#When a song sticks and takes forever for it to get unstuck

[spicy0pudding]

do you ever feel

like a plastic bag

FOR FUCK’S SAKE NOW THIS PART IS STUCK IN MY HEAD, NOT EVEN THE WHOLE FUCKING SONG JUST THIS FUCKING PAAAAAARRRT

[lindszeppelin]

So, this is a love letter of sorts to Elvis for his birthday (which is today!!). People are doing this challenge where they write a personal note to Elvis, with things in it that normally wouldn't be said or shared with people, and then you post it. Since he was an avid writer and kept a lot of random notes, he never thought they'd be read by the masses one day. So, a lot of what's being said here will be really personal, and it's things i've only ever thought about in my head and said aloud to Elvis in spirit. Here we go.

Dear Elvis,

I never thought that my life would be forever impacted by watching a movie. But it’s not just a movie. I remember wanting to go into the theaters with the hope of learning more about you, and developing a newfound appreciation for your musical genius. I certainly did experience all of those things, but I also went home that night with you by my side. You’ve always been around me growing up in small ways, and I took note of you, but I was never serious about who you were or what you meant on a larger scale to the entire world. You forever shaped the music industry. Without you there would have been no Beatles - a band that you know means the world to me, and has lifted me up in dark times. Without your effervescent light, the world would be a little dimmer.

The tragedy of your life is not lost on me. I wish you were alive and well today to see just how much you’ve inspired countless people, but also how you’ve changed the music industry at large. You didn’t deserve to die the way you did, you didn’t deserve to be made a mockery and reduced to a Halloween costume or a lip curl. You didn’t deserve to be kept like a bird in a cage made to play shows and sing songs that didn’t align with your souls calling. You didn’t deserve to be hooked onto drugs, which dampened your sunshine. You didn’t deserve to be taken away so soon and miss out on the formative years of Lisa Marie’s life. Sometimes when I think about the end of your life I get angry. There are many people and things to blame for your passing, but I suppose in a way it was all in the cards for you, and you played your hand as best you could.

Your humor, your light, and your presence in my life is what keeps me going every single day. What a blessing it is that our spiritual connection is so deep that I can talk to you everyday, and without fail you’re always there to respond back to me. I never thought it would be possible with my spiritual gifts that I could communicate with not only my ancestors but with yourself. In these couple of months I’ve learned so much about who you are and your personality from the conversations we’ve had. We’ve shared so many laughs, and I thank you for comforting me when I needed it the most. Your embrace is so warm, and your energy is powerful - it leaves me in awe every single day.

Thank you for wiping away my tears and for hugging my sadness away. Thank you for making me laugh and being your goofy self. Thank you for being one of my angels and guiding me through life. One of the many things Austin and I have in common that I cherish is the connection we have to you. You’re like the string that tethers us together, the matchmaker up there in heaven. I will forever take you with me wherever I go, and I know that you’ll be there to help me along my path in life. While there’s been a lot of things that have happened to me that I still find impossible and unimaginable to fathom, you are somehow always there to ground me and provide me with the answers. I don’t know what I did to have you stick to me like glue, but I’ll never want to be unstuck.

You’re a gentle soul, and you’re kind and wonderful. You are so beyond loved by not only myself, but to the entire community. We all love you and wish you a very happy birthday. I feel like within this community of amazing girls that I’ve found my soul family, which I never thought could be possible. You know that I always felt like I could never keep friends for very long and that I’d be okay with just maybe one or two. But now I have an entire armful of close friends and confidants thanks to you, and thanks to Austin as well. You know how I feel about that blonde beauty - I’m grateful to you both.

You know that I’ve struggled to come to grips with the trajectory of my life thus far and where I’ve ended up. I never knew what my purpose was in life. I lived comfortable in my box, afraid of my own shadow. I thought the dreams I had envisioned for myself were too big and I could never attain them, so why bother trying? I subjected myself to a life that made me more depressed because my anxieties told me it’s what I deserved. But that’s not true. With the help of my ancestors, and you being a new member to my angel team up in the ethereal, I feel like I can achieve anything. I’ll make you proud up there, and I know you’ll be looking down on me with a smile. I also know that it’s not just me you watch over in this community, and that strengthens the bond between my friends even more. So thank you.

I love you. I’ll always keep blowing you kisses up to heaven.

Yours for all eternity until we meet one day,

Sugar ❤️

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑆/𝑂

♡*:.｡.𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰 .｡.:*♡

He felt extremely proud of himself. The melody was flowing smoothly and the lyrics were coming to him very naturally. He had been working on this piece for months now and it was finally finished. He listened to the final demo and then quickly grabbed his phone. Dialing the very familiar number, he was not at all shocked that you picked up at the 2nd ring.

"Hey." His heart jumped when your voice sounded through the speaker.

"Hi love. Are you busy?" He really hoped the answer was negative.

"I'm never too busy for you babe. What's up?"

"I finally finished that song I was working on..." He admitted shyly.

"Oh you did? That's great honey! I'll bet it's a masterpiece." Your enthusiasm radiated even through the phone.

"Would you........ do you mind coming over and having a listen?"

"I'd love to! I'll be there in 20 minutes. Love you." You made a kissing noise before hanging up.

It wasn't the first time he's asked you to listen to something he worked on. In fact, you're the first person to listen to any of his creations, he always wants to hear your opinion before anyone else's.

So why is it that this time he's nervous?

It's simple: he's realized he loves you. He loves you, your opinions, your thoughts, everything he creates he feels a need to share it with you and up to a point, have your approval. And you're always so supportive of him and you're his biggest fan.

How could he not fall in love with you?

♡*:.｡.𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪 .｡.:*♡

Seonghwa just wanted to spend time with you. It had been so long since you two had time to be together. So he planned a date for just the two of you. He was happily telling you about wanting to take you out to the park, when San and Yunho poked their heads out the hallway.

"Did you say park?!" "Can we go too?!"

Seonghwa groaned. He wanted you two to be alone. He was about to say no, when the rest of the 99 liners came out, and upon hearing the commotion, they wanted in too. Mingi even dragged out Hongjoong and Jongho so they wouldn't be left out.

Seonghwa looked over at you, afraid to see the look of disappointment in your face. But quite the opposite, you had a gleeful smile.

"Let's bring them along. It'll be more fun."

They all hollered triumphantly, with all of them hugging you in appreciation for consenting to letting them come along. Seonghwa just chuckled at the scene, his heart filled with warmth. And he melted even more when he saw you wrapping a scarf around Jongho, making sure he was covered enough so as to not catch a cold.

Seonghwa loves his members very much and cares for them a lot. He feels happy knowing they adore you and you love them as well. He's seen how you've taken care of them multiple times, and have never complained once.

That's how he knows you're the one. Your loving, caring and motherly nature touched his heart. And to have those close to him as family adore you? Tell tale sign he has to keep you around in his life.

♡*:.｡.𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸 .｡.:*♡

Yunho and you had just adopted a puppy together. You two were just walking around one day and stumbled upon a pet store. The most adorable and fluffiest golden retriever was pressing its nose against the window.

"Oh my God! He's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

You immediately pressed your palm on the window, cooing at the tiny animal.

Yunho chuckled at your reaction. "Let's go inside."

Once inside, you practically ran to the puppy, and immediately wanted to hold it. The store employee helped you to take the pooch out, explaining how he was the last of the litter of golden retrievers that were for sale.

"Awww! Did you hear that Yunho? He's the last one! Do you think we could..?"

You looked at him with puppy eyes yourself, silently asking him to adopt the puppy together.

Yunho smiled at your expression.

"Baby really think about it. He's cute and all, but remember it's a big responsibility."

"Look at him and tell me if you can say no to this adorable face."

You put the dog in his hands. Yunho looked at the puppy and could not stop smiling. The golden retriever took a liking to him as well, as shown by the fact he started licking Yunho's cheek.

Looking at your face, Yunho knew it was game over. He could never refuse you. He loved you and would do anything to make you happy. And moments like this, where you two could randomly do crazy or insane things spontaneously, it's something he'd only do with someone he really loves.

"Well little buddy. Looks like we're your new parents."

♡*:.｡.𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰.｡.:*♡

Yeosang tends to keep mostly to himself. He rarely talks about how he's feeling, even to his close friends.

However with you it's different. He feels comfortable talking to you about topics that he wouldn't ever even think about mentioning to others. Not just because you're his s/o. He's dated before and still didn't open up to them either. But he's relaxed talking to you.

With you he's free to rant, vent, cry about anything that worries him and you either comfort him with soothing words, or are just there to listen to him, really listen and understand him. Sometimes your silence speaks louder than words ever could.

That's what happened one day. Yeosang was stressed out, you noticed the second he walked in your apartment. You didn't even pester him, you just let him shower in peace. When he plopped down next to you in the bed, you simply began running your fingers through his hair.

That's the moment Yeosang really felt he loved you. Not only does he feel comfortable to let out his feelings to you, you two can actually communicate with no words. You're soulmates, already knowing what to do when the other is feeling a certain way.

You're his safe haven, you're his home. The bond you two share is stronger than anything else in the world.

♡*:.｡.𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷 .｡.:*♡

"Will you promise to watch me?" San asked you while you both waited backstage for Ateez' turn to go on stage and perform.

Smiling, you held out your pinkie and linked it with his.

"Forever and always." You assured him before walking away to take your place in the audience.

San stood there in his place, anxious about performing. He'd already done this hundreds of times, but he'd still get nervous every now and then.

What if I mess up? What if I forget the lyrics or choreography? What if I'm not good enough?

All those doubts and worries immediately faded from his mind when he caught your gaze. You shot him a big thumbs up, waving your light stick for him, chanting along with the other Atinys their names. That's when San gathered his courage and gave his usual amazing performance that never failed to impress fans, and that included you.

You were San's strength, the reason he didn't fear not being good enough, you gave him the confidence he needed and for you, he gave his best performance. He wanted you to be proud of him. He danced and sang only for you. Every wink, finger heart, kiss was directed towards you, and only you.

After they finished, you were already backstage waiting to congratulate him. He raced towards you, spun you around before kissing you passionately. He looked into your eyes and that's when he knew...

Forever and always he'd love you.

♡*:.｡.𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲 .｡.:*♡

It's not a secret that Mingi is a big baby. He constantly needs attention and special care. His members know this and it was one of the first things they told you when they knew you two might end up dating.

You didn't mind though. You thought Mingi was simply adorable and lovable. One of the purest and sweetest boys you've ever met in your lifetime. Sure sometimes he felt more like your kid than your boyfriend. More times than you can count, you've lost him while you two were out shopping. He's had severe kitchen accidents from trying to help you cook. It's little things like that that'll make some people lose patience at times. But not you.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked you one time you were trying to untangle a long headphones cord that he somehow managed to get stuck all over his body.

"No. Why would you think that?" You asked as you tried to get his hands unstuck.

"It's just..... I-I have so many mishaps, perhaps you..." He couldn't finish his sentence, but you knew what he meant.

Grinning, you shook your head and looked at him.

"Mingi, yes you're somewhat clumsy at times, but I don't mind. It's not your fault. So don't worry my little baby. I'll be right here to take care of you."

Leaning in, you pressed a kiss to his lips before continuing your task of trying to unwrap him from his torture device. Mingi just looked at you in admiration. You were always so patient and loving to him, even when he himself knew he tested your limits.

He truly and wholeheartedly loved you.

"I love you....." He whispered softly.

He didn't plan on saying it, it just happened, but he meant it. He got shy about it afterwards, and he secretly hoped you didn't hear him. He was afraid you weren't at the stage just yet.

"I love you too Mingi."

His face brightened up when you said those words back to him.

♡*:.｡.𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰 .｡.:*♡

Wooyoung is very outgoing and is a cheerful soul who enjoys having a good time and laughter. Some people say he's too loud, or that he's dramatic, or even annoying.

Not you though. You loved his sense of humor and you honestly enjoyed how he teased you when you were first getting to know each other. He acted like the typical school boy that annoys the person he likes only to get their attention. And it worked because here you were, about to celebrate your 5th month anniversary.

Even after you started dating, Wooyoung didn't stop his teasing. The only thing that changed was that you teased him back. You started playing pranks on him just to get back at him when he did so to you. It was even more fun to team up together and prank the other members, especially Seonghwa. He was your most common victim.

Wooyoung loved your extroverted and fun nature. How you weren't afraid to tease, prank him back if he did it to you. You were just so much fun to be around. There was never a dull moment in his life since you came along. And he didn't have to worry about toning it down for you. With you, he can be himself and he loves that he can make you bring out your wacky side. You're his partner in crime, his other half, you're the reason everyday is an adventure for him. He's wildly in love with you.

♡*:.｡.𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸 .｡.:*♡

Jongho was already awake before you. It was the first time he stayed over at your place and the first night you two spent together. Nothing dirty happened the night before, you two just ended up staying awake til late night, casually talking and peppering kisses to each other.

Now here you were, snuggled up in underneath the blankets, not aware of the loving gaze your boyfriend was staring at your sleeping form with. You looked absolutely stunning and it was such a precious moment to him, waking up next to you. He could definitely see himself waking up next to you for the rest of his life.

His precious smile was the first thing that greeted you when you woke up.

"Good morning sunshine." He said to you.

"Morning baby." You greeted him back as you sat up and stretched your arms.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked once he noticed you were fully awake.

"Wonderfully. But I'm hungry. How about I go make us some breakfast?"

There was something almost domestic about your relationship, a sense of tranquility and almost familiarity. Like everything fit into its respective place. Watching you shuffle your way through the kitchen, Jongho knew he loved you and that this was going to be the start of your lives together. He could already see your guys' future.

Gifs not mine, credit goes to their respective owners.

[my-lady-knight]

Favorite Reads of 2020

I take back everything I said last year about how 2019 was a comparatively bad reading year for me. 2020 was even worse. I only read 48 books, I could barely focus on reading even when I did find a book I liked, and, just like last year, I ended up with fewer favorites than usual. Starting in August I’ve been having trouble reading any written media that isn’t TOG fic. And some of my eagerly awaited releases by favorite authors ended up being disappointments (Deeplight by Frances Hardinge and Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee).

2020—the year that keeps on giving.

I sincerely hope 2021 will be a better year in all respects, including my reading habits, but, as with everything else, who knows.

Regardless, here’s my list of favorite reads of 2020, in chronological order of when I read them:

Network Effect by Martha Wells

I’d read the first four Murderbot Diaries novellas when they first came out and enjoyed them, but I didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with them. Maybe because they were novellas, and too short to get fully invested? Possibly. As it turns out, Network Effect is the novel-length fifth entry in the Murderbot Diaries that turned me into full-on squeeing fan—SecUnit, aka Murderbot, continues to be its delightfully acerbic, antisocial self, SPOILER makes another appearance and oh how I’d missed this character, the supporting cast is fun and endearing, and the novel-length story means there’s time and space for the brand-new corporate espionage/colonization/alien civilization murder mystery to unfold and spread its wings. (Sounds like a Sanctuary Moon plot tbh). SecUnit is possibly my favorite non-human fictional character atm, and I am now fully on-board for every and any new story in the series.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

When I first heard about this book and read the words “time travel romance”, I immediately went, “Nope, not gonna read.” I don’t like reading time travel stories, and honestly, I was imagining it to be something like The Time Traveler’s Wife, which granted I haven’t read but also sounds like it’d be the opposite of my cup of tea. 

And then I went to a reading where Amal and Max took turns reading chapters – letters written by Red and Blue, enemy agents who repeatedly taunt and thwart the other’s plans to ensure their side is the one to win the time war and who can’t resist smugly outlining just how they’re staying one step ahead of the other – and the prose was witty and gorgeous and clever and intricate, and Red and Blue were snarky and arrogant and talented and fun. I had to read it. And I ended up loving it, this enemies-to-lovers story that is a meld of fantasy and science fiction such that they’re indistinguishable from the other, where the past is as equally fantastical and alien and imaginary as the future, where Red and Blue’s power play transforms into something different and scarier and more intimate than either of them imagined. 

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers has done it again, writing a gentle, hopeful story about humans working together out of a share a love and fascination for scientific exploration and wonder for all the possibilities the entirety of space can hold. With the advent of both space travel and technology that alters human physiology to allow them to survive otherwise inhospitable environments, a team of four astronauts and scientists have embarked on a mission to ecologically survey four distant planets and the life forms that inhabit them, from the microscopic to the multicellular—not to conquer, but to record and to learn and to share the gathered knowledge with the rest of Earth. In the meantime, lightyears away, Earth is going through decades without them, and the four of them must also contend with a planet that may have forgotten their existence—or that’s abandoned the entire space and scientific exploration program.

Reading Becky Chambers is the literary equivalent of sitting down with a warm mug of my favorite tea on a bad day – I always feel better at the end and like I can imagine a future where humanity does all the wonderful things we’re capable of doing.

A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker

I started reading this book right as NYC was gearing up to go into lockdown, which should have made this a terrible choice to continue reading since part of the premise is that a combo of multiple stochastic terror attacks and a brand-new, deadly plague upend the world as everyone knows it by causing the U.S. to pass laws that keep people physically apart in public for their own safety and make concerts, theatre, and any other kind of artistic gathering obsolete.

But that’s largely just the set-up, and the real story is that of Luce Cannon, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who played the last major concert in the before times who twenty years later performs in illegal underground concerts, and Rosemary, a younger music-lover who’s only lived in the after-times, and who’s taken a new job scouting out talent to add to the premier virtual entertainment company’s roster of simulated concerts.

It’s a love letter to live music and what it feels like to connect and build community via music in unusual and strange and scary times, the energy involved in making music for yourself, for an audience, exploring the world around you, imagining and advocating for a better tomorrow, and embracing the fear, the possibility, and the power of change, both good and bad. This was the book I needed to read at the beginning of the pandemic, and I’m thankful I ended up doing so.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019 edited by John Joseph Adams and Carmen Maria Machado

When I end up loving half of the stories in an anthology and greatly enjoying all but two of the rest, that’s the equivalent of a literary blue moon for me. My favorites included the following;

"Pitcher Plant" by Adam-Troy Castro

"Six Hangings in the Land of Unkillable Women" by Theodore McCombs

"Variations on a Theme from Turandot" by Ada Hoffmann

"Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Memphis Minnie Sing the Stumps Down Good" by LaShawn M. Wanak

"The Kite Maker" by Brenda Peynado

"The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" by P. Djèlí Clark

"Dead Air" by Nino Cipri

"Skinned" by Lesley Nneka Arimah

"Godmeat" by Martin Cahill

"On the Day You Spend Forever with Your Dog" by Adam R. Shannon

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

No one is more surprised than me that Harrow is on this list, given that I am one of approximately three people in the universe who did not unequivocally love Gideon the Ninth. 

And yet the sequel worked for me. 

Maybe because this time I already knew and was used to the way the world and the Houses worked, and I knew to not take anything I read for granted because I could be guaranteed to have the rug pulled out from under me without even realizing. Maybe Harrow’s countdown/amnesia mystery worked better for me than Gideon’s locked room mystery. Maybe the cast of characters was more manageable and fewer of them were getting murdered left and right before I got a chance to get used to them (and some of them even came back!) Maybe it’s that Harrow blew open the potential and possibilities Gideon hinted at and capitalized on just how fucking weird and mind-blowing the whole premise is in a way that felt incredibly and viscerally satisfying.

Also SPOILER happens three-quarters of the way through. That was pretty fucking awesome.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

P. Djélí Clark is a master of melding history and fantasy in ways that are in turn imaginative and clever (his fantastical alternate-history, early 20th-century Egyptian novel A Master of Djinn is one of the books I’m most looking forward to in 2021), while also using fantasy to be frank and incisive about the history of American antiblack racism (as in the above linked story in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019). Ring Shout combines the late-nineteenth and early 20th-century history of the rise and normalization of the KKK with Lovecraftian supernatural horror, in which the release of The Birth of a Nation summoned literal monsters (called Ku Kluxes) that became part of the KKK’s ranks. Maryse Boudreaux is a Black woman who’s part of a grassroots organization hunting both the monsters and the human members in order to keep the Klan at bay. However, there’s soon to be another summoning ritual atop Stone Mountain that will unleash even more Ku Kluxes into the world, and Maryse and her friends are running out of time to prevent it from happening.

Maryse is a fantastic character, as are her two friends—brash, unapologetic Sadie and WWI veteran, weapons expert Chef—her mentor and leader of the Ring Shout group Nana Jean, and all the other members of the group who work and fight together as a team and a family. Maryse’s past and the journey she goes on in the book to uncover the truth and stop the summoning is harrowing and heart-stopping, the supernatural elements are both horrific in and of themselves while also undergirding the real-life horror of the KKK and the hatred they engender. It’s smart, it’s fun, it’s eye-opening, and it’s also being turned into a TV show starring KiKi Layne. It’s really, really good.

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

“Stick to the brief.” This is the maxim given to Dietz and all the other soldiers who join the war against Mars, where soldiers are broken down into light to travel to and from their assigned battlefields instantaneously. Only Dietz isn’t experiencing the jumps like everyone else – Dietz, like Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse-Five, has become unstuck in time and is experiencing all the battles in the mission briefs out of chronological order, to the point that Dietz starts to build a picture of a war and a reality that’s been sold to Dietz and everyone else on Earth as pure fiction. 

I’ve always appreciated Kameron Hurley’s stories, but this is the first book where she fully succeeded at writing the book she set out to write—it’s fast-paced science fiction thriller in the form of a loaded gun that takes brutal aim at late-stage capitalism, modern military warfare and the dehumanization of everyone involved on all sides, the greed of ungovernable governing corporations, nationalistic and military propaganda, the mythology of citizenship and inalienable rights, and it’s viscerally bloody and violent without being grotesque in the way all of Kameron Hurley’s books are. Especially important for me, I loved that Dietz went through the entire book not being gendered in any way, shape, or form (those last five pages didn’t exist, what are you talking about), and I love in general that Kameron Hurley is committed to writing non-male characters who aren’t less violent or fucked-up or morally superior to men just because they’re not men.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Middle grade is a hard sell for me these days, as are books in verse, and I wouldn’t have known this book existed if it weren’t for the Ignyte Award nomination list earlier this year. As it turns out, this book, the story of Jude, a pre-teen girl who wants to be an actress who leaves Syria and the encroaching civil war with her mom to go live in the U.S. with her uncle and his white wife and their daughter while her dad and older brother stay behind, is full of beauty, curiosity, humor, confusion, grief, pain, and joy, and the poetic prose is both lyrical, nuanced, and perfectly fitted to Jude’s voice. I devoured this book in one day, which is the quickest amount of time it took me to read any book this year, including novellas.

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

The first book Darius the Great Is Not Okay was one of my favorite books in 2018, and I’m ecstatic that the sequel is equally as amazing.

It’s been approximately half a year since Darius went to Iran, met his maternal grandparents in person for the first time, and found his best friend in Sohrab, and in that time he’s come out as gay, joined the soccer team, got an internship at his favorite tea shop, and started dating for the first time. Darius is also working through some things though—when and if he wants to have sex with his boyfriend, his grandfather’s worsening illness, his dad’s recent depressive episode, his emotionally distant paternal grandmothers on his coming for an extended stay, the fact that he’s getting to know and growing closer with one of his teammates who’s best friends with Darius’s years-long bully, and a bunch else. 

Darius the Great Deserves Better has the same tender and vulnerable emotional intimacy as the first book, more conversations over tea, new instances involving the mortifying ordeal of being a cis guy with a penis, even more Star Trek metaphors, and so much growth for Darius as he works through a lot of hard situations and feelings, and strengthens his relationships with all of the people in his life he loves and cares about. I can’t think of any other book that’s like these two books, and I love and treasure them dearly.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

I had zero awareness of this book until a bunch of SFF authors started praising it on Twitter a couple months before the release date, and I was intrigued enough to get a copy from the library. I loved this book. I happened to be reading it right at the time of the presidential election, and it phenomenally served the purpose of desperately-needed distraction from the agony of waiting out the ballot counts.

It’s book about the power behind borders, citizenship, exploitation, and imperialism, set in a late-late-stage capitalist future, in which a prodigy invented the means to access and travel to slightly divergent parallel universes to grab resources and data – but only if the other universe’s version of “you” isn’t there. It’s the story of a woman named Cara – poor, brown, born in the wastelands outside the shelter, security, and citizenship privileges of Wiley City – who’s comfortably employed to travel to all the parallel worlds no one else can visit, because all her counterparts in those worlds are dead from one of the myriad ways Cara herself could have died growing up. It’s the story of Cara traversing the muddied boundaries between her old life and her new one, the similarities and differences between her own life and that of her counterparts, as well as the figures of power who defined and shaped her and her counterparts’ existences, and solving a mystery involving the unexplained deaths of several of her counterparts and the man who invented multiverse technology.

It’s a story of the permeability of selfhood and self-determination, and complexity of power dynamics of all kinds – interpersonal, familial, collegial, intimate – and the interplay between violence and stability and identity, and how one can be both powerful and powerless in the same dynamic. It’s a story with literary sensibilities that is unequivocally science fiction, written with laser-precise prose that flays Cara open and puts her back together again.

I worry this description makes this book sound dry and removed when reading this book made me feel like I was coming alive every time I delved back into it. This is a book I cannot wait to reread again to experience the brilliance and skill and thoughtfulness and emotion of Micaiah Johnson’s writing. I have no clue what, if anything, she’s writing next, but I have a new favorite author.

Honorable Mentions

Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Stormsong by C. L. Polk

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (I feel bad putting it here and not in the first list – it is undeniably a modern classic and a brilliantly crafted book! But I had zero interest in any of the Italy chapters, and I found the way he finally figured out how to access fairy magic by essentially making himself mad to be both disappointing and narratively unsatisfying.)

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

For my yearly stats on books written by POC authors, in 2020 I read a total of 24 books (one of which was co-authored by a white author), which is fewer than last year (30). However, because I also read fewer books this year overall, this is the first year ever that I achieved exactly 50-50 parity between books written by POC and white authors. I honestly wasn’t expecting this to happen, as I stopped paying deliberate attention somewhere around April or May. Looking over my Goodreads, the month of September ended up doing a lot of heavy lifting, since that’s when I read several books by POC authors in a row for the Ignyte Award nomination period. But also, it does look like the five or so years of purposefully aiming for 50-50 parity have materially affected my reading habits, by which I mean even when I’m not keeping my year’s count in mind, I’m still more likely to pick up a book by a POC author than I was five years ago when I had never kept track at all. My goal for next year is to once again achieve 50-50 parity and to not backslide.

[pandoraimperatrix]

Four Names for Love

Gotham | BatCat | BabyFic | Multi-chapter | Read on AO3

Summary: When Bruce parted ways with Gotham he was leaving behind more than he thought. Meanwhile Selina is trying to find a way to herself after being abandoned again and on top of that she finds out she was left with a lot more than a heartbreak.

Eros part I

The following sections of the story are missing moments from the 5th season.

(eros)

I love you against a wall, your teeth grazing my inner thigh my fingers wrapped in your hair. —           one, two, three, four - a.j. (via ibuzoo)

 ‘Whachadoin?’

‘Good lord! Selina! You scared me!’

She burst into a fit of giggles pleased with herself, Bruce couldn’t help but smile too, despite his racing heart, a while ago he thought he would never see her laughing like that again. Selina fell heavily next to him on the bed where he was sitting against the headboard, no regards for personal space at all.

‘Shouldn’t you be resting?’

She furrowed her brows, annoyed.

‘I’ve already told you. I’m done with resting. I went to the Sirens, couldn’t go around wearing that weird hospital gown forever. Got my whip back too, wanna see?’

They shared a look, his eyes drinking in each leather-covered part of her, almost in an indecent way, and further than a slight red glow on her smiling cheeks, she didn’t seem to be offend with his attentions at all, she actually looked even more pleased and mellow, leaning into his side just a little bit more.

‘No. This room is really small, and I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity to see you put it in action soon enough.’

‘Your loss, then.’ But she didn’t seem upset at that either. So much of Selina’s words didn’t match her actions. It used to drive Bruce crazy when they were younger, but now, it was one of the things that made her so appealing to him. Like she was a mystery for him to solve, and as much as frustrating it was always being dragged to square one when he thinks he finally has her figured out, it was also that what made he come back for more every time.

‘Hey, dance with me?’

She snorted and gave him that look in which he could see in her face the amounts of silly she found him to be. It was a lot. No offense taken, he actually liked when she patronized him, it was endearing.

‘There is no music, dumdum.’

He stood up from the bed, Selina got caught by surprise with his sudden move and almost slid down to a lying position without his body to support. Bruce walked around the bed and unstuck a pair of earbuds and an mp3 player from his pocket; he offered a bud to Selina.

‘Come.’

‘But you said there was no batteries anymore.’

‘I’ve found one working. Come.’ He offered again.

‘Okay…’ She said unsurely, but got up and pushed her curls away to put the earbud. He took her wrists and urged her to step in closer to him putting her arms around his neck, and then he pressed play.

Selina frowned when she listened some old timey piano, then she had to lower her head against his chest to laugh.

‘This is what you have on your super modern rich boy device? Some sad old man song? Why am I not surprised?’

‘Shh, pay attention to the lyrics.’

‘This is so stupid, and you are such a sap.’

His hands around her waist pressed her just a little firmer against him for that, but she didn’t protest when he slowly started moving their bodies together, instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and let her eyes fall shut. They stood like that for short moment until Bruce started to sing along off-key followed by her muffled giggles against his neck.

‘You can say that you're leading me on But it's just what I want you to do Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost That's why I'm following you’

‘You are so lucky you’re already filthy rich, kid, because if you had to sing for your supper you’d starve. No, scratch that, I’d personally end your misery by killing you if I had to share a street corner with you.’

With a smile on his face, and spinning them both around the tiny room despite the slow cadence of the music, Bruce followed the last part loudly ignoring Selina laughs and protests.

‘On my own Would I wander through this wonderland alone Never knowing my right foot from my left My hat from my glove I'm too misty and too much in love

Look at me’

She did. And instead of keep making fun of him, Selina slid her hands from to his neck to his face bringing him down for a kiss. The first was chaste, didn’t last much. Sighing, Bruce ended it, letting his forehead fall against hers.

‘I almost lost you.’

Her thumbs rubbed his cheekbones lovingly, his eyes were closed, but hers were open studying the shadows of is dark eyelashes on his fair skin.  She loved those moments in which she could just look at him without being seen, when there was no judgement, not even her own.

‘I’m here now.’ She whispered. ‘I’m here whenever you need me.’

He looked at her, she swallowed hard when faced with the intensity of the feelings in his eyes.

Selina carefully took the earbud from herself then from Bruce. She put the device safely away, then she slowly took off her gloves, then her jacket, well aware of his unbreakable gaze. She gave him a half smile before pulling him closer by his own jacket. She kissed his chin, then the corner of his lips.

‘Selina what are you doing?’

‘What does it looks like?’

‘But you are recovering.’

‘I’m fine, Bruce, really.’

‘But…’

‘If you don’t want to just say it, I’ll go.’ But by the way she said it, it was clear to both of them that she wasn’t going anywhere. She smiled coyly and helped him take off his own jacket, as her hands worked, Bruce dipped his head in the curve of her neck, taking in her smell hungrily. She smelled of antiseptic soap, old leather, and something salty and rich that he learned to associate with her and Gotham streets when it was dark but the moonlight hit the cobblestones just right. Selina and Gotham. There couldn’t be one without the other to Bruce, and in the last days he felt both of them slipping through his fingers. It was maddening. When he felt the last of the leather slip off from his arms hitting the floor, he led his hands to her waist, pushing the fabric of her shit up just a bit so he could touch skin, she shivered.

‘Are you cold?’ He whispered on her ear, a wave of pride hitting him south when she purred softly.

‘No.’

He pushed her hair away, kissing her from the ear to her eyes, her nose, then finally her lips. This time it was far from a chaste kiss. He felt her fisting the fabric covering his back when he tipped his tongue between the seam of her lips, and she let him in. It was a messy kiss that one. Teeth clicking awkwardly, and misplaced tongues until they fell in a more comfortable rhythm.    

Selina was panting when they broke up.

‘Take…’ She inhaled. ‘That that stupid thing off.’ She ordered tugging his jumper.

He chuckled but obeyed, his hair sticking up in odd places, ruining the dangerous look he tried to give in and denouncing how young he actually was. Then he focused on her own shirt, lifting it slowly and without breaking eye contact whit her, those huge green pools, so expressive, often filled with mirth or distrust, now darkened with lust.

‘Eyes up here, Bruce.’ She said after he threw her shirt on the bed and couldn’t help but admire the swell of her breasts held by the lacy black fabric.

He gave her a boyish smile, then became very serious.

‘Have you done this before?’

A hit of pain crossed her face and she looked away, he wanted to kick himself.

‘Not properly, but you have, haven’t you?’

He sighed and touched her tenderly, the back of his fingers on her neck and collarbone, he had no many freckles he wanted to connect them all and give their constellation names.

‘It’s different.’

She looked back at him, confused.

‘It’s you.’ He explained.

She felt like the breath was stolen from her lungs.

Selina kissed him again. ‘Just don’t hurt me.’ She said between kisses. ‘Never.’ He promised husky.

He pushed her to the bed, lying her down. The bed gave in a little to his weight when Bruce put one knee between Selina’s legs, one hand supporting him as he hovered over her, and the other caressing one side of her body accompanied for this lips on the other side. He took his time cupping her breast over the lace, rubbing the most sensitive part with his thumb, smiled at her nipple as it hardened under his kiss. But he kept downwards, kneading her waist, kissing her belly until he reached the waistband of her jeans. He looked up silently requesting permission.

‘Come here.’

He did. She grabbed the back of his head firmly, Bruce moaned with the ferocity of her kiss. Selina flipped them over, straddling him. She thrusted her hips against him and Bruce moaned one more time, so she it again, and again feeling him swell under her without stop kissing him once. His hands got caught in the tangle of her hair and they finally had break a little, giggling, to free him. His hands fell then to her hips and she rubbed her centre against him one more time feeling all the pleasure the delicious fiction brought to them both. Bruce’s hands slid upwards to her back and Selina arched a little to help him as he undid her bra. His gaze was meticulous as he followed the fabric sliding through her skin revealing one more piece of her that he had never explored before.

He held a hand to her face.

‘You are so beautiful.’

She rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t resist the smile curving her lips, hating herself a little for how those cliché words made her feel.

But her answer was to undo his crotch button.  

 Despite wanting to write about them dancing to Misty by Johnny Mathis since forever (I’m not an old man, I swear, I’m just a 26 years old woman with weird taste in music) Bruce singing badly to Selina is something inspired buy my currently favourite fic THE DANGERS OF KNITTING by deaddennis, go read it!

For the next post you will get a little more of sweet sweet romance until we go back to reality.

[verdigrisprowl]

April 7 Bevel’s Movie Night - Star Trek: TNG and Steven Universe

We watched the first episode, with Q. Prowl said almost nothing because I can’t fucking stand Q.

Bevel 7:51 pm *don't anyone mind the scattered machine parts and tools, she's in the process of moving them off important surfaces like couch seats and trying to make the place look a little more presentable, hope everyone likes the broken engine with a long flat piece of metal welded atop it, it's the new table* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:02 pm *Gave up on fixing the engine, did she? Soundwave stretches feelers down to see the, uh. New furniture. Before moving to his seat.* Bevel 8:02 pm *she might have broken it permanently by mistake while trying to fix it* *it's ok, she's building a new one upstairs* Bevel 8:05 pm Hi, Soundwave. *she tries to wave and nearly drops the armful of items she's carrying over to a crate* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:06 pm *Soundwave nods.* [[In a mood for romantic music, are you.]] Omicron 8:08 pm *Icy stumbles in, and pretends she didn't, nope, she's a strong predacon thank you* Bevel 8:08 pm *shrugs and dumps her armful* Sometimes it is really nice sounding. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:10 pm *Soundwave politely pretends her pretense worked.*

[[It is, at that.]] Bevel 8:10 pm *sticks her tongue out at him and then sings quietly along to the Song of Durin while she finishes cleaning up* Omicron 8:11 pm hello friends 😀 *yes is grinning, good mood almost rolling off Icy, chirps at Bevel!* Bevel 8:11 pm *chirps back* Omicron 8:13 pm ((icy's redesign is almost done...well the first stages is)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:13 pm [[Good evening, queen.]] Bevel 8:13 pm ((congrats, hope it goes smoothly Love songs. *amused look at Soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:15 pm [[What.]] Omicron 8:15 pm to you as well soundwave, *shakes a wing and shakes Racer down, but catching him to let him run along after as she finds a place to settle* Bevel 8:16 pm ((gonna start after this song is over if that's ok? Omicron 8:16 pm (yep) VProwl 18:16 pm *appears* Ratchet 8:16 pm *pops in* Omicron 8:16 pm Racer: *startled meep at the appearances* Bevel 8:17 pm *waves to Prowl and Ratchet* Ratchet 8:17 pm *waves* Bevel 8:18 pm *watch your steps, she might have missed a tool or twelve* Omicron 8:18 pm *Ice Queen lifts a wing to them and lays down in her beast mode, pauses and gets up to pick up a tool and lean over and hand it back. yay for long necks* Ratchet 8:19 pm [[ did that say micheal bell ]] [[ is ratchet gonna think someone sounds a lot like prowl ]] ItsyBitsySpyers 8:20 pm ((it is exactly who you think it is)) ((he's in ds9 too)) Omicron 8:21 pm ((I never realized that)) Bevel 8:21 pm ((I love Star Trek guest stars VProwl 18:22 pm ... Is this the beginning of their serving together? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm [[For this crew.]] Omicron 8:22 pm Racer: *sniffing pedes if its okay* VProwl 18:22 pm Mm. Ratchet 8:22 pm [[ isn't this like episode two or three ]] Bevel 8:23 pm ((It's the 1st and 2nd episode. Omicron 8:23 pm [oooh god XD] .....the frag ItsyBitsySpyers 8:27 pm [[As bad as the greyfaces.]] Omicron 8:27 pm Who is that? *icy frowns* Bevel 8:27 pm Queue? Omicron 8:28 pm Racer: *puzzled, but sniffing to look for prowl if aloud* VProwl 18:29 pm *back by Ratchet.* ((i'm sorry i just. i hate q so much.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:29 pm ((feel free to yell ooc)) Omicron 8:29 pm ((you're not the only one)) Bevel 8:29 pm ((or ic if need be VProwl 18:29 pm ((i don't even want to yell i just hate it)) Ratchet 8:30 pm [[ i also hate q ]] Omicron 8:30 pm Racer: *pats at Prowl's pede once finding it* (he's such an aft) Bevel 8:31 pm ((*loves him* >_> Ratchet 8:32 pm [[ i wish they had kept the cute miniskirt uniform forever ]] VProwl 18:32 pm ((i prefer them to have gender-neutral uniforms)) ((therefore: i'll accept the miniskirt only if spock wears it too)) Omicron 8:32 pm (he's a well written character, I'll admit, for what he's supposed to be but...meh) Ratchet 8:33 pm [[ what no i meant the one that male crew member was wearing ]] VProwl 18:33 pm ((oh i thought you were talking about tos)) Bevel 8:33 pm ((there's only one more Q episode I'll be showing after this two-parter, much as I love most of the Q episodes, so y'all won't have to suffer too much TNG with him. Omicron 8:36 pm ...what the frag? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:37 pm ((god)) VProwl 18:37 pm ((no, yeah, i can see this in 20 years)) ((ten. ... five. five years.)) Bevel 8:38 pm ((next week? Omicron 8:38 pm ((ews)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm *Soundwave blips. How dramatic.* VProwl 18:38 pm ((i read that as soundwave bleps and it was adorable)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm ((LMAO)) Bevel 8:38 pm ((awww ((was just thinking this would remind Prowl so much of a Quintesson courtroom Omicron 8:39 pm ((that would be awesome for soundwave)) Racer: *sitting on a prowl pede if needed?* VProwl 18:40 pm *...... reaches down to awkwardly pet?* Omicron 8:42 pm RAcer: !! *loves touch, but has a present* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:42 pm *Tired thought-mumbling.* [[Mockery court.]] Omicron 8:43 pm *Icy rumbles an agreement to soundwave, reminded of predacons being judged for their more primal ways* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:45 pm *Perk.* [[Pleasant.]] *Not often a gift like his is shown.* Omicron 8:47 pm are all of that race that...aftish Bevel 8:48 pm I never met an alien like that. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:49 pm ((michael bell everyone)) Ratchet 8:52 pm [[ GEORDI ]] [[ i love ]] Bevel 8:56 pm It can not be that hard to reconnect the two sections. VProwl 19:01 pm ((he looks like such a dweeb)) Bevel 9:02 pm ((Who? VProwl 19:02 pm ((riker)) ((a shaven-faced dork)) Bevel 9:02 pm ((He looks so much better with the beard Omicron 9:02 pm (XD) VProwl 19:02 pm ((yep)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:02 pm [[Ah! The Doctor Bones.]] VProwl 19:03 pm *ugh.* Omicron 9:03 pm *Icy tilts her head* VProwl 19:04 pm *anyone who hates mechs AND Vulcans is someone who gets absolutely none of Prowl's support.* Omicron 9:07 pm Racer:: *been trying to get something unstuck from his teeth, and pops out one of his crystal shards, offers it to prowl* VProwl 19:08 pm ... *did he take it out of his mouth* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:09 pm ((i forgot how rough the pilot was))

*Soundwave looks at Racer's crystal shard from afar. He's offering mouth gunk?* Bevel 9:10 pm ((1st season in general is a little rough Omicron 9:11 pm That's one of the crystals he dug up in the mine, he keeps getting things stuck in his fangs. *Icy glances over, its not gunk, racer has no subspace access yet* Bevel 9:11 pm ((ah yes when the ferengi were still supposed to be threatening VProwl 19:11 pm ((*ferengi waving chainsaw* "Capitalism!")) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm ((LOL)) Bevel 9:12 pm ((lol Ratchet 9:12 pm [[ i keep falling asleep...... ]] ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm ((fabu go sleep)) Bevel 9:12 pm ((*pats Fabu* Omicron 9:12 pm Racer: *drops the crystal shard, picks it up after licking it clean, then offers it to prowl* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm ((Friday the 13% Interest Rate)) Bevel 9:12 pm ((omg cro *whistles* Omicron 9:13 pm (*offer blanket for snugles*) VProwl 19:13 pm *kind of, stares it.* ... I see. Omicron 9:14 pm he's been learning how to give gifts, if you don't like it set it aside and offer it back after a time VProwl 19:15 pm *No, Data, you should never want to give up being what you are to be an organic. You're fine the way you are.* Oh, is that what—? All right. *Better help him learn about gift-giving. He takes it and sets it next to himself.* Thank you. Omicron 9:17 pm RAcer: *excitedly dances in place, not on prowls pede, and sits very proud of himself, meeping a welcome attempt* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:18 pm ((oh hey so fun fact: when i was little i used to take this hairclip my mom had and wear it and pretend to be geordi because i thought it looked like his visor. a couple years ago i found out his visor is literally that kind of hairclip painted.)) VProwl 19:18 pm ((oh wow)) Omicron 9:19 pm (that's awesome) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:19 pm ((it's not easy to see through, for the record.)) VProwl 19:19 pm ((it must not have been functioning correctly)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm ((LMAO)) Bevel 9:21 pm ((they also designed it like that so Levar could see some, earlier versions were so hilariously bad looking VProwl 19:21 pm (("god i can't see a thing" "good, you're already getting in character")) Omicron 9:21 pm they need a living ship, doesn't matter if the sparkling touches anything...most of the time Bevel 9:21 pm ((omg ItsyBitsySpyers 9:22 pm *He feels Picard's frustration.* Omicron 9:22 pm though messing with captain chairs isn't wise VProwl 19:24 pm (("as my son tries to tell you" yeah how dare the captain express immediate concern over a fucking child ignoring an instruction not to touch things and messing with the buttons on his chair, this literal military officer should be grateful at this civilian minor casually inserting himself into the chain of command.)) *... picks up the crystal to look at it.* Omicron 9:29 pm hmmm VProwl 19:33 pm ((I CAN' F UCKING STAND THAT PIECE OF SHIT)) Omicron 9:33 pm *its a relatively large sodalite slice, a sliver-white-blue* VProwl 19:33 pm ((T)) ((I WANT TO DRIVE A PICKAXE INTO HIS STUPID LITTLE CHIN CLEFT UNTIL IT CLEAVES HIS HEAD IN HALF)) Omicron 9:33 pm ((*offers and anger pop-stick*)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:34 pm ((my goodness)) Bevel 9:35 pm ((it's ok, this episode is almost over and then it's just one more episode with him after that ((but that episode also has Guinan and stuff VProwl 19:35 pm ((daft, smug, sanctimonious, arrogant little shit)) ((i spelled EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WORDS WRONG MORE THAN OCNE)) Metrotitans. Alien metrotitans. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:37 pm [[Hmm?]] Omicron 9:37 pm ....living ships *Icy purrs fondly at that idea* VProwl 19:37 pm The ship and the city are independent sentient beings. Bevel 9:37 pm Oh! VProwl 19:38 pm *Was kind of obvious the first time Zorn started talking to his surroundings, but the ship made it obvious.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:38 pm *He thought perhaps there was someone camouflaged hiding in the room.* Omicron 9:39 pm can we get Primus, somehow to be aware of this...Q thing? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:39 pm [[And do what?]] Omicron 9:39 pm Flick him? VProwl 19:40 pm ... It's a prisoner. Bevel 9:41 pm Space jellyfish. Omicron 9:41 pm jellyfish ship VProwl 19:41 pm ((jellyship)) Omicron 9:42 pm ((Rapture would love to meet them...and try to snuggle them)) VProwl 19:43 pm ((Q YOUR COMMENTARY IS COMPLETELY FUCKING UNNECESSARY JUST GET OUT OF THE SCENE AND LET THEM TALK ABOUT THE JELLYSHIP)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:44 pm *...It's kind of pretty, for an organic. It has good taste in limbs, anyway.* VProwl 19:44 pm ((YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING NOTHING BUT SNEERS)) Bevel 9:44 pm ((color coded pink and blue jellyfish so you know one is a girl and the other is a boy space jellyfish ItsyBitsySpyers 9:44 pm ((soundwave's ultimate forms)) Omicron 9:44 pm [let primus flick the anoyance far, far away on the godly scale of things] VProwl 19:45 pm ((I CAN SEE YOU MOVING YOUR SHITTY MOUTH Q)) ((KEEP IT SHUT)) Bevel 9:45 pm ((omg puff Omicron 9:45 pm aw, look at the squishy happy jellyfish ships VProwl 19:46 pm ((FUCK OFFFFFF)) Bevel 9:46 pm ((Q plz VProwl 19:46 pm ((UGH)) Bevel 9:47 pm ((I'd try to explain him but yeah. ((Onto better, non-Q things Omicron 9:47 pm at least their Captain has a good head and spark Bevel 9:48 pm I like Picard a lot. Omicron 9:50 pm *Icy nods, lets Racer climb over her to find another stashed crystal, resigned a long time ago for letting hatchlings hide things on her* Bevel 9:51 pm ((i want that backpack so bad sometimes Omicron 9:53 pm Racer: *inching over to Bevel, pads at what he can reach with a small paw* Bevel 9:53 pm *reaches down to pat him* VProwl 19:54 pm ... How did he successfully throw the sweaters across. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:54 pm [[Good arm strength?]] VProwl 19:55 pm The vortex should have pulled them down too. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm [[Perhaps it only registers living things.]] VProwl 19:56 pm The red one threw a rock. Omicron 9:56 pm Racer: *happy muffled meep, drops two shines and offers one to Bevel* Bevel 9:56 pm Garnet. VProwl 19:56 pm Gourmet. Bevel 9:56 pm *accepts with a smile* Is this for me? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:56 pm ((whoops i forgot the rock)) ((i'm not multitasking or anything no)) [[They're gems. It could mistake a rock for one.]] Omicron 9:58 pm RAcer: ya! -bounces and flaps a wing, then nuzzles against her- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:59 pm [[No, you broke it.]] Bevel 9:59 pm Thanks, Racer. I will have to get you something too next time you are here. VProwl 19:59 pm TECHNICALLY he didn't break it. He just completely failed in completing the one simple task that could have prevented it from breaking. Bevel 10:00 pm At least he tried. Guess he got too excited. VProwl 110:00 pm He should be blamed, but not for the thing he didn't do. Omicron 10:00 pm I have a feeling that might be my life when this one, or his clutch mats get older Bevel 10:01 pm *she tucks the shiny away into her subspace* Omicron 10:02 pm Racer: *happy hatchling, and picks up the other shiny, tail waves* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm [[It's like dealing with Smokescreen.]] Omicron 10:05 pm reality breaking somehow? VProwl 110:05 pm And here I was, trying to like him. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm [[Oh. He apologizes.]] Bevel 10:06 pm *giggles* Omicron 10:06 pm Racer: *paw pats at Soundwave's pede now* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm *Glances down.* Omicron 10:07 pm Racer: *offer the last crystal shine to him* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm *Soundwave accepts the shard and offers Racer a tiny pat.* *All right. Maybe he can relate to Garnet a little after all.* Omicron 10:09 pm Racer: *purr attempt at the pat* Bevel 10:12 pm ((wow sorry if i deafened anyone there Omicron 10:12 pm [its okay] Bevel 10:14 pm This looks like fun. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm [[...It does.]] VProwl 110:14 pm ... The instructional infographics are insufficient to describe how to accurately replicate the desired moves. Omicron 10:14 pm RAcer: *bounces around to the music, icy might be bobbing her head to it too* Bevel 10:14 pm I could find a version for Dancitron? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:15 pm [[He thinks they are reminder only. It looks like the main figure does the full moves.]] [[...And he would appreciate that. Take it to Arcade if you do.]] [[Rumble and Frenzy would appreciate it, he's sure.]] *Cover cover.* VProwl 110:15 pm Then you don't know what you're supposed to be doing until the exact moment you're already supposed to be doing it. Bevel 10:15 pm I will. *she's going to Earth anyway, might as well grab some game stuff for Arcade to play around with* VProwl 110:16 pm Unless there's an entirely separate training program. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:16 pm [[There might be. It could also be a matter of repeat exposure. Hmm.]] Bevel 10:17 pm Even mistakes are fun though. Omicron 10:17 pm true VProwl 110:18 pm *"mistakes are fun" what in the hell is bevel talking about* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm *She gets a lot of weird ideas. Blame her creators.* Omicron 10:19 pm Soundwave? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:20 pm [[Hmm?]] Omicron 10:21 pm I have an insecticon that wants to meet you at some point. she asked me to tell you that. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:21 pm [[...Why.]] *If this is going to be a joke at his expense about Insecticon queens...* Bevel 10:21 pm *oh teaching song, sits up* VProwl 110:22 pm *Prowl's not going to be around for that meeting.* Omicron 10:22 pm She heard you got racer to eat silver, it's made her life easier. I think its to give a thank you Bevel 10:23 pm Does Racer not like silver? Omicron 10:23 pm He didn't not like it, he wasn't sure it was something to eat until soundwave said so giving him a bit Bevel 10:24 pm Oh ok. I thought maybe he did not like it like how I do not like latinum. VProwl 110:25 pm ((does she think latinum tastes... too rich)) Bevel 10:26 pm ((lol Omicron 10:26 pm since Racer is the oldest, if he's eating things the other sparklings on the ship are interested it it too. Doesn't matter if me or their sires are eating things too ItsyBitsySpyers 10:27 pm [[Then he is glad to have helped so much. A little silver is a good treat now and then, he's told.]] [[And helpful for forming new plating.]] VProwl 110:28 pm ((*hears the Robot Words*)) ((ariel is a transformer now)) Bevel 10:28 pm ((yes Omicron 10:28 pm yes, or coating other metals to get them to eat something that's not just gold sweet ItsyBitsySpyers 10:29 pm *He's feeling personally attacked by this one.* [[Indeed.]] Bevel 10:29 pm *sorry Soundwave* *not intentional* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:30 pm *He's so sure.* Bevel 10:30 pm *makes a face at mention of gold* Omicron 10:31 pm ...? Bevel 10:31 pm Too sweet. Omicron 10:32 pm ah, yes at times Bevel 10:32 pm *doesn't like sweet things* Omicron 10:33 pm do you like copper or nickle wire? *yes she knows she has a bad habit of chew on those* Bevel 10:35 pm *shrugs* I like rust sticks if I am gonna snack on something, but I usually just eat or drink energon instead. My frame-type uses a burns a lot of energy. VProwl 110:35 pm *sometimes prowl is reminded that, to most people that aren't him, most of the environment around them is at least partially edible* Bevel 10:36 pm I eat treats other people make sometimes though. It is nice eating something else. VProwl 110:36 pm *hearing them talk about eating wires is one such reminder.* *it's wild.* Bevel 10:36 pm *Cybertronians evolved from scraplets?* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm *DON'T YOU START ON THAT* Bevel 10:37 pm *"there's still scraplets how could we have evolved from them?"* Omicron 10:38 pm I don't know why, human refined copper just... tastes really good. so do some of their cars ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm [[...You consume their cars?]] Omicron 10:38 pm .......not all the time? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm ((did frasier ever have a musical episode and if not WHY NOT listen to him)) Bevel 10:38 pm Earth cars are not sentient. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm *...What is this.* Bevel 10:39 pm ((it did not but Niles and Fraiser did sing a few times ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm *...Is this language humor.* Bevel 10:39 pm *yes* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm *Scoot scoot.* Bevel 10:39 pm *she found it when she was struggling with learning English* Omicron 10:40 pm *knows its bad but sometimes can't help chewing on old cars when on earth....junk food like craving* VProwl 110:42 pm *... this video is stressful* Bevel 10:42 pm *oh Prowl* Omicron 10:42 pm ....huh VProwl 110:43 pm *there's a whole lot of moving things to read, it switches fast, and words are hard* Bevel 10:43 pm *yeah Bevel didn't learn much from it until she listened to it a buncha times* Bevel 10:51 pm ((didn't think y'all wanted to sit through a 20m version of the Misty Mountain song ItsyBitsySpyers 10:51 pm *Soundwave's very... VERY very tired from recent events, and his ability to mask in public is running thin. He'll probably leave shortly. But not until after this song.* VProwl 110:54 pm *he's not alone.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm *Soundwave stands and dusts himself off, as though he'd been sitting there long enough to collect any.*

[[He appreciates the look into the Picard human's life, but he requires recharge.]]

*Nodding to each one in turn.*

[[Prowl, Ice Queen, Bevel. Goodnight.]] VProwl 110:56 pm @S «... Can I come over?» Bevel 10:56 pm *waves goodbye* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:56 pm @P: [[Without question.]] Omicron 10:56 pm have a good evening VProwl 110:56 pm @S «I'll meet you there.» Bevel 10:57 pm I will not be able to show anything for a little while since I am leaving soon. I tried to get Rolodex to host but *she shrugs* VProwl 110:57 pm *he slides his crystal gift into a thigh compartment, and disappears.* *the crystal clatters down onto his seat.* *he has apparently forgotten things don't come with him when he disappears* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:58 pm @P: [[All right.]]

[[The ingrate. Good luck with your... mission.]]

*Soundwave moves over to where the seat was, picks up the crystal, opens a bridge and trudges through it. He's too tired to even take the opportunity to fly.* Bevel 10:58 pm Thanks. Omicron 10:59 pm good night *chirps at Bevel, standing up* Bevel 11:00 pm *chirps back* Omicron 11:01 pm *icy gets up, with racer on her back and gives a head bump, remembers the stress she had before* Omicron 11:02 pm (thanks for the stream) Bevel 11:02 pm ((np!