#I'm not anticipating getting any more 6-stars
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dailyfigures · 1 day ago
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Is there any unreleased/unfinished figures that you would do anything to get them on your shelf?
oh dear anon don't start....all my most anticipated drafts aren't even on my shelf yet and they're already dusty as hell NOTHING IS HAPPENING!!!!!! PLEASE FREE THEM!!!!!!
anyway so let's start with my mikus. i NEED ghost miku and 2024 anniversay miku and little bird miku and goldfish miku and ancient chinese flute music inspired miku and calne ca and other calne ca and this miku which is part of a set with another miku that'll release soon which i am obsessed with.
then all my beloved very abandoned original characters.....no listen guys they'll definitely still be released they're just perfecting them!!! for 6 years....haha......armed elf wife, dragon bone maid, beautiful aria, spade rabbit, martini glass girl, elf niya and red war elf please come home the kids miss you..... also some not (yet) abandoned original characters vampire maid, creature maid, soft summer girl, scarlet and princess alice.
i'm always interested in anything from kotobukiya's bishoujo line so i'm anticipating vampirella, draculaura, queen chrysalis and princess cadance. i haven't seen/read any of these media but i often love the design anyway! more than anything i'm just hoping for a horror bishoujo candyman or ghostface <3
ofcourse all my lesbians which haven't had an update in ages (lesbophobia!!!!!!!!!!) from alchemy stars, avian romance, lesbian one and lesbian two from lycoris recoil and lesbian one and lesbian two from madoka magica.
a few random ones, this very clearly abandoned food fantasy figure that i refuse to let go off (i dont even know what food fantasy is but i need her), this very cute marcille and this misa (i'm not usually interested in prize figures but if she turns out well i'm 100% getting her).
those are all my most anticipated unfinished figures! i also have a handful unreleased figs on my wishlist, i stopped preordering a while back since the prizes are just stupid high rn and i'd rather wait for the aftermarket. i'm currently waiting on this miku and this miku, this madoka and this original character (goth bikini lady my beloved......).
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lizzy-frizzle · 4 hours ago
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Oh yay! bag showed 5 star, so surprise Narantuya! (she just wanted me to think she was less important)
Six stars I've pulled on this banner, in order: Penance, Pepe, Ray, Narantuya
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cosmic-ghost-hermit · 7 months ago
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Pick a Card: Message from your Inner-Child
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Your inner baby needs you to listen. This reading will help them speak their mind clearly. Will you hear them out? Take what resonates and let go of all the rest but be willing to accept new experiences.
☀️Donate to my CashApp🌙
(fund my inner child's joy)
Feel free to drop any reading suggestions in my inbox. I'll keep them in mind when divining the wisdom that needs delivered to y'all's lil ears. Thank you in advance for all your help and support!
Decks used are The Kawaii Tarot, Pure Magic Oracle, Romantic Lenormand and The Karma Cards.
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PILE ONE
Astrology: Capricorn, Aquarius, Libra
Song: Pantsuit Sasquatch by Molly Lewis
Vibes: Green, red, night sky, thorns, bouquet, red flowers, chess, star gazing, alligator, aroma therapy, herbal remedies, apothecary, rabbits, snake skin, olive branch, Zues, Demeter
Cards: 6 of Swords, Saturn, Tower, Lilies, Herbal Craft, Hallowed Heart
Hello, pile 1. Your inner child is really tired of having to be the adult for people who are older than them. They are tired of playing mentor for those who should be mentoring. They want to be done with those people. They are holding up a building with their tiny arms and their shaking frame. As if someone put the world on their shoulders and asked them to carry it with bones that were not developed enough to hold it and without the mental fortitude to withstand the pressure. They wish to rest. They wish to lash out at the adults who relied on them before they were ready or willing. I see your inner child resembles Alice in Wonderland. After the wicked adults in your inner child's life grew white flowers, they demanded it was your fault and made you paint the white roses, red. They took their purity. They hurt you a lot.
The main message I am hearing from them is, "Please be gentle with my little heart and my small frame. I was treated harshly purely for being alive. I need healing. I need time to rest and recuperate. Please do not yell at me for my mistakes. Please do not hurt me for my shortcomings. I did not ask to be here. I only wish for it to get better than it is now. I'm sorry I wasn't mature. I'm sorry I've been impatient but I have been patient for so long. I've spent so much time waiting for my caretakers to do their jobs. Please. I don't need structure. I need relief."
They do not hold you accountable for everything that happened to you, my dear. They are reaching their little hands out for you to help them up. They want to be more present in your life. They want to have fun again. They didn't have enough of it as a child. They want to play outside. The last message I'll leave you with is some advice I find very important.
"Play is the psychological opposite of Trauma."
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PILE TWO
Astrology: Scorpio, Gemini, Cancer (maybe libra)
Song: Burn Your Village by Kiki Rockwell
Vibes: Grey, pink, purple, corvids, pinecones, sage, lavender plant, grizzly bear, spider, scorpio, eagle, hummingbird, long hair, video games, D&D, law, Zephyr, Eurus, Callisto, Artemis, Hecate
Cards: Justice, Clouds, Bear, Hecate's Path, Songbirds, 8th House
Hi, pile 2. Your inner child is full of vengeance. I see that without the vengeful energy they are very respectful and kind. Their anger is extremely understandable and a reaction induced by the environment they grew up in. Your inner child has an intense sense of justice. They know they have been treated unjustly by the authority in their life. Those in control of their circumstance took their autonomy and right of trial. The authorities judged you harshly for no good reason and were unpredictable. The authority would explode at random instances making them hard to anticipate. They were dangerous. Purely because they wanted to make your life miserable to cope with their own miserable life. Your inner child did not deserve that. Your inner innocence was corrupted into a furious and resentful person. They are aware they deserved better. They were conscious of their mistreatment. I see they could have been mistreated because of their race or gender.
The message I am hearing the loudest from your inner child is, "Those filthy horrid people deserve to atone for their wrong doings. No one helped me. They didn't even listen. They took that authorities word for truth and no one heard my side of the story. I am not a liar. I am not guilty. I did nothing wrong and now my older self doesn't even believe me either. The people who did this to me will pay. They will face justice if I have to be the one to dish it out. I hate them. I hate what they turned me into. I was pure. I was innocent. Now look at what they have made me. This isn't fair. This isn't right! Why was I treated this way!? Why does no one believe me?! I will never abuse power like that person did. I will end this cycle of abuse. I release and remove everyone who blamed me without learning the whole story. I am letting go of the pain they put me through. They do not deserve me or my kindness. They only deserve my hatred and resentment. I hope they burn."
Your inner child begs you to protect them from the people who did this to you. I can feel they are still in your life. It might be a father or a brother or an uncle. I also see it could be a pastor. Your inner baby will continue to lash out at random times because they have no where to aim all this negative emotion. They want to be free of guilt that shouldn't be theirs. They want to be free of judgmental eyes. Free them from the illusion that this authority laid over everyones eyes. I leave you with one last message.
"The weakest link will target the strongest link to avoid that they're useless."
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PILE THREE
Astrology: Virgo, Leo, Sagittarius
Song: Heart of a Dancer by The Happy Fits
Vibes: Blue, pink, forest green, androgenous, duality, 2b hair texture, robins, blue jays, coffee mugs, sculpting, yin/yang, balance, rose quartz, pearl, magnolia tree, gardening, bonfire, 3rd eye, Aphrodite, Hermaphroditus, archangel Samuel, Lucifer Morningstar, Baphomet
Cards: 8 of Cups, Birds, Woman, Pyro-kinesis, Closing Circle, Virgo, 7th House, North Node
Hey there, pile 3. I feel many complex emotions from your inner child. I see how they were conditioned is much different than how they genuinely are. They were conditioned to be quiet, serene and passive. But when they are acting genuine it is exact opposite. They are loud, angry and active. There is a need to walk away from their conditioning and those who conditioned them. They don't know how to ask that of you because of how they were taught. They do not speak unless spoken too and this makes it difficult for them to communicate with you. They are anxious they will be punished if they ask for anything of you. Invite them forward and allow them to speak their mind. They hold back a lot of emotion that needs to be expressed. You need to be open to hearing what they have to say.
The important message I need to tell you from them is, "You will benefit from our collaboration. I'm sorry for speaking up but you are not following your heart anymore. You are following what you have been told. This is not authenticity that you display. It is fake. Even if it is well-meaning you are not yourself. You are pretending to be someone else. Please let me express my rage. Please let me express my heart. I can't hold it anymore. I don't wanna feel this way anymore. Let me chatter and chirp and yell and scream. I wasn't allowed to when I was young. I need the freedom to do so now. Allow me to open doors I was never allowed to enter. Please see me in my full complexity. I am more than just a pretty face. I am more than my body. I am a person. I have personality. I have beliefs. I am a benefit to society when I can speak. I am not a waste. I am good as I am. I don't need to bottle my true self to make others comfortable. Free me, please."
They are asking you to allow yourself and your inner child to be themselves. They deserve space to exist freely without having to hide themselves away. I honestly don't need to say much more but I will leave you with one more piece of advice.
"Authenticity is the most powerful way to exist."
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PILE FOUR
Astrology: Taurus, Aries, Pisces (maybe aquarius)
Song: If My Heart Was a House by Owl City
Vibes: Muted colors, yellow, orange, fairies, sunflowers, barn owl, cat mint, raptors, vase, eyes, beards, lotus, candles, chimneys, diamond, playing cards, hobbits, anime, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite
Cards: King of Pentacles, Sun, Owls, Ancestors, Gnomes, Aquarius, Venus
Hello and welcome, pile 4. Your inner child is asking me to tell you that you won't find the love you are looking for in other people. You won't find it in romance. You won't find it in friendship. At least not until you can find it in them. They didn't have the luxury of building their life on an identity that was theirs. They don't even know who they are. You need to explore them. Discover yourself in them. Be friends with them. They long for connection and the only one who can give that to them is you. They spent their whole life just trying to survive that they found identity in the pain they experienced. There is so much more to them than victimhood. So much more than their trauma. They are bright as the sun and immensely smart. They are funny and creative. Let yourself and your inner child grow beyond your collective pain and become something more. Your family isn't the pinnacle of humanity. I have a feeling that your family might have a narcissist among them. They are only a facet of humanity, my friend. There is so much more to your life than being approved by others. You are made of magic. You need to see that.
The message I hear from your inner child is, "I'm done striving for love from people who never intend on giving it to me no matter how perfectly I perform. I'm tired chasing something I'm never going to catch up too. I've always known I'm better than that. They made me feel so small though. They made me feel so pointless and useless. I worked so hard for their love but they will only ever love themselves. They will never have enough room in their heart for me. They make me feel like I'm not enough. I want to give myself the love they never could afford for me. I want to be loved so much. I want to be held and cherished the way I deserve to be. I am enough even if they say I'm not. I've always been enough even though I'm small. They are a giant black hole of emptiness and nothing. They are jealous of my light. I wish my older self could see that. I'm not selfish for wanting to be loved. I'm not wrong for wanting to be adored. I'm worth the effort. Please, see that it's true. I want to be known for who I am. I want to be discovered. I wish so deeply to be seen and appreciated. I'm the only one who can do it."
Your inner child is asking something of you. They ask you to take the role of mother and father for yourself. A role that was never filled even if you had your parents in your life. They neglected you. So much so you felt like you didn't deserve love but you desperately craved it. My dear, I will leave you with one last message and then the rest is up to you.
"You are worthy of being loved by you."
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theoceanandthestars · 4 months ago
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TK's Sponsor
Owen Strand x Reader
A/N: My first time writing for 991 Lone star, apologies for any mistakes and the generally poor quality of writing I'm busy but felt like i needed to write :) Hope you enjoy or at the very least don't hate it. Also any requests from 911 and 911 Lone star are always welcome :)
Word Count: 2.8k
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‘Okay everyone, Great job!’ you called as you paused the music playing in the studio, ‘Just sit where you are for a minute, I have a couple of things to tell you before we do our final dance of the day’.  Seeing the faces of the 5-year-olds taking your friend��s dance class filled your heart with a warmth you hadn’t felt in a while and you couldn’t help the smile that accompanied it.
You hadn’t danced in any professional capacity for years but since your friend, who normally taught the class, was going on vacation for 4 weeks you’d agreed to take over while she was away. This was only the second week of you teaching and you’d been enjoying it far more than you anticipated and had even begun to consider teaching a dance class in your free time. The building in which your friend taught had multiple studios, so the idea of teaching dance again was currently constantly on your mind.
Currently there was only one other class going on at the same time as this one, the 5 to 10 years ballet class, a class that was hugely popular judging by the sheer volume of pink tutus you had seen skurry into the studio early today. The thought made you smile again, you had been one of those pink tutus years ago, and even if parts of your life hadn’t gone the way you had planned you still had dance and the same studio you had danced in all those years ago. It made the building feel homey.
Looking down at all the excited faces in front of you, you carried on telling the class that in 3 weeks’ time you would have a mini recital to show their teacher what you had been doing while she was on vacation. Which was suddenly met with excited shrieks and all the children jumping up and down and running around in excitement. Once again you allowed yourself to smile at the sight before calling them back to sit down. But before you could stop yourself and the children from laughing, their infectious happiness having spread to you, the smell of smoke hit your nose only seconds before the fire alarm began to blare causing absolute havoc in the studio.
‘Okay everyone!’ you shouted loud enough to gather the attention of all the tiny ears currently in the room, ‘I need you all to listen to me very carefully, you need to all grab each other’s hands and we are going to form a big chain and leave the studio, okay?’
‘No need to panic’ you said as the children held on to each other and you started to briskly walk them from the studio, ‘We’re all here together so everything is fine’.
As soon as you made it to the grassy area outside of the building you began counting the children in front of you and once you had triple checked they were all there you finally let out a breath of relief. Although no flames where currently visible the smoke billowing from the building had already garnered the attention of many passers-by, many of whom were clearly ringing the fire department. You turned to Mrs Jenkins who had been teaching the ballet class and was now just a few feet from you.
‘Do you have everyone?’ you asked her hurriedly as the flames began to become visible. Watching as she scanned her eyes over the sheet in front of her your heart suddenly dropped when her face paled.
‘What? What is it?’ you asked.
‘I forgot, one of the girls, Sophie, oh god she’s only 6, she wanted to go to the bathroom, I forgot to get her. She’s still in there!’, the older ladies voice shook as her panic began to set in.
Before you could question what you were doing or consider the risks, you turned to Mrs Jenkins, pushed the clipboard you had been holding into her hands and told her to watch all the kids. Her face suddenly scrunched in confusion before realisation sunk in, but you had already set of at a sprint back towards the burning building.
The flames had now started to lick at the sides of the studio as smoke billowed around the room. The cracking of the beams sending pain hurtling through your ears while the rooms temperature rapidly rose. Despite the thick clouds of smoke, you continued to climb over the fallen parts of the building, ducking and running through the flames towards the direction of the bathroom.
As you made your way through the crimson rooms, your throat burned as you called for the missing girl, only stopping to cough out the smoke you had been inhaling. Finally, you were almost at the bathroom which the flames of the fire had only started to reach.
‘Sophie!’ you continued to scream her name, your throat burning from mixture of the screams and smoke. Suddenly a large crash shook the building, sending you to the floor as wooden beams sent cinder towards your arm.
‘Ahh’ you hissed in pain before forcing yourself up, the sounds of the flames engulfing the building, crackles and the crumbling of the structure filled your ears. Before you could rip her name out of your mouth again, the sounds of sobs reached your ears and fuelled with adrenaline you made your way into the bathroom.
Suddenly you saw Sophie, crouched under a sink in her little pink tutu, her body shaking with sobs as the flames got closer to her. Frantically searching, you found a fire extinguisher outside the door, making a path to get to Sophie.
Finally, she seemed to realise your shouts and her eyes locked with yours as she shot towards where you stood in the entryway.
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The flames began to rise outside the building as the dark grey smoke filled the sky. The children had been gathered around Mrs Jenkins before the 126 had arrived. Immediately, Owen ran towards Mrs Jenkins and the children.
‘My name is Captain Owen Strand I’m with the 126, Is everyone okay here?’ he asked placing his hand on the older lady’s shoulder, but she didn’t respond to him, her gaze fixed on the fire and where you had run into the building with was now.
‘Ma’am?’ he asked finally capturing her attention.
‘She’s still in there!’ Mrs Jenkins exclaimed as her eye movement became rapid and anxiety flared in her chest. Owen took her in as he began to formulate a plan in his head.
‘Who is?’ he began, but before he could ask her the myriad of questions in his mind so that he could plan how to get this person out of the building Mrs Jenkins spoke up again.
‘She ran in there to find one of the girls. She’s been in there too long.’ By now most of the 126 was gathered around their captain, their faces shifting at the realisation that their was two people still in the fire. Owen’s and the rest of the 126’s thoughts were interrupted again, this time by Judd as he shouted that he could see her as he rushed towards the fire.
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You and Sophie had made it most of the way out of the studio, her latched onto your back with her hands and legs wrapped tight around you as her tiny body continued to shake as you manoeuvred through the flames and wreckage. Suddenly the door was in sight and the searing pain in your arm while, worsening by the minute, was forgotten.
You knew that any minute the entire building was going to come down as the fire roared, the building shook and cinder and building materials fell around the both of you. Seizing an opportunity as the flames licked up the walls and revealed a path to the door you sprinted to the door of the building.
The sudden force of the cool air sent you into a fit of coughs as you ran from the building behind you. The lights of the fire engines that had arrived lit the street, which was now darkening, and the crowds of people stared at the sight in front of them.
The first thing you saw though was a firefighter rushing towards the pair of you from the direction of where you had left Mrs Jenkins and the children, shouting to people behind him as he pointed at you both. He reached you both and guided you as you all sprinted towards the group of firefighters, who had sprung into action.
The sound of the crowd clapping and cheering didn’t quiet reach your ears as the adrenaline pumped through your veins. Suddenly you stopped as you reached the paramedics and fire captain. Before you could register anything they were saying, you felt the arms around your neck tighten, causing another fit of coarse coughs to expel themselves. As you turned to Sophie who was clinging on as if her life still depended on it, you realised that one of the paramedics, whose badge read Vega had tried to coax her away from you.
‘It’s okay Sophie your safe now, they need to check if you’re okay sweetheart’, for a second she let go, only to move in front of you and cling to you as she sobbed into your top.  ‘I promise it’s okay now Sophie, the paramedics have to check to see if you’re okay.’
Still, she clung tighter to you, shaking her head.
‘Will you let me check if you’re okay Sophie?’, to your suggestion Sophies shaking slowed, her grip loosened, and her little head nodded momentarily. As you began to check her breathing the paramedic who had since introduced herself as Captain Vega, looked at you questioningly.
‘Miss, you should really let us do that.’ She stated firmly.
‘It’s okay I’m a doctor’, you quickly stated, ‘I was helping a friend out and teaching her class.’ At this information Captain Vega slowly nodded and began handing you equipment.
After you had checked Sophie over and she appeared fine, you were about to move, when a familiar voice stole your attention away from the now much calmer Sophie.
‘Y/N?’ Recognising the voice immediately you turned around to see TK, but before you could respond the fire captain turned to look at TK as he asked, ‘TK, you know this woman?’
‘Yeah, this is Y/N.’ Tk stated before glancing at you in silent questioning, at your nod in response TK continued, ‘She’s my sponsor, and my friend.’
This gathered the attention of most of the firefighters who had since put out the fire and were gathered around the back of ambulance where you stood. Without warning Tk then lunged at you, wrapping his arms around you, which you returned gripping him as tightly as you could. All of a sudden, however, a sharp pain ran up your arm causing you to flinch at the contact and an involuntary hiss to leave your mouth as well as a mumbled curse.
‘Are you hurt?’ questioned TK, scanning you with his eyes and hovering his hands over your arm as his eyes landed on the burns, that now with the light outside you realised where worse that you had realised. He quickly began to work on the burns. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘I’m fine TK, I’ve lived through much worse, besides they’re first-degree burns, maybe second at a push and I’m a doctor I can put a bandage on a burn.’  You tried to reassure him with a smile but he wasn’t putting up with your answer as he pushed your shoulder forcing you to sit on the back of the rig.
‘Really TK, I’m okay, I promise.’ Looking into his eyes you suddenly realised he looked anxious, causing your heart to drop, you knew exactly where he was about to go with this.
‘Your clearly not Y/N, people who are okay don’t run into burning buildings!’
‘That’s ironic coming from you’, you stated as Tk rolled his eyes, ‘but Tk that wasn’t what this was about, I’m clean, I’m sober and I’m happy. Frankly I wasn’t thinking when I ran in’, he scoffed but the anxiety seemed to have started to dissipate, ‘I promise you T, I just couldn’t leave her there.’
Silence lingered as the pair of you maintained eye contact while TK scanned your face for any hint that you might be lying. You had always hated talking about your addiction but after becoming a sponsor to TK when he moved to Austin, that all changed. It was no secret to Tk that you credited him with your ability to now be open about your addiction and removing the shame that had lingered over you for so long. And being only slightly older than him you had become fast friends and now although you talked about your addictions you spent more time hanging out together than anything.
A cough cut into the silence, breaking your eye contact as your eyes met with the captain you had now seen several times since you had escaped from the fire. The eye contact lingered longer that it should have and eventually his eyes drifted to Tk and a look of astonishment fell on his face.
‘You have a sponsor?’, he asked, brows furrowing.
‘Look dad’, TK began, his shoulders visibly tensing, ‘I would have told you but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions or…’ but before he could continue the fire captain who you were now realising was TK’s dad, whom you had heard so much about.
‘You don’t need to explain TK, I’m proud of you’, seeing TK and his dad like this together after hearing so much about him made your heart melt slightly, seeing how far they had come from the stories Tk had told you when you first met. Suddenly, it hit you that TK’s dad was actually in front of you.
‘Wait your Tk’s dad!’ you exclaimed jumping up from where TK had forced you to sit.
‘That’s me’ he chuckled.
‘It’s lovely to meet you Captain Strand’ you said smiling as you offered your hand to him which he took immediately with a smile matching yours.
‘Please, Its Owen.’ he remarked still holding eye contact with you, him smile shifting slightly into somewhat of a smirk. And it was at this point that you couldn’t help but notice just how attractive the fire captain truly was. It was also at this realisation that you realised just how well and truly fucked you were.
‘Well Owen’, you spoke softly as you looked slightly up at him, aware that your hands where still currently attached, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ You weren’t sure how long the pair of you held each others gaze without saying anything but it was interrupted by another cough, this time TK was the culprit, causing your hands to move.
Both you and Owen turned expectantly towards him only to be met with a flat, ‘No.’ as he began shaking his head, looking between you and Owen.
‘No what?’ You asked in unison with Owen, eyebrows raised and head tilted slightly to the side. However, his was only met with a pointed look from, which shifted between the two of you.
‘I wasn’t’, you started exasperatedly, but before you could defend yourself and claim that you weren’t flirting with his dad, TK continued.
‘You were!’, and in all fairness you were, or at the very least, you were about to. Glancing up from the ground from your scolding once again your eye caught Owen and his silent laughter only caused you to begin giggling. He then turned his scrutiny towards Owen, ‘That goes for you too.’  
But Owen just responded while shrugging, ‘I have no idea what your talking about’.
‘yeah, sure you don’t’, turning to walk away from the two TK was met with the other members of the 126 attempting to hold back their laughter, whose attempts only fell apart under his gaze.
Turning around once he had reached the rest of the 126 he looked at you as you spoke to Owen laughing and standing far too close for TK’s liking.
‘You know they are perfect for each other.’ Stated Marjan, the only one brave enough to break the silence.
‘Marjan has a point, I mean she literally ran into a burning building like some kind of badass superhero’ added Mateo.
‘Which was incredibly reckless’ exasperated TK, ‘come on guys she could have been killed!’
‘Remind you of anyone?’, questioned Judd, causing TK to sigh.
Finally, he conceded, ‘Ok so maybe I’ve thought once or twice that they’re actually very similar.’
‘Only thing she needs to do now’ concluded Matteo, gathering the attention of the 126, ‘is punch someone and she’ll be exactly like Cap’. Matteo’s statement promptly sending the firefighters into fits of laughter.
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beautiful-songbird · 23 days ago
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Zee's 2024 Reads
Stats:
Books read ˋ°•*⁀➷ 51
Books DNFed ˋ°•*⁀➷ 8
Five-star reads ˋ°•*⁀➷ 35
Re-reads ˋ°•*⁀➷ 11
Most read author ˋ°•*⁀➷ Rick Riordan (14 novels)
Note: ☆ counts as a half star, since there isn’t a half star emoji
This was certainly a year of reading long book series and my DNFing any book that wasn't my speed immediately (sorry?)
Also if these reviews are short it's because I wrote 70% of them in one day, sorry.
↳ January (4)
Fourth Wing (reread) - Rebecca Yarros
January 11th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I anticipated this reread for a while before I finally got around to it, and it was soooo worth the wait. This book was so immersive and I absolutely love being in the world (as I'm sure you all know by now) and I even ended up giving the book 5 stars on this third read of it. Xaden was so intimidating when I removed myself from the anticipation of him being the love interest, and that was fun.
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
January 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was so much fun. Percy’s inner monologue took a little bit of time to get used to since I’m used to reading books from the perspective of teenage girls and adult women, but he was a very fun character to follow. I’ve always loved Greek Mythology, so getting to read a modern book with the gods was very intriguing. I thought the world was very immersive and the characters were fun. I can’t wait to see how this story progresses over the next few books.
The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
January 24th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’d told me I was going to be eating up a middle grade book series this year, I’d have laughed in your face. This book was so good. Tyson has to be my favorite character in the whole series so far. He’s so adorable 😭
This book, like most middle grade books, was slightly predictable. It doesn’t help that I’ve gotten probably at least one spoiler for each book, but that didn’t make the reading of it any less fun. Percy and Annabeth’s relationship is progressing a bit, and I love to see it. They trust each other a bit more in each book.
Destroy the Day - Brigid Kenmerer
January 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was everything and more I wanted out of a final book in this series…I mean…COME ON! For one, I LOVE Harristan, and we got a whole lot more of him in this book. I was eating those chapters UP!
Corrick and Lochlan had a lovely bonding in this book after being at odds with each other for the entire series, so that was nice! I really appreciate that they were able to get over their hatred for each other eventually and become really close friends 😭 the last chapter with them at the end is so near and dear to my heart, you don’t understand.
I won’t get into the nitty gritty of this plot because that was on the back burner in this story. What I LOVED about this book was the romance Harristan got. He and the person he ended up with were two characters I had been hoping something would happen between for a while and then out of nowhere - it happened! I squealed when they kissed for the first time. I’m so glad they got their happily ever after because that is truly all I ever wanted for them <3
January technically has 6 reads because I read two of my mom's books, but she's not published, so they're not on this list.
↳ February (9)
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
February 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️, DNF
Ok so this book was like…SUPER disappointing? I read it expecting to love it because it just had that kind of vibe…and it was just so interesting. For one, the book had no actual chapters but instead section headings? There were no chapter numbers. Very odd. Also, the characters felt so distant. I think I read a good 60-70 pages of this book and I felt absolutely NOTHING for our two main characters. Very sad, as I had really expected to enjoy this book a lot.
The Cruel Prince (reread) - Holly Black
February 11th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my second full read of this book, and I have to say, this book is a lot better read as a politically-based plot instead of a romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way the romance builds in this series, but it’s a lot easier to enjoy when you’re not anticipating anything happening in Jude’s love life. I read this book originally after hearing rave reviews about the romance in it, and while I’ll say those reviews were not wrong, it was frustrating to read almost the entire book with absolutely no romance whatsoever.
There is so much to love about this book. Jude is a very compelling main character, and, despite being a little insane, she’s a very lovable main character. She’s very bold and passionate, but she’s not just a one-dimensional character. It’s very easy to get into her head and understand how her brain works, and seeing the adventures she goes on is thrilling.
There’s not much in the way of major side characters for the first two thirds of this book, and I found that I actually don’t mind it. Jude is a very entertaining and interesting character on her own that she doesn’t really need supporting characters to help carry a scene.
Cardan is not a major character in this book, but I adore him at every turn anyways. Once he stops playing the antagonist, almost every line he delivers is incredible, and I absolutely love the way he speaks. The way that he and Jude banter closer to the end of the book leaves me with anticipation for what’s to come in their romance (even though I’ve already read it!) Their chemistry builds with each scene they share, and I have to say that their relationship is definitely my favorite part of the book.
The Wicked King (reread) - Holly Black
February 12th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was as fun as I remember it being. It begins five months after the events of the last book, and Jude hasn’t found a way to get along with Cardan just yet. Seeing the two of them dance around each other and pretend their chemistry is hatred is uproariously funny, and the way that they speak to each other throughout this book is absolutely lovely to read.
But don’t be fooled, this book is not mostly romance. Jude plays her role as the true ruler of Elfhame, and while doing so, she leaves Cardan out of the loop quite a bit. The two of them fight quite a bit because of this, and while this isn’t the main conflict of the book, it fed into it quite a bit.
The number of parties in this book had me absolutely feral, and I love to see Jude and Cardan dance together. Both times they danced were unlikely circumstances, and the dance they had near the end of the book…ooh. That scene is one of my absolute favorite scenes in this entire series. The way the two of them finally (sort of) let the other in after that scene too? UGH. It makes me go insane.
This book certainly did NOT suffer from middle book syndrome, and after recently reading a book that most definitely did, I am extremely grateful. Honestly, this book might be my favorite of the three, but I’m only about a quarter of the way through Queen of Nothing, so we’ll see how I feel in a few days when I finally get around to finishing it.
The Roommate Pact - Allison Ashley
February 15th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
I’ll be honest, this book was kind of fun trash. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book, but there was just something about it that gave me the vibe that I was reading book junk food. The characters were fun, the trauma was well-written and well dealt with, and the plot was good and probably realistic for two people in their mid-thirties.
One gripe I had with it was that half the time the characters felt like teenagers, though. If I wanted to read a book about teenagers, I’d read about teenagers. It was very odd to read about an NP and a firefighter and then have them act like 16-year-olds.
Overall, it was a pretty easy read and I had a good time, so I’d say it was worth it. It was the book I read on my Kindle while I was taking baths for this month, so…🤷🏻‍♀️ it was good bath reading or something.
The Titan’s Curse - Rick Riordan
February 17th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was just…fun! I find it interesting that despite this series following a linear and connected storyline, it doesn’t seem to have a distinct vibe. Each book I read in this series is extremely separate from the last in the terms of the feeling the world gives me, and it’s actually quite enjoyable!
This book brought a bunch of new characters into the mix and deepened our understanding of the world and the characters within it, and I really enjoyed that! It was also an extremely easy read after reading YA/NA fantasy for the past few months, so that was really nice. I was a bit horrified to look up the Heroes of Olympus after reading this and realize all of those books are between 500 and 600 pages, but we’ll leave that problem for when we get there.
Kissing Kosher - Jean Meltzer
February 18th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️, DNF
Honestly, this book was a huge disappointment. After how much I loved this author’s other book, The Matzah Ball, I expected to love this one too, but I just didn’t find myself as in love with the characters. It was just kinda…meh.
The Queen of Nothing (reread) - Holly Black
February 19th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was a masterpiece from start to finish. Watching Jude weasel her way back into the kingdom and spy on her enemies was so much fun!
Of course, it wouldn’t be the final book in a fantasy series without a bit more romance. Jude and Cardan finally confessed their feelings to each other, albeit in a bit of a roundabout way at first. The rising romantic tension between the two of them throughout this book was definitely the best part of it. I especially enjoyed watching Jude’s feelings for Cardan snowball as she realized how much she really loved him.
The entire main plot of this book was AMAZING. I really appreciated the way Cardan finally proved himself as king in the latter half of the book, and I loved watching him grow in his confidence over the throne. he and Jude both seemed to grow into their roles quite a bit more in this book as well as proving themselves as spies.
Overall, I don’t really think any review I could write could do this book justice. I think it is probably my favorite book in the entire series, though the second book is a CLOSE second.
The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
February 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SO much happened in this book, and despite the fact that not as much happened plot-wise as I expected, it was a great read. Some of my favorite characters from past books were brought back for this book’s quest, and so much happened between the characters in this book.One thing I was super excited about in this book is that Percy and Annabeth’s relationship is finally going somewhere. I love how slow this slow-burn is, but I can’t wait to see Percy finally realize how he feels about her.
The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
February 22nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I definitely didn’t read this in one night. I swear. It totally didn’t happe-
This book was a completely different experience from the other four. It was essentially one big battle, and usually I don’t like reading battles, but this one was exciting to read. It brought back ALL the characters, liked or not, and it was so much fun.
We got to meet quite a few of the gods in this book, and that was fun. We also got a Hades cameo, which was awesome after not seeing him for…what…four books? Three? I don’t even remember anymore. We also got a lot more about little Nico, and I love him, so that was very enjoyable for me.
↳ March (7)
The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan
March 5th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was super excited for this book's release, and I have to say, it kind of let me down. Coming off reading the action-packed original five books, this book felt very low-stakes, and I wasn't really into that. Other than that, this book was really good, though! I loved seeing our original gang again.
The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
March 9th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was insane. First of all, I love Jason. People dislike him??? Insane. He was definitely my favorite of the three in this book, and I loved to watch them go on a totally new adventure. I especially liked that it took us farther than the original series took us when the characters went on quests. Iconic. Personally, I think this was a great opener to the second series, and I loved this book thoroughly.
A Curse so Dark and Lonely - Brigid Kemmerer
March 10th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My reading of this book was entirely a result of my enjoyment of Defy the Night, and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved the worldbuilding here, and it captured the Beauty & the Beast retelling while also putting a completely new spin on it. That being said, I really felt like the characters were flat. The story didn't really make me care for them all that much. The situations they were put in were quite interesting, but they were very uncompelling. (Besides Grey, but he's not in this book enough to save my opinion on the flatness of the characters.)
We Hunt the Flame - Hafsah Faizal
March 12th, (N/A), DNF
This was one of like five books I rented before going to clean out my great-grandparents' house and it was just not very easy to get into. As I didn't understand a lot of the words on the first three pages, I think this book simply wasn't for me. It did seem like a very interesting read based entirely on those three pages alone, but I was too mentally exhausted at the time to put effort into reading.
A Heart So Fierce and Broken - Brigid Kemmerer
March 12th, (N/A), DNF
This is the sequel to A Curse so Dark and Lonely, and I've gotta be honest, she lost me about two chapters in. We follow two characters who weren't even in the last book, and it just felt like I was reading a different series entirely. It might've been a good book, but I really didn't like the fact that the entire book was two points of view we've never seen before.
The Stolen Heir (reread) - Holly Black
March 16th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oak is an icon, I love the romantic tension, and the book kept you on your toes at all times. Love.
The Prisoner's Throne - Holly Black
March 17th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok...this book...I read it mostly for Cardan and Jude's cameos? Yeah, sorry. I love Oak, but Wren was kinda...too much in this book? Still got five stars because Jude and Cardan ate this book up, but yeah.
↳ April (2)
The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan
April 8th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The excitement I felt when I opened the book and saw Percy's name at the top of the first chapter is palpable. My babyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼. Hazel and Frank were both awesome as the other main characters, and I loved following these characters up the west coast. This book was absolutely jam-packed with action, and the tension as we waited for Percy to get his memories back was also great. I've seen a lot of people complain about the fact that Percy lost his Achilles Heel Curse, and to that I say: ??? what fun is a character who's essentially indestructible??? I digress. I loved this book.
The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan
April 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't remember this book. Something about group bonding, and Annabeth judo flips Percy. Ending was absolutely devastating and insane. It was a very good read, don't get me wrong, it's just all blurring together in my head right now.
↳ May (4)
The House of Hades - Rick Riordan
May 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*insert five hour clip of me screaming here* Best book in the series. I don't remember anything but Percabeth but that's enough for me.
The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan
May 2nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bro I don't remember this book either?? Like at all?? Jason gets glasses or something?? No clue. Good read, though.
The Sun and the Star - Rick Riordan
May 4th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
Oh my God 🤩 don't get me started on this book. It had soooooooo much potential, but the random info-dumping about things that were not plot-relevant knocked this book down a whole star for me. Probably the weirdest thing about this book was the assumption that everyone was straight until proven otherwise?? Have we...met the Greek gods? (They're all bi/pan/ace?) I dunno, man. Nico and Will were really cute, so I finished the book for them.
The Tiger at Midnight - Teerdhala Swati
May 24th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
This book was sooooo rich and lovely to read. Both of the main characters are extremely compelling, and they were very fun to follow. Their dynamic is insanely good, and the ending?? Whew. I picked up the sequel to this from the library and then never got around to reading it, so I'm hoping to finish this series in the new year. If you like fantasy based more in south Asia, I would DEFINITELY recommend this.
↳ June (2)
Ace of Shades - Amanda Foody
June 9th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was like if Six of Crows and The Night Circus had a love child, if that makes sense? The main character was both very girly and very smart, which I really appreciated. The world building was very good, and I think I read this whole book in like 3 days? I initially gave this book five stars, but I think considering the actual plot, that's a bit too generous, so I'm bumping it down to a four. I did feel like there were a few too many side characters, so there is that, and the pacing was kind of inconsistent if I recall correctly?
The Darkest Part of the Forest - Holly Black
June 24th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To be honest, I don't remember why I gave this four stars. In retrospect, I think it was a five star read, but I do remember the end being a little all over the place, so I'll leave it at four. Ben and Hazel are absolutely so much fun in this book, and the romance somehow delivered twice over in a standalone? Holly performing magic tricks as always. The plot twist at the very end had me absolutely GAGGED. It was the craziest plot twist ever, and completely worth the read.
↳ July (5)
The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan
July 2nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆, DNF
This book was kind of boring, I'm sorry. I read like 150 pages at least and we were still in basically the same place we started in. I was actually pretty disappointed because it seemed like an intriguing read in the first twenty pages.
The Hurricane Wars - Thea Guanzon
July 2nd, (N/A), DNF
I think I read like two pages of this book and then DNFed it? It's only even on my list so I remember I did in fact try reading it. I'm pretty sure they lost me at the nine suns or whatever. I can't wrap my mind around universes that have more than one sun, so I can't commit.
The Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
July 3rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
aHHHHHHHHHHHHH GEN MY BABY. Um so. Personal call-out post for @joandragon (she will never stop getting called out for recommending this series to me. The worldbuilding. The religion. The characters. Gen's sneaky, bratty brain. I LOVE. I have never been so glad to live post-2022 (so I could read this series as a completed series). If you read nothing else in the new year, read this series.
The Queen of Attolia - Megan Whalen Turner
July 8th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
aHHHHHHHHHHHHH pt. 2. Megan was crazy for this book. It's the best on in the entire series, I can say that. I can't really say much about this book without absolutely spoiling it, so I'll keep my mouth shut. This book is the definition of a book best read with no spoilers.
King of Fools - Amanda Foody
July 18th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆, DNF
The day I'm writing this review is December 16th, and I've had this book open to like page 250 since July. I can't bring myself to finish it. I don't know what happened between books one and two that this one is so much more unreadable, but I went from loving this series to being kinda indifferent to it simply because I couldn't make it through this book. Also, Levi, my guy, find someone to heal your ribs?? I'm sure someone in this world can heal people, and you've been pulling stunts too insane for a man with broken ribs.
↳ August (2)
The Grandest Game - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
August 2nd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok, I'll admit, this book isn't as good as the original trilogy, but it is still really good. I love how Jennifer weaves soo much backstory into her books about escape rooms?? The setting for this book was also absolutely immaculate. I wanted to visit so badly.
Apprentice to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
August 26th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok, I know this series is like if a cliche fairytale for children was a YA novel, but it delivers, ok? These two characters keep giving me all the pining that other books these days are lacking, and I am eating it up. (I am also eating up the fairytale nonsense, let that be heard.) I can't wait for book 3.
↳ September (5)
Iron Flame (reread) - Rebecca Yarros
September 15th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm not even gonna talk about this book because the review would be five pages long if I did. I've done so much yapping about this book on my FW sideblog already. I loved it. No notes.
The King of Attolia - Megan Whalen Turner
September 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ohoho. This book is on repeat in my car at this point. It somehow manages to look like it has no plot while having the most plot I've ever seen in a book. I love it. Gen is such a menace. He somehow was still extremely likable even in a narrative where the main character clearly dislikes him, and that is so funny to me. That way that everything mundane and seemingly meaningless comes together in this book is so awesome. You can tell how much work and time the author put into this book especially.
A Conspiracy of Kings - Megan Whalen Turner
September 23rd, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
Sophos is my favorite child. He matured so much. He is so old now (he's like nineteen). This book was a disaster, but I loved it. The first half (?) of the book was really fun to read because you really get to see him turn into a man. He was so much of a whiny child before that, but it was lovely to see him grow up. This book got bumped down half a star because the second part of the book really did not hold as much excitement for me as the first half did, and I also hated the fact that the book switched from first to third person. I understand why it did, but I did not like it. I think about the scene with Gen and Helen all the time, though.
Thick as Thieves - Megan Whalen Turner
September 25th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Insert debate over whether or not this book was a romance.) This book was great, and it really expands the worldbuilding since we finally get a lot more background on the Mede Empire and such. I kinda expected to be bored out of my mind reading it because it doesn't really have a central political plot, but I really enjoyed the journey of following our two characters through the country.
Return of the Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
September 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok remember how I said Queen of Attolia was the best book in this series?? I lied. It's this one. Pheris is literally my baby, okay?? Being serious for a second, I really appreciated the way this book portrayed disability. Because of the framing of Pheris's character, everyone really underestimates him. Being in his head was a lot of fun, especially with the way he thinks. Also...he and Gen are buddies. Trust that I do love this.
↳ October (5)
Moira's Pen - Megan Whalen Turner
October 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Considering this is a compilation of stories that range over like 200 years or something, it's hard to give one review for all of them. The last one definitely made me cry or whatever though.
The Thief (reread) - Megan Whalen Turner
October 4th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yeah I immediately started re-reading the series, what about it?
The Queen of Attolia (reread) - Megan Whalen Turner
October 6th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ehehehehehehehehehehe
The King of Attolia (reread) - Megan Whalen Turner
October 13th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh yeah buddy
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
October 17th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was absolutely tragic. As a retelling of the Iliad, you'd expect that, but I still cried at the ending nonetheless. The storytelling is immaculate, and the progression of the plot is so excessively tragic. The ending was both so so sad and so relieving. Patrochillies makes me so sad. I love the way the author uses the same sort of descriptions that were used in Ancient Greek literature. I know she's gotten into some internet arguments over it, but I personally loved it. Swift-footed Achilles, was, of course, swift-footed.
↳ November (0)
The Song of Achilles sent me into a massive reading slump and I did nothing in November except look at Patrochilles fanart and listen to Epic the Musical (send help).
↳ December (6)
Wrath of the Triple Goddess - Rick Riordan
December 1st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was sooooooooooo much better than #6. The tension actually kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Percy in this book, and as always, seeing Percabeth made me so happy.
The Queen of Attolia (reread) - Megan Whalen Turner
December 4th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Re-read part three, obviously. I skipped The Thief because...reasons (I was only going to reread QoA and then did not.)
The King of Attolia (reread) - Megan Whalen Turner
December 21st, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Obviously I got sucked into this book too. I will be continuing the audiobooks when school is back in session and I'm driving frequently again, stay tuned!
Conceal, Don't Feel - Jen Calonita
December 26th, (N/A), DNF
I picked this book up because I was drawing one day and needed an audiobook that was available immediately and that I knew I wouldn't care if I didn't finish, and that did the trick! It was good enough to keep me occupied but not good enough that I felt obligated to finish it. It was probably around a three star book, given that I'm not really a huge fan of books that take a popular piece of media and rewrite it using exact dialogue from the original media. It was a kids book, and it read so. No issue with that, just not for me.
The Assassin's Curse - Cassandra Rose Clarke
December 28th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful, short, and to the point. Two characters to follow, three settings total, a compelling plot and some angsty backstories. That's about all you need to know. This book is apparently extremely niche because I could find absolutely nowhere I could read the two companion novellas, but I will be getting my hands on the second book probably about ten hours after I write this review. I absolutely loved the dynamic between the two main characters, and I felt like their characterization was a refreshing change of pace. The main character also has a totally unique voice in the writing, which I loved reading. It made the book feel so much more immersive.
Fawkes - Nadine Brandes
December 29th, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book...a masterpiece. For the sake of mystery, I'll just tell you this book is loosely based off of a true historical happening in London. The story was absolutely brilliant, and I was super excited to read a modern fantasy book that was written from the main guy's perspective. You don't get that very often, and Thomas is a lovely character to follow! I read this entire book in a day, if the dates between this book and the last one didn't make that clear. I cried reading the last chapter of this book. It was deeply touching and wholly sad, but the book had a good ending, don't worry! Absolutely love Emma. She's my baby.
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Hi, main account! You guys get the reading wrap-up this year because this is finally a multi-fandom blog and you guys actually care about what I'm reading!
All right so I lied in last year's post when I said I wouldn't be doing another yearly wrap-up. The monthly wrap-ups were not something I had time for once the semester got into full swing, so here we are with another long long post.
Next year's looking to start with quite a few re-reads (Six of Crows and Once Upon a Broken Heart, among other things) and at the end of January I'll get my hands on Onyx Storm finally...and then I was told to read the Stormlight Archives? So I'll be writing a post screaming at Joan over that at some point I'm sure.
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couldawouldashoulda50 · 4 months ago
Text
From Completely Different Worlds - William Nylander
The Sweden Chapter - Part Two Link to Part One is here
A/N - So, I know I've mentioned a baker's dozen times that my tendency is to write longer fics, even than what I initially intend to. So I'm introducing Part Two now...with the understanding that a third part is required to hopefully tie up all the loose ends between William and Loren. Nevertheless, @misshoneyimhome, we're getting there! Again, thank you for always being so open AND encouraging to talk it out whenever a Loren/Willy thought comes up that I need to work through. Notes and Warnings - goes without saying - profanity, smut (basic p in v, oral - m receiving). Any references to past "goings on" between players and an ex, or current girlfriends, friends etc. in this piece is strictly fiction.
Word count - 5.9k 18+ only please.
Recap - Round One for the Leafs seemed to be plagued with a string of unfortunate events right from the very beginning. After the “Where’s Willy” fiasco began to dissipate, more unusual circumstances took hold which further casted a shadow over the Maple Leafs. As the games in the round progressed, the Leafs lost their grip in Games 3 and 4, finding themselves in a precarious position by Game 5. To add to matters, star player Auston Matthews fell ill, and even more speculation swirled about the almost 70 goal scorer’s dedication to winning. The situation reached a boiling point when cameras caught the 3 star forwards arguing on the bench which quickly went viral. As some headlines alluded to, it really seemed like the team was a total dumpster fire. The team had reached new heights of pressure and scrutiny within Leafs Land.
However, just when all seemed lost, the Leafs mounted a remarkable comeback. After Game 5, William, with an extraordinary performance, single-handedly scored all goals in both Games 6 and 7. Given the tight defense known in playoff hockey, scoring those goals, 3 in total, was an impressive feat. As if the Leafs got a shock from a defibrillator, the team and the city suddenly had renewed hope in mounting a surge to take Game 7.
Joe Woll stood tall, delivering an almost flawless performance in Game 6. He came excruciatingly close to securing a shutout, showcasing his outstanding ability under pressure.
Unfortunately, Woll's sustained an injury late in Game 6, leaving the team without their hot starter for the crucial Game 7.
With Woll sidelined, the responsibility fell to Ilya Samsonov, affectionately known as "Sammy" by his teammates and fans. Samsonov fought hard in the crease in Game 7, making several crucial saves to keep the Leafs' hopes alive. Despite his best efforts and the team's perseverance, fate had other plans. In a heartbreaking turn of events, the Bruins managed to clinch the series victory in overtime, sending the Leafs to yet another first-round exit. The tortured fans, players, and franchise were once again dejected—while others were spurned and filled with outrage.
In the aftermath of the disappointing playoff run, Loren and William maintained sporadic communication. Their interactions were affectionate but brief. Loren was back working several overnight shifts at the group home while scheduling and making lesson plans for her French students. She also wanted to give William the time and space that she felt he needed in the days after Game 7.
William had taken the loss hard, and as much as he wanted to feel Loren's presence, he also wanted to steer clear of feeling the void once she left him again. Instead, he navigated through exit meetings, locker clean-out day, and catching up with friends. He began to feel a sense of excitement as offseason travel plans were confirmed, as well as family get-togethers at their lake house in Sweden.
The day William was scheduled to leave for Stockholm hit Loren harder than she anticipated. She wasn't sure of the time of his flight, but it didn't matter anyway. She already had a pit in her stomach just with the knowledge. She told herself that perhaps by the time William returned for the 2024 season, something between them would be solidified, whether it would break her heart or not. A lot could change for both of them in the coming months.
Outside his building, William loaded his SUV with some additional hockey gear when a message from Loren appeared on his cell. It was a heartfelt note—humorous, nostalgic, and positive. He'd planned to make last-minute stops for Toronto souvenirs for the younger kids in his family, but suddenly, seeing Loren seemed far more important.
Truth be told, he was only planning on video-calling her once he was at the airport. He had a lot of emotions swirling around, especially for Loren. He didn’t want do that Hollywood scene of him driving away, leaving the woman he cared for behind.
However thoughts lingered in his head that it was a shitty thing to do given all the support she gave him, and well - just her being her.
William, who rarely made impulsive decisions, changed his mind. He decided to surprise her and to say goodbye in person before his departure.
The 40-minute drive north felt oddly therapeutic, trading the shadows of the city's high-rises with the shade of mature trees. William thought to himself how much he enjoyed escaping to Loren's here and there after they met. Pablo and Banksy had a yard to run around in, while William and Loren snuggled in a lounge chair on the deck, mouths red from making out.
William had checked that Loren was home before he departed, thanks to her location settings still enabled on her phone. It was weeks ago that William asked her to turn the share location settings on, just to see who would arrive at his condo first - him from the airport and her from the suburbs. He won the race - but she got the reward of him, impatiently waiting and hungry for her to get there.
He pulled along the curb to her house, finding her outside, engrossed in yard work with her earbuds in. She had her long mane pulled through the back of a baseball cap, and the rest of her exposed skin was streaked with dirt and covered in sweat.
William couldn't help but be impressed by the sight of Loren working in her yard. Not to mention that he found her absolutely stunning this way. He surveyed her house, she had accomplished a lot since he was there last. Her porch was adorned with flower containers that had started to blossom with vibrant colors, and had large hanging ferns which added an almost tropical flair. This house represented more than just a roof over Loren's head, and the way she cared for it spoke volumes about how much she effort she put in her surroundings. For a moment, William found himself imagining what it would be like to come home to her, knowing how calm and peaceful she made his space feel too.
Loren turned and spotted William walking up the path. Her eyes lit up and she flashed him a bright smile as as he approached her.
He started to pull her in for a hug her when she stopped him, shaking her head. “I’m filthy, sweaty and probably smell like…hmm….well, never mind - just not good…” she laughed.
William brought her into him and hugged her tightly anyway.
He told her she looked like she could use a break and commented that her yard looked phenomenal. The two walked into the house together, making the typical small talk - Loren asking questions, William answering and then a little bit of teasing each other.
Loren offered William a drink, which he accepted. They sat under the pergola of the back deck, which also boasted lush green plants that provided additional privacy.
Although the conversation remained easy, there was a weight to the overall mood and tone. Loren mentioned how strange it was not to see the dogs trotting through the house after him. Once she said it, her throat tightened with emotions that she had been fighting to subdue. Knowing Pablo and Banksy were already in Stockholm underscored the finality of William's departure.
William could see Loren's efforts to remain composed and positive, knowing that there was a cyclone of feelings that churned inside each of them. She continued to show interest in how the first weeks back in Stockholm would look for him. He wanted to ask her more, but she'd always turn the subject back onto him, almost as though she assumed her plans wouldn't interest him.
It's not how he felt. Not by a mile, but he had a flight to catch, so his questions were left unanswered.
Loren glanced at her watch and knew that William needed to leave. She reached for his empty glass as he stood, following her back into the house.
She set the glasses down on the counter and they began to walk to the front door. Loren was beginning to say her goodbyes, her voice not yet breaking but on its way.
He took a chance and pulled her tightly against him, telling her how deeply he appreciated everything she did for him. He had thought of a million ways to thank her but, knowing how stubborn she'd be in accepting any gratitude, he set his thoughts aside. Yet, he wanted to make sure she heard him now.
Loren's throat tightened as she fought to maintain composure. She endured the firm embrace, yearning for it to never end. William’s kiss followed, a moment so intense it seemed to lift her off her feet. And once again, he was gone.
As William drove away, he grappled with conflicting emotions. He felt he shouldn't be leaving her—she should be coming with him. He understood Loren's past necessity to "live to work," but he admired her tireless efforts to shift towards "working to live."
All the same, it frustrated him that she'd probably never accept anything from him costlier than a meal in an expensive restaurant. Even if he offered to take her on a trip, she'd likely decline, unable to afford "her half” of the cost. Shaking his head at the thought of her stubbornness, he continued his drive back to the city.
Meanwhile, Loren began to undress and have a long, hot shower. The tears that had welled up in her eyes after William had left had fallen, been swiped away, and now had vanished. As she stood in the steady stream of warm water, she contemplated that she had the same thought as the last time he left. She would miss him. She felt he was inherently good and kind, and would always cherish her moments with him.
At the same time, Loren knew the months ahead for each of them would be totally different.
William's days would be filled with seeing friends and family, attending get-togethers, celebrations, and just catching up with loved ones.
He would travel, eat, and drink, while meeting the most beautiful women, whom one, or even a few, might be blessed by his touch throughout the night.
Loren's imminent future, albeit not nearly as glamorous as William's, still excited her. From her staunchly frugal ways in the past, she had learned to save money, which she squirreled away for something unusual—special. She was considering a much-needed break. Two weeks in the Caribbean sounded heavenly, and she almost had the funds to make the trip happen, plus cover whatever time away from work that her vacation pay wouldn't cover.
The additional funds she had begun to make with her tutoring were making other dreams she had more of a reality as well. Loren felt like she was getting control of her life, and it felt good.
The remainder of May, and throughout June was spent in William’s traditional manner, a much-deserved period of decompression after a rollercoaster of a season. The 2023/2024 season was one to remember for William. He began the season breaking personal and franchise records, dominated the headlines on and off the ice at the Global Series in Stockholm, and was a fan-voted addition to the All-Stars. He broke his season point total, and scored 40 goals for the second season in a row.
He earned every bit of rest, relaxation and time spent doing whatever he wanted.
William's calendar quickly filled up with an array of engagements. His phone buzzed constantly with invitations from friends eager to catch up. There were tennis matches to watch, exotic vacations to take, golf games to win, and family to visit. With a constant jammed-packed itinerary, moments when he was alone were rare. Nevertheless, William happily immersed himself in the vibrant social life that accompanied his stardom.
However, in those moments he found himself alone, he would occasionally scroll through pictures during his times with Loren. Some were posed shots but some were candid moments. Either way, her beauty and her sweetness was captured in each one. He thought about messaging her, but with hundreds of message notifications every time he accessed his phone, he continually put it off. He considered for a brief moment to call, but he was stuck in a suspended state in his mind - wanting to talk to her but inevitably talking himself out of it.
In late June, William was out to dinner with friends before he departed for the annual Nylander family vacation. It was a fun and casual dinner with one of his closest friends and former teammate, Rasmus Sandin (aka Sandy), as well as few hockey players from Modo, his former hockey club in Sweden.
William’s phone buzzed as it did continuously throughout the day, but this time, the sender caught his attention. It was Max Domi, William’s teammate. Max and William were friends, but at that moment, William found it odd that Max would message him outside of their customary group chat.
Sandy saw the perplexed look on William’s face and leaned in to glance at his phone. The two shared no secrets so William angled his phone for Sandy to see.
Max’s note to go with the accompanying picture was fairly simple.
M - Look who came to visit Estelle today…
A picture of Loren appeared. Estelle, Max’s girlfriend who is a professional make-up artist, took a candid shot of her new model, as Loren touched up her lipstick.
Loren’s image jolted William. He felt an ache deep within him as he absorbed every detail of the photo. Her hair was loosely pinned on either side, her long, sandy blonde curls fell across her back. The little simple satin little black dress that adorned her curves perfectly.
Sandy’s brows lifted on his face as he turned to his long-time buddy. “Who’s that? Wait…that’s - is that Loren?”
“Yeah, that’s her. Fucking Max, man - I don’t know what the fuck is going on.”
“What- so he sent you the picture? What is she doing with him?” Sandy shook his head. “Does he know you two were sort of dating or whatever it was?” Sandy’s expression was a mix of confusion and wariness on William’s behalf.
William exited the picture and re-read Max’s tex. “Hold on - he said she was visiting Max’s girlfriend. Ok, yeah….they’ve met, I knew they had been talking here and there, but I don’t get why she’s all dressed up, like hair and make-up sort of thing.”
Sandy rolled his eyes a little, feeling the answer was pretty obvious. “Probably club-hopping…”
It was William’s turn to roll his eyes. “At 2 in the afternoon? C’mon man.” William chuckled.
Sandy shrugged his shoulders. “Couldn’t been taken at a different time….fuck’d if I know….just guessing.”
William’s stomach was turning, which turned him off the rest of his burger. He texted Max back, and the two quickly caught up with their whereabouts and other goings on.
He was glad the boys just wanted to head home after dinner - William was in no mood for going out to a bar. All he could think about is going home and calling Loren. And that’s exactly what he did.
William messaged Loren first to find out if she was busy. It didn’t take her long to respond, first with a buoyant greeting, followed by she’s at work but she can talk for awhile.
Loren was outside at the group home taking a break on the patio when William video called her. She still had whatever make-up hadn’t evaporated or rubbed off from her visit with Estelle. William was completely mesmerized for a moment when he saw her on the screen.
The pair chatted enthusiastically as Loren asked a million questions, while William willingly answered them all.
In reality though, he was the one with the burning questions and he patiently waited for the right moment.
It came when Loren apologized for bombarding him, and asked if everything was ok.
“Oh, yeah - everything’s good….I just - Max sent me a pic of you today and —”
Loren interrupted with an apologetic groan. “Fuck, I’m so sorry - I told him not to bug you with that.” Loren continued with a slight laugh. “I don’t know if you have to use reverse psychology to get Max to listen - I just didn’t want him to bother you on vacation.”
“Loren - it’s no bother - it’s a beautiful picture…I’m glad he sent it but I didn’t really understand…I mean, are you and his girlfriend hanging out or….like three of you or….?” William’s voice trailed off.
“No, I - not really. Estelle and I sort of kept in touch after we met that first time you brought me out at that lounge. I needed some advice from her and I reached out. Ended up taking some pictures at her little studio.”
William's nerves began to settle. He realized that he had a certain possessiveness towards Loren, especially a) when he was thousands of kilometers away from where she was and b) she was in close proximity to Max, his current teammate. Max had a "shared" experience with a girl that later dated William, which added to his overall unease.
Loren explained that an unsolicited and unexpected opportunity arose which just happened to be right up her alley. The catch, however, was that it involved Loren teaching French dialogue to mature students, which would be recorded and posted across a number of social media platforms. Loren was never one to post much online, and William saw the humor in Loren landing a job that would shove her completely out of her comfort zone.
Loren heard William laughing as she rhymed off every self-deprecating thought she had about being in front of a camera. She jokingly scoffed at William not to make fun of her as she laughed along with him.
Despite her own misgivings, the company that hired her was thrilled with what they saw, but they wanted Loren a little more "glammed up," so she reached out to Estelle to help balance her makeup with the ring lights used for recording content.
William asked how the company discovered her in the first place.
Loren sighed. "Oh god—it was Chelsea, my friend's daughter, who roped me into doing this thing for her new position at her work. She's the one who lent me all of those clothes—you know, that red dress and—"
William fucking loved that dress on her. "I remember it well—you surprised me in it one night… that was a fucking good night…"
"Mmmm… it was," Loren said affectionately. She remembered it well. too. William had invited her to stay after returning from a road trip to Buffalo back in late March. The minute William walked in and saw her in that dress, he bent her over the arm of his couch. It was the first time he had been more dominant with her, and she couldn't get enough of him that night.
Loren had to veer off the memory lane of past sex-capades with William and get back on the subject.
"I just—I have never really gotten into the whole influencer, content creation stuff… I didn't really realize how it all worked. I've known Chelsea for a long time—she's always asking to style me. When I agreed, she kind of interviewed me about the tutoring thing after I was all dolled up. She presented it to her company, they loved it and she got the green light to post it. One thing led to another and all of a sudden, I get hired doing this. It's unreal how quickly it's all happened."
William had a sinking feeling. Loren truly was a rare diamond, and he knew how lucky he was to know her. But with her beauty, both inside and out, she was going to garner a lot of attention online. William knew how unfair it was to feel this way, but he didn't want others to know how amazing and special she is—like she was this exquisite secret that only he knew about.
"So would I be considered a mature student? Could you give me a French lesson for free? Heading to Saint-Tropez in a few days so I could use some help," William smiled as he spoke.
"Mature might be a stretch—," Loren laughed.
"Hey now—be nice…," William teasingly warned.
"Hmmmm….knowing the things you’ll get up to, one phrase should suffice. I’m surprised it's not in your normal Saint Tropez repertoire. Ready? Okay - here it is. 'Voulez-vous… coucher…"
"Oh my fucking —come on…," William laughed.
Loren drew out every single syllable. "Avec moi… ce soir."
William could feel the heat rising in his face. She assumed he would be on some sort of fuck fest while on vacation. Maybe that was accurate once upon a time but not as much nowadays, and certainly not while he was with family.
"That hurts that you think that… I'm not with a different girl every day…," William played it off as a joke but it did hurt his feelings a little.
Loren thought about uttering one more jab, but he did sound a little miffed. "Sorry, just jealous I suppose… I admit it." William could hear her smiling as she conceded.
After ending the call with Loren, William felt the same unsettling sensation growing in his core. once again. He threw a few more items in his suitcase, closed it up and wheeled it aside while he tried to calm how aggravated he felt.
He sent a text to female friend from his Stockholm roster. A beneficial friend that he felt might help take the edge off.
He received a quick response. She’d be over in an hour.
The pairing between the Nylanders and Saint-Tropez is like discovering the perfect wine to pair with a gorgeous meal. Life is so good when they're together.
This year's trip to the south of France expanded beyond the immediate family and significant others. William and Alex invited friends to join them at various points during their stay at the villa. Alex had rekindled his relationship with his former flame, Isla, whose closest friends also arrived as part of the group.
Their place of sunny refuge was usually buzzing with people, either staying back to enjoy some peace by the pool or venturing into town for some shopping.
When "the boys" were there, they worked out together on the pool deck, every muscle group being worked—their darkening skin glistened with sweat in the sun.
When "the girls" were there, they lay in the sun by the pool, their perfectly formed ass cheeks tanned golden brown.
William generally kept his distance while harmlessly admiring Isla's friends from afar. Margot, one of Isla's closest friends, admired William too, but she made her intentions far more obvious than he did on a few occasions.
Isla was thrilled with the thought of Margot getting with William. One of her best friends with Alex's brother who was also his closest friend—it would be a dream. As they got older, they'd get married, children may come, their summers spent together.
Isla could picture it all.
Alex, on the other hand, tried to temper Isla's expectations. He was aware that William, who remained stoically single, might not have any long-term interests in Margot. After hearing how Loren stayed with William during his episodes, and noticing the way William looked when he talked about her, it was clear to Alex that his brother's interests remained tied to Loren.
Meanwhile, William was thoroughly enjoying his time with family and friends, but the inkling he had back in Stockholm—a feeling he couldn't pinpoint or define—would materialize every now and again.
When it was there, it nagged him… like the feeling of walking into a room and forgetting why he was there. There was no pattern or explanation that William could think of for why he sometimes felt a yearning for something that seemed to elude him.
Other times, he knew he was envious while watching Alex and Isla kiss and hold hands as they walked in town.
These unresolved feelings were what motivated him to put his guard down with Margot, allowing her to make a move late one evening in the pool.
Her advances were initially playful as she toyed with him under the water's surface. Soon, her hands moved more explicitly over William's swim shorts, charming his cock with the palm of her hand.
Mouths were soon attached to skin, breasts were exposed, and one need pressed firmly against another.
William followed Margot as they quietly made their way to William's bedroom. She had a towel wrapped around her lean, naked body while William had her string bikini wadded up in his hand.
Margot was young, pretty and slender—a description which seemed totally interchangeable with the females in Isla's friend group.
William lay on his back, naked—his erection levitated his cock slightly. Margot slid her body between his legs as she ran her fingers up his chest.
"I saw the pictures from your first vacation," Margot purred. "Loved your bare chest."
Given that William's chest hair was starting to grow back, he was confused if she was complimenting him or not.
Margot soon had William's cock in her mouth. She felt good, but the sound of her slurping seemed to increase and echoed throughout the room. William really didn't want anyone to overhear, so he gently asked Margot if she could go more slowly, to which she obliged.
William tried all of his usual moves to get the mood going within him. He smoothed back her hair as her eyes fixed on his while she sucked his cock. As he watched her, suddenly a flash of Loren's face exploded in his mind. William laid back, remembering how Loren's gaze was so hypnotic, it always rendered William defenseless as she took her time feasting on him.
William's mind snapped back to Margot as she rapidly stroked his shaft. He thought he heard her call him "Daddy," but he wasn't sure. He had nothing against being called that as a rule, but he was not in the mood for it right then.
Enthusiastically, she climbed on top of him, lowered herself down onto his cock in a slow squat using his outstretched arms for leverage. William's body bounced against the mattress as Margot whimpered, gliding up and down his cock. William cupped under her ass cheeks to help alleviate the muscle strain in her legs of each squat as her pussy slid up and down his shaft. Margot's long blonde hair looked like hand-spun gold silk as she threw her head back and continued to bounce on top of him.
Much like the slurping, the sound of skin slapping against skin seemed to reverberate rather loudly.
William propped himself up, allowing Margot to hold onto his shoulders and slide down his shaft while he began driving himself upward. The sex was quieter until Margot began to slap her own ass and moan.
William politely told her they had to be a little quieter. His parents and sisters were just down the hall.
Margot nodded as she switched from squatting to straddling his cock.
As she laid him back, another image of Loren appeared in William's mind. The memory of their last time together where Loren took complete care of him in every way. How she took her time, wanting him to feel the very heights of pleasure. And he did, with the two orgasms she skillfully coaxed out of him.
William's fingers tweaked Margot's nipples as she rode him rhythmically.
Margot began grinding furiously on his cock. She gripped William's wrist with one hand while stroking her clit with the other. She tried to stifle her cries as she clenched and quivered with the intensity of her release.
There was nothing William could do about the loud creaks from the bed or the panting from Margot after she climaxed.
If anyone does hear, maybe they'll assume it was Alex and Isla, William hoped.
After Margot's orgasm, she focused on William. She sucked, licked, and stroked his cock but frustratingly, his orgasm was just out of reach.
Taking a breather, she lay on her back stroking herself as William took the reins and began lightly and rapidly stroking near his tip. As he kneeled beside her, Margot smiled up at William, biting her lip as she played with her pussy.
The room was quiet, minus the sound of wetness from between Margot's legs and the distinct jerking motion of William's hand. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth as the pressure of arousal began to build.
He heard Loren's soft voice playing inside of his head. He would hear her say that she wanted so badly to taste him. She would moan his name, telling him how incredible he felt. She would breathlessly say how amazing he was to her.
He felt his orgasm taking hold. "Can you touch my balls—just touch them gently," William quietly instructed Margot.
That's what Loren would do. She had a natural sense of what would provide William the most intense pleasure, despite her limited sexual experience.
Margot began to fondle his balls and lick the tip of his cock as he continued to pump himself faster.
William's muscles around his torso began to clench as his orgasm hit and spurts of cum landed on Margot's cheek and lips.
She promptly wiped herself off with the bunched-up sheets that felt moist to the touch from their bodies' bliss. She stood up on the mattress, kissed William, and sauntered into the washroom to freshen up.
William sat at the edge of the bed, his cock softening as he focused on the light from the washroom.
This was the second time he had trouble finishing. He had faced the same frustration with the tryst he had in Stockholm before he left for Saint-Tropez.
He felt a deep-seated frustration now. This was not a Margot issue or his friend-with-benefits issue.
This was a William issue.
He pulled on his shorts and waited for Margot to exit the bathroom. He wasn't keen on having her sleep there—it would be awkward enough if they had been heard through the thick walls of their villa. Seeing them exit his bedroom together would add to the quiet and questioning looks he might receive from his parents.
Margot meandered back towards the bed with a fresh towel wrapped around her. "I probably should go back to my room. I don't know what everyone will think if they find me in bed with you tomorrow morning."
"Oh, yeah?" William made it sound like the same thought hadn't occurred to him. "Maybe, yeah… don't need to take the risk right now. Good idea." He smiled as she approached him, giving him a light kiss on the mouth.
"Thanks, Willy—that was fun… maybe we can figure out another time when no one's around before I leave?" Margot was hopeful she'd have another chance with him, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.
William nodded. "For sure we can." It was somewhere between a fib and the truth.
After Margot closed the door, William grabbed his phone.
Loren was all he had on his mind now.
He opened up YouTube and searched "Chelsea" plus "Loren Girard". He immediately got a hit.
William's eyes were glued to the screen watching as Chelsea, whose personality was as spicy as her wardrobe choices, interviewed Loren while her hair and makeup were done, adding an intimate behind-the-scenes feel to the segment. Loren was simply charming with her humble yet vibrant disposition, while articulating genuine and thoughtful responses.
William had expected to see Loren nervous about being in front of a camera, based on her own admissions. If she was nervous, it never showed—only her grace and poise were apparent.
At the end of the interview, they showed Loren in five outfit ensembles, all from budget-friendly sources. Loren made her little plug, encouraging everyone to keep the art of verbal communication alive in any language, and mentioned her tutoring venture as her last point.
The segment was exactly as it should be: informative, entertaining, and uplifting.
William rested against the headboard of his bed and looked back down at his phone.
It dawned on him what the feeling was that had been plaguing his mind—his insides.
He had to try and fix it and do something about it.
He swiped open his message app, found Loren's name and their last text exchange.
William typed in a simple statement.
W - I miss you so much.
Loren sat at her new-to-her desk that she had salvaged, repaired, and repainted with relative ease. Part of her new third job, which took up a minimal number of hours per week, was learning to edit the videos that she records.
While she replayed, layered, and snipped each recording, she snacked on her dinner, which was a small meal of avocado toast. It was far too hot to cook.
Her phone chimed right at the point where she was about to add animations to the reel. Whoever texted her would have to wait.
Loren sighed deeply as she turned her focus back to the screen. Replaying her segment, she tested some filters and made other enhancements until she was satisfied with the end result.
Once she clicked save on the final edit, she rubbed her eyes under the reading glasses she finally accepted that she needed. She stretched while padding to the kitchen and grabbed herself a vodka cooler from the fridge. She headed outside with her phone to enjoy the waning hours of the day with a cold drink.
She sat on the front step of her porch in the balmy evening air and took a long swig from the can. The carbonation made her hiccup loudly — she hoped her neighbors weren't outside to hear it.
Loren tapped the screen, and upon seeing William's name, her pulse jumped and her face flushed.
"I miss you so much." Such a simple statement, but the weight it carried was enormous. The words felt laden with sadness and regret. Words that Loren never anticipated William would ever feel for her, much less say.
Loren missed him too, but she had kept this knowledge as a safely guarded secret.
Letting him in on that secret made her vulnerable to more heartache in the future — she was almost certain of it.
Opposing thoughts clashed in Loren's mind, and she could not decipher if her worries were fear-based or just simple logic.
But this is William. William, who gave her a spark. Made her laugh until her sides hurt. Made her want to remain forever in his kiss.
Loren exhaled deeply and decided that when in doubt, stick with the facts.
Apprehensively, she responded.
L - I miss you too, William.
44 notes · View notes
derangedanomaly · 9 months ago
Note
Hello !! I have a request !!
Is it possible that you could do a Killer Sans x Reader who is Nightmare's daughter, so that mean she is immortal, she is 121 years old, she looks so much younger than she is, and who is more kind and sweet than Nightmare but still cruel
And if your confortable enough the reader is a sadistic when it come to spicy thing- (only if your comfortable enough of course!)
This request intrigued me so much, that I had to work on it right away (even if I'm a little busy) school's a pain right now >:(
WARNING: A little made-up lore (it's nothing drastic though!), Reader can shapeshift into "the octopus look", reader is only cruel whenever she sees the need to be, not really shown the "cruel" side of the reader in here
MASTERLIST
KILLER SANS X READER AS NIGHTMARES DAUGHTER
Sans stood in the main hall of Nightmares mansion, his new boss. He joined Nightmare, after completely destroying his universe. And now... He was waiting for Nightmares return. Nightmare strictly told him to stay put in this room, until he returned. But things got really boring after awhile...
He waited...and waited... and slowly but surely got bored.. Sans stood up from the chair he was sitting on, and left the room with a hum. The boss wouldn't be mad at him that he wasn't patient enough. ...Right?
He watched the walls covered in pictures. This activity did not suffice him in the slightest.. he felt oh so bored! But what could he do? Nothing. Deciding he needed to get used to this new place, he explored.
"WOAH-" He fell on the floor with a loud thud, when he accidentally bummed into someone. Oh no... Was it Nightmare? He looked to the figure, that has also fallen down, the figure rubbed her head, all while groaning at their previous impact. It was a female.. he felt hypnotized as he watched the girl slowly meeting his gaze.
They were both silent at first, merely scanning the other in uncertainty. Sans carefully studied her, she wore a dark dress, decorated with little moons, and had an almost princess-like crown on her head. The fact that Sans noticed the most though, were her eyes... They were shining more brighter than any star he's seen. Sans abruptly stood up and wiped his skeletal hands on his shorts, then kindly offered you a hand.
He wants to make a first good impression, right? You gratefully took his hand smiling at him. "Hello, I don't believe I've ever seen you at the castle." Sans could only nod when he heard your smooth voice.
"Ah, I see you've met my daughter." Sans jumped up when he heard the voice of Nightmare. He whipped his head to him in surprise at that. A daughter? "HUH? You're-" you cut him off with a giggle. "Yes. My name's Y/N. And you are?" You extended your hand, fully intending to shake his. "I-I'm Sans.." You giggled at his silliness. "That's real cute, but you need to make up a different name! There are many variations of you, so it's convenient to have a nickname." You sent him a little smile, as you held tightly onto your books. Nightmare nodded along to your words. "Though you won't need to think about it much. I've already made up a nickname for you." You looked at your father in surprise, and anticipation. "It's Killer. Simple, and easy to remember." Oh... Sans Killer isn't so sure that he likes that..
You gave Nightmare a weird look. Really, this is what he settles for? "Well, I need to get going again. My daughter will show you around." You went a little closer to Killer, until a tentacle wrapped around your waist, and pulled you a little bit away from Killer. "6 feet." You could only roll your eyes, as Nightmare finally left.
"Alright, let's go, Blade!" Killer perked up at the name you called him with. "Blade?" He has to admit, he likes it. Definitely better than 'Killer'. "Yeah, I thought that I'd give you a different nickname than father did.. I didn't really like it." He couldn't help but chuckle at your remark.
"Yeah, me neither.."
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You went up to Killer with a smile. "Hey, Blade!" Killer smiled upon seeing you standing before him. It was roughly around a year since Killer joined Nightmare. A year of knowing each other. Nightmare wasn't really the type to try and 'get along' with his subordinates, so you kinda took that role. You were happy to keep Killer a company, he was a joy to be around. Killer also returned the same feelings, he's glad that he didn't spend the year alone. But now...it seems as though there's a new member in the team!
"Hi sugar." Killer greeted you an winked, which made you giggle. You turned to look at the skeleton next to him. He wore a hoodie over his head, but there wasn't really any major resemblance that could separate him from the classic Sans, except that he was a little more... dusty? Probably monster dust.
"Who's your friend?" You turned to look at the hooded person. "That's Sans- well, Dust. As Nightmare said." You rolled your eyes. "Ugh, why's father so bad at picking names?" You shook your head at your father's unoriginality. "But he named you, and you have a beautiful name." Your cheeks got rosy at Killer's compliment. What a flirt. "Ahem... anyways, so, what about...Hiro? I think it fits you." Dust only looked at you with uncertainty. "...Hiro?" You smiled, nodding along to his words. "Yeah! Do you like it?" After awhile, Dust slowly nodded with a smile.
You smiled at him, until you felt a hand rub your head. "You're great at picking nicknames toots!" You tried to stifle a giggle, when Killer said this. "You with your cheesiness.." "6 feet." You nearly jumped when you heard Nightmares voice ring out behind you, and then felt a tentacle pull you away from Killer's hold.
"Wha- father! I'm not a little girl anymore!" Nightmare only sipped on his black coffee, watching you carefully. "I'm 119!" Killer started coughing really badly. This, of course, got you very worried. "Blade?!" You slithered your way out of Nightmares tentacles, going over to the lumping figure of Killer. "You ok?!" "Uhh..yeah, I-I'm fine!"
Dust only watched from the side, watching you two softly interact with each other.
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"Y/N! HELP!!" Nightmare growled at the discomfort he felt whenever you and Killer interacted with each other. You two are so. . . Crazed with the other, for almost over two whole years. And he doesn't like it. Recently, the king of negativity noticed some growing feelings from the both of you.. these feelings were strong. Actually very strong, but they were definitely positive. Which wounded Nightmare.. immensely.
"Blade! Why you yelling? Are you ok?" Killer fell to his knees, and buried his skull in your dress. Nightmare frowned at this scene. He needs to get out.. "DUST'S CHASING ME!!" You looked up from Killer, and noticed a fuming Dust, with Horror behind him.
"Hiro? Ted?" You called out to them with a questioning look. Horror let out small giggles at what you called him. 'Ted' was your own personal nickname assigned to him. You couldn't just call them how Nightmare calls them! You felt as though his nicknames were somehow insulting... And unoriginal..
"Y/n, kindly control your boyfriend! He just stole my cigs!" You and Killer flushed red at this comment. "BOYFRIEND?!" You both jumped up when you heard Nightmares voice shout out... This is gonna be difficult...
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"Y/n..?" You hummed in recognition to Killer's voice. "Do you ever....think about the future?" You tore your gaze away from the shining stars, and settled on Killer's face, which were already looking at you. What a sudden question to ask someone.. after a bit of thinking, you replied to his lingering question. "Sometimes...I do." This moment is very.. comfortable. Probably because Nightmare isn't present right now. You two sneaked off to watch the stars together.
...
After a bit more of the comfortable silence, Killer spoke again. "Am I in your future..?" You froze upon hearing that question, looking back into his black eyes. "Blade.. what kind of question is that? Of course you are! We've known each other for over three years now! You're practically family... don't be silly.." Killer couldn't help the sheepish smile that made it across his face, as he buried himself into his jacket, cheeks glowing red.
"The moon is very beautiful tonight...huh?" You nodded to his questions with a smile, staring at the shining moon. "Yes. It is.." you fail to notice that Killer wasn't looking at the moon, when he said this...but at you.
"Yeah... really beautiful..."
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reyggtv · 8 months ago
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There's only so much I can say on Twitter to truly express my feelings about the show Hilda, and how much of an impact it has left on me to make me the kind of person I am today, so I'm taking to Tumblr to write all about it.
If you don't know who I am already, hi, I am ReyGGTV, though you can just call me Rey. I like to make YouTube videos, memes, talk with other Hilda fans, and make occasionally make art. You may already know me from the Hilda Crack videos I made since several years ago, as well as some more recent big videos of mine like my comparison video between Aster and Hilda. I am 20 years old, and have been a diehard fan of the franchise ever since I was just 14.
Firstly, let's discuss how I actually managed to discover Hilda in the first place. It was 2018, freshman year of high school had just started, during this time, I was still big fan of another animated TV show at the time called Star vs. The Forces of Evil. I was a fan of that show ever since its premiere in January of 2015 when I was only 11 years old. Honestly even if I don't look at it nearly as fondly as I do now, to its credit, the show did most certainly help me get interested into animation as a whole more than any other show I saw at the time.
Not even like 2 months after I got in though, I was kicked out. Not because I did anything wrong, but because for a while, my parents had me enrolled in a school district that I didn't even live anywhere near in at the time, so once they found out that I actually lived much farther from them, that's when they decided to let me go. This was devastating to me, all the friends I made in middle school, were suddenly going to go away, and it was only at the very last minute, at the principal's office that I received this news. I was upset, literally everything was going great and they just wanted to throw everything away for me, in favor for me going to a school that was so bad, it caused my family to move to an entirely new city with a better school by the time Sophomore year came around.
But anyways, about 2 weeks before all this happened, I was in a cartoon Discord server, where someone recommended me to watch this show called... you guessed it, Hilda. I took a lot at the promotional material for a while, and put it at the back of my head, not knowing that I would soon revisit it not long later. Fast forward to when I was out of school, I had like 2 weeks in the beginning of October to just cope with everything. It wasn't long that I just became bored, and wanted to do something better, so I pulled up Netflix wanting to find something new to watch. The suggestion from someone about Hilda just so happened to come up on my mind, so I was like "Eh, sure, why not?". I put it on, and the rest was history. I knew from the very moment I finished watching the intro for the very first time, that this was about to be the show of a lifetime for me.
Despite that however, I did not anticipate just how much impact Hilda would leave on the work that I am now doing nearly 6 years after that very faithful day.
I guess the biggest reason why the show left such a massive impact on me right from the beginning is because of its main title character, Hilda. Look, I may be no blue-haired adventurer from the wilderness that likes to munch on cucumber sandwiches all the time, but Hilda at the time for me, was the most relatable character and the character I found the most comfort in when watching it for the first time. Just like me, Hilda too, was also forced to move away from the place and friends she was always happy to be with, despite all her efforts, all it took was one giant, to come and crush it all, leaving her forced to live a new life in a new environment she was not familiar with at all. But, she moved on. She knew that while this was not the ideal way for things go out, life always comes with surprises. But maybe, just maybe, this could be something that could work out in her favor. This whole becoming friends with other humans and living in the big dirty ol' city, could be the best decision she has ever made. And I think it goes without saying that as the series continued, it was.
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This was a message that I desperately needed to hear as I was going through overwhelming times at such a young age, and one that I was so happy to hear and watch once I finally finished the first two episodes of this amazing damn show. It showed me that if an 11-year-old girl from the wilderness can be brave enough to move into the big city, be okay and make the best out of it, maybe I too, will be okay with belonging to a new school, finding new friends, and creating new passions for me to follow for years to come. Hilda inspired me to look towards a bigger and brighter future, rather than doubt the bad that comes with the present. For that, I am forever grateful for the creative and writing team of this show, for helping me go through such a difficult time in my life, and convincing me that even despite all that has happened, there will always be something better to look forward to.
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I would be lying if I said that this was the only reason as to why I ended up becoming such a huge fan of the show for the next 5 years. Asides from the writing being so good it literally cured my depression. The animation, worldbuilding, and characters were just unlike anything I have ever seen with my own two eyes. It was simple, yet jaw dropping at the same time. Just a silly kid either helping a Raven jog back his memory, try and fight nightmare spirits or ghosts, or help Jellybean out of a scary situation in which everyone wrongfully accuses him of being a big scary black hound. Even if certain episodes of season 1 didn't always turn out perfect, I would always rewatch every single one of them all day for several hours and for several weeks. I had even skipped multiple days of school especially when it was raining, just so I can head to the living room, cuddle up in some warm blankets, with the heater on during the winter season, and just binge the crap out of it for multiple hours a day. This was just the show that I can always count on to bring back the happiness inside of me. Even when I wasn't necessarily having a bad day, I would still continue to watch it for hours because it just kept on getting better and better with every watch I could get possible, it was almost like an addiction almost, haha.
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Hilda was the show for me, and I had no intention of trying to watch anything else.
It was also around this time that I started to also get myself more involved with the show's fandom as well, back when it was a lot more populated and not as niche as it is now. While I'm not gonna say that my reputation in it has always been 100% perfect, at the end of the day, I'm just forever grateful I was able to meet some of the most wonderful people and hundreds of fans like myself because of it like @hkthatgffan, @helgafolk618, and many more I can't list here 'cause most of them are not on Tumblr. So much so that I now have the pleasure of creating hundreds, if not thousands of people who are fans/supporters of ME all across all my social media pages. All because I like to talk about Hilda, literally all the time. And to those reading this who has ever left a nice comment on one of my posts, said hi to me on my Discord server, worked with me on a commission, even went as far as to make fan-art of me or just tuned into any of my content whatsoever, thank you. Your support has left a massive impact on me and what I'm continuing to do now. Because at the end of the day, it's not about any popularity points you get from just talking about a TV show consistently for 6 years, for me at least, it has always been about making thousands, sometimes, even millions, happy with my love for it that is the reason that I'm doing any of this in the first place. I love Hilda, always have, and I want to make people happy the same way Hilda did for me, all those years ago.
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Surprisingly enough, even though I was already as big of a fan as I could possibly be by the time November of 2018 rolled around, I still wasn't really a guy interested in getting my hands on Hilda merchandise. I knew that the graphic novels by Luke existed, but the only thing I even managed to get for myself at the time was this old T-shirt I bought from the now defunct official Zazzle store they had up for like a few months lol
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I guess that all changed when I got my first ever Hilda plush though when I was 15. While it has now certainly showed its age after nearly 5 years, I loved this thing so much lol. It wasn't official because official Hilda plushies didn't exist at the time. I bought it off an Etsy store from AngelinaLily, and I would literally take this thing out with me everyday to everywhere I went to and take photos of it, especially in the wilderness. It was my favorite pastime. My little Hilda, in the palm of my hand 😆. Hey, when you have to wait more than 2 whole years for a brand-new season, what else are you gonna do to entertain yourself during the hiatus?
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I had gotten this in the mail right when I had just exited out the mental hospital because I was actively wanting to h*rt myself and potentially putting myself in danger of committing s*icide. Because while Hilda did definitely help me cope with a lot that I was going through at the time, there was still a lot of overwhelming issues I was experiencing, and my mental health was the lowest that it had ever been. This plush effectively, was a way to help me cope with those thoughts I had, which turned out to be a great thing because I literally couldn't be happier with it.
After that, I just decided that "You know what? What if I just got... ALL of the Hilda merchandise?" Thus... that now leading to my massive hoard of Hilda stuff, that I now have everywhere in my room lol
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These photos aren't even all the ones I have!
At 16, I decided to write Luke Pearson an e-mail, thanking him for his work and how much it has inspired me to become the person I am now, explaining everything that I just mentioned in this Tumblr post, and at the end of the day, just wanting him to know, that his creations mean a grave big deal to me, and that I will always appreciate just how much of a positive impact it has left me. I didn't really expect anything to come out of it, but about several weeks later, he said this to me lol
"I just wanted to say thank you for writing and relaying your experience to me. I'm sorry to hear that you've been through such difficult times, but I'm glad that you're able to look back on those times and find yourself in a better place. And if Hilda has played any small part in that, which it seems like it has, then I'm extremely pleased about that and it warms me to hear it. It can be hard to know exactly what good a cartoon can actually do for the world (beyond being a few hours of amusement) which is strange when so many people devote so much of their time and creative energy into making it happen. But hearing something like this goes a long way to making it feel like something genuinely worthwhile. I hope things continue to look up for you and hope you're taking care in these trying times." - All the best, Luke
When I tell you I cried like a baby when I first received this e-mail from him, I really did, lol. Hearing this, from the man who made it all possible, was truly the most inspirational thing I could have ever heard. And I was happy, that he was happy, that I was truly able to tell him for the first time, just how much his creation has meant to not just me, but to soooo many fans just like myself. It was truly something to never forget.
Now I'm 20 years old, still talking about the same ol' dang kids show I fell in love with all those years ago. What's happening now? Well now, I am an aspiring film director and video editor who has been taking film classes in community college for the past like 2 years now, I should've graduated already by now but turns out, college is pretty fricking expensive, and I don't even know if I have the funds to try and even graduate by next year. Asides from that though, I am actually in the works of creating my first ever feature-length Hilda fan-film called The Ultimate Hilda Iceberg. It will basically be one of those iceberg explanation videos you see on YouTube, but with the original source of the iceberg being about Hilda, specifically a version someone made on the r/HildaTheSeries subreddit. I've had the idea for this Iceberg video/fan-film as far back as January 2021, with the current script having started work as far back as nearly 9 months ago. And it's still not even finished! Me, as well as tens of dozens of other Hilda fans like myself, are actively working on it to have it be ready by the time fall of this year comes around, right now as we speak! If you want to support and/or follow this massive project as more updates come around you can either follow the official accounts on Twitter/X (@/HildaIceberg) or on Instagram (@/theultimatehildaiceberg).
Asides from that, the biggest passion project I have for my career moving forward, is directing my own big-budget Hilda movie. Specifically, a live-action Hilda movie. Now now, BEFORE you try and cancel me and tell me that this is the stupidest idea of all time and could taint Hilda's image forever. Let me cook. I am a huge movie bluff, I know which live action remakes are genuinely amazing, and which ones just really suck. My vision for a live-action Hilda movie is to make it sorta like how Who Framed Roger Rabbit was. All of the human characters and outside settings are done with real people and practical assets, whilst creatures like Trolls, Elves, or stuff that would normally be done with CGI, be actually turned into 2D-animation, ideally in the same style as that of the Netflix show. Ideally, I also want it to remain as faithful to at least how the show was as possible in terms of story. Look, if there's gonna be anyone else who knows their Hilda best asides from people like Luke or Andy Coyle, it's gonna be me, just sayin.
In conclusion, I just want to wrap this up by giving a huge shout out to people like @littledigits and literally ANYONE who has ever done any time making this fantastic and wonderful show (I couldn't think of anyone else to tag so I only tagged you Meg so sorry if that bothers you 😅). As this post has indicated several times, this show, has really made the best kind of impact in my life and I'm forever grateful to the creator Luke, the directors Andy Coyle, Megan, etc, the voice actors, artists, editors, composers, everyone who has ever had a part in making this amazing show just, please let me hug you. While I may not have been as enthusiastic with the show's third season overall as I wanted to in my opinion, Hilda will always have a soft spot in my heart, for years and years to come, for just how much it truly inspired me, to not just not only being able to have the luxury to do the things I love to do now, but do so in a way that has made, and hopefully will continue to make thousands, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people happy, because of the love that I will continue to have for this very show. Just because a show is small, doesn't mean it can't leave big enough impacts on people for the better ❤️
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favoriteblogonthecitadel · 6 months ago
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Six Song Soundtrack Game
Tagged by the beloved @isayashai !! I loved reading through the songs you picked <3 And I had my eye on this tag game, so tysm for tagging me!!
Rules: If tagged, make a new post with links to music and/or lyrics describing the following: 1. An event that defines your character's past 2. How your character sees themselves 3. How others view them 4. Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic) 5. A major fight scene 6. End credits song
Doing this one for Xiomara Shepard with her ME1 self in mind specifically. Song titles/lyrics below, and since I like how they sound together, here are all of them in a playlist :)
Atlas: Eight by Sleeping At Last
I remember the minute It was like a switch was flipped I was just a kid who grew Up strong enough To pick this armor up And suddenly it fit […] But I can't let you see All that I have to lose All I've lost in the fight to protect it I can't let you in
If you’re wondering, yes, I’m very normal about Earthborn Ruthless Shepard. Particularly normal about Xiomara getting recruited from a chaotic environment and tossed into the super rigid expectations of Alliance training — struggling with culture shock within that structure, until the moment she gets to put on armor for the first time. It just... feels right to be ready to fight things, any things she gets thrown at, and becoming a soldier gives her everything she needs to pursue that instinct. From then on she thrives on the skills and attitudes she learned as a child, because apparently gang and Alliance cultures have some commonalities (they both reward desensitization to violence and loss of the self to the best interests of the organization).
2. Sometimes by Gerry Cinnamon
Sometimes, just sometimes Well alright, maybe all of the time I'm on a false ego trip Well I'm a renegade of sorts I roam the concrete jungle Hunting idiots for sport And now the cocaine scene It picked me up and made me frown That's when joking says that music helps the medicine go down Hey, it makes you feel alive More like demons of the night Flinging powder up your nose It's the way the water flows Yeah that's the way the story goes
For a character who relies so much on confidence and aggression, her inner dialogue is a lot more grounded; resigned, even. She has a job, it’s dirty work, and she does it well while finding acceptable ways to cope with it (also questionable ones, but what's life without some risk?). She doesn't feel any particular inclination to change her lot in life, until she finds the Beacon and faces a Bigger Picture she wasn't ready for.
3. MONEY by The Warning
Moral code updates three times a year Truth that's dipped in gold is just as sincere I'll never ask for forgiveness I come with God as my witness I pray he'll wash my hands It's sad and true, and the world hurts Sold your soul that's how it works We're human after all Are you worth your weight in gold? Going once, going twice, sold It's all about that cold, hard cash, hon Ow!
This is how I’d anticipate a lot of people view the Butcher of Torfan turned Council Spectre (and the mere concept of a human becoming a Spectre, tbh).
4. L.A. Kid by Act As If (for Xo and Kaidan)
You were an L.A. kid You were fighting hard You didn't need no one To set you apart You took me by surprise And stars fell from the skies You say you lost your heart And the lights went on 'Cause when you saw me, it was gone It was gone, it was gone And now that I I've got you here My days are long But you know when I'm coming home Coming home, coming home
They’re in love, your honor. <3 Neither of them was expecting it or looking for it, but once they collide, they're home.
5. The Pretender by Foo Fighters (for the final battle with Saren)
I'm the voice inside your head you refuse to hear I'm the face that you have to face, mirroring your stare I'm what's left, I'm what's right, I'm the enemy I'm the hand that'll take you down, bring you to your knees So, who are you? Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you? Keep you in the dark You know they all pretend What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? You're the pretender What if I say I will never surrender?
Heyyyyy so what if we were narrative parallels in our relationship with the threat of obliteration? What if we were both ruthless and flawed but one of us felt like a Chosen One forced to minimize the damage of the apocalypse, and the other could give zero fucks about compromising with false gods? What if our final confrontation after months of mutual hunt happened in the room that ordained both of us into the same Vigilante job, and it was not just a physical fight, but a conversation about which of us is a hero and which is a puppet? What then?
6. Raise Hell by Dorothy
Gotta raise a little hell Young blood, run like a river Young blood, never get chained Young blood, heaven need a sinner You can't raise hell with a saint Young blood, came to start a riot Don't care what your old man say Young blood, heaven hate a sinner But we gonna raise hell anyway
It's just Xiomara vibes honestly, and it goes well with the mutiny thing near the end of the game!
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lino-lov3 · 1 year ago
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my side - b.c
seven - surprise!
MASTERLIST
to be added to the taglist fill out this form!
𖦹 warnings : swearing 𖦹 content : crack, fluff
𖦹 words : 687
𖦹 screenshot count : 6
a/n : this part is mostly written and will continue in the next part (written as well) - sorry for how scattered it is ♡
taglist : @lynanist @smally97 @bouterboul @han-aaaaa @chansducky10 @swaggie @fun-fanfics @bellagrayson-wayne @gemini-demon
[bold are the ones i'm not able to tag, so if your user has changed or there was a mistake pls comment and change it on the form!]
do not repost or translate ©︎lino-lov3 - please remember to reblog and leave your feedback if you enjoyed it!
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𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹
after you and sage walked into the tattoo shop, the person at the desk handed you both consent forms to fill out. you informed them that you would have another friend joining you shortly.
once you were done filling out your form, you scrolled on your phone while waiting for your turn with the artist.
you were practically squirming in your chair out of excitement
“what’s up with you?”
you didn’t answer sage, just brought your phone up to show her your screen. 
a reply from chan on your tweet,
of course you had to make a tweet of your own now.
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after seeing felix’s texts pop up, you answered. still not revealing any details just yet.
you: hey, me and the girls are a bit busy rn but we can totally hang later okayyy? 🫡 will it be just you or some of the guys too? 🤔
felix: yeahhh that’s totally cool and it’s gonna be me, hyunjin, minho, and chan.  cool?
you: yeah ofc  chill at your place or are we going out?  either is fine btw
felix: come over first and tell we’ll decide once everyone is here 
you: 👌🏼
by the time jenn showed up to the shop, it was time for you and sage to get your piercings. while jenn filled out her own form.
you chose to get them before the tattoos since it’s going to be quicker and less painful.
sage decided to get a smiley piercing and you chose snake bites. you just know felix and the guys are gonna flip when you see them.
𖦹𖦹𖦹
the piercer was nice and talked with you while doing the jewelry to make you less nervous, which worked.
jenn had it the easiest out of the three of you. with her only getting her ears pierced and she settled on a dainty designed tattoo that had stars and hearts splayed in her shoulder.
you on the other hand, chose a more risqué tattoo that could be hidden easier, on your lower back. it was a heart with flames. sage ended up getting one on her wrist. a few little doodles of stars and a cat.
after you were all done, the three of you took pictures of your new designs and jewelry and paid at the counter. you thanked the workers and on your way out.
it was 5pm and the drive to the boy’s apartment was a 30 minute drive and the three of you were anticipating the surprise reveal.
“hey, what if right when we pull up, we post the pics on twitter and then just go in the house.” sage laughs
“that could be fun, but what if one of them has notifications for us on? that’ll ruin the surprise!” jenn whined 
“if anyone does, it’s probably lix.” you continue her thought
“or chan for you.”
you raise an eyebrow at jenn, “why would he have my notifs on?”
“well you are besties after all.” she shrugs 
she could be right. but at the same time you just let the thought sink in. what if he does have notifications for you?
𖦹𖦹𖦹
pulling up to the apartment, you send a quick text to felix letting him know you’ve arrived and carry on with the plan
“okay everyone got the posts up?” sage questions
you all nod
“good. now let’s just walk into the house like we don’t know anything is different, and act surprised when they mention it.”
sage had a sly smirk on her face but you weren’t even sure if her plan will go the way she thinks.
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𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹
nonetheless, you get out of the car and the three of you head for the door. before any of you had the chance to knock, the door is whipped open and the next thing you knew, felix was dragging the three of you in.
“what the actual hell? you three got piercings and tattoos without me?” he whined, a pout on his face
“sorry lix, it was a spontaneous decision. didn’t really think about it and just went to do it.” jenn laughs and fluffs out some of his hair.
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PREV / NEXT
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gryffindorkxdraws · 11 months ago
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Hello, thank you for drawing jackunzel <3
I've got a question: do you have any jackunzel fanfic recommendations?
I'd love to read more about Jack and Rapunzel together <3 I trust your taste 👀😄
Oh and in what app/program did you edit your recent jackunzel videos? They are fun to watch, haha
I wish you great day/night 💕
hi anon!! hehe you're welcome 💙 i'm always game to draw my OTP 💙 for my jackunzel videos, i use capcut! its free to download. and i'm gonna be honest, i haven't read fics in a while 🫠 but i was able to gather a few for you!! hopefully, you'll enjoy them 😭💙
firstly, here are the oneshots
The Sun & Moon Children (oneshot): When the daughter of the sun fell in love with the son of the moon, the earth watched in anticipation for what would undoubtedly be a tragedy.
READ HERE: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9616560/1/The-Sun-Moon-Children
2. Murals of Winter (oneshot): After all, she is a girl locked in a tower with hair more than twice the length of her room. Why wouldn’t there be a boy who wears winter on his sleeves and stirs up snowstorms in her heart?
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20289766
3. January Wedding (oneshot): Jack Frost and Rapunzel Corona get married in January. Or, The story of how Rapunzel Corona became Rapunzel Frost.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325986
4. We're Not Good, We're Super (oneshot) (this is my work!): Jack likes to think of himself as the one guy who might just uncover who exactly Spider-Woman is. What he fails to realize is that she might just be closer to him than he thinks.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41070603
5. This Night Is Sparkling, Don't You Let It Go (oneshot) (this is also my work hehe): Rapunzel feels distant. Like she’s there, but at the same time she’s not. Something about having a disconnection with herself in the party. That is until her eyes landed on him. or an AU where they decide to see where the night would take them
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46529908
6. Jackunzel Coming Of Age Prompt (oneshot)
READ HERE: https://www.tumblr.com/hiccanna-tidbits/735307559599292416/okay-can-i-look-now-not-yet-the-kitchen-is?source=share
7. Are We Out Of The Woods? (oneshot): Ever the dutiful daughter, Rapunzel agrees to make a delivery to someone her parents owe an old favor. But she knows she must beware, for many dangerous creatures roam the heart of the forest. Perhaps even the ones that once claimed her best friend.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42718821
8. Bloody Valentine (oneshot + extra chapter): Superhero AU It's easy to become cynical when you see the darkest side of humanity every night. It's easy to lose sight of what truly matters, and let it go in a moment of fear. For Jack, the hard part is either coming to grips with the fact he let Rapunzel go, or figuring out a way to get her back.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5220320/chapters/12037064
now these below are a series if ever you're up for longer stories
9. An Essay of Love (series): Jackson Overland moves to a new city and gets the job of teaching history to a bunch of annoying teens every day. The one thing keeping him from handing in his two-week notice as soon as he arrives is the sunshiney, optimistic art teacher who unlocks not only his classroom but his heart.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597147/chapters/62125681
10. Dusk Till Dawn (series): Jackson Overland travels far and wide to find the lost people of Corona to seek vengeance for his fallen home, Luna. Fiercely driven by the memories of his family, he meets a mysterious feral young woman named Rapunzel Flores. Two opposites, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257757/chapters/61231741
11. Among The Stars (series): SCI-FI AU The crew of the Night Fury - Hiccup Haddock (captain), Merida Haddock (first mate), and Jack Frost (Pilot) - have a habit of getting into trouble. Accidentally rescuing Princess Rapunzel of the planet Corona puts them in more trouble than they can deal with... unless Jack can admit he was wrong.
READ HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149355/chapters/11854694
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deardiantha · 7 months ago
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💌 10 Things I Adore About Diantha
Because I miss her a bit at the moment...
* please note this is a yumeshipping blog
🎀 doubles dni 🎀 canon x canon dni
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1. She has such a sweet laugh. It makes my heart jump and it's hard not to smile too knowing she's happy.
2. Her pretty blue eyes. It feels special to have her attention. So expressive when she's focused in battle. When she's curious, content, or confident....
3. I love Diantha's unique style. She looks good in any color or costume. But she's the very image of an angel wearing white with her scarf and gold accents.
4. I love that she's clever. She's a strategic battler, proving she's more than a pretty face.
5. Its cute when she's dramatic, whether it be because she's putting on a performance for the camera or mourning the missed opportunity for a piece of cake. Even in battle, she makes such graceful poses and gestures or throws in a playful smirk.
6. I love that she's charming. Diantha carries herself with grace and a polite air, no matter who approaches her. And she treats her Pokémon with so much care and love, thanking them for their efforts.
7. She's humble. Despite being a Champion and movie star, she doesn't boast or act spoiled. Rather Diantha does her best to makes time for her fans to the point Gardevoir has to remind her to take a break for herself.
8. Her voice is such a comfort for me. It radiates charm and warmth. I could trust any word she says and know she wouldn't say anything hurtful to me.
9. Her values speak to me. I am the unfortunate mix of realist and hopeless romantic. But Diantha's has been the first to prove my own beliefs wrong. I fear the future but she anticipates, even embraces change. I'm inspired to do so as well, or at least try to.
10. Her beauty. She is hope, beauty, and light. It's through Diantha that I allowed myself to practice a bit of vanity and love so much more where I was once was ashamed to accept 🏳️‍🌈 She inspires me to surround myself with beautiful things (her included ♡) She's beautiful by design but she also has a beautiful heart. And I am always grateful and lucky that I was given the chance to get to know who she is beyond her outer beauty. Know her deeply than any canon character or casual viewer coukd ever see or perceive. To have had the chance to share experiences through her perspective and by her side.
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🎀 doubles dni 🎀 canon x canon dni
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kikuism · 7 months ago
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mid-year book wrapup!
i've read 24 books so far. i'm reading much slower than i was last year and that's fine with me, i feel like i can actually remember each book i read this year much better.
1) best book i've read so far:
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the best books i've read so far are definitely poor things and the library at mount char. for poor things, i totally wasn't expecting to even read very much at all after giving the intro a quick skim....and before i knew it i'd read half the book in one go. it was such a wonderful surprise. i couldn't put it down if i tried. very clever and outrageously funny—biggest surprise of the year for me and i'm very pleased; i'd go so far as to say it's one of my new favorites.
the library at mount char gripped me from start to finish, an andrenaline fueled absurd ride that's tons of fun and which you need to go into blind—reading this deep in the throes of a cold only enhanced the experience. i love a fucked up story!
2) best sequel i've read so far:
i haven't read any sequels so far!
3) new release i haven't read yet but want to:
there are many! here are some—
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4) most anticipated release for the second half of the year:
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5) biggest disappointment:
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ok i am exaggerating a little in regards to the last one but let me explain—
before the coffee gets cold: the biggest disappointment for sure. i wasn't expecting it to be a new fave or anything but i was sure i was going to find this charming and heartbreaking the way so many others did but i just couldn't care for it. i found the execution awkward and clunky which really affected my immersion. it was just so painfully meh.
the secret book of flora lea: didn't go into this with any sort of expectations tbh but considering the subject matter and setting i thought it was going to be at least a little better than it actually was. alas the WW2 englad setting wasn't enough to save this. like it actually makes me mad how stupid and silly the dialogue got toward the end, and don't even talk about the coincidences that wrapped everything up, how convenient *throws refrigerator across the room* at least the descriptions were quite beautiful
the heart's invisible furies: ok now this i admit i went into with some raised expectations bc 1) the goodreads rating, so many people can't be wrong surely? and more importantly 2) this is an epic historical coming of age story set in ireland like hello it was made for me? if anyone was supposed to love this it was me if any book was supposed to be my favorite read of the year it was supposed to be this one but alas. i refuse to repeat the paragraphs i wrote for my goodreads review but my problem was that the balance between comedy and tragedy was handled poorly. any emotional scene was quickly and bizarrely undercut with some poor attempt at humor that made the experience so jarring. and the comedy was so cartoonish that it almost felt satirical but no i was supposed to take all that seriously? and 600 pages of cyril misunderstanding conversations got real tiring after a while it had me gritting and grinding my teeth. this isn't to say there was nothing good about it—i enjoyed the depiction of ireland in the 50s as a complete and complex society filled with all sorts of people just trying to live their lives under the rule of the church. there were one or two moments that made me tear up, and i actually quite enjoyed the first bit with cyril's mother. but ultimately i had way more complaints than praises. this just proves to me that a really good multigenerational story is a feat only few can accomplish (the dutch house ann patchett you will always be famous). sometimes i feel crazy scrolling through all the five star reviews for this book like am i delusional?? did i miss something?? but i stand by my thoughts. and i will say that's a killer title!
6) biggest surprise:
i said it already but poor things! especially since i was adamant on watching the movie blind. but it was available on libby which surprised me a lot bc i expected a huge waiting list at the time, so i borrowed it just for fun and told myself i was just going to read the introduction. it ended up becoming one of my top reads of the year.
and okay fine, the will of the many—i am grudgingly impressed how i couldn't stop reading it, since it's received a stupid amount of hype and it's written by a white man hgkshfhd it was a matter of pride for me
7) favorite new author:
i haven't felt that way about any of the authors i've read so far tbh!
8) newest favorite character:
i don't have one hgkshfj for some reason it's really really really hard for me to have a new favorite Book character. usually what happens is that i like a character and find them engaging (like bella from poor things, or danny and maeve from the dutch house) but to reach Favorite status is a feat that only few books manage. the only series in the last few years that has managed to do that is the locked tomb, what a strong cast of characters wow! it's such a skill to pull off.
9) a book that made me cry:
none of the books i've read so far have made me cry!
10) a book that made me happy:
probably poor things! it's not exactly a feel good cozy book but i had such a a good time with it and i laughed a lot
11) what book(s) do you need to read by the end of the year?
reached the image limit but here are some books i would like to read by the end of the year:
the lion women of tehran
the fifth season
a sorceress comes to call
the night ends with fire
intermezzo
the infernal devices (don't @ me i've been in a situationship with these books since high school....i still haven't read them but everyone says the love triangle in them is off the walls and after watching challengers it made me really want to experience another real love triangle so maybe....maybe this is the year i'll finally pick up clockwork angel)
i tag @schech @matchas @sailermoon @silouvertongues and anyone else who wants to share what they've been reading!
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sarascamander · 8 months ago
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Final finished with the last book in the series!
1. First of all, I want to say WOMEN 🛐🛐🛐. All of them are wonderful, badass, legendary, absolute icon. If it weren't for the women in the series, Tedros can kiss his crown goodbye lmao.
2. Baby Merlin is an absolute cutie I wished he stayed that way longer. Calling Aggie Momma — aghagah my heart
3. The gays win in this one y'all! Japeth and Aric confirmed and when Japeth asked for that kiss — I was holding my breath, I was anticipating it. I needed it. I'm so disappointed that it was actually Tedros 😭 Then there's Anadil and Hester being wives since day 1 with unconventional love confession. Tedros basically admitted to being bi, William and his bf I forgot the name. Love all of them omg.
4. My favourite scene in the book is probably Sophie's scream that almost killed Japeth. Like go Queen! And speaking of Sophie, my wife has many amazing and badass moments as she should (her ripping the scim from her ear also deserve a standing ovation. Truly witch of the woods beyond.)
5. Hort and Sophie relationships are better and i understand why people ship them... But I still would prefer if he was dead lmao. They're cute but maybe I'm not feeling them since I'm still hung up on Rhian.
6. Overall though, I actually enjoy this less than the other books. Idk why, maybe because it's the last or that it's so packed with action that we didn't really get any relationship moments. Or maybe I'm just sad that it's over but it's still satisfying to read about the characters and I'm happy with how it all ends. I certainly love The Camelot Year more than the school year. So I give this one 3 stars.
Okay, maybe there's clear things about what I don't like
1) I think Japeth and Rhian being Rafal's son made sense but at the same time it don't. Like... I really don't like the way people are randomly sleeping around in this one. I can't imagine Rafal messing with Evelyn, I can't imagine Arthur and Lady Gremlaine literally doing it a day before his wedding. It just rub me the wrong way
2) they pushed Japeth in the background when I found him and his brother as villian really interesting and different. But now instead of going against Japeth, it's about solving the Quests so we don't really get any development on Japeth which is a shame (and the way he dies is so anticlimactic it's not even satisfying)
3) it focused on Tedros too much and I liked him but not enough lmao (probably the reason I love book 5 so much, he's barely in that).
4) Again, the actions are so packed and sometimes repetitive (Sophie's chapter finding the sword and then we turn to Agatha's chapter and find the same revelation).
5) when that crown land on Agatha, I really wished she was crowned for real at that moment instead ngl.
6) the pacing and the setting? We are going left and right from one adventure to the next and in my previous review I said i don't quite like adventure books with traveling and stuff. I found book 4 interesting and book 5 grounded but this one is just all over the place, I can't always keep up what's actually happen. Maybe this one is just me.
If I have to rank the book
1) A Crystal of Time
2) A World Without Princes
3) Quest for Glory
4) The Last Ever After
5) School for Good and Evil
6) One True King
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now-notyet · 2 months ago
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1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 :D
Wherever I Go - Jacob Collier ft. Lawrence & Michael McDonald - #1
I was very much anticipating the release of Djesse volume 3, and while I am one hundred percent sure this isn't my actual top song and Spotify messed with my stats this year, it's a solid listen. Experimental as all Jacob songs tend to be, it's a zany banger about remaining connected whenever you're apart, and the pain of missing someone is really well illustrated by three band kids screaming in three part harmony. Since this is my half alive blog, I'll link it to this; if you liked Brighton off of LP 2. Conditions of a Punk, you might like this.
Did I Make You Up? - Acoustic - half alive - #10
I love, love, love whenever we get an acoustic drop, and this one just happened to be on Spotify, so I got lucky and happened to listen to it at least 6 times a day. To be entirely honest, I was a little worried about it being a guitar acoustic set with this song as my favourite part of original DIMYU? was the little piano melody that runs through the chorus, but it translated super well into an addictive little guitar melody instead.
Call Back - half alive - #20
Just a fun, easy going, maybe slightly sad song that we don't need to talk about ramifications of. Everyone knows I love Josh Taylor, and they gave me 3 of him, in one song. At the same time. Certified cruising down the motorway banger - end of story.
Steppin' To The Bad Side - Deluxe Package Edition - Cast of Dreamgirls - #30
Past my secret little musical theatre sideblog, and the stuff I get up to when I'm not writing secret little theories about my favourite band on Tumblr dot com, I don't really talk about how much I love Dreamgirls and musical theatre as a whole. This is my favourite song from it, and though Jimmy Early isn't my dream broadway role (Effie is), this song is a genuine banger, especially the latter portion where they let Eddie Murphy take the role away. Far and away, his performance in this film is his best performance on screen, and it needs to be spoken about more. It is such a shame he didn't win any awards for this role, because he deserved them. Once again, this is my half alive blog, so if you like Automatic, of off LP. 3 Persona, you might like this.
Vanilla Curls - Teddy Hyde - #40
It is always such a treat when I am allowed to listen to a Teddy Hyde song; they are always so thick with imagery and he is a master on keys. Though I will gladly sit and talk about the man behind the song - and am thoroughly awaiting the newest album which appears to be releasing this Friday, I need to give this song its flowers. Vanilla Curls touches on the feeling of falling and being tangled in love with someone, but not a true, genuine love, more the puppy love of sitting barefoot on the grass and looking at the stars. It is a beautifully romantic ballad, with just a hint of something terribly, terribly wrong, and Teddy Hyde does an amazing job on the classical instrumentalisation of it. Everything is layered for a beautiful Sunday morning listening experience. If you liked Songs off of LP 3. Persona, you might like this one.
RUNAWAY - half alive - #50
Without going into too much detail, 2024 was a whirlwind and kept to the tempo of this song far too often. In those moments it was very useful to be reminded that I didn't need to rush into what I was trying to do, and that taking things at the pace they were being given to me was okay. Things didn't go to plan, but Now, Not Yet, did a fabulous job of keeping me right where I needed to be, and 5 years past its release is still as timely and relevant as the day it dropped.
When I Get There - Peter Cottontale w/ Jamila Woods, Grace Weber, Jack Red, Jamilah Woods, Jon Batiste, Maurice Brown, PJ Morton, Jeremih - #60
I am not a Christian, but I am black, and Gospel music is so firmly entrenched in our culture, so it's no surprise this ended up on my wrapped. It is meant as a celebration of life after death; the 'There' referenced is Heaven - and this is lovely imagery that I won't deny. Since I do not personally believe, it's not the imagery I ascribe to the song, and I just love the feeling of people singing and celebrating something together. And the fact it features so many incredible black artists I listen to independently isn't a bad thing either. I truly don't believe there's any equivalency for this one, but give it go! It's delightful.
Stronger Than You - Estelle - #70
Am I outing myself as a Steven Universe fan? Yes. Am I ashamed? Only a little a bit. Does this song still bang 4 years after the end of the show? Abso-fucking-lutely. It is a song about love, but the power of mutual love. The metaphor itself is more ham-fisted than the regular subtleties of half alive but it is a powerful reminder of both love for another person making you strong and lifting you up, as well as self love - 'I am Made of Love' is something I tend to forget, so the lyrical reminder that my love is stronger than hate really tends to resonate with me. There is no equivalency with a half alive song, but ok ok tend to project the same image or feeling.
Nothing Has Changed - The Polar Boys - #80
This song entered my rotation in October and hasn't left since. It's a delightful run of surf rock mixed with a disgustingly poignant depiction of nostalgia and missing someone. It's a song you can break down over and break dance to, and the bass is loud enough to be incredibly addictive without overpowering the mix. It's almost anthemic, especially with the building outro, and anyone who knows my musical tastes knows I love it when multiple people are singing at the same time. If you liked Lie, Lie off of LP 3. Persona, you'll love this.
So Damn Fast - Lawrence - #90
Lawrence got a LOT of hate this year, which sucked, because I was on TikTok for all of it. That being said, it doesn't take away from the listening experience of their first EP, Homesick. This, being my favourite song off of it, is a refreshing take on NYC Soulpop without being too poppy. I am outing myself as Lawrence fan (though the newest LP isn't my favourite). This song just gives great Randy Newman vibes, and is a good sing-along song to me. It's hard to describe, but it's just good.
Pocket - Louie Zong, Brian David Gilbert, Jeff Liu - #100
Finally, a little bluesy jazz moment from my two favourite internet microcelebs and an incredible instrumentalist. It's a great song to just lose yourself in and sing like you're in a hazy blues bar, and past the deeply metaphorical lyrics, the instrumental break in the middle is just a fun time.
I hope this is adequate enough description without being verbose! My only wish would be that there was more Persona on my wrapped but unfortunately that is the curse of dropping an album at the end of the year... :(
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taoofshigeru · 1 year ago
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2023 Game of the Year Post
Looking back, I was surprised to see how few "new" games I had played this year. But two of them were absolutely excellent so I'm going to talk about them a little.
In February, a game I was expecting to be good showed true greatness, and, in mid-November, a black-and-white indie touched my heart.
[Spoilers for In Stars and Time/Octopath Traveler II to follow.]
Let me start by talking about In Stars and Time/ISAT.
ISAT is a gay game about timeloops. The aloof but amiable rogue Siffrin sees their sanity stretched like a stick of used chewing gum as the fighter repeatedly chickens out on confessing his love for them and sincere heartfelt moments of human connection become rote scenes he must perform.
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Throughout the process, Siffrin uses humor to deflect from serious emotional questions and eventually starts drifting away from the group during conversations. The specific character traits of 1) serial people-pleaser, 2) depressed person, and 3) funnyjokespun person who at times used humor to deflect from those issues was a little too specific in a way that hit in an emotionally relevant way.
Even more than that was the way it toyed with my patience as a player. I'm what I would describe as very good at games with repetitive tasks. Like, my tactics-loving friend and I have been doing a co-op playthrough of Tactics Ogre, and I was the enby who ultimately chose to be responsible for grinding Galgastani CF to recruit ultimate goth girl Cressida. It took hours of repeating the same battle and just babysitting the game for hours at a time. Sure I'd be willing to read through heart-to-heart events repeatedly to make the Siffrin's friends happy. I'd do it once, twice, even a fifth time. But my persistence is not bottomless.
In Stars and Time read me perfectly.
I did end up skipping or avoiding those events once the game stopped being a combat RPG and started being a visual novel/monkey island-style adventure in Act 4. I did start zoning through particular events once they happened more than 10 times. My patience did give way, though not to the extent of the protagonist Siffrin when they suffered a meltdown. And this happened right around the time when Siffrin started putting real distance between them and their friends. It took me to a dark place with the character in a way that made the catharsis at the end so worth it.
All of it went towards really effectively communicated the game's point of how it's worth it to talk to your friends about your problems.
~~~
The other game that moved me this year was also built around repeating and growing. It was about throwing yourself at the wall over and over again, with a little more force, a little more refined strategy, a little more panache and willingness to take risks. And about getting it just right, finally. This was my experience with Octopath Traveler 2
So, first of all, strategizing in OT2 kicks ass. Like the Bravely games of yore, this game nerfs the most broken tools (i.e. the Hunter's patience) from the first game, but gives the player new broken tools that synergize in new, exciting ways. And critically, it then throws enemies at you that can take it all and still be a challenge. (Sea of Stars did not do this last part.)
Got used to using someone's primary job for a lethal combo setup? Well guess what, primary jobs are now banned! Got a 6-attack strike with a killer legendary weapon that'll break any monster? Guess what, that weapon you used to get the break is now no longer the zombie dragon's weakness! Spent all your time building up your favorite 4 in an 8-character party? Guess who's gonna handle the superboss' second HP bar?
For a single-player game, it legitimately felt like I was experiencing a design that had been built to anticipate the player's combat choices on a meta level and would only let the door open for solutions that were suitably intricate and clever. Aside from superbosses, the game wasn't extraordinarily difficult, but it still left me constantly scrambling through my toolkit of HP, MP, turns, latent power, items, collectable monsters, and money mid-battle to find a solution to pick any given boss' lock. As a turn-based combat RPG, OT2 killed it.
And that wasn't even the strongest point.
The character stories in Octopath Traveler one were, on a basic level, enjoyable, and were engaging enough that the game's art, soundtrack, and deep turn-based combat could combine to make a great game. Octopath II ups the storytelling game significantly, offering nonlinear chapter order, story-focused chapters that end without a boss fight, and a cast that's generally very well written and played brilliantly by the English vocal cast. The positive impression I had of the game after the first ten hours gave way to a wowed one as characters started to interact, showcasing entertaining personal dynamics and tugging at the strings of a looming, bigger mystery. The climactic arc, Journey for the Dawn, ties all eight chapters together and presents an incredibly satisfying and at times emotionally wrenching finale.
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I don't know if any side character in a game has ever hit me half as hard as Ori the Scrivener has
But also, mystery arc main plot removed, the world of OT2 has so much character. There's a whole questline where you sit through a court hearing and then have to investigate the mystery around town to show up and avoid a wrongful verdict with a key testimony or piece of evidence. Secret princess/gardener lesbian subplots and eldritch stuffed toys are just some of the things that exist in the background.
The story about getting it just right wasn't just a player experience. It was also the meta narrative - writing in the first game wasn't weak by any means, but the writing in the second game is just an inarguable improvement. Combat in the first game pitched juicy fastballs that were well-scaled to my play experience, but this baby kept tossing out monster curves and tricky sliders.
I think creative perfection is a myth, because it's always possible to improve. Octopath Traveler II shows how, and that's why it's my game of the year.
~Thanks for reading my selfish little blurb!~
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