#been a couple months since my last reread but i think all this is right

[technicolorlove]

Okay so what I find so funny about IDW1 (transformers) is that if you think about it every cybertronian who considers their gender, even for a moment, is trans. As mechanoid beings with no real sex (they have to build more in a factory when the ground stops spitting them out) and zero concept of gender (some barely even know that "she" is a concept) the fact that they can go out in the universe and learn that the concept of a "woman" exists and some of them will go "Oh shit, that's me" and others will go "huh, neat" and then continue to go by he/him means that they've selected their default or changed but they still picked a gender out where they did not have one before!!!

Elephant in the room is Arcee but I follow the retcon's lore (which doesnt really make sense if you think about it from like a story angle but like it stops her from being in a weird grey zone of trans-ness) so like she's fine I think.

This also gets into why there are so many homo-romantic (or shit even poly romantic) relationships in IDW1 because, again, these robots have no concept of gender, sex, or monogamy. They care more about what color badge you wear than who, how, or how many you love lmao.

I can also extend this to talk about neruodivergence and how interesting that is in a mechanical race because it presents new and interesting problems. (Also with physical disabilities but that's out of my personal wheelhouse) and dont even get me started on bots who dont have a humanoid mode. Beast formers and bodily autonomy is sooo fucking interesting especially to me as someone who is a big puppy hiding in human skin lmao

in short; every idw transformer is trans if you think about it

[somewhere-in-the-rain]

Xaden’s mother theory

A couple of months ago when I reread Fourth Wing and Iron Flame I noticed an inconsistency with the character we’re given of Xaden’s mother (by this I mean an intentional inconsistency which I’ll get to later, rather than a fault of Rebecca Yarros’s). This is long, but please bear with me, I promise I’m making a point.

MINOR SPOILERS FOR FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME

There are as far as I remember three times in the series so far that Xaden’s mother has been mentioned (there may be others but these three stuck out in my memory):

I’d forgotten what it felt like to be loved, really, truly loved—it’d been so many years since Dad died. And mom… Not going there.

Fourth Wing (Chapter 39 - Xaden’s POV)

As far as I’m aware, this is the first time Xaden’s mother is mentioned in the series, on the very last page of Fourth Wing. To me, this line shows that Xaden was greatly hurt by his mother leaving—despite the clause in the wedding contract saying she was free to leave when he turned 10, it’s like he still didn’t actually expect her to. It’s clearly a sensitive topic for him, if he still doesn’t like to think about it 13 years later.

“What’s in our armoire right now?” … “What about the blanket my mother made me that’s tucked back on the top shelf?” 

Iron Flame (Chapter 55)

So Xaden’s mother made him a blanket. This is where the main inconsistency in her character that I noticed happens. I personally have never made a blanket, but I knitted a scarf once and that took a very long time, and a blanket is much bigger than that. It shows she clearly cared about him (of course she did, he’s her son) and is a gesture that got me thinking—are these the actions of someone who would abandon their 10 year old son? I don’t think so.

The fact that the blanket is tucked away at the back of the armoire again emphasises the point that this is still a sensitive topic for Xaden.

“Where’s your mother?” He startles but quickly masks the reflex.“No one talks about her,” I continue. “There are no paintings, no references to her being at the Calldyr executions. Nothing. It’s like you were hatched and not born.” The moment stretches between us. “She left when I was young. Their marriage contract said an heir had to survive to the age of ten, and then she was free to go, which is what she did. I haven’t seen or heard from her since.” His voice sounds like he dragged it across broken glass.

Iron Flame (Chapter 58)

First of all the “hatched and not born” line is clearly foreshadowing for something, because I’m fairly sure there have been references made to wyvern hatching and I just think that’s such a particular phrasing to use.

Secondly, it doesn’t surprise me at all that there are no paintings or references remaining after she left. If Fen Riorson is anything like his son (and from what we’ve seen I think he is) I don’t think he’s the type to yearn for someone or admit to missing them after they leave. Xaden says that his mother cut off all contact when she left, so it makes sense that they’d remove all references to her, although I do think there is something else going on there (but it’s 1am right now and I don’t have the energy to work out what).

So to conclude, I don’t think that someone who hand-makes a blankets for their child would abandon their 10 year old son, cutting off all contact completely. I don’t think Xaden’s mother would do that. Even if she left Xaden’s father, surely she’d still keep in touch with Xaden? I don’t think she left willingly, and even if she wasn’t physically forced to leave I think there must’ve been some reason she did what she did, other than just being free to—either because she literally had no choice or because she was trying to protect Xaden from something, most likely something to do with the venin. I can’t remember if Rebecca Yarros confirmed it or not, but I’m certain she will play a large role in the later books (and definitely die at some point but that’s a different thing entirely). I think she knows something about the venin or about the dragons. I also think she’s running from something, and that there’s a reason she hasn’t tried to get in touch with Xaden in over a decade, not just indifference to his existence. Maybe Fen told her to stay away. Maybe she knew too much. Maybe it was something else entirely.

I do think Xaden knows more than he told Violet about this situation as well, or at least suspects something. 

Anyway, if you made it this far THANK YOU and have some cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 I’m gonna go to sleep now

[occasionallycoinpin]

Occasionally Coinpin 100

A million beautiful stars in the sky,

Yet you’re the only one that catches my eye

yapping down below

putting this at the top so people actually read it: occasionally coinpin will be going on a short break! don’t worry, not a multi-month hussie-tier hiatus or anything, just a couple days for me to catch my breath, and then ocp will be back in full swing. doing anything for three months straight will tire you out (plus i’ve started getting this weird cramp in my arm so :p)

i feel as though 3 months isn’t really enough time to start getting sentimental. but, 100 is a big milestone, we’re out of the double digits, so i’ll say something at least

when i first started this little side blog, i didn’t really think anyone would pay attention to it. clearly, the (currently) 235 of you disagree with that notion. knowing that ive given at least one person, let alone hundreds, a smile on their face is one of the best feelings in the world, and i’m so grateful for everyone who’s supported this little project of mine

whether you’ve been here since the single digits, or if you just showed up right now, thanks for giving my silly drawings the time of day

here’s to 100 more coinpins 🥂

now with the sappy stuff outta the way, its time for some ocp fun factz™️!

The current OCP with the most notes is OCP 94 (“spahc”), which recently beat out both OCP 76 (“Pride”) and OCP 78 (“Mario Party”). I’m not sure how to feel about this

OCP 70 (“Detachment”) was originally supposed to be a continuation of the previous two (do the math). Pin was going to scare Coiny with… something, but I couldn’t get the joke to land the way I wanted it to, so I scrapped it and went with something based on BFDIA 12 instead

The longest gap between Fear Garden posts was between OCP 62 (“Vessel Reveal”) and OCP 99 (“I.D.F.B.”) with a gap of 36. The shortest was between (most of) the posts for FG week, in which OCP 55 (“Hi Scarlet”) to OCP 60 (“Fear the Garden”) were all posted back-to-back for a gap of 0

Speaking of Fear Garden, while I said OCP 8 (“Remembrance”) was the reread edition, I had actually reread FG sometime before that point. In fact, that reread was what inspired me to make Occasionally Coinpin in the first place! Thanks, Ice

you may have noticed that i’ve been referring to the ocps using titles here. i recently (last night) decided to retroactively give all of them titles. as a nice little bonus for every hundred milestone, i’ll drop the ocp titles as a bonus :)

have a good day, and a good night

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: August 2024

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. The summer is waning. But the monthly media posts carry on. Here's how I spent the month of August.

……….FILM……….

Wendell & Wild (2022) I don't want this to be one of the last major stop-motion film to ever be made, but the filmmakers put so many stories into this that I wonder if they thought this was their last shot. Essentially a 12-course meal from a great restaurant: the accomplishment is impressive but the whole is overstuffed and some of the smaller portions were undercooked.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) The lightly surreal elements of the movie were great, but there's a point late in the story when that surreality kills all of the momentum.

Spice World (1997) Still holds up.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Still amazed at how well this pulls off what it seeks to do. But maybe I'm biased because I love practical effects, puppets, and action scenes that serve the narrative. We may not get another D&D movie but I'm glad we have this one.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Based on other live-action multiverses, I went in with modest expectations, and this was a pleasant surprise. Maybe it's because it continues to do what Deadpool does well. Thoroughly entertaining in the moment.

……….TELEVISION……….

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.14 to 1.20) It's been a couple of years since I stopped watching (mid season!) but luckily one of the episodes was essentially a recap of what's happened so far. Really ramping up in the abstract and the philosophical and I'm a big fan. These kids are meeeeeeeessed up.

Made for Love (Episode 2.01 to 2.08) I only really caught the first season in pieces but I knew enough going into this season that it really clicked! It hit me the same way early Black Mirror episodes felt, only with more humour, depth, and nuance. It's a real shame there's no plans for season 3.

……….YOUTUBE……….

I think this will be a Short Video by Matthew Colville A really great reflection on making art in the social age, the algorithm, communities/audiences, and how these can clash with the natural impulses of creativity. VIDEO

I'm What the Culture Feeling (The full story of Kendrick Vs. Drake) by F.D. Signifier Almost 3.5 hours but for someone like me (who knows next to nothing of this world, these artists, or this conflict) it expertly breaks it all down to paint a complete picture. Really great watch. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie (Complete) Top-tier Christie. The premise is so fun, and while I know the multiple detectives appear in other stories, it's a nice introduction to these characters. This book made me want to learn how to play Bridge.

The People of the Black Circle and A Witch Shall Be Born by Robert E. Howard (Complete) I have this collection of Conan stories and after a years-long break, decided to read a few more. Both great! The latter puts Conan in an almost supporting role and it's fun to see him take on a secondary role to the story. Keeps it interesting. And the former is such a classic pulp story (cults, magic clothing, a giant snake) that I can't help but love it.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 14 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) It's been a 6-year-long journey for me and while I couldn't be happier with how it ended, I'm sad that it's over. Still so impressed with how well it stuck the landing for me. Do I wish there was more of a wind-down with these characters? Sure. But I really respect an artist who knows what they want to say/do and says/does it. Very excited to see what Ryoko does next.

Hellboy Library Volume 1 by Mike Mignola with John Byrne (Complete) Without being hyperbolic, this is one of my favourite contributions to the craft. So confident and fully-formed right out of the gate. Excited to reread this series.

……….AUDIO……….

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappel Roan (2023) Technically I started listening to this at the end of July. I saw a positive review, figured I'd check it out, and it felt like that was at the same time everyone else in the world was talking about her. Love an album with such a focused perspective.

Currents by Tame Impala (2015) In recent years I've been really enjoying Tame Impala's one-off songs (Barbie and Dungeons & Dragons soundtracks, their collaboration with Gorillaz, etc.) so I figured I'd really dig into this album. Easy to listen to both casually in the background and with a magnifying glass just pouring over the lyrics. Love it.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Only got a few sessions in this month but the crew is still reassembling the skeletal pirate they trashed years (real time) ago. Now they're about to face a big electric centipede to recover his legs.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 crew split the party and one half casually shopped and planned while the other half discovered a secret testing facility full of captured magic-users.

Wonderland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) We got in a single session of Wonderland and it was a small party but a lot of fun! Also the first true character death of our playtesters. Luckily we had backup characters though character 2 ended the session losing their arm. Hey that's Wonderland.

And that's it. See you in September!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

i think i found my fav arcana blog, i rlly love ur hcs and writings!!! (and i don't even usually read that much,,)

i wanna know how the m6 would react to mc, who does journaling but never had anyone read their journal, offering the m6 if they want to read their private journal

The Arcana HCs: M6 reading MC's journal

~ I kept a journal for several years until my siblings were old enough to decipher my handwriting and use it as blackmail lol. Thanks for the prompt anon, enjoy! - brainrot ~

Julian

Noticed you writing in it every day and has been dying of curiosity to know what you're writing about but respects your privacy too much to even bring it up

There have been one or two times when you left it on a table (not open) and he spent a good five minutes fixated on it from across the room, mind going crazy

You finally walk in on him one afternoon, draped across one side of the couch and twisting his gloves while staring holes into the notebook on the opposite armrest

So you sit down next to him and let him read it with you

Double checking multiple times that it's okay for him to be reading this - "are you sure that you're sure?"

Reading about himself from your perspective and how he makes your life better makes him so happy

He also notices how you've kept his love notes and flowers pressed between the pages and the sheer romance of it will make his brain melt

Blushing, stuttering mess

Now whenever he writes you something or picks a flower for you he's thinking about the best way to make it relevant years later, since he knows you'll save them

Asra

Journaling started for you as a daily exercise when you were relearning to write

It was Asra's way of giving you a piece of your life that you had total control of, and of encouraging you to chronicle your days to cope with your memory loss

Over time it also became a place to write down all the things you wanted to say to them while they were gone

So late one night, when you're stargazing together and you find you're on the second to last page of the notebook he gave you so long ago, you reread it with him

It's one of the most precious moments you'll ever share with them. No magic or adventure involved, just the sweetness of revisiting your history together

It also gives you the chance to let him read all the things you felt you couldn't tell him, which brings so much resolution

By the time you're finished reading and talking and snuggling the birds are starting to chirp and the sky is getting lighter

For them, reading about all the ways you noticed and thought about and loved them when there was so much distance between you two makes their heart so full it aches

Nadia

At first she assumed it was something like a planner, where you would write down leads and information and connections

But then she saw the different notebooks you kept for studying, and the system you had to keep track of your scheduled events

She was a little embarrassed at how long it took for her to realize that it was a journal

Once she knew, she was intrigued. She wasn't going to pressure you to show her at all, but she's certainly curious

One day you're flipping back through your entries and you begin to giggle. It's the last thing before she caves and asks

"MC, my darling, what's making you laugh?"

You're immediately scooting over to make space for her next to you and pointing to the right spot on the page

It's a small anecdote you had recorded of Natiqa pranking Nahara and Nazali when Nadia wasn't around

Once you two start reading together she doesn't stop. With your permission, you spend the next two hours reminiscing

You write about her like she's the most important, wise, and confident person in the world, and it fills her with humble gratitude

Muriel

Noticed on the trip south. Wasn't curious. Didn't ask.

Now its been months, you two live like an old married couple in the woods, and he has no idea how to bring it up this late in the getting-to-know-you game

Practices the possible words to ask you in the early mornings while he's feeding the chickens and you're still asleep

The chickens don't have much feedback

You, on the other hand, have mistaken his stoicism for disinterest, so you haven't taken any initiative to let him know that you're open to talking about it

Inanna gets fed up one day and grabs your journal in her mouth, leading you on a chase through the woods, right to where Muriel is fishing

Casually drops it as soon as he tells her to, right into his lap, and heads away for a nap

You sit down next to him and check for torn pages. As soon as you feel his interested gaze, you're offering to read it to him while he waits for the fish to bite

He's not ready for how often he features in your stories, but hearing the way you describe him as safe and gentle and precious makes him feel so fuzzy inside

Portia

The first time she sees you writing she's already asking what it's for

As soon as you tell her it's a journal, she's asking you to let her read it. If it's written by someone as mysterious and exciting as you, it has to be good!

At this point you've known her for all of two days, so you say no

Disappointed but understanding. She doesn't pester you about it, but she makes sure to let you know that she's very interested if you ever feel like sharing

You take your time, but one evening after dinner while you're snuggled up by the fire you'll pull it out and start reading to her

The best audience you've ever had. She is honed in, hanging onto every word while she covers a very happy Pepi in scritches

As someone who fell in love with novels because they whisked her away into adventures she didn't feel important enough for otherwise, hearing you recount your shared story like this tugs on all of her heartstrings

She'll laugh and cry and gasp at all the right moments. From now on, she treats your journal like a sacred thing. After all, it's the most important story in the world

Lucio

He was already sneaking peeks over your shoulder when he was stuck to you as a not-ghost. Man has 0 concept of privacy

You knew he was looking because he was commenting on your handwriting and gossiping about any tidbits he thought were juicy

Considering how you barely knew him at that point, you didn't write in front of him again for a very, very long time

It actually created a lovely habit - at some point during the day, you'll take half an hour to yourself and journal

It's been months now and you've forgotten why you had the habit in the first place, so when it's raining one evening you just stay in the inn and write next to the fire

The difference in Lucio's approach speaks volumes. He asks what you're doing, and when you tell him, he asks if he can hear some of it

He makes no move to get up from where he's polishing his sword (it got wet)

He listens while you read, interjecting with a comment or two, perfectly content

He's a bit sheepish about what you had to write about him in the beginning, but hearing how much he's changed fills him with healthy pride. Oh, he adores you

[minmaxi]

this fic idea has been sitting in my google docs for a couple of months. I'm not great at finishing projects and I'm usually more for something resembling poetry than a story, but I'm posting this as much for me as for a friend who said he's interested to see what I have cooking 😊 (thank you for the encouragement!) and, since I haven't gone to sleep yet, I think we can still call this

FUCK IT FRIDAY

I haven't settled on a title yet, so let's just call this one "the q-word fic," shall we?

———

Buck’s been thinking. Dangerous, he can practically hear someone say; but it's been quite a week, he’s allowed. With Chris back from Texas last week and Bobby finally back in the captain’s chair today, he’s practically basking in the serenity of things going back to how they should be. There's only this 24-hour shift standing between him and 48 hours off, and outside of vague ideas of spending some time with his reunited Diaz boys, he's still not entirely sure what he'll be doing after the shift wraps up in about… 19 more hours, according to his watch? He could swear it's already been 8.

The rigs are all stocked, the supply closet is organized, and he's long given up on finding the clipboard that must've grown legs somewhere between the engine and the ladder truck. Buck's been curled up near the TV, keeping himself occupied with an old YA novel that he's been rereading before he gifts it to Chris. The rest of the team is caught up on their own assignments, too, so anyone else who's not trying to bank some sleep or work out has also gravitated to the loft to settle in.

Adjusting in place, he realizes if he doesn’t move soon that his leg will only get stiffer, and right now’s as good a time as any for some tea, anyway. Setting the book down, brushing his fingers against the dalmatian statue as he stretches up out of the armchair, his mind turns from the new herbal blend in the cabinet back to the present evening.

So far, it's been a qui—

Buck freezes in place.

It's been a while since the last time anyone used The Q-Word in the firehouse, and if for no other reason than some kind of reflex, he won't even let himself think it. That word has bitten him everywhere, every time—from this very station, to a bar in Peru, all the way back to a ranch in Montana—to say nothing of the stories Hen and Chimney have recounted. Even Bobby takes it seriously, even if he thinks it's mostly psychosomatic.

Thankfully, he muses, Ravi learned his lesson from the last mishap—newer probies have been warned since—and everyone else on the A-shift knows better than to invite chaos with such reckless abandon.

"Heeeey, is it my imagination or does tonight seem like it's been nice and–”

Almost everyone.

All eyes turn to Eddie, elbows perched on the counter, hovering over a cup of coffee.

"–relaxed so far?" he smirks, looking up knowingly.

———

p.s. how does no pressure tagging work. I might be overthinking it. please drop in my asks or dms about this. 💜

[enulaz]

My reread of TBHK, Spook 1: Hanako-San of the Toilet

Starting off with the very first Teach Me, Hanako-Kun. He tells Nene that he became Hanako by succumbing to lust. Does that mean he ate the last one in a sexy way? I'm seeing a mix of how Mitsuba became a school mystery and how Hakubo devoured Sumire.

I also just got done reading all of Another, and everything happened to class 3. Thought about that upon reading the "in the 3rd stall on the 3rd floor, you knock 3 times..."

When Nene names her crush as Minamoto-Senpai, that name has to ring a bell for Hanako, no? And when he asks her if she even knows his first name, she goes off subject about a bug. I love how he says "Yashiro...." like he does so much in the future every time she starts to stray too far from the matter at hand.

I got to the part where Nene leaves tomatoes and cucumbers on Teru's desk and someone asked "Did you help a fox or something?" Lllollll this is what made me laugh so hard the first time I read it. Think this was the point I knew I was already in love with the series (maybe I'm no better than Nene.....)

Okay so Hanako is trying to help Nene figure out how to get Teru's attention. He took Teru's button off of his sleeve. Surely Teru would have noticed Hanako doing that....

Nene's homemade character bento with those scary looking vegetables is still soo funnyyy!

After Nene eats the mermaid scale, she gets upset that Hanako didn't tell her about them before. She calls him a liar and runs away. This seems to effect him a lot. His shocked eyes and then him just standing there.....like it brings up memories of his past of people accusing him of something and/or leaving...

Nene finds Teru but another girl is confessing her love for him, but he says he's been in love with someone else for a long time. Hmm. He could just be saying that thinking it would be the easiest way to let her down, but. I'm going with Akane lol.

When Hanako starts to fight the mermaid, he finally reveals his knife....he pulls it right out of his gut!! I did not notice that at all my first read through. He then beats the mermaid in an instant. He went from cute and chill, to unforgiving and strong, back to chill, in a matter of three pages.

He eats the mermaid scale..."our fates have been tied together...across the near and far shores." So romantic. Also reminds me of Yatori.

Hanako says he granted her two wishes of wanting to be human again, and wanting to be a couple with someone. He doesn't say haha just kidding and she doesn't say anything outwardly against it so I guess it's safe to say that HanaNene has been canon since chapter 1.

Finished my first reread through and thoughts post. Even though I only started reading the manga a month ago, going through it again it already so much fun. I can take my time going through the panels instead of sometimes rushing through just because I'm so excited to see what happens next.

And I'm sure some of the things I include in here will make some people roll their eyes wondering how I didn't catch that the first time. BUT with that, I'd love to get some comments from others about something I mentioned...or didn't mention. I just wanna talk TBHK.

End Spook 1.

[evixgrid]

Translated my smol🤏🤏 fearanoia fan work, thanks to my new bro, here's a smaller part of it:

It had been about a few weeks since Hazal was accepted into the Protocol, not even a full month. Her phone buzzed, and her eyes slowly cracked open. Another usual day for the Protocol VALORANT began as she gazed into pitch black. Darkness reigned habitually in her room, as did the cat from her native streets that rested quietly near her work desk. The laptop screen was still on, slightly illuminating her progress, a little cluster of empty coffee mugs. Her cell phone buzzed again. If only it hadn't been for that couple of lines in her messages...

Usually Fade tries to kill time by reading books or exercising with her pet, trying not to fall back into lingering thoughts. This time it would be worthless.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the girl nervously reread the contents. She would have taken anything else, from "Tomorrow morning at five o'clock", "You're expected at Sage's," or at least "Come by Brimstone's office as soon as you can". Alas, the text remained unchanged, which was not the case with the tension in the room.

“You wouldn't go wrong with the choice, would you? You won't, right?” The voice echoing her darkest thoughts wouldn't be able to get away from her this evening. The quiet hiss in her temples aches with a pain not yet too great.

“Do you realize why he wants to see you? Do you remember what you saw in his head? Your power is being used, wake up!” Nightmare started emphasizing pronouns, trying to get 'its' point across.

“I can try to find out, especially since I have to go back in there…” She hushed, she began scrolling through other agent's scraps of memories.

“You think you can just walk away if anything happens? Don't be so naive!”

The noises and tingles in my head were getting worse.

“And what are you hoping for? Didn't you have a goal when you joined the team? Maybe you did lose your memory too?”

Hazal shuddered, her mind already on her past. With her legs tucked under her they bent even more, it was as if she was trying to hide, to be invisible. The relative silence didn't last long.

“Do you remember him? All the things you did together, the times, the moments. Isn't that why I am with you? And the Protocol? What do you need it for?"

Falling onto the pillow behind her, the girl curled up like her cat. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to distract herself by counting to a hundred as Sage had suggested earlier, but Fade only became more convinced of her interlocutor's insistence.

“Wasn't that a betrayal? So much effort, searching, is it meaningless?”

Check the whole work (I appreciate crit):

[fantasyinvader]

Honestly, I feel like there's a hole in my life right now.

I've wanted to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms since I first played some Dynasty Warriors game on the PS2. For around half of my life, I've wanted to read this thing though at the time I never thought I'd get a chance to in English. Call me naive back then to the demand for translated books back then, but to be fair I wasn't thinking about things like how easy it is to get books on Amazon nowadays either. So there was that, my disappointment when I got an abridged version of the text a couple years ago, and now I have spent a couple of months plowing through the book in my free time (while also finishing up some other novels I had started. I admit, I'm bad for starting a book and getting distracted by another, ending up juggling multiple books at the same time. Like, right now I started the first John Carter novel while I'm almost done Crime and Punishment... and I started the latter when on the last volume of Three Kingdoms), but now that I've done it?

Like, there is satisfaction about finally doing it and even a bit of pride over reading an epic. But now that it's over, I miss it already. I could finish the 2010 drama or even start the 94 version, but I really got swept into the novel due to it's scale. I like Liu Bei as the hero who falls at the end, and the idea that IRL he might have not been related to the imperial line but managed to proclaim himself emperor and be supported by the people to the point of becoming a folk hero? That is inspirational as shit to me even if he was a con artist. Zhuge Liang is complex, and there's something about Guan Yu and his loyalty you can't help but expect (the fact his giant statue has been taken down saddens me. Here's hoping they actually do move it). I feel like this is a novel I could discuss for days on end, and will reread in it's entirety in the future (unlike Dune, where I'll stop at the end of God Emperor). Maybe try the Moss Roberts translation due to how highly regarded it is.

Or maybe bite the bullet and read one of the two versions of The Water Margin I have, the 70 chapter version or the 100 chapter version (Which is over 2100 pages). Maybe do that sometime this year, after I get some other books out of the way. Want to read The Idiot after finishing Crime and Punishment after all.

[redgoldblue]

Fic Writing Review 2023 🌈

tagged by @itwoodbeprefect - i have also been thinking about this so thank you for taking the initiative!

tagging @faorism @gallantrejoinder if you'd care to do this in any form (including as writing/art review)!

Words and Fics (on ao3) 📚

words posted: 52,220, apparently. Which is actually... basically last year's but minus 10k because I didn't do H50 Big Bang this year, because med school. most things in my life now can be stated as 'because med school'. (actually I just realised I didn't do it last year either, but that was because I was already finishing a 10k H50 fic. so my point stands)

fics posted: either 6 or 29, depending on whether one counts the advent calendar as one fic or 24. plus 3 posted only on Tumblr.

first fic:��love don't treat you like that (babe, I'm letting you know) (H50). on the NINTH of january, apparently. i've already lost my first-fic-of-the-year contest to last year, unless i unexpectedly finish something today.

last fic: Advent Calendar 2023 / ...Zaph Kilkane, the pre-eminent climate scientist of the 22nd century...

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Ships and Fandoms ⚓

would you believe I literally did not repeat a fandom this year, outside of the advent calendar. and this year's AC had the most fandoms since 2019.

Hawaii Five-0 (McDanno)

NCIS: LA (Sallen)

Starsky & Hutch (S/H)

House MD (Hilson)

MASH (Punnihawk)

and then AC-only ones:

Star Trek (Spirk)

The Man From UNCLE (Napollya)

911 (Buddie)

Due South (i don't know ship names. are there ship names? Fraser/RayK)

Good Omens (Azcrow)

Leverage (thiefsome)

Almost Paradise (Ernesto/Alex. alesto. i'm coining it)

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Top 5 Fics by Kudos 🏆

I mean, I have 6 posted fics that can be kudosed separately.

love don't treat you like that (babe, I'm letting you know) (H50)

When You're Loving Me (That's When I'm Loving You) (NCIS: LA)

Advent Calendar 2023 (see above. nine fandoms)

my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime / could never do you justice in reason or rhyme (House MD)

Finding A Cure In You (S&H)

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Top 5 Favorite Fics 💖

okay, I'm going to count distinct chapters of the advent calendar for this. in no particular order and subject to mood change:

When You're Loving Me (That's When I'm Loving You) (NCIS: LA) - I cited this as a contender for my favourite fic I've written a couple months ago, so obviously it has to go in the year's. what can i say, fake dating is an immaculate trope, and this also all came onto the page very easily which is always vaguely miraculous.

there you go pulling me right back in (H50) - sometimes vague prompts i've had down for ages write up as something that's. fine, but a bit clunky, and I just have to move on bc it's the advent calendar and a new fic each day. sometimes I start writing them and they spring into life with joyous delight. or in this case, uninhibited grumpiness and love.

singing yesterday's songs wishing i could be with you tonight (MASH) - the one that didn't make it into the top 5 kudosed, I assume partially due to being locked and partially due to being a serious tone, not terribly shippy, and Peg POV. But I've had some version or other of it for a long time, it's one of those stories I'm genuinely proud of, and I was glad to finally post it.

Totally Normal (Due South) - it's fun. it was fun. I was slightly nervous about it, because the only prior Due South thing I'd written was Dief POV and this was Fraser and RayK POV and the first time writing either of those, but it turns out watching + liveblogging four and two seasons, respectively, of a character in four months is. enough to cement their voices in my head. it was unexpectedly easy and also. fun.

Festive Spice (MUNCLE) - i just think it epitomises the advent calendar. in the words of coolbreezemage, 'yesssss bake cakes and kiss your partner'.

HMs:

Finding A Cure In You (S&H) - this doesn't make it to the above list due to the fact that I haven't actually managed to reread it since I posted it. but just for the amount of time I spent with it, how different it is to my usual M.O. of writing, and the weird way I wrote it (entirely in the notes app, with almost zero rereading while writing), I have to somehow mention it.

A Thousand Words / To Be Spared (Good Omens) - I don't know if they're favourite but I do think they're good. and the format of to be spared was pleasingly experimental and i think it worked.

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Fandom Fic Events 🤝

also the Starsky & Hutch SHarecon zine! which the zine still holds copyright on, but will be posted in April.

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Projects for 2024 👀

mmm gonna sort this differently and also ramble

Ones that will definitely be finished in 2024 and if they aren't you have free rein to come to my house and tie me to a chair come November: MUNCLE wip, The Unwitting Truth Affair/The Honesty Affair, I haven't actually decided which title yet;

Starsky & Hutch, the still-unnamed Huggy & Pete wip.

Ones I have both hope and some amount of faith will be finished in 2024 and if they aren't you have free rein to come into my inbox and harass me about them: Hawaii Five-0 wip, Much Ado About Something (*salutes squares*);

other Hawaii Five-0 wip, state of disrepair. yes, I'm manifesting state of disrepair 2024. probably november/december 2024, but i'm manifesting it anyway;

Leverage wip, all that I want is a kind heart to haunt

Ones I would like to be finished in 2024, and if my brain decides it likes them might be, but all you have free rein for is to politely ask me about them once per business month: Hawaii Five-0 cath/steve/danny pwp, Wait A Minute Let Me Take You There;

horny S&H wip, Previews Of Your Body Driving Me Insane;

S&H Vanessa coda, so cordial / so rotten (don't ask me);

Good Omens wip, love won't you be as you've always been

Ones I don't expect to finish in 2024 but would like to get some words down in: angsty S&H wip, Relentless As The Rain;

ridiculous undercover H50 wip, Four Seasons of Love;

other ridiculous H50 wip, The Irritating, Annoying, Infuriating, (Effective) Seduction Techniques of One Steven J. McGarrett;

SPN ..wip? depending on the time limit on 'progress'?, Smells Like Turpentine.

vague thoughts: i'd like to write a full-length (for whatever value of that. the AC ones actually were full-length, especially the second one, but what I really mean is AC-independent) due south fic. they're very weird and i enjoyed writing them, and I'd also like to write something with RayV in it. maybe if I successfully inspired @itwoodbeprefect to write new ds, when she does that it will inspire me to write something, and we can set up a ping-pong game. no, wait, that's mixing fandoms.

I expect more MUNCLE fic. this one's already 3.5k and rocketing along, and i'm only two-thirds of the way through season 1. what form that will take i don't know at this stage but we'll see.

....i was discussing the vague concept of house/h50 crossover fic with squares literally yesterday and on the one hand I haven't written a crossover since 2014 and also don't want that to be my legacy, but on the other hand i think there is at least a 50% chance it's going to stick in the back of my brain and keep niggling.

[erstwhilesparrow]

1, 29, 30 for ao3 wrapped!!

ao3 wrapped ask game

hiiii :D!!

How many words have you written this year?

oh boy. okay. so my ao3 stats say that i have posted 122,849 words on ao3 this year. this... does not include all the ficlets i have posted on tumblr (i wrote a bunch of drabbles back in may/june as treats for the mcytblr drabble exchange, as i'm sure you recall, and then there've been whatever other random bits of writing i've posted throughout the year) and also this does not include the various catrina-and-sparrow shared AUs that exist primarily in fragments in my google drive and across a few notes apps. AND whatever i wrote with my irl friends as part of our weekly writing exercises. i'm gonna estimate it's at least 125k words, it's probably more than that? uh. but i guess the name of the game is ao3 wrapped. so. i have already given you my answer ^^;

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

don't do this to me. i was already struggling to pick a favourite work. don't you know i'm self-obsessed and love my own writing.

all right i'm picking this one from branches, but softer:

No one could take the sound of rain on topsoil from him, the softening splatter of mud and stomped puddles. A downpour that made the whole clouded sky that drowsy, welcoming kind of quiet. The wet dog smell Ren brought with him into the confines of the wooden overhang they’d meant to turn into a market stall. Martyn has spent more time than he knows how to track stumbling into dead ends in this maze, opening doors onto colourless expanses, thinking this time, he’ll turn the corner and there will be the slop-bucket glory of their fields, battered to muck in the open air.

i'm proud of... the sound of it? the rhythm? and how even now, after having written it and done two editing passes and probably reread it a couple times at least, the imagery and feeling of it still work for/on me? i know this kind of rain and i picked the right words to capture it exactly as i wanted to.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

i have already answered this here but i feel kind of awkward just linking that answer for you, so i'll say another one. at some point... not even that long ago, like in the last couple months, someone was like "you sure write a lot about The Experience Of Being In A Body" and i was like "what! since when! i'm TERRIBLE at writing about bodies! i never pay attention to that stuff!" and then i thought about it some more and realized. i have this whole time been practicing Paying Attention To Being In A Body and trying to work it into my writing and framing it to myself as an exercise for the purposes of improving something i am bad at, and . at some point. i guess i got better at it and did not update my mental model of my own abilities to match this change! that was fun and weird and surprising!

[natreads]

The ten books I read in 2023 that I think have left the biggest impression on me!

2023 reading summary under the cut:

2023 READING SUMMARY. Better late than never, right? 2023 was a pretty good reading year. 7 five stars, 18 four stars and 19 three stars. I found several new authors that I've either already read more from or am planning to in the future. I also did a few rereadings and read more non-fiction and poetry than I think I ever have (although many poetry collections I'm still in the middle of, so it might not look like it in my actual wrap up). 2023 was also the year I finished the least amount of books (45), but I've been trying to read more slowly and intentionally the past couple of years, so I'm totally fine with it! I was in a reading slump for the first few months and was reading the same books for what felt like ages, but I found my love for reading again sometime in the summer and have been reading pretty consistently since.

Pictured are the ten books that I think have left the biggest impression on me. 6 five stars and 4 four stars. I'm lowkey always thinking of My Salinger Year. I remember the Patti Smith book and the Ada Limón one specifically for the signings I went to where I met them. Blir du ledsen om jag dör? made me cry. Letters to Camondo made me happy to be alive, as did A Kind of Magic. I reread Red, White and Royal Blue while in Greece and had the time of my life. Commonwealth I mostly read on the subway or during my lunch breaks at work and enjoyed it the entire time. Heartstopper volume 5 is Heartstopper, so you know I gotta give it five stars. And lastly Things You May Find Hidden In My Ear, the last book of the year. Depicting the horrors but also the beauty of living in Gaza. The books pictured here all made me feel things or are tied into real life experiences such as signings and trips. If you look closely you can find traces of my whole year hidden in the pages. Moments of sitting on benches in Gdansk (special shoutout to Giovanni's Room which I was also reading), or in our garden in Greece with the mountains surrounding me. Or, simply, on a subway seat going to work. This was the year I travelled with the books, and it was lovely. Looking forward to another year of impactful, important, entertaining, fun, GOOD books.

[mx-myth]

9 Fandom Peeps To Get To Know Better:

Thank you to @omgpurplefattie for the tag!!! :)

3 Ships You Like: MLC has been my most recent hyperfixation, so feihua/fanghua/difang/liansanjiao YES. I've also been thinking about doing a word of honor rewatch, so yexie. And hanwenzhou.

First Ship Ever: I might be a like basic for this but solangelo. I shipped them as baby's first intro to fandom.

Last Song You Heard: ギュッと！(Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu). I'm actually listening to it as I post this; it's on my non-English playlist, which is basically where I put all the songs I've picked up from BLs/cdramas/video games. It's on there because of Minato Shouji Coin Laundry.

Favourite Childhood Book: Oh man I've read way too much to remember. But I've been thinking lately of rereading the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan.

Currently Reading: About Time by David Rooney. It's for a project but I'm really enjoying it.

Currently Watching: Nothing lol. I have a list of stuff to watch but I know that I'll be super busy in a couple of months. (But actually I could start something...) It's a toss-up between starting dmbj, romance on the farm, the spirealm, and our song.

Currently Consuming: Water. Caught a head cold almost a week ago and it's been fucking with my throat since.

Currently Craving: Nothing right now except maybe boba...? The other day I had a HUGE craving for scallion pancakes though.

Tagging: if you want to feel tagged (because god knows I did) please go ahead! Especially my mutuals if you haven't already been tagged yet ;)

[nicomrade]

I saw your tweet about Usogui happening in 2008, if so, on what date did Kaji and Baku meet? Since during the chapter 2 we can see on the horse race ticket it says 06/04/2006. If we assume that they are on the previous day, then Baku met Kaji on April 5, 2006.

oh anon you have insanely good eyes. i reread the first couple chapters trying to see if theres any time indications there n never noticed its right there on the ticket, so thank you for catching this! its kinda blurry but itd be 2006年4(?)6日, right? i cant read japanese i just vaguely know what dates look like so i cant tell what kanji is after the 4, im assuming its for the month

my 2008 claim comes from 2 places, one (the simplest) is during the air poker gamble its said eba died "10 years ago". we know he died in 1998, so air poker happens in 2008 (and so does everything else since radio tower since we know theres only 1 month between it and drop the handkerchief) but maybe this is supposed to be "almost 10 years/a decade" and the nuance was lost in translation?

the 2nd place i got it from (and what i first noticed, and ill admit its less precise ence why ill say i "guessed" it happens in 2008) is during the paper labyrinth gambles we can see the whiteboard w dates available for the gamble. uhm i realize this is kind of convoluted to explain why it takes place in X year, but heres the explanation in short

yukiide has a 10 year memory gap that he only woke up from 2 years ago. he wants to fill this gap through this gamble, therefor hes only offering dates FROM this 10 year memory gap. (chapter 83)

the dates range from may 1997 (at the earliest) and december 2006 (at the latest) thats almost a full 10 years length so there IS some wiggle room here but not a lot (chapters 84 and 89 give us the best views of the board)

SO yukii was unconscious until somewhere around late 2006/early 2007, and that was 2 years ago. so its AT LEAST 2008 in canon. i KNOW this isnt 100% solid proof cause itd mean if he woke up at the earliest on december 24th 2006, labyrinth takes place at the earliest on december 24th 2008? but we know what happens on that date thanks to the Eba death info, and its the protoporos arc! not labyrinth! so lets accept wiggle room into all of these indications ("eba died almost ten years ago", "i woke up roughly 2 years ago", "i was in a coma for about 10 years") i think its still a strong case for protoporos happening in 2008.

one last thing that might be my strongest point, but its out-of story info so i dont like defaulting to "the real world" as the definite truth-holder for fiction. but in this case, in usogui world there is a leap second added to january 1st of whatever year protoporos ends on. in the real world, there was a leap second added to 31st december 2008 (US time, january first 2009 for japan) in usogui its also said "its been 3 years since they last did it" which aligns with 2005 (2006 for japan) in the real world. (aside- protoporos cant end on january 1st 2006 since that ticket is dated to april 2006, no need to check if itd lign up with 2006 as the starting point) all the info about the leap second in chapter 525 aligns with my quick read through of the real world wikipedia page. again its not because it aligns with the real world that it HAS to be the truth (my own webcomic is not in sync with the real world moon phases, it doesnt make it NOT happen in 2023 all of a sudden though) which is why im NOT contesting the 2006 horse track ticket. it says 2006 therefor the story starts in 2006 end of discussion.

but it DOES brings up a super interesting question cause when i talked about this with people we all kind of assumed the story didnt take place in over a year & agreed on the 2008 confirmation with the eba line, but this would make the story span 2 years. when i read usogui again ill pay attention to time more (again) n try to get a coherent-ish timeline out of this seemingly 2 years gap? if anyone else has ideas about where all this time might be coming from you are also so so free to add your own speculation onto this. usoguis too big for me alone to remember everything about it no matter how many times i reread it lol.

though the simple answer is usogui started being published IRL in 2006 so the early chapters use 2006 as the placeholder year (including on the labyrinth whiteboard?) and then sako toshio changed his mind/forgot by the time he got to protoporos and made that 2008 to lign up with the real world leap second. i value what art has to bring to us over what the real world can bring to it so ill reject that notion but other people are free not to care as much as i do

[distant--shadow]

get to know meme

lil thing where I'll give a bit too much detail so it fills its purpose, honoured honestly to be tagged by three of my favourite writers in this space @sharkodactyl, @unicyclehippo , and @astoriacolumnstaircase - anyone reading this should be reading their works instead.

favourite colour: brown(s), like a mid to a dark tone, i like them to have a bit of red involved. like our old-boy chet, I love the wood. my dream home would be all wood-panelled with built in inlayed and set back shelves and nooks a plenty and yeah just full of brik-a-brak. otherwise my favourite colours are navy blue and greens that are more mixed with blue than yellow, teals and emeralds and once again generally around the mid tones. green makes me very happy. moss and outdoors and all that.

currently reading: fic. haha. (suss my recommend reading tag) I did venture out to my (very) local queer bookshop and asked them for something that won't send me on a spiral if I'm already on one/provide some escapism and they reccomended river of teeth by Sarah gailey. anyone I've said about it to seems real enthusiastic about it, I am not well read at all when it comes to published things, tend to just get really into a few fandom authors works and picking them apart (rereading a lot) . still haven't started it but maybe I'll try take it out to the park in the next week or so. I'm dabbling in reading (and unfortunately writing) poetry thanks to @picturesofthegoneworlds and @blorbotomy 's influence, those mini books are fun to keep on you when out and about, poem or two on a tree stump or boulder with a grand vista and a brain that wants eyes on a phone screen.

last song: last song I consciously (not background music) listened to was:

I went on an early lord snow stint the other night because the air smelt crisp and there was a nice chill. they have remained my favourite heavy (as a broad term) band for a decade now.

I used to have music on all of the time, whether that be cd's at home or in my mp3 player (that I still take out with me) but these days I find listening more of an intentional activity and I prefer to have people just nattering when I'm at home and want background noise. think it's where my heads at and I've just got more sensitive to being overstimulated I guess. I was also pretty good at going to a live gig at least once a week before I did my back in, looking forward to getting into that habit again.

last series: I don't watch much stuff outside of critical role, least other than YouTube videos I'll put on whislt I'm drawing. oh wait yeah I ordered 3 seasons of xena on ebay because it's like a couple of quid a season and it is a real good comfort show and fucking amazing. I hadn't seen it since I was pre teen and it was on day time TV and I'd catch it on sick days. the amount of people I've brought it up to these past few months who've been so stoked to be reminded of it/eager to watch it with me is actually hilarious.

last movie: uhhhh God movies I watch even less. I haven't been to a cinema in over 12 years now, just not my thing, and it's funny caus my mum used to work in the film and TV industry and we had shelves and shelves full of VHS growing up (mostly bootlegged) and she can just ramble about pretty much any early era film up to the stuff from the 80s (when she was working on em) for days. never could sit through em, never felt satisfied with how the story went. guess that's why actual play appeals to me. but saying all this I did rewatch Bound for the first time since I was like 15 last month or so, enjoyed it a lot more than I did back then.

sweet/savory/spicy: savory all day. I am a salt fiend. I used to think I'd be fortunate enough to die from my salt intake. I'll put it on anything. cereal, toast, fruit. I think the other day I noted the one thing I wouldn't put it on, but I can't recall that right now honestly. it's gotta be decent salt too, sea salt or rock salt that has some texture and delicious flavour, I'm not fucking with that table salt shit. I carry salt with me in a mini mason jar everywhere I go, saves when you only have access to bland cold supermarket food. one of my earliest memories is when I was like 6 I had had my daily 1 glass allowance of squash/fruit cordial in my white Tom and Jerry printed beaker with the accordion bendy straw and so when I was pouring myself a glass of water from the tap I put salt in it caus I wanted flavour that would not show through the white translucent container. it's all been downhill from there, although I also, luckily I guess caus otherwise I would be really fucked, do drink a lot of water.

currently working on: myself and healing. hah. I never realised how much paperwork and phone calls came with this maintenance shit. I'm still out of work, and my mental health has taken a huge hit from not being able to do the things I usually would. so right now I'm just trying to keep everything together. I can draw again though, so sorry about that.

I never know who to tag in these things caus I don't think everyone wants to do them. so I'll go with this being open invite as always. hope anyone who read this far is having a good week, and sentiment is still there even if you didn't read this (unless you don't deserve my well wishes, then fuck you.)

[bramblemantle]

question meme thing, tagged by @nosongunsung11 ( o/ !!)

tagging: uhhhhhh let’s say @lupathemoth and @a-little-monotonous ! as well as anyone else who’d like to use this format

share your wallpaper: it used to be ace attorney for a really long time, now it’s blaseball. i don’t tend to change visuals often

lock screen is this artwork of Parker by @ HORSEIZONTAL on twitter

home screen is this Jaylen artwork by @ 0re

my laptop lock screen is that title screen artwork of Revachol from Disco Elysium, home screen is this, don’t know what the original source is but it’s on a lot of wallpaper sites. miiiight be wallpaperstock dot net ?

last song you listened to?: i’m listening to music all of the time but as i’m writing this i’m listening to Hail To Whatever You Found In The Sunlight That Surrounds You by Rilo Kiley. in general i’ve been listening to a lot of the Garages and Paramore. so i’m also linking Ignorance bc i keep getting it stuck in my head

currently reading?: i’m rereading the Animorphs series for the first time in years! this is actually the first time i’ve read the series in its entirety, as my personal collection grows sparse after book 30 so there’s some i’ve never read. i’m currently on book 36 out of 54! (plus the extras in there whenever they fit chronologically)

last movie you watched?: uhh i don’t watch a lot of movies. technically Sing i think? i was playing totk and sitting with my 7 y/o brother. he wanted to watch Sing but he got distracted before the end of the movie and turned it off. if we’re talking about movies i watched for me then there’s a good chance it was the new Puss in Boots movie or Into the Spider-Verse but it’s been like a couple months

craving: toasted bagel. butter on it. the good stuff. the creamy kind of butter. tim hortons does it right. also i could go for some dark chocolate

what are you wearing right now?: uhhhh some kinda kapris (?) with grey flower and triangle patterns, and a muscle shirt (?) i was just gifted with pride flags on it. it’s hot as balls. if it weren’t hot as balls i’d have on one of my fave tees, and my Houston Spies bomber jacket or one of my beloved long coats

how tall are you?: 5’2” and a half, which i only found out last year when i finally asked at a visit with doctors

piercings?: nah i’m too much of a baby abt the pain and don’t want to deal with maintenance, but they look cool as hell on anyone

tattoos?: same as above but i’m more likely to be tempted into getting something small someday

glasses? contacts?: i’ve been wearing glasses since elementary school, they’re an all day necessity for me. i gotta get new ones, i’ve had these lenses for years and the frames for even longer whoops. the prescription definitely doesn’t line up anymore

last drink?: iced capp from tim hortons hehe. i don’t consume a lot of caffeine but that shit slaps and cold drinks are a must in this weather

last show?: i also don’t watch a lot of tv! uhhhhh i’m drawing a blank. there’s a chance it was Centaurworld but that was a WHILE ago (and i’ve been thinking of rewatching it soon)

favourite colour?: purples and teals. also browns when there’s a saturated accent colour with it

current obsession?: split between Blaseball (the brainrots been going strong since october) and several different groups of ocs. and also Animorphs i missed Animorphs so much i love Animorphs. fundamental to my childhood. i’m getting back to my roots

unrelated obsession?: not quite sure what this is asking! but Tears of the Kingdom is Up There as well, i’m trying not to rush through the game but i’m finding it very hard to put down ^-^’

or actually if that question is asking about obsessions not tied to any fandom. it’s prehistoric animals and/or bats :]

any pets?: there’s a lot of animals i know and interact with throughout the week. i live with a dog (old chihuahua named Prince) and 3 cats (Charming, Bella, and Mr. Kitty). of those, Mr. Kitty is My Cat part time. he loves my granny a lot too, he’s always either in my room or hers, snuggled up near one of us. he’s one of my best friends he’s so important to me :] my silly little guy

do you have a crush on anyone?: i still am not sure what that’s supposed to feel like and if i have ever felt it before but no i don’t right now. just love and admiration for my pals 🫶

favourite fictional characters: there’s so many my guy. i have a tag for blorbos that live in my brain. the ones on my mind a lot recently are a bunch of Blaseball players, the kids from Animorphs (in particular Rachel, Tobias, and Cassie. the latter two were always tied for favourite when i was a kid but i’ve also found a new appreciation for Rachel as well. man. these kids), the iterators from Rain World, the satellites from 17776/20020, Emmet & Ingo from Pokemon, the list can go on and on and on

last place you travelled?: uhhhh i don’t get out much! i haven’t left the valley i live in for years. i don’t know how far away ‘travel’ has to be to count as travel, the last trip i’ve been on might have been a family vacation into the states? in any case i didn’t go anywhere noteworthy in the past year or more