#from october 2023.... pretty much exactly a year

[roastedcha]

the link click charms i made and never posted here

[nonotnolan]

No Not Nolan's Year in Review

Once again, it's time for the traditional "year in review" post. Since I've also been collecting prior years in these posts: here's 2021, here's 2022, and here's 2023. This year has more than 12 posts, and that's because I posted a few shorter stories to celebrate the release of my eBook.

I'm not planning to abandon this account anytime soon, but I'd be lying if the thought hadn't occurred to me once or twice. Every year I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing this, but then every year the support and feedback I receive keeps me going. So if you ever wonder if notes and reblogs help-- yes, they do motivate me to keep going. But more than that, I'd encourage you to message the authors directly. I'm not always the best at carrying a conversation, but it really does mean a lot whenever I hear from you all.

17) Side Effects - 71 notes - January 2024 Okay, well... I like this one. If you've already caused a lot of irreversible damage... why stop now?

16) Labor and Materials - 83 notes - December 2023 Sometimes I can just sort of tell the photos aren't what the average people are wanting, but I like the text too much to toss out the idea. Mass commercialization of body swapping isn't a new idea by any means, but I love exploring all of the low stakes uses and scenarios that would appear if that technology existed.

15) Shapeshifter's Night Out - 111 notes - January 2024 Honestly, this one was mostly just an excuse to pull out a few of the weirder photos I'd come across. I think it holds up well enough, though.

14) Fiverr Warlock: Holiday Magic - 183 notes - December 2023 The thing about the Fiverr Warlock series is that a lot of story ideas work better without the added baggage of the lore and narrator. This one holds up pretty well, and the photos do exactly what I need them to do, so I'm quite fond of it.

13) The Ends Justify The Means - 204 notes - February 2024 See, I thought this one was great, especially for the Valentine's Holiday. Sometimes I have no idea what the average reader wants from me, and this is a prime example of that. No regrets, though. I'm never going to apologize for striking more sentimental than erotic.

12) Jock Cock, Part 3 - 219 notes - July 2024 Speaking of which... I can't be too surprised something this sentimental didn't do better. But I still love it, and I don't feel bad about it. (It does, however, make me less inclined to write sequels to other works. My idea about how the story continues vs how people want me to continue the story are seldom in alignment.)

11) Drawing Straws - 235 notes - January 2024 I love trait swapping, and I wish I could get inspired to use it more often. I have to be satisfied with an idea before I'll set it to the page-- it needs to have some amount of characterization and plot outside of "hot guy does a hot thing and it's hot" for me to be happy with it-- so trait swaps don't happen too often for me.

10) Treat Day - 241 notes - January 2024 This is my least favorite of the 5 promo-stories, so naturally it's the one that received the most notes. Revenge swaps are hit or miss for me, but needlessly cruel swaps seldom appeal to me. I like the photos, I like the ending wordplay, but overall it's not one of my favorites.

9) Swap Broker: Social Climbing - 250 notes - October 2024 If there's any story whose low placement on the list hurts to see, it's this one-- I absolutely love this one. Photos, concept, resolution, all of it. Ahh, well. A few people asked me what happened to the original Aiden, which I don't have much interest in writing, but... his father would have given him a one time chunk of hush money, which he would have burned through in a matter of months, at which point he'd probably be forced to start doing hard work for the first time in his life. It's not a happy outcome, which is why it's not a story I'm particularly interested in telling.

8) Jock Cock, Part 2 - 285 notes - June 2024 Like I mentioned for Part 3-- I don't regret writing it, even if I don't quite understand why it wasn't as well received. I'm not sorry for mixing sincere emotions into your casual smut-- it was intentional, and it will happen again. Also I've been doing it for the past 5 years, so presumably you noticed me doing that at least once before? I'm sure it's not a photo issue. Anyway.

7) Spring Break - 313 notes - March 2024 I love it when both parties can get what they want out of a body swap. I've had quite a few stories involving out of touch rich people, now that I think about it-- but then, every idea has already been done before if you simplify it enough.

6) Bodily Betrayal - 319 notes - December 2024 I'm so thrilled to be working with photo-manip artists for future detachable limb stories. You all may not be bothered by my attempts to create suitable pictures, but I definitely am. I mean, look at these pics-- head/body swap? Headless with head in hand? I wouldn't have been able to do that without a lot of practice and training.

5) Trial Period - 351 notes - November 2024 I don't do much with ghosts, and I'm honestly not planning to change that anytime soon. Still, I love the idea of supernatural entities shopping around to choose their next host.

4) This Happens all the Time, It's Detachable - 376 notes - August 2024 This is another one that I absolutely adore, and as a bonus it's a detachable story that requires no photo-manip work whatsoever. Obviously, I had to go with the King Missile reference in the title.

3) Roommate Rehab - 407 notes - April 2024 I still think my photo-manip work is clunky, but it gets the job done, and that's what matters. The interesting thing about writing more detachable works is that I'm really not familiar with any of the tropes. I'm so used to subverting expectations when I write body swap fiction, but it's a lot harder to subvert tropes that I don't know.

2) Rush Week - 512 notes - September 2024 I'm glad this one did well, because it's definitely a lot more vulnerable than what I normally write. It's equal parts sincere and sexy, and I adore it. The thought of what stays with the body and what stays with the mind is one of my favorite concepts to explore with body swapping. On a different tangent, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be to find good photos for a twink model that pass tumblr guidelines.

1) Jock Cock, Part 1 - 732 notes - May 2024 This story came out of nowhere and completely surpassed all of my expectations. I have no idea what it is about this story that appealed to so many people-- probably obvious, given how few notes the other parts pulled. Is it the photos? The idea of using an athlete's body for sex without him knowing? Unfulfilled sex-with-teacher fantasies? I sure as hell don't know. Whatever the reason, I'm flattered.

Above 500 Notes - All Time

1) Jock Cock, Part 1 - 732 notes - May 2024 2) Soulmate Swap - 704 notes - August 2022 3) Gym Merchandise - 654 notes - September 2022 4) Overbearing - 572 notes - May 2022 5) Finals Week - 568 notes - May 2021 6) Group Project - 566 notes - November 2023 6) Revenge, Reversed - 540 notes - August 2020 7) Rookie Mistake - 530 notes - May 2023 8) Rush Week - 512 notes - September 2024 8) Information Overload - 501 notes - August 2021

Well, Jock Cock Part 1 has officially dethroned... uhh, literally everything else. Finals Week, my first piece to break the 500 notes mark, is quickly dropping out of the top 5. And some of these works received random resurgences several months (or years!) later, so that's always fun to see.

Enough time has passed that I have a sort of note rubric to determine success. Anything below 100 notes, I consider flopped. 100-300 is average, and 300-500 is a success. So to have this many stories above 500? It feels pretty good.

Here's hoping next year will see more additions to this list!

Special Mentions

Reunion - 151 notes - February 2024 Once again, @mergeman and I wrote each other stories for Valentine's Day. I do really love the idea of a support group for people affected by body swaps.

I'm always honored whenever I end up tagged in someone's recommended post, and @sanzaibian 's compliment of "someone who writes really sweet love stories ^^" is no exception.

Also, like I said earlier-- I live for compliments and discussion, both given and received. If you've dropped a line or responded to one of my outreach attempts, I appreciate you. If we've talked in the past but it's been a few months since you or I sent the last message-- I'm too ADHD for friendships that follow the constraints of linear time. If we go months between messages, know that I still appreciate you.

Is it too cheesy to end this with a "thanks for viewers like you" sentiment? Maybe, but I'm doing it anyway. I'd be having these ideas with or without an outlet for sharing them, so I really do appreciate the likes and reblogs. Here's to another year!

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Prompt List(s)!

Anyone got room for yet another October Prompt List? 😉

I really wasn’t feeling the Official Inktober Prompt List this year & deeply miss the Obscutober lists nikolas_tower used to post over on Instagram, so I decided to break from tradition even more than I usually do & make my own! ✨

The main idea is each prompt is an Obscure Word, but I did get a little choosy & try to put a bit of my own spin on it!

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk more about the details + Definitions if you need them. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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Before I get into my usual long-winded description, if you want to actually follow this prompt list—Or the Lite or Weekly version—here's what you need to know:

Here's the "Official" Definition list so you don't have to spend time looking up the words yourself if you don't want to...But also, if you do want to, feel free! The "official" definitions are intended as a time-saving guideline!

The list is open to all mediums! "Typical" visual art (Digital or Traditional), Literature, Sculpture, Crafts, Coloring Pages—whatever you want!

The word itself does not have to be directly included/related to what you make; You can just take inspiration from the way it sounds or looks, or something the sticks out to you in the definition, etc.

If a word or two doesn't work for you for various reasons, feel free to swap-in a different word—Either another "obscure" word of your choosing, or a word from another prompt list that you like better.

I've provided "Lite" and Weekly versions of the list in case the full 31 is too much, but you can pick-and-choose words from the full list however you'd like if you're not crazy about the words I picked for the shorter versions, or if you want to shorten the list in a different way.

Tagging me is appreciated, but not required!

Remember that my views on these Month-Long Daily Challenges is that it's about the challenge of completing a certain amount of creative pieces in the time given...And that's pretty much it, so as long as you're doing that and having fun, I'm really not bothered about how you choose to follow the list! My Inktober motto has always been "work smarter, not harder," and this is no different!

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Well, well, Sparklers—I assume this is quite the surprise coming from me. 🤭 Both because I've been awfully quiet over the past couple of months and this is what I come back with. [And for the record, I intend to explain more about where exactly I've been in a Museletter, but I wasn't able to get it typed up and ready-to-go today; Once I get it ready I'll add the link here.]

Not that me disappearing for a while and coming back with something not necessarily expected of me is all that abnormal, but rather if you've followed me for a while, you might remember I'm not normally super-keen on everyone and their uncle's mother's brother's sister making their own Prompt Lists.

So then, Mystic, what gives? Why make your own Prompt List now?

You can thank nikolas_tower on Instagram for that, actually. 😆 Some of you might also remember that I follow his Obscutober list in October 2021, and I've also swapped in an Obscutober word a couple of times when one of the "official" Inktober words didn't work for me.

I've explained before how much I love the Obscutober concept to its core, so I won't re-hash all of that here. The important part is that I do love it, but to my great sadness, 2022 only got an abbreviated Obscutober list (2 words per week), 2023 didn't get an Obscutober list at all (though I didn't really need one for 2023 because I was busy enough as it was following two other prompt lists at once) and considering just how close we're getting now, I really sincerely doubt Nikolas has/had plans for a 2024 one. Add to that: I was not super jazzed about the official Inktober prompt list for this year. Now, don't get me wrong—I'm normally not thrilled with every single word on the list (and if you've followed my Inktobers' past, you know I say as much during the month!), but I'm not sure I've ever felt quite so unenthusiastic about the whole list before.

Additionally still, some of you might remember I did talk a little bit last year about some...struggles I supposed is the closest word, that I've had with the past couple of Inktobers I've done. And generally, I've had some ideas for really shaking up the way I handle October for the past couple of years.

While, granted, my main "shake-up" idea is totally unrelated even to this list and I never seem to be able to get the necessary prep work it would require done in time, I think the main takeaway is a I've had a low-grade yearning to do something different...but I do still want to stick to my "tradition" of handling Inktober unconventionally.

So in the end, it kinda just made sense to at least try making my own Obscutober-style list this year. It's something different and I've missed the Obscutober lists, so why not?

Worth noting that I did try to put just a little of my own spin on it in my choice of words. While already I did try to stay away from words Nikolas already used for all 4 of his Obscutobers, I also had a couple of "rules" with the words I picked:

No words that are "Obscure" purely because they're not English/aren't found in English dictionaries. For example, "Lunette" is a French word, but it appears in English dictionaries with a definition that's more than just "the French word for..."

The word must have a definition that's relatively easy to find and/or appears in well-established English Dictionaries like Dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster. This rule exists because I noticed pretty quickly a lot of "aesthetic" definition images on Pinterest either don't turn up any other reliable results that a word even exists, or the word may exist but the Pinterest definition is straight-up wrong.

No overly gross/medical/NSFW words. (This wasn't a problem with any of Nikolas' Obscutober picks, this is just a personal preference that did shape my research a bit.)

One of my problems with the Inktober list for this year is too many words feel like synonyms/too closely related, so I wanted to avoid that. A couple of words are still kind of close in the end, like "Vitrine" and "Hyaline" or "Escutcheon" and "Orphrey, but they're still more different from each other than some words that I considered and ultimately turned down. [For example, I considered "Lambent" and "Clinquant" but decided they were too close in meaning to "Scintillate."]

Likewise, aside from the theme of being Obscure, I tried not to lean to heavily on words that fit a particular theme or idea

I tried not to pick "obscure" words that have become decently well-known or popular because they're obscure. The best example is "Aglet" wasn't even considered because it's been mentioned in multiple TV shows that I know of. "Scintillate" might push that boundary a little, but it is one of my personal favorites.

I also tried to pick words that had a little variety in definition length and not pick too many that had really short definitions, which ties into my next point...

More abstractly, I tried to pick words that feel like they both lend themselves to a really solid image but also leave room for interpretation of that image. Historically I've had problems with Inktober words feeling too much like they really only fit one specific interpretation of the word or they only have so many ways to represent the idea. And on the flip side, some of Nikolas' Obscutober picks (at least when I participated in 2021) felt a little too abstract at times. Ultimately, this feeling is probably highly subjective, but I tried my best to find the right balance anyway.

While not perfectly balanced, I did try not to lean too heavily on one type of word, as in Adjectives/Nouns/Verbs. There are still less verbs overall because it was just harder to find verbs that fit what I wanted, but if I hadn't consciously paid attention there probably would've only been 1-2 verbs and like 20 adjectives.

Not really related to adding "my own spin," but also worth noting that it was also important to me to provide "Lite" and Weekly versions of the list the way that Nikolas did for Obscutober II to make it easier for people that just don't have one-thing-every-single-day kind of time to feel welcome to still participate in some way. As stated in the description for those, you can just jump around the list however you like, but I know sometimes it's just easier if someone already lays things out that way for you instead of having to remember to leave things out and such.

And then for the visual list design, I did a mixture of Nikolas' Obscutober list style and my own more typical branding elements, which ended up working out much better than I expected; I wanted the "spirit" of the list to be recognizable to fans of Nikolas' lists without being an exact copy/looking too much like I was trying to "pretend" to be him or something, and I think I landed in a pretty good place. [And in case anyone is wondering, yes I did use my own template to make the list!]

I do have to admit to you Sparklers though that despite going through all that trouble, I'm actually still not 100% sure I'll be following the list myself. 😅 I've gone back and forth over how exactly I want to handle October at all this year so much...I definitely want to (and intend to!) do a Daily Challenge, especially given how spotty my uploads have been over the last year, but I just can't seem to settle on one full-fledged plan that I'm completely satisfied with.

I do have one potential idea I'm considering that already has a very specific alternate list, but pretty much all of my other ideas would normally use the official Inktober list, and so since that list isn't on the table for me this year, and it's really looking like DeviantArt isn't doing Drawtober again this year—Which I find incredibly sad, by the way!—I need another list on-hand that I know I can use and be reasonably happy with.

And for the record, I'm being intentionally coy about that one specific idea and not sharing that list because it's highly specific and if I do decide to go that route in some way, I'd like the main idea to be a least a little bit of a surprise.

But even if I don't use this list myself, I thought at least a few other people might enjoy giving it a try. After all, I wasn't the only one that enjoyed Nikolas' Obscutobers—I originally found out about them through another person entirely. So maybe a few other people are feeling that Obscutober void, or maybe you're just a big Word Nerd™ like me, or maybe you just want something that's a little different still from a lot of the more typical alternative prompt lists that have been floating around.

So, whatever the case, here the list is (and the Lite and Weekly versions, too); Let us all do with them what we will! 😉

Before I go, I will offer an apology to anyone who's disappointed or frustrated that I'm posting the list so close to time to use it—Believe me, if I'd been 100% sure I wanted to make it in the first place sooner, I would have gotten it out much sooner, too! But I'm doing the best I still can by getting out with this very tiny 2-day cushion instead of just dropping it right on the 1st. If the list turns out to be something you Sparklers want to see again next year, I promise I'll do my best to get it out with a lot more advance notice next time!

With that, there are still two days left in September and as semi-implied already, I still have a ton to do to be anything close to ready for October, so I'll leave you Sparklers to the list and your own October plans, whatever they may be; Hope to see you all again hopefully very, very soon...! 🤗

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List Design  © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[toasttt11]

dogs

October 8, 2023

Ophelia walked out of her room wearing blue jeans, a tan sweater and a red leather jacket with matching red boots. She had half of her hair clipped back and out of her face.

Quinn looked up from his phone where he was leaning on the kitchen counter waiting for her to come out before they left.

“Ready to go Bee?” Quinn asked her as she put her purse on cross body and she nodded softly and followed Quinn out of his apartment.

Quinn drove them to Brock’s house for a team party, Quinn could have hosted the party but his apartment wasn’t really a good hosting space and Brock has the space. They have a party every year after the preseason is over and before the first game.

“Okay?” Quinn gently asked as he turned the car off and saw Ophelia fiddling with her bee ring.

Ophelia slowly nodded, “Okay.” Ophelia reassured she was okay just nervous.

Ophelia followed Quinn out of the car and up the front steps to Brock’s house, she glanced around seeing a lot of cars already and hearing a good amount people from inside.

“Hey you two!” Brock beamed as he opened the door and his two dogs were standing next to him.

Ophelia gasped softly at the two dogs, she’s heard about them from Brock but hasn’t met them yet, “Can i pet them please?” Ophelia looked hopeful at Brock.

“Of course SJ.” Brock said and immediately Ophelia was kneeling down and petting the two dogs happily.

“Hi Milo! Hi Coolie! Your Dad has told me all about you two.” Ophelia cooed petting them both and she laughed as Milo bumped her and she sat on the ground and the dogs started licking her face making her giggle.

Quinn’s face softened seeing her smiles and giggles and pulled out his phone recording a little bit knowing Jack will find it adorable.

“Alright you two let her up.” Brock laughed seeing Ophelia just getting sat on by both of his dogs and they were licking her face like crazy.

Milo and Coolie eventually got off her but still stayed closed as Ophelia stood up and petted them so more.

Quinn and Ophelia walked into the house eventually and saw how filled the house already was.

Ophelia noticed a lot of the team’s kids here, she hasn’t really met any of the kids yet but has heard quite a bit from a lot of her team.

Ophelia looked down as something ran into her shins and saw a boy that seemed to just learn how to walk and noticed he seemed very familiar.

“Owen!” Natalie called out chasing after her one year old son clinging to Ophelia’s legs, “Sorry Ophelia.” She gave Ophelia a smile.

“That’s okay.” Ophelia smirked back and gave the little boy a smile as Natalie picked him up. Owen waved back grinning widely at Ophelia.

Ophelia gave Quinn a quick nudge making him glance down seeing her tilt her head at the food table and he nodded pressing a quick soft kiss to the top of her head and she walked over to the food table where Elias was as Quinn watched her walk away and turned away once she got to Elias.

“You have to try these.” Elias said when he saw her standing next to him and handed her a cookie dough protein ball.

Elias not only gets a quiet teammate finally but also a teammate who appreciates food like him and likes similar food as he does.

Ophelia took a bite and her eyes widen in delight immediately eating the rest of the protein ball, “Holy crap.”

“Exactly!” Elias grinned smugly.

Elias and Ophelia stood at the food table for a long while just trying everything together.

Quinn smiled across the room seeing how much Elias is getting Ophelia to eat.

Jt came over a little while later with his two daughters following him, “Oh SJ these are my daughters, Scarlett and Scottlyn. Girls this is Ophelia.”

“Hi!” Scottlyn waved smiling up at Ophelia.

“Your hair is so pretty!” Scarlett gasped starring at Ophelia’s with stars in her little eyes.

Ophelia smiled softly and bent down to be at the two girls level, “Thank you, You both have even prettier hair.”

Ophelia’s words made them both giggle happily.

Jt laughed as he watched his daughters keep talking to Ophelia and asking her a million questions.

Ophelia eventually headed outside after sitting with the two girls for a while until they both started falling asleep.

Ophelia let out a small sigh as she sat on the back deck. Everyone is so nice and very welcoming but it’s still a lot of people and it’s a bit overwhelming especially as everyone wanted to talk to Quinn.

Quinn glanced out the back window seeing Ophelia sitting on the back patio. He grabbed a blanket off the couch and walked over to Brock.

“Maybe the dogs would want to go outside.” Quinn suggested handing Brock a blanket as Brock glanced outside and smiled understanding.

Brock whistled making his dogs run over to him and he walked towards the door and opened the back door and immediately his dogs ran outside and right to Ophelia once they noticed her.

Ophelia laughed softly and quickly petted both of dogs.

Brock sat the blanket over her shoulders, “A present from Quinn.” He smiled, it’s adorable seeing how much Quinn absolutely loves Ophelia.

Ophelia smiled and bundled up under the blanket letting out a soft sigh as she was warming up.

“I think the dogs want to stay out here and they would like some company.” Brock said knowingly, he’s noticed Ophelia isn’t the biggest fan of big groups.

Ophelia smiled at his words giving Brock a grateful look, “I’d love to stay with them.”

Brock smiled back nodding softly and he patted her head before heading inside.

Ophelia smiled to herself, she really likes here in Vancouver and she can’t wait for her first NHL game in a few days.

[bbrissonn]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 - 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡

☆⋆｡°‧★ in which dahlia's friend force her out of the house to go to a hockey, leading to a night of small glances and smiles ☆⋆｡°‧★ will smith x dahlia monroe ☆⋆｡°‧★ wc: 1.3k ☆⋆｡°‧★ au masterlist

‎‧₊˚✧[ OCTOBER 13, 2023 ]✧˚₊‧

"hurry up, will you?" dahlia's friend, violette sighed from the door of their dorm. it was opening at conte forum, and somehow dahlia's friend group had convinced her to go to the game.

"vi, the game starts in an hour, calm down. we have plenty of time."

"plenty of time? girl, everyone and their moms are trying to go to this game. apparently the team this year is gonna be really good."

"people have been saying this every year forever now, and they haven't won for like ten years or something."

"but this year is gonna be different, trust me. they got all these players coming, cute players." violette said, wiggling her eyebrows at her best friend. dahlia's eyes rolled to the back of her head. the last thing that was on her mind right now was boys, cute or not, it didn't matter. she was finally in college, ready to have the best four years of her lives, and she was not going to let some douchebag hockey player ruin that for her.

"i don't care if they're cute or not, vi. athletes are assholes, and you know that." the monroe girl said, referring to their junior year of high school when violette got her heart broken by a basketball player, and then a soccer player. it was a though year.

"doesn't mean you can't enjoy looking at them. i got us seats right behind their bench to!" the girl squealed as the two exited their dorm room.

when they got to the forum, there was an extremely long line to get in. violette had been coming to games her whole life with her dad, and she had never seen one this long before.

"jeez, all this just to watch sweaty man run after a rubber disk..." dahlia whispered as the two waited in line.

"hot sweaty man, they're skating and it's called a puck."

"that's in a shape of a disk and made of rubber."

soon enough, the two girls made it in, with twenty minutes to spare before the start. warmups were almost done when the two girls got to their seats. there was only a handful of players on the other team still on the ice, and about ten eagles.

"why're they just standing there and talking? are they gossiping?" dahlia gasped, confused as to why a trio of eagles were just standing at the blue line across from them.

"i dunno, maybe." her best friend shrugged, not really paying attention to them. but for some reason, dahlia's eyes stayed glued to them. they were laughing and shoving each other a bit, each playing with a puck. as the clock neared the last minute of warm ups, the boys slowly started making their way to their changing room.

as they approached the bench, dahlia made eye contact with one of them. he had blonde hair poking out the side of his helmet and a wide smile on his face as he laughed. the girl hated to admit it, but he looked good. his smile was truly beautiful and contagious.

the two held eye contact until the boy disappeared past her vision. their eye contact didn't go unnoticed from her best friend, nor his friends.

"girl, what was that?" violette asked with a smirk on her face. dahlia's cheeks during a deep shade of red, her eyes looking down at her lap.

"what're you talking about?"

"don't act stupid, you know exactly what i'm talking. that little eye contact you just with will fucking smith."

"who?"

"will smith, pretty much everyone knows who he is. well expect you of course." violette teased, making dahlia roll her eyes slightly.

"whatever. it lasted like two seconds-"

"more like ten. a little more and his head was about to leave his body so he could keep staring at you."

"you're being dramatic, vi."

"i can hear the wedding bells already." violette giggle, making her best friend slightly shove her. the two didn't talk about it for the rest of night, but violette biting her tongue every time will came back to the bench and stared at her best friend.

all though dahlia would never admit it, the boy caught her attention. his soft smile, his little blond curls, and his intoxicating laugh that could be heard every once in a while. every time he was on the ice, her eyes would always move towards him, even if he didn't have the puck. there was just something about him that drew her towards him, and she hated it.

the eagles ended up winning 4-2 against long island, will getting an assist on the game winning goal. the boy wasn't shy to send a small wink towards the girl right before he disappeared for the last time down the tunnel.

dahlia hated how she could feel her cheeks burning, not even wanting to know how red she was. violette couldn't help but laugh when she saw the look on her best friend's face. her eyes wide with a shy smile.

"girl, what do you have to say now?"

"shut up." dahlia mumbled, her cheeks turning even a deeper shade of red, something the girl couldn't think was possible. the girl waisted no time getting up from her seat and leaving the forum, violette hot on her trail.

the black hair girl seemed to only have one thing to talk about on their way home. will smith. dahlia had never wanted to duck tape someone's mouth shut so badly before. sure the two made eye contact and exchanged smiled lots of times during their game, but it didn't mean anything. dahlia was going to wake up the same person she was this morning, and she would probably never even see him around campus.

violette wasn't the only who noticed all the same looks shared between the two 18 years old. will's linemates were quick to jump on his back when they got back to the locker.

"well that was fun." one of the senior said as everyone started undressing from their equipment, the celebrations done with.

"smitty had a lot of fun, that's for sure." ryan laughed from across the room, making the centerman look at him with confused eyes.

"what do you mean?" will asked in a confused voice. gabe started chuckling as everyone else was just as confused as the boy in question.

"we saw those little looks, buddy."

"what looks?" one of the sophomore asked.

"willy's got a little girlfriend." gabe said, looking at ryan as the two started laughing. the two boys couldn't contain their laughter as will's cheek turned a deep shade of pink, making others in the room start laughing as well.

"shut up."

"don't worry, bud, she was staring at you just as much." ryan added through his laughter.

it was safe to say that will had never gotten undressed and showered so quickly before. it was like all his teammates could talk about was this mystery girl who's name he didn't even know. he was tucked into bed far before gabe had even started making his way home.

"i have french with her friend. i could try to hook you guys up if you want." gabe said once he had made it into his bed and hour after his roommate.

"don't. you guys are making this such a big deal when it really isn't. we made eye contact a couple of times, that's all. i don't even know her name." will mumbled as he turned on his side, facing the wall.

"whatever you want, man. you guys would look good together, just so you know."

the room was silent after that, neither of the two boys saying anything, and slowly drifting off to sleep. meanwhile, across campus, dahlia was laying in her bed, her eyes wide open as the night replayed in her head over and over again.

the boy intrigued her, there was no denying that, but the chances of them ever seeing each other again were slim to none. and there was no way she was going to another hockey game just to see him, it was one of the most boring she had ever watched.

at least that's what she kept telling herself...

[black-arcana]

ARCH ENEMY Shares Music Video For 'Paper Tiger' Song From Upcoming 'Blood Dynasty' Album

Swedish/Canadian/American extreme metal titans ARCH ENEMY have released the video for a new song called "Paper Tiger". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Blood Dynasty", which is slated due on March 28 via Century Media Records.

ARCH ENEMY founder and guitarist Michael Amott states: "With 'Blood Dynasty' almost here, we thought we'd sneak in another single for you. 'Paper Tiger' is a personal favorite — these riffs are so much fun to play. The accompanying video was shot on a German airfield last summer with our visionary friend Mumpi. Turn it up and let it roar!"

Following the surprise drop of their single "Dream Stealer" in July 2024, the subsequent release of "Liars & Thieves" in October 2024 and the "Blood Dynasty" title track in December, "Paper Tiger" marks the fourth single offering from the highly anticipated album.

Amott previously stated about "Blood Dynasty": "This new album pushes the boundaries of what we've done before — it's everything you've come to expect from this band, and then some! We can't wait for you to hear it and feel the energy we've poured into every track. Welcome to the 'Blood Dynasty'!"

"Blood Dynasty" track listing:

01. Dream Stealer 02. Illuminate the Path 03. March Of the Miscreants 04. A Million Suns 05. Don't Look Down 06. Presage 07. Blood Dynasty 08. Paper Tiger 09. Vivre Libre 10. The Pendulum 11. Liars & Thieves

Next to the limited deluxe editions that feature two exclusive bonus tracks, fans can direct their attention to the limited liquid blood vinyl that is exclusively available in the band stores and limited to 666 copies.

"Dream Stealer" marked ARCH ENEMY's first new music since the release of the "Deceivers" album, which came out in August 2022.

"Dream Stealer" was mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The video was directed and produced by Patric Ullaeus.

Six months ago, Amott told Pulp Magazine about "Dream Stealer" and ARCH ENEMY's plans for new music: "We've been staying busy for sure and are really focused on writing and recording new stuff in between the touring we're doing. I'm kind of always coming up with new musical and lyrical ideas though — I just keep going as it's what I enjoy doing anyway. Making music is a natural process, and it's pretty much a daily thing, so it can be hard to pinpoint exactly when everything was conceived. I do, however, actually remember that the initial seed for 'Dream Stealer' was written during a songwriting session I did with Daniel [Erlandsson, drums] in Los Angeles, California, two years ago, and then it's been rearranged and updated a lot till it reached its final state that you're now hearing."

Asked if it was a conscious decision to go back to the "classic ARCH ENEMY" direction and approach with "Dream Stealer", Amott said: "I've seen some seriously great feedback from the fans, and that's always very encouraging, of course. Personally, I don't know if I’d necessarily say 'Dream Stealer' is a throwback to the sound of the past, but I get what they mean — the song has the energy and speed that is very exciting and infectious. Maybe there is a hint of vintage ARCH ENEMY in there, and why not? I'm looking forward to playing it live on stage — I think it is going to be intense as hell."

ARCH ENEMY played its first concert with new guitarist Joey Concepcion on April 24, 2024 at Musinsa Garage in Seoul, South Korea. The show was part of ARCH ENEMY's 2024 Asian tour.

In December 2023, ARCH ENEMY announced that it had "amicably" parted ways with longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in his previous group, NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's last two albums, 2017's "Will To Power" and the aforementioned "Deceivers".

ARCH ENEMY is:

Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals Michael Amott - Guitar Joey Concepcion - Guitar Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

Photo credit: Katja Kuhl

[blueepink07]

I decided to look at the calendars and the timetable in Muu's MVs and I think I found some interesting things!

Taking in chronological order, the first calendar should be this one, which has the cherry blossoms. In Japan, usually, the flowering cherry trees come into full bloom around the beginning of April. It is the month when the new year of school starts for students.

So it seems that the friend group started the bullying, since the beginning of the school year, Rei's clothes being wet and her items being splattered on the floor. (the calendar in this scene also shows the cherry blossoms)

Remember this is the moment when Rei decides to turn "upside down" Muu's reputation at school, when she considers that enough is enough.

So then it raises the question... How much time Muu was bullied at school?

Well to find out we have again to look at the calendar.

This one should be a month from autumn, more exactly early September.

To understand better my line of thoughts, I will explain how did I reached this conclusion!

Beginning with the timetable!

Considering that the murder takes place during sunset, I thought that it was important to find when Muu finishes her classes.

"In a typical high school in Japan, teachers gather each morning at 8:30 a.m. for a brief meeting. Students meet at 8:35 a.m. for a 5-minute homeroom period. Regular classes begin at 8:45 a.m. and there are four 50-minute classes before lunch. High school students eat in their homeroom. "

With this information, I figured out that the empty space between hours is for lunch, because there are already four classes before it.

"Two afternoon periods are followed by school clean-up and a 5-minute homeroom meeting, after which students are dismissed at 3:30 p.m."

Muu has, after lunch, one or two afternoon periods.

Also, interesting she also has four classes on Saturday, something that is pretty common in Japan. "On Saturday the day ends after four periods, at 1 p.m."

Getting back to the topic, the classes usually end at 3:30 pm or 4 pm most of the time. However, it's pretty clear that it's not the hour when Rei goes home and the murder happens. Not only the sunset will not start so early, but also Muu's phone gives us a hint of the time.

But why are they at such a late hour at school, if the classes should end at around 3:30 pm? Simple, club activities after classes, at which most students in Japan attend to!

"Club activities are held after school and run until 5 or 6 p.m. One hour per week is devoted to mandatory club activity. Other club activity is voluntary."

They last around 2 hours, so, if we take into consideration Muu's timetable, the clubs should end at around 5:30 - 6 pm. (might depend on the club)

Now, I want to point out this specific interrogation question:

"What kind of kid where you?"

The past tense it's very interesting to me: "I did many extracurricular activities". Yes, it might refer to her younger self, but, considering that, even in high school, clubs are heavily encouraged in Japan, it's rather odd that she doesn't say that she still attends them.

That's because, in reality, she probably stopped going to those once she started to be bullied, which explains why she is the only one in the classroom, waiting for the club activities to be finished, so she can go home.

"School club activities, commonly known as “bukatsu” in Japan, play a significant role in the lives of students. These extracurricular activities are an integral part of the Japanese school experience, providing a platform for personal growth, skill development, and fostering a sense of community."

Club activities are a good way to spend your time with your friends, while doing something that you like. Because Muu started to be bullied, she had no reason to attend to these anymore. Not only she would spend her time alone, but also risk being picked on again, preferring to stay in the classroom.

With the idea that the clubs from Muu's school should end around 5:30 pm, we can decide the month based on when the sun fully sets.

I will admit that it took me a while to notice the yellow dots, which should resemble the leaves, so, because of the warm colours, I thought that the calendar showed July. Not August, because, in most schools in Japan, there is a summer vacation which starts from July 20 to August 31.

However, considering that Muu lives in Minato Ward, Tokyo, as seen in this post, the sun should fully set at around 7 pm, during July. Which doesn't really makes sense, because Rei should be outside of school, after club activities and some time spent preparing her herself to go, at around 5:40 - 5:45 pm, when there is not a sunset.

What made me, at first, not consider autumn as an option, where the green leaves from this scenery. So I researched a little and found put that in Tokyo, the leaves don't start to fall until late November.

Which left me with two options: September and October.

October was easily out of the question, because, in the first day of October the sun fully sets at 5:26 pm, which is too early.

Which leaves us with September, when the sun sets at around 6 pm. Taking into account the minutes before Muu reaches Rei in that day, I think it's safe to assume that early September, should be the time when the murder took place.

I hope I gave a good explanation and found some interesting things about Muu! Thank you for reading!

Sources if anyone is interested!

[tarathoughts13]

smosh - the current situation

as i was pulling together my notes for my next bit city analysis (part 2 coming soon btw guys), i came across another topic which i think deserves it's own post instead of being combined with the bit city post, this post is about, the current situation with smosh.

so, as i said previously, smosh is not exaclty in the best place right now, 2024 overall has been an odd year for youtube, but especially smosh. while on one hand there were some great parts, smosh the sitcom, more games content, new cast member, and the introduction of bit city (as flawed as it is) being the main ones, there have also been some down sides. as smosh decided to take a break in early summer of this year all the way until august, their viewership has naturally gone down, especially on the main channel.

now this itself isn't as much an issue, naturally when you sya that you're not gonna post for 2 months, you will lose some views and maybe even some subsribers, it's not a large issue. the issue that i think smosh has run into, is that they're not able to get their views back. see, last year, if you look at the views across the main, pit and games channels, they were all at a relatively good place, main channel had had the benefit of food battle gaining 2.7 million views and going no.1 on trending and prepping for anthony's funeral, every video towards the end of 2023 has somewhere around 800k - 1m views on average. pit channel was booming with views around this time, in fact i think that for a while, from october to late november, nealry every smosh pit video had 1 million to 2 million views (everything from eat it or yeet it, who memed it, reddit stories, etc.) and for games, it's a bit more difficult (for me) to sense the average but it was somewhere around the 600k/800k to 1 million/2 million range, so overall pretty good.

however, nowadays, the views have definitely fallen, for pit and games i can't tell exactly how much (i am theatre kid, not made for math) but from what i can tell, most of the videos with 1 million or + views (on pit) are reddit stories, everything else generally stays within 800k/900k view count. and for the main channel.... it's not looking so good.

now, to be fair, even this time last year, in november of 2023, the smosh main channel was not doing perfect, and a lot of the flashbacks + sketches that weren't nostalgia based got less than a million views, as ian and anthony have said, sketch comedy has and will always be difficult to make on a platform like youtube, not many average viewers are willing to watch it (unless you're a big brand like snl), and unless you have somehting really brand/nostalgia based like food battle or pokemon battle, etc. it's gonna be hard for you to get views, but, at least back then, their sketches were still getting decent views, and there were a good couple that had from around 900k to 1 million views. nowawadays, with the introduction of and smosh putting all of their attention on bit city, most of the views are from 600k to 900k views (which is pretty decent tbf, that's how the channel was doing back in 2023 as well with the exception of food battle), and only ONE bit city sketch has over a million views, that sketch being 2024 sucks, bit city 2.

anthony's channel hasn't been doing that well either, many fans have been complaining on pressalike's consistent decision to basically turn his channel into like an interview/assumption channel for la influencers, and from shifting the original focus of his channel, which was to give a voice to those who don't have one in society (minorities, marginalised communities,). it also seems that at smosh, they have really been trying to merge the two channels (smosh + pressalike) together into 1 company, and so a lot of crew from one company have changed the other, and so this has also lead to a lot of changes behind the scenes (which i think reflects a bit in the content).

to add on to this view situation, a lot of fans have also noticed that anthony has started appearing less and less in content, besides the content on his main channel and on lunchtime with smosh, he is barely on smosh anymore. ian at least makes appearances in stuff like bit city and occasionally pit and games content, but anthony has basically like checked out, he's mostly bts nowadays, besiddes 2024 sucks, he's always in the background of bit city sketches or in the audience, and the beopardy he was in recently, was one of his first pit appearances in MONTHS. now this by itself wouldn't be as big an issue if they had just addressed it, but unfortunately, they have not, smosh has not addressed any of the fan speculations or concerns about anthony at all, not a community post, or a pinned comment, or even an instagram story or reddit post or any type of damage control, nothing. what this does is that it leaves a lot of the fans (especially ianthony shippers and supporters who supported and loved anthony all throughout his return to smosh in 2023) feeling very blindsided and confused about the whole ordeal.

and to add a cherry on top, a lot of the smosh cast have been getting into drama lately, with noah being allegedely a zionist/liking pro-israel tweets? (i think), keith making some really insensitive jokes about the whole diddy case, and chanse going out with a trump supporter (he said it's not official or anything but still...), it's not been the best for the channel pr wise either (and as far i know - none of the cast members listed above has issued apologies or retracted their statements).

also (this isn't related but i thought i might m

so overall, smosh is in kinda a messy place right now, and i think that's for multiple reasons, it definitley seems like there is a shift in the leadership team for smosh and there have been many crew departures in the past year (from heidi to zoe, to most recently, josh), and overall, things have changed, a lot. honestly the smosh right now looks slightly unrecognizable from the smosh 1 year ago to me, and that's coming from someone who became a stan of the channel around 2023.

now, that's not to say that things are horrible or that they can't get better, i think they cna, it will just take a lot of reworking. i think the 2 biggest changes they can make so far is 1. change up bit city and find a way to make it reach more people and get more views, while also staying true to the smosh core audience, 2. to make anthony's channel's focus back on giving marignalised communities a voice for themselves, and 3. to maybe make some sort of statement or acknowledgement on anthony's departure/absence from the channel of late. i think smosh can find it's stride again, this year hasn't been horrible that way by any means, it's just been messy and complicated. but as always, i will be hoping for the best for smosh and i am genuinely excited to see what comes next.

thanks for reading all this, this post was kinda just to get my thoughts out there on the current situation at smosh, tagging @lilac-hecox bc i think you'll agree with me a lot here and i'd like to see someone agree with me, that's nice for non-excistent ego.

[bryan360]

“My Review - JBL Tune 720BT (Part 1 - Unboxing, Comparison, Etc.)” Recorded: Oct. 7th, 2024

🇵🇷Me: Hello and welcome to my first 2025 topic review. It’s been a long wait since I’d really put on hold from October last year, but not now due being busy with my Inktober ideas/my friend’s secret art trades to cover first. At least I’m still trying to without forgetting my other tasks to do, especially my other recent topics I haven’t touched it as of yet. Anyways, here it is after saving last year! I got from my mom after ordered from Amazon.com that costs a bit much. In case for a refresher, here’s a link right here ���️ Link Here

🇵🇷Me: It used to be my late birthday present gift, the JBL Tune 720BT was an interesting choice to upgrade from my older one; which I’ll get to that during this review. However, this newer one promises of its long battery life and better sound quality depending of listening through music/watching videos. What that being said, let’s get stared for the unboxing part.

(⬆️ 1st to 5th Images; started at 1:58 to 2:04 P.M.)

Like any other unboxing package for other headphone sets, it includes the book manual, the USB cable to charge up connection, and its headphone jack from a small white bag. Not bad, but more of the cover of this new JBL headphones pretty stand out at first look of myself. All I’m saying if It compared to my older JBL headphone I had in years back.

(⬆️ 6th to 10th Images; from 2:05 to 2:13 P.M.)

Now for the main item to focus on. As I’d opened from the package itself, my impression were interesting enough to give a shot. You can see the design that exactly what as the box advertised. I even place it from front to back that thankfully had its foldable features. More on that shortly, but looks good to give its design than what I had for my original JBL headphones. Its weight is kinda different where I’d hold it and yet felt the same thing? 🤷‍♂️ As for what it folds by rotating each ear cups instead all the way around. That’s a good thing anyways. I’m hoping I can have its carrying case as well in the meantime.

(⬆️ 11th to 12th Images; from 2:15 P.M.)

Now to putting on my new headphones for my ears and question if it comfy enough to wear. Well a little bit good, but I was hoping it can fully secured inside my ears than expected. Still at least the cushion material for the ear cups doesn’t hurt much.

(⬆️ 13th to 16th Images; now at 2:22 to 2:26 P.M.)

And finally put an end for now, I got two same branded headphones to comparison each other; especially with being my older JBL headphones had newer ear pads I’d replaced since 2023. ➡️ (Link Here)

Good thing that didn’t worn out a bit quickly and still felt comfortable for my ears as of today. However after examining which is different, its definitely the newer headphones I’d picked with. The bigger ear cups are the more highlights to show; isn’t it? What’s more, I can put its headphone jack as an alternative option; just in case the battery life ran out about “76 hours” or more. Wow, it does actually said on the box itself (from the right corner below) that I won’t do its battery running test. Just saying.

My thoughts:

Hope you guys enjoying my first review I’d saved in 2025. I would’ve like to include more of my other headphones for more comparisons, but had to do with my older JBL headphones because it’ll make sense when doing this topic. Anyways, this newer one was the most excited to share as for what its worth an upgraded gift from my mom’s Amazon ordering. Do hope I’ll have much time to record its sound test for the second and final topic part soon. Until then, see ya next time. 👋

Tagged: @murumokirby360 @shadowredfeline @alexander1301 @sammirthebear2k4 @lordromulus90

[tired-gae]

reverence (entirely undeserved) - A Dashingfrost Oneshot

Written for 2023 Fictober prompt #3, "Okay, show me."

Fandom: Thor (Movies)

Rating: General Audiences

No warnings!

Summary:

Loki’s gaze snapped up to his face, only to find him looking earnestly back. He swallowed thickly and messed with the hem of his shirt, the silk starting to thin where he fiddled with it so much. “It’s not pretty.” He warned, trying to dissuade him.

“I would most likely disagree.” Fandral said, letting a small smile grace his features. “I find it hard to believe that any part of you could be anything less than stunning.”

OR

Loki shows Fandral his Jotun form and begins on a path of- if not self-acceptance, then allowing himself to be loved.

Originally posted: October 3rd, 2023

Wordcount: 1,364

---

On a moonless night in Loki’s chambers, Loki and Fandral sat alongside one another. These kinds of nights were often the only time they could carve out for each other, with Fandral’s duties and Loki’s current impersonation of the king keeping them apart. As such, the late hour tended to loosen their lips, and some of their most meaningful conversations happened on these nights. Tonight is a good example of this. 

Some nights, Loki read, carding through Fandral’s golden hair where he rested his head upon the other’s legs. Some nights, they shared anecdotes, making up for lost years. On those nights, the air seemed to move around them, carrying their voices like wind, lifting the sounds out the window to shield them from prying ears. Other nights, nights like these, they couldn’t bother with any of that. On nights like these, the air seems still. 

“You... know of my true heritage.” 

“I do.” Fandral said without hesitation. Loki, posing as Odin, had been slowly twisting the narrative the Aesir had on Jotunheim as a whole. Within the past few years, the public’s view on the Jotnar had shifted from ‘savages and horrible monsters’ into ‘a people in need of Asgard’s help after being released from centuries of tyranny.’ It wasn’t exactly a favorable view, but you cannot un-instill the millennias of elitism taught to the Aesir people. Pity, he supposed, was better than malice. Only a few months ago, he had revealed to the public Loki’s true heritage, in hopes that any love they still held for their dishonored prince would be the tipping point to change the people’s views. It had worked for the most part, as before Loki’s reported death, he’d had equally as many allies as he did enemies. 

“Did you know before I told the public?” Loki asked quietly. He was genuinely curious if Thor had immediately told his companions of Loki’s true parentage, when the King and Queen no doubt told him after Loki’s assumed death. 

“No.” Fandral answered truthfully. “I... didn’t. Have you always known, or is it something you learned recently?” Of course, by recently, he could mean in the last century, or the last year. Time references like that get complicated when you live to the ages that the Aesir (and the Jotnar, he supposed) do. 

It takes a bit for Loki to find the words. “Thor’s banishment. That’s around the time I discovered it. Right before Odin fell into the Odinsleep.” 

Fandral’s eyebrows furrowed, not that Loki could see it happen, the way they were faced away from each other. “That’s... less than a decade ago.” Loki nodded in response, which Fandral did see happen, because he had turned his head in surprise. He shifted his body to face the other man, which after a moment, Loki mirrored. Facing each other now, they still could see very little of each other’s expressions in the low light. 

“Well, I’d say,” Fandral started slowly, “That for someone who recently found out they’d been lied to their entire life, you’re coping quite well, all things considered.” 

At this, Loki scoffed. “I’d hardly call attempting genocide and subsequently throwing myself off the Bifrost when I failed ‘coping well.’” He’d been a fool, to think he could gain Odin’s worthless approval at that point. He��d thought that maybe, if he levelled a strike against the Jotnar that was truly devastating, he could prove he wasn’t one of them. (To whom he wanted to prove that, he isn’t sure.) Or, if it went differently, and he successfully ran the Jotnar extinct, then he’d be the only one left. If there were no Jotnar left, then him being one wouldn’t mean anything anymore. It was a foolish hope, and one made of rash desperation. He knew the exact death toll that came of it, now that he was king. He won’t soon forget it. 

Fandral expertly avoided that topic of conversation, likely not wanting to think about the devastation caused by his lover’s hand. “Have you ever seen it?” 

“Seen what?” 

“Your Jotun form.” Fandral replied easily, and Loki took a sharp breath. 

He held the breath, letting it out a few moments later, when he had gathered his thoughts. “No. I haven’t, not fully. What I have seen of it is... horrible. I wanted to tear the skin off when I saw it, down to the bone if I needed to in order to see something other than blue.” He admitted. 

Fandral frowned at the description. “Do you really think it looks that horrifying?” 

Loki nodded. “I’ve tried to look at it before, in a mirror. I could never manage to open my eyes to see it. I was too afraid of what would be staring back at me.” 

“Okay, show me.” 

Loki’s gaze snapped up to his face, only to find him looking earnestly back.  

Fandral reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. “Let me be the judge. You’re scared of seeing yourself like that, but I know you, and I know you’re curious. You don’t even have to open your eyes while it happens. But if you wanted someone to see it, you could show me.” 

Loki swallowed thickly and messed with the hem of his shirt, the silk starting to thin where he fiddled with it so much. “It’s not pretty.” He warned, trying to dissuade him. 

“I would most likely disagree.” Fandral said, letting a small smile grace his features. “I find it hard to believe that any part of you could be anything less than stunning.” And wasn’t that a wonder. Here in front of him sat a man who spent his entire life fed nothing but stories of how the Jotnar ate their young and killed his people, and yet he looked into the eyes of one with nothing but adoration (and a barely noticeable hint of sorrow). 

Because of this, or maybe in spite of it, (would he rather see disgust in his lover’s eyes, if it validated his own?) he closed his eyes and removed the glamour. It felt like peeling off a fake skin, and in a way, he supposed, it was. He didn’t open his eyes again until the whole dreadful process was over, and when he did, he had trouble suppressing the shudder that overcame him when he saw the cobalt hue of his hands. He had only ever seen them twice before now, when he used the casket, before his fall off the Bifrost. The markings that were etched into his hands were morbidly familiar, despite knowing that he had no reason to recognize them. 

He risked a glance upwards at Fandral’s face, only to see that nothing had changed in the way he was gazing at him. It almost angered him. How is it, that his own hands are trembling as he can barely stand to look at them, but the man that only a number of years ago would have drawn his sword at the sight of his skin could look at him with such reverence? 

Fandral gently took Loki’s hands into his own. Loki immediately wants to jerk them away for fear his skin would burn him. It doesn’t. Fandral tenderly traced the ridges on his hands, trailing up to where they disappeared beneath his long sleeves. It’s a blessing, Loki thought privately, that he wears such concealing clothing. He didn’t think he could bear to see much more of this skin. Fandral moved a hand to his face, now, and Loki let his eyes flutter closed as he began to trace the markings on his cheeks. He traced the lines along his jaw, drawing a crude map of the face for him. If he couldn’t bear to look at it, he at least deserved to have an idea. The touch was fleeting, unbearably light as it travelled up to trace the circular ridges along his forehead. 

The hand dropped eventually, finding no more lines to map. Fandral took Loki's hands again, placing light kisses to the top of his head. Loki let his forehead fall onto Fandral's shoulder, ignoring how suffocatingly beautiful it felt to be adored so thoroughly. 

[finn-hours]

Just to keep everyone updated on the series of events that will one day become a documentary about the ultimate flop fail production deal of all time, Community got put on Netflix (circa. 2019) and became accessible to a mainstream audience who could finally appreciate what it was doing (eg. Arrested Development). With increased eyes on the show the call to make a Community movie became more realistic and possible. Dan Harmon told everyone that he had a script ready, ready as in, fully written, one would assume.

Okay so, Peacock aquires the movie and the start of pre-production is announced in 2022. This is a weird one because Peacock is a TV network not a film distributor (for the most part) but Community used to air on Yahoo screen and Peacock are apparently giving Dan And The Team more creative control so, whatever, epic Community win. What we'd all assume as this point is that the script is still fully written and that what Peacock bought was a finished script, assuming otherwise would be kind of crazy, because we know that Dan Harmon has A Script Ready.

The cast are all pretty booked and busy and people are concerned that Donald Glover doesn't have the time, but they all keep saying that they're all willing to do it, they just have to find a time that they're all free. The word at this point is that the movie will start production soonish. 2023 the strikes happen, no worries, the script is done anyway, this is just a slight set back. February 2024 Dan Harmon says the script is 'almost finished'.

Now you might hear that and think 'but I thought the script was finished years ago?', which would be fair, because it was, and also because in the same month Donald Glover said that the script WAS finished. But whatever, it's been a while, maybe Dan Harmon had some new ideas and forgot to tell Glover he was reworking some things. No worries, Alison Brie says that the script is finished in April 2024, great, filming to start soon. Joel McHale claims that he's the holdup which is good because Joel McHale isn't exactly the busiest guy, production should start soon. October 2024 Yvette Nicole Brown does an interview where she says the script is 'being reworked'.

Okay, I mean, the script has now been 'finished' and then 'unfinished' twice, but that's fine, Dan Harmon does this a lot, I'm sure he'll have a useable script sometime soon. In December 2024 Ken Jeong says once again that the script is done and production is moving ahead, no other news has come out since, the film still doesn't have a release date or a production schedule, this month Joel McHale says that he thinks they might film sometime this year (2025) which, yeah, I don't think so. In 2 months Dan Harmon is probably going to say that the script is 'nearly done'

To make all of this worse, Community was removed from Netflix in April 2024, because Peacock, having acquired the movie, wants to put the show on it's own streaming service which is available only in the US. I (British) haven't had legal means of watching the show for a year now, which is crazy because Community being on Netflix is the only reason that Community gained enough new popularity for a movie to even be feesible.

Will the community movie ever happen? Maybe if Dan Harmon finishes the script, so no, probably not. That's okay, there's still the original show, except the original show is now stuck on a desolate streaming service only available to a small fraction of the population and is difficult to impossible to find for the rest of the world.

What's the lesson here? Probably don't sell your movie until you know that it can actually happen, maybe write up a production schedule before hand. Anyway this is all pretty much the most Greendale thing that could've happened so I suppose we all just have to make peace with that.

[astrologycharts242]

Me trying to use astrology to predict on myself in regards to relationships. (Part 1)

I'm making this post to give an idea of how these predictions can work when it comes to meeting a future boyfriend/girlfriend or a future sexual partner. Obviously if you pay me to do these things then you can expect a similar or even better experience. Using astrology on myself I knew months in advance probably a year in advance but I just didn't paid much attention to it until the date got really close. The date of me meeting a future girlfriend or sexual partner. I knew the date would be October 3rd 2023 to November 16 2023. Now where exactly would I meet this person astrology has to show that.

Well looking at my sidereal birth chart you can easily see how I would meet that significant other at a bar, restaurant or strip club. Which is crazy because I don't even occupy those places especially not right now. I'm focused too much on my career. You could see it if you pay attention to the Venus that is conjunct Rahu in my 2nd house.

Which indicates many things like me having girlfriends or only attracting women that are foreign or exotic. Since Rahu represents foreign things.

Foreign in what capacity though? Well it depends on the actual individual.

Let me use my self as an example I only messed with chicks that have like two nationalities or there culture would be different from mines. The girls would be like Jamaican or Haitian. The whole time I'm just a regular Bahamian dude. I wouldn't realize this until I would find out their last names and be like I can't even pronounce that. Secondly I would attract girls that are biracial. It isn't exactly girls that are pretty (which they do be,) but Rahu makes the women I attract be foreign in a sense of different than what I'm accustomed to seeing. I can't speak Jamaican or anything like that but this conjunction would make me attract women that could due to the Rahu Venus conjunction. Shoots this conjunction can make a guy attract women that would look foreign to most people as well. Guys with this conjunction can attract, only have sex and date women that look way better than the average women. What makes them attractive is the women would have a distinct feature that most women don't have. You can even see it in their appearance.

For example a chick that has a bbl not every women has that. Not every women has a mixed skin complexion with long curly hair looking like they're from the Dominican republic or something. There's many different scenarios to how this conjunction can determine who a guy attracts use the rapper t.i. as an example. If you're a woman that has a boyfriend who has this conjunction. Then you can kinda consider yourself exotic or rare especially in the state or country he was born in. Even if you look closely at my chart Venus rules or is the lord of my 5th house in the 2nd house of money sources. This means a way of me earning money is through a speculative business where foreign women become the main consumers. Not just any women the sign Venus is in helps determine the women I would attract. You see the cancer sign. I see cancer and the ashlesha nakshatra. Ashlesha is about women that are into things like astrology, witchcraft, tarots, herbal medicines. Those women that are very spiritual. Women that are so spiritual they be rocking the dreadlocks even. Ashlesha women are into the occult, mystical stuff.

I played the game called kingdom hearts and they had this women name Ursula from the Ariel mermaid movie. I never watched the movie but Ursula reminds me of the ashlesha for some reason. Now it all makes sense whenever women from all around the world would send me money for readings and stuff like that. This debunks the beliefs that planets are only conjunct when they are close in degrees. Nope planets are conjunct as long as they are in the same sign. My conjunction proves it.

[thelatekayejames]

Kaye James ≽·≼ Basics & Wanted Connections

≽·≼ BASICS ≽·≼

FULL NAME · Kaye Astrid James NICKNAMES · Kaye, by pretty much everyone. BORN · January 12, 1959 in Rockford, IL CURRENT AGE · 36 (or 66, depending how you count) PRONOUNS · they/she GENDER · nonbinary ORIENTATION · aromantic bisexual SPECIES · pixie

( death tw, murder tw, ptsd tw, agoraphobia & anxiety tw )

DIED · 1992 in Lunar Cove, RI RESURRECTED · October 31st, 2022 FAMILY · Her human parents passed away from old age while she was on the flip side, three siblings now twice her age are now scattered around the country, unaware that Kaye is alive. COURT POSITION · Member of the Court OCCUPATION · Designer (and Owner) of Blush Boutique CURRENT RESIDENCE · Above the store, in Celestial Hills POSITIVE TRAITS · Disciplined, Reserved, Creative NEGATIVE TRAITS · Critical, Untrusting, Perfectionistic

≽·≼ QUICK NOTES ≽·≼

Kaye was born in the late 50s, discovered they were a pixie but had already developed a talent for going unnoticed.

After honing their skills with a sewing machine on their neighbours, siblings, and classmates, they ran off to New York to hit a few fashion shows.

They were stopped by an older fae, who recognized them from their previous incarnation—a singer named Odie Montgomery, who was murdered by hunters and regenerated.

Together with Odie's old bandmates (some of whom were also supernatural), they managed to pass off Kaye as Odie's long lost child, and they inherited all the royalties and possessions of their former self.

With new financial freedom and a head full of nightmares awakened from learning how Odie had died, they headed to Lunar Cove in 1980, joined the Court, and opened Blush Boutique—only to be murdered by hunters, again.

This time, they didn't have time to regenerate, but were brought back from death on Halloween 2022 by the Catalyst. Disoriented, they thought they were still under attack, and accidentally caused someone to fall to their death.

Since then, they mostly they focus on their designs, shut away above Blush Boutique, but they're working on getting their confidence back and beginning to cope a little better with everything that's happened to them. They're still prone to vanishing when things get awkward however, and often feel out of their element with strangers. Social butterfly, they are not.

During the events of New Year's Eve 2023, Kaye was visited at their shop by Silas Chamberlain, who broke the bond of Resurrection that the Catalyst held. As a result, Kaye's life now has to be sustained by a monthly borrowing of someone else's emotions, for about an hour. The subject doesn't feel any discomfort, more just an empty apathy for that time, but Kaye experiences whatever they were feeling.

≽·≼ WANTED CONNECTIONS ≽·≼

fae! · Anyone who has frequented the Faerie Ring soon after Halloween 2022 was probably aware there was a traumatized pixie sheltering there. At first they probably didn't have much contact, but fae have a higher chance of having had an actual conversation with Kaye before they emerged and went back to work, around December that year.

buyers & sellers · They aren't much for chit-chat, but if you have an outfit, suit, or costume designed for an event, you might've met Kaye in passing.

the old guard · Anyone in town from 1980 - 1992 would've had a chance to meet the old Kaye, connections welcome! She's a little different now, but it'd be nice to see a familiar face for a change.

in another life · As a fae, Kaye's lived several lives, not even they know how many. But they do know one, with their own Wikipedia page and everything. Music fans especially might spot that Kaye looks almost exactly like that old timey singer, from like the 40s and 50s, you know the one? Odie Montgomery, played with the Misty Blues? Such a tragedy...

i could be brown, i could be blue, i could be violet sky? · After their Resurrection bond with the Catalyst was severed at New Year's Eve 2023, Kaye has to siphon the emotions of another person each month to remain alive. They would much rather do this with consent, but it might take some trial and error, some practice, some learning the hard way before they have complete control over it!

[black-arcana]

ARCH ENEMY Shares Music Video For 'Blood Dynasty' Title Track

Swedish/Canadian/American extreme metal titans ARCH ENEMY have released the video for the title track of their upcoming album, "Blood Dynasty". The LP is slated for release on March 28 via Century Media Records.

Following the surprise drop of their single "Dream Stealer" in July and the subsequent release of "Liars & Thieves" in October, "Blood Dynasty" marks the third single offering from the highly anticipated album. The track promises to deliver ARCH ENEMY's signature blend of powerful guitar riffs and dynamic vocals, showcasing the band's evolution while staying true to their roots.

Founder and guitarist Michael Amott shares: "The third single from our upcoming album has arrived, and it's the title track: 'Blood Dynasty'! This one shifts gears from the fast and furious energy of our two recent singles, diving deeper into melody and atmosphere. Immerse yourself in this dystopian soundscape!"

Amott previously stated about "Blood Dynasty": "This new album pushes the boundaries of what we've done before — it's everything you've come to expect from this band, and then some! We can't wait for you to hear it and feel the energy we've poured into every track. Welcome to the 'Blood Dynasty'!"

"Blood Dynasty" track listing:

01. Dream Stealer 02. Illuminate the Path 03. March Of the Miscreants 04. A Million Suns 05. Don't Look Down 06. Presage 07. Blood Dynasty 08. Paper Tiger 09. Vivre Libre 10. The Pendulum 11. Liars & Thieves

Next to the limited deluxe editions that feature two exclusive bonus tracks, fans can direct their attention to the limited liquid blood vinyl that is exclusively available in the band stores and limited to 666 copies.

"Dream Stealer" marked ARCH ENEMY's first new music since the release of the "Deceivers" album, which came out in August 2022.

"Dream Stealer" was mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The video was directed and produced by Patric Ullaeus.

Four months ago, Amott told Pulp Magazine about "Dream Stealer" and ARCH ENEMY's plans for new music: "We've been staying busy for sure and are really focused on writing and recording new stuff in between the touring we're doing. I'm kind of always coming up with new musical and lyrical ideas though — I just keep going as it's what I enjoy doing anyway. Making music is a natural process, and it's pretty much a daily thing, so it can be hard to pinpoint exactly when everything was conceived. I do, however, actually remember that the initial seed for 'Dream Stealer' was written during a songwriting session I did with Daniel [Erlandsson, drums] in Los Angeles, California, two years ago, and then it's been rearranged and updated a lot till it reached its final state that you're now hearing."

Asked if it was a conscious decision to go back to the "classic ARCH ENEMY" direction and approach with "Dream Stealer", Amott said: "I've seen some seriously great feedback from the fans, and that's always very encouraging, of course. Personally, I don't know if I’d necessarily say 'Dream Stealer' is a throwback to the sound of the past, but I get what they mean — the song has the energy and speed that is very exciting and infectious. Maybe there is a hint of vintage ARCH ENEMY in there, and why not? I'm looking forward to playing it live on stage — I think it is going to be intense as hell."

ARCH ENEMY played its first concert with new guitarist Joey Concepcion on April 24 at Musinsa Garage in Seoul, South Korea. The show was part of ARCH ENEMY's 2024 Asian tour.

In December 2023, ARCH ENEMY announced that it had "amicably" parted ways with longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis.

Jeff, who was the main songwriter in his previous group, NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's last two albums, 2017's "Will To Power" and the aforementioned "Deceivers".

ARCH ENEMY is:

Alissa White-Gluz - Vocals Michael Amott - Guitar Joey Concepcion - Guitar Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass Daniel Erlandsson - Drums

Photo credit: Katja Kuhl

[wonderwafles]

Cruelty and Creativity: A Forerunner Saga Exchange SIGN-UP!

Attention, all ye ravenous fans of an obscure book series written as the deep lore backstory of a first-person shooter game that hit its peak popularity in the mid-Aughts, whom are present on Tumblr! The day has come! Utúlie'n aurë, the day has come! Er, sorry. Wrong fandom.

What I should say is, aya. You are what you dare. Do you dare to sign up for this fandom exchange, in defiance of the strictest laws laid down by the Master Builder and the Old Council? What's that? You want to hear what it's about first? And what you'll have to do?

Ugh, fine.

The Exchange: This works sort of like a Secret Santa. Reply to this post confirming you're interested in participating! Sign-ups will be open from today (October 21, 2023) until November 4, 2023.

For the most part this exchange will be conducted on Tumblr, but if there is a platform you'd prefer to receive or give your gift on let me know in your reply. Also indicate if you'd rather have your gift given to a different blog than the one you're replying with. (NOTE: I will be participating in this exchange and you may be asked to make a gift for me.)

Gifts: Once sign-ups are closed you'll be asked to write up your preferences for both giving and receiving a gift; i.e. if you'd prefer to make art or fic, as well as what you'd like to receive. Here you'll also be able to prompt your gifter with the subjects or areas of Forerunner lore you're interested in. The deadlines for that will be decided as we get closer to the 4th. (I'll create a form for this when the time comes. I think.)

The area to aim for with your gifts is a roughly 1000 word fic or a flat, colored piece of art. These are not strict minimums, but probably don't do too much less than that. And of course, feel free to go beyond if you like!

Guidelines: In general I will be pretty laissez-faire about the topics and themes of your gifts; if someone wants an Ur-Didact pinup far be it from me to say no! But this is the big one: This is a Forerunner Saga exchange, not a Halo one. Although I won't disallow references or scenes taking place in other areas of Halo canon, the main focus of your gift and your request should be on events or characters or OCs or concepts from the Forerunner Saga.

Oh, and make sure your gift aligns with what your giftee asks for. Naturally.

Deadline: The... currently stated... release date for Halo: Epitaph is February 27th, 2024. I hoped to time this exchange so that we are all receiving our gifts shortly before the novel is released, as a kind of celebration of the Ur-Didact's return. To that end, please post your gifts on or between February 24th and February 26th.

If the book is delayed again, the current plan is not to delay the exchange. I want there to be some stability in the dates for this thing... as much as we can manage, anyway. But also, if enough people want to delay it as a result, I'll think about that too :)

Let's keep our fingers crossed the book will come out on time, and our celebration of Shadow-Of-Sundered-Star proceeds as planned!

Is that it for now? I think so. Remember to reply to this post on or before November 4th if you're interested in participating! If you have a friend who's not on Tumblr but is interested in participating, let me know, and we can work something out.

(Fun fact: This is posted exactly one year to the day from when Halo: Epitaph was announced at Halo World Championship in 2022 :))

[oishinythings]

One tiny adventure at a time...

[ID: Small dark green stone turtle climbing a dark, twisty branch in the woods. The wood is dotted with clusters of bright green moss.]

So, it's October 2023.

I turned to photography early this year when the Royal Mail got hacked and international post went down, pretty much killing my jewellery business. Combined with the slow collapse of Twitter, and I never really recovered from that.

Now, I'm dealing with a fresh batch of health issues. Still waiting to see exactly how serious, but the answer so far has been "Yes".

So I'm hoping a little turtle and a lot of Tumblr can help me back up.

[ID: Collage of small green stone turtle exploring various flowers in the rain.]

I have over 150 photos available as digital wallpapers - they're meant for desktop but lots of them make great phone lockscreens too.

Wallpapers are just $2 each, or grab a bundle and get a discount.

Every wallpaper gets me a step closer to getting back on my feet - there's a long way to go, but they add up fast. So I'm putting this out there, wishing on a star, and hoping for a little early Halloween magic. Whatever it takes.