#Roundup

[got-ticket-to-ride]

Arriving at the scene for their interview "RoundUp" April 30, 1964 // John looking glum when Paul asked Morag Hood out to come to their show.

[jariten]

2024 Year roundup! (Part 1)

As usual I won't write up anything for titles already featured in a monthly roundup unless I've read more volumes since then.

じゃあ、あんたが作ってみろよ (Jaa, Anta ga Tsukuttemiro yo), Natsuko Taniguchi

あかり (Akari), Marco Kohinata

A子さんの恋人 (A-ko san no Koibito), Akino Kondoh

平家物語夜異聞 (Heike Monogatari Yoru-kun no Hanashi), Fuyuko Kurosaki

多聞くん今どっち!? (Tamon’s B-Side), Yuki Shiwasu [Trans. Amanda Haley]

三文小説集 (Sanmon Shousetsushuu), Tamaki Segawa

ボールアンドチェイン (Ball and Chain), Minami Q-ta

ひらやすみ (Hirayasumi), Keigo Shinzo [Trans. Jan Mitsuko Cash]

In my quest to find high school romcoms to fill the gap Kieta Hatsukoi left I followed my fascination with fictional idols. Concepts like Uta no Prince-sama and Idolmaster is interesting in how they produce idols and an alternative form of idol otaku culture, but what about fiction that aim to be relatable but also wish fulfillment to those who are deep into stan culture, or its Japanese equivalent: Oshi-culture (Oshi more or less being the Japanese equivalent of a Bias). Tamon's B-side begins when our heroine Utage, who has a near religious love for her bias: the wild and fanservice-y Tamon of F/ace, not only forms a direct and personal relation to him, she not only learns that his private self is a self-hating, gloomy, near suicidal at all times young man who despite his massive popularity believes himself to be nothing more than a mold spore infecting the earth. Utage is determined to make the people's prince gain confidence and stop wanting to leave this mortal coil at any given time. The series manages to capture the fearsome consumerist machine that fans participate in, the elaborate social codex they operate under, but also captures the conflicting nature of romantic fantasies involving your bias. Because in oshi culture your oshi belongs to no one but the fans as a collective. And whats a religious zealot to do when her deity gets attached to her. All while being a really fun comedy that plays on exaggerated slapstick and emotional extremes. Really hoping the anime adaption brings some fun music to go along with the series bc the official stan twitter accounts are already so fun.

I need to paraphrase a short review I saw for Sanmon Shousetsushuu: "I thought the lady novelist was pretty nasty but the guy is a piece of work himself". Imagine watching your father die a really horrible death, but the way he died is so ridiculous your trauma is never taken seriously. Our protagonist has been a laughing stock his whole life because of his failed comedian father whose life ends with a failed stunt in an aquarium shark tank. But one night he hooks up with a woman who rather than laugh at his story cries. She disappears in the night and years later he finds out she has made a whole career off of his life story. This begins a twisted love/hate affair between the eccentric novelist and a "wild dog". Love nasty adult romances where neither party needs each other for anything but still can't leave each other alone I think there's something beautiful in that. The included one-shot while a bit saccharine with its conclusion I also found pretty satisfying in its portrayal of twisted attachments.

And want to report that Ball and Chain (first chapter has been scanlated!!) as well as Hirayasumi are not losing steam after the great first volumes for each series. Can't wait to read more in 2025!!

[thesoftboiledegg]

Recently, I decided to take a trip to the city. I grew up in a rural area, and antiquing every weekend was my parents' idea of fun, so I've been trying to get out more as an adult.

I drove around for a while, found a populated area and pulled over to take a break when I--

Heeey, wait a second. What's that in the background?

OK, I didn't actually end up here by accident. The Rickmobile made a stop, and I dropped everything to go.

These cardboard cutouts greeted me at the building entrance. A man asked me to take his picture with them, and people had photoshoots with Anime Rick and Morty all night.

But I'm not here for cardboard cutouts, although that was a bonus. I'm here because this is the ultimate merchandise roundup. It blows all other merchandise roundups out of the water.

First off, I was surrounded by people wearing Rick and Morty merchandise. And, believe me, I came prepared with my own:

One fan said he liked my shirt! Bootleg, official, streetwear, old, new, eclectic...there were so many great shirts that I wish I could've taken photos of them all. I did ask a fellow fan for a picture of her Mr. Nimbus shirt as we waited in line, and she was delighted:

Three Adult Swim employees gave out prizes in the Rickmobile. While I waited, I noticed that somebody had taped a few drawings on the walls and ceiling.

When I approached, a worker drew an X on my hand with a permanent marker. She said that was to keep people from getting in line twice.

I thought I'd have to buy merchandise, but they gave it away for free! They had you spin a wheel, then gave you a prize with the corresponding number.

My turn! ✨

The bearded guy said "Go ahead and spin the wheel! Get schwifty!"

I won a tiny meditating Anime Rick pin. I'll have to find a safe spot to keep it. Maybe I should make a Rick Sanchez itabag...

And if you see me on the news, this is why.

Now it was time to explore. The Rickmobile was the main event, but Adult Swim had another surprise: Morty came along for a spin. And boy, he didn't know what to think.

Aaaaaaaahh!!

Still, Rick couldn't help being the center of attention. To be fair, he WAS the one giving out free stuff.

And it turned out that this wasn't the only Rickmobile present.

One of the food trucks joined in, too!

It was a bit of a drive, but I'm glad that I went because it was an incredible experience. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many Rick and Morty fans. Everyone was smiling and having a good time.

One woman pulled over in her vehicle and rolled down the window to ask an Adult Swim employee what was going on. When he told her they were promoting the Rick and Morty anime, her face broke out in a grin. "I love Rick and Morty!" she said.

Rick and Morty has attracted controversy, but you can't deny that it has a global fanbase that brings people together. What a great opportunity to relax and celebrate our favorite show.

On the way back to my car, I stopped and asked a guy if I could take a picture of his shirt. He enthusiastically agreed and told me he got this shirt at the 2018 stop.

When I said that I'd missed out, he told me that it wasn't that great--all they did was hand out beer. This time, they had prizes AND a screening. He was so happy and excited to be there. I need enthusiasm like that in my life.

Say what you will about Rick and Morty fans, but we are definitely not shy.

But hang on, guys, the story doesn't end here. Stay tuned for part two, where I'll tell you what happened after dark... 🌙

[lilydalexf]

hello! I'm new to following you on Tumblr, but I followed your content from Golgle, I wanted to know if by any chance you knew of any fanfic in which Scully recovered her memories of the abduction, I've been wanting to read one like that for a while, but I can't find it, thanks!

Welcome, and thank you for the ask! Here are some good fics where Scully remembers something about her season 2 abduction. Enjoy!

12 Rites of Passage: Regression by Anne Haynes Part 9 of the 12 Rites of Passage series: Mulder and Scully seek a missing woman and discover frightening truths about their pasts. (Sequel to the series: 12 Degrees of Separation.)

Anamorphosis by Megan Reilly Assigned to find a horrifying serial murderer, Agent Scully discovers things about herself and her past that she never suspected.

Comfortably Numb by Paige Caldwell There is no pain...you are receding...a distant ship...smoke on the horizon...you are coming through in waves...Your lips move but I can't hear what you say...I have become comfortably numb...

The Cry of the Truth by A.I. Irving As their love affair unfolds, Scully reveals to Mulder a painful secret relating to her abduction. Mulder's reaction tests their bond and eventually leads Scully to discover a few truths about herself.

Dance Without Sleeping by wonderland (@amplifyme) Scully learns to live with her cancer and take back control of her life. Meanwhile, Mulder works on fulfilling a wish list. (Fic in the same universe: Into Each Other Sinking.)

grief by ms_starlight71 Scully goes in for a routine pap smear sometime post-cancer arc and has a panic attack/flashback related to her abduction.

i'm still in love with who i wish you were by comeherebooch “You were abducted, Scully,” Mulder said, sensing her confusion, “do you remember anything?” Post Requiem.

Ingénue by Punk (@punkm) Mulder and Scully investigate the circumstances surrounding a fifteen-year-old girl's multiple disappearances.

locking out the ghosts by skuls (@ghostbustermelanieking) Post-Emily arc, an emotionally vulnerable Scully breaks off the incredibly new relationship she and Mulder have recently been engaged in. As the season moves forward, how do they cope with this new development in their relationship, and how do the stressful situations their job puts them in affect this?

Malleus Maleficarum by Pellinor A stranger with a tempting offer promises hope in Mulder's time of need. Refusal could cost him and Scully their lives, but could the price of acceptance be greater still?

Movie Night by @nowwhateinstein “Talk about spooky,” he says as the movie fades to black and the credits begin to roll. She laughs and gives a small shake of her head. “That word,” she says. “It means something different to me now.”

Revanche by Ryo Sen Revanche - (noun) political policy designed to recover lost territory or status

Skin by Annie Sewell-Jennings In a world where Mulder and Scully have never met, fate intervenes and brings two worlds colliding in the city of Charleston, as a vicious murderer reigns and a storm approaches.

Right Hand Return by orphan_account An alternative universe in which Scully is returned from her abduction with a baby, no memories of anything prior to her captivity and some PTSD.

Time Can Heal by PostApocolypticAlien (@scullysexual) Mulder realises that his quest for the truth costs too much (WIP)

Truthseekers by Leyla Harrison (No summary provided)

until it heals by actualchangeling (@actual-changeling) Nightmares cannot be fought with logic or light, there is no way of expelling them from her brain, not a single moment of peace to catch her breath. Scully knows one thing that always helps, though. Or rather—someone. When she finds herself lost and drowning, she calls the one person in the world whom she trusts to keep her safe. She calls Mulder.

The Way by KMNAHILL and MD1016 Scully becomes mysteriously ill. Mulder, Melissa, and Tao help to heal her. / On assignment in Chicago, Scully’s illness progresses. / An assignment in Oregon turns out to be more than first expected. Humorous antics from the Lone Gunmen. / Samantha returns and isn’t what Mulder had expected.

White Light by aka_Jake While investigating a young woman's claim of alien abduction, Mulder and Scully are led on a cross-country chase of intrigue and murder. As they search for answers, Scully's own abduction memories resurface.

[carldoonan]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is upon us once more after nearly 20 years! This game is infused into the core of my creative DNA and means a lot to me.

Here's a roundup of nearly 100 TTYD characters spread across✨75�� whiteboard doodles, mostly drawn throughout 2022-23.

[elljayvee]

today's topic: that fucker RoundUp

It's time for more Don't Believe Everything You Read with me, elljayvee!

A friend encountered this the other day: 

This contains a lot of false information and should not be spread around as true. It's scaremongering in the first half and almost entirely wrong in the second half.

I will state my credentials and biases up front: I am an inactive Penn State Master Gardener (which means I have all the education and credentials, but am not currently an active volunteer), I have a permaculture design certificate and an active permaculture garden on my property, and I'm an agriculture & food systems researcher. I also fucking hate RoundUp (aka glyphosate), which I think is very bad, especially at industrial scales. I pretty much think all agricultural inputs have serious problems at industrial scales; RoundUp isn't special. In general, and particularly for home-scale or small-scale ag use, I prefer non-chemical controls; in my own garden I use manual control for all weeds except for poison ivy and tree of heaven, for which I use 2,4-D foliar herbicide. 2,4-D is also pretty nasty stuff, but I use it because unlike RoundUp it's very widespread in my environment already -- some of my neighbors have their lawns sprayed and that's what the lawn companies use. Me spraying a stray tree of heaven once a year isn't even a drop in the 2,4-D bucket of the block. 

Let us take these pieces of Wrong Information from back to front!

Dish soap: people love dish soap in the garden. Just love it. There's mixed evidence on what it can do in the garden but it's completely ineffective against weeds -- the reason it's so popular in garden applications is that it doesn't harm plants. How is something that doesn't harm plants going to be good weed control? Answer: it isn't. It does nothing against weeds. The one thing dish soap is proven to be good at is assisting with aphid control -- the best aphid control is manual/physical control, like blasting aphids off plants with water, and dish soap assists with that and also seems to do some damage to the aphid. Any other pest control involving "soap" almost certainly means "insecticidal soap", not dish soap. 

Takeaway: Unless you're trying to control aphids, don't use dish soap in the garden. (And make sure it's dish SOAP, not a detergeant. In the US, original Dawn is the go-to.) For anything but aphid control, you're just wasting soap.

Salt: No. This is bad. It will definitely help kill some weeds, but it's a bad idea. Don't put extra salt into soil. It's bad for the soil and for the inhabitants of soil; it's bad for water. One cup of salt isn't going to kill a river or a stream or whatever but if you're worried about killing animals, let's just say that poor innocent things like amphibians and worms do not do well in hypersaline environments. Do not use table salt like this. 

Takeaway: Leave table salt out of your garden altogether. You're just wasting salt, messing up soil, and hurting animals.

Vinegar: This is completely fine. Depending on the species of weed you have, it may work very well indeed. However, household white vinegar is only about 5% acetic acid, while horticultural vinegar -- which is sold as a weed killer commercially -- is 20% acetic acid, and works MUCH better on a MUCH wider variety of weeds. It also seems to work best when it is mixed with canola oil. Horticultural vinegar is not as safe for your skin/eyes/etc. and you should follow the safety instructions on the bottle when you use it. If you would like some more information on how well vinegar works to control weeds, you may enjoy reading "Impact of Acetic Acid Concentration, Application Volume, and Adjuvants on Weed Control Efficacy" (Webber et al. 2018). 

Takeaway: Household vinegar in the garden is fine and may work for some species of weeds. Horticultural vinegar works better. Follow safety information when using it. 

Now for RoundUp (aka glyphosate). 

RoundUp will kill pollinators, bees, hives: I will include all invertebrates that seem affected by RoundUp spray in this category. There is good evidence that AT INDUSTRIAL SCALE, RoundUp negatively affects pollinators and other beneficial invertebrates, such as pest-controlling spiders. When applied to a broad area in heavy concentrations, it seems to have lethal effects (particularly in bees who ingest it or come into physical contact with it), and it also seems interfere with reproduction in some bees, wasps, and spiders.

"Is glyphosate toxic to bees? A meta-analytical review" (Battisti et al 2021) is a good meta-analysis about toxicity to various bee species. (It is paywalled, sorry -- but some of its sources are not.) This analysis found that it's easy for bees to get a fatal dose from pollen from sprayed flowers, physical contact with sprayed flowers, or ingestion of nectar from sprayed flowers. At individual garden scale, you are extremely unlikely to harm more than a few individual insects unless you're doing something very weird, like, I don't know, pouring a whole bottle of RoundUp over your patio, or specifically filling flowers with drops of RoundUp. 

Takeaway: In general, I recommend not using RoundUp in your garden. If you do use RoundUp, snip off flowers from the weeds or do not spray the flowers, to avoid pollen contamination and lower the likelihood of bees touching the RoundUp. I strongly suggest instead using manual controls, which is what I do -- I weedwhack and hand-pull weeds (again, with the exception of poison ivy and tree of heaven). 

RoundUp will kill your pets and kids and you: In general, not unless your pets, your kids, or you drink it. This is how it kills mammals: a mammal drinks it. There is some evidence of toxicity to amphibians, but again, this is at industrial scale and high concentrations, not a household preparation used on like 5 weeds in your patio. There is conflicting evidence on whether or not glyphosate is carcinogenic in humans, but the risk -- if it exists -- seems at this point to be low and probably mainly affects agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to a LOT of the stuff.

Takeaway: Secure RoundUp from pets and children. I personally keep garden chemicals in a padlocked plastic box in the garage. If you are suicidal and may drink RoundUp, call your area's suicide prevention hotline or ask someone for help. If you are an agricultural worker regularly in contact with glyphosate in the environment your best resource is probably United Farm Workers (in the US), your local farm workers' org, or La Via Campesina (which is an international farm workers' organization that has taken a stand against the widespread industrial use of glyphosate). 

If you would like to read more about RoundUp toxicity, try: "Glyphosate Poisoning" (Bradberry, Proudfoot, and Vale 2004) and "Glyphosate: A review of its global use, environmental impact, and potential health effects on humans and other species" (Richmond 2018) -- this one is particularly useful because it collates a LOT of research together in one place, so you can get to many, many other articles from it. 

General takeaways: You should take precautions if you use RoundUp not to hurt bees in your garden, but you are unlikely to hurt anything larger than invertebrates if you do use it. Do not use random weedkilling formulas involving random household items in your garden. In particular, dish soap and salt have almost no good garden uses at all and if someone tells you to use them, they are probably misinformed at best. There is a lot of complete bullcrap out there on the internet.

If you want to use organic controls for stuff in your garden, which lots of people do, a good place to start is the OMRI lists. Items on these lists are approved for organic use in the US or Canada and free to download. You can also look for information from Extension in the US about organic controls and home gardening advice; county extension is government-funded and provides a wide variety of free educational material about gardening, forestry, agriculture, etc.

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Round Three Round Up!

In Round Three we were seeing double as 6 out of our 8 pairs were put against their alternative selves and we asked why not pit two bad bitches against each other ?

In the only match-up where the newer version won out we lost another one of our tournament's Mr Knightleys as you declared that riding through rain, willing to ride through worse was not enough to win your hearts - instead he must have a proper understanding of muslin! And so Mr Tilney (2007) became our first Quarter-finalist.

Mr Knightley (1996) was not alone in taking his leave of us as your votes decided that Johnny Flynn's Mr Knightley (2020) was too blonde badly done compared to Mr Knightley (2009) and must go!

Mr Elliot (2022) will be likely soon spotted in town with a Mrs Clay on his arm as though he may have proved himself the hottest of the Persuasion (2022) men he was no match for Colonel Brandon (1995). Joining him in bad-boy exile is Willoughby (2008) who could not beat the man best known as Emma Thompson's husband leaving Willoughby (1995) as the last libertine standing.

In another win for Sense and Sensibility (1995) Edward Ferrars (1995) proved that while a Wet Shirt scene written by Andrew Davies might have worked once, Dan Stevens chopping wood in the rain was too blonde not enough to prevail against Hugh Grant and the power of being married to Emma Thompson in any universe, real or imagined.

Captain Wentworth (1995) also sailed through against his 2007 counterpart as the voters told us once again that they hated blonde men if it was made in '95 that man was staying alive for another round and so Captain Wentworth (2007) becomes only a gallant Captain Wentworth, in a small paragraph at one corner of the newspapers.

In one of our tightest run polls that went back and forth several times it was Bingley Vs Bingley but in another win for the '95 contingent - the curly hair clinched it and Mr Bingley (1995) proved the victor.

And of course I must end with the biggest poll of the week, breaching the walls of our little tournament to be voted on by 28,987 tumblr users, the poll that ended in a most well deserved 50/50 split, Mr Darcy Vs Mr Darcy. How could anyone vote for THAT Mr Darcy you yelled at each other - HAND FLEX! WET SHIRT! you cried! But when push came to shove despite 14,484 of you declaring that you loved him most ardently 14,503 of you had decided he was the last man on earth who you could ever be prevailed upon to marry and left that wet cat out in the rain. And so, though we offer him a most cordial curtsey we must say goodbye to a very worthy loser Mr Darcy (2005).

Thank you for all the excellent propaganda sent in - I will be taking a days break before putting up the Quarter-final polls, giving you until Thursday to send in any propaganda you want included on the main poll posts and me time to add it! But for now we must once again say...

Farewell Gentlemen!

[ritelli-main]

Artist vs. art 2024 💙✨

I've been quite productive this year in terms of art. Thank you so much for sticking around or starting to follow me this year! I’m looking forward to many new projects and adventures:)

[historybizarre]

We might share a few of these essays over the next few weeks/months, but this roundup from @jstor Daily's editors was too good not to share!

[best-fictional-pterosaur]

Saurnament Finalist Preview (Saurischian Bracket)

As we approach the finals for each of our 3 brackets, here's a quick look at the candidates, this time for the Saurischian (SR) bracket!

The SR finalists embody opposite ends of the spectrum of realistic character design, featuring a classic cartoon alongside a documentary depiction!

Note that these are NOT predictions, just a look at some objective data for fun. The only way to know any real odds is to vote in the SR Bracket finals, which will take place on January 8th 2025!

Littlefoot [Land Before Time]

Average Score: 60.22 Overall Tournament Ranking: #37

Definitely a fan favorite, the main character of Land Before Time has had an incredibly impressive run in the saurnament. He has defeated not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR Pokemon. Further, he was one of the candidates in the poll that got the single most raw votes in the entire saurnament! Over 1,000 people voted for him in that poll alone!

Don't let the numerical stats fool you, despite being the last ranking among the finalists, Littlefoot's low rankings are only evidence of the incredibly tough fights he's been a part of, and are proof that anything can happen!

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

VS.

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

Mononykus [Prehistoric Planet]

Average Score: 66.00 Overall Tournament Ranking: #7

Stretching the definition of "fictional character" slightly, the Mononykus from Prehistoric Planet makes a surprise appearance in the finals! On the one hand, the relative lack of significance might make it seem like something of a dark horse, but on the other... I mean, just look at it!

The Mononykus has defeated lots of juggernauts, like fellow documentary legends Skateboarding Coelophysis and Smoking Utahraptor, as well as the one and only Yoshi! And despite these tough matchups, Mononykus remains a high scorer, coming in 7th overall and 4th among the finalists. Whether or not this impressive ratio will carry it to victory remains to be seen!

[hp-podfic-mini-fest]

HP Podfic Minifest round up

That’s a wrap for the 2024 minifest! We hope you have enjoyed the variety of audio works that have been revealed over the past two weeks. Thanks to all of our wonderful creators for participating and submitting their works under our banner, and thanks as well to all the listeners who got excited about them!

Here's the full list of works from this year's minifest:

The Morning Doesn’t Reach Us, written by @jennandblitz and read by @itsaash (4h, Sirius/Remus)

Lady BloodPure’s Society Papers, written by @the-francakes and read by @cailynwrites (1h28m, Neville/Pansy)

Killing and Other Mundane Activities, written by @venom0usbarbie and read by @bluestringpudding (57m, Hermione/Bellatrix)

What I thought, written by @bafflinghaze and read by @sweatersinthesummer (50m, Harry/Draco)

The Dogs of Valdivia, written by tereyaglikedi and read by nockout (45m, Viktor Krum & Hermione Granger)

Prime Cut, written by @provocative-envy and read by @blackestglass, @cailynwrites, @cosmiconfliction, @greenmegsnoham, kitsunerei88, Literarion, @lumosatnight, StrixXīnXiǎng, @wilfriede (38m, Hermione/Scabior)

He Follows, written by nockout and read by @blue--dreaming (23m, Narcissa/Tom Riddle)

I Fall On Grass, written by @tackytigerfic and read by @lastontheboat (18m, Harry/Draco)

Fluffy Snunggles, written and read by @siobhanhazel (16m, Scorpius/Albus Severus)

Vernon's Turn, written by @bessthekraken and read by tereyaglikedi (12m, Vernon Dursley & Harry Potter)

Whole New World, written by @schmem14 and read by @lumosatnight (11m, Narcissa/Lily)

Where the Battle Started, written by albasti and read by nockout (9m, Amelia Bones & Mad-Eye Moody)

Old Obsessions are Hard to Smother, written and read by @elisedonut (6m, Colin Creevey/Percy Weasley)

Together with the waves, could we become happy?, written and read by @elisedonut (4m, Lavender/Fleur/Bill)

Touching Those Petals And Asking For Their Name, written and read by @elisedonut (4m, Sirius/Percy)

With much appreciation and love,

@blue--dreaming and @lastontheboat

your HP Podfic Minifest 2024 mods

[jariten]

Recurring themes in 2023: my year of lesbian and yuriful manga

Doing this a little different when summarizing 2023. Since I stuck to my decision to not start buying any new licensed series and mainly did cultural catchup for both english and japanese manga I didn't really read enough hot new releases in 2023 for them to warrant a list of their own as they usually do. So to catch up on the months without a roundup as well as a year end summary I will do some themed lists!

The first came to easy since a noticeable trend was how much lesbian and yuri manga i made time for. For clarity I make a subjective distinction of lesbian and yuri works, just as some works I'm more inclined to describe as a Gay or LGBT story rather than a BL if it wasn't published in a BL imprint or invests time to do cultural or social commentary. Now to the list:

Among my favorite lesbian manga read in 2023 are: The Girl That Can't Get A Girlfriend by Mieri Hiranishi Moonlight Flowers by Mutsumi Tsukumo Indigo Blue by Ebine Yamaji Umibe no Kain by Minori Kimura

I won't reiterate too much as I already talked about it in a roundup but Hiranishi gave an extremely refreshing perspective on being a woman who loves masculine women, the dark story of her first heartbreak and the path forward. Love that Viz took the initiative to give her a graphic novel edition and promote her platform by licensing The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend. I've always found women's manga to be a not that secret treasure trove of lesbian stories yet I hadn't read the classic that is Moonlight Flowers... Just a truly suspenseful and romantic story of lesbian love as liberation and freedom that I can't recommend enough. Just with a clear warning of depictions of intimate partner violence that could be upsetting.

Yamaji has a well known track record of exploring lesbianism as well as bisexuality and I think Indigo Blue was extremely interesting in its explooration of the protagonist and her journey to figuring out what she wants as she's caught between two relationships. Another story of a woman's journey to confront who she is and what she wants: Umibe no Cain was a rather heartbreaking story of a young woman seeking refuge with a woman older than herself and as they start forming a frienfdship she begins to face the hurt and trauma she faced from her mother. But as the two women grow closer their relationship might take a turn that they can't come back from.

In the yuri-ish category: Kimi no Kureru Mazui Ame by Kaiko Fuyumushi OL to Ningyo by Mai Shiba

Won't reiterate too much of Kimi no Kureru Mazui Ame as I already talked about it in a roundup but love bite sized depictions of a miserable adolescence and toxic yuri but not quite. And if you found yourself taken by the more supernatural stories in this collection then may I recommend OL to Ningyo? Described by the author themselves as yuri-ish this collection depicts the bonds of human girls and their non-human counterparts. Humans, vampires, tengu, mermaid, and oni all face their own challenges and conflicts both romantic and otherwise.

In the Now That's What I Call Yuri category: Natsu to Lemon to Overlay by Ru & Miyako Miyahara Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta (The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All) by Sumiko Arai Sukeban to Tenkousei by Fujichika

Natsu to Lemon to Overlay is the manga adaption of a yuri award winning novel novel that I picked kind of at random. An aspiring voice actress struggling to make any career moves are requested by a mysterious woman to read the obituary at her own funeral. What happens next will warm your heart. The Guy She Liked is one where I'm just going to assume most if not all of you are aware of so I'm just going to say that I like it and am looking forward to the next volume 👍 And last but not least: an adorable 80's throwback with some truly heartwarming moments and developments not to mention very funny: Sukeban to Tenkousei by Fujichika

[thesoftboiledegg]

This will probably be the last holiday-themed merchandise roundup of 2024. Retail stores are already winding down, although I did find a few new items...including this light-up sweatshirt at a thrift store!

However, today isn't just the year's last holiday roundup. It's also my birthday--and yep, I was born on Christmas Eve. 🎄

This year has been a little slow for Rick and Morty fans, but we had fun. The Ultimate Rick Showdown (@ultimaterickshowdown), a Christmas-themed promo, the anime (OK, maybe that one didn't land), and--oh yeah, who could forget the Rickmobile tour?

Visiting the Rickmobile was legitimately one of the best days I've ever had. It's not often that this fandom comes together in person to share our love of the series. The Adult Swim employees were great, and everyone was smiling and having a good time.

Kind of like Cool Rick! Another thrift store find.

And the socks are still in stock.

I saw these at Marshall's. I actually love the packaging.

It's not Rickmas without a new pair of pajama pants!

I'd been hoping to see the infamous Vat of Acid Christmas ornament in person, and the Hallmark store in the mall finally had it!

It's a great episode, but knowing what happens in it...yeah, I would NOT hang that on my tree.

The "skate shop" (are you REALLY a skate shop if you're a mall franchise?) had a new Members Only jacket. I actually didn't spot it on the rack until I saw the Rick and Morty tag on the sleeve.

Charlotte Russe hasn't had much Rick and Morty apparel lately, so I was pleased to find these T-shirts and pajama pants!

Buttons at the toy store!

Finally, I posted about this a while ago, but it was back on the shelves after disappearing for months, and I thought I'd share it again because it's so unique. And it's my birthday, so I can do what I want.

It's not just a figurine: it's the whole setting.

This collection is from 2017-2018, so it's a little old. I always think it's interesting to see merchandise from the seasons 2-3 days when Rick and Morty was at its peak.

Adult Swim signed off on this show and probably figured that it'd find an audience but never expected it to be the center of the zeitgeist in the mid-2010s. Some people try to rewrite history now that it's had controversies, but nope: Rick and Morty was popular. It was cool. It was THE show that everyone was watching.

I was there. I didn't watch it until 2019, but I saw it become a pop culture phenomenon. A lot has changed, but we're still on here talking about it because it means so much to us. Who knows--maybe the people who dismiss the show because of its reputation will catch on.

[lilydalexf]

👽 X-Files Fic Rec Roundup 2024

Here is a master list of all my newest X-Files fic recs. These and all my earlier recs can be found under my fic rec tag, where you can also read why I recced each story. Enjoy!

April Fools' Day fics

Creepy and scary fics

"En Ami" fics

Fics with the Scully family involved with the mytharc

Fight the Future fics

"Orison" fics

Season 7 fics

Skinner POV with humor

Wilderness and survival fics

Among Momentary Days by TearingAsunder (Innisfree) (The Truth - 10,643 words - NC-17) Atomic Split by Pteropod (Orison - ~2,100 words - PG-13) Dr. Scully's School for Exceptional Boys by Prufrock's Love (AU - 71,467 words - R) Erosion by Annie Sewell-Jennings (MSR - ~40,000 words - NC-17) Everything and Nothing at Once by enigmaticdr (I Want to Believe - 2,831 words - Explicit) Under Covers by Skinfull (Season 5 - 50,633 words - Explicit) The Way by KMNAHILL and MD1016 (Seasons 2-3 - ~133,940 words - NC-17) Wing and Prayer by Revely (En Ami - ~26,100 words - PG-13)

[not-poignant]

December 2024 Writing Round-Up

Here’s the monthly round-up of everything written and posted in December 2024!

Here’s the chapters that were released:

Underline the Black 103

Underline the Black 104

Underline the Black 105

Underline the Gold 11

Underline the Gold 12

Smoke in Autumn 09

Constellations 13

Constellations 16 (Gary+Efnisien Tier+)

Underline the Gold 12 (Gwyn+Augus Tier+)

Underline the Gold 13 (Gwyn+Augus Tier+)

Chapter Commentary - Constellations - 05 (Mosk+Eran Tier)

Chapter Commentary - Constellations - 06 (Mosk+Eran Tier)

FANFICTION

A Stain that Won't Dissolve 49

A Stain that Won't Dissolve 50

A Stain that Won't Dissolve 51

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All Patreon early access chapters are mirrored at Ream for those who prefer Stripe / other payment options.

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Behind the scenes I wrote 26,460 words (7 chapters) in December, the second lowest wordcount of the year, across A Stain that Won't Dissolve, Underline the Gold and Smoke in Autumn.

I'm gonna be honest, it was a terrible month for writing. December is rough from a PTSD perspective (it's a chronological trigger) and I was quite unwell. I was sure I wouldn't even hit my minimum monthly wordcount until literally last night.

I apologise to all the readers of Palmarosa, I feel really guilty about not finding time to get to this story, and really want to, but was just too overwhelmed this year to do anything except focus on the bare minimum. Unfortunately Palmarosa is my 'when I've done the bare minimum I can play.' T.T I hope January is kinder!

Merch got sent out, most (all?) has arrived. I'm still on the fence about stopping merch to the EU with the new GDSR. Right now I'm continuing like I can send it! I love my EU peeps so I'd rather work this out than give up.

In good news, Underline the Black is going to being updated 3 times a month going forward, instead of once every two weeks! I'm pretty confident I can keep that up. :D And we are returning to Underline the Blue for January!

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As always, you can support the stories you love by subscribing over at Patreon and Ream! You can also follow for free, and just get email notifications of news and other things that I release to everyone. :D

[this-is-boygenius]

christmasgenius ⛄️🎄🎁