that amidst all that quirk and tomfoolery, Nic and Danny are already starting to build something together.

I was absolutely enchanted by Danny asking Nic all those funny little questions about what it felt like to be stabbed, or if there really was a spot in the head where if you got shot your head would blow up, like a child would with his parents, and that immediately set me on the Butterangel train ngl.

(and then, oh my god, the quirky little side quests Nic got sent to with Danny, like the old man with the bomb in his shed, that Nic couldn’t understand due to his heavy country accent, or the bit with the goose, which obviously is immortal to this day).

Hot Fuzz obviously has a plot of its own, and that plot is absolutely amazing and the twists keep you on the edge of your seat, but it also is mainly about the relationship between Nic and Danny. And I found every single step of it charming and heartwarming! I remember actually squealing with excitement at every little step forward they each took towards opening up to each other, like Nic staying up all night with Danny to watch his favourite movies, or Nic winning Danny that plushie at the town fair, or the fucking FLOWER SHOP SCENEEEEE, I have truly never felt so touched by an *action* film before, even just remembering all those little details makes me smile :)

Hot Fuzz may be about a big town cop getting sent and adjusted to live in a small countryside town where nothing *appears* to happen, but it’s also about finding the little silver linings in those moments of life where you feel betrayed or let down, and maybe you’ll find more than a silver lining, you’ll find a little nugget of gold, like Nic found Danny, and like I found this movie.

Hot Fuzz!

10/10. Obviously

[just-a-normal-regretter]

Chat with BNHA ending I am now all over the place with what I want to write. I def want to finish a CL project that I've been mapping out but now I'm constantly juggling if I want to come back and keep writing out some of my ideas.

I'm a crossover merchant with this stuff but with them comes more exp to actually think and write about a simple AU for BNHA (I can come up with a ton for certain characters I adore, trust me. This has happened multiple times LMAO).

For now I'll toss out some BNHA projects I'm mulling on rn thanks to the ending and if people would like to talk about it I'm extremely down haha (atp I'm contemplating making a discord to toss my ramblings into cause there is a lot).

Alright the cut below is filled with BNHA projects woo:

kindred spirits - BNHA x MP100; (the collection title feat. silvertongue and other planned entries such as coldheart & goldsoul) After an encounter with Nedzu, Reigen is hired to be UA's quirk counselor for the upcoming school year. Of course, nothing is ever that simple. [UA Quirk Counselor Reigen & Class 1-C student Mob have been very fun to mull about, and well, after getting a comment on my fic I started mapping the series way more than I thought I would haha]

wistful dreamers - BNHA x OP; (another collection title to entries such as wistful times on the battlefield, heroism at its worst, and more) Shoto and Sanji have an interdimensional bond with one another since their youth. Things get hectic to say the least. [Shoto & Sanji are blessed to be connected with one another. A miracle from the worlds beyond them. Instead of it being a kindness it leads to devastating codependency because of shit childhoods and no one is there to prevent it from getting awful. It's up to them and their friends to grow out of such a pitfall before one of them gives up and they become one.]

a love out of this world - BNHA x Ben 10; Midoriya Izuku is a Revonnahgander that hides away as human thanks to the Omnitrix he found in his childhood years. Envious of humans able to exercise their powers to save others, he decides to begin using his device to act as multiple vigilantes to save the day. It would have been the end of the story if not for watching the Sports Festival and seeing Todoroki Shoto's hesitation with his quirk. Midoriya resolves to help, the consequences be damned. Of course, love likes to bloom in the most mysterious ways... [yes TodoDeku in my crossover I am a simple creature haha; this one would prob have some rough sketches of Izuku's aliens & original form in the midst of chapters. Slow burn romance-sorta centric while obv the plot must go on and Izuku can't run forever.]

ghostwriter's memoir - BNHA x Smash Bros; Midoriya Izuku does have a quirk, although he struggles to classify it as such when it defines any and all logic. Is there really such a thing as other worlds? Is he really writing more to their "finished stories"? He wishes the Hands would make sense for once. [okay. hear me out. I've had MULTIPLE ways of trying to carry this one out but this version I feel is best. ghostwriter, as Izuku likes to call it, gives him the opportunity to write up Smash Fighters to assist him for however long he is able to focus on writing. it's typically three minutes, but if he focuses intensely he can manage for about five. he hesitates to call it a quirk because he was diagnosed otherwise -> accident that had him walk away with vibrant flames weaving a future in his head that he struggled to accept. now abusing his power to act against the plot, the plot tries to get back on track with uh, various results. I think this lowkey is tddkbk from what I have drafted so far]

[danceswithdarkspawn]

Hi hello

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Hi there!

A:

Hawke/Isabela, both friendship and rivalmance it just OUUGH

similarly Merril&Isabela, I can't explain why, they're just adorable together

I very occasionally get feral thinking about King!Alistair/Queen!Warden/Leliana, i need more of it injected into my brain ugh

Ark: The Animated Series took some liberties over the source material and sprung about Helena Walker/Mei-Yin Li, which I have some questions about but also I can see it happening and therefore love it anyway

For something outside my main fandoms, @mrsmungus likes to slap me around with Tony/Ziva and the occasional Pain Train that is Jenny/Ziva, thank you my braincell-sharer for ruining me

C: I really hope I don't get crucified for this but Solavellan. I understand where the popularity and love for the character/ship comes from.

I did a Solavellan playthrough through Trespasser with a Lavellan who tripped over Solas but stuck to her Identity as Dalish and questioned him a lot. By the end of the playthrough I was angry on behalf of my poor Lavellan. She needed a fucking nap.

I get it, I really do, but it's just not for me. The angst is good, but nothing else there...appeals to me? Again, no hate on people who love Solavellan, you're completely valid. I'm clearly not the target audience for it, though.

K: I immediately want to say Blackwall, but also Loghain for similar reasons. I was talking to someone about this the other day about how if you had no other context from The Stolen Throne, some codex entries and dialogue, Origins makes Loghain and Howe look very cartoon villain-ish, which I think especially for Loghain is a disservice.

While I still think Loghain's actions and justifications are questionable and even at times deplorable, I understand the lengths that drove him to do those things. At the Landsmeet, Loghain seems to realize what he's done and accepts whatever punishment the Warden sees fit as atonement. All of the choices are good, but especially giving Loghain to the Wardens, and meeting him later in Inquisition, is a great development arc for his character.

Really, there's a lot of character arcs in the series I enjoy. I could probably talk about it for hours.

[rrxnjun]

I know you don't do sequels but what do you think would have happened with Renjun and the main character in "when nobody's watching", I obviously think they got together and had a relationship and Renjun lived happily ever after jsjsj, but I don't know if you have a more elaborate answer or maybe a key destiny in your mind.

Another couple I'm curious about is Yangyang and her main character in "Im not angry anymore" from Jeno's fic I guess they did have something but I don't know if you have anything else to say about them.

pd: Go back to write something about Renjun or Yangyang or the 00 line, tumblr is a desert and I don't have fanfics of them :c ily

I really like making open endings so the readers can imagine how the story played out afterwards and what happened that i didnt decide to show in my story, but dear anon, if you really dont mind and want to hear my take on those universes, here is what i imagine happened 🌞

in when nobody's watching, renjun and the reader get closer and explore each others personalities, really discovering how it feels to have a friend that you can share everything about yourself with and not feel judged. I think after all renjun went through, he is trying to heal, which can sometimes cause him a lot of insecurity, but the reader is always patient and understanding with him. Obviously, i am a lovesick fool and i imagine those two ending up together, but that comes after a longer time of feeling comfortable in each other's presence and also the reader deidolizing the boy she's been pining over for years and realizing he isnt perfect and dreamy, but is a person just like anybody else - and still loving that version of him anyways.

when it comes to i'm not angry anymore (well, sometimes i am), you can see that its a little more complicated. Yangyang is very obviously a safe place for the reader. after having her heart broken by jeno, it takes her a while to get over it, and although she always has yangyang by her side, its a little hard for the boy to come terms with the fact that he was never the first choice for her. However, the two can't deny their growing chemistry that comes with hanging out together and the more the reader forgets jeno, the more she feels at ease thinking that maybe, maybe she could have something with yangyang that is worth exploring. and as we saw in i'm not bitter anymore (i'm syrupy sweet), the two of them are discovering a playful, but very deep connection that definitely blooms into something more <3 they were always destined to get together, it was just wrong timing for them at first!

ahhh dear anon i would love to write more for the 00 line :c i am a busy university student, however, so i must admit that i no longer write as often as i would like to, since dorm life is busy and assignemnts are kicking my ass 💔💔 the time and energy i have left for writing is now reserved for my current kpop ult and that is sadly not nct anymore, but is tbz (follow me on @sohnric plug plug) 😭😭 i do however have a mark wip that i really wanna write soon and also i need to finish that jeno entry for my simplify romance series 🤧 whenever i get over my current kpop hyperfixation i do always come back to nct tho, so dont you worry, my journey is not over with them for sure and i will write something for them again one day <3

[unendingwanderlust]

Welcome to my first ever Kinktober! The following is a list of every story I'll post for the event. Links will be added as each story is uploaded to AO3. Enjoy!

FLUFFTOBER MASTERLIST | WHUMPTOBER ENTRIES

DAY 1: PEGGING | F!Gimli/Legolas Gothic Romance, AU - Lighthouse Keeper, Ghosts & Hauntings, Rimming, Facesitting

Being a dwarrowdam of the ancient line of Durin was never easy. Even more so for Gimli, daughter of Geiri, who was named after one of her most glorious ancestors and yet could not even boast one average deed during her hitherto lifetime.

Deeply unsatisfied and feeling like something important is missing, Gimli accepts a job as a lighthouse keeper. Everything goes smoothly until she meets the ghost of the previous keeper…

DAY 3: HATE SEX | Gimli/Legolas Secret Relationship, Plot What Plot, Rough Sex, Anal Sex

They can bicker all day and find each other ridiculously attractive; these are not mutually exclusive. It is not as if they are going to get married and sail to Valinor together. This is simply a release...

Or so Legolas keeps telling himself...

DAY 4: RIMMING | Thorin/Thranduil Plot What Plot, Dom/sub, Bondage, Anal Sex, Part of the Summitry series

During the daytime and around others, Thranduil treats Thorin with the decorum of a fellow king. At night and in private on the other hand…

DAY 5: COLLARING | Arwen/Tauriel Plot What Plot, Dark!Arwen, AU - Sauron Wins, Slavery, Cunnilingus, Throne Sex

Tauriel was a tough one to break. This does not mean that Arwen did not enjoy every moment of the process. Now, Tauriel does not even glare at Arwen when she is commanded to strip to bare skin and kneel before the throne. She keeps green eyes lowered to the floor as she obeys her queen...

DAY 6: DUBCON | Thorin/Bilbo Angst, Dragon Sickness, Possessive!Thorin, Throne Sex, Hand Jobs, Part of the A World Of Our Own series

Bilbo blinked the tears away. Was the Thorin he had known and grown to love gone forever? The creature that had replaced him was not even a dwarf by any stretch of the imagination. Bilbo recognized his current terror as the same that had gripped his heart when he had come face to face with Smaug for the first time...

DAY 12: COSTUMES | Sigrid/Tauriel Modern Middle Earth, Ficlet, Part of the There Goes The Neighborhood series

“You could hand-stitch this entire situation,” Tauriel gestures at the little flowers embroidered at her waist, “but not add more fabric?”

Sigrid squeezes Tauriel’s breasts together. The dress may not expose them, but the only thing holding it in place is a prayer. “How obvious it is that you don't know anything about fashion…”

DAY 13: MENOPHILIA | Serana/F!Dragonborn Outdoor Sex, Period Sex, Cunnilingus

Vampires do not have a particularly sensitive sense of smell. Serana does not even need to breathe, for crying out loud! And yet, the Dragonborn's scent is driving her crazy. It has for days now...

DAY 14: ORGASM DENIAL | Bard/Thorin/Thranduil Established Relationship, Plot What Plot, Dom/sub, Anal Sex, Facials, Part of the Summitry series

“What if I touched him without bringing him to completion?” Bard blurts before his brain can catch up with his mouth. “Would you allow this?”

Thorin muffles his keen into a smooth thigh.

Thranduil smirks and his voice lowers to a luxuriant purr. “My, oh my. You are so cruel, Bard.”

“You are right. It is a terrible idea-”

“And I love it,” Thranduil lifts himself on his elbows. “I shall allow it…”

DAY 16: PUBLIC | Gimli/Legolas Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sex Pollen, Fuck Or Die, Mutual Masturbation, Porn With Feelings

After visiting Fangorn forest with Legolas, Gimli proclaims a deep love for the woods. His closest friends and kin scratch their heads in confusion at the sudden change of heart. Here’s what really happened…

DAY 17: THREESOME | Bard/Thorin/Thranduil Established Relationship, Plot What Plot, A Little Jealousy, Anal Sex, Part of the Summitry series

By some miracle, or perhaps excellent blackmail, Thorin convinces Thranduil to invite them for a drink after nightfall. Crippling silence prevails, only broken by Thranduil's offended mumbling of one word among sips of wine: fishing. Thranduil speaks it as if it single-handedly destroyed his family, pillaged his homeland, and took a pair of scissors to his favorite robes.

By the fifth time the word is spoken, Thorin snaps. “Will you get over it already?!”

“This is all your fault, Thorin,” Thranduil jabs an accusing finger at him...

DAY 18: SPANKING | Giles/Buffy Established Relationship, Ficlet

“Really?” Giles asks with a furrow in his brow.

“Really,” Buffy declares, as if she didn't just shamelessly admit that she wants him to bend her over his lap and spank her…

DAY 19: EXHIBITIONISM & VOYEURISM | Sigrid/Tauriel Modern Middle Earth, AU - Neighbors, Part of the There Goes The Neighborhood series

As summer turns to fall, a new tenant moves into the apartment across from Tauriel’s living room…

DAY 21: PANTIES & LINGERIE | Sigrid/Tauriel Modern Middle Earth, AU - Neighbors, First Time/Loss of Virginity, Part of the There Goes The Neighborhood series

Tauriel has decided: today is the day she has run out of sugar, and she’s going to ask the cute neighbor across the street for a cup.

Or, at least, this was the plan until the cute neighbor herself appeared at her door…

DAY 22: BONDAGE | Bard/Thorin/Thranduil Established Relationship, Ficlet, Part of the Summitry series

Bard pretends not to notice how Thorin's breath hitches as soon as his touch makes light contact with his bare skin. He turns to Thranduil. “I thought you were going to read the terms of the new trade agreement.”

Thranduil surveys his work, slips a finger between the rope and Thorin's wrists to ensure that it will not cut off his circulation. Then, he tugs, testing the knot. “And I am. But first, I like to have a view while I work...”

DAY 23: DEEPTHROATING | Bard/Legolas Plot What Plot, Oral Sex, Public

After the Battle of Five Armies, Legolas has decided to travel north. However, before he leaves, he has a confession to make…

DAY 24: CROSSDRESSING | Sigrid/Tauriel Modern Middle Earth, AU - Neighbors, Established Relationship, Mentions of Drugs, Part of the There Goes The Neighborhood series

Ten minutes before the show is scheduled to start, Sigrid tugs at Tauriel's wrist to pull her aside. The look on her face reads that she's two seconds away from committing murder, but her ire doesn't seem to be directed at Tauriel. “Remember when you joked that the secret ingredient for your hot chocolate was cocaine? Well, this is true in the modeling world.”

Tauriel's eyebrows climb to her hairline. “Excuse me?”

“My model just overdosed in the restroom and we can't find a replacement,” Sigrid blurts out. “But you're about his height, so you could do this for me, right? With a few quick alterations, this won't be a complete fiasco!”

DAY 25: EDGEPLAY | Thranduil/Thranduil's Wife Best Friends To Lovers, Bodyguard Romance, Knife Play, First Time/Loss of Virginity, Light Femdom, Sexual Shame, Part of the A World Of Our Own series

“Have you ever… had a dream, one that was so lovely and at the same time one that made you wonder what is wrong with you for enjoying it so much?”

Thranduil assumed that he would fall in battle, but it looks like he is going to die of embarrassment instead…

DAY 26: MASTURBATION | Faith/Buffy Possession, Bath, Set during S4 E16

After stealing Buffy's body, Faith sates her curiosity...

DAY 27: DOUBLE PENETRATION IN TWO HOLES | Bard/Thorin/Thranduil Plot What Plot, Established Relationship, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Part of the Summitry Series

In Erebor, Thorin enjoys being the center of all attention…

DAY 28: BODY WORSHIP | Giles/Buffy Established Relationship, Ficlet

Giles begins with her lips: soft kisses, reverent and adoring...

DAY 31: CUDDLING | Bard/Thranduil Modern Middle Earth, Established Relationship, Plot What Plot, Anal Sex

Bard and Thranduil's scary movie marathon doesn't go as planned…

[amstories]

Newsletter #11: December 2022

If I'll describe my entire 2022, I'd probably go with WOW. I may have plans prepared for this year but it's still surprising how God surprises me spontaneously with unexpected things.

This year's highlights weren't really expected but I'm glad they happened. Join me as I wrap my 2022 in writing!

YEARLY WRAP-UP

For me, 2022 is an unforgettable year because this is the year when I first released a story related to my profession—Medical Technology. Publishing 576 Hours With You was the best way to start the year because little did I know, I would be known by most of my readers for medical romance stories.

One of the projects I had this year was to bring back my old stories namely, Brownout (Lights Off), OFF LIMITS, and April Fools Day. The unrevised version of these stories made me cringe but it was actually a great learning experience as a writer. Revising and rewriting these stories made me realize that there is still room for improvement for me.

This is also the year when I tried to enter Wattpad Romance PH's writing contest. I was able to write entries for the January and October writing contests namely, Three, Two, One, and Baby Boo, respectively. Despite not winning the contest, writing these one-shots down was still an achievement for me. Besides, it was really a great writing exercise as well.

Last but not the least, and probably my greatest highlight among all of my 2022 stories... You Make Me Sick is my first story within a collaboration series. This is probably one of the most unexpected things to happen to me this year because this wasn't really part of the plan. Nevertheless, I'm not regretting it because this brought me talented collaborators turned to friends, milestones I never imagined for my stories, and a community of readers (despite being small).

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

This year is the first time I collaborated with some writers. First, Tales From The Closet was released by several participating authors for our Write For A Cause project, in order to extend help to victims of the typhoon Odette. It's a privilege and honor for me to use my writing as an avenue to help other people. Through this project, I also discovered underrated gems and gained new writer friends. WFAC writers, I'm glad I met you all!

That wasn't the lone collaboration project I joined this year. Last February, I stumbled upon Gwayne's tweet wherein she wanted to start a collaboration series featuring Medical Technology. Since I love my degree program so much, I took the chance to do so. Few months later, we were able to release our collaboration project entitled, "MedTech Love Stories." Because of this collaboration project, I was able to craft one of my best works I've written so far which is You Make Me Sick. Aside from this, I was also able to connect with my fellow medtech student writers. Despite our busy schedules, I'm glad I have found new friends who I can rant on about my studies and understand it as well.

You Make Me Sick did not only bring me new writer friends but an actual community of readers. More than the reads, votes, and comments, I believe that the actual people who I can talk to is the best gift that my stories could give me. It brought me friends who I can treat like a family, and I'll forever be grateful for that.

NEW NAME FOR READERS

Someone asked me what do I call my readers and I just answered, "readers." Just because I don't really have a name to collectively call them. (I'm so sorry, you guys! Hahaha.) One of the reasons why I didn't want to give a collective name for my readers is that it could easily be mistaken as a fandom. I feel uneasy about that term because I don't want to be idolized by anybody. Besides, I've always wanted to treat my readers as my friends.

Another reason why I haven't established a name for my readers was because I don't really have any good ideas for a name. But since someone already asked for it, I've really thought about it seriously. So if you're a reader of my stories, I welcome you to my community of readers, RNAs, which stands for Readers Ni AM!

In medicine, RNAs carry genetic information and have various functions such as translation of genetic information, regulation of gene activity, and so on. This is a reminder to myself and to my readers to treat each other like family. Since you've read at least one of my stories, I'm hoping that you already have a piece of me, just like a single strand of genetic information. At the same time, you are also a part of me already.

I wouldn't be able to reach this far without you. Thank you for 377 followers on Wattpad! 🧬

WRITING MILESTONES

Last year, I made sure to document my numbers to see my growth statistically. Numbers are undeniably great indicators of growth, thus, this yearly statistics. Looking at my statistics last year, I can conclude that there's also growth in numbers from the number of reads, to the number of stories I've published, and to the number of followers I have in Wattpad.

This was also the year I braved myself enough to apply for Wattpad's Ambassador Program, which I successfully graduated to last July. My job as a Content Ambassador is fulfilling and enjoyable even though it's tiring but it's all for the love of the Wattpad community.

And so another time, here I present my yearly statistics for 2022.

Once again, if you reach this, thank you so much for being a part of my 2022. I hope to see you again next year. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

nagsusulat, AM

[benis-chillin]

Backlog Reviews 2024: Metroid Prime Hunters

Platform: DS

June 19th, 2024-August 10th, 2024(didn't finish)

(Note: The only Metroid Prime game I have previously played is Prime 1. Review can be found in THIS post)

(Also, here's the previous backlog entry. I'm adding hyperlinks to all of the posts like, the night before this goes out)

So…This is awkward.

As I've stated before, Metroid is the series that resonates with me just as much as Sonic does. I love the lore, the(2D)gameplay, Samus as a character, it all just clicks with me.

And the PREMISE of this game is absolutely baller! Samus vs a bunch of other, considerably less scrupulous bounty hunters in a cosmic battle royale for an ancient treasure? Sign me up!

But the actual execution? Eh…

Now, I am not entirely unfamiliar with DS FPS'. I still love the DS version of Bionicle Heroes(which the Prime series definitely had an influence on, especially in terms of its BALLER soundtrack which is good for listening to while you read this review)to this very day, and I thought this was gonna be more like that. Hell, I even got the mod that lets me utilize the C-nub and the gyro on my modded 2DS XL, which made aiming in this version a lot of fun…For a few sessions.

But then I ran into the major problem with this game: Nothing really HAPPENS.

(not my screenshot, obviously)

Like, in most Metroid games, stuff is constantly happening. New upgrades and paths are being thrown at you every which way, it's bananas. But here? You've GOT most of your arsenal from the start, and paths rarely lead to anything but yet another artifact, or an attack by a mob of flying enemies that are hard to engage due to the lack of a lock-on feature.

And if you could just hold down the fire button for these sections, it would be fine! But due to the charge beam, which REALLY could've stood to be cut for this entry, you need to constantly tap the fire button to keep on shooting, which was absolute HELL on my carpal tunnel!

Oh yeah, and the mod maps jumping to either the D-Pad or the touch screen, so you can either not move while jumping, or not do anything else while jumping.

So basically…

In addition, the levels are VERY aimless and meandering, not helped by your ship being your only way to save, teleport points to bring you back for a save being VERY scarce, and overall, what little puzzle solving exists in this game is WAY below par.

All of this is piled on top of the game using the same map system as Prime 1, when the touch screen is RIGHT THERE for a real-time map! Why would you make a Metroid game with two screens, and NOT use a real-time map!? And you can only manipulate it via the touch screen, even though the map is on the TOP screen, so my swipes just get massively misinterpreted!

The story…Somehow exists less than the ORIGINAL Prime's narrative did. Like, I barely even register it outside of the, again, baller premise. Prime at least tried to compensate its weak narrative with more scanning stuff, but what I could play of this game showed very little scanning potential. I keep on being told that Prime is peak Metroid, but two games in a row, I have not yet been impressed.

(I'm still gonna give them all a shake, though. Because Metroid)

So yeah, that's my short and sweet review of yet another game I did not finish this year. Well, Fallout New Vegas was more like I lost interest in the path I was currently taking after completing the personal goal I set out for my character, but you get what I mean.

(probably gonna do another New Vegas playthrough eventually. replaying older games between your new games is healthy for the soul, I think)

At least my non-enjoyment of this game got me trying out Super Metroid Redux. I'll give my thoughts on that in the year end post.

3/10

And next up? Well, I'm gonna complete Super Metroid Redux, and my current recording of a Sonic Frontiers let's play first to see if the weather will cool down first(house air conditioning is still out, and the window unit we bought for the kitchen doesn't extend to my gaming area), but by mid-September, I plan on playing Resident Evil 2(original via Gamecube), for at LEAST Leon's story. See ya then!

[geoffreytoday]

Star Wars and Me, and You, and Ourobor-Us... Once more

Time marches on, as it always does. When last I visited this ouroboros, It had been almost two and a half years since the release of The Rise of Skywalker. That dark event is now over four years in our past.

There have been quite a few new productions since then. The most recent, The Acolyte, has just wrapped up. Time then, I think, to revisit the franchise and reassess. Where do things stand now? What's changed? Let's find out.

As always, I am including all Canon Star Wars movies and shows that I am familiar with on this list, and of course a number of classics that have been excised from the canon as well. As before, and as it ever shall be, I have not watched Resistance :p

The opinions expressed on this list are solely my own and should in no way be considered authoritative*. Your mileage may very, and my opinions are in no way meant to reflect poorly on your own. Different strokes/different folks.

Ranked in order from Worst to Best:

Number 31!

Attack of the Clones.

AotC has reclaimed its throne, and is once again securely seated on the bottom spot of this list. It isn’t only one of the worst Star Wars movies ever made, it might be one of the worst movies ever made too.

"What about The Room? What about Manos: The Hands of Fate?"

Here’s the thing: Those were never going to be good movies. They had nothing going for them. AotC is a Star Wars movie, made by the creator of Star Wars, with essentially an unlimited budget. It's one of the worst movies ever made because it should never have been allowed to be this bad.

Number 30!

Revenge of the Sith.

Marginally better than AotC, with more naturally delivered dialogue and acting, RotS is probably the easiest of the prequels to digest. However, it beats out The Phantom Menace on the lame-o-meter because it does the most lasting damage to the Saga.

The monumental mishandling of Anakin’s fall to the dark side, the betrayal of Padme’s character, and the sheer laziness of the writing all come together to make a truly disappointing entry in the Star Wars saga.

Number 29!

The Phantom Menace

TPM is a pointless movie. The story is bland and uninteresting, the performances and writing are wooden and dull, and the way the Jedi Order is depicted just makes me sad. If you can honestly tell me this is what you had thought the Jedi would be like before the prequels were made, well... I don’t have a good way to end that sentence. You could skip TPM entirely and it would not impact the rest of the series.

Number 28!

The Rise of Skylwaker.

TRoS is a mess. For a movie that is nearly two and a half hours long, hardly anything happens. The pace of the movie is ludicrously too fast. It legitimately feels like an attempt to obfuscate the lack of coherent narrative. The hope seems to be that if we zip past all of this stuff fast enough, no one will notice the utter lack of substance or sense.

The film does not live up to the final trailer, nor does it deliver on the potential of The Last Jedi. The Rise of Skywalker feels like it was generated by AI. It lacks any legitimate understanding of the material, and instead relies on remixes of familiar imagery and scenarios to pacify the audience.

Number 27!

The Star Wars Holiday Special

The holiday special is bizarre beyond reckoning. I love it, but there is no doubt that it is a truly ludicrous thing. I watch it two or three times a year around Xmas time. It’s like The Room, but for Star Wars fans.

Number 26!

The Great Heep - Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO

This is an hour long special that takes place within the timeline of the Droids animated series. It’s an odd thing. Distinctly kiddy-er than the rest of the Droids animated series, it’s most interesting feature is that it was written by Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt, who also has story credits on a number of other Droids episodes.

Number 25!

Ewoks

This is an animated series about, you guessed it, Ewoks. It’s cute. It follows the adventures of Wicket and his friends on the forest moon of Endor. The series, if it is to be fit into the chronology, takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It lasted for 2 seasons and is a perfectly inoffensive addition to the Star Wars universe. Not truly worth seeking out unless you are an absolute die hard fan, and even then you’re likely to think it’s worth passing over.

Number 24!

Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO

This series follows our favourite mechanical odd couple in the period between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars. Like Ewoks, it’s pretty cute. I loved it as a child. It holds some nostalgia for me, and it has a certain charm, but like the other animated efforts of the 80′s, it’s not terribly noteworthy. Certainly there are some interesting parallels between Kea Moll and Rey, and it can't be a coincidence that one of the villains is named Kybo Ren :p

For the hardcore fan only, more here to enjoy than Ewoks, but still pretty forgettable.

Number 23!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie)

A mediocre entry in the Clone Wars animated series. It should never have been released to theatres. It’s not bad per se, it’s just several episodes of the series cobbled together into a single film. They weren’t the best episodes of the series.

Number 22!

Ewoks: Caravan of Courage

A made for TV movie that came out in the years following Return of the Jedi. It’s pretty silly and the acting is mostly awful. Still, this movie has more charm than all of the prequels put together. I can’t truly recommend it to anyone who isn’t a die hard fan, but if listening to Burl Ives narrate a Star Wars story is the kind of oddity that piques your interest, this has that.

Number 21!

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

Somehow, this movie is even more ludicrous than the original, which is probably why I like it. It’s much more fun than the first attempt, and it stars Wilford Brimley! That’s weird enough to be worth the price of admission right there. Some fun creature effects and a surprisingly dark opening make this one kind of worthwhile.

Number 20!

Star Wars Rebels

I truly wanted to love Rebels, but I don’t. It has a lot going for it: Excellent designs, great villains, terrific ideas, but the problem is execution. The writing on Rebels is a mixed bag. When it's good, it's very good. It's just not good as consistently as you'd want. A frustrating series that had the potential to be so much better.

Number 19!

The Bad Batch

A sequel to The Clone Wars, following a squad of "defective" clone troopers after the fall of the republic. I've never been much of a fan of the clones or the clone wars, so this series did very little for me. Like Clone Wars and Rebels, the writing feels uninspired and contrived. Episodes stop rather than ending, and it leans heavily on standard storytelling tropes we've seen countless times in Star Wars at this point. If you dig the clone wars, you'll probably enjoy this series, it just wasn't for me.

Number 18!

Star Wars: Clone Wars

Clone Wars was a micro-series commissioned by George Lucas to fill the gap between AotC and RotS. It is slightly cooler than the CG animated series that would follow years later. On the down side, Anakin is pretty much terrible like he is in the films, so that’s a major strike against it. It would almost beat out the full animated series on the strength of the Mace Windu short, but shitty Anakin is too great a hurdle to overcome.

Number 17!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Series)

TCW did an admirable job of trying to salvage the ruined foundations the prequels gave us, turning them into something marginally workable. They made Anakin a nuanced and actually likeable character. They made the friendship of Anakin and Obi-Wan feel believable and warm. Unfortunately, there is only so much that can be done with the dumpster fire of the prequels.

Number 16!

The Book of Boba Fett

Not as well written or thought out as The Mandalorian, but still relatively fun. The series would have benefited from considerably more clarity regarding the timeline of its events. It definitely divides fans of Boba Fett. Personally, I think Boba Fett was ruined back in AotC, so I'm not really invested anymore.

Number 15!

Rogue One.

Rogue One is pretty. It is also an endless parade of continuity errors and fan service, stretched over a thread-bare plot. The movie needed at least 3 more drafts before it was ready to film. It’s okay, but it’s not great.

My personal head-canon is that Rogue One is an in-universe propaganda film made by the rebel alliance to sway people to their cause. Viewed through that lens, all the cheesy moments, musical cues, continuity and plot inconsistencies all make sense. It saves the movie for me.

Number 14!

The Acolyte

I was hopeful for this one. I've been curious about the High Republic era, so getting a show set there was quite appealing to me. IN the end, it's okay, not great, but not bad either. I was surprised and disappointed in the portrayal of the Jedi. I've never been happy with what the prequels did to the Jedi, and I was bummed out that somehow the High Republic Jedi are even worse.

This is supposed to be the golden age of the Jedi, before their fall, but you'd never know it based on how truly awful most of the Jedi are. Normally I'm all about stripping away copaganda from cop shows, and the Jedi of The Acolyte are very much the ACAB portrayal of the Jedi order, but that's not what I come to Star Wars for. Star Wars is fantasy, and I'm here to see noble Jedi knights fighting the good fight against the forces of darkness.

I'm also not a fan of the force being transformed into standard fantasy magic. The night sisters, force witches, the mortis gods, and all that bullshit is absolutely not what I want from my Star Wars. It's been cropping up more and more frequently though, much to my great disappointment. The Acolyte is probably the least offensive version of that I've encountered (up until episode 7 that is), so that's a small plus, but I'm still not a fan.

Number 13!

Solo

Nonstop fun from beginning to end. Alden is perfect as a young Han Solo. He may not look like Harrison, but he looks like Han, if that makes sense. Unlike Rogue One, the fan service in Solo is rooted in the characters and feels natural. Now I just need a Calrissian movie and I’ll be all set.

Number 12!

Ahsoka

Ahsoka is pretty mid. Visually impressive, the writing is unfortunately shallow and uninspired. It's reasonably entertaining, but it's nothing special. A more accurate title for the series would have been Sabine.

Number 11!

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Kenobi is decent enough. It does some interesting world building. The actress playing a young Leia Organa is terrific, and it's always a joy to see Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan. The series failings are largely a matter of padding. This was originally meant to be a movie, but after the box office disappointment of Solo, it was retooled to be a streaming series, to its detriment.

Number 10!

Star Wars Visions

A series of animated vignettes from famous anime directors. Visually impressive, very stylish, and more often concerned with being fun and interesting over being strictly adherent to canon. I fully approve of that approach. Worth checking out if you're a fan of anime, or animation in general.

Number 9!

The Mandalorian

A solid show with a lot going for it. It plays things pretty safe, but I don’t mind playing it safe so long as the product is good, and this one is for the most part. Season 1 is good, Season 2 is better. Season 3 is a disappointment and fails to maintain that trajectory.

Number 8!

Tales of the Jedi

A six episode anthology series that follows a few characters from pre-clone wars through till establishment of the rebel alliance. This series is a little looser than the Tales of the Empire series which came after in its narrative structure, jumping around more and involving more characters. Still, it's a very solid effort. Nothing in it quite lives up to the last episode of Tales of the Empire, but it's still pretty good.

Number 7!

Tales of the Empire

A six episode anthology series following the stories of two characters. The first three episode follow Morgan Elsbeth, the second three follow Baris Ofee. I have never been a fan of the night sisters, or the inclusion of standard fantasy style magic into Star Wars, so those first three episodes weren't really for me. They're fine, just not to my tastes. The Barriss Offee storyline is considerably better, and the final episode is terrific, exactly the kind of stuff I'd like to see more of in Star Wars.

Number 6!

Return of the Jedi.

Gasp! One of the sacred Original Trilogy NOT in the top 3?!?! “Blasphemy!”

Listen, I sincerely love RotJ. If you had asked me when I was 8 which was my favourite Star Wars movie, it would have been Jedi without me even thinking about it. But then I grew up, I learned about storytelling, pacing, editing, production design, and a million other things that, sadly, lowered RotJ in my esteem. It's still great, it's just not the greatest.

Number 5!

Andor

Wow, now this is some quality Star Wars content. Atmosphere, drama, sharp writing, and great performances. This is the level of quality all Star Wars content should be aspiring to. Considerably better than the movie it's technically a prequel to. A story of rebellion and political intrigue, cool stuff.

Number 4!

The Force Awakens.

I love TFA. Where RotJ’s reuse of tropes from Star Wars felt clumsy, lazy, and too soon, TFA’s homages to the themes and beats of the original trilogy work beautifully. The whole film feels simultaneously familiar and fresh. It’s not without it’s flaws, but none of the missteps can diminish the joy it brought me.

Number 3!

The Last Jedi

TLJ is a movie that took a while for me to warm up to. I was initially torn: I loved a lot of it, I disliked many other things. I liked the movie, but I wasn’t as in love with it like I had been with TFA. My experience since has been that the more I watch TLJ, the more I like it. I love that I never knew what was coming next. This movie constantly surprised me, which I loved. And that final act… Wow! Luke Skywalker is forever my hero.

Number 2!

Star Wars

Star Wars is a terrific movie. Some have called it a perfect movie, and it’s hard for me to disagree with them. The only thing preventing Star Wars from taking the number one slot on my list is that, for me personally, the pacing drags in a few places. Star Wars was the first of its kind though. This movie literally changed everything. The impact of Star Wars can not be overstated.

Number 1!

The Empire Strikes Back. I’m sure I’m surprising precisely no one when I add my name to the impossibly long list of people who think ESB is the best movie in the Saga. This is what I call a perfect movie. ESB is Star Wars firing on all cylinders.

And once more we've reached the end of the line. Some new stuff, a few shuffles, but not dramatically different than the previous update.

As always, future adjustments to come as needed.

*except, of course, that I'm right.

[kmrstudios]

KMR STUDIOS QUICK UPDATE

Hey guys, KR here again with a quick update on my KMR Studios Blog.

I’m sorry for the lack of new content outside of my gaming videos lately. Some things have happened in my personal life recently and I’ve been slowing trying to get back to doing more artwork & comics, but it hasn’t been easy. In fact, I’ve been working on a piece or two and thanks to a little bit of artists’ block, they’ve haven’t been turning out how I’d hope. So, please patient and I’ll hopefully get something posted soon. Again, I am sorry.

As for video content, I’ll start with an update regarding my “All-Gen Retrocade” gaming video series, which if you haven’t already, please be sure check them out. You can find my channel on Rumble in the link below. I’ve decided to give gaming videos a rest for the summer. Now the decision was made, mainly for personal reasons as I wanted to take a break and focus more on making artwork & comics, and because I’ve been making playthrough videos these past few months, it’s been taking time away from doing what I love to do. But don’t worry, I do plan to resume the series something later this year, maybe early September. I don’t know yet, I just need to focus on my other priorities right now. However, I do have the first batch of games chosen for the later half of the 2024 season. In fact, one of them was already planned to be released before the hiatus. But I’ve decided to push it back for the time being. There’s two more episodes left as of this writing, and they’re definitely some of the best one’s I’ve done. So definitely check them out once they’re released.

One more update regarding “All-Gen Retrocade”, I haven’t made a decision yet, but I may close my Odysee channel. This is due to so many issues I’ve had with the website, such as performing random tasks in order to upload a single video, which is quite frustrating. So if you’re wondering why any of my recent episodes haven’t been posted on Odysee yet, there’s your answer. But, I’m considering opening another video channel on either BitChute or Vimeo or order to reach a wider audience. I’ve been on Rumble for some time and I still haven’t gotten lots of viewers or subscribers for whatever reason. I don’t know why. I’ve been sharing my videos through social media and yet, I still get nothing. I will keep you posted throughout the coming months and be sure to follow the official “All-Gen Retrocade” page on Tumblr for future updates.

In regards to KMR Studios videos, I’m slowly getting back to making art videos and maybe doing another entry in my VLOG series, maybe showcasing some of my art books I’ve collected or showing off my studio area or whatever it may be. I have one “Watch KR Draw” episode planned and it involves a single comic book issue where you get to draw on the cover! And I can’t wait to do that one.

And I think that should do it for this update. Take care and until next time, this is KR of KMR Studios signing out.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://kmrstudios.tumblr.com

ART GALLERIES

DEVIANTART: https://KMRStudios.deviantart.com

FLICKR: https://flickr.com/photos/kmr_studios/

SOCIAL MEDIA

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/kmrstudios88/

GAB: https://gab.com/KMRStudios

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KMR_Studios

MINDS: https://minds.com/KMR_Studios

VIDEO CHANNELS

MY KMR STUDIOS VIDEO CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/c-1720173

ALL-GEN RETROCADE GAMING CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/c-1720233

ALL-GEN RETROCADE OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://allgenretrocade.tumblr.com/

[twunny20fission]

Books of 2023

Here are the books I read in 2023, with some thoughts on each

"Westside Lights" by WM Akers. A very good book, and a bittersweet ending to a trilogy I loved.

"Mighty Nein Origins: Fjord Stone" by Burke, Wyatt, Critical Role. A somewhat hollow, but fine entry in the series. Non-fans would get nothing from it, I imagine.

"Mighty Nein Origins: Nott the Brave" by Maggs, Critical Role. One of the best, if not the best, in the series. Pretty and well-constructed.

"The Light Fantastic" by Terry Pratchett. Loving all the Discworld books. This had strengths and weaknesses...not disappointing, but didn't blow me away compared to what I now know is ahead.

"Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, Vol 3" by Mercer, Houser. Honestly, I don't really remember what happened in this book. The show and the books and the other show all seems to politely ignore each other. It can be maddening.

"Sandman Book 4" by Neil Gaiman. This one seemed to wander until it didn't. A satisfying entry in the story. Not the highest highs of Sandman, but still exemplary.

"The Adventure Zone: 11th Hour" by Clint, Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy and Carey Pietsch. Not my favorite arc, and adapting it must have been a beast. It was mostly successful. Art is always outstanding, the writing was...I'll say C+/B-?

"Cruel Shoes" by Steve Martin. I love Steve Martin's writing. His plays, novellas, and his book "Born Standing Up" are among the best things I've ever read. "Pure Drivel" is another thing I've read, somewhere middling. But Cruel Shoes (published when Steve Martin was a world famous comedian and entertainer, and therefore probably didn't have A. much free time and B. many people telling him 'no') - to put it mildly - sucks.

"Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever" by Nick de Semlyen. I wanted it to go deeper on certain things. But in retrospect, I think it did a great job at what it set out to do. Solid book, and a great thing to check out for those interested in Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray... and to a disappointing degree, John Candy and Rick Moranis.

"Ghost Light Dark Ghost" by R K Johnson. My dad wrote a book! Actually, this is the second one he's had published. It has...issues with the editing. He's one of the smartest people I've ever met, and has written and communicated thousands of pieces over the course of the last 40+ years...but he needed an editor. Some of the typos or fragments are just jarring. Still, I'm very proud. And it's a great story with outstanding characters.

"The Night Marchers & Other Oceanian Stories" by McDonald, et al. I kickstarted a thing that tells folk tales as anthologies of graphic tales. They are middling at best. This was one of the better collections.

"Vision: The Complete Collection" by King, Walta, Bellaire. I'd wanted to read this for a while, and I was not disappointed. Vision (of the Avengers) creates a wife, son, daughter (and eventually dog.) Things go haywire. Things get dark. Things get thought-provoking. Very cool, and I liked it a lot.

"Straight Lady: The Life & Times of Margaret Dumont, the 'Fifth Marx Brother'" by Chris Enss & Howard Kazanjian. I really wanted this to be better. Once it got into her career, the overwhelming weight of the Marx Brothers broke the momentum of talking about anything else. It spent more ink on the movies they made without her than it did on the movies she made without them. There are other books about them. I love them. This book was supposed to be about HER.

"Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories" by Various authors and artists. This was in the same series as the other "cautionary fables" books. It was fine. Pretty good, but rarely great.

"Equal Rites" by Terry Pratchett. It took a while to get going. There were a lot of things happening, but no stakes or real conflict until about 2/3 of the way through the book. Then everything was rushed. Still smart and funny, but it could have been better.

"Danger and Other Unknown Risks" by Ryan North and Erica Henderson. I will praise both these creators to the moon & back. This book was creative, fun, smart, weird, and exciting.

"The Secret Lives of Color" by Kassia St. Clair. A cool book of featurettes on color: pigments, ideas, histories, etc. Extremely cool. One of those books I think I'll enjoy going back to. It's whimsical, yet grounded in facts.

"The Book of General Ignorance" by John Lloyd. A book to accompany "QI." There is a strong possibility that some of these things have since been disproven (book published in 2006.) But it was fun.

"Mighty Nein Origins: Mollymauk Tealeaf" by Jody Houser, Taliesin Jaffe, and more. This is the best in the 'Mighty Nein' series BY FAR.

"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. It is considered standard practice to spoil as little of this book as possible when discussing it. This was a lovely, exciting, engaging, and beautiful book. No more to say right now.

"Nixie of the Mill-Pond & Other European Stories" by McDonald & Ashwin. This is the curse of the completist: even when you are no longer enjoying yourself, but press on. The sunk cost fallacy had be with this series. I kickstarted one, added-on the others, and by godorwhatever, I was going TO READ THEM. The writers didn't have to DO anything! The stories existed. Just tell them well. And almost every time, they BLEW IT.

"Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century" by Dana Stevens. Well-researched, well-written, and fun. Not a perfect book, but worthwhile.

"Stardust" by Neil Gaiman. Fun, smart, and a quick read. Don't think I'll ever need to revisit.

"The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories" by Various Creators. I had to finish. This one was probably the best? I would recommend none of them.

"Usagi Yojimbo Book 5: Lone Goat and Kid" by Stan Sakai. At one point early in the year I thought "I'm going to re-read some good-uns this year. Maybe over the summer." It didn't happen. Maybe next year. This is the only thing I read this year that I'd read previously. Usagi Yojimbo is extraordinary. This is not the best in the series, but it's still better than almost everything else out there.

"Mort" by Terry Pratchett. Not my favorite, but still great.

"Parasocial" by Alex de Campi & Erica Henderson. According to my self-reported ratings-at-the-time system, this was the highest-rated book of the year. I think that holds up to rating-now scrutiny. It is relentless, beautiful, important, and unlike anything else out there.

"Captain Carter: Woman Out of Time" by Mckelvie, Cresta, Milla, Arciniega. It was good. Could have been better. This is a comic that I think wanted to be a movie. I'd pay to see it.

"Illustrated Al" by "Weird" Al Yankovic, et al. I wanted it to be good. The fact is, most of the songs don't work as comics. It's fan art. Some of it is okay, most of it is mediocre, and one of them was truly great.

"Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 1" by Kelly, Carnero, Lanzing, Erofeeva. It was clunky but entertaining.

"Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Vol 2" by Kelly, Carnero, Lanzing, Erofeeva. Better than the first volume. Engaging, even. But didn't truly grab me.

"The City We Became" by NK Jemison. I don't know that it was a "masterpiece." Maybe the concept + hype set my expectations too high. It has a lot of great factors, but elements of it didn't slide into place perfectly. I'll check out the next one when I can, so it didn't fail.

"The Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon. This was a book a lot of people were talking about ~15 years ago. I never really knew what it was about. Briefly, it's a detective story (I'll say more in the hard-boiled tradition than the noir) in an alternate world where displaced Jewish people settled in Alaska during and after WWII. But the story itself is in the 2000-2010s. The majority of this book is describing people and places. The story itself doesn't take long, but it feels like it does. It has a pulp-detective feel that I enjoyed. The slang was a hurdle. But once I got used to it, I was able to feel very plugged in. The last 100 pages or so felt problematic (no spoilers) and a little rushed. It suffered from that phenomenon I see a lot: it's like the author only has so many pieces of paper left and begins racing to make sure they get things wrapped up before they have to go buy another ream. That's the best way I can explain it.

Moon Knight: the Complete Collection (2011) by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev. Very cool story, with elements of Moon Knight (and Echo) I was not aware of. There were some weird layout choices and trip-up dialogue moments that made it more confusing than it needed to be. But it was fun, smart, emotional, and cool.

Metrics!

Total books: 34

Total (non-graphic novel) pages: 4374

Total pages: 8105

Highest-rated: Parasocial

Lowest-rated: Cruel Shoes

Very Glad I Read It Award: This is How You Lose the Time War

Honorable Mention: The Secret Lives of Color

Glad It's Over Award: (four-way tie) Nixie of the Mill Pond, Night Marchers, Tamamo the Fox Maiden, Woman in the Woods

Disappointment of the Year: Cruel Shoes