#happy jude route release day

[kibby-reaper]

yeah you'd like that won't you

- mod kibby

[dark-frosted-heart]

Roger Barel Main Route - Blind Love Chapter 21 His POV

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. I’m doing this for archiving purposes and you can probably find a better translation out there.

Those days when I was so consumed by despair that I couldn’t get up were engraved deep into my memory.

We were just one step away from refining an antidote. 

Roger: …Ah, this isn’t it. It’s incompatible.

Kate: …What’s wrong with it?

Roger: The doctors and the Privy Council used my formulation documents. If they followed it, then we should be able to make an antidote. Doesn’t seem to be the case though.

Kate: …Maybe there’s something not in your documents that they included.

Roger: Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking…Did they combine my research with “someone else’s”?

(But that’s just speculation. If we could solve this just by guessing, we wouldn’t be having problems)

Roger: Hmm, I don’t know! Alright, let’s take a break, Kate.

Kate: Hehe, I agree!

--

I looked up at the sky for the first time in days and saw the full moon shining as bright as daylight.

Kate: Wow, it’s so bright out. And we haven’t had such a big meal in days!

The food laid out on the table was all prepared by me. Rather than delicate meals, they were manly.

But I can definitely guarantee the taste and high calories that was great for a tired body.

Roger: Eat your heart out.

Kate: Okay, thank you for the meal…! Mmm, it’s delicious! I don’t know what seasonings you used, but the unique taste is really addicting!

(Haha, you look sooo cute)

Roger: The stew’s really tasty too. It’s a Barel family favorite.

Kate: You’re pretty good at cooking meals for Ale, so were you in charge of cooking back at home?

Roger: Something like that. I took up cooking so that I could eat what I wanted. As you know, food’s necessary when fighting against despair.

While Kate smiled as if she was remembering a past conversation, the unforgettable memories of my “days in despair” resurfaced.

~~ Flashback ~~

Alec had died in front of me and when I next came to, a storm of despair was waiting for me.

Roger’s father: Enough. That’s…enough, Roger. Forget everything about Alec and what you've seen.

—That’s what my old man told me, but I couldn’t forget.

On the side of the room, I sat in despair as I fought the never-ending flood of noise thanks to my abnormal hearing.

Naturally I had no appetite, and I knew that my arms and legs were getting thinner.

When I finally grew used to my abnormal hearing, I rushed out of the house and into the conservatory.

All the books and research materials in the conservatory were gone, as if confiscated by the police. But Alec had left me a letter.

After reading the letter, I resolved to rise back up from the depths of despair.

The first thing I did when I returned home was to devour a pile of food like a dog.

As I ate, tears spilled down from my eyes and wouldn’t stop.

Roger: …Ahhh, why…does it taste so good?

~~ End flashback ~~

(At the time, I lived without any hope and my body screamed at me to fight against despair)

Roger: Eat whatever you want, as much as you want. Human brains should be releasing happy hormones.

Kate: Oh, so it’s my brain doing that? I thought I was happy because I was full.

Roger: There’s also a thing called the satiety center...Oh, Jude. Want some?

Jude looked irritated when I called out to him as he came into the room.

Jude: Some strange people actin’ so carefree while eatin’. I don’t want this souvenir, so here.

He tossed a stack of papers onto the table.

Kate: …What is this?

Jude: That guy will know.

Roger: This is…

Kate: Research Material on the Cursed. Researcher, Alexander Taylor.

Alexander Taylor was my late friend who made me despair but also scooped me out of it.

Whether this chance encounter was for better or worse—that’s something I still need to find out.

Next

[darkfictionjude]

Etymology nonnie here!

We won, fellow nonnies! Yet, as you know, this is a bittersweet victory. Who would have thought we could be so divided? And, even though my cause won, thanks to all of you, you must also be aware the options I originally held dear lost. Superheroes and Cowboys, my beloved, I'll see you one day.

That said, I do love and cherish my dear Hollywood 1930s stars. And I'm happy they have been recognized and crowned as the winner. Even if our victory was by the most minimal of percentages, it's still true and undeniable.

Dear Jude, you are correct, that my last ask didn't include a question. So, I'll remedy this by asking one now.

Is the MC of the Hollywood IF an actor? Of the silent movies of the beginning of the decade, or closer to the movies with sound and technicolor that released at the end of the decade?

Also, I know you prefer only one question for ask, but I think it's related, as both involve MC's origins: Can be the MC be of any ethnicity? As, Latino, Asian, Black, etc? If so, would you go for the historically accurate route of the MC masking their ethnicity (pretending to be white, both by changing their appearance and stage name) or would you go with something that is less oppressive (which tends to be what IFs do)?

Finally, my condolences to Selfie. At least you know the Mafia will come soon after Hollywood. Hopefully that serves as consolation.

Well from what I know by 1930 most major studios had transitioned to sound. From "the jazz singer" movie it was rather swift the turn to talkies. So MC would be on sound, and yeah an actor. As for tecnicolor, depends on what film roles MC pickes, I'm thinking the time frame will be between the mid 30s to late 30s.

So I'm trying to show the darkness in the industry and for mc to be able get roles they would need to be "white-passing" as it falls in line with the very strong topics I want this IF to cover, such as sexual abuse to starlets. I'll put some heavy disclaimers on it. That doesn't mean MC won't be able to choose how they feel about hiding their ethnicity and race but yeah I'm trying to go historically accurate as best I can to be able to talk about important subject matter and perhaps provide commentary. It won't be a "good ol' days glamour hollywood happiness" game haha

[msviolacea]

So, I've been playing Ikemen Villains since its English release a week or so ago, and while I haven't finished a full route yet, I've been thinking about what I like and what I don't, so here, have an early review.

The tl;dr - I like it quite a bit, and am happy to keep playing. I don't like it quite as much as I like Sengoku, but I like it a lot more than I liked the other Ikemen games I've tried. I can recommend it to anyone who likes mobile game-type otomes with a darker tone.

The game setup: in an AU Victorian England, there's a team of men with questionable morals and fairy tale curses who work for the Queen to solve problems of even more awful moral implications. The main character is a letter carrier who accidentally witnesses their deeds and gets sucked into their world while they figure out if they can trust her not to spill their secrets.

What works for me:

The writing is top notch. It's light and fun when it needs to be, and hits the right combination of period melodrama and anachronistic modern that I enjoy in these kinds of games/stories.

The LIs are all very fun, and I'm looking forward to experiencing all of them. Even "wait, Motonari, what are you doing here, why are you alive like 300 years later and why did you change your name?" (I say this with all the love, I adore Motonari, but man I'm pretty sure they just recycled some cut dialogue from his IkeSen routes for Jude.)

I started with William's route, and I really enjoy the themes of "there's no reason to abstain from personal joy, you deserve to be your fullest self" that they're going for.

I also like the level of sensuality/sexuality they have going. If I'm playing one of these games, I want it to feel sexy!

I appreciate that they include content warnings for the darker content - one of the current event stories has a warning for potential dubcon content, which is nice. I don't mind reading the darker stuff, but I do like being prepared and being allowed to make a decision about when I want to read it.

I'm always a sucker for the fantasy Victorian aesthetic.

What works in comparison to the other Cybird games:

The chapter lengths are ... okay? One of the things that made me hard bounce off the other two Cybird games I've tried - Vampire and Prince - is that the chapters/segments felt REALLY short, in a way that felt like an over-the-top cash grab, in the "spend money to get a satisfying amount of story!" way. By contrast, the "5 tickets a day" amount I get from Sengoku feels like an acceptable amount of content - I don't know if IkeSen chapters are actually longer in terms of word count and scenes, but it feels that way, whether it's actual length or just quality of the writing/scene structure. In comparison, Villains chapters do feel shorter than Sengoku, but the content is presented in a way that feels generally satisfying to complete in the free daily tickets. I wish there was a bit more, but I'm okay with what they give overall.

The "oh no there's a time limit" plot contrivance is believable, in the context of the game and the genre. MC saw too much, they're giving her a month to prove herself trustworthy. That feels fair, with the genre conventions in mind. IkeSen's works well - Sasuke's "don't fall in love" warning is weirdly tacked on, but the actual time limit is the wormhole that would get MC home to the future, and the conflict is whether her connection to the LI/the characters in general will keep her in the past. I don't remember what Vamp's is, because I really bounced hard off of that game very early, but I remember that the Prince contrivance was the other major detail that made me ultimately abandon the game. What do you mean, the MC didn't read the whole contract she signed? All of this could be mostly solved if she'd paid attention? That just felt lazy on the part of the writers, and undermined the MC in a way that made me not want to follow her story. Anyway, I'm glad that Villains has one that makes sense and doesn't make the MC feel overly flighty.

The Villains art style is ... fine? Again, I don't like it as much as Sengoku, but it's comparable to/better than the other games I've tried from Cybird.

Some things I don't like:

I'm sure this is a tech issue, but GOD the loading screens in this game are SO SLOW. I can feel myself aging just watching the little lamp flash.

I know this has been a staple of the non-IkeSen Cybird games, but I really dislike the card system as it's integrated into the story mechanics. There's no benefit to the gacha. Oh look, it's .... a picture? There's no story involved, a la Tears of Themis, or anything other bonus content. I'd much rather stick with IkeSen's dress-up mechanic, at least dressing up avatars is a fun mini game. I am not tempted at all to spend real money to obtain so-so pictures that I can easily find on the internet if I really want them.

Ultimately, it's nice to have another otome that has grabbed my attention, and after playing a couple of the new event stories, I'm going to sit here and wait impatiently for Victor's route because I love him. But I'm certainly not going to be tempted to spend the kind of money I spent on IkeSen - which is good, I have a mortgage now, and I don't have the excuse of wallowing in my own grief + pandemic lack of leaving the house to excuse it, lol.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Woorrrrd Saladdd.

Okay, I finally finished reading all six of the past records chapters, and I'm just ready to marry Jude Jazza on the spot. I mean, I was before too, but now, I'm just - no words.

I killed my ALL my items and my wallet for this. I even went into half of Gilbert's funds for this, but I don't care. (Still, I'm going to have to figure out what to do about that....). Gilbert would kill Jude if he ever found out. Well, vice versa.

Anyways, I will be translating the remaining 5 chapters as quickly as possible for everyone, and then the CG ECB story, because that story takes place after the six chapters. I feel the flow is better. In case you were wondering.

My initial thoughts on this story: I think it confirmed one or two things I had an inkling about, but of course, it leaves you with more questions than anything. We do get to learn a few tidbits about Ellis and Jude as well. I definitely felt more connected to Jude and Ellis, but especially Jude (since I love him). I felt that the story conveyed loneliness and longing for something. I have my thoughts about what that is, but I won't share them for now.

I really came to appreciate just how different the two of them are in basically everything. Like, I always knew that they were night and day. It's not shocking, but it's nice to see the more personal side of their relationship, and how they react differently to everything.

SPOILERISH: For example, I had to re-read a part to make sure I read it correctly because Jude says that he doesn't kill without a reason, or a certain condition must be met, but Ellis is like: Nah, I'm game for anything. I just want to kill them quickly so they don't suffer. And then, that same Jude isn't against using the scum that he beats an inch within their life as human experiments, and Ellis is literally apologizing to them because he feels it's up to him to make Jude happy -LOL.

Bottom Line: Who's route is next to release?? We all thought it was Roger, and while he was mentioned in this story, the focus was definitely on Ellis and Jude. While I want Jude NOW, I'd be content with Ellis since it'll give me time to restock items and breathe life back into my wallet......maybe.

[shatcey]

Next week

So… Now that we have a release date of Ally's route I can start working on a summary of Harrison's "Dark IF". I'm very happy about it, I really like the story. It's going to take time, so I'll probably post it next Saturday.

Licht's sequel doesn't cease to please me with interesting and funny thoughts, so I will continue to post them at the same pace. I have already prepared posts for 4 days, but I didn't read the next chapter today, perhaps after that the week will be filled.

And I finally reached Elbert's 24ch in the JP's game. So… I can check if apples were mentioned there or not. It bothered me…

I have some jokes from Kicho's route, but Yves' sequel is now taking up all my attention. And I think doing more than 3 posts a day is too much. So… until I have time for Kicho, Moto and other great guys, they'll have to wait. Sorry, guys.

I'm kind of drowning in the plans and ideas that I have, and I'm starting to think that I need to finish with them first before I start reading something new. So… I'm thinking of postponing reading Jude's route. I'm not mad at him or anything. I passed this stage a long time ago. It's just really too much.

Ciele (@.judesmoonbeauty) will do the translation of this route, and I'm sure a lot of people will write a lot about it, so no one will lost anything because of my absence.

I hope I finally find time for Ally… My poor baby… I hate myself for neglecting him for so long. We've started the countdown, and I'd like to prepare something for this… If I have the time… Priorities, girl, you need to change your priorities…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[gwynpool]

it’s 2AM and i just finished Rule of Wolves (spoilers definitely up ahead)

first, to inform everyone, i read the spoilers when it got leaked in twitter cuz i can’t help myself. (it’s a sickness, i know) i think this is important since it definitely influenced my perspective upon reading the book. also, this is my first time being early in a party so yay me! going in ROW was easy for me because i started King of Scars the day before book 2’s actual release date so everything’s fresh.

secondly, this is really long so i’m sorry. i just have a lot of feelings and need to write it all down. on with the rant.

King of Scars was wonderful to me since it gave me my favorite Shadow and Bone character and the girl who i used to hate for being a mean girl but who I now admire with every ounce of my being. It also introduced a new ship that I am now obsessed with and is ruling besides my love for Jude&Cardan. Not to mention, it gave us Nina, whom though i’m not entirely a fan of due to all my love focusing on Kaz and Inej, allowed the connection between Shadow&Bone with SixofCrows.

Moving on, ROW was a ride and whirlwind of emotions. unfortunately, it wasn’t always the best kind.

I love the fantasy elements of it (tho it was a huge leap especially with the saints power thingy) and the politics because i am a sucker for scheming and stealing thrones.

the zoyalai teasing and angst was painful but in the best way since slowburn is what keeps me going.

nina finding comfort (and attraction, apparently) from hanne made my heart flutter because i haven’t gotten over matthias but this allowed a sort of closure and next chapter for our waffle-loving queen.

the promised wedding by leigh wasn’t what i expected but i’m not complaining since david&genya deserved nothing but happiness.

almost everything seems going well (aside from the fact that aleksander was ressurected apparently)and then everything crashes and burns and i just have to wonder why?

so the promised funeral alongside the wedding one, immediately comes after two? three? chapters as they were attacked during the afterparty of the wedding. and guess what? leigh killed the fcking groom.

the thing is i already knew he was going to die (with the spoilers and all) but i did not expect it to come immediately after the freaking wedding. not even halfway through the book!

being spoiled, i think, took most of the pain from the event but it doesn’t lessen the fact that it was completely unnecessary??? like though the characters grieved, nothing much was affected from his death? also, don’t talk to me about the character development for the survivors from this tragic event because there. was. absolutely. NONE.

and then we have the fricking darling ressurected. i love him in the first book of the grishaverse though i knew he was still a villain, don’t get me wrong. and my heart ached but was also relieved with his death in the third. he also inspired one of my all-time favorite fantasy villain(antihero?) in the form of Adelina Amouteru in the Young Elites series.

Ceased to be a Darklina fan and am now shipping Aleksander with Adelina because their power tho? like clings to like and they are both imbued with unfathomable darkness. somebody write fics please.

but bringing him back was what for exactly? leigh bardugo preached on how toxic the darkling character was and how we really shouldn’t like him in terms of agreeing with his ideals and yada yada. and yet she brings him back because apparently, he’s the only one paying her bills.

his conversation with alina tho had me expecting some darklina crumbs with fan service on the side since the stans were all raving about it on twitter *vomiting noises from toxicity* but i was surprised since it just further reminded us of how he truly is a villain in his very core and would do anything to get what he wants. so all in all it wasn’t entirely awful and it actually made me like Mal a bit. (never was a fan of him but that’s my issue, not the character’s)

setting aside the darkling issue a bit, the POV from Mayu was skippable. i mean obviously it still needs to be read for the Shu politics and the khergud existence but it just made me want to go to the next pov. Same goes for the “the monk’s” POV since you all know how i feel about him and the cult with it’s assembly and shit ended up also being unnecessary towards the end. honestly, i could do without the journey of the starless saint and his cult.

i truly enjoyed the fjerdan plot to my surprise and i like how nina kind of went through the last of us 2 circle of hate journey. it was definitely difficult knowing her pain and all that she went through and still choosing to be the better person. and yet, i can’t help but be more proud of her development. also, the supposed death of hanne got me going for a second and was actually ready to storm leigh’s home to fix her mistake. thank god it was plot twist. that’s all i have to say on the nina POV because i don’t wanna ruin my good feeling on this.

the crows cameo gave us a mini heist and it just made me miss reading their adventures. also the suli scene tugged at my heart.

imma skip zoya’s transformation but it utterly made me feel amazing and i have never been more glad that she’s kind of overpowered. she deserves it so fck all them haters. you can choke.

nikolai’s revelation and decision for the ravkan throne was not all that surprising, even without my knowledge of the spoilers. i honestly had a feeling that he was always his best self when he was strumhond and he only chose to fulfill the duties of the king because at that time, there was no other choice. so him giving up the throne to his beloved soldier, summoner and saint was a quite satisfying choice of route. there has been some others who would contest nikolai’s decision to step down as something unnecessary in the grand scheme of things but i would stand by my belief that nikolai made the best choice for ravka and for himself. not to say that i didn’t want to see both the queen and king side by side ruling but what are fanfictions for?

zoyalai is canon and endgame. finally. i can die now.

now the last two chapters was a toss up. for the first one was the darkling’s sacrifice. okay, so i was also spoiled by this from twitter but when i was reading the book, i keep expecting it to be brought up and it wasn’t. so i honestly thought that maybe that spoiler was a prank. lo and behold it was not and it wasn’t until the very last end. so the buildup was goddamn awful. the whole concept of the thorn wood and sort of atlas moment was just no. like you’re just springing this up now? when we’re supposed to be tying up loose ends but making sure it had history and buildup to well, back it up.

also leigh outright writing genya saying it was not a redemption for the darkling and him being unapologetic about his crimes (basically being a truly evil asshole) doesn’t remove the fact that it still comes off as a redemption arc especially with what is now the synopsis of SOC 3 but ill get to that. he still was the one who did a heroic deed and that fucks me up because it was just devastating to me after making peace with his end in ruin and rising. not because i was hurt that he died yet again boohoo but because it kind of invalidates everything that alina, genya, zoya and countless other victims went through.

on a side note, the darling stans on twitter who keeps defending his actions, i would really advise you to reflect on your decisions cuz it is honestly unhealthy. also, you lot talking smack about nikolai and zoya refusing to sacrifice their lives? stop twisting the story to suit your toxic admiration, nikolai was even first to offer up his life and would do so if it was actually possible. so just go hide in your darkling cocoon and stop hating on other characters to justify your favored aleksander.

the very last chapter aka coronation was good because it gave us inej ghafa cameo as captain of her ship and bonding with our resident privateer and also genya, alina and zoya bonding. but it was bad because apparently the darkling chronicles is still not over and now we’re supposed to grant him death like that’s going to make everything okay? i know forgiveness and breaking the circle of hate and revenge is a huge theme in this duology but honestly, this is just too extreme. with nina it was understandable and the people she hated were born of twisted mindset and circumstances but the darkling? hahahah no. he is a literal immortal who was delusional so now that he’s paying for his crimes, you want to allow him death because you have nightmares? zoya, goddamit no! same to you genya and alina. and so this will be the plot for the third six of crows? why can’t we just stop making this about him. now he gunna steal kaz’s thunder? over my dead body.

in the end, i gave this book 4 stars in goodreads because if i ignore the darkling plot, it was a really good use of politics and fantasy merging in a storyline. i can’t fault leigh for choosing to do this since it’s still her book so i definitely don’t have a right to dictate what i expected from this. also, i have a half a mind to believe that she fell in love with ben barnes and had him in mind writing this so i really cannot blame her because i have been under that man’s charms since prince caspian came out. the spoilers i read made me more open in reading this (backwards thinking but eh that’s how i roll) so i’m not at all crushed by what transpired. it was just weird and was lackluster in its attempt to give ravka some sort of peace. frankly, i just want to read the third six of crows book to maybe find some sort of calm in all this craziness and also delve in some zoyalai fanfiction because it was a long time coming.

shameless promotion but if you guys want to check out my nikolai duology spotify playlist, here’s the link:

[tabloidtoc]

Star, October 26

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Reba McEntire dating CSI: Miami star Rex Linn and finding love again at 65 

Page 1: Duchess Kate Middleton stopped by England’s University of Derby to discuss students’ mental health and how the pandemic has affected their education but during her visit those watching couldn’t help but notice Kate looked more youthful than ever because of a new shorter highlighted hairstyle 

Page 2: Contents -- Demi Lovato and pal Matthew Scott Montgomery were ready to be spooked at Nights of the Jack 

Page 3: Vanessa Paradis and her daughter Lily-Rose Depp at the Chanel show during Paris Fashion Week, Tom Cruise looked a little leery filming a difficult scene on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome, Cara Santana repped boyfriend Shannon Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars in a sweatshirt from the group’s apparel line 

Page 5: Chrissy Metz is so smitten with her new boyfriend Bradley Collins that she’s already talking marriage and babies with her Nashville-based beau and that has alarms ringing for some of her friends about why they kept their romance totally hidden until now and since Chrissy is all-or-nothing this is way too intense for some, fans of Law & Order: SVU rejoiced when it was announced that a spinoff was in the works that would star Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler and the new series called Organized Crime would feature Stabler leading a task force fighting NYC’s crime syndicates but the show has been rocked by behind-the-scenes drama as first showrunner Craig Gore was axed in June and now his replacement Matt Olmstead is also out leaving the future of the show in jeopardy, after a contentious season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp are out and mainstays Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards have proven they’re the alphas of the long-running Bravo show and now as producers are scrambling to fill out the cast one obvious contender is out of the running as Kathy Hilton has respectfully declined because her daughters Nicky Hilton Rothschild and Paris Hilton didn’t want her to do it because they felt it was a bad look for them and the family 

Page 6: Sofia Richie and Scott Disick have split but she seems to still be taking her beauty cues from her time with the Kardashian-adjacent dad of three because she has noticeably fuller lips where she had lip injections to both lips, Mariah Carey had nothing but nice things to say about Derek Jeter in her new memoir calling their relationship sensual and credits him with helping her see the value of her biracial background but Derek isn’t happy about it and he’s fed up and feels Mariah is taking advantage of him to publicize her book and it doesn’t help that Derek’s friends have been teasing him about the sexy details because he hates being made fun of; his ego can’t handle his friends ribbing him, Star Spots the Stars -- Christina Aguilera, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Travis Scott, Teddi Mellencamp, Rev Run and his wife Justine Simmons, Lindsay Arnold 

Page 8: Star Shots -- Anne Heche headed for rehearsal on Dancing with the Stars, Christina Milian and her daughter Violet, Gavin Rossdale at the beach in Malibu with his dog and a mystery woman 

Page 9: Liev Schreiber plays basketball with his son Sasha in NYC 

Page 10: Bachelor alum Catherine Lowe and her son Samuel, Reese Witherspoon jumping rope, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’ Tracy Tutor playing Monopoly at home 

Page 12: Johnny Weir leaving Dancing with the Stars rehearsals, Brie Larson and boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz on a grocery run, Alessandra Ambrosio on her way to dinner in West Hollywood 

Page 13: Selena Gomez shows her kidney transplant scar, Julia Garner filming scenes for Inventing Anna in New York City 

Page 14: Chrishell Stause heading into rehearsals for Dancing with the Stars, Johnny Depp waved to fans outside the ZFF Masters during the 16th Zurich Film Festival where he promoted Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGown, Patrick Schwarzenegger stepped out with a script in West Hollywood 

Page 15: Silver fox Jon Bon Jovi struck a pose while promoting his new album 2020 in NYC, Shia LaBeouf went for a jog in Pasadena on the same day he was charged with misdemeanor battery and petty theft following an incident that happened in June, Maisie Williams at the Chloe fashion show in Paris 

Page 16: Gwen Stefani stepped out of the studio in Woodland Hills, Chiwetel Ejiofor referred to his phone while reciting poetry on the set of the upcoming pandemic-themed dramedy Lockdown in London, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler celebrated his 69th birthday at a meal with friends in Rome 

Page 17: Sofia Vergara out in L.A., Denise Richards and husband Aaron Phypers looked carefree leaving a restaurant in L.A., Danny Trejo hung out with an adorable pooch during an appearance on Home & Family 

Page 18: Normal or Not? Machine Gun Kelly shared a glimpse of his beauty routine en route to his new cafe in Cleveland -- not normal, Eva Longoria wore a Vote t-shirt and a Biden mask during a political rally in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood -- normal

Page 19: Snoop Dogg inhaled and exhaled during his DJ Snoopadelic set at the Concerts in Your Car event at the Ventura County Fairgrounds -- normal, while grabbing a meal in Los Angeles with a bevy of beauties Billie Dee Williams enjoyed a quick grooming session too -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars get glitzy in gold -- Olivia Wilde, Leona Lewis 

Page 21: Karen Gillan, Kate Beckinsale 

Page 24: Emilio Vitolo Jr. appears to be every inch the doting boyfriend to Katie Holmes but he’s playing the field behind her back -- Emilio’s a ladies’ guy and he’s been texting a bunch of girls saying things between him and Katie aren’t nearly as serious as they seem while Katie thinks she’s in love and it’s no exaggeration to say she’s obsessed with this guy and she’s adamant they’ll elope and in her mind they’re two kindred souls destined to be together 

Page 25: Beyonce and Jay-Z are hoping to add on to their already impressive real estate portfolio as they are quietly checking out homes in Montecito in California for their family of five -- although they already own a $26 million home in New York’s tony Hamptons as well as an $88 million Bel-Air mansion the couple are hoping to put down roots in the American Riviera so their children can attend the area’s prestigious schools and Beyonce especially likes that it’s not far from L.A. and it’s clean and super private, after two years of dating Jake Gyllenhaal and Jeanne Cadieu are at odds about their future and Jake’s frustrated because the relationship is going nowhere and he’s eager to start a family but the 24-year-old model isn’t ready to put her career on hold and take that next step leaving Jake in limbo -- his most successful relationships were with women his own age with the same maturity and ambition like Reese Witherspoon and Kirsten Dunst -- while Jake remains conflicted about whether to stick it out with Jeanne or start over with someone new his friends say it’s time to move on and find someone who’s baby mama material, Jon Hamm has been considering settling down since he began dating Anna Osceolo because something about Anna is making him rethink everything from the guy who never pictured himself walking down the aisle or having children but now he and Anna are talking about marriage and a family 

Page 26: Cover Story -- Reba McEntire finding love at last -- after a string of broken hearts the country superstar has finally snagged Mr. Right actor Rex Linn  

Page 30: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s courtroom showdown -- four years after their split Brad and Angie are still duking it out over custody and now they’re prepared to bring star power to the battle -- Brad will be using every scrap of ammunition he can to fight for his kids including testimony from fellow stars and Angelina is prepared to do the same 

Page 32: Five-time rehab vet Scott Disick is caught partying in front of his kids 

Page 34: Stars’ Cheating Confessions -- sometimes all you can do is beg for forgiveness; these celebs have all had to plead their case -- Jude Law and Sienna Miller, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish 

Page 35: Donny and Debbie Osmond, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, David Letterman and Regina Lasko, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling 

Page 38: Beauty -- add a sophisticated scent blend to your fragrance wardrobe for fall -- Kim Kardashian 

Page 40: Entertainment 

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky partnered with the Global Wildlife Conservation and Wild Ark to boost the ecosystem of their beloved Australia -- the pair helped Aussie Ark release 11 Tasmanian devils into a wildlife sanctuary at Barrington Tops National Park -- the hush-hush event marked the first time the endangered marsupials whose presence can help repel pests and bush fired were returned to the mainland in 3000 years

[marauders--mischief]

Summer Revelations Part 2

Request:  omg!! summer revelations part two? i need more sirius fluff i’m sorry 🙁

Pairing: Sirius x Reader

Word Count: 2002

Warnings: None, just fluff

A/N: My Beatles obsession may be evident in this fic but oh well. I couldn’t choose between the two gifs, so enjoy them both :) Also this one is just kind of a ‘what happened after’ thing, so there’s not much plot. Let me know if you liked it :)

Previous Parts: Part 1

****

The rest of the week past too quickly for yours and Sirius’ liking. You couldn’t make up for lost time, only managing to share desperate kisses. It was strange at first; transferring from the close friendship you had into an official relationship. Sometimes, the thought alone became too much to handle, because you were dating Sirius Black, and nothing could wipe the goofy smile off of your face. But, your five days were nearly up, and Sirius had already packed, ready to go to the Potter’s. Now, you were both laid on your bed, your back pressed against his stomach while he traced shapes into the side of your arm. Neither of you wanted your time together to end.

“You will write to me, won’t you?��� You asked, turning your head to look at him. Since his confession to you, you had rarely missed an opportunity to admire his features because of the simple fact that now you could.

“I’ll see if I can find the time,” he replied cheekily.  

“Oh, ha ha,” your sarcastic tone not going unnoticed by Sirius. “Honestly Black, you should be a comedian.” You fling the covers off of you whilst you search through a cabinet in the corner of your room, leaving Sirius in the bed alone.  

His eyebrows furrow slightly at your sudden decision to get up, but he disregards it, more intrigued in what you said. “Oh yeah? What’s one of them?”  Sirius noticed you were distracted with finding whatever you were looking for so he gave a little cough to get your attention.  

“Oh sorry. Erm, it’s pretty much a job where you tell jokes. If you’re good at it, then- AHA!” You exclaimed, jumping up and holding up a blank vinyl sleeve. “I found it!”

He looks at you in confusion. “Found what exactly?”

“You’ll see,” you smirked.

You carefully place the vinyl onto the record player and lower the needle. Soon enough, the static sounds stop and song starts. Climbing back into the bed with him, you see that the puzzled look on his face was replaced by one of fascination. You had to smile at that. “What, you’ve never seen a record player before?”

“No, I have. I’ve just never heard this song before.”

“Oh. It’s ‘Eight Days a Week’ by the Beatles. They’re a muggle band, probably why you’ve never heard of them.”  

“I love it,” he beamed. He suddenly lifted himself out of bed and offered his hand out to you, bowing slightly. “Care to dance, sweetheart?”

Giggling, you take his hand as he pulls you up. “Certainly, sir,” putting on your best posh voice as a playful smile tugged at his lips.  

At first, the two of you just circle around the room, his hands resting on the small of your back, and yours wrapped loosely around his neck, not caring if you weren’t following the rhythm of the song. But then he began to get more playful, spinning and twirling you around. When the song ended, you were both laughing at each other in adoration, happy that you could be with someone who you could still have fun with. Unfortunately, the effects of dizziness soon took over your body, so you had to sit down in order to stay balanced.

Sirius sits down next to you, still laughing slightly. “You have got to send me some of those.”

“I’ll send a new one with every letter I get.” You coyly smile at him, though he caught on to your thoughts.

“Well, you were reason enough, but now you and Beatles albums? Darling, I’ll be writing to you every hour.” And if that wasn’t enough to make you swoon, he goddamn winks at you.  

Merlin, the rest of these holidays were going to drag.

The first letter you got from Sirius was short. He let you know he got the Potter’s safely, and how unused to he was to their kind attitude towards him. He mentioned that James had already decorated his entire room for him with Gryffindor colours and images of you and the rest of the Marauders. Happy he had finally found people he could really call his family, you make your way over to your cabinet where you kept your vinyl records. As promised, with every letter you received from Sirius, you would send a Beatles song, this time choosing 'Kansas City’. You mutter a quick charm to prevent it from scratching and write a quick note to him saying how you hoped he was enjoying it there. You attach them both to the owl’s leg and watch as it flies off into the distance.

It had been three days since you had sent Sirius your reply, and though you had spent almost all your time looking hopefully out of the window, you still jumped in shock when an owl flew into the kitchen, carrying a rather large looking piece of parchment. You rush over to the owl, stroking its feathers once before going to retrieve the letter.

You carelessly tear open the envelope and read the letter.

Y/N,  

Just so you know, I will not be returning any of the songs you send me because I enjoy them too much. (Kidding – but please let me keep them for just a while longer).  

I love it here. Mainly because Euphemia makes me my favourite meal everyday but also because she’s just generally amazing. Yesterday I told her that I wished I was her real son and she told me to stop being silly, because she considered as much as a part of the family as James is.

It’s been weird not seeing you. I guess I got used to seeing your face whenever I woke up. When I listen to the songs I just imagine we’re dancing again.  

James says hi. - He said other things as well but I’m not going to repeat them.  

Miss you,  

Sirius.

You hurriedly write a reply and find a new record to send him. Eventually you settle on 'I Saw Her Standing There’, and once again, you were left to wait for his reply.  

So far, you had sent three more records for each letter Sirius wrote to you. There was no pressure on either of you to respond right away, you both knew that you would be seeing each other when Hogwarts started again. You didn’t really have any plans for this Summer, (Lily was in Italy and Remus said he was too busy studying for his N.E.W.T’s), so to say the knock on your door was unexpected would’ve been an understatement.  

You prepared yourself to talk to muggles but instead you were confronted with Sirius, wearing an ear-splitting grin.

“Miss me, Y/N/N?”

You run to him, his large arms enveloping you in a tight hug. “What in the world are you doing here?” You ask in disbelief.

He releases you and bends down to pick up a basket. He holds it up, showing it to you. “Picnic?”

You giggle, still looking at him in bewilderment before giving him a short kiss on his cheek. He tried to suppress his laughter at the fact you had to stand on your tiptoes to reach him. “Let me grab something.”

When you go back downstairs, you hear Sirius humming 'Hey Jude’ to himself, not aware you had returned. You walk past him and ruffle his hair, loving how soft it felt in your hands. He jolted slightly at your sudden appearance but smiled when you called back at him. “Are you accompanying me on this picnic, or are you just going to stand there and look hum the Beatles?”

He shakes his head at your comment, but catches up to you anyway. “You don’t even know where we’re going anyway.” He says smugly, halting you in your tracks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I found a good spot, so you need to be accompanying me, sweetheart.”

Sirius led you through woods, and winding paths until you came to a secluded lake, a large grass bank surrounding it. “Found it on my way to the portkey to James’.” He looks at you anxiously. “So, what do you think?”

You try to wipe the look of complete awe off of your face, though unsuccessfully. “I think it’s perfect,” you whisper. “Thank you, Pads.”

You had to give credit to Sirius; the food he brought tasted amazing. The freezing charm he placed in one of the compartments even allowed you to enjoy eating ice-cream. Well, you say eating. Really you mean Sirius tackling you to the ground and attempting to wipe some on your nose. You talked about his previous weeks with the Potters in more detail, learning that James had bought Quidditch tickets for them both for the following week. When you had eaten as much as you could, you found a spot of shade beside the lake. Grabbing your bag, you rummage through it.  

“What are you looking for?”

You answer him by pulling out a book, its spine bent and broken, and holding it out to him. “It’s what I went back for. I was going to read it to you if you wanted?”

He nods eagerly, and allows you to rest your body against his stomach. You manage to read through four chapters before you become too tired to continue.  

Eventually, after half an hour of just lying next to one another, you both decided to head back when the heat from the sun became too much, both of you becoming exhausted from the sweltering heat.

The walk back didn’t seem to take as long, probably, you thought, because Sirius had taken you the scenic route to get there.

As you were walking through the village shops near your home, one of the items in one of the shop windows caught your eyes, suddenly sparking your interest. “I’ll be right back!” You shout.  

A few minutes later, you come out of the shop carrying a small bag. “What did you buy?” He asks.

“Oh, just food,” brushing off his question. But something about the mischievous glint in your eyes told him you weren’t being entirely truthful.

Sure enough, when you both got back to your house, you had quickly disappeared out of sight, leaving Sirius alone in the garden.

He doesn’t see or hear you approaching, but instead is alerted by your presence by cold water splashing on his back. He swiftly turns around to see you curling over yourself with laughter.  

“'Just food’, huh?”  

“Hey, water balloons are the best way to cool down. They’re right here if you want 'em,” you remarked.

“Well, I’m definitely in no position to refuse that offer.” He comes over to the bucket where you had placed all the full water balloons and grabbed a few. He throws one which hits your shoulder, and instead of shivering at the cold water, you welcome it as it makes the heat more endurable.  

You and Sirius continue the water fight for a few minutes, but the balloons quickly run out. You were both soaking, hair dripping and clothes tightly attached to your bodies. Various different colours littered the grass and the two of you were laughing at each other. You were determined to win, so you slyly go to get the bucket which had a small amount of water remaining at the bottom. When he turns completely away from you, you run up behind him and throw it. You knew you only had a few seconds to run away before he would try and grab you, but he was too fast.  You both fell to the ground, his arms pinning you beneath him. The water from his face falls onto your face, and he leans in, sweetly kissing you.  

When his lips finally detach from yours, you look up at him. “Love you too, Sirius.”

And even though you knew this summer hadn’t even ended yet, you couldn’t wait until next year.

[wakraya]

Hiveswap Review & Thoughts

I am going to try to keep this as Spoiler-Free as possible, but you can’t quite write a review without saying a few things, can you? Make sure you’ve finished Hiveswap if you do not want to get lightly spoilered!

1- Game Length: It took me 4 hours to finish, and even then I was kind of rushing the ending because I had to go to sleep soon and didn’t want to wait until the next day to actually finish the game! I also finished reading up to the end of Act 6 Act 3 in Homestuck in a week, so I’m a fairly speedy reader. I would say someone struggling a bit more with the Puzzles and taking their time to explore more of the world as they go, and specially someone talking while livestreaming this and such would spend a fair bit more going around. It was short-ish, but it was the first Act of 3 more to come, and served as more of an introduction. It’s good when a game leaves you wanting for more, it means it’s done its job and you feel it’s good. No complaints here, just as advertised, and, I am definitely going to go through it more times to catch little things I didn’t get and get alt-dialog.

2- Gameplay: Simple Point-And-Click, but with a few interesting things and a few wonky things. I may talk like Hiveswap is flawless, but while I loved it, there’s some things that could be improved upon. One of these is the scrolling, if you’re at the edge of the screen you’ll have to kind of click a few times to get the screen to move, since Joey will chase the edge and not let the camera properly settle. Still, it���s nothing major., but just a nitpick. Trying to interact with everything is fun and also functional! Sometimes a wrong solution to a puzzle will give you a hint to what you ACTUALLY need to be doing, which means trying everything with everything can be actually beneficial if you’re stuck! The Combat is simple but I like it, you and the monsters take turns to fight each other, doing actions that make it more akin to a puzzle of ‘how to get through here’ than a combat system. I didn’t die at any point, but judging by the previews, it’d seem choosing the wrong moves too many times will result in Joey getting defeated, which is nice to know it’s not all just rigged to let you win. On that vein, though, some of the Puzzles were quite simple, but I’ll let it slide because it’s just the beginning, and there were some more difficult headscratchers. Also, you can hoard quite a few things in the game, I wonder how will items you pick up earlier on come into play in other Acts?

3- Writing: Spot on, very Homestuck-y. The humor is great and there was a bunch of dialog and description text that made me laugh out loud or left me feeling very, very sorry for some character in particular. Lore-wise, we got a little bit of exposition on Troll Culture that I found quite fascinating, as well as some lore from Earth. But most importantly, it made me care about Joey, Jude and Xefros, and it definitely made me want more of the game, so that’s good! For newcomers to Homestuck itself, there’s a lot of references that may go over their head, but they would not be any more confused about it than Homestuck readers getting to Act 5 and being introduced to all that Troll Exposition. Talking about Moirailship, and the weird words Trolls use for some things might take a bit to get used to, but if you like intricate words for stupid things, it’s very much enjoyable.

4- Graphics: The style is absolutely gorgeous, the game’s movement and Joey’s animations are lovely and expressive, the cutscenes made out of stills are lovely as well, and the ones that are actually animated are badass and I love them all. It’s as Cohen said. “We didn’t think the 3D felt like Homestuck. The Concept Art, the Sketches. Those felt like Homestuck.” And so they did. They took the concept art and refined it into beautiful backgrounds to go with the characters. Everything looked great, and every animation was great. The least animated thing I feel was Xefros’ Lusus- Which, given it’s a Sloth and suuuuuper slow? Made me actually crack up. Like. “Oh my god, it’s so slow even his animation has less frames.”

5- Music: Gorgeous, it was very ambiental and set the mood, whether it was exploring a house, whimsical Troll Weirdness, accompanying a Cutscene or a more tense moment, it fit the game. Leimotifs are already strong in this one and I even heard a few references to Homestuck music! So I am very happy with the work James and Toby put on this, and I’m gonna listen the SHIT out of the Soundtrack.

6- Bugs: Here’s where it gets a little bit complicated. The first bug I had was at the Intro Screen, when I realised the resolution was fucked. There was some issue with clicking and getting dialog again instead of the dialog option shutting entirely- But this problem was fixed entirely by reinstalling. I don’t know if it was an issue of the game or the download, but reinstalling fixed that and didn’t bother me at all for the rest of the game. Other than that? The very first transition from one side to the other of Joey’s room freezes the game momentarily for some reason, and takes a little bit longer to load the background when you look outside of Joey’s window. It obviously has to do something with fetching the resources in time, but I have no idea why it’d happen. Other than that, I went through the game with absolutely no issues, until a minor cutscene didn’t want to play. Thankfully it wasn’t anything important, but it still bummed me out a little bit. This, however, seems to be extremely subjective to your PC and Operative System! A friend played through without a single hiccup. Another said their copy was a bit of a mess, and I recommended they uninstall it. A discussion on the page said some got a little white screen on the basement, where I had no issues, others said the intro cutscene froze much like the one that didn’t play for me. Given the disparity, I feel it has something to do with PC specs or something weird with the download, but still I am hoping they will address these very soon when they have enough information about what causes the errors. Ah, the first few days after a release before they patch things up. :^)

Overall, my experience was very positive! I like Hussies’ writing, and Cohen definitely captured his brand of humor. There was sad exposition, there was fun exposition, there was a little bit of character development as well and it’s only Act 1! Also Cohen mentioned he wanted to do a lot of character interactions in Act 2- And given they said your choices affect the game, I am expecting it to be significantly bigger than Act 1, merely based on the fact you’ll spend a loooot of time chatting with other Trolls! If Hiveswap goes the Homestuck route, maybe each Act gets exponentially larger. Wouldn’t that be a thing?

If you’re having biiiig issues with the game, please try re-installing the game! And if that isn’t working, either hope they patch things up quickly, or if you’re able to, try installing it on a different computer with a different OS!

I personally think the 5-year wait was worth it. There were some little misshaps here and there, but it was well polished, looked gorgeous, and was fun to play. At no point did I feel it dragged on, and it left me wanting more out of the game without feeling short or rushed. For people picking it up not knowing about Homestuck or the 5-year wait, they can experience something great without having any expectations, and if they really like the writing, Homestuck is out there to read in its entirety, so I feel it’s a very good entry-level thing for the Fandom as a whole!

Overall, I would give it a 8.5 out of 10. I would’ve given it a 9 if there hadn’t been a few bugs that bothered some of my friends, but everything else was solid, well put together and a lot of fun. I have a lot more thoughts and theories I’ll share on a different post, and I’m not even close to done with this thing, I’ve gotta replay it a few more times and there’s 3 entire Acts AND a sibling game coming at one point so.

Who knows, maybe that 8.5 can get even higher by the time everything is released.

Also I’m putting my money on Act 2 being released somewhere in January, to perpetuate the ‘Hiveswap January’ meme.

[politicoscope]

Indeed, Robert Mueller's Probe Of Russian Interference In 2016 Election Offers No Comfort For American Political Divide

New Post has been published on https://www.politicoscope.com/indeed-robert-muellers-probe-of-russian-interference-in-2016-election-offers-no-comfort-for-american-political-divide/

Indeed, Robert Mueller's Probe Of Russian Interference In 2016 Election Offers No Comfort For American Political Divide

The first glimpse into the special counsel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election did little to mend a gaping American political divide.

The four-page summary of Robert Mueller’s probe released by Attorney General William Barr didn’t satisfy many who wanted more details. But in a bitterly divided country, the little bit that was known stirred cheers from many Republicans and scoffs from many Democrats.

“The one side that’s happy is happy. And the other side that’s not happy wants to do some more investigation or do something else,” said Stephen Turner, an electrical engineer from Belmont, North Carolina, who is Republican and voted for Trump. “I wish it’d just go away.”

Across the union, the split reaction to the Mueller news repeated.

In West Palm Beach, Florida, along the route Trump’s motorcade took before returning to Washington on Air Force One, Mary Jude Smith got a wave and a smile from the chief executive. The 71-year-old retiree from Hypoluxo, Florida, speaks about him with passion, and insists he has been exonerated. She sees the investigation as Democrats’ pathetic attempt to impeach Trump.

“I think Mueller was a crook. He wasted millions of our tax dollars for nothing,” she said, before offering her assessment of Trump: “He’s as clean as the driven snow.”

In blue-state New York, 49-year-old filmmaker Dan Lee of Brooklyn Heights felt let down by Mueller and left with more questions than answers.

“It stings a little, because I trusted Mueller,” said Lee, a Democrat. “There are still so many questions and it seems inconceivable that obstruction isn’t one of the conclusions.”

In red-state West Virginia, 44-year-old truck driver Michael Tucker of Bancroft, declared the Russian investigation “a joke, for the most part” and that Trump has been treated unfairly.

“It’s one witch hunt after another,” said Tucker, who gave his vote to Trump in 2016 and likely will again next year. “If they could have found anything, they would have.”

There were morsels in Barr’s letter both sides could savor. For Republicans, it was acknowledgement that there was no evidence Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia. For Democrats, it was the admission that while Trump wasn’t charged with obstruction, he also wasn’t exonerated.

Trump supporter Richard C. Osburn, 52, a nurse from South Charleston, West Virginia, said Mueller’s findings were proof the president was “drug through the mud.” He knows Democrats are “hell-bent” on destroying Trump, but says it’s time for the president to be given a break.

“The things that the man’s doing to try to help the average worker in this country never gets recognized by the mainstream media,” said Osburn, a longtime Republican. “They would rather hate, hate, hate than recognize accomplishments. Those days have got to stop.”

In Los Angeles, 57-year-old accountant Sue Arani, checked news on her phone as she took her dog for an afternoon walk Sunday. She calls herself a Republican-leaning voter, though she gave her support to Clinton in 2016. She trusts Mueller, but even with Barr’s release, she thinks there was collusion between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government.

“The public needs to see the report,” she said, “especially before the next election.”

Claire Finkelstein, a University of Pennsylvania professor who founded the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, said if the full report isn’t made available to the public and its contents become known only through leaks and back channels, it would be damaging to faith in the government.

“Secrets are where conspiracy theories fester and grow,” Finkelstein said. “The only way that we are going to be able to move past this state of affairs is by as much coming out into the light as possible. Let’s flesh out the facts, let’s get them on the table and have a robust conversation.”

What seemed certain was there would be no end to the debate over Trump, Mueller’s investigation, and the political divide across the U.S.

In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 74-year-old Richard Howell, a supporter of the president, said news of the Mueller report proves what critics of the investigation have been saying all along.

“So we spent two years and millions of dollars,” he said, “worrying about nothing.”

In Gaston County, North Carolina, Trump voters outnumbered Clinton backers nearly two-to-one in 2016, but Joy Owens didn’t budge from her opposition. She believes Mueller has done a good job with the investigation but she’s left feeling unfulfilled.

“I keep hoping that if we just be patient, we be patient for a little bit longer, that there will be justice,” said Owens, 66, who recently retired from running a yarn shop and framing business. “I cannot believe of all the other convictions that are happening about this that Trump is going to be scot-free on this.”

AP

[kibby-reaper]

elbie is... a frail victorian child

- mod kibby

[asfeedin]

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books For Your Reading List | April 2020

23 Apr 2020

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books For Your Reading List | April 2020

Looking to add some fantastic new adventures to your reading list? You won’t want to miss our recommendations for new Sci-Fi and Fantasy books! Check out the latest by bestselling authors Eileen Mueller, Ryan W. Aslesen, Jeffrey L. Kohanek, Jude Austin, Shannon Mayer, and John Scalzi. Happy reading!

Riders of Fire Books 1-3

by Eileen Mueller

Release Date: April 16, 2020

A collection of the first three books in the Riders of Fire series by bestselling author Eileen Mueller… Ezaara is swept into a world she never dreamed of when she imprints with a dragon queen. Her new world is full of dragons, treachery, intrigue, and danger. As the Queen’s Rider, she must lead her people as Commander Zens and his army rampage across Dragon’s Realm. She must stop them from killing and enslaving innocents. But who can she trust when political intrigue puts her life in danger?

Buy on Amazon

War’s Edge: Dead Heroes

by Ryan W. Aslesen

Release Date: April 1, 2020

“War’s Edge puts the military back into military science fiction, in what is destined to be considered a classic along the lines of Starship Troopers, Dune, and The Forever War.” In the 35th Century, mankind has colonized the vast reaches of space. Yet war remains constant as galactic governments and interstellar corporations fight for control of resource-rich planets and lucrative trade routes. In a desperate attempt to escape his current life, Mark Rizer enlists in the United States Alliance defense forces. A decision that will take him across the galaxy.

Buy on Amazon

Fate of Wizardoms Boxed Set

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

Release Date: April 7, 2020

This collection includes the first three books in the Fate of Wizardoms series by Jeffrey L. Kohanek… The boxed set includes Eye of Obscurance, Balance of Magic, and Temple of Oracle. It is a rebirth of classic epic fantasy and perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, and Wheel of Time.

Buy on Amazon

Homecoming

by Jude Austin

Release Date: March 28, 2020

The second book in the Projects series by Jude Austin… After escaping imprisonment in the laboratory of GenTech, former college student Kalin Taylor, aka Kata, just wants to go back to his homeworld of Trandella with his friend Tau. He just wants to forget what happened. Too bad life had other plans. Everyone who meets him, including his own rulers, see him as a weapon to be turned on his enemies.

Buy on Amazon

Midlife Fairy Hunter

by Shannon Mayer

Release Date: April 23, 2020

The second book in The Forty Proof Series by USA Today Bestselling Author Shannon Mayer… Moving back to Savannah changed my life. I got a new job, new friends, and I was far from my ex-husband as possible. But I didn’t count on the Shadow World intensifying its hold on my life. I wasn’t surprised when a new job lands in my lap watching over a fairy ring.

Buy on Amazon

The Last Emperox

by John Scalzi

Release Date: April 14, 2020

The third and final book in The Interdependency series by New York Times Bestselling Author John Scalzi… The collapse of the interstellar pathway known as The Flow has accelerated. Entire star systems and billions of people are being cut off from the rest of human civilization. This was all foretold through scientific prediction but many still try to rationalize these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.

Buy on Amazon

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[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 7/29/2018

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Sunday 29th July 2018. Remember you can read full articles by purchasing Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS), via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS).

CHILD ADVOCATE WANTS EXPELLED STUDENTS REINSTATED –Child advocate Shelly Ross is fighting to have two boys who were involved in a disturbance at the St Leonard’s Boys’ Secondary School reinstated. Ross said she had written new Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw, outlining that the boys were only 15 years old and had not been to school since the incident in February. “This is wrong; this is illegal; they have been criminalised and are being denied an education. They have just been turned out on the streets,” Ross charged. She added that a 16 year-old boy “who had instigated the fight and who was the aggressor” was back at the Richmond Gap, St Michael school shortly after the incident. “Why not these too?” she asked. (SS)

MINISTER REDEFINES SILVER HILL BLOCK – The 12 Guage block in Silver Hill, Christ Church, will now be known as the 12 Step block. So said Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment Adrian Forde who spoke to the media during a tour of the Silver Hill community and the launch of his Building Block project. “There are 12 steps of redefining and redeveloping this block, and they have started the first step today by being here and putting their creative thoughts and actions [together], that we are going into this ministry to initiate,” he said. He added the project would encompass the length and breadth of Barbados and would continue over the next couple of months. “The blocks must become business centres, and areas of excellence; they must become idyllic in their nature and refine the community as a spot to go and have a Sunday lunch. “We are going to do a total beautification of the societies. We understand the scourge of violence, and the only way we can tackle it is if we have the country behind us,” he explained. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley also toured the block near Quimby’s Shop, Bush Hall Yard Gap, St Michael, as part of the Building Blocks Project.  (SS)

POLICE IDENTIFY ROAD FATALITY VICTIM – Police have released the identity of the woman who died this afternoon in a road accident on the Adams section of the ABC Highway. She is 23-year-old Tiara Clarke, of Black Rock, St Michael. The deceased was a passenger of a vehicle driven by a 32-year-old female, of Gall Hill, Christ Church. Police Public Relations Officer Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss said Clarke died on the spot while the driver was taken to hospital. The motorcar was extensively damaged. Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this accident to contact the District ‘B’ Police Station at 437 4311, police emergency at 211 or any police station. (BT)

ONE MAN DEAD; TWO INJURED FOLLOWING ST LUCY SHOOTING – July 28, 2018 One man is dead and two others were injured in a shooting incident that occurred at Hope Road, St Lucy, around 7:10p.m. Police spokesman Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss said the deceased died on the spot. The other two men – one was injured in his lower spine and right shoulder while the other received an injury to his left foot. As investigations continue into this incident, lawmen are appealing to anyone with information to contact the Crab Hill Police station at 310 7700; the Criminal Investigations Department at 430-7189; Police Emergency at 211; or any police station. (BT)

STEWART WANTS POLICE, SOLDIERS FOR FOREDAY AND KADOOMENT – With Crop Over 2018’s two largest events left on the calendar over the next week, a heavy presence of armed Barbados Defence Force (BDF) personnel is required to prevent an outbreak of the violence which almost crippled the Republic Bank Kadooment Day celebrations a year ago. That’s the feeling of president of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM), Chetwin Stewart. According to Stewart, soldiers along every section of the routes on August 4 (Foreday Morning) and August 6 (Kadooment Day) would go a long way in preventing what occurred last year. Thousands were sent scampering for cover just after 6:30 p.m. along Spring Garden last year, when one man was killed and six people suffered gunshot wounds during a brazen shoot-out as revellers partied in the dark near the end of the festival’s climax. Stewart said thousands of Barbadians were staying away from jumping in the Barbados Light & Power/HOTT 95.3 Foreday Morning Jam and on Kadooment Day in 2018, after the gun-toting thugs took their ammo to Spring Garden last year.  (SS)

QUEUED UP FOR BATTLE – Expect the finals of the Courtesy/Mount Gay Pic-O-De-Crop competition to be a close one with ten seasoned calypsonians on stage. The show which is slated for August 3 is not one to miss. The ten finalists drew their positions Wednesday night at the Courtesy Garage Wildey headquarters with ACstarting the show, followed by Billboard, Chrystal Cummins-Beckles, Smokey Burke, Mr Blood, Donella, iWeb, Kid Site, Structure and Jude Clarke. Although Paul Billboard Murrell pulled the second slot, he was excited to make it to the finals for the first time. Known for the controversial social commentary Sex Change which has made waves during the season, Billboardtold Barbados TODAY “I’m going to give it my best”. Meanwhile, Jude Clarke who will be the last competitor was completely shocked by his selection. “I came here with a particular number in mind so when I pulled the position I was surprised. I got here hoping that four would have been the number, but apparently it isn’t and I’m accepting it,” explained Clarke. One of the two females in the finals, Crystal Cummins-Beckles said she was happy with third place and she will be bringing her best on finals night. “I am looking to do what Crystal does best and that is to go out there and put on a show for the people, enjoy myself, meet the criteria and do my best,” said Cummins-Beckles who has made it to the Pic-O-De-Crop finals for the ninth time. During the function, Minister of Culture, Creative Economy and Sports John King disclosed that the competitors will be receiving a performance fee of $2, 000. He also revealed that in 2019, calypsonians will be able to record their music through the Cultural Industries Development Agency. “There will no excuses of people saying they haven’t heard the songs. It will depend solely on the tent managers and the calypsonians to get the material ready to suit from May 1,” revealed the Minister. Minister King argued that the social commentary being produced was of the highest quality. However, the calypso monarch competition had taken a dive in popularity and the combined efforts of the private sector, artistes and Government were needed for its revival. “Pic-O-De-Crop needs to go back to being the premiere competition not only in Barbados but across the Caribbean,” said King, adding that this would be possible through initiatives such as the CIDA. The Minister of Creative of Economy suggested that big plans were in the works for 2019, saying “I expect we will develop a new culture, a culture of excellence in everything that we do, a culture of productivity, a culture of being able to give praise where praise is due especially to our own”. Events Producer for the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Aja also encouraged the ten finalists  who will be vying to dethrone iWeb for the 2019/2019 Nissan X-Trail compliments Courtesy Garage, to be the beacons for the future of kaiso in Barbados and the Caribbean. “We have seen a sort of waning in Pic-O-De-Crop over the years, [in] social commentary,” he mentioned, adding ”Our calypso is holding the fort for the survival of social commentary not only in Barbados but in the entire Caribbean”.   (BT)

NEW MONARCH AT BARBADOS PORT – Over the next year, Jacque Jackson Unplugged Collis will reign supreme as the 2018 Barbados Port Inc.’s calypso monarch. Delivering a solid and convincing performance of her social commentary Dey Had To Go to a large audience, she gained 98 points to cement her victory and beat out seven other contestants to claim the title, a trophy, a $3 000 cash prize, dinner for two, and tickets for the Pic-O-De-Crop finals. She also received a strand of pearls compliment Colombian Emerald’s for the highest ranking female contestant. Jackson Unplugged dethroned last year’s monarch Roger Aleph Collymore who came third with 74 points and another former monarch Latoya Big Brown Eversley who came second with 92 points during the ninth edition of the show held last night in Shed Three at the Bridgetown Port. The winning song, which was penned by Cultural Ambassador Gabby with input from her, reflected the outcome of the May 24 general elections, because the “DLP had we in misery”. In it, she cautioned the other contenders that because it was “a Port competition”, it did not mean it should not be taken seriously. Furthermore, she urged staff to face the fact that country was broke and everyone had to help improve it. Big Brown’s love for Crop Over and party music was evident from the time she came on stage. A former monarch, she brought energy to her performance that placed in her major contention of the title. Not only did she sing well as she paid tribute to the national festival, but along with her two female dancers and stiltman, she brought Wuk Wuk Wine to life in the self-penned song which Gabby assisted her with. She received a $2 000 cash prize. Aleph defended his crown like a champion. His Game Of Thrones was a clever play on the popular show. In it he declared that “all the fun done” and it was war on the other contestants some of whom called him the “la la man”. His major contention was that they “can’t win if they don’t write their own songs”. He received a $1 000 cash prize and a $200 voucher as well as a prize for the best self-penned song. Olivia Olimike Carmichael (The Letter), Raphael Straw Hat Atkins (12), Waindy Nos H.D Taylor (The Blueprint), Sherry Ann Sugarlan Hewitt (Sugarland), and Kerry-Ann Hot N Spicy Dean (I Am Not Your Maid) were the other contestants. They all received consolation prizes. The contestants all put up a valiant effort in their bid before judges Washbrook Bayne, (chief judge), Anthony Sargeant, Ronnie De Announcer Clarke, Cleve Scott and manager of the C.O. Williams House of Soca calypso tent, Sharon Carew-White. Apart from the contest, the audience was treated to performances from the regional calypso queen Calypso Rose who at 78 years old, was full of energy. She turned the place into one big feting session singing No Minister, Give Me More Tempo, and Fire in Me Wire. Also performing were the 13-18 year Scotiabank Junior Monarch Quon performed Why I Sing, Mighty Bit Bit, who placed second in the seven to 12 category sang his Please Give Bit Bit De Crown, Biggie Irie who sang Pankatang and Country, Adrian Clarke did Soca Me and Malik World Cup Cricket. Fashion Designer Ivonna Phillips also showcased a number of her pieces. Roger Gittens who arranged the majority of the songs, led the backing band that included musicians David Weatherhead and Mark Husbands. Randy Harris and Aisha Butcher were the background vocalists for all the contestants except Jackson Unplugged whose vocalists were Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent’s Eleanor Rice-Watkins, Romancia Murray and Sophia Lovell. Radio personality Admiral Nelson was the master of ceremonies.  (SS)

LOTS OF SUPPORT FOR MARZVILLE AT SHOW – Some of the biggest names in entertainment rallied around entertainer Omar McQuilkin for his inaugural Welcome to Marzville. The event was held at Daiquiri Beach and slated to begin at 9 p.m. However, the show truly began around 2:30 a.m. when the Give it To Ya singer appeared on stage with former Junior Monarch Adela Payne. During the well-attended event, he then welcomed several acts, some of who were backed by the Super Lynks band. They included Jus D, Nikita, King Bubba, Hypasounds, Edwin Yearwood and Lil Rick. (SS)

A BETTER SHOWING THIS YEAR – July 28, 2018 Xhosa band is learning from last year’s mistakes and has undertaken a huge re-branding exercise. Band Leader Jeremy Nicholas told Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of their signature cooler party We Don’t Pose, We Party that his team will be doing extensive checks of the costumes. “We have received most of our stuff and by the end of the week the rest of the customers will be here. To follow up from last year, we are making sure we aren’t making some of those mistakes. We will be doing all of our quality checks over the weekend to prepare for distributing.” Nicholas said his committee has rectified the difficulties on the road last year and has assured revellers that a good time will be had, “The band is obviously recovering from last year, but we are thankful that we are still able to go on the road and have a good time. We had to rebuild and show people that Xhosa is a brand that is serious about [what] we are giving to people and they will see that demonstrated on the road.” He said numbers have dropped off, but he blamed that on the economy. “We are obviously faced with the economic situation period in Barbados so [there] wouldn’t be a massive group as we had last year but it will be enough that we will have a good time on the road. Meanwhile, hundreds of partygoers who turned out to the beautifully transformed Sugarland Garden, Haymans, St Peter for Xhosa’s second annual Cooler Party enjoyed themselves. Last year, Xhosa partnered with the Red Boyz to produce an all Bajan cast. Nicholas said they’ve tweaked the lineup to enhance the production and make it more attractive. “This year, we followed up with that and have increased the [number] of artistes that are performing,  all backed by the Red Boyz, RPB, Lil Rick, Peter Ram, Jus D, Faith, Nikita, Lead Pipe and Saddis and Biggie Irie,” he said.   (BT)

FRUSTRATING START TO KIDDIES KADOOMENT – Hundreds of beautiful decked out junior masqueraders started to make their way to Kensington Oval from as early as 7:30 this morning. The eager beavers were patiently awaiting their turn to parade in front of the judges at the Junior Kadooment and Fair in association with Consolidated Finance. Seventeen bands are set to parade in the blistering sun but up to 10:30a.m. none had paraded as yet as parents complained bitterly about the logistics. Questions were repeatedly being asked about the entrance, where the ticket both was located and where were the bands assembled. This resulted in a long spectator line at one point. One irate parent made her voice heard as she exclaimed: “This is way too disorganised!” Another said: “Every time they come to Kensington Oval the same thing happens.” Efforts to get an official comment proved futile at the time of this publication.  (BT)

ANOTHER BIG WIN FOR SMALL – Kevin Small and his band Fifth Element Mas has done it again! Following today’s Junior Kadooment in association with Consolidated Finance, Fifth Element Mas under the theme Virtual Reality, was announced as Best Junior band for 2018 in a release from the National Cultural Foundation around 8:40 p.m. This makes it the band’s fourth title since inception. They previously won in 2014, 2016 as well as last year. Speaking to THE NATION who broke the news to him, Small said it was a very overwhelming feeling. “It’s even greater than the win. For us we have been dealing with a lot of reviews from parents telling us about the experience and how it was for their children. We tried hard to satisfy all their needs because first and foremost our masqueraders’ happiness is of upmost importance,” he said. Second place went to veteran bandleader Gwyneth Squires and her band Los Barbados − The People Who Came. Third place went to Trevor Nicholls’ Young Spirits Community Group under the theme Mystical Angels in Fantasy.  (SS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 156 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[esonetwork]

'Road to Perdition' Book Review By Ron Fortier

New Post has been published on https://esopodcast.com/road-to-perdition-book-review-by-ron-fortier/

'Road to Perdition' Book Review By Ron Fortier

ROAD TO PERDITION The New, Expanded Novel Max Allan Collins Brash Books 239 pages

Some times books and our interest in them take overly circuitous paths to reach us. Such was this case with this Max Allan Collins masterpiece. Bear with me, please.

Back in 1987, the late-lamented First Comics began publishing an English version of a highly popular Japanese manga series called “Lone Wolf and Cub.” Begun in 1970, it was written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima. The series chronicles the story of Ogami Itto, the Shogun’s executioner who uses a dotankuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accustions from another clan, he becomes an assassin and along with his three year old son, Daigoro, they seek revenge on their enemies.

In Japan the story was adapted into six films, four plays and a TV series. With First Comics’ English version, it quickly became a cult favorite; especially among those comic fans familiar with the original manga series. Among these was these was Max Collins whereas this reviewer was new to the series and its history. But that didn’t stop us from becoming devoted fans. Sadly First Comics folded before they could redo the entire manga run.

In 1998, over a decade later, Paradox Press, an imprint of DC Comics, released “Road to Perdition” written by Collins with art by Richard Piers Rayner. Told against the backdrop of the Great Depression in 1931, it tells the story of Michael O’Sullivan, a mob enforcer and his son, Michael Jr., as they seek vengeance against the man who murdered the rest of their family. DC, wanting to promote the project, plastered images of the adult gunman and his young son in all of their titles. When seeing these for the first time, we instantly recalled “Lone Wolf and Cub” and rightly guessed Collins had been inspired by that Japanese comic. In subsequent interviews, he was only to happy label “Road to Perdition” an unabashed homage to “Lone Wolf and Cub.”

Then, for reasons long forgotten, we never picked up a copy of that graphic novel though we’d been devoted followers of Collins comic work from “Ms. Tree” to “Wild Dog.” Eventually, as most of you know, “Road to Perdition” was made into a spectacular crime film in 2002. Directed by Sam Mendes with a screenplay adaptation by David Self. The movie starred Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law and pre-James Bond Daniel Craig. It was a big hit and won several Oscars to include a posthumous one for Best Cinematography. Naturally, it was no surprise that DC immediately re-issued Collins’ graphic novel and after having enjoyed the movie so damn much, we finally got our hands on that comic. Needless to say, it simply blew us away.

Now at the same time that all this was transpiring, Collins was approached to write a novel based on the Self’s screenplay. It was only good marketing that the studio wanted a novelization of the movie out on the bookshelves at the same time the film was showing in theaters. Having done many previous such adaptions, Collins took on the assignment and decided to merge elements from both his original graphic novel and the film’s screenplay thus expanding on the entire saga in a way that would provide readers with a richer, more detailed experience rather than simply rehashing what had already been done. Then, to Collins’ chagrin, the film company declined to do the longer version and published an edited edition that conformed closer to the film. Collins did protest but to no avail.

Now, thanks to Brash Books, and Steven Spielberg, his complete novel has at long last been published and every crime fiction buff should be jumping with joy. And there you have the tale of this reviewer’s route to what is perhaps Collins’ most poetic and memorable work. Upon opening the book, we were a bit leery that we’d not be able to get past the actors’ images when reading the story. Happily that pitfall never happens due entirely to Collins’ ability to add weight and substance to these characters; to deftly expolore their tortured souls and offer us a complex, heart rendering tale about the good and evil that resides in all of us. Michael O’Sullivan and John Looney are never more believable than revealed in these pages and at times the anguish they endure becomes unbearable. If you only saw the movie, you’ve only gotten half the story.

In the bible, God warns that “Vengeance is mine.” Woe to those who would wear it as a shield for in the end, they too will become its victims. “Road to Perdition” is at its core a story of good people trying to survive and the sins they commit to do so. Read this complete version and we promise you, it will stay with you for days to come. This is a master’s work and we thank Collins for finally bringing it to us.

[shatcey]

PLANS

So… Since I keep forgetting what I'm actually working on, I decided to make a list. And, like in the good old days, check marked what I've done. I love checkmarks… I'll find the pretty one.

Ikemen Villains

In the near future, there will be posts by a crazy fangirl about Ally. I already have a few ideas (yes, even my crazy love is very logical), but I'm not sure how long I'll follow this list. I can switch to screaming and clapping at any moment. I'm really crazy about him.

The biggest one is to combine my thoughts with examples (screenshots) about Vivi. I've written a little bit here and where, but I wanna combine them together. It will take some time, and maybe I'll split it into several posts. I've just started, but this is already quite big. What can I say… I talk a lot. Hah? Like Ally does. Weird.

Another big project is… a short fanfiction with William. When I started writing it, I was very confident that I knew him well. I've read so many story events with him so I should know him, right? Haha… In the process, I realized that nah-ah… I don't see him at all. Like another fellow fatalist, I was sure that it was quite easy for me to see the logic in his actions. But his actions and words contradict each other. He thinks so himself in the two endings epilogue. So… in order to figure him out, I bought Episode 0 (I haven't read it yet), all the premium attire (didn't really help, the stories from Kate's POV) and a few stories from his POV (I recommend the story in the Tower, it's written more beautifully than the one in the chapter). There's only one thing left… No, these are two things. First, to finish the story that I have in mind. No, that's three. Secondly, read what I have collected with William (including in the JP game), and finally correct the story that I have already written based on this information. So… There is a lot of work. I really hope that I will finish before the new year. I don't like to drag something unfinished into the next year. New year - new beginning.

I had another idea related to another pseudoscientific theory. But… I need to gather enough information, and for that I need to go through all the screenshots that I have. And that's a lot. And it will take a long time. So… I'm putting it off… But I have to do it. I've been thinking about this for at least a few months now, and I need to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Another thing I'm looking forward to is Jude's Route. Like all of us. And in the process of reading, I will certainly find something to share, as it was with Roger's route. Not the best example, I didn't like Roger's route. But I'm sure Jude's route will be very good.

And…. summaries. At some point I start making summaries of events that were not translated the first time. And… the rerun of events is pretty close to the first run on the English server. So I'm contemplating if I should do it at all or not.

Ally's route. If I had the opportunity, I would read it in a day. Or… I will prolong the pleasure… I don't know. Maybe I'll find something that wasn't there before… or what EN version is different from JP… I have no idea how it's going to be, but I'm very much looking forward to it.

Ikemen Prince

I have currently paused reading on JP for a bit. I feel a little overwhelmed by all this. And I realized that probably more than one main route on JP is too much for me. So… for now, I'll switch from one to the other. I start Licht's sequel. I know that it will probably be released at the end of December… but… I'm impatient. SO if I find something I want to share, I'll do it. Again… just jokes and a some random facts, not the main plot.

The news about Azel's main route came out makes me crazy happy. I will definitely read it and, as usual, share some jokes and random facts. I'm so looking forward to it.

I had a grand idea to collect everything I have about Cyran and… do something about it. But… I have no idea what exactly. And I really don't have time for this. This is the same as with the pseudoscience theory… It's too long and complicated. In addition it's also unpredictable. Who knows what thoughts will come to my mind in the process.

Summary. I'm starting to think that it's not really necessary. There are many very talented people who make full translations, I don't wanna get in the way. A summary will never replace a full translation. It just give a hints of what will be at the story. And my comments can send the reader's train of thought in a completely wrong direction. It seems that I impose my opinion on others. Although I didn't want that. I just making fun. So… I'm still wondering if I should do it or not. I still don't understand how to translate the event name… Touch the borderline? Maybe… cross the borderline? Do something unusual? I don't know. In JP it's called 触れあいボーダーライン So I haven't read it yet, but I think it might be interesting. Clavis or Silvio.

Yves sequel. The same as in other sequels/main routes. A some random thoughts or jokes. Nothing big. And, as usual, my thoughts are on the route.

And… I want to look through the screenshots, maybe I'll remember what else I wanted to write about. It's more like looking for a needle in a haystack, and I'm not sure it makes sense… But… just so I don't regret after deleting the screenshots, I need to review them in advance. I plan to leave only those screenshots that I can use as memes. Actually so far I've found only two with Gilly-bee. He's my meme king!

Ikemen Sengoku

There aren't many plans. I'm done with the main routes (at least for one ending). I know there's a 3rd ending and even sequels, but I need to rest for a bit. I love all the guys in this game (even if I don't like them that much, I still like them, it's really complicated), so… too many options. I've even stopped reading story events for now. But I'm very whimsical, it could change pretty suddenly.

Kicho's route. I've already read him, this is the second time, so it's mean some chapters from his POV. Some jokes and observations are already in store.

In ideal would be clearing endless screenshot fields and maybe writing some jokes based on them. I usually try to finish with everything about the route that I just finished, but maybe I missed something… I need to check.

Ikemen Vampires

It's almost finished. I wanna write my final thoughts on this game. I've been wanting to do this for a long time… it's really annoying how long I've been putting it off. But… there are too many side stories I haven't read, and for obvious reason I can't uninstall the game yet. If I uninstall it, I'll never reinstall it again… Maybe long after when Johann or Shuji's sequels come out. But I have very big doubts that they will ever come out. So… never… I'll never install it again, and I wanna read everything I've collected over these almost two years, and… let it go.

Maybe some short stories gave me something else to add. But I don't think it will be much. I'm not a big fan of this game, to be honest. And I'm really surprised that it took me so long to finally finish it.

Ikemen Genjiden

The kitten sorry fox Tamamo will be next… and I really hope that I won't fall asleep in the process. So far, this guy hasn't gave me with much hope. Although I like his hair. But then I'll start reading this route depending on my state of mind. As I mentioned earlier, I'm feeling pretty tired at the moment, and more than 1 main route JP is too difficult for me. I hope this will change soon.

Unfortunately, the game is no longer being updated, so no events. But I had a few ideas on how to tell you about this game in general. And again, the only thing I need to do is collect data. And find the time. Another delay.

Other projects

I don't have much free time because of all these games (I have EN and JP versions of Princes and Villains, so I have 7 games in total), but… for some reason I open Mystic massanger at least twice a day to collect whatever it is from Honey buddha chips. Hehe. I didn't buy everything there, so maybe I'll get some idea in the future. Or… I dared to read this game again. I don't miss my sleepless nights, but… I miss the calls and all the characters.

Another game that I suddenly reinstalled is called Arcana Twilight. Two years ago, when I was trying to learn Korean and fell for Han Jimin's voice (신 용우) very hard, I found this game. He was voicing one of the characters. And then I just got stuck because there was nothing to read. So I decided to delete the game until something new comes out. And now, when I reinstalled it, I realized that the game was abandoned. Yes, there are two new chapters, but… no events, no new cards, and so on. Basically, the mechanics of the game are the same as in Obey Me. But there are other characters, a different story, and it's Korean, so it's voiced by Korean actors… I have only one chapter left to read. If you've played Obey me, you know that it's not so little, but… still, not so much. I have a few thoughts about this game, and after that I will finally be able to delete it for good.

And… I tried a few games to get "free diamonds". Haha! Very funny. I haven't spent as much time in Ikemen games as I have in them. But… some of them do leave some impression, and I'm still debating whether to write about them or not… I even have a video… small, but still.

That's all. I think. If I remember anything else, I'll add it. So… The only thing left is to bring everything to life and put checkmarks. And I would like to finish all this before the new year. And I said I don't have a deadline. Ha. Wish me luck!

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🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

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