#Single Review: Healing Dub

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay LutchamaK Shares Lounge Friendly "Healing Dub"

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay LutchamaK Shares Lounge Friendly "Healing Dub" @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron @LutchamaK

French electronic music producer and JOVM mainstay LutchamaK has had a busy 2024:  The JOVM mainstay began the year with a two-track release through Techno Parade titled Job Done, which featured “Job Done,” a glitchy and swaggering bit of techno meets footwork featuring machine gun-like skittering beats, glistening synth arpeggios paired with tweeter and woofer rattling thump. It’s an accessible…

[gearlic-personal]

My Borderlands Movie (2024) review

Right before the movie ended, I thought “is this how the movie ends?” and “no surely not, we’re only like 45 minutes in”, and then the movie ended. So little happened in the movie I couldn’t fathom the fact I absorbed nearly 2 hours of a film. And I say “absorbed” because my attention did not waver for a second, I was so hooked on how awful the writing was I just had to hear it to believe it. I feel the characters were written for a voice acted video game, not live action— it created an awkwardness when the tone of a video game is poorly translated to a performance that is acted out, especially when the actors themselves are notttt feeling the role at all. You know it’s bad when you can hear the actor cringing at their own lines. I’m gonna bring up the Fallout show because I feel they did a fantastic job at translating the quirky humor of the game into the live acted show: going into the show I felt the same hesitation as this movie, and it didn’t help when I noticed how 1-to-1 they make the set look to the game, the same goofy vault posters and outfits (albeit MUCH better designed and fitting for a screen, and not a cheap Amazon cosplay version they attempted in the Borderlands movie). What broke me out of the awkwardness of a goofy-video-game-to-live-action translation was the moment the lead used a Stimpak to heal herself, same as the game (AKA jabbing herself with a needle and instantly healing). It was funny, jarring, and more moments like this helped set the tone of the world WHILE STILL UTILIZING WELL-WRITTEN CHARACTERS AND PLOT to help us attach ourselves to the environment and take silly seriously. The Borderlands movie had no anchoring tone of the film unlike the Fallout show, despite being fairly similar in gamplay and environment in their games. Where the writers may have struggled is just how much of the humor of the Borderlands games…. may not have made it to 2024. The script holds onto a lot of the wrong jokes made in the original games (one’s where I’d suck air into my teeth and wince when returning to these games), and character dynamics that were annoying (such as the joke of a character being the annoying punching bag that everyone hates bc he’s annoying……………. hi claptrap ily). This is also why I believe they fed the BL games scripts to AI and had it poop generalized garbage 2010 gamer-talk for the movie. The application of humor in the Borderlands games WORKED though, even if they are dated they still hold up (except the ableism and fatphobia those did not . like why. hello) because of how unified the world and characters are. UNIFIED! The BL movie writing felt so clunky, and it’s not only because they obviously did not pay attention when dubbing voice lines that don’t make sense in the conversation (Claptrap: “is this your home?” Lilith: “I grew up here.” yes girl thats what a home is. Also I’m so sure Jack Black did another line intended that said “Do you recognize this place” or some shit that makes more sense. Anyway. This happened a lot. Especially Kriegs lines which were just pulled from the games i s2g). The writing felt clunky because not one damn soul working on that movie was 100%. On the list of soulless movies with no one working on it connecting deeply with the source material at all, this is right up there with Wonka. And I’m not saying you gotta be Tiny Tina #1 mega-fan but oh my god it was so hard to watch Ariana Greenblatt act out a character that was only ever explained to her once by a guy who had Tiny Tina explained to him by another guy who read off her fandom wiki page summary. Except thats what every single character in this movie felt like. Everyone but Marcus??? for whatever fucking reason, he read the assignment he took Cornell notes. too bad he had 15 minutes of screen time. I’m actually glad they didn’t include my all-time favorite character Mordecai for fear of how they’d butcher his character too. Sorry Brick and Mordecai the writers could not fathom your gay love for each other the way I would have. Put me in that writing room.

Script-doctoring is a lost cause for this movie. she doesn’t need a facelift she needs a multi-organ transplant. With just how rich the world is why did they not just go the Tell-Tale BL route and put their own OCs on Pandora.. instead they cherry-picked elements from all the games to combine into… a twisted version of the OG plot? Not even a new adventure for these characters, no, they take the existing plot of how they met and decided to butcher Tiny Tina’s story so she can be a main character? The only way they could have fixed this in the writing room was in the very beginning if someone said “no” to this idea (also I’m pretty sure Tiny Tina wasn’t even born yet bc her story is tied to Handsome Jack and Hyperion not Atlas… also RIP to not getting a Handsome Jack plot he wouldve been so fun on screen and probably have been a good unifier for the tone I talked about before… I would never let him in the hands of those writers though).

Oh my god I could also go on and on about how nasty the environments were UGHHHHH so fucking awful, no creativity not an ounce. The patchwork architecture in the games is so meticulous and clever, even if they just payed attention to the silhouettes in the movie they don’t have to go crazy with the designs but at least give us SOMETHING!! Caustic Caverns too…. oh my god. Probably my favorite map in all the games. It’s the most unique map, its got so much breathing room, it looks like it goes on forever but still makes you feel claustrophobic (as intended). The dynamic man-made structures made to look natural with decay as they blend seamlessly into the natural structures.. the unique enemies and dangers of the map. This is the only(?) map mentioned by name in the movie, I was preparing for what I’d see. And they gave me nothing. The characters walk into a sewer cellar with glowing green sewage, walk around it, then fight a bunch of psychos in the… sewer cellar. its. its a sewer cellar. thats it. then they continue walking through the normal sewer cellar. the only comparison is the green acid and the name. Anyway that made me most sad of all, there was so much they could have done.

Ultimately this was gonna be an inevitable flop coming out anytime after BL3 womp womp. Nothing could have saved the franchise after the circumstances surrounding that game (recasting key voice actors to avoid raising wages, almost completely new writing team that was not great, Epic games paying for exclusive platform for like a year?? idk ppl were mad abt that). Great gameplay though.

Rating: 3/10

Giving it 3 stars for thinking of trying something new with the characters..? Also the fight scenes were pretty solid ngl, one thing I like about playing the BL games is how satisfying the fighting is, the sound design adds so much weight that makes it more fun than other FPS games and I think the movie replicated that well.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Princess Mononoke Review

Ohohoho I was looking forward to this one! Word on the street is that Spirited Away is what most people think is the best Miyazaki movie, but Princess Mononoke is the actual best one.

Fun fact, I watched every one of these Ghibli movies subbed, since I saw them after a shift and our theater showed the dubbed versions earlier that the subbed versions. Honestly, I don't think it makes a significant difference, especially when it comes to Ghibli. Don't come at me anime nerds. My point is I made sure to watch the dub for Mononoke. Why? Because it was adapted by Neil Fuckin' Gaiman (pretty sure that's his middle name, complete with apostrophe) who just so happens to be my favorite writer of all time. So this movie has got to be good!

What's The Movie About?

A prince of a hidden village gets cursed, exiled, and forces his way into a conflict between two human factions and the gods of the land. Can he heal his curse, make peace between the humans and gods, as well as get together with the hot wolf girl?

What I Like.

Broken record time, the animation is fucking gorgeous. This time around I was really impressed with the fighting animation. The speed an choreography was a sight to behold I tell ya. It was also shockingly violent, which I dug the hell out of. Kinda made me wonder why there was a bunch of families in the audience, I guess anime parents don't care if their kids get traumatized. I also really dug the score. I usually don't go for instrumental pieces but it felt like every twenty minutes I was marveling at the orchestra. The story was pretty cool, but the world building was what really impressed me. It, like Spirited Away, was clearly based on Shintoism. But unlike Spirited Away I never felt like I was missing information about the world building because I didn't know much about the religion. I really liked the characterization of the different tribes of animals/forest spirits. And speaking of characters, Miyazaki writes some pretty damn good female characters doesn't he? Well, to be accurate, he write good characters regardless of gender, but I really liked the Lady of Iron Town despite her being an antagonist. And speaking of the antagonists, I really like how complex the human characters were. The monk was a scumbag yet I still got worried when it seemed like he was gonna die. When the people of Iron Town were fighting the wolves I legit didn't want either side to lose. That fight ended super fucking cool as well, the lead walking out of there was raw as hell. There were some raw as hell lines as well. The line "I'm going to show you how to kill a god. A god of life and death. The trick is not to fear them." makes me want an RPG about mortals killing gods, which is about the highest compliment I can give something. Also I wanna ride an elk.

What I Don't Like.

I feel like just saying this is going to get me looks like when San first sees Ashitaka, but I have a couple problems with this movie.

One, the message is kinda shaky. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that promoting pacifism and environmentalism is a bad thing, it's just that, to me, the gods seems completely justified in their actions. The humans are not only killing each other, but completely overstepping their bounds, destroying spirits with their consumption. All the gods want is to stop their ravaging of the land. They also tried to rebuild, but the humans wouldn't let them, that's what was driving the Apes into wanting to take up arms. Maybe doing that would get them cursed, but also the curse came from the bullets the humans made so it seems like the spirits didn't have a real choice here.

Two, and I know this makes me sound like a miserable bastard, but I wish the movie ended more nihilistically. Like, I know all the gods died, but not a single named human did. The movie should've ended with the Forest God dying in peace, and then the valley is just forever fucked. You kill the spirit of the land and nothing grows there anymore. Sorry, but you fucked up! It felt like the movie was going in a more tragic direction as well, but instead all the pretty flowers came back and everyone's like "We can rebuild!" And the two leads are together even though they should've definitely done a self-sacrifice. Speaking of that...

Three, the romance between the prince and princess is completely unnecessary. Like if you cut it out entirely the movie would have been just as good, if not better. It's really rushed and really just seems to be there to have the lead chase wolf girl for a bit, but it makes equally as much sense if he thought she knew how to get to the Forest God. Or if he was just curious about why she was siding with the wolves. Oh yeah, I guess the power of their love saved their lives at the end but that was so eyerolling my retinas twisted. I feel like Miyazaki either doesn't know how or doesn't really like writing romances. (And before you go, "What about Howl's?", according to most sources Sophie and Howl's relationship seems to be completely lifted off the page of the novel, so I have a feeling he didn't actually write that part.)

Final Summation.

Princess Mononoke is great. Obviously. Watch it. I don't have anything else to say, but since I have your attention down here, I'm gonna give you all a little bonus.

All Ghibli Movies I've Seen So Far Ranked

Real quick from worst to best:

6th: Ponyo-It's not really fair, but I'm putting Ponyo at the lowest because the last time I watched it I was like 10, and I don't remember much about it. I do remember liking it, but according to most sources 10 is like the perfect age to enjoy Ponyo. If I ever do that Ghibli marathon I'm constantly thinking about, I'll rewatch it.

5th: My Neighbor Totoro-Totoro hits me right in the nostalgia, when I rewatched it I was all curled up in my chair smiling ear to ear. But honestly, it's a "stuff just kinda happens" plot. There's not really anything wrong with that, it just suffers comparing it to more complete narratives.

4th: Spirited Away-Me putting this here is just drawing a target on my back for white people who unironically own katanas, but counterpoint: Bite me. It's good, just not goddamn mandatory viewing.

3rd: Princess Mononoke-Urgh I had a hard time between choosing between my second and third favorite Ghibli movie, but the deciding factor was creativity. Mononoke is pretty imaginative, but not compared to...

2nd: The Boy and the Heron-I liked this movie when I saw it, but after this Ghibli Month at work I like it a whole lot more. It took some time to figure out what the hell the story was supposed to be about, but I honestly think it occupying my mind for several weeks is a boon.

And 1st: Howl's Movie Castle-No duh. Look, the plot of Howl's isn't as good as the majority of this list, but Howl's has one advantage over every other movie on this list. That is that it fucks. I'm not referring to how I want Howl to fuck me, or that it's the only Ghibli movie I've seen so far with a romance that is worth anything. (I don't know if I made that clear in my review, but I really liked the romance in the movie.) I mean that it has way more personality than these other movies. The the titular character, Howl's Movie Castle has a charm and pluck that carries it over it's flaws and into my heart. Also it's goddamn sexy.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: December 8, 2003

Lyrics:

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light

Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

And you still have all of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me, I've been alone, I'm alone

Songwriter:

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

You still have all of me ah, me ah, me ah

Amy Lee / Ben Moody / David Hodges

SongFacts:

"My Immortal" is a song from the debut studio album, 'Fallen' (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003, as the third single from the album. An alternative version appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017). The song was written by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody when they were 15 and 16, respectively. Various versions of "My Immortal" were recorded, with the earliest in 1997. The version recorded for Evanescence's demo CD Origin (2000) was used on Fallen by the label against Lee's wishes, featuring Lee's demo vocals, a MIDI keyboard, and strings added during the production of Fallen. The song's single release used the re-recording Lee and Moody made for Fallen, dubbed the "band version", featuring a full band's performance after the bridge along with a new string arrangement by David Campbell.

"My Immortal" is a piano power ballad, with fictional lyrics about a lingering spirit that haunts someone. The song received generally positive reviews. It was commercially successful, peaking within the top ten in over 10 countries. It charted at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, Greece and Portugal, as well as on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. The single was certified gold in the US and platinum in Australia. In 2005, it received a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 47th Grammy Awards. An accompanying music video directed by David Mould was filmed in black-and-white in Gothic Quarter, Barcelona. The video was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.

The earliest known demo of "My Immortal" was recorded in 1997, which solely featured Lee's vocals and piano and slightly different lyrics. The song was intended to be included on the band's self-titled EP but was cut before it was released. In 2000, the song was re-recorded for the band's demo album, Origin, which contains the bridge added by Lee.[2] A version of the song is also featured on the band's 2003 EP, Mystary.

Lee later said she also dislikes it because she "sounds like a little kid" and the album version does not use David Campbell's orchestration. Moody is credited on the album with producing the song, while on the single's CD Dave Fortman and Moody are credited with production on both the album version and band version of the song. The added strings on the album version were arranged by Graeme Revell for the Daredevil soundtrack.

The bandmembers had recorded a demo of "My Immortal" at the radio station where Lee's father worked after it was empty late at night; this recording, comprising a MIDI keyboard and Lee's demo vocal performance as a teen, is the version used on Fallen per the label's demand, to Lee's displeasure. Lee stated:

"It's really hard for me to listen to the album version because we did it two years ago — it was just me and guitarist Ben, and I've grown so much as a performer since then … It's not even a real piano. And the sound quality is bad because we had to break into the studio to record it late at night when no one was around because we couldn't afford a real session."

When "My Immortal" became a single, Lee and Moody chose the recording they had made for Fallen that the label originally rejected. This recording is dubbed the "band version", featuring a full band performance after the bridge and during the final chorus of the song, as well as Campbell's orchestration. It is the version used on the song's music video and for radio. The later pressings of Fallen contain the single version (or "band version") of "My Immortal" as a hidden track.

[caught-in-a-seesaw-stigma]

Caught Recommendations

Author’s Note: I’m trying to keep track of the amazing BTS-themed series and fics that I’m reading on Tumblr, so I decided to create this post with some short reviews (so I can have them all in one place). These writers are amazing and they keep me coming back for more. They are all smutty as hell and full of amazing characters and conflicts.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I will be adding them as more catch my eye. Check them out if you get a chance!

Mafia AUs

The Birdcage  & the sequel The Lion’s Den by @untaemedqueen

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Mafia AU; Jimin x Reader

What You Need to Know: Jimin-heavy series (and sequel) that dives into Seoul and Busan mafia underground, violence, guns, knives, bombs, pregnancies, and OH so much drama - the writer creates some fascinating characters that we root for and fall in love with over and over again.   

Thou Shall Not Steal by @xherxx

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Mafia AU, OT7

What You Need to Know:  The richest mafia lord in the industry throws a huge yet twisted deal before he retires and every gang out there wants to get their hands on his riches. - The drama is real in this one and there is plenty of hot, steamy scenes that will make you tingle. 

Don’t Care If It Hurts by @hollyhomburg

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Mafia AU, Jimin x Reader

What You Need to Know: After a rival gang makes an attempt on your life, Your older brother, the infamous leader of Seoul’s largest gang; Kim Namjoon, gets you a guard hybrid; Park Jimin, The reigning champion of Seoul’s underground hybrid fighting ring. - Yeah, this is also a hybrid series, but the mafia background is much more prominent. The OC is also smart as a whip and Namjoon as the angry leader and older brother is something to behold. The other members feature as well skilled companions and are very good at their jobs.

Omertà by @lamourche

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Mafia AU, Namjoon x Reader

What You Need to Know: A story about an unlikely mob boss and his mafia princess wife. This is a love story set in a brutal world. - Namjoon and his crew are tight knit and set to take over the mafia underground. In a true Romeo and Juliet twist, you are from an opposing family and are desperate to get away from their oppressive clutches. As an added bonus, you and Namjoon fall in love and build up his empire together. 

Blackjack by @kpopfanfictrash

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Mafia AU, Jungkook x Reader

What You Need to Know: Bangtan is one of the most vicious mafias on the west coast. Only six members are known by name though, with a mysterious seventh member dubbed only as 'the shadow.' When you become indebted to the worst of the worst - how, exactly can you find a way out? - Jungkook is such a gem in this fic and the action is amped up to 11 throughout the series. 

College/Business AUs

Thesis-It (and the sequel) Prove It by @xherxx

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, College/Career AU, OT7

What You Need to Know:  “When life gives you lemons, make cocktails! It doesn’t solve any problems, but then again neither do lemonades. Besides, it has the word cock in it, just like what the Bangtan boys have on them. So, why don’t you just suit yourself?” - This series was a ROLLERCOASTER of emotion, even when it hurts, you keep going back for more. The sequel takes place AFTER college, but the characters still act like college idiots. LOVE THEM!

Fear & Dumplings by @softyoongiionly

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, College AU, Yoongi x reader

What You Need to Know: You’re in your final semester at University when your Abnormal Psychology professor assigns you a partnered project surrounding your greatest fears. Lucky for you, your partner just so happens to be a cute boy named Min Yoongi. - The build up to this relationship is just wonderful and you will be completely enamored by Yoongi in this fic. He’s such a soft precious bean and I want to ruin him. 

The Gentlemen by @honeymoonjin

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Reality Show AU, OT7

What You Need to Know:  Sick of unsatisfying hookups, boring relationships or the company of your own hand? Apply today for the chance to be on bangasm.com’s very first reality show! Seven attractive young gentlemen will be vying for your choice of who is best in bed. All from different backgrounds, these men claim they’ll be able to rock your world, so don’t hesitate! Apply now! - BEST REALITY SHOW EVER! The characters are vivid and entertaining and the smut scenes are on point. I dare you not to fall in love with every single one of these eligible bachelors. 

Tease by @adonis-koo

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Stripper AU, Jungkook x reader

What You Need to Know:  You came with the intentions of your best friend landing a job as a stripper. You never meant to catch the eyes of the king stripper of the establishment- Jeon Jungkook, yourself. With what was supposed to be a harmless way of paying off college debt faster you find yourself falling into a very odd and passionate relationship with your new mentor. Between infidelity, passion and jealousy there’s never a dull moment at Cherry Bomb. - Jungkook starts off arrogant and difficult, but as the relationship progresses, he starts embracing his softness for his new trainee. There is also some hot Big-Little action going on here. 

No Strings by @kpopfanfictrash

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, College AU, Jimin x reader

What You Need to Know:  You voice your concern that you are bad in bed and Jimin offers to test that theory. What ensues is an angsty friends with benefits situation that threatens to tear your friend group apart. You may want to smack Jimin around a bit, but I promise you will not be disappointed in the end. 

The Holi-Date by @kpopfanfictrash

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Career AU, Taehyung x reader

What You Need to Know:  When your ex-boyfriend becomes engaged to his new girlfriend at your annual Holiday party, you admittedly are not in the best place. Which explains why you down six shots of alcohol, enthusiastically drop it low on the dance floor and - oh, yeah - tell everyone you are also dating someone. The only problem? You are obviously not. Good thing your neighbor happens to be cute and in need of a ride to work every morning. - I absolutely LOVE Taehyung in this fic; he’s playful, sweet, passionate, and funny. 

Hybrid AUs

The Mark of Yun-Ki by @ladyartemesia

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Historical Hybrid AU; Yoongi x Reader

What You Need to Know: This story was wonderfully crafted and if a Tiger-hybrid Yoongi full of ferocity and passion and admiration doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will. 

Reasons Wretched & Divine by @hollyhomburg

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Hybrid AU; Namjoon x Reader x Jimin x Yoongi

What You Need to Know: You live on an isolated but sprawling farm with your abusive husband, but things start to change for the better when your husband adopts a retired police dog hybrid named Namjoon. - There are definitely some trigger warnings you should read at the top, but the series is full of mental and physical healing that endears the characters to the reader. The other members are also present as side characters and are hella sweet. 

Abundance by @angelicyoongie

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Hybrid AU; OT7

What You Need to Know:  You never expected that you would end up adopting a hybrid, and if someone had told you that you would end up with seven? Well, you would have thought they were crazy. But here you are, with three different packs of hybrids that don’t get along – but all want to stay with you. Yeah, turns out crazy is an understatement. - This is a sweet complicated hybrid situation where three different groups have to find a way to live together. It takes some time, but they all eventual pull together as a family. 

Jackrabbit by @jamaisjoons

Genre: Pure Smut; Hybrid AU; Jungkook x reader

What You Need to Know: On a university-wide Easter egg hunt, Jungkook decides to educate you on just how wrong you are about him. - this one shot will have your thighs rubbing together vigorously wishing that you could get a few minutes alone with this domineering bun (just don’t call him that unless you want to get punished).

Strawberry Cream & BBQ by @thatmultifandomhoe

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut; Hybrid AU; Hoseok x reader

What You Need to Know: Your best friend knows she can count on you for anything, so when she asks you to watch her hybrid while she’s gone for a study abroad trip for four months, you can’t say no. But when these four months are over, things have changed in a way no one expected. - The relationship between Hoseok and the OC is so sweet and the drama that erupts after they get together pulls on the heartstrings. 

Sci-Fi AUs

Void by @btssavedmylifeblr

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Space AU, OT7

What You Need to Know:  You are the only female crew member on a 12 year space mission with seven handsome men. - The sexual tension is real, y’all. The OC is sassy and hilarious, the other crew members provide colorful commentary and conflicts that keep the reading salivating for more. 

The Turing Test by @fortunexkookie

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Android AU, Jungkook x reader

What You Need to Know: You are an engineer who created an advanced form of Artificial Intelligence named Jungkook, but with every technological advance, there are always some bugs to work out (and not all of them deal with the creator or the creation). 

Parenting AUs

Gingerbread Man by @btsracket

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Jungkook x Reader

What You Need to Know: Jungkook (a recent widower) is a fantastic baker who owns his own shop. The reader bounces in to place an emergency order and fate takes over from there. Jungkook’s son, Jude, is absolutely adorable and all of the angst and drama derived from moving on from an unexpected spousal death makes for one incredible recipe for success. 

The Stand-In by @yoonia

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Namjoon x Reader

What You Need to Know:  Gaining the courage to leave a loveless marriage was hard enough, but is it really a good idea to run to your best friend for help? And would you refuse him when he offers you another kind of ‘help’? - The themes revolving around infertility and then a sudden pregnancy catapult these characters into a wonderful relationship full of love and possibilities. Plus, Daddy Joon is always a yes on my list. 

Intro: Her by @jamaisjoons

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Namjoon x Reader

What You Need to Know: You enter Namjoon’s life in the most unexpected of ways, but will you be able to stay, especially when he comes with three adorable but chaotic children, even more chaotic best friends and a bitch of an ex-wife? not to mention your own emotional baggage. - Namjoon is raising his three boys Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook as you enter his life as a marine biologist. The kids are sweet and sassy, Namjoon is a total mess, but a sweetheart. I never wanted to be a mother to children more than these tots, and the bonus would be snuggling into Daddy Joon’s arms. 

Idol AUs

Let Me Hold Them by @jjungkookislife

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; OT7

What You Need to Know: An OT7 series that includes mxm, threesomes, open relationships, polyamory, and angst.  Please read at your own discretion & the warnings on each chapter. - It starts off small, and then it escalates quickly. I promise, you will not be disappointed. Read on!

Slight Changes by @jiminimoon

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Taehyung x reader; Jimin x reader

What You Need to Know: Your relationship with Taehyung takes a nose dive when his infidelity is exposed. Luckily, the other members (especially Jimin) step in to make sure you don’t suffer alone. Prepare for angsty chapters and a lot of soul searching in this fic. 

The Studio Sessions by @getitinbusan

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Yoongi x reader; OT7 x reader

What You Need to Know: It’s Min Yoongi’s birthday and you’re ready to give him whatever he wants. When he makes a sarcastic wish while blowing out the candles he didn’t think you’d take it seriously. But he’s glad you did. When word spreads about these special “Studio Sessions” everyone wants to collaborate. - You start with one and work your way through the rest without blinking an eye. It’s a smutty paradise. 

Love Well Done by @oraclemarie

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Yoongi x reader

What You Need to Know: You are the executive chef of your very own fine dining restaurant. A big company makes you the offer of a lifetime, setting you on a path straight to Min Yoongi-your drunken hook up. - once these two start admitting their love for one another, it ups the drama; people can let jealousy turn them into monsters. 

Soulmate AUs

A Thousand Springs by @whitesparrows97

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, OT7

What You Need to Know: Life is short. Eternity is long. Why you in particular are approached by a super attractive man in a club, you did not understand. You understood even less why he wanted to kill you. Fortunately, seven young, also incredibly handsome men show up to help you with this little problem. Purely by coincidence, of course. Or do you really believe in fate? - This fic is action packed with crazy conflicts, special powers, and spicy smut scenes. 

The Immortals by @bang-tan-bitches

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff, OT7

What You Need to Know: Sometimes, you find your destiny. And sometimes, your destiny does whatever it takes to keep you. - There are some amazing things happening in this fic and I just want to crawl onto that giant bed with all of them and their mysterious golden powers.

Fantasy AUs

Blood Moon Rising by @yoonia

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Vampire/Werewolf AU; Jimin x Reader

What You Need to Know: As beings from ancient times, the Vampire Clan has undergone numerous changes to thrive in the Modern Age after surviving the Ancient Blood War. As a part of the traveller family in his clan, Jimin has parted ways from the coven until the day his Lords warned him of the lurking danger from inside the clan. And all so suddenly, he was pulled out of his solitary, only to have given the responsibility he had never wished to have, along with the threats that come as a part of the deal. 

Born as youngest yet having lost so much, you have given your family your loyalty, your protection, and had been given their love and support that had become the only thing that keeps you going. But what happens when the only people you have put your trust in only repay you with betrayal?

This series expands beyond this world and into a whole universe of shifter characters. This storyline also includes characters from her other Shifter Series. The storylines are rich and beautifully crafted, and you will love the way the characters stick together on this magnificent adventure.

Of Fire and Love by @hollyhomburg

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Dragon-Hybrid AU; Yoongi x Reader

What You Need to Know:  When Dragon Yoongi finds baby Jungkook in the wreckage of a house he burned down, he can’t bring himself to kill the child. Months after someone drops off a baby at your door, you start to notice something- or someone, lurking at the edge of the woods. - This fantasy world just keeps growing in each chapter and you also get to enjoy a baby Jungkook and a baby dragon Hobi. Beware of fairy Jimin - they’re a sneaky one. 

Faerie Realm by @ddaengyoonmin

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Fairy Video Game AU; Jungkook x Reader

What You Need to Know: Your mother gifts you a video game set that allows you to fully enter the brand new virtual world of Faerie Realm on the first day of its launch. You lack any of the skills or knowledge of playing video games, but you end up having fun thanks to skilled player you meet named Kookie! You are lucky to have met him, because this deadly game is not what it seems.- Based on Sword Art Online, but I think it’s better. The other members become a part of the group and drama ensues. 

Sweeter than Sweet by @gimmesumsuga

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Vampire AU; Jimin x reader; OT7, eventually

What You Need to Know: You never would have expected someone like Park Jimin to notice you. As handsome and beguiling as he is deadly, you’re enthralled from the very moment you meet. Addicted to his kiss and his bite, Jimin opens up your eyes to a whole new world of love, lust and seduction. - this is a LONG series, but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT. Once you dive into the story, there is no resurfacing until you finish. 

A Court of Curses & A Court of Moonlight by @readyplayerhobi

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff; Vampire/Witch/Werewolf AU; Hoseok x reader; Yoongi x reader

What You Need to Know: (ACOC) For millennia, the vampires and witches have hated one another and war has raged between the two. When tensions flare up once more and spill into neutral land, peace is forced upon the two by the faeries. The price of peace sees the Witch Queen married to the Vampire Prince. One hundred years later, how have things changed? (ACOM)  As Prince Hoseok’s personal attendant, you travel with him on a diplomatic visit to Lunatis, home of the werewolves. There, you meet the enigmatic and intriguing werewolf prince, Min Yoongi, and discover more than you expected as a mere attendant. - this world is so full of magical wonder and I am so invested in seeing how everything comes together. It also makes me soft when I see how loving Prince Hoseok is toward his family. 

Caught-in-a-seesaw-stigma’s MASTERLIST

[scotianostra]

My favourite Scottish singer, Jim Diamond was born on September 28th 1953 in Bridgeton, Glasgow.

Born to Sarah (nee Harper), a seamstress, and Lawrence, a firefighter, who would habitually get up to sing at parties, we all had a relative like this didn’t we? Apart from his father, his earliest musical inspirations were soul music greats such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. By the age of 14 he had joined his first band, The Method, and later he became lead singer of the Glasgow group Jade, touring the country playing club and college gigs. Then he embarked on a European tour with the band Gully Foyle (he had seen their advertisement for a lead singer in Glasgow’s Evening Times), which included some dates supporting Procol Harum.

His next stop was a quintet called Bandit, who were signed by Arista Records but they swept away by the emergence of punk rock. Bandit’s one album was enough to prompt the NME’s reviewer, Tony Stewart, to comment that he was “an inspired and remarkable vocalist who projects himself well, displaying not only a passion for the music but a staggering range, which he uses fully”.

Bandit split up soon afterwards, but Diamond and Bandit’s guitarist, Danny McIntosh (now Kate Bush’s husband) went on to work with Alexis Korner. Word was spreading about Diamond and his powerfully expressive singing, and he was invited to fly to Los Angeles to form a band with the guitarist and David Bowie collaborator Earl Slick and the drummer Carmine Appice, who had been playing with Rod Stewart, but before the project could come to fruition, Diamond was in demand again, returning to England to form PhD and embarking on the series of hits that sealed his reputation.

Then Diamond contracted hepatitis, which prevented him from touring and prompted PhD to split. In 1984 he was back in action as a solo artist, triumphing with the No 1 heartbreaker I Should Have Known Better, often remembered for its soaring “I-I-I-I-I” chorus, which believe it or not, I pride myself on singing well, The single, which was from his album Double Crossed , earned him a nomination for an Ivor Novello award.

Diamond’s career cooled after his intense burst of success in the early and mid-80s, although in 1985 Diamond went to No 1 again with the celebrity ensemble The Crowd on You’ll Never Walk Alone, a charity record for families of the victims of the Bradford City stadium fire. In 1986 his second solo album, Desire For Freedom, delivered the No 5 hit Hi Ho Silver, a song commissioned for Boon, starring Michael Elphick, and featuring yet another of Diamond’s catchy choruses, this time set to a briskly pumping reggae beat.

In 1993 he released the album Jim Diamond, which reached No 16 on the UK charts, and went on tour performing acoustic versions of his catalogue of songs. In the late 90s he teamed up with the saxophonist Chris “Snake” Davis, renowned for his studio work with M People, George Michael, Paul McCartney and many more, and they performed as The Blue Shoes. With the Hammond organist Paul Birchall, they also worked on Diamond’s 2005 album Souled and Healed. In 2009 PhD reunited to record a new album, Three.

In 2011 Diamond joined up with a group of Scottish musicians, including veterans from Wet Wet Wet and the Proclaimers, to record City of Soul, a collection of soul music cover versions to raise money for Cash for Kids. Sadly on n 8 October 2015 Jim Diamond passed away as a result of a pulmonary edema – a build-up of fluid in his lungs. The family later said they were unaware he was unwell, his daughter Sara said “Dad was quite a private man, he didn’t court celebrity, and the only reason he did what he did was because he loved making music.“ adding “Dad’s song (I should have known better) went to Number one at the same time as Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas was released.

“He was over the moon, but told everyone to go and buy the charity single.” Sara added that the one thing her dad enjoyed using his fame for was to help others. She said: “Dad was always very aware of how lucky we had been as a family, in terms of health and wealth.

“He was very passionate about helping charities. He saw it as his duty to do what he could to give something back.”

Should Have Known Better is one of my favourite songs ever, and even if I say so myself, I do a pretty good job of it at Karaoke, and it always seems to go down well.

RIP Jim Diamond, dubbed "Scotland’s Ray Charles.

[bisexualhobi]

Compiling a few things together cuz I don’t wanna clutter your asks (also thank you so much for allowing us to vent here I can never be thankful enough to you for this ❤️):

1. I can take almost everything with a pinch of salt but good lord I cannot tolerate the “COVID is over let’s partyyyy” thing…. I’m from India and we faced so much devastation and loss because of the variant (and our incompetent govt but let’s not get into that) and are currently facing a HUGE vaccine shortage and it’s crazy cuz we know we are not seeing the end of this any time soon. Everyone was like the MV is set in 2022 but it’s still… so insensitive?? I was so angry and I’m still angry at that, it was incredibly uncomfortable to watch

2. The dance is making my head hurt, like butter and dyna had somewhat fun choreography but PTD is a regurgitation of dyna choreo

3. Rap line haven’t even unleashed a 0.01% of their talent on this track 🥴🥴….. I hate to say this but you were spot on when you predicted how the song would be structured. I’m not even gonna talk about vocal line like I’m not sure they actually sang and just fed the lyrics to some freaky AI thing that emulates their voices or something. Jimin sounded so much better live than whatever the heck goes on in the studio version

4. I am still scratching my head HARD on how people manage to defend this song… Reddit and tumblr has shown me reviews that dub the song lukewarm at best but twt obviously is still on its “omg let’s stream” (cuz HYBE has once again organized a streaming party) and I don’t know how they can actually sit and act like this song is good I couldn’t even bear to finish it and I know the majority reviews are the same. I understand personal taste but how can people not posses a single critical thought

5. If they milk this “uwu comfort from pandemic” aesthetic one more time I’m going to seriously reconsider actually listening to their music again because I can’t explain how furious I was with how tone deaf this mv was. And it’s not like they don’t know cuz I’ve heard that SK’s restrictions have once again been tightened cuz the cases are rising, and I know that there’s one country in the world that’s very public ally trying to project the idea that the pandemic is over, so it’s almost like… this whole song… is ONLY for America…

thank you so much for your input! and just know that my heart goes out to india, i know what it's like to be basically left on your own because of the fucking negligence and incompetence of your own government.

literally only the US, some european countries and i guess east asia have any sort of "control" over the pandemic. the global north are the only ones capable of administering vaccines to their population at an efficient rate and i guess this just means south korea is already in the "with the vaccine we're good" mindset cause they have almost half of the population already protected.

lmfao fuck the "this is set in 2022" bullshit we might not make it to 2022 at this rate..... haven't these people heard of the fucking deathly delta strain? the vaccine doesn't protect against the delta strain and the vaccination efforts are so mediocre it allowed this mutation to happen in the first place. because the global south is not being allowed to get vaccines becuase of fucking companies wanting to exploit this disaster.

fuck hybe and fuck columbia idgaf about the intention behind this song pretty words means nothing when the reality is something else. they were the ones who wanted to shove bts into the spotlight and turn them into spokepersons for social issues so if they wanna use this now as an opportunity to get clout off the "the world is healing the pandemic is going to end" kumbayah bullshit they can fuck off cause that is so out of touch with reality i have no idea how this got approved and made it past the editing room

anti mask sentiment is already growing with the vaccine being more available. that's a fucking dangerous narrative to portray

[redvoid-40]

A Game for a Kiss

Don’t ask me where this came from. I’ve watched BSD a couple months ago and of course I got the hots for the feral rat-man. -.-

Anyway, slowly I came up with a little plot for an arc with some OCs (weird calling them OCs, when they’re all named after past writers but oh well) and even thought about developing it, but since I’m not in the mood to write a whole multi-chaptered fic, I decided to just write this interaction between Fyodor and my main OC for the BSD-universe, Mary Shelley. You know, as a treat. >.<

I know the fandom is super small, but I thought someone might enjoy this, so here it is! :)

Also, Fyodor might be OOC (it’s hard to get a full understanding of his character) but I see him as creepy-pretty, with no qualms in manipulating women in ways that border on dub-con. So... TW: some making out; Fyodor’s thoughts making it clear his morals are more twisted than a pretzel. 

Anyway, enjoy! :)

Part 1 / Part 2 (NSFW) / Part 3 (NSFW)

“How about a game?” Fyodor proposed, smiling from ear to ear as he moved a chessboard from the side table to the coffee table in front of them. It was small, with tiny and expensive crystal pieces that had a purely decorative role, but he had never minded playing with valuable and irreplaceable things before, so why start now? Much worse to die of boredom than to shatter a hundred-dollar pawn. “I heard you had quite the reputation at the Chess Club in Oxford.”

“It’s been a few years since I last played,” Mary admitted as placed her glass of anise-infused gin on the coffee table and reached out to touch the white king, as if she was caressing a long-lost lover. “Not sure I’ll be a worthy opponent to you, Mr Dostoevsky.”

“How about I give you some impetus then?” Fyodor asked, raising a sole eyebrow as Mary’s eyes shone with interest. “If you win, I’ll give you something. Something I know you want from me.”

Mary quickly pulled back, like a child caught with her hand in the cookie-jar. “You’re already doing so, and I’m eternally grateful for it. Helping me retrieve Adam and right my wrong is all I could ever hope for and more, Mr Dostoevsky. There’s nothing el-”

“A kiss.”

Fyodor’s smile widened and his eyes darkened as a pink dusted over Mary’s cheeks. Her dark eyes made it hard to discern her emotions, but if he were to guess, Fyodor would bet her pupils had doubled in size at his indiscretion.

“I can feel your gaze on me, Doctor Shelley. Every time I walk in a room, your eyes peruse my figure like I’m an appetising treat,” Fyodor spoke, feet planted on the floor as he projected his body forwards, elbows on spread knees and the fingers of his hands intertwined. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you are interested in me in a way that’s not entirely professional or proper.”

Mary reached for her lowball glass and quickly brought it to her lips, downing the rest of her gin in a way that also wasn’t professional or proper. Fyodor watched her throat move, amused and admitedly a bit impressed at the pace at which she was draining her gin, wondering if maybe he should have proposed a drinking game instead. Who would fare better, her with her gin infusions or him with his chilled vodka?

“... and if I lose?”

Fyodor blinked, lazily trailing his eyes up her chin, passing by her pouting lips, blushing cheeks and up to dark eyes that stared at him so attentively. Lips curled at the corners, he raised a single eyebrow, urging Mary to continue.

“If I lose the game, what would you demand as compensation?” She clarified, and Fyodor exhaled at how she pressed her thighs together beneath her knee-length, black skirt.

“I’m not sure,” Fyodor said. “Why don’t you let me decide later? If I win the game, that is.”

Mary’s eyes turned away from his, moving down to gaze at the empty glass in her hands as some luster in her eyes darkened into distrust. “I think I’ll pass on your offer, Mr Dostoevsky. A kiss for an IOU? Your proposition doesn’t sound fair to me.”

Fyodor retreated, letting his spine fall comfortably against the back of the sofa as an airy laugh left his lips. The woman wasn’t as foolish as he had expected, at least; despite admitting in all but words she was enamoured with him, her shackles remained raised, certain she couldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.

Must be a woman’s intuition, Fyodor thought, remembering the looks he so often received from the fairer sex throughout his late adolescence and adult life. So many inviting smiles were thrown his way, only to morph into barely veiled jitters when he got close enough to touch. For all his years of manipulating the brightest of the brightest to have his way, Fyodor still hadn’t figured out how to lull women into unravelling themselves for him without promises of money - or some other stimulant - as reward.

“If I win I vow not to abuse my freedom, and will only ask for something of equivalent value to what I offer,” Fyodor proposed, lips relaxing in a smile he hoped Mary deemed trustworthy. “And if you feel I ask too much, you can deny me and I’ll give up my reward altogether. Does that sound fair, Doctor Shelley?”

Mary looked at him through lowered lashes and he could almost hear the gears turning in her head, lust and reason rotating in opposing directions in a struggle to decide.

“Fair enough,” Mary spoke at last, and placed her glass back on the coffee table. Her hand then moved to the chessboard and spun it around so the white pieces were close to her. “But I play white.”

Fyodor almost protested, but the smile Mary threw his way demanded enough endearment that he’d allow her this little bit of despotism just this once. 

He found he rather liked it.

---

To Fyodor’s surprise and satisfaction, Mary proved herself to be a worthy opponent. For the first time in years, Fyodor stood over a chessboard with furrowed eyebrows as he macerated the pad of his thumb between his teeth to the point he could taste iron on his tongue.

“Don’t do that. You’re hurting yourself.” 

Fyodor had just moved his knight when a hand seemed to appear out of nowhere and gently wrapped around his wrist to guide his thumb out of his mouth. Purple eyes narrowed, shooting up from the board to Mary, but his scowl melted into something almost benign at finding the woman hunched over the board, positively pouting. Her hand released his wrist, leaving an imprint of heat on his flesh despite not touching skin, and floated back to her, fingers twitching as they hovered over her pieces, debating their next move.

There was a brief knock on the doors before they opened and in walked Ivan, pulling Fyodor’s attention just in time to see the narrowing of his silver eyes as they fell on the back of Mary’s head. The glare disappeared as soon as it came, so when Mary turned around to greet the newcomer with a polite smile, he responded with an enormous grin and flamboyant mannerisms.

“I’ve come to check upon you, see if everything was alright,” Ivan announced as he stood behind Mary, silver eyes fixed on Fyodor with adoration. “It’s almost midnight.”

Mary’s eyes widened in surprise as she reached for the phone she had forgotten on the cushion by her side. “Oh my, there are twenty calls from Jane. I really should take this thing off silent mode.”

Fyodor’s jaw tightened as Mary’s focus shifted from their match to her phone. “Ivan,” he called with a firm voice that demanded to be the centre of attention again. “Please, let Doctor Shelley’s companions know she is safe and sound with me, and that we’re both occupied at the moment. Also, would you be so kind to have someone bring us something to eat? Something sugary would be best. I will have a drink as well. Vodka, chilled but no ice,” then he lowered his eyes back to the woman in front of him and smiled as he motioned to her empty glass. “Doctor Shelley, would you care for another?”

“Ah, I-”

“A gin for the lady, Ivan. Thank you.”

Ivan’s smile didn’t falter as he bowed his head. “Of course, I’ll have someone bring your drinks. As for sweets, I believe there are a few strawberry shortcakes in the fridge. Would that be to your liking?”

This time, Fyodor remained silent as he stared at Mary, giving her the illusion she had a say in this whole matter, that she could choose her treat in the way she couldn’t choose to refuse a drink. 

Mary’s eyes were glued to his and once again he noticed how her thighs rubbed together at his attention, leaving her phone forgotten by her side. Blushing, she craned her neck to glance at Ivan and nodded. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

“Very well. Someone will bring everything here briefly,” Ivan said, moving his eyes back to Fyodor. “If you need me-”

“We will be fine,” Fyodor dismissed, purple eyes fixed on Mary as he gave her a smile that showed too many teeth. “I believe it’s your turn, Doctor Shelley?”

Mary nodded, turning her gaze to the chessboard. Her hand hovered while her brain readjusted to their match, reviewing the last rounds as it calculated the best moves she could make. It took her only a couple of seconds to review their entire game and make her move.

“Good,” Fyodor said, right hand rising to his lips out of habit, only to stop midway as he felt an intense stare on him. When he looked up, Mary was giving him a look that quickly morphed into a smile when he aborted the movement. He snorted and smiled back. “Worried about my delicate fingers?”

“You’re the one who said you have an anemic constitution,” Mary replied, eyes dropping back to the board. “You shouldn’t hurt yourself; it might take longer than usual to heal.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Fyodor said, letting his eyes move up and narrow slightly at finding Ivan remained still behind Mary, staring at him with a doll-like smile on his face and wide eyes. “Ivan, our drinks?”

“Oh, of course! My apologies,” the man said before bowing theatrically. “I’ll leave you to your match. Good night!”

Fyodor nodded as Mary turned back to Ivan, throwing a polite “Good night, Mr Goncharov”, before once more focusing her attention on their game, waiting for Fyodor to take his turn. He grinned, purple eyes fixed on her as he made his move, enjoying the way Mary’s lips pouted as she concentrated.

He really was having fun playing with her.

---

The game came to its inevitable conclusion hours later, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon and the birds chirped outside the window. After a couple slices of strawberry shortcake and a few refills of vodka and gin, Fyodor let his body fall back on the sofa, smiling from ear to ear as he stared at the pouting woman in front of him.

“Check-mate, Doctor,” Fyodor purred, purple eyes darkening in satisfaction. 

Mary stared at the board for a couple more seconds, as if a solution to her defeat would present itself to her. But when none did, she sighed in acceptance as her forefinger gently laid down her king.

“Don’t beat yourself, Doctor. It was a splendid game; the best I had in years,” Fyodor commented.

“Thank you, Mr Dostoevsky. But your words don’t make defeat taste any less bitter.”

“I guess not,” Fyodor said. “Especially since I have to claim the spoils of my victory from you.”

Fyodor didn’t miss the glance Mary threw his way, clearly torn between enticed curiosity and rational diligence, clearly still wary that he hadn’t made his wants known before their game despite his guarantees. Those intelligent eyes clouded with lust made him lick his lips, and her breath hitched in response.

“I want… a kiss.”

Mary’s eyebrows shoot up. “What?”

“I promised to ask for something reasonable, didn’t I?” Fyodor mused. “What’s more fair than to ask for the very thing I offered?”

“But then… why did we play?” Mary asked, head dropped to the side.

“Well, I don’t feel like moving at the moment,” Fyodor said, letting his knees fall open as his eyes ran over the woman in front of him. “So, since you’re the one owing me a kiss, you come here and give it to me.”

Fyodor had never seen someone’s skin change colour so rapidly before, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the bright red that bloomed all over the pale skin on Mary’s cheeks and neck. Without thinking, he brought his left thumb to his mouth, nibbling gently on the soft flesh as he regarded the woman with his own sort of unprofessional and improper interest.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she said, eyeing the contour of his lips around his digit.

“Come and stop me,” he replied.

Mary swallowed his words with the same relish she swallowed her gin as she stood from the sofa, taking a moment to straighten the fabric of her pleated skirt, before walking towards him with soft, elegant steps. She came around the coffee table, sparing a glance at her toppled king before her eyes fell on his widespread knees and ran up his body until they reached his face. And while Fyodor was used to such appreciative looks, he didn’t expect the soft smile she gave him when their gazes crossed; it was usually at this moment that women stepped back from him, frightened by the intensity in his eyes.

Mary sat down by his left, so warm against the side of his body, and reached up with both hands to pull his thumb away from the abuse of his teeth. She brought his hand down to her chest to examine the damage, pouting when she saw the pad of his thumb was red and swollen, with a small laceration that had just barely crusted over and still threatened to bleed.

Fyodor watched her through half-lidded eyes, exhaling deeply when she glanced up at him. From such close-quarters he could make out the limits between the black of her pupils and the brown of her irises; just like he imagined, her pupils were dilated to extremes, wary of and eager for him. The red on her cheeks subsided, leaving a light pink colour in its place that enticed him to run his lips over the skin.

With a small quirk of her lips, Mary glanced back at his hand and shook her head at the damage on his thumb, before bringing it to her mouth to kiss the wound. The touch was soft as a rose’s petal but still knocked the breath out of Fyodor’s lungs. His warm breath gusted over the top of her head, then hitched as a soft, warm hand laid on his cheek.

“That was not what I had in mind when I asked for a kiss,” Fyodor spoke, smiling down at the woman. 

A chuckle escaped Mary and once again she gave him that soft look he was unfamiliar with. Before he could taunt her further, Mary tilted her head and guided his face down, letting her lips ghost over a corner of his mouth before moving to the other, soft and sweet. Hypnotised, Fyodor’s eyelids fluttered shut as he relaxed into these teasing touches that, despite being feather-light in their delicacy, made heat rush in his veins like molten metal, erupting out of his heart to his cock and leaving a trail of feverish desire in his veins that demanded more. More contact, more kisses, more pressure.

Fyodor pushed forwards, folding his body over Mary as his hand reached out to grab the back of her neck, only to freeze mid-air as her cold air took the place of her warm flesh. Somewhere he heard an unholy sound, and only after he opened his dark purple yes to find startled brown staring back at him he noticed he was the source of it. He was growling.

In a fraction of a second, Fyodor wondered about the stage he had set for them. Had he misjudged her interest? Hadn’t he offered her enough drinks? How much did she need his help? How much did he need her and her companions? How far could he push? Was everyone in the house still asleep? If she screamed, would anyone come to help?

Brown eyes narrowed slightly and Fyodor swore he saw a glimpse of himself in them; of something aware, astute, and artful. It was there for a moment so short he wasn’t sure he had projected the connection, so before he could let his brain process it, he was once more being subjugated to that look. That nauseatingly soft look no one had ever given him before, and that he did not know what to do with.

Without words, Mary bent the rules of their game and took his turn from him, cancelled aggression with tenderness as she pushed him back against the sofa gently before swinging her leg over his lap to settle herself on his thighs, pulling a pleased hum from deep inside his chest. 

“May I?” Mary asked, hand playing with the flap of his ushanka hat.

Smiling, Fyodor nodded, and Mary pulled the hat off his head. The motion left his hair messy, drawing a giggle from her lips as she combed the knots away so gently he couldn’t help but shut his eyes and relax against the caresses. 

“Your hair is so soft,” Mary murmured, letting Fyodor smell the gin and strawberries on her breath. He felt her fingers dance on his face, collecting his long fringe to push it back and away from his features. “And you’re so beautiful.”

Fyodor’s eyes opened slightly, just enough so he could stare at the rosy lips hovering so close to his. His hands twitched by his sides, unsure where to go or how to touch. He was used to grabbing, pulling, bruising and scratching; not to soft lips or delicate touches dancing over his skin like her hands ghosted over the chess-pieces only minutes before.

Mary’s lips let out a delicious, trembling breath before moving towards him, avoiding his own mouth altogether to give a kiss on his cheek before moving to whisper into his ear: “You feel so tense. Relax.”

Easier said than done, Fyodor thought, turning his head to bury his nose in Mary’s long, black hair and breath in the scent of her shampoo - something citrusy and common that made him light-headed in a way he only felt when his anaemia got the best of him, causing him to black out and wake up stretched on a hospital bed, with an IV bag of O- blood connected to his arm. 

Still, he couldn’t possibly lose consciousness now, not with Mary’s warm body grounding him so sweetly, not with her breasts pressed against his chest and the heat between her legs trapping him against the sofa’s cushions in the best possible way. Gently, like everything she did, Mary finally laid her mouth over his, allowing a whimper to escape the back of her throat when he pressed against her, not as much as he would have liked, but enough to hold back the most violent aspects of his desires, for now.

At the contact, Fyodor’s passive hands took action, sneaking up Mary’s thighs and hips, before slipping under her blouse to rack his short nails over her naked back as he used his hold over her to press her heat harder against his cock. He half-expected her to pull back again, startled at his boldness, but Mary surprised him by letting out a delighted gasp as she tightened her grip on his hair and arched her back, pushing her breasts even more against his chest.

Fyodor took the opportunity and shoved his tongue inside her mouth, groaning as the taste of her invaded his senses. One of his hands danced over Mary’s skin, causing her to shudder as it tickled by her ribs before moving up to her-

“Oh, Dos! Are you in there? Why is the door locked?”

Nikolai’s happy-go-lucky voice breached the door’s barrier, causing Mary to pull back from their kiss, panting. Fyodor’s nails tensed over her skin before his hands relaxed again, dropping to her waist as he sighed and dropped his forehead against her collarbone.

“I guess your debt is paid, Doctor,” Fyodor spoke against her skin. “There’s work to be done.”

“Of course. I have my mission in a couple of hours as well,” Mary agreed as she pulled away to stand up on shaky legs. “It would be best if I got a couple some sleep before it.”

Fyodor glanced down at himself, at the wet spot on the crotch of his pants, and looked up at her through half-lidded eyes with a devil’s smirk. “Think you need a shower too?”

Mary blushed as she straightened her clothes in a modicum of decency. “I guess.”

Fyodor chuckled, but before he could tease her further, Nikolai’s loud voice invaded the room once more, making his eyes roll upwards in exasperation.

“Quiz time! How long until I force the door open? Two minutes? Two seconds?”

“I will leave you two alone,” Mary said. “Excuse me, Mr Dostoevsky.”

Fyodor nodded dismissively, but the look in his eyes was anything but uninterested. “I will see you later… Mary.”

The woman’s breath hitched at having her first name spoken with such heavy desire before she quickly made her escape, almost slamming against Nikolai when she unlocked the door.

“Good morning, Mr Gogol,” she said with a polite smile.

“Good morning, Mary!” He replied enthusiastically, pulling one of her hands to his lips. “What a treat to see your charming figure so early in the day! Don’t tell me Dos has summoned you at such ungodly hours to talk business?”

“Oh no, we were just having a match,” Mary said, pointing to the chessboard on the coffee table. “He wiped the floor with me.”

Nikolai took a few moments to examine the board and what he saw made him raise an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Really? Looks like a tight match to me,” he said, before turning to Mary. “Next time you should invite me so I can cheer you on! Gods, what I wouldn’t give to watch Dos lose a game…”

Mary chuckled and opened her mouth, but Fyodor beat her to the punch. “You wanted to talk, Nikolai?” He called, smiling tightly at the other Russian. “Come in and close the door behind you.”

“Hmm, grumpy,” Nikolai whispered, sharing a conspiratory smile with Mary as he once again kissed the back of her hand. “Lovely to see you, my dear.”

“You too, Mr Gogol. Have a good one,” Mary said before walking away, throwing one last smile in Fyodor’s direction.

Nikolai waved at Mary’s back as she walked away, closing the door once she turned a corner.

“You know,” Nikolai began in Russian, spinning on his heels to face Fyodor. Both men smiled, but the emotions they showed were something dark, almost cruel. “I believe this is the first time I see a woman in a room alone with you leave without tears in her eyes.”

Feet planted on the floor and knees spread, unashamed of his hard-on or the wet spot on the fabric of his pants, Fyodor hummed a little song as he reached for his hat and adjusted it back on his head. Satisfied, he reached forward and grabbed Mary’s fallen king from the board.

“Honestly, my friend,” he said, bringing the piece to his smiling lips. “I do not know what you’re talking about.”

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

ScottyMcGeester Plays Every Final Fantasy Game*

*Okay, all the main games except 11 and 14 since they are online only, and also no spinoffs or sequels.

THE INTRODUCTION

Years ago, I had a goal to finish every Final Fantasy game. As of December 30, 2020, I finally reached that goal. I originally started posting these reviews way back in 2017 on VGF(VIdeo Game Forums), and posted one review after another as I completed each game. I had already finished a few before I started reviewing the series, such as Final Fantasy I, II, VI, IX, and X.

Final Fantasy X was my very first Final Fantasy game, way back when it first came out on the PS2. It took me years to finish that game, mostly because I was still a novice at RPGs and I didn’t quite know what I was doing. Still, the world and concepts of Final Fantasy gripped me. As a sci-fi/fantasy writer, they inspired tons of elements in my stories. The series spans a multitude of genre-bending stories – sci-fi, fantasy, some steampunk, modern fantasy, space, traditional fantasy with knights in armor – and a whole lot of crystals. I wrote these reviews as if you have no idea what Final Fantasy is – whether you are a gamer or non-gamer. This first post is a general introduction to the series as a whole, but even if you are a die-hard fan already, there are some things that I explore that I hope you'll find interesting. What is Final Fantasy? Final Fantasy is a roleplay video game series that started back in 1987. The first game was reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons, where you could choose one of six roles for a team of four: White Mage, Black Mage, Red Mage, Thief, Monk and Warrior. Square, now known as Square Enix, developed the game. A legendary rumor about the title “Final Fantasy” comes from the story that they were on the verge of bankruptcy. They only had money for one more game, a fantasy game. They dubbed it “Final Fantasy.” This apocryphal story is nowhere near true. Square had made video games before and they didn’t do well, but the company itself wasn’t on the verge of bankruptcy. What happened was that the developer, Hironobu Sakaguchi, had planned to retire. He didn’t see any foreseeable future in video gaming with Square’s mediocre performance. He wanted to make a fantasy game and dubbed it “Final Fantasy”, since it was to be his personal last work. He also wanted the game to be abbreviated as “FF” – they originally had “Fighting Fantasy” in mind but that name was already trademarked by a board game. Final Fantasy initially sold 400,000 copies in Japan and became and instant hit. Nintendo of America approached Square to release a localized version for the states. Final Fantasy became far from Sakaguchi’s last game. What’s Final Fantasy about? Every main Final Fantasy game has a new story with new characters and even new gameplay. Some games have direct sequels and are recognizable with a subtitle, or an additional number following a dash. For example, there is Final Fantasy VII, and the direct sequel to that Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. There's a direct sequel to Final Fantasy X titled Final Fantasy X-2. But even though each Final Fantasy game is different, there are still central elements that make them a Final Fantasy game. You can’t just write up a random fantasy story and slap the Final Fantasy name on it. The following elements are what make a Final Fantasy game. Some are obvious while others not so much. Chocobos:

Chocobos were first introduced in Final Fantasy II, but have been present ever since. They are cute, large birds that the characters often ride across fields or sometimes call into battle. They have practically become the mascot of the series. Moogles, Cactuars and Tonberries – oh my!

Moogles (pictured above) are telepathic creatures that help the players, or sometimes they can be a playable character. They debuted in Final Fantasy III.

Cactuars (right) and Tonberries (left) are cute, unassuming enemies that are actually highly dangerous, killing you in one shot if you are not careful or fast enough. The former debuted in Final Fantasy VI while the latter debuted in Final Fantasy V. Summons:

Sometimes they go by different names, like eidolons or espers. Summons are massive, fantastic beasts that you can call upon to aide you in battle to fight the enemy. Summons became a staple ever since Final Fantasy III. In some games, they are merely there to call into battle, while in other games they are central to the story. Airships:

Airships have been present since the first game. They are massive boat-looking airplanes. In the more recent games, airships look almost like spaceships.

Cid:

With the exception of the original Final Fantasy (except in later remakes), every game has a character named Cid. Cid is typically the character who owns an airship.

Items and Magic Spells:

Each game shares virtually all the same items and magic spells. Antidotes. Eye drops. Maiden's kiss. Holy water. Phoenix Down is well-known for reviving knocked-out characters in battle. The spells follow a hierarchy of levels. For example, Cure is the basic spell to heal somebody. The second level spell for healing is Cura. Then Curaga. Then finally Curaja. Most other spells follow the same format. The same high-level spells also frequently appear throughout the games, such as Holy and Flare.

Crystals:

With a few exceptions, crystals appear in nearly every game. They often serve as plot devices, whether they be the force that protects the planet or powerful objects coveted by the enemy. They also oftentimes have a consciousness of their own, communicating with the characters and calling them to their destiny.

Mythological References:

Final Fantasy is riddled with mythological references. Many summons and creatures take the names of mythological creatures or deities, such as Shiva, Bahamut, Leviathan, Behemoth, Odin, and Ifrit. Certain villains share the names of mythological figures or they are derived from certain mythological concepts, such as Gilgamesh and Sephiroth. Many of the games have legendary weapons you can find near the end of the journey. These are typically named after legendary Japanese figures, such as Masamune and Yoichi, or other world mythologies, such as Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. Saving the World:

Final Fantasy isn’t about saving a particular princess, or person for that matter. The ultimate goal is to save the entire world, or even the very fabric of reality. Evil spreads in many ways, such as a sealed darkness trying to break free, empires with ambitious goals, villainous subordinates who pull the strings of politics, or empires destroying the environment. Typically, the main cast consists of characters from all walks of life. They all have to learn to work together and get through their personal struggles to save the world. Existential Crisis (or Startling Revelation):

By the time you reach the third act of a Final Fantasy game, some startling revelation forces the characters to question their very existence. A villain is revealed to be a hero’s family member, a main character realizes they're a clone, another realizes that they cannot live without magic, etc. Typically, the main character questions the nature of their soul, if they die like regular beings and become part of some greater life force, or blink out into oblivion. Whatever the revelation may be – it serves as a final crisis that the characters have to overcome. The Descent into Hell:

Every third act of a Final Fantasy game ends with what I like to call a “descent into hell”. The final dungeon is always some kind of bizarre world. In Final Fantasy II, you literally descend into hell to fight the Emperor. Throughout the series, hell is more metaphorical. The final dungeons can be a massive, sprawling tower or dreadnought, or a strange dimension that appears to have no rhyme or reason. Sometimes I'm reminded of M.C. Escher’s work, “Relativity”, or sometimes it reminds me of some cosmic horror featured in the Cthulhu Mythos. These final dungeons can be inter-dimensional rifts between space and times, pockets in reality, subterranean depths, insane worlds that the villain created, and worlds of darkness. (Final Fantasy IX's Memoria)

(M.C. Escher's “Relativity”)

These stylistic approaches for the final dungeon represent the oncoming battle with the forces of chaos. Fighting God:

After venturing through the surreal and hellish final dungeon, you face the main villain. The main villain always achieves godlike status or the characters actually have to defeat a god in order to save the world from its oppressive reign. Many stories appear to throw in a last minute ultimate god who was pulling the strings of the plot the entire time. The purpose of dealing with gods and goddesses represents the characters’ desire to control their own fate and alter their destiny. Most of these bosses are strange and grotesque, definitely getting a Cthulhu vibe from them. I looked at them and thought, "Christ, what the hell is THAT supposed to be?"

It always feels like THE final fantasy:

Each game, no matter what happens or how it happens, feels like the be-all-end-all of its story – its fictional universe. Direct sequels were unheard of until Final Fantasy X-2, which while fun, was wildly different in tone from the original game, and critics pointed out that it ruined the finality of Final Fantasy X. This is one reason why I think direct sequels to Final Fantasy games fail – what else could the main characters possibly face that is more dangerous than the one they just encountered? Anything else would feel like child’s play to them. NOTABLE PEOPLE Aside from the characters, stories and games themselves, the people behind the series have achieved legendary status. Nobuo Uematsu:

The original composer of Final Fantasy. Uematsu single-handedly scored the first 9 Final Fantasy games. Uematsu surprisingly never had any formal training in music – a trait that would ostracize any composer, such as Danny Elfman. I find that the those who haven't had any formal training usually break the mold with music. Uematsu started working for Square at around 25 for the first Final Fantasy game, starting out with nothing and never suspecting his job would lead him where he is now. His music is unique for incorporating elements of classic and progressive rock, specifically in the battle themes. Uematsu’s themes for each game have achieved instant recognition in the gaming world, as recognizable as the theme to Star Wars or James Bond. Tetsuya Nomura:

Tetsuya Nomura is a video game designer and director who started at Square in 1990. He rose to prominence when he was given full control of designing the characters for Final Fantasy VII – arguably the most popular Final Fantasy game to date because of its characters: Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Vincent Valentine and Sephiroth. Nomura went on to create more legendary characters for Final Fantasy VIII, X and XIII. Yoshitaka Amano:

Amano is the artist whose work is most known now in Final Fantasy. He has done concept art and design for every game in the series. His style is instantly recognizable. He has also drawn for many anime shows, comics and mangas, such as Vampire Hunter D and Sandman: The Dream Hunters.

And last but certainly not least - THE MUSIC Final Fantasy has left its mark in the musical soundtrack of video games. Each game more or less shares three of the same memorable tracks.

The Prelude:

The Victory Fanfare:

The Final Fantasy Main Theme:

THE REVIEWS

Each review I post will critique major aspects of each Final Fantasy game, such as its gameplay, graphics, story, and music. Today is currently January 3, 2020 (technically the 4th when I post this because it’s past midnight), and I will be posting one review per day so as to not lose my sanity editing and formatting everything at once here. So look forward to the very first review tomorrow starting with the very first Final Fantasy game.

[nooowestayandgetcaught]

ALL 40 BAYBEE!!!!! GIMME SUM ANSWERS

5) Share one of your strengths.

Being,,, prolific?? ?????? ??? ???????????

6) Share one of your weaknesses.

My own mind. No really I'm basically my own worst enemy because I'm too much of a perfectionist and hate myself and mess myself up.

7) Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Stars are the many, many eyes left behind of the Old Gods.

Arya heard this before. She's heard that the stars are the last of the Weeping Lady's tears. They are the eternally bleeding wounds of the Great Shepard according to the Dothraki. They are the drops of poison given to Baelor the Beloved as he laid asleep. They are the immortal sparks of R'hallor's breath. Arya believes the stars are nothing. They exist in a chasm of darkness and death, and no-one is meant to understand why.

Evermore (T, Arya Stark & Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones, 1179 words)

I HAD A LOT OF FUN GOING THROUGH WESTOROS MYTHOLOGY AND TALES IN HISTORY TO MAKE THAT PART. AND THEN WRITING OUT ARYA'S THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.

8) Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

"I liked this shirt, you know," Will complains faintly.

Behind him, one of the car-windows rattle. A badly burned hand emerges from the smoke, clawing helplessly.

"We will find you another," Hannibal tells him, disregarding the murderer's intense, gagging screams.

"That's not the point."

"You're holding on needlessly to the limited value of your material possessions, Will. That's not like you." Hannibal lightly clucks his tongue as if disapproving, approaching him and thumbing down Will's jaw. He's warm and wet, and glorious. He's evolving.

"Says the man who buys Patek Philippe wristwatches," Will retorts softly. "For his own pleasure."

The corner of Hannibal's mouth smirks.

"And what kind of pleasure exists within your mind's eye right now, Will?"

"Ripping out your jugular vein with my teeth," Will murmurs, stroking his lambskin-gloved thumb against Hannibal's neck.

"I would be honored."

The Crescendo Of Dying Screams (M, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal (TV), 908 words)

THIS IS JUST FUN!!! THEY WERE FUN TO WRITE FOR AGAIN AND I HAVE NOT WRITTEN FOR HANNIGRAM IN A WHILE!!

13) What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Even if you think it sucks,,,, write it down anyway and then fix it later. The important part is to write and start writing.

14) What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Thankfully,,, I don't think I've come across any yet.

15) If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

I would love to see Perambulate (G, Princess Bubblegum/Marceline & Prince Gumball/Marshall Lee, Adventure Time, 1358 words) done in a comic at least because I NEED THESE TWO CANON COUPLES TO MEET AND BE SILLY. CANON WLW AND MLM.

16) If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

NOT REALISTIC. I DO NOT FUNCTION LIKE THAT

17) Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

I start out from beginning to ending but sometimes I gotta skip around to keep it going if I get stuck.

18) Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

*shrugs*

19) Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

It's probably a little moth trapped in a jar and beating itself senselessly against the glass, but it kind of enjoys it??

20) Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Wrapped in a blanket, alone in my room with headphones and music blasting, with a large water bottle and a little bit of chocolate.

21) How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Depends really! Sometimes I'll go through and correct once, and sometimes I will go through like 14 times in one day!

24) Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

I have! I will upload it again sometime but like,,,,, the person I had made it for in an AO3 fest basically fucked off and me removing it was me going "nah fuck this,,,, it ain't yours anymore!!!"

27) How do you feel about collaborations?

I have done them! I think they're nice! I do not like long term collaboration projects but for a oneshot, yes!

28) Share your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

@glove23 - I look up to this fic writer so much! They have been battling depression and anxiety, and the complexities of their ADHD, for such a long time and whenever they post something,,, I get so excited! I'm really proud of them! It's hard enough for me to write on a bad mental health day, and I know the struggle they go through, and it's INCREDIBLE to see what they can do! They have been writing since they were young and it really shows how much they love writing and how hard they work on getting the characterization and dialogue to be spot on! Obsessed with their work! (AO3)

@not-so-mundane-after-all-97 - What a powerhouse! Incredible writing and fantastic handling of how she structures plot! Constantly in awe of the ideas she has and when they are well-executed (and they are all of the time)! If you are a fan of Will/Lyra from HDM, this is the person to go to for quality! I promise! (AO3)

other writers I really like are @spookywitchnerd24, @theschubita, @anxiouss-princess, @asajjvxntress, @kingburu, @rapha-writes

29) If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

ngl I really wanna do the "they get back from horse riding and Aleksander refuses to leave Alina's side while she's getting healed" sequel to you are too well tangled in my soul by @glove23

31) Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

Meh. It depends on the thing I'm writing.

32) How do you feel about smut?

I write it all of the time and read it all of the time. I don't think it's a big deal at all. I respect that it's uncomfy for a lot of people

33) How do you feel about crack?

It's fun! And it can be done well! I saw more crack fic being done back in,,,, like the early 00s and now I don't see it as much,,,,, sad

34) What are your thoughts on non-con and dub-con?

You know what,,, I was just discussing the psychology of why noncon fic is so popular on AO3 (and I have written it before and to my surprise IT GETS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF VIEWS) and,,, I think the key components to answering this question is understanding that 1) AO3 allows noncon fic to exist therefore it's a dumping ground and 2) rape culture is so embedded into US-centric society especially and 3) there's a lot of traumatized people on AO3 and likely creating noncon to process what happened to them and 4) it's a taboo subject and humanity has been drawn to and obsessed with what is taboo since forever,,,, and tbh the taboo is fascinating to me! It does draw me in! I have written for it and I've read it, and I think it's important to ask questions and examine why we do this!

35) Would you ever kill off a canon character?

HELL YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. I HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN!! I prefer more "oh my god they're dead--OH! now they're alive! yayyyyy!" over permanent character death

36) Which is your favorite site to post fic?

AO3. AO3 is queen. I'm not gonna badmouth FFN and Wattpad in terms of people who go there because that's your business however FFN and Wattpad are largely restrictive and mainstream corporate owned areas of interest that don't give a single shit about their users.

38) Talk about a review that made your day.

Whenever my writer friends comment on my fic,,, I literally get emotional. Like those are my favorite comments to see :)

39) Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

BE SAD FOR HALF A SECOND AND THEN FIGHT.

[shaolin-spin-doctor]

a Very Heated Battle of The Realms review

No spoilers:

It was bad. Really bad.

Scorpion's Revenge wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but it was good enough to get me hyped for this movie. Eye-catching style, outstanding animation and an interesting enough story to get you hooked despite its overall lack of depth - if the first installment could have all these things, surely the sequel would improve on them and be even better, right? Right????

Wrong.

This movie sucks. Sure, the first few minutes are entertaining, if pretty uninspired, CageBlade is cute, and the Subzero / Scorpion subplot in and of itself is actually pretty decent, but it fails in pretty much every other aspect - most of the characters are barely even... well, characters, the plot feels all over the place, the fights are short and uninteresting, the animation is lackluster... And the ending. Oh my god, the ending. I want to know who in their right mind looked at that and said "yep, seems about right!". The rest of the movie had been whatever-ish, but it completely lost me at that point. Some Annihilation level bullshit, I'm telling you.

All in all... Only watch this movie if you want some background noise, are drunk with a couple of friends, want to see some mindless violence for an hour and 20 minutes, or are a subscorp shipper and can ignore everything else in favor of their scenes. If you aren't in any of those categories, please spare yourself the headache and don't even look at it. Forget it exists. It's not worth it, not one bit.

As a side note that has nothing to do with the base movie itself, if you're a Spanish speaker and are thinking of watching the Latin American dub... Don't. Please don't. The audio mixing is disgusting and whoever directed the voice actors didn't even try, so everyone's bored and unenthusiastic all the time and it really just makes an already unimpressive experience worse. If you really need to watch this, do it in English for your own sake.

Spoilers:

LISTEN. I swear this has nothing to do with Lao getting murdered. Y'all know I was fully prepared for it to happen, and was not surprised at all when his was the most brutal death in the entire movie. In fact, I was actually kind of excited (sad, too. but still excited), since the whole thing up until that point had been a complete drag and I was sincerely hoping we'd get some actual action from it. Sadly, it was not the case, and instead Liu Kang got a Dragon Ball Super level powerup... and whatever the FUCK the ending was. Legitimately, I screamed when he turned into a dragon - I wanted it to happen, but in a BADASS way, like the games, y'know? Instead we got... that, and I think my father said it best when he described his presence as a "dying asthmatic shrimp". aND SHINNOK?? WHAT THE FUCK?? I fully believed his appearance was gonna be setup for a subsequent movie, ESPECIALLY when Shao Kahn grabbed Kitana - i thought he was gonna kill her at first, and then we'd have the main group of revenants (sans Liu Kang) for Shinnok to call upon, and I was kind of hopeful that perhaps they would explore them better in the future and give us the Legends version of mkx or something like that - but he ended up just. being a Big Evil Monster. His defeat was so stupid, too?? Idek man I can't even begin to describe how dumb and nonsensical and pathetic the whole ending was. Legitimately one of the worst endings for any movie I've ever seen in my entire life, not even kidding.

L/iutana came out of NOWHERE. I adore this ship with my life, but it was so poorly set up i was left absolutely flabbergasted when they kissed. What the fuck? Cageblade was okay because of the setup in the previous movie and the little development the two had in this one, but L/iutana was just. God. Legitimately. If you aren't even going to bother writing a romance in a slightly believable way or give it any development, why bother writing it at all????

Speaking of Liu, I don't know about you, but I didn't connect with him at all here???? See, he's supposed to be the protagonist, but he gets barely any development and his spotlight is constantly being stolen by Scorpion and Subzero. Yes, I know he's just as flat in the original games and he's only began developing his own personality fairly recently, but you had so much potential for him, both as a person and with the potential lore attached to him. Why did the Tarkatans kill his family? Why did he get a random powerup and managed to lift Shang Tsung's "curse" (which, by the way, was completely pointless), which only Raiden was supposed to be able to heal? The only thing I liked about him was his chemistry with Raiden, who is also one of the only few highlights of this movie for me, and everything else... Nothing, really. Hell, he doesn't even talk to Kung Lao ONCE. For a man he's supposed to consider his brother, you'd think they'd have at least a single scene of them together - at least as a way to display their bond, if the writers really didn't want to give them any real character traits aside from "good guys with pure hearts" - but no. That's partly why Lao's death didn't carry any weight - yes, it didn't lead to anything, but it hadn't been set up at all, either. Same with Stryker. He was just a guy who happened to get involved, said two lines, and then died. He had no real relationship with anyone in the group, so his death was completely unimportant, and really, if he had just vanished, just like those rain clouds that appeared to soak Liu after Raiden's death for like 2 seconds before going away without a trace right in the next sequence, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

Really, he, Lao and Smoke might as well have been cut, and it wouldn't have made any difference. It's sad.

All in all... I didn't like this movie at all, except for a very few things here and there. I know it's supposed to be Mortal Kombat, and people are always gonna defend it by saying the story doesn't matter, but... Why shouldn't it? Why can't we have a good Mortal Kombat story with better thought out plotlines and characters? And if we can't have that, why can't we at least have coherent fights? This movie had a lot of potential, and it was just tossed out the window. I'll be salty about this for a while.

[kittyprincessofcats]

She-Ra S5 E05 - Save the Cat

ARE YOU READY TO HEAR MY THOUGHTS ON THE BEST SHE-RA EPISODE EVER? SO AM I!

Sorry this took so long. I was pretty nervous to talk about this episode, to be honest, because I love it so much and was scared I’d forget something or wouldn’t do it justice. Don’t know if I still need to say this at this point (since it’s been so long), but there will be spoilers for the rest of the season in this post!

- First of all, and I’ve already talked about this in my review of Stranded, but I need to say it again: Just the premise that Adora is going back to save Catra from Horde Prime really makes their story come full circle: Back in the pilot, Adora left the Horde without Catra, and Catra has been accusing her of “leaving her behind” ever since. In Catra’s mind, Adora leaving the Horde meant that Adora didn’t care about her, and it’s been a huge source of grief and bitterness for her. And now, so many seasons later, even after Catra has hurt so many people, even after she’s asked Adora not to come for her, Adora is literally walking up to Horde Prime himself (way more dangerous than Hordak’s version of the Horde) and endangering her mission and the entire world because she doesn’t want to leave Catra behind again. Because Catra means that much to her. It’s such good storytelling! If Corridors was what started Catra’s redemption, then I think Save the Cat is what redeemed Adora in Catra’s eyes (or at least, what made her understand that Adora does care about her).

- I love how determined Adora looks in that beginning shot. That’s the look of a girl about to go save her gf!

- I thought it was a bit strange that the clones didn’t notice that Adora’s talking to the others on her way to Prime, but since Prime later reveals he knows her friends are there, they probably actually did notice and just didn’t say anything.

- I wish they’d kept that scene of Glimmer having a more elaborate flashback, but I get that they just didn’t have the time for it.

- I love how Entrapta just goes *heart eyes* at the many clones. And Bow asking if they’d believe they’re the inspectors 😂 - great way to bring back that gag.

- “You would never risk the safety of your Catra.” PRIME SHIPS IT. No, seriously though - Prime says he “sees all” (and we know he’s seen Catra’s thoughts) and he said “your” Catra. This, and some other lines in this episode, made me realize it would be canon. (Also, fun fact, because I watched some bits of this show in other languages for fun: As awful as the French dub is for changing that “Kyle had a crush on Rogelio” line to “Catra had a crush on Rogelio”, in this instant they did really well: In French, Prime goes a step further and says “your precious Catra” instead of just “your Catra”.)

- The way Prime touches his clones is so creepy.

- Entrapta asking Wrong Hordak (thinking he’s Hordak) if he recognizes her made me so emotional. I wasn’t even that into Entrapdak back in s2/s3, but the way their relationship was written in season 5 really made me ship it. It’s about the PINING, the LONGING, the TRAGEDY, the way his memories of her make him overcome two mindwipes... I’m here for it!

- I always wonder if it hurts Entrapta when someone grabs her by the hair. Since her hair is magical and all that.

- “We’re not keeping him.” “But we broke him! We’re responsible for him now.” Okay, I love Wrong Hordak. I love how Bow talks about ‘keeping’ him as if he was a pet. And I also like how Entrapta immediately realizes how useful having him around could be. Also, I love that they name him “Wrong Hordak” and seriously just keep calling him that. 😂

- “I don’t fight for the first ones. I fight for my home, for myself and for my friends.” I honestly really like that the show never showed us the first ones or Adora’s birth family. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing, but I like the message that it doesn’t really matter where she came from - Etheria is her home and what she’s fighting for and that’s enough.

- “Of course, your Catra.” He said it again!

- “She hoped you would come for her, poor thing.” Oh, the angst is real, I love it! Just thinking about Catra (who’d told Adora to stay away) eventually getting so scared that she started to wish Adora would come for her after all... I love angsty stuff like this.

- Oh, that first look of Catra with the gelled back hair and green eyes is so properly creepy.

- When Wrong Hordak complained about the ship being designed “so that it may only be navigated by one who access to the hivemind” it reminded me of Entrapta’s castle that only she can navigate. I think some people have pointed out before that Entrapta and Horde Prime are foils to each other (especially when it comes to Hordak), so that’s a really nice parallel there.

- How did Glimmer manage to open that door when she’s running from the clones? I thought only the clones could open them? Is that a mistake, or is there some canon explanation?

- “What did you do to her?” Oh, I love it when Adora’s so worried about Catra. These two and how cute they are will be the death of me.

- Oh, Prime’s so creepy when he touches Catra... I love him as a villain, but I love to hate him, you know?

- “My place is with Horde Prime, Adora. I don’t want to leave.” Can we talk about the parallel between this line, and Catra insisting back in season 1 (in Promise, I think) that she doesn’t want to leave the Horde?

- “You broke my heart.” I mean, come on! That’s gay!

- Catra and Adora’s fight is so tragic because it’s the first time they’re fighting but both genuinely don’t want to hurt each other.

- “I’m not leaving without you.” Exactly what Catra wanted to hear from Adora back in The Sword Part 2 - You know what I said in the beginning of this post about their story coming full circle?

- “I don’t wanna hurt you!” “But you have already hurt me.” This is supreme lesbian drama, and it’s so good! (I’ve been waiting so long for a show to give a lesbian romance this kind of attention!)

- Adora’s terrified expression when Catra almost lets herself fall is so painful. And the way she hugs Catra afterwards... my heart.

- Catra and Horde Prime talking together is creepy in just the right way.

- “I always hated that guy in particular.” Hell yes, Glimmer!

- “She was afraid in the end. And she suffered. Perhaps I will make her my new vessel, though she would not last me long.” Oh, the angst hurts so good, I love it! (Why do I love seeing my faves suffer?) Also, this slicked back hairstyle on Catra looks kind of amazing.

- “Why did you come back? We both know I don’t matter.” “You matter to me.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Yes, tell her, Adora! Tell her you care! Don’t let her talk herself down like that!

- “Come on, Catra! You’ve never listened to anyone in your life. Are you really going to start now?” I love how this is what gets through to her. I could also just quote the entire dialogue from here because everything about it is pure perfection:

Catra: “You’re such an idiot.”

Adora: [smiling and crying] “Yeah. I know.”

Catra: [laughs]

Adora: “I’m going to take you home.”

Catra: “Promise?”

Adora: “I promise.”

Catra: “Adora...”

I mean, what do I even say to that? Catra affectionately calling Adora an idiot, the callback to Promise, how Adora doesn’t hesitate to say “I promise”, how Catra breaks free of Prime’s control... it’s all so perfect. 😭

- Adora just not hesitating to jump after Catra - that’s love, holy shit!

- God, Aimee’s voice acting when Adora cradles Catra... so good. (And that’s their childhood theme playing in the background.) Didn’t Aimee (or someone else?) say on Twitter that that was intentional since your most vulnerable moments make you feel like a child again, or something like that?

- Adora’s transformation into She-Ra gives me chills every single time. Best scene in the entire show, don’t @ me (or at least second best after the kiss). The way she cradles Catra’s lifeless body, Horde Prime’s taunting words, and then she opens those glowing eyes... amazing. And what makes it even better is that this is her first proper transformation after breaking the sword. We got a tease of it in Stranded, but this is when She-Ra really comes back, and it’s her love for Catra that enables her to transform. PERFECTION.

- “You miscalculated.” Yeah, you miscalculated how gay she is.

- Entrapta whistling Darla over like a dog is amazing. 😂

- Adora carrying Catra bridal style while that epic music plays... I’m living!

- Also, side-note: Adora’s new She-Ra look is SO MUCH BETTER than the old one! She also seems a lot stronger now - look at that fancy stuff she can do with the new sword! (I like the idea that the Sword of Protection was only holding her true power back.)

- That healing scene! Adora’s healed people before, but it’s never looked this gay. And Catra waking up and saying “Hey Adora” is just so fitting.

- That hug... I’m not crying, you’re crying. They’re finally together! And Catra’s clinging to Adora so tightly! 😭 Also, she’s purring! (When I first watched this ep with my sisters, one of them literally went “Finally!” at this moment - mood.)

- Hordak finding the LUVD-Crystal and saying Entrapta’s name also gives me chills. I also just realized that he thought Entrapta was dead until this moment - holy hell!

- One more thing I love about this episode is that their plan to save Catra actually worked. Because it’s a plan that seems so stupid and risky at first, and while you’re watching you kind of expect it to go completely wrong and expect Horde Prime to catch them... and then it seems like he does, only for Adora and her friends to turn things around and succeed. I love that.

- Another thing worth pointing out is the whole symbolism of Catra’s death and rebirth and how it marks the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

So yeah, this is the best She-Ra episode ever, I rest my case. Before I watched season 5, I expected it to be gay (I even estimated the chances of Catradora becoming canon at around 70%), but I didn’t expect it to be THIS gay. This episode went beyond my wildest dreams and expectations. Horde Prime saying “your Catra” twice, that whole “You broke my heart / Prime has set me free of that pain” talk, Adora being so scared for Catra during their fight and so determined to save her, the whole “I’m going to take you home / I promise” part, Adora jumping after Catra and cradling her in her arms, her love for Catra bringing back She-Ra, the bridal carry, the healing scene, the hug, and I could go on. Noelle said on twitter that there were two versions of this episode and the gay version is what we ended up getting - AND IT SHOWS.

This is when I knew for sure that Catradora was going to be canon. Before season 5, I gave it a chance of 70%. After those little hints in the first few episodes, I said 80%. But after Save the Cat, I was 100% sure. I basically already considered it canon after this. I kept wondering how it would happen, but the "if" wasn’t a question to me anymore - so I decided to just lean back and enjoy the ride through the rest of the season :)

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[arteriplussprice]

Arteris Plus Reviews is a supplement that was made for high blood pressure. This disease is dubbed the “silent killer” as it hits individuals with lightning-fast speeds without a single warning. High blood pressure is indeed a really nasty thing to meet. This is the reason why it is always advised to do regular check-ups of your current health condition. If you detect and take precautions regarding the matter, it would not escalate to a life-threatening condition that may leave you blind or mumbled in speech for the rest of your days.

Product Name – Arteris Plus

Composition – Natural

Side-Effects – Nothing

Availability – Online

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Official Website: Click Here

Arteris Plus Reviews presents itself as the solution to all of this. It is an anti-high blood pressure supplement that deals with the problem at its core with 100% all-natural ingredients that are proven to have no side effects, unlike their synthetic counterparts. However, that sounds too good to be true, which is why we’ll be doing a full-length review regarding this matter. We’ll assess whether this supplement works or not and observe both the benefits and downsides of this product from an unbiased scientific point of view. As an added bonus, I also tried Arteris Plus to provide an accurate review! I also have high blood pressure, so I decided to give it a try.

[Watch] Control Your Blood Pressure With This Hidden South Korean Breathing Method

What is Arteris Plus?

    Arteris Plus is a supplement that aims to lower the blood pressure of individuals experiencing hypertension. This cardiovascular problem is usually caused by the lifestyle choices that we make throughout our life. So in that sense, we can either use the Arteris Plus supplement as a form of treatment or preventive measure to stop high blood pressure from even taking place.

Arteris Plus comprises five ingredients that provide substantial relief from hypertension caused by multiple sources, including external and internal ones. This is one of the most glaring traits of this supplement. Why? It is because supplements with five ingredients or less are rare in the industry. If the creator, hidden under a pen name John Mayers, chose these five ingredients, they must work exponentially against hypertension. On the other hand, this type of line-up doesn’t cover all bases at once. Arteries Plus ingredients are all-natural and have been sourced from the purest locations on the planet.

Arteris Plus comes in bottles of 60 capsules each. These bottles are suitable for 30 days, which is the average period that each supplement bottle lasts. This supplement is made for individuals 18 years old and above. It should not be taken by minors and children. In addition, upon initial observation, you mustn’t take this supplement if you have milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, and crustacean allergies since Arteris Pro is made in a facility that also processes such substances.

Arteris Plus at First Glance

Our first impression with Arteris Plus certainly comes in positive. Since it has fewer ingredients than usual, you can say that the creators of this product are more than sure that this combination would work. Furthermore, their honesty regarding allergic interactions is more than welcome. This certainly puts this supplement at a more credible stance. The only thing not credible is their privacy of the creator’s name and office location. According to their official website’s disclaimer, the name John Mayers is a pen name. Furthermore, the location of their distribution office is the same as most of the dietary supplements currently for sale.

Moving on, let’s take a look at the ingredient roster of Arteris Plus to assess whether this supplement really works or not.

[Watch] Discover The Unbelievable Simple Way To Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure Levels!

What are the ingredients of Arteris Plus?

Arteris Plus has an impressive list of ingredients for a dietary supplement. Often, nutritional supplements have ten or more components on their list. However, Arteris Plus only has five. Being this sure about the ingredients meant that Arteris Plus was made to work with precision. I bet this has stimulated your curiosity by now. So, let’s take a look at these five well-esteemed ingredients of Arteris Plus from a factual scientific point of view.

    Arteris Plus ingredients are as follows:

Passionflower

Marshmallow Root

Corydalis Lutea

Prickly Pear

California Poppy Seed

Passionflower

Passionflower is mainly used as a calming agent for anxious people about multiple things in their lifetime. According to studies, passionflower can be taken by mouth to reduce such negative emotional behavior symptoms. Furthermore, individuals also take passionflower at least one to two hours before surgery to minimize their anxious thoughts before going “on the table.” While it is not yet sure if passionflower can also lower our blood pressure, its calming effect may be more than enough to drop our blood pressure to manageable stats.

Marshmallow Root

This ingredient is commonly used for a wide variety of things. Primarily, it can provide temporary relief to coughs and other upper respiratory issues that you may come across during your day. It can also help your wounds in healing faster than usual, thanks to its antioxidative properties. In addition, since it’s an antioxidant, it can reliably make your skin better by protecting the cellular integrity of the said organ. Sometimes, marshmallow root can also lessen your pain, even though it is not a reliable painkiller at most times. Also, some people use marshmallow root as a digestive remedy for their usual tummy pains. However, marshmallow root is in Arteris Plus because it has been found that this substance can lower a person’s cholesterol levels if taken for a month.

Corydalis Lutea

Also known as the yellow corydalis, this flowering herb can relieve pain to a certain extent. In particular, Corydalis Lutea can provide numbing effects for inflammatory types of pain such as toothaches and lessen the overall discomfort that one feels in an injury. Better yet, yellow corydalis can stimulate the production of serotonin, which can combat anything from mild depression, emotional disturbances, and stressful occurrences – all of which can heighten our overall blood pressure.

Prickly Pear

Also known by their alternative name nopal, prickly pears are actually excellent natural remedies for high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It can also help people overcome their sense of being hungover after a long night of celebration. However, the primary purpose of prickly pears lies in their antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. With these benefits in mind, prickly pears are excellent choices for a dietary supplement that focuses on blood pressure, such as Arteris Plus. If we lessen our blood’s cholesterol and glucose levels, it becomes less “syrupy,” leading to diminished overall blood pressure. The anti-inflammatory trait really helps as well. As for prickly pears being antiviral, studies have shown that our blood pressure can rise if our bodies are exposed to viral threats from the inside.

California Poppy Seed

This ingredient is perhaps the most unsure among them all. California poppy seeds have been heavily used in supplements for their hints at being effective, but research shows insufficient evidence to push this substance towards public use. Still, what’s written on paper is different when played out in real life. According to testimonies (I included), California poppy seeds have effectively diminished their anxiety, leading to their more relaxed state. With relaxation comes the remedy for insomnia. California poppy seeds are also known to act as a pain reliever and quell episodes of nocturia, which is another term for excessive peeing in the middle of the night. Again, these claims still have insufficient evidence, but it would seem that we’re closer to finding out the truth soon enough as more studies about the substance emerge.

Arteris Plus Ingredients Review

The five ingredients of Arteris Plus all have their perks, but they seem to work as intended in lowering our blood pressure in general. To address the elephant in the room, most of the ingredients in this product lower our overall anxiety levels. With that said, it works best as a “hormone balancing” supplement rather than an anti-hypertension type of supplement. However, a calmer person has less of a high blood pressure problem, which can make this move legal in terms of dietary supplements in general.

Furthermore, several Arteris Plus ingredients can relieve pain. Ranging from mild to average types of pain, it would seem that Arteris Plus likes to take away the negative influences of our life to manipulate the pressure that we’re getting from the constantly aging bloodstream that we have right now. Indeed, a peaceful life can produce fewer episodes of hypertension since there’s nothing to make us mad.

Lastly, Arteris Plus has an ingredient that does the traditional way. The prickly pear can lower your blood cholesterol level, which in turn can reduce the instances of fat blocking your arteries and veins. With fewer narrowed blood vessels, you get relatively normal blood pressure levels throughout your whole body.

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What does Arteris Plus do?

Judging from what we have learned above about the Arteris Plus ingredients, we can conclude that this supplement deals with calming down our emotions to mitigate the chance of having episodes of hypertension in the long run. There’s also the added benefit that the prickly pear can reduce your overall cholesterol and glucose levels, so chances are, your blood pressure will really go down to normal levels after using this supplement constantly for at least six months.

That is from a scientific point of view. However, the manufacturers of Arteris Plus have another purpose that they expressed in the promotional video found on their official website. According to their side of the story, Arteris Plus lowers our blood pressure by ensuring that our carotid body, which is a clump of receptor cells found on our carotid artery, functions well according to plan. Now, this carotid body can detect changes in the oxygen saturation of an individual. If the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream is low, it speeds up the flow of oxygen towards our brain in an attempt to save it from oxygen starvation. Naturally, this leads to higher blood pressure. With that said, Arteris Plus attempts to calm our carotid body so that it wouldn’t overreact, so to speak.

These two explanations actually match up to each other. The scientific one took a more direct approach, while the promotional explanation dealt with something that isn’t really the case. Still, it can happen to people with abnormal carotid body receptors. Unfortunately, as of the moment, there is no way of knowing if your carotid body is functioning well or not. For all we know, it might be damaged. In that case, we’ll have to depend on the antioxidants of Arteris Plus to protect the receptor cells and do their job.

How does Arteris Plus work?

  Arteris Plus is one of those supplements that just works from the start. It doesn’t require explanation; it just does. Arteris Plus can revolutionize how people manage their high blood pressure levels. However, some individuals may experience no effects from the supplement because each individual has different tolerances to different substances. Even though that is the case, there is still a high chance of Arteris Plus working on people like you and me.

Arteris Plus works by:

Giving enough calming ingredients to alleviate certain hormonal feelings

Reducing the level of blood sugar and cholesterol in our body

Switching our blood pressure back from high to normal levels

Giving enough calming ingredients to alleviate certain hormonal feelings

Arteris Plus is chockful of anxiety-reducing ingredients that it’s enough to make you calm throughout your day. In some cases, ingredients found in each capsule of Arteris Plus can reduce symptoms of stress and depression. But, while that’s happening, Arteris Plus can also pump and stimulate you with serotonin, which is the happiness hormone, to numb your pain and motivate you to do the things you love.

Reducing the level of blood sugar and cholesterol in our body

Once that’s all and done, your blood glucose and cholesterol levels are reduced by some ingredients found in Arteris Plus. This is mainly done by the prickly pear and the antioxidants found within the supplement in general. With reduced blood sugar and cholesterol levels present in our bloodstream, it becomes easier for blood to flow to where it’s needed, lessening the burden on the arteries and lowering the chance of high blood pressure in the long run.

Switching our blood pressure back from high to normal levels

With the two-pronged approach of fixing our blood parameters and balancing our hormones to normal, our blood pressure should improve over time. With better blood pressure levels, you can enjoy life to the fullest without getting scared that you might experience a stroke very soon.

How long does it take for Arteris Plus to work?

Arteris Plus is a supplement that takes time to work. Therefore, it does not work immediately but rest assured, it would work as long as you take it religiously without stopping. At best, you’ll feel and see the effects of Arteris Plus after one to two weeks of use. Once you go back to borderline normal blood pressure levels, you’re already on your road to recovery. The telltale sign that Arteris Plus is working for your body is that you’re experiencing relaxing sensations that you’ve never felt before. Think of the time when you have stressed just a few days ago, and then think of the present. Is the difference startingly vast? Then, the supplement may be already taking hold inside your body!

For best results, you need to take Arteris Plus for around three to six months to see the maximum possible effects. While this may seem to be a very long time, supplements that have something to do with our hormones and blood pressure levels sometimes take a while to work to their fullest extent. If we up the dosage of this supplement, something terrible may happen to you. Therefore, taking the right amounts of this supplement is crucial for it to work to the maximum potential that it could bring from the start.

MUST SEE REPORT: One Simple Way To Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure Levels

What is the recommended dosage of Arteris Plus?

The recommended dosage of Arteris Plus is two capsules per day. Therefore, a bottle containing 60 capsules each translates to a solid 30-day supply of the said supplement at hand. It doesn’t dictate when you should take the supplement, but it is advised to be taken with your first meal of the day. After that, drink the capsules with a full glass of water, and you should be fine.

One thing, though, you can take only one capsule of Arteris Plus daily if you want to take it slow. However, you’ll get to your end goal much slower than usual if you happen to do that. While taking one capsule a day is undoubtedly acceptable, taking three or more capsules of Arteris Plus is not. Side effects may occur if you overdose with Arteris Plus, so great care is needed to prevent yourself from succumbing to such unfortunate events.

What are the benefits of Arteris Plus?

Arteris Plus is a supplement that contains few ingredients yet has many benefits packed in one bundle. It can be compared to a work of art. The simplicity it bestows translates to the complexity that focuses on lowering our blood pressure levels in general.

In particular, Arteris Plus benefits are as follows:

Lower blood pressure levels

Better hormonal balance

Relief from mild pains

Better blood parameters

Lesser incidence of nocturia and insomnia

Lower blood pressure levels

Arteris Plus wouldn’t be made without this primary goal in mind. With lower blood pressure levels, you can achieve a perfectly safe life full of security from a stroke that may take away your life at any minute. Lower blood pressure levels can also mean that your blood can supply your whole body with the right amounts of oxygen to function properly throughout your entire day. Lower blood pressure levels can also mitigate headaches from setting in, causing you to think clearer and better about what you need to do in the following hours.

Better hormonal balance

With several anxiety-reducing, stress-reducing, and depression-reducing properties found in each capsule of Arteris Plus, you are made sure that you won’t succumb to these increasingly common problems that are arising each passing day of your lives. In addition, the ingredients of Arteris Plus can also promote the production of serotonin, which in turn can make us happier and more energetic in our outlook in life. As you can imagine, a better hormonal balance can make the quality of your life much better than usual.

Relief from mild pains

Sometimes, our body is pained to the point that our blood pressure rises rapidly. This is particularly true if we have an injury of some sort or if we have mild pains such as headaches and such. In that matter, Arteris Plus has the right ingredients suitable for mitigating pain for individuals who are suffering from such. With less pain, your blood pressure shouldn’t shoot up so uncontrollably than usual.

Better blood parameters

Arteris Plus lowers blood pressure and lowers your blood glucose and cholesterol levels in general. This is because of the antioxidative effects that are found in most ingredients listed in Arteris Plus. With lower blood sugar levels, our blood will become less syrupy, therefore considerably lessening the blood pressure in the process. The same can be said for lower cholesterol levels, whereas only this time, less cholesterol that blocks the lining of the arteries will mean less blood pressure in general. In short, Arteris Plus is the perfect cardiovascular solution for your everyday needs.

Lesser incidence of nocturia and insomnia

Last but not least, Arteris Plus also has its own benefits when it comes to nocturia and insomnia. Nocturia, as was explained before, is the uncontrollable urge to pee during the night. No, this is not the same as benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate. To clarify, nocturia is just urinary incontinence during the middle of the night. Meanwhile, insomnia is the inability of one person to sleep right at night. Research has shown that having fewer amounts of sleep can lead to higher blood pressure, and so it’s nice that this supplement actually has this perk to go along with its blood pressure stabilizing benefits at once.

What are the side effects of Arteris Plus?

Arteris Plus ingredient side effects are clearly out of the question. If one is following the product’s proper dosages, they wouldn’t have any side effects whatsoever. However, if one tries to overdose with Arteris Plus (e.g., go three or more capsules a day), they might be exposed to life-threatening side effects that may damage their overall state of life.

With that said, possible Arteris Plus side effects that may arise through overdosage include:

Hypotension

Loss of coordination

Drowsiness

Upset stomach

Excessive happiness

Hypotension

Too many ingredients that can lower blood pressure levels can put you on the opposite side of the spectrum. Hypotension refers to the condition where you have low blood pressure. This can lead to oxygen starvation in different parts of your body that may cause internal damage if left unchecked.

Loss of coordination

Since this supplement primarily deals with kickstarting your body’s internal systems to make sure your blood pressure’s back to normal, having too much of the supplement can make you lose coordination. This, in turn, can make it hard for you to move since you’re overloaded with nerve signals.

Drowsiness

Yes, this supplement can lessen anxiety, but too much Arteris Plus can make you extremely sleepy and tired at any given time. This drowsiness can translate to lower production times and severely impact how you do things at work, home, or school.

Upset stomach

Sometimes, an overdosage of these ingredients can lead to an upset stomach. Just imagine your stomach getting shocked by all these capsules getting into its system. It will try to get rid of what the body does not need. This is the reason why your stomach becomes “angry” if you overeat something. The same way happens for supplement overdose. Your body knows what’s right and wrong and tries to expel the latter in a bid to save your body.

Excessive happiness

Too much happiness can also become a hindrance. In the event of overdose, Arteris Plus can provide insane amounts of stimulation in creating serotonin to make a person go wildly happy in the long run. While that sounds like a benefit, that is actually a bad thing to have. In particular, excessive joy can make you blind to the reality of things as they indeed are. Therefore, happiness should also be regulated through the intake of proper dosages of Arteris Plus.

Allergy Information

While not really a side effect, it is also advised not to take this supplement if you have milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, and crustacean allergies. This is because this supplement was made in a facility that also creates these kinds of products.

Related Scientific Studies to Arteris Plus

Arteris Plus bases the supplement on 13 scientific studies that mostly came from the British Heart Foundation and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These studies pinpoint the effects of our hormones on our high blood pressure and give us valuable insight into the ingredients found in Arteris Plus. You can check the complete list of their scientific references by clicking this link here

Where is Arteris Plus manufactured?

Arteris Plus is manufactured in the United States of America under strict and quality-controlled GMP-certified conditions. However, it was manufactured in a facility where several allergens are present (see side effects for more info).

How much does Arteris Plus cost?

Arteris Plus costs only $69 for each bottle. That’s the expected price range for supplements across America. However, two more bundles can net you additional savings along the way. Also, shipping is free across the board, so grab your bottles while you still can (if you really want to try out the product at hand).

Arteris Plus bundles are:

90 Days Supply (3x Bottles) – $59 each, $177 in total ($30 in savings!)

180 Days Supply (6x Bottles) – $49 each, $294 in total ($120 in savings!)

As we can see from the price list above, the best price for Arteris Plus sits upon its 180 Days Supply. Since it is recommended that you take Arteris Plus for six months, it is advised to take this bundle if you really want to try out the product.

Where can you buy Arteris Plus?

You can only buy Arteris Plus from the Arteris Plus official website. Buying from elsewhere can expose you to fake and fraudulent copies of the said supplement.

    Arteris Plus Reviews

Arteris Plus Customer Reviews

After rummaging through internet reviews, I have found that Arteris Plus reviews are generally positive, with some people claiming that their lives changed for the better.

Here is one of those Arteris Plus reviews:

    “Imagine going through your day with a second heartbeat pumping in your head. Having a constant 150/110 for blood pressure is no joke. I feel dizzy all the time and can’t do things the right way most of the time. Life as I know it is extra hard. I tried everything but to no avail. However, when I tried one of these babies, my blood pressure dropped significantly. Now, I’m at a normal 110/80, back to what it once was. I can now live my life again.” – Davie, 62 years old, Mono, CA

[Watch] Control Your Blood Pressure With This Hidden South Korean Breathing Method

Arteris Plus Self Review

Of course, I couldn’t let this review go past without telling the side of my whole story. I’m hypertensive, mostly at 140, so I tried Arteris Plus for 30 days to see its results. My initial observations were this – I became calmer the moment I took the supplement. Then, after a few days, my blood pressure became stabilized. Soon after, I felt more energy than I had ever felt before. From that moment I knew, Arteris Plus works after a few weeks, at least.

Arteris Plus Summary and Verdict

To recap, Arteris Plus is an anti-hypertension dietary supplement that uses five calming, antioxidative ingredients that are well-suited in keeping our blood pressure low. By calming our mind, we potentially get lower blood pressure, on top of better blood health. As we can see, it works for people like you and me. This supplement is highly recommendable for those who want to lower their blood pressure through an alternative yet simple approach.

  Read More:

https://promosimple.com/giveaways/arteris-plus-customer-reviews-what-they-dont-tell/ https://promosimple.com/giveaways/arteris-plus-customer-reviews-scam-or-legit/ https://promosimple.com/giveaways/arteris-plus-customer-reviews-60-days-money-back-gaurantee-or-scam/ https://promosimple.com/giveaways/enter-to-winarteris-plus-customer-reviews-scam-or-legit-pure-supplement/ https://promosimple.com/giveaways/arteris-plus-customer-reviews-price-side-effects-official-website-huge-discount/ https://promosimple.com/giveaways/arteris-plus-customer-reviews-where-to-buy-my-honest-reviews-on-this-supplement/

https://arterisplusreviews.gumroad.com/ https://www.kemovebbs.com/Thread-Arteris-Plus-Customer-Reviews-Scam-Or-Legit https://www.kemovebbs.com/Thread-Arteris-Plus-Review-Shocking-Truth-Revealed-Is-It-Legit-Supplement https://youtu.be/YrOw85-OMoo

[lotus-reviewer]

Name: Fruits Basket (2019)

Rating: 9/10

Rate: TV 14

Genre: Comedy, romance, slice of life, drama

Trigger Warning: Family abuse

Tohru Honda, a high school student, finds herself in an interesting situation. While living in a tent after the passing of her mother, a twist of fate has her meeting Yuki Soma, another high school student who is a member of the Soma clan and coincidentally lives with his cousin, Shigure, right near her tent. After a storm and landslide ruin her tent, she is invited to live with the mysterious and interesting Soma family. How will she handle life now that she is tasked with keeping the Soma’s supernatural secret? For many who know of the series, they know this is actually a reboot of the series made in 2001 with one season. I actually watched both the reboot and the original in dub instead of sub. I considered doing a review of the original but, because of how much time has passed, I think doing a side by side comparison some time later will be better. Also, to clarify, this is a review of season one only. Anyways, Fruits Basket is one of my favorite feel good sort of anime I’ve ever watched. To be blunt, there is so much trauma and sad moments in here that it had me tearing up several times, sometimes all in one episode. This is one of the only anime’s I know that so respectfully delves into issues such as loss, neglect, and abuse from a family member. One of the best things is that they don’t attempt to fix everything at once. Some wounds don’t heal overnight. But the main character does everything she can to let others know that she hears them and that she is here for them. Sometimes that is all you need to do for others. There is no single reason why this is not a ten out of ten. If anything, I think it speaks more to how great of an anime it is. There are only a few small details that, when added up and looked over as a whole, places it as a nine. If you are looking for something to get you into your feels but at the same time help resolve issues, I would highly recommend Fruits Basket!

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 367: The Visitor

A couple of years ago, Ai released II, which for me is one of the very best albums of space rock, psychedelia, and kosmische ever conceived…a sort of epic paean to all that is great about the tripped out planetarium sonics of both the early 70s and the early 90s. The album was put out by Hauch Records, an experimentally-minded label operating in the German underground that explores much else besides cosmic rock, including minimal drone, ambient, and dub amongst a range of other moods and styles. The label has a longstanding relationship with Ai, having also released the band’s self-titled LP in 2015. But even before that–back in 2011–Hauch released a record called Imitation of Nature from Ai’s keyboard shaman and synthesizer sorcerer Frank Bauer, who on his own explores imaginative worlds of modular magic as The Visitor. Earlier in 2020 and after an extended period of silence, Bauer and The Visitor returned with Installationen, a new LP+digital release on Hauch featuring music that accompanied an art exhibition in 2019, and that sees Bauer rigging his modular setup to play itself, which to paraphrase the liner notes, creates structures based on dualisms between repetition and evolution, and between composition and spontaneous generation. I’ll also mention here that for those who want more of these mystical modular incantations, Installationen was immediately preceded by a an EP called Instrumentals that contains four further pieces from the same sessions.

The Visitor - Installationen (Hauch, 2020) “Installation I” opens with twinkling bell tones drifting in a fog, while android idiophones vibrate through a cold cosmic wind. Liquid oscillations evoke UFO landings as they periodically swoosh upon the mix, and also serve to provide the track with the barest semblance of structure. Industrial scrapes transform into fractal shards as they travel radially outwards, and airy pulses of bass signal mysterious pauses. Distorted feedback fades into mist and snaps of synthetic air land amidst cascading layers of growing and overblowing ambiance…all as chemtrails soar through a cloudy winter sky. Machines purr and coo while gong mallets strike massive metal pipes, creating waves of subsonic wonderment. Ghostly vocalizations intermingle with animalistic growls while organic clouds of bass hum emerge then disperse. Computers flicker and pulse as they execute strange algorithms which cause glitching tracers that repeate at hyperspeed, and the music alternately evokes for me the work of Experimental Audio Research, and Natural Snow Buildings at their most cold and abstract. Then, as everything starts fading, the track airs out, with temple tones sitting beneath a hopeful wash of synthesis. 

In “Installation II,” a randomized robot orchestra tunes to the dawn, as machine strings and modular horns swirl into a mysterious miasma. Shadowy tones and glowing strands of starlight intermingle as buzzing blankets of interstellar warmth meet glacial walls of shimmer and shine, with sinister bass synthetics evoking the shadowspells of Igor Wakhevitch. Billowing banks of laser light, silent screams of feedbacking static, and fluid flashes of molten crystal flow together before giving way to moments of sickly tonal meditation, as bass buzz and midrange hum move through chromatic slides and disturbing harmonic abstractions. Hovering clouds of reverb and delay shade in the empty spaces with spectral hues and obscuring layers of interstellar dust, pillowy pads drift over one another in a deep lullaby dance, and blinding rainbows are birthed from decaying plumes of smoke while elsewhere, thousands of viols scream and scratch into a wall of drone mesmerism. Sorrowful whale songs distort beyond comprehension as they diffuse through star oceans and slow motion oscillations are born of resonances and misaligned vibrato until the track devolves into a primitive loop, which is chopped even further by a locked groove.

In “Installation III,” percussive sequences and modular electronics evoke tropical jungle hand drum ceremonials and minimalist mallet cascades as a shaman casts spells of fourth world magic overhead. Swaths of static blow in like a psychedelic breeze, satellite broadcasts flow around muted computations, and cracks in the ground spew vapors of all possible color. Bassline shadowforms add a further sense of groove…these barely there thuds and pulses repurposed for a forest fusion jam out…while blips and pings create virtual tapestries of insect chatter and birdsong. Millions of modular marimbas are chopped and looped in real time, creating a mesmeric collage of futurist exotica, while elsewhere, swirling shimmers, mirage sonics, and sonar pings smear into cooling haze. It’s as if a hyperspeed conga line is working its way through an island rainforest paradise, wherein metalloid liquids drip from palm fronds into boiling pools of alien fluid, creating strange reverberations that diffuse in every direction.

The vinyl trip ends with “Installation IV” and a calming bath of buzz accented by twinkles and brass synthesis. Reversing wisps dance in the air, bell tones are stretched into infinitely tall vertical structures, and hypnotizing sparkles pan through wavering whooshes and subdued thumps. It’s a study in using constant motion to achieve sonic stasis, with every single element sparkling, swishing, and vibrating, yet somehow causing time to stand still. Healing tones of feedback grow in intensity before dispersing into glimmering bodies of glass, and the modular synths again evoke idiophones–this time mbiras playing some faintly heard paean to the shining sun. Piercing globules of light move backwards and forwards in temporal displacement and a serene storm of synthesis emerges…like an automaton orchestra activated by a slow and stately sunrise. Ascending phaser streaks and drunken bass synths execute a randomized dream dance while all around, clustered gemstones refract solar light into an infinite web of chiming magnificence. And just as the A-side terminates with a locked groove, so does the B-side, with washed out loops cycling peacefully and eternally.

The trip continues into the digital realm with three further tracks, the first of which is “Installation V.” Smoldering drones and feedbacking flute tones move through atonal harmonizations, while a slowly growing pulse of fevered ambiance enters the scene. Melody is mostly abandoned in favor of texture and resonance, as a malarial fog of silvery synthesis and smoke-shrouded distortion generates flashes of white light and voids of deep darkness. The vibe progressively turns more hopeful as the harmonizing layers ease their oppressive dissonance amidst the calming dances of sci-fi pixie dusk. And from here, the track begins to resemble a mystic sound ceremony, with modulars mimicking gongs, bowed cymbals, and Tibetan bowls while sea crystal pan-pipes are effected into radar bleeps…the whole thing like the Theatre of Eternal Music or Pelt transformed into a machine meditation. As for “Installation VI,” plink plonking and madcap Berlin schools sequences fire, with cut-off manipulations moving the sounds between starlight sparkles, percussive pops, and broken morse code transmissions. The sense of motion and energy is completely arresting in comparison to the preceding track’s sonorous serenity, especially as tick tocking twinkles of multi-colored diamond rotate in maddening patterns. Mysterious vocal tones hover in the background…like chopped and looped mermaid choirs…their gothic ocean arias pulsing at lightspeed and calling to mind Klaus Schulze’s earliest epics, as well as Popol Vuh’s soundtrack work. Indeed, the track almost resembles a Herzog-ian river trek at times, only as if proceeding in hypersonic stop motion, and with minimal melodic development interrupting the interlocking sequential stardance. 

The final piece is “Installation VII,” which begins with howling winds and phase-shifting cymbal splashes. Subsuming drones of darkness sit beneath zipping lasers and rushes of white noise, while percussive electronics ping-pong back and forth…their tones evoking hand drums and rainforest mallet instruments. Subsonic slides give a lazed shape to the groove–as well as a feeling of portending doom–and liquid gurgles join hydraulic machines and their vented puffs of compressed air. Sprays of crystalline vapor are as harsh as they are transfixing, and resonant fog banks quiver while obscuring all sight as gaseous blasts of light spread towards some infinitely distant horizon. At times glowing clouds of tonal mesmerism enter…these golden washes of hovering feedback and oceanic vibration that intermingle with sonar synths and wobbling walls of mutating drone mysterium...and again, the modulars evoke the meditative tones of gongs and temple idiophones. Granular blasts of galactic sound arc across the spectrum, ghostly melodies emerge at times while giving off an oscillatory glow, and towards the end, shimmering clouds of sound flow in, churn in place, then mysteriously disappear.

(images from my person copy with download code purposefully erased)

[scotianostra]

My favourite Scottish singer, Jim Diamond was born on September 28th 1953 in Bridgeton, Glasgow.

Born to Sarah (nee Harper), a seamstress, and Lawrence, a firefighter, who would habitually get up to sing at parties, we all had a relative like this didn't we? Apart from his father, his earliest musical inspirations were soul music greats such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. By the age of 14 he had joined his first band, The Method, and later he became lead singer of the Glasgow group Jade, touring the country playing club and college gigs. Then he embarked on a European tour with the band Gully Foyle (he had seen their advertisement for a lead singer in Glasgow’s Evening Times), which included some dates supporting Procol Harum.

His next stop was a quintet called Bandit, who were signed by Arista Records but they swept away by the emergence of punk rock. Bandit's one album was enough to prompt the NME’s reviewer, Tony Stewart, to comment that he was “an inspired and remarkable vocalist who projects himself well, displaying not only a passion for the music but a staggering range, which he uses fully”.

Bandit split up soon afterwards, but Diamond and Bandit’s guitarist, Danny McIntosh (now Kate Bush’s husband) went on to work with Alexis Korner. Word was spreading about Diamond and his powerfully expressive singing, and he was invited to fly to Los Angeles to form a band with the guitarist and David Bowie collaborator Earl Slick and the drummer Carmine Appice, who had been playing with Rod Stewart, but before the project could come to fruition, Diamond was in demand again, returning to England to form PhD and embarking on the series of hits that sealed his reputation.

Then Diamond contracted hepatitis, which prevented him from touring and prompted PhD to split. In 1984 he was back in action as a solo artist, triumphing with the No 1 heartbreaker I Should Have Known Better, often remembered for its soaring “I-I-I-I-I” chorus, which believe it or not, I pride myself on singing well, The single, which was from his album Double Crossed , earned him a nomination for an Ivor Novello award.

Diamond’s career cooled after his intense burst of success in the early and mid-80s, although in 1985 Diamond went to No 1 again with the celebrity ensemble The Crowd on You’ll Never Walk Alone, a charity record for families of the victims of the Bradford City stadium fire. In 1986 his second solo album, Desire For Freedom, delivered the No 5 hit Hi Ho Silver, a song commissioned for Boon, starring Michael Elphick, and featuring yet another of Diamond’s catchy choruses, this time set to a briskly pumping reggae beat.

In 1993 he released the album Jim Diamond, which reached No 16 on the UK charts, and went on tour performing acoustic versions of his catalogue of songs. In the late 90s he teamed up with the saxophonist Chris “Snake” Davis, renowned for his studio work with M People, George Michael, Paul McCartney and many more, and they performed as The Blue Shoes. With the Hammond organist Paul Birchall, they also worked on Diamond’s 2005 album Souled and Healed. In 2009 PhD reunited to record a new album, Three.

In 2011 Diamond joined up with a group of Scottish musicians, including veterans from Wet Wet Wet and the Proclaimers, to record City of Soul, a collection of soul music cover versions to raise money for Cash for Kids. Sadly on n 8 October 2015 Jim Diamond passed away as a result of a pulmonary edema – a build-up of fluid in his lungs. The family later said they were unaware he was unwell, his daughter Sara said “Dad was quite a private man, he didn’t court celebrity, and the only reason he did what he did was because he loved making music." adding “Dad’s song (I should have known better) went to Number one at the same time as Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas was released.

“He was over the moon, but told everyone to go and buy the charity single.” Sara added that the one thing her dad enjoyed using his fame for was to help others. She said: “Dad was always very aware of how lucky we had been as a family, in terms of health and wealth.

“He was very passionate about helping charities. He saw it as his duty to do what he could to give something back.”

RIP Jim Diamond, dubbed "Scotland's Ray Charles.

The song is his own composition not the Dougie MacLean version, have a wee listen it is a cracking tune, the pics of Scotland are also brilliant.