#but goes by cindy for short

[alphaclxwn]

art dump!!

[thollandsgirl2013]

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦

Parings → Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings → insecurities, fluff, angst

Summary → Seven minutes in heaven, what could happen?

(gif not mine)

Parties had never been your scene. The loud music, the dim lighting, and the sea of unfamiliar faces always made you feel out of place. But when Betty insisted, practically dragging you along with MJ, you found yourself reluctantly agreeing. Betty and MJ were your best friends, and as much as you didn't enjoy parties, you hated the idea of being left out more.

The moment you stepped into the crowded living room, you stuck close to MJ, your safety net. You shared a knowing look, silently agreeing to stick together for the night. But that plan quickly fell apart when Betty spotted Ned across the room. With a playful wink, she ditched you two in favor of her boyfriend, leaving you and MJ to fend for yourselves.

That’s when the trouble began.

You didn’t know how, but before you knew it, you were dragged into a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. The circle of players quickly formed: you, MJ, Betty, Ned, Flash, Cindy, Abe, Tiny, Jason, and Peter. The moment you saw Peter, your heart skipped a beat. You had a crush on him for as long as you could remember, but he had liked Liz back in sophomore year. Now that Liz was gone, you didn’t know if he was interested in anyone else. You hoped, silently and fervently, that the bottle would point to him.

It was your turn. You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves, and spun the bottle. It whirled around, the tension in the room thick as everyone watched. The bottle slowed, and your heart pounded in your chest as it pointed directly at Peter.

Your excitement was short-lived, though. Peter’s face was expressionless, almost cold, as he got up. He didn’t seem excited at all. In fact, he looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here. A lump formed in your throat, but you forced yourself to keep calm. Maybe he was just as nervous as you were.

The two of you were ushered into a small, cramped closet. Flash and Jason slammed the door shut with a loud laugh, locking you both in. The dim light from the overhead bulb cast shadows on the walls, making the small space feel even smaller. Peter stood as far away from you as possible, his hands shoved into his pockets.

You tried to swallow your disappointment, but your insecurities were already creeping in, whispering that he didn't want to be here with you. You cleared your throat, trying to break the awkward silence. “Um, hey.”

“Hi,” he replied, his voice flat.

You shifted uncomfortably, your nerves getting the better of you. “W-we don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to. I’m sure you’d rather be in here with someone else. We can just stay where we are.” Your voice trailed off, growing quieter with each word.

Peter’s expression softened slightly, and he finally met your gaze. “It’s nothing to do with you. I’m sorry I seemed rude. I’m just really stressed out lately, and parties aren’t really my thing. I only came because of Ned.”

A small smile tugged at your lips. “Me too. Betty practically dragged me here.”

He chuckled softly, the sound easing some of the tension between you. “Seems like we have something in common.”

For some reason, his words gave you a burst of courage. Maybe it was the small space or the fact that you were alone with him, but you suddenly felt braver. “Hey, Peter, I… um, I wanted to tell you something for a while.” You swallowed hard, nerves bubbling up again. “I-I really like you. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. You don’t really know me, so I get it.”

Peter blinked, clearly stunned by your confession. His expression was unreadable, and your heart sank a little. But then, to your surprise, he spoke. “Yeah, I don’t really know you… but maybe I’d like to. Maybe we could go on a date sometime? Get to know each other? And if it goes well… who knows.... maybe we could start dating.”

Peter had never dated anyone or even gone on a date, so he was hopeful. You like him, so maybe it will be good.

“Yes! I-I mean, yeah, sure,” you replied, trying to sound casual despite the excitement bubbling inside you.

A shy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Hey, we still have two minutes. Do you want to… maybe… kiss?”

You felt your cheeks heat up, but you nodded. “Yeah.” Your voice was just a whisper.

The kiss was soft, tentative, and a little awkward, but it was sweet in its own way. It was both of your first kisses. Neither of you were experienced, but you both tried, and by the time you leaned in again for a second kiss, it felt a little more natural, a little more right.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and Flash’s voice rang out. “Yo, Parker’s kissing Y/n!” He sounded half-amazed, half-amused. Ned cheered loudly, and you pulled away from Peter, your face burning with embarrassment. Peter glared at Flash, clearly annoyed.

MJ gave you a thumbs up from across the room, her smirk evident even in the dim light.

“Shut up, Flash. Leave us alone,” Peter snapped, grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the closet. Without another word, he led you upstairs, away from the chaos of the party.

Peter guided you to a quiet room at the far end of the hall, away from the noise and the teasing. He closed the door behind you and turned to face you, a soft smile on his lips. “Sorry about Flash. He’s an idiot.”

You giggled, still a little flustered from the kiss. “It’s okay. I’m just glad we got out of there.”

He hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer to you, his eyes meeting yours. "So, about that date… h-how about tomorrow? Maybe we can go to the movies or grab some coffee?" His voice was hopeful, a bit nervous.

You smiled, your own nerves finally settling. “I’d like that.”

Peter’s smile grew, and for the first time that night, he seemed genuinely happy. “Me too.”

As the two of you stood there, you felt something shift. The awkwardness of the game downstairs was replaced with something new—something exciting. You leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin against your lips.

Peter caught your gaze, and for a moment, it felt like the world outside that small room didn't exist. He leaned down slowly, capturing your lips in another kiss, this one more sure, more confident. It was sweet and gentle.

When you finally pulled back, both of you were smiling, a little breathless but incredibly happy. "We should probably get back downstairs before they start making stuff up," you said, though you made no move to leave.

"Yeah," Peter replied, his voice soft, "let's go."

As you left the party that night, walking side by side with Peter, you couldn’t help but feel like maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something wonderful.

‎∗ ࣪ ˖༺ 𓆩☆𓆪 ༻˖ ࣪ ∗

[sholmeser]

the crime scene photo for gregorys death is just so chilling to me because its such a stark contrast to everything else we get in aa1. we witness cindy and mia’s deaths in full color, almost like we’re watching a movie. jack hammer’s death doesn’t quite look real; the expression on his face is quite unnerving, but the impact of it goes away when you notice his costume and how the unrealistic piercing wound in his chest just makes him look hollow inside. it’s leaning more towards what you visualize when you think of a murder scene, but falls short because of the stylization applied.

and i think this was deliberate because when you get to turnabout goodbyes and you see this photo. man. it hits. the way gregory’s eyes are hidden from view. the way he’s slumped over. the way we can’t quite see the wound but blood soaks his entire chest. how the illustration is framed, him in the corner, almost like an afterthought. the way he’s presented as such a normal person, looking just like any other businessman you could run into on the street. it rips ace attorney away from its largely-unbelievable themes—spirit mediums, three-day-long trials, witnesses whose last names are puns—and sends it hurtling back into our world. it’s just so striking and sticks with you for so long after you finish turnabout goodbyes

[twstfanblog]

im literally so invested pls talk more about Cindy

OGCindy was a naive but well-meaning girl. The life of high nobility would not have been easy since she would come across as very rude. Yuu places as the antagonist to her since they were pretty good foils. Not even the villain, Yuu was just the current flower of high society, and she would unknowingly made OGCindy feel awful about her lack of manners. In the ORIGINAL TALE, Yuu doesn't die. It's a happy ending for everyone involved. The romance is hinted but never confirmed and ends on OGCindy going to a tea party with the trio and Yuu.

FLCindy is sadly a cookie cutter entitled manhwa protag who read the book and basically oversimplified it to 'hot boys' and 'mean girl'. There's also the fact that since she fully believes this new world is just the book, there's no deeper complexity to anyone in it. She knows the basic info about everyone, but actual traits and nuances are completely lost on her.

The love story between FLCindy and the trio was completely toxic. While OGCindy pointed out the flaws in their logic and that allowed them to grow as people, FLCindy just fed into it because she liked them being mean to Yuu since she was the 'villainess'.

She was genuinely confused why people were upset at Yuu's death. She was the mean girl? She kept pointing out how the 'main character' wasn't doing the right thing. She's evil, that's how these books work! In the short time before the timeline is reset, FLCindy's life goes downhill pretty fast. Before the reset, Malleus was actually going to kill her since he starts to wholly blame her for Yuu's death.

Now in the reset, FLCindy is basically using her prior timeline knowledge to speed run a cushier life. Meaning she lies about how horrible her step family is to get her father to divorce her stepmother and cast her and her daughters out of their house. He later remarries a woman who's all too willing to spoil and dote on FLCindy, making her even WORSE this time around.

She's been reborn basically, but she's instead treating it like she's playing a dating sim where her choices won't actually affect anything. Which...she will find to be very, very false.

[jetsteelyourheart]

My top 5 Crackships

Inspired by my top 5 8 characters thing going around, I want you all to vote on your favorite of my Top 5 Questionable Rare pairs

I will be providing excuses reasoning excuses below the poll, so if you feel like roasting me properly seeing my justifications, do that - or don't!

And remember, they're fictional characters, so it costs nothing to be normal about this and have fun

*Not all of these are controversial, but those that are? watch out!

Excuses:

Zuki:

If you follow me then you know I'm an OG Zutara fan, but on the rare occasions I'm feeling Cannon Compliant, Zuki is my go too ship. This has all to do with the comics, where basically Zuko's only confidant is Suki and you get wild panels of them looking at each other like this:

I was devistated when Korra came out and it seemed like Sokka and Suki didn't last, but if the above is why, then I'll take it.

Stobin:

I am going to get so much flack for this one I think. BUT. Consider: The cannon ships in the show are generally not well written. I like Hopper/Joyce, I like Max/Lucas, but Nancy/Jonathan and especially Mike/Eleven do literally nothing for me, they are so bland. I do see the irony that one of the things that makes Stobin well written is because its one sided on Steve's part because Robin is gay. But their interactions are literally the reason to watch the show if you ask me. Pushing past these excuses though, I just kinda dig the ship. In my head its an open poly situation for certain, but sexuality is so wild and fluid and weird, and Gold Star status is gatekeepy at best anyway, so like, why the fuck not. I had a great aunt who had an open marriage with a gay man, (big beard behavior) and they had kids and did everything together. Its like... Platonic soulmates + if you will. And that's what I want for Stobin. Platonic soulmates + and a big ole polycule surrounding them. Or maybe its just my incoherent bisexual ass talking

(If I could put fan-art with the polycule in it I would but I wouldn't repost someones art like that... so I'm stuck with cannon images)

Zacknei:

No one has played this game. When people think Zack, they either ship Cloud or Aerith, and honestly I ship both those as well (though ClAerTi will always be my top for them). But I love Cissnei. She has big Sydney Sage energy for me, and all of Zack's emotional beats in the second half of the game surround her (...or cloud) not Aerith (just for the record). Also if you join all the fanclubs and work hard you get invited to your own fanclub and I'm pretty sure there's evidence that Cissnei is the president which is hilarious. I just love their interactions and was DEVASTATED at the end. Analytical Girl & PuppyDogHimbo is a beautiful ship dynamic. Also Rick Gomez will always be my Zack Fair VA. I hate the new guy so much (and its not his fault!! Sorry man!)

Aquarella:

So the section is really short. But my god. Cinderella and Aqua have the most chemistry of any character in that game series bar none. I'm including Riku and Sora in this. I'm including Roxas and Axel. Ok, not really this is not the hill I want to die on. BUT. At least in Birth By Sleep, this is the emotional high-point. Aqua taking her hand like a gentleman at a ball? The way Aqua saves Cinderella from getting run over by her demonic carriage??? The way she lovingly protects Cindy's body with hers? Did you see Prince whats his face doing any of that ? NO. And then. If Aqua were a guy everyone would've seen it when this game came out (but I guess gay people weren't invented until 2015 or whatever.

look how devastated Aqua is when Cinderella goes to Charming at the end. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEM.

Sorayla:

I really do like Raylum, but this is a poll on my hot take rare-pairs, not cannon compliance. Let me start off by saying, no, I haven't seen this season yet, it only came out twelve hours ago whats wrong with you? This pair grew on me starting in Season 4 after the time skip. I think it goes along side my preoccupation with tough smart girls and their dumbass golden retriever himbos. They have a nice trajectory, and with Callum going a lil dark and edgy on us recently, I like their banter a lot. Especially in Season 4 I was surprised by them and I crave more adventures with the two of them alone. I don't think it will ever happen, but I like it none the less. They bring a certain... Sokka & Suki vibe to the party that I'm here for.

Anyway, I tag @ebbilayart @retiredficwriter & anyone who decides to do it!

And if no one feels like setting themselves up as a target, that's good too!

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

What are some Animaniacs episodes from both the original and the reboot you would recommend to newcomers (like me)?

Thank you for your question!

Well, there’s the first episodes of each series, of course (btw although it is the longer show I’d suggest starting with the original before the reboot considering the reboot is really more of a sequel series).

But if you want less obvious options, I would suggest;

For 1993:

The Warners’ 65th Anniversary Special (Episode 65)

Yakko's World/Cookies for Einstein/Win Big (Episode 2)

HMS Yakko; Slappy Goes Walnuts; Yakko's Universe (Episode 3)

Taming of the Screwy (Episode 5)

Piano Rag / When Rita Met Run (Episode 7)

King Yakko (Episode 10)

Bonus segments: I’m Cute, Potty Emergency, Bumbie’s Mom, Bubba Bo Bob Brain, Smitten with Kittens

The idea of the list is that I’m recommending episodes that I think are good introductions to Animaniacs in general, not just my favourites. These episodes/segments either cover the Warners’ origin, serve as good introductions to what I believe are the best segments of the show besides the Warners, provide a good idea of what Animaniacs’ music is like, or is a good showcase of one/all of the Warners’ personalities and what they do.

For 2020:

Gold Meddlers/Pinko and the Brain/Math-Terpiece Theater: Apples (Episode 3)

Warner She Wrote; France France Revolution; Gift Rapper (Episode 7)

WhoDonut; Mousechurian Candidate; Starbox and Cindy (Episode 8)

Here Comes Treble; That's Not the Issue; Future Brain; The Incredible Gnome in People's Mouths (Episode 9)

Phantomaniacs; Fear and Laughter in Burbank; Bride of Pinky; Things That Go Bump in the Night (Episode 11)

Rome Sweet Rome/Backwards Pinky/Wakko's Short Shorts: Now Loading (Episode 14)

Bonus segments: Suffragette City, Ralph Cam, Roadent Trip, The Cutening, A Zit!, Yakko’s Big Idea

Again, the idea is that I think these episodes/segments are a good introduction to show’s characters and characterisations, songs, tone, etc. So nothing too continuity dependent, and nothing too far into the run (even though I really like a lot of season 3).

If you’d rather have a list of my favourite episodes and segments rather than the ones I think are good introductions, I made a post about them here.

If you do check these out, I hope you like what you see!

[androdetective]

My hcs 👍

I've been sold on gay tulio tbh, I think any headcanons fit most of the characters so yeah 👍

Bonus hcs:

I originally thought Coagula was transfem/nby so I hc them as that and goes by he/she/they

I think Corchetis is aroace and just very supportive of her friends relationships

That one car son guy is a trans guy

Señor Vaquero is also a trans guy (Although it's kinda canon bc of that one bodoque censo short?)

Cucky is a butch lesbian

Maguito is nby aroace to me

Cindy is pan

Amapola is a lesbian

That's all I can think of, they are all queer to me 🫶

[earthly-apples]

Tagging game compilation post

Thank you @pizza-hats-of-the-world-1882 , @ginkovskij , and @counterwiddershins !! Compiling several tagging posts into one :))) ——————— Five Current Favorite Songs: (Order isn’t of significance) 1. Du Kuppelpelz! Du runzlige Sublimatpille! from Dantons Tod, I love the 1963 version with Gerhard Stolze!! His voice is very unique and his approach is wonderful. 2. The Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Idk my brain goes ‘it’s just a jump to the left’ from time to time ajksjskjsk 3. Psychopomp by Hozier. :)))) 4. Le sang de soldats from Don Juan the comedie musicale, sung. by Philippe Berghella 5. Undisclosed Desires by Muse, it’s such a Basil Hallward coded song you know 6. N’as tu pas honte, still from Don Juan, because I love Cindy Daniel ———————— Last Song: Confrontation from Jekyll and Hyde, sung by Anthony Warlow. His voice is so good and I’m getting goosebumps Last Watched (Movie/TV Show): Bits of La Comtesse de Charny. I am on a mission to understand what role Philippe de Taverney plays. For Scientific Reasons. (Read, P. Alexsandre.) Currently Reading: On a reading break! I was halfway through Eight Strokes of the Clock, and just finished A Very Short Introduction of the French Revolution.

Currently Obsessed with: The French Revolution and Dorian Gray!! Relationship status : Engaged with the homoerotic tension that is called le portrait de Dorian Gray (1977) Tagging: @pilferingapples @riotstarruika @psalm22-6 @zhraek @happy10thousandyears and whoever else is interested!!!

[pvccblog]

NEW GENERATIONS

Sometimes we say things about the future that we really don't know for sure are going to happen. For example, there have been times when parents of little babies in the church have made comments about when that little baby will be in the youth group as a teenager. That's a tough thing to predict, none of us know exactly where we'll be in 15 years or so. Nicole and I have talked for the last couple years on these trips about what a blessing it is to now have some of these babies serving God with us on Mission Ventures!

Today our Sports Camp Bible lesson was taught by two of these "babies", Martina and Sarah. They did a great job sharing about Jesus calming the storm. My wife and I remember when these girls were born, and are so proud of them! That goes for so many of the other ones we've had on these trips over the last 5 years too.

It reminds us of our PVCC Vision Statement:

"Raising up new generations of both physical and spiritual descendants who are strong, bold, and fruitful in the love and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ".

We are witnessing this vision being lived out before us! Not just with those physical descendants who we have literally known since they were born, but also with spiritual descendants like Andrew who came to Christ later in his life and began attending PVCC just two and a half years ago. God is so faithful! We've been through many different phases as a church over the years, but God has continued to provide in miraculous ways. To Him be the glory!

We had three or four new ones at sports camp this morning. They had a great time. Phin shared the sports story and it was a really good one about "The Freezer Bowl", an NFL playoff game in the early 80s that the Chargers unfortunately lost. It set the stage for our Bible lesson as we talked today about Jesus being able to calm the storms in our lives.

Between sports camp and BARF, Pastor Fred set up a viewing party at the church for the US versus France Olympic soccer match. Unfortunately the US came up short but it was fun to watch together. After the match the ladies went with Fred's wife Cindy to pick up their daughter and other son who have been serving at a local Christian camp. We're excited to have them back with us!

BARF Night continues to grow each night. We were told by a man who lives in the neighborhood close to the park that he can tell from his house that we're having a lot of fun over there. Tonight was no exception! With our largest crowd of the week we played The Captain is Coming and Plunger Ball. We also heard testimonies from two young men who shared boldly - Andrew from Pine Valley and Danner from Arago. The first couple nights girls shared, and it was nice to have two guys tonight because the majority of the new people who came were teenage guys.

We all hung out after BARF Night for about 30 more minutes and people were just getting to know each other. Sarah was walking the field with a local girl trying to get to know her a little more, then a few more of us joined and we had a great conversation about Jesus and about some tough things in her family right now. Broken families seem to be the norm around here. Please pray for all the different churches in this area to be able to reach these families with the gospel! It is such a huge need!

Glendale in particular seems to be a pretty tough place. Our theme for Sports Camp this week is "Undefeated". Our theme verse is Romans 8:37:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Pastor Fred told us that he was glad that our theme is undefeated. He said that Glendale could be more fittingly characterized by the word "defeated". We see this everyday as we drive through town to our events. Pretty early in the day there are people hanging outside the local bar, there is a bit of a homeless population and various people that seem to have a history of all kinds of abuse. Yet the kids here are so energetic and sweet and are enjoying their time with us so much. Please pray that some of these things that have been going on for generations here would change by the power that only the gospel can bring!

The first night we were in Glendale we shopped at the local Dollar General. We actually witness a couple young people trying to steal alcohol from the store. The cashier saw them running towards the door and just body checked them with all her might! The boxes came opened and cans flew everywhere and the shop lifters ran off. It was super intense, and something we certainly don't see in California! We've developed a bit of a relationship with this cashier as we go to that store at least once each day. We have no idea of her background but would love for God to open doors for us to share with her as well. Please keep that in your prayers!

I'm heading to bed with a huge smile on my face and just feeling totally blessed. This team has been wonderful and God is working in and through them. They are awesome! Goodnight everyone and thanks so much for your support!

[something-in-your-walls]

I'VE BEEN GOING INSANE OVER MY TIME TRAVEL RETCON THING RAHHHH SO HERES SOME STUFF I FELT A NEED TO CLARIFY: -Cindy Anderson, although the last name is different, is the same person as Cindy Sneedly. She just took Gaylord's last name when they got married. -Krupp and Gaylord consider each other "mortal enemies" but DO get along sometimes. They just have conflicting viewpoints on life that clash with the other, which normally causes arguments, so they aren't FRIENDS. But they aren't enemies either, since Gaylord DOES CARE for and try to understand Krupp a little, even if he refuses to admit it. ^- Krupp, on the other hand, doesn't understand Gaylords point of view and is too stubborn to try, so in short, he doesn't entirely give a shit about him, and would sacrifice him to wolves in a HEARTBEAT if he could. -Cindy has a communication disorder. She won't talk around the group, and the group's okay with that. Later on, Gaylord ends up knowing her so well that he can practically talk FOR HER if she really needs him to. -The one time Gaylord and Krupp actually end up getting along for once was during a sleepover at Lavatore's house, where everyone (except for Moxie and Gaylord) had a massive sugar rush (similar to the carnival scene from the movie) before everyone promptly fell asleep because of the crash. ^- Krupp goes even more feral than he already is when high on sugar, so he ends up biting Gaylord a lot before passing out and then waking up again to Gaylord still awake, keeping watch over everyone. Krupp gets bored of just sitting there, so Gaylord suggests going up to the roof. ^- Up there, they talk about random stuff. It's a little awkward because....rivalry and all, but the two of them open up a little eventually, talking abt their experiences with Moxie and Jasper, asking about their lives (like Gaylord infodumping about what exactly he can hypothetically invent, or dumb stories about living on a farm from Krupp) until the morning. By then, they end up pretending that 4-hour-long-chat didn't happen and they both never mention it again. -Gaylord is VERY USED to Krupp biting him, to the point where Krupp's sharp ass canines don't even hurt him anymore. Krupp gets spooked by this the first time it happened. (But eventually realizes like 4 weeks later that that just means he can bite him MORE and it wont hurt him.) (4 WEEKS LATER.) (Krupp's kind of a dumbass as a kid, but don't tell him that)

[neixins]

mid-year reading wrap-up

most of what i’ve read so far this year’s been…aggressively fine, which is just not that fun or interesting to talk about tbh. however, there have been some delightfully high highs and atrociously low lows that i do wanna talk about!

but first, some stats for any mathematically-minded curious imps in the audience

average rating: 3.15 (i know i'm stingy with my ratings but yikes!)

number of books read: 27 -> 11 novellas, 10 novels, 5 short stories, and 1 nonfiction

i’ve also picked up 26 different manga series and oneshots. some i’ve read start to finish, some i’ve only read a few volumes of (and i plan to continue most).

highlights

mammoths at the gates by nghi vo: it’s no secret that i adore the singing hills cycle and this installment was a poignant tale of grief and memory and change, and it was just as brilliant as the rest of the series.

from far away, vol. 1-14 by hikawa kyoko: a wonderful, gentle story about the power of love, compassion, and community, featuring well-written protagonists who are full of love for each other and the world around them.

on the fox roads by nghi vo: this novelette is free to read on reactor mag (aka tor) so i’m not gonna say anything else except that nghi vo never, ever misses. go read it now!!

seven little sons of the dragon by kui ryoko: i don’t need to tell any of u how talented of a writer and artist kui is but this collection was truly one hit after another

two rogues make a right by cat sebastian: i’ve read only two cat sebastian books so far but she’s quickly become my go-to romance author. she just Delivers romances that will make u giggle and kick your feet! this one is about a guy who whisks his best friend away to the countryside after his chronic illness gets worse and they slowly realize that they’re in love <3

a little light mischief by cat sebastian: an absolutely delightful little novella about a lady’s companion who’s been disowned by her family and the pretty ex-thief maid who’s being very distracting!!

i decided not to include any manga series i’m still reading on the list but frequent visitors to neixins dot tumblr dot edu know how much i adore yona of the dawn, even when it’s trying its hardest to murder me. but u’ve probably heard me ramble about it enough already (and if u haven’t: my tag). and since i’m doing honorable mentions, i’d be remiss not to mention dungeon meshi (read vol 1-5 so far) and natsume’s book of friends (read vol 2).

and another honorable mention goes to the empress of salt and fortune by nghi vo which i’ve reread multiple times in the past few years and it never fails to dazzle me. this time around i listened to the audiobook (narrated by cindy kay, one of my favorite narrators).

boo tomato tomato

nothing but blackened teeth by cassandra khaw: this was more of a disappointment than a book i hated so i feel bad lumping it in with the rest of these but i did buy a physical copy at full price so it gets a mention. this novella’s biggest flaw was that it kept saying that the characters were part of a toxic codependent friend group but they just felt like strangers who didn’t like each other, which made it seem like they were staying in the creepy haunted house just because the plot needed them to, rather than for the reasons they claimed. khaw’s prose is quite unique though so i’m excited to check out the salt grows heavy despite not liking this one.

the woods all black by lee mandelo: i wanted to love this so badly because the themes were so up my alley and i love slowburn horror with an explosive final act. but unfortunately, it was so so bad

love on the other side by nagabe: literally half of this collection included relationships between adults and children (which definitely weren’t platonic/familial like the blurb led me to believe….) and the vileness of those stories was enough to drown out anything good in the rest of the collection. i actually also read two other nagabe works (before this one; if i’d read this first i wouldn’t have bothered). monotone blue would’ve been fine if there hadn’t been an assault scene that got brushed off way too quickly…and the wize wize beasts of the wizarding wizdoms was a mixed bag; some of the stories were just as terrible as love on the other side but “marley & collette” was very sweet, not gonna lie…..

i’ve also had many, many dnf’s which i don’t log, but i simply must give a shoutout (derogatory) to romancing the duke by tessa dare which i had high hopes for and which instead made me read this godawful sequence of words with my own two gay eyes (during pride month no less!): "He was just so near. And so tall. And so commanding. So male. Everything female in her was rallying to the challenge." thanks i hate it……

in conclusion, my hopes for the second half of the year can be boiled down to: save me nghi vo and cat sebastian save meee

[doyelikehaggis]

Bobby and Peter need their own place. I'm sure there are two bed room apartments in the village. If only Ben's place had more rooms.

Yes, definitely! I really want the two of them to move in together, away from Ian and Cindy so they have a little bit of space to themselves. With Alfie going to Spain to recover and Freddie probably leaving for a short while, maybe they’ll temporarily stay in their flat until they can get a place of their own. I think it’s definitely leading to Bobby moving out as he mentioned it to Kathy but I really hope Peter goes with him so he isn’t on his own!

[which-star]

☔ for the WIP ask game :D

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

oh, this is kinda tough! Generally I just want more papertiger fics because me and @emily-prentits are fighting for our LIVES rn in that tag, and all my rare pairs beloved <33 but usually the ideas I come up with I always file "for later" so I don't know when I'll tackle them, but I want to eventually.

I've played around with so many ideas that have been shelved for much later and/or benched. One is practically abandoned so here's this! It's a Cindy-centric deep dive into the bunker based around idioms/sayings/proverbs dealing with speech and language. Here's quite a large snippet because I don't think I'll touch it again for a long while, and these words haven't seen the light of day ever so why not just let them out on tumblr for a short walk xxx

She lost touch with both languages. It was to be expected, speaking to no one but herself and Sims for years. English has always been her strong suit, it encapsulates her now, words clunky on her tongue, but understandable. Sims required her English to stay perfect, but didn't even think about the other language. Before he suddenly stopped visiting, he had amassed for her a good stack of English classics and reruns of Spider-Man's fights. Cindy rereads each book and rewatches each video at least twice. Korean lingers, fades, remains, disappears. She goes weeks (she thinks it's weeks) without thinking about it before feeling guilty and picking up a worn book of Korean poems and reading through it again. The book contains scrawls and annotations left by her dad and she finds herself tracing over his messy handwriting, wishing the ink would bleed into the grooves and pads of her fingers. Albert's favorite folktale picture books are here too. She looks at those a lot less, and then a lot more as time goes on.

Most of my other unexecuted ideas are because the potential length of them SCARES ME!!!! I do want to do them,though,,,,,,,,,,, we will see. I don't think they count for the ask however because it is technically on my to-write list!

Wip tease ask

[sonic-wildfire]

SONIC FRONTIERS REVIEW, 11/15/2022

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog has had a rough transition int--

Actually, you know what? Nah. Fuck all that noise.

Sonic Frontiers, the much-anticipated latest outing from Sonic Team and company, has finally hit the market on everybody's favorite day (hint: not Election Day). Although previous games have tended to streak -- that is to say, many consecutive mainline titles released within only a few years of one another -- Frontiers is the first major outing for the blue hedgehog since 2017's Forces, which polarized critics and users alike.

But gone are the days of Twitter arguments over whether the "original character" gimmick had gone too far. Gone are the days of hearty debates over whether Infinite was a legitimately formidable villain or a poor excuse for one. Gone are the days of the Sonic franchise being content on settling for simple mediocrity or spirit-crushing averageness.

Frontiers' arguably marquee selling point is its stylistic shift from past installments. Rather than rehashing the platforming route that has yielded out-of-step results more often than not, Sonic Team took a bold risk by steering the game into a semi-open world direction. It's here where players first begin to recognize that this Sonic game is going to be different. It's the breath of fresh air that the franchise sorely needed in one way or another after over a decade of relatively lackluster efforts. But fret not, platforming enthusiasts; platforming levels, called Cyberspace levels in the game, are integrated into the game's story to ease you into what Frontiers has to offer.

Speaking of the story, it takes a darker but much more genuine direction. After ten years of Ken Pontac and Warren Graff writing inoffensive and frankly awful storylines, renowned Sonic comics writer Ian Flynn takes the helm for Frontiers. In short, Dr. Eggman creates an AI named Sage for his new plans of world domination. After the software goes awry, Sonic and his friends are suddenly forced to deal with a new problem: they have been trapped on the Starfall Islands, with Amy, Tails & Knuckles becoming trapped between the physical world and a digital dimension. Sonic must race against the clock to save his friends from being corrupted by cyber energy, but he too has a nasty run-in with the unexplained power and jeopardizes his own life as a result.

Unlike the serious tone Forces had attempted (and failed at miserably), Frontiers comes damn near close to shooting a bullseye on this go-around. The game takes a deep dive into the characters in a way that hasn't been explored in a Sonic title since the Adventure era. Whether showcasing Amy's gradual transformation from just being a self-proclaimed love interest of Sonic to a valued de facto fourth member of Team Sonic, Tails' growth from being confined to Sonic's shadow to being formidable as a hero in his own right while maintaining his brotherly bond, or Knuckles' wisdom and insight into his role as guardian of the Master Emerald and his own insecurities and jealousies, Frontiers fleshes out the characters and gives them new life. Even Sonic, who looked to be little more than a one-trick pony in the 2010s, has found his groove again as the confident-yet-caring hero he was always meant to be. There are loads of character development within this game, and it is an absolute delight to witness. But what this game perhaps best accomplishes is the ability to make the player feel a wide range of emotions that appear all over the spectrum, from glimmering hope to crushing pity. This story has the majority of everything you'd want in a Sonic story.

The voice acting in this game ages the characters a tad bit. Although it didn't work out for Cindy Robinson's rendition of Amy, it played out fine for the rest. Roger Craig Smith's outing as Sonic might not be his very best, but is certainly solid. Colleen O'Shaughnessy continues to prove herself as the definitive Tails voice while Dave Mitchell sounds to have found his niche playing Knuckles. Mike Pollock continues his Eggman dominance as per usual, and newcomer Sage is given a fittingly artificial but humanoid-sounding set of pipes by voice actress Ryan Bartley, perhaps best known for her role as Hanako Kamado / Makomo in Demon Slayer.

Gameplay also takes a step forward into the limelight. As part of Frontiers' step back from platforming, a new combat system fortifies Sonic's skill set. Players will encounter countless enemies that will take more than a simple homing attack to take care of. Sonic is provided a myriad of moves and combos, with certain skills only becoming available after progressing through certain parts of the story. Stats can be upgraded by collecting special seeds for power and defense, and by finding lost creatures called Koco for speed and ring capacity. Pulling off crazy combos and mowing down enemies is super satisfying here, especially as Sonic levels up and becomes stronger. As the player progresses through the five main islands of the game, Sonic can complete puzzles to map different parts of the island and discover portals, mini-bosses and story collectibles called "Memory Tokens" as a result. Combined with the semi-open world environment that encourages and even rewards players for being curious and exploring their surroundings, the gameplay is a total blast that will almost certainly satisfy those with a taste for exploration.

As for the Cyberspace levels, they remained consistent to the feel of Sonic's earlier platforming titles but utilizes a somewhat stale and repetitive level design by constantly having the player revisit Green Hill, Chemical Plant, and Sky Sanctuary, to name a few. Nonetheless, these stages can sometimes be pretty fun to play through (given you aren't grinding out attempts to complete some of these levels in S-rank time like I needed to). Thankfully, there's also Big's fishing minigame that's very simple and soothing. It's arguably even better than some of the Cyberspace levels.

The music has always been one of the Sonic franchise's strongest suits and it keeps up with the trend here. Buoyed by a handful of pummeling metalcore numbers courtesy of Sleeping With Sirens' Kellin Quinn, Merry Kirk-Holmes' cinematic "I'm Here" serving as the main theme, and the buzz of One OK Rock's "Vandalize" as the credits closer, Frontiers embraces the abrasive and turns in a spectacular soundtrack as a result.

The environments, particularly the five main islands, are visually stunning and are perhaps the best-looking lands Sonic has seen in years. Although colorful and vibrant, Frontiers simultaneously manages to capture the bleakness associated with stumbling upon massive ruins of a once-great civilization that fell abruptly to some larger foe. There are signs of former life all over the Starfall Islands and the game lets you know it upfront.

In all, Frontiers is a chief calling card for Sonic's renaissance. Though a bit rough around the edges, it's a valiant first attempt at a new direction for the blue blur that manages to hit many of its spots and take its players on a journey that they won't soon forget.

Final Score: 9.5/10

[negative-speedforce]

🎶💯🔺🔶🚫🐶🐈🐉🍃 for Siv, Jay, Hailey, and anyone else (sorry it's a lot! lol)

(don't worry this is gonna be fun)

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often?

Siv's music taste is late 2000s/early 2010s indie pop, like Lana Del Rey, Mitski, Marina and the Diamonds, etc. Contrary to popular belief, despite her being from the future, she does not know any artists from that era, so don't ask her. They listen to music a lot, especially because it calms them down.

Jay's partial to bubble pop. The happier, the better. He likes artists such as Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry. He has also been known to delve into 80s pop, like Madonna and Cindi Lauper. He's not much of a headphones guy; he mostly just listens to music while driving.

Hailey's music taste mostly fits into two categories: Oldies and female rappers. Her favorite artists are Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Megan Thee Stallion, and Lizzo. She doesn't listen to music very often, but when she does, it's just to put her in a good mood.

Cassandra loves country music! Despite her growing up in Brooklyn, NY, she enjoys blasting some Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift (when she was in her country era). If she's in a good mood, you will find her and Jay driving 10mph past the speed limit and screaming out the off-key lyrics to "Before He Cheats".

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

Siv is lactose intolerant

Siv's favorite food is chicken enchiladas

Siv does not know how to phase

Jay collects novelty t-shirts and hoodies

Jay has a rickety old truck from the 70s that he named "Bessie"

Jay is an ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning that he can walk short distances but ultimately needs his chair for most things

Hailey had a goth phase

Hailey likes her food the spicier the better

Hailey is in a Vietnamese cultural group to learn more about the culture she was born in, since she was adopted as a child.

Ember is the oldest of the team, being in their 40s

Ember has PTSD from living through the AIDS crisis of the 80s and watching so many of her friends die

Ember is capable of temporarily holding off a speedster (temporarily meaning just a few seconds)

🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons?

Siv: Yes. Mostly due to her inability to phase (they are capable of it, they just don't know how), Siv uses a knife to slash at superspeed, and that's how she attacks. Siv can also use a gun, but only at point-blank range. Their aim is shit.

Jay: Yes. Jay has a gauntlet fitted with pulse rifle tech, so he can shoot people using it. The gauntlet is fitted on his non-steering arm, so he can maneuver his chair while still shooting at whatever his team is sent to neutralize.

Hailey: She has a big-ass flaming sword. That's it. That's the post.

Gina: No. She could probably stab someone with a fork or something, Guinan-style, but that's about it.

🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise?

Siv: Beyond basic first aid, Siv is incompetent.

Jay: As the team's field medic, Jay knows CPR and many other advanced first aid techniques.

Hailey: Took a CPR/First Aid class back in the Marines, but that was about 4 years ago so it's pretty rusty.

Cassandra: Is proficient enough in dark magic to not need to know. She can just necromancy you back to life.

🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

Siv drinks a lot, but it doesn't affect them so it's mostly for aesthetic purposes. However, they have had an addiction to Velocity 9 in the past after temporarily losing their speed, since she needs it to stay alive.

Jay is California sober. He does not drink or smoke, but he occasionally has edibles, but only when he's not working.

Hailey occasionally has a glass of wine when she goes out, but other than that, no. She used to smoke but quit after her 'death'.

Esme drinks and, while she doesn't anymore, would occasionally use party drugs when she went out clubbing.

🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets?

Siv has a sphynx (hairless) kitten named Delilah, who is a little ball of mischief.

Jay had a golden retriever growing up, but it lives with his parents.

After moving in together, Hailey also helps take care of Delilah (Siv and the cat are a package deal)

Ember has two cats, a tuxedo named Gomez and a black cat named Morticia.

🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends?

Siv: A few close friends. Siv's an introvert, and does not enjoy the company of the vast majority of the human race.

Jay: Either. Jay is very extroverted, so he's happy as long as he's surrounded by the people he loves.

Hailey: A few close friends. It's hard for her to trust people, so she only wants to be around the ones she actually does trust.

Arya: Wide circle of friends. They enjoy meeting new people, flitting from person to person to learn all about them.

🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature?

Siv: Phoenix. For obvious reasons.

Jay: Mermaid. Jay has a very strong desire to be a merman, sitting on rocks and singing (despite the fact that he can't carry a tune to save his own life)

Hailey: Centaur. Strong, brave protectors, just like Hailey herself.

Cassandra: Dragons, because they are powerful, and they protect what's theirs.

🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

Siv and Jay both loved Science, and were in both the coding and robotics club together.

Hailey's favorite class was History, because she enjoys analyzing the lives of other people and thinking about what she would do differently (judgemental much?)

Gina's favorite was Music, considering that she was the lead Soprano in her high school choir.

[noloveforned]

friday shows up pretty fast on short weeks like this one. it always seems like i don't have enough prep time before my show but then 8pm hits and i stop overthinking things and it all magically works. so tune into wlur from 8pm to midnight tonight to see what's on the menu!

last week's show is streaming on mixcloud, as per usual.

ps- i updated the site last weekend to use a more modern theme as i was toying around with attempts to embed the stream (i think that ship has sailed). please let me know if anything is broken, missing, or weird.

no love for ned on wlur – june 30th, 2023 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label the hardship post // what a day // somebody spoke // sub pop sarah shannon // wheen in a wheel // demo 98 ep // snappy little numbers added dimensions // time blind // benefit for prevention point split 7" // strange mono wireheads // one thousand red venomous snakes // potentially venus // tenth court bunnygrunt // private affair // karen hater's club // happy happy birthday to me sweeping promises // throw of the dice // good living is coming for you // feel it the breeders // go man go // last splash (thirtieth anniversary edition) // 4ad divorcer // leech // espionage 7" ep // domestic departure vagabon // heroine // persian garden cassette // miscreant liz phair // miss lucy // exile in guyville (outtake) // matador love in hell // enya // demo cassette // (self-released) the cherries // sunshine this week // self-titled two // jigsaw bagpipe operation // thank the lord // little twitch 7" ep // secret center terje torkellsen // getting green // loose ends... // subjangle l con // appear // the isolator // idée fixe edith frost // waiting room // edith frost ep // drag city nina keith featuring barrie and qur'an shaheed // blow up yr life (u need to) // blow up yr life (u need to) digital single // (self-released) kieran hebden and william tyler // darkness, darkness // darkness, darkness - ep // psychic hotline aaron leaney featuring guy thouin // inward // lockdown // astral spirits marthe lea band // sakina // asura // motvind prof. james benson // song for my black mother // the gow-dow experience // jazzman cécile mclorin salvant // doudou // mélusine // nonesuch lionmilk // daily i dream // intergalactic warp terminal 222 // leaving cleo reed // slip away // root cause // reeding yaya bey // when saturn returns // exodus the north star ep // big dada yl // play dead // don't feed the pigeons // novelty yungmorpheus featuring jimetta rose // where it goes // from whence it came // lex sault // i surrender // untitled (god) // forever living originals flasher // eastern ave // in my myth ep // domino desario // throw it back // signal and noise // fort lowell cindy // earthly belonging // why not now? // tough love neil brogan // i'm a recluse // yrs truly // brogan the lemon twigs // in my head // everything harmony // captured tracks martin frawley // this is gonna change your mind // the wannabe // trouble in mind