#i thought other people may be interested since i was definitely blown away by this article

[himebushou]

So! Suwa Rei has an OVEN:

Which might not feel like such a big deal, except:

[Text from Image 1: Most Japanese kitchens do not have large convection ovens like those common in the West. Instead, they have smaller fish grills, microwaves with built-in oven features, toaster ovens or similar. This difference is due to the traditional needs of Japanese cuisine and the smaller size of Japanese kitchens.

Text from Image 2: There are some Japanese homes with large Western-style ovens, but they are rare. Mostly, they're found in higher-end places and in homes marketed to expats. These ovens are a sort of status symbol, in that regard.]

(Source: escapetoasia dot net, 2021)

Kazuki's such a foodie he probably moved in for the oven alone, lol

But I suppose a Middle Eastern oil baron can afford such luxuries.

[animehideout]

hiii, love your “your mbti, your relationship with jjk man” so i wanted to request infj and enfj if possible? thanks!

Your MBTI, Your Relationship With JJK Characters Part 3

Part 1 / Part 2

a/n: Thank you anon for this request . I really hope you enjoy them 😭🫶🏻.

Also thanks to @nozaki547 and @li-m-ii for requesting INFJ, enjoy 💞

INFJ:

Megumi Fushiguro = Boyfriend.

You crave meaningful and deep connection when it's about love. You want a partner that will commit for life. And Megumi is 100% the man that would make it work. Always keeping a keen observant eye on you to make sure you're comfortable all the time. He fell for your mysteriousness, you were hard to read at first so he found you interesting, but he grew to understand you and your needs. If he senses that you're cold he'll bring you a blanket. Craving something? He's going to make/buy it for you. Like any other introvert you need your personal space, so does Megumi. So both of you respect each other's boundaries but with a protective instinct in case you need comfort. You have mutual values and both of you date to marry, so your relationship is for the long run. You expect a lot from others so he always satisfies your expectations and never disappoints. He's your ride or die.

Okkotsu Yuta =Bestfriend

Yuta is an empathetic person and INFJS value people who are compassionate and supportive during highs and lows. Without second thought Yuta would be the perfect bestie for you. He's always ready to engage into a meaningful conversations with you talking about interesting topics concerning life and your personal growth. You have a healthy friendship since both of you avoid conflicts and always work on solving any misunderstandings. You are supportive and selfless so you always make sure to be there for him and push him forward when he feels insecure. Both of you rely on each other in comforting and making each other feel understood, heard and important.

Ryomen Sukuna = Obsessed with you.

Living in Yuji's body Sukuna always observed your interaction with your friend group. He was blown away by the fact thay you crack others' exterior just by observing them. While in contrast, they know little about you. You didn't only understand them by being an observant but also knew the exact appropriate words to say in order to comfort people around you. So he switches with Yuji to manipulate you to open up. He desperately wanted to know you on a deeper level, your strengths, your weaknesses, your likes, your dislikes, your deepest secrets but as an INFJ you've always been keeping your guards up especially around him. And that what pushed Sukuna to thrive to force you open up to him. Developing an obsession and interest in you and you mysteriousness.

Mai Zenin = Antagonist.

You are a supportive and selfless person who is good at comforting others and making them feel worthy. Mai, is the complete opposite she is rude, egocentric and selfish. You help people up and she brings people down. You remain true to yourself but she lacks authenticity and always fakes her personality to try to appear better than others around her. INFJs are very observant so you couldn't help the discomfort you felt around her, you can't stand each other so you simply ignore her existence in order to avoid getting into fights.

ENFJ

Ino Takuma = Boyfriend.

ENFJs are drawn to people with a positive outlook on life who bring joy and optimism. And Ino is definitely the one. He is cheerful person who contributes to a harmonious, happy relationship. Ino is an extremely nice person, supportive and empathetic which is a common trait in you. He treats you with a huge respect and care willing to risk his life for your safety. He tends to be needy emotionally and with you valuing passionate emotional ties, you would be more than perfect together. Giving each other all the love and care needed to recharge. You're each other's number one fan. Daily encouragement words and notes are a must. He is very expressive and open about his feelings with honesty and that makes things easier for both of you especially solving issues before growing into conflicts. Ino and you consider helping people who are in need as an honorable duty which creates a sense of union and shared goals between you both you. His favorite thing to do is gaming together while he holds you close.

Gojo Satoru = Your teacher.

You're his favorite student there's no discussion in that. He likes your intellectual creativity and curiosity and how you always ask interesting questions, that also benefits other. He is a cheerful person who got a lot of energy so he appreciates the way you're like him, hyping up your classmates in class or before a missions giving them a big dose of motivation. For you it's easy to have him as your teacher, you have a flexible relationship not only the classroom but also outside school. You often hang out together and enjoy teasing Megumi. He is very open-minded and as an ENFJ you're often expressive about your issues, so he plays his role well in giving you the right advice that would help you grow. Both of you turn the classroom into a lively space mixing serious studying with the humor. He urges his student to be like you. He puts you under a lot of tests and challenges, you're a precious student for him so he wants to make sure you're strong and independent enough to succeed in both your educational and social life. Rewards you a lot, he often treats you sweets.

Geto Suguru = Ex-boyfriend.

ENFJs are givers in relationships they always make sure their partner is loved and cared for, they prioritize their loved ones in everything and of course they expect the same. But it wasn't the case with Geto. Even though he loved you he didn't show it, and always put his goals and interests first, even before you, completely neglecting your emotional needs. Being open to discussion you expressed your feelings to him, standing by your opinion but he repeated this dismissiveness leading to frustration in your relationship that ended with a breakup.

Itadori Yuji = Partner in crime.

The dynamic duo, your friendship is the source of joy for both of you. You and Yuji have an adventurous spirit willing to explore new things together with full enthusiasm, not caring about the possible risks you may face. Energetic duo, feeding on each other's optimism to keep going. You do a lot of fun outdoor activities together. A lot of people think that you are dating. During tasks you merge your efforts and skills focusing on your shared goal. Your determination is fueled by your empathy towards others. You face challenges with open arms knowing that you've got each other's backs no matter how complicated the situation could be. You always succeed in your tasks looking at each other with the proud smiles creating lasting memories.

Thanks for reading, remember this piece of writing is just for entertainment purposes, also imo, so it's not necessarily accurate ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

[zeno-zero]

Avatar Roku rant/rambles:

I love him, I love him in such an insane amount. Had me on chokehold since 10 years old like goodness me! What the fuck H-E-🏑🏑 !!

Nobody understood his character and that would've been greatly fine with me but the amount of mischaracterizations, misinterepations, and wishes that he's more like Kyoshi has always made me upset. Roku is a good man whose position as an avatar is poor in terms of writing and expanding his story further.

Roku outside of being Aang's mentor and guide - he was nothing more than just being kindhearted, wise, and pleasant while also acknowledging his indecisiveness, and faults. He even has a flawed perspective on the four nations, that the four nations should always be remained seperated, and still. Yet, I still continue to adore him a LOT. He have so much potential, there are rooms that people could always explore his character than just on the surface/visual level. His airbending and waterbending teachers weren't even named in the late 2010's until some informations were finally out !!

The gene yang comics are not my cup of tea but Roku telling Aang that he should end Zuko's life because he couldn't bare the thought of seeing Sozin? WOW. His friendship with Sozin has always mean something to Roku - so much so, he trusted him to the point it was his downfall. The thought of Sozin's redemption after he left him with the rubble is definitely what Roku had in his mind. But we're talking about the conflict between the Avatar and the Fire Lord, never Roku and Sozin.

His bending abilities are fucking awesome too !! Destroyed an entire palace with airbending + avatar state alone? Created a massive wave in one single move that sent his teacher flying up all the way on top of the chief's palace? He can even be quiet and and silently burrow to the ground to suprise attack enemies with earthbending? Lets not forget that the entire island that Roku was in used to be a huge one until he cut it into a cresent island !! There used to be two super volcanoes !! There's only one remaining !! His firebending shown on the show is also interesting! His fire made Zhao's crew literally run away while incinerating thd metal chains that Katara, Sokka, Shyu, and Zuko were wrapped around with,, unharmed. Him simultaneously bending all four elements at once without the use of the avatar state? Gosh,, people underestimate him sooooo much !!

"But Roku died to a volcano! He should've evacuated-" He was minimizing the effects of it! He died as a hero in that night because no other people held power his power just like he has. The citizens and his wife would've died if it weren't for him, because while it isn't explicitly explained in his wiki and show -  Lava entering the ocean creates a distinctive set of hazards that have seriously injured or killed unsuspecting people eager to see up close the interaction of hot lava and cool seawater. As hot lava boils cool seawater, a series of chemical and physical reactions create a mixture of condensed, acidic steam, hydrochloric acid gas, and tiny shards of volcanic glass. Blown by wind, this plume creates a noticeable downwind haze, known as "laze" (short for lava haze) <- [From "Lava entering ocean" | U.S Geological Survey - USGS.gov] ||And to also answer the dragon part that died with him? I have no answer for that other than the plot has to move on /or the dragon relies on his orders, and to Roku's dying breath, he would rather stay with him.

And nobody talks about how painful and traumatizing Roku's death is - pyroclastic flow is apart of volcano, he either died burning alive, suffocated, or even buried alive! On the margins of pyroclastic flows, death and serious injury to people and animals may result from burns and inhalation of hot ash and gases. Archaeologists have found that some people perished in a pyroclastic surge, a wave of superheated gas and hot ash that literally boiled their blood and caused their skulls to explode, reports Neel V. Patel at Popular Science. <- [Pyroclastic Flows move fast and destroying everything in their path" | U.S Geological survey] AND ["Mount Vesuvius Boiled Its Victims’ Blood and Caused Their Skulls to Explode" by Jason Delay]

But in a summary, I love Roku and I would die to honor his name. Thank you for reading through all of this. Love you guys !! /platonically 

[silverbladexyz]

Hi love! How are you? How have you been? Sorry for bothering, can I request Chuuya boyfriend headcanons please?

Thank you! Have a nice day/night!! 💞💞

Hiiii I'm alright, just kind of stressed recently because of life :') but I'm surviving! How about you?

The image does not belong to me. It belongs to it's original owner.

TW: Mentions of death, violence, slight suggestiveness. Gender neutral reader

Chuuya boyfriend headcanons

-Let's see... to win Chuuya's love and trust is no easy feat. To start off with, he's a Port Mafia executive, which means that he barely has any time for friendships, let alone love. And to top it all off, he himself has lost too many people in his life, something which made him put up all those walls around himself in fear of losing someone else again

-Be prepared for a lot of denial and internal conflict once he realises his feelings for you. Chuuya is not one that is entirely in tune with his emotions, and to express what he is feeling proves to be an even harder feat for him. He might give shorter and more curt answers back to you, and might even distance himself from you if he's overwhelmed with this foreign feeling called 'love'

-But once you do get into a relationship with him, it is one full of passion and sacrifices. Chuuya's loyalty knows no bounds, and trust me when I say that he will commit everything to you. He holds onto you like you were something that could be blown away from him by a mere breeze, yet he holds you as if you were a fragile treasure, one so hardly acquired and easily lost

-He is quite protective. Desperate to not lose you, he will take extra measures to ensure that you are safe whenever he is not around you. Whether you were another Mafia executive or just a normal civilian, Chuuya will always make sure that another Mafia member was around your area should you run into trouble when he was not there

-It will take Chuuya a while to get used to being in a relationship with you. He's still learning, so he would really appreciate it if you told him what he could improve on or what your opinion on some of his actions in the relationship was. He wants to be the perfect boyfriend for you, and he will try his absolute hardest to learn and make himself someone deserving of your love and attention. Please assure him that he is enough already

-Affection isn't something he is used to as well. Even his friends in the Mafia only did as far as to give him a pat on his shoulder, or even a hug in the rarest of instances. So if you suddenly give him a kiss out of nowhere, or brush your fingers against his lovingly, he will freeze a little bit before slowly reciprocating it. But over time, he does become more comfortable with affection, as long as you don't overdo it

-Now his love language would either be acts of service or quality time. Chuuya isn't the best at words or affection, and he does get you gifts every now and then, but since this relationship is so foreign for him it would take a while for him to use other ways to show his love for you. He would be more than happy to learn how to tell you 'I love you' through actions and thoughts

-Chuuya would definitely be a lot more gentle and vulnerable in a relationship. He trusts you completely, and he isn't one to hide secrets from you as he values honesty. While he may be brash and temperamental, he is also perfectly capable of showing that soft side he locks away in himself, and he shows it to you and you only

-Further on into the relationship, be prepared for Chuuya to tell you everything. His past, his insecurities, his trauma, everything. He doesn't expect you to comfort him or help him, he just wants someone whom he can talk to and not worry about being betrayed or judged. So when you hugged him and assure him of how strong he was and how lucky you were to have him, it's from there on that Chuuya appreciates you the most he has ever appreciated you before

-Chuuya has a few hobbies that he likes to do in his free time, but he is interested in your hobbies as well, and often does them with you as he gets to spend more time with his beloved. His favourite things to do with you include taking you on motorcycle rides, have friendly sparring matches with you, wine-tasting, and even just shopping for exquisite and high-end clothes. He'd involuntarily spoil you since he has a lot of money, but he doesn't mind it if you spoil him too

-Kissing was a whole new experience. He will start off a bit rough and awkward at first, so it is mostly up to you to guide him with small movements of your lips and fleeting touches with your fingertips. Chuuya is surprised at how much he likes to kiss you, and you do note that his kisses do eventually get a bit softer as time goes on

-But if you wanted to make out with him? He's down for it and will mostly take the lead. His hands will grip you firmly but gently on your waist as he dominates the kiss. Spice it up a little by fighting back or by teasingly running your fingers along some more of his sensitive spots on his neck. However, he will get you back for it

-Love him, and he will love you back infinite times more than your love for him. Chuuya Nakahara is but a man; a man who has had everyone leave him; a man who doesn't let his past define who he is. His love for you will forever burn brighter than the flames of passion that consume his very being

So I feel like this was more deeper and serious than all my other posts. Chuuya to me is such a complex and deep character and it gives me a rare sense of thrill to write for him, especially when I get to analyse the other parts of his character that is not explicitly shown or told.

@circinuus @nekokinax @xxsigmakinniexx @xxelfmamaxx @yuugen-benni @ashthemadwriter @lakeside-paradise @catzlivedforbsd @sariel626 @yukitomybeloved @irethepotato @voyagewiththesatan @arisu-chan4646 @chuuyas-beloved

[queerfables]

Hi okay SO. I have been putting off making an introduction post because I'd mostly prefer people to just look at my blog and decide if they want to hang out based on that, rather than making some big definitive statement about Who I Am.

But I'm currently accumulating followers at a truly alarming rate and - look, I don't want to give the impression I'm ungrateful, I am genuinely SO TOUCHED by every single one of you who's interested in what I have to say!! The feeling is 100% mutual, and I am having a blast sharing everyone's thoughts and enthusiasm. It's just that my goal with this blog is to have fun and do my own thing. I don't hate attention but I'm also not looking for it.

On balance, then, I think it's probably a good idea to give people a general sense of what I'm about so that if it doesn't appeal to you, we can opt out of each other's social circle before anyone steps on anyone else's toes.

My general philosophy:

I am here to have fun. I might occasionally have a little kvetch about some fandom trend or another but ultimately, even if your favourite trope drives me up the wall, I'm genuinely so happy that it is out there bringing you joy. I try very very hard to treat everyone with kindness and to avoid getting caught up in drama.

This isn't a clique it's a community. Please leave commentary on my posts or drop me a message if you wanna chat!

I follow and unfollow pretty liberally and never mean anything personal by it. I might consider you a friend but still unfollow if your current hyperfocus isn't jiving with mine. In turn, I will never take offence to anyone doing the same with me. Regardless of our following status, I'm always up to chat.

I don't do DNIs. Interact if you want to, don't if you don't. Good faith questions and comments are always welcome. Malicious behaviour will be blocked.

Primary Fandoms

Good Omens - I have loved this fandom for years and years, since before the TV show as it exists today was even a twinkle in Neil's eye. I ship Crowley and Aziraphale SO HARD and I am completely blown away by everything that we've gotten since the first season came out in 2019. Fifteen year old me could not even have imagined!!!

Supernatural - Literal opposite energy. I resisted this show for its entire run, after watching the pilot when it aired and thinking "if I watch this, I will end up shipping the brothers, and I am just not prepared for shipping the brothers." Fifteen years later destiel came in swinging with the steel chair and I grumbled and decided I'd better watch it to find out what all the fuss was about. And do you guys know what? I was right all along. I came away from that show obsessed with it as a gothic horror story and shipping the brothers hard. So wincest is my otp, but I'm a multishipper and I have a soft spot for wincestiel, destiel and sastiel too. As a darkfic enjoyer, I also dabble in John/Dean/Sam and variants. I'm not, like, opposed to less-dark takes on this, they just don't do much for me. I'm pretty careful to tag ships in this fandom consistently, so if you don't want to see something, you can blacklist it.

Side Fandoms

You might see these occasionally or for short stretches but they aren't currently taking over my brain the same way Good Omens and Supernatural are.

Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth. Queerplatonic Phoenix Wright/Maya Fey. Enthusiastic dabbler in background ships and rarepairs.)

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild+ (Link/Sidon. Link/Gannon. Bemused Link/Zelda ally [I don't ship it but I'm happy for all of you and enjoy the gender bending fanart].)

Ted Lasso (Roy/Keeley/Jamie. Queerplatonic Ted/Rebecca. Rebecca/Sam enjoyer. Pro-finale loyalist. Every single character is my best friend and also my daughter.)

Hannibal (Will/Hannibal. Margot/Alana enjoyer.)

Tagging

I mostly tag for fandoms and ships (although I'm not currently tagging for Crowley/Aziraphale beyond the parent "good omens" tag. That may change if I settle on a tag I like). I wish that I could tag for triggers requested by people who want to follow me, but realistically, that isn't something I can guarantee and trying just wipes me out. If trigger tags are something you need, we may have to admire one another from afar.

At some point I will add a list of useful organisational tags here but for now you can always just browse back through my archives if you're interested.

[victorychest]

Signalis - post mortem (SPOILERS)

What a cool game...

I had a really good time with Signalis. Everything from the presentation and the reimagined combat system, to the surrealist story and clever puzzles, Signalis is certainly one of the most innovative gaming experiences of the year. And though I haven't played everything, from what I've seen/read about, Signalis brings a deep breath of fresh air when compared to other new releases this year!

I obviously enjoyed my time with this game, but I wanted to share a few things that really set it apart in ways that aren't as specific to me.

Level Design/Gameplay Cohesion:

My enthusiasm for Signalis is found in one main accomplishment. I love that the design really makes you feel and understand the way the Elster feels. Somehow, we feel their determination, fear, and even the desire to leave as they feel those things. When you are discovering an area for the first time, the enemies are scary and the level is unpredictable, but when you are solving a puzzle, the game somehow, subtly shifts into feeling like you are in control of that same area as you go to collect items and read notes. Then, as you travel through the depths of horror to save Elster's most treasured person, you feel that need to keep pressing on to find out more, despite your surroundings. This may be a "standard" to survival horror games, but it is so well done here it is hard to imagine any other game having as much success. It may seem silly but I really feel like this simple core element is enough for me to recommend Signalis to people as a must play.

Impeccable Vibe-age:

Another thing that stands out in this game is the world and art within it. The setting Signalis takes place in is not simple in any way at all. I was blown away when I started reading more and more into the lore of this game and how deep each subplot goes. There are many elements to the story and they take off in different directions starting as soon as you finish the prologue. However, the excellent art direction and visual designs end up being the glue that holds the whole game together with each aesthetic decision serving many purposes in the overarching story.

One example of this is something I actually read on TV tropes. The beautifully bleak 90s tech aesthetic that permeates the work station in Signalis is not only used to invoke the classic dystopian sci-fi/cyberpunk/outrun touchpoints we have outside of the game, but it is also used to show the nation of Eusan's hyperfocus on one subsection of technology. The story points out that the development of Replikas and use of bioresonance was the sole focus of Eusan, to the point of practically erasing other parts of tech from the picture.

The way that Rose-Engine is able to craft such an interesting story while supporting it with more than just notes and journal entries is another perfect reason to recommend Signalis to anyone.

Game Feel:

This has been stated many times already so I will keep it brief. The "pick-up-and-play-ability" of this game is truly the best modernization you can ask for in the world of PS1 inspired survival horror games. I know that this is everyone's complaint since the beginning of time, but games need to be fun to play for me to enjoy them. Signalis is most definitely fun to play.

Final thoughts:

With that I just wanted to say thank you for reading and thanks to Rose-Engine for making such an awesome experience. If you had any thoughts about the game, please share them below so we can share this game together!

-VictoryChest

P.S. The art above is by yours truly.

[therealandian]

things i thought about when working on stts but didn't actually wind up in the story:

jon and jonny getting stranded on a planet together and having to scrap together their own ship. i was even going to have it tie back into a bit in redeath where martin mentions abandoning jonny on a watery planet in retaliation for more or less selling him to hereward. originally they were supposed to not get along very well, but the moment i added jonny into the story i realized i could have a lot more fun with him taking jon under his wing. i was still thinking i'd strand them somewhere, including elias once i thought to add him in as well, but the closest i really got was the planet where jon got addicted to drugs lol. the water world bit got recycled and became por'zykev

jon actually learning to play an instrument. i just didn't have the time/a good opportunity to write this in. rest assured that he learned something, though

one version of the end involved jon and elias kidnapping little jon (who is midway through s3), jon replacing him at the institute, and then elias taking him away to some other planet. then martin was supposed to find him and kidnap little jon back before returning to earth while elias desperately chased after him

another version of the end that i did write some of involved elias adopting little jon instead of martin. but since i felt like it would add too much extra with how i'd written it, i decided against it. i may be persuaded to release some of that because there were still some great moments lol

there was a long period where i planned to have jon part from elias because he wanted time to accept that he would never see martin again. meanwhile elias would fuck off to earth. this ties into the 'elias adopting little jon' version, but isn't necessarily the only ending i thought of with this particular piece

the talyn were originally going to be warlords conquering the galaxy, but it was honestly way more interesting to have them just sorta be there as an overarching government that was relatively chill with letting people do what they'd already been doing. after all, a hivemind race would be all about cooperation

there was a whole conversation planned about the pros and cons of being a god with donovan's kids. this didn't wind up making the cut, but that scene did end with elias crying into mashed potatoes, and i think that's hilarious still

this isn't necessarily something that didn't make it into the fic since it's referenced a couple times, but it's important that everyone knows that elias adopted Every Child He Met who didn't have decent parents. there were many.

the bit where jon got dissected was originally 1) on a spaceship, 2) both jon and elias nearly getting blown to pieces by the talyn, and 3) way more graphic. jon actually demanded elias leave him behind and pick him up later, because in that version they already had the dread-not. this was the part where they realized they were friends and had a panic about it. i might be persuaded to post that bit too, actually. i was pretty proud of it at the time i first thought it up lol

there's a scene in my head that i started writing out that wouldn't have fit anywhere in the overall narrative (and i'd already finished stts by then). in that scene, elias has a sudden realization that he's attracted to jon and they have to have a Talk. jon naturally doesn't feel the same, and elias is fine with that so long as jon is happy. it would've probably been pretty cute, but it didn't really fit the pacing, and frankly i wanted to leave their relationship relatively ambiguous. they definitely love each other, but the form of that love is up to each individual reader

jon and elias have fucked at least once out of boredom. whether or not it ever happened again is anybody's guess.

there are definitely other things that i've since forgotten, but i thought it'd be fun to run back through and see what random stuff i'd planned to do throughout everything. it's pretty funny, because while redeath stuck pretty damn close to the original timeline, stts gave me the freedom to fuck around and find out, and i'm deeply proud of the result. sure, there are plenty of other things i probably could've done, adding or subtracting or reconfiguring different scenes and situations, but i feel like accepting that not everything is going to make it into the story with the way the pacing worked out is important. take the sheer amount of endings i plotted out in my head, for example. literally dozens XD

[chaoskiro]

Summer podfic wrap-up

We are now well into September and over this summer I have diverted some of my podfic attention away from my podfic of Vertical Limit to make some podfics for various fests and to try some different things out, and here is what I ended up making this summer (sorted by when I made them):

Beard Burn (12 minutes) a multivoice Check Please! podfic based on FightMeImSmall's amazing story. Featuring a very heated discussion on the SMH bus leading to Dex coming out to the team.

This is a project I have wanted to do for ages, but I really wanted to make it multivoice so I hesitated. I ended up just asking if anyone was interested in participating on a podficcing discord server and so many people joined!! I will be forever grateful to all the people who read lines for this and I was blown away by their performances every time I got a new person's lines sent to me. It was my second ever podfic after Vertical Limit and since this is a very different tone I actually ended up having to record the narration twice, because my first run sounded way too somber for this very fun and a little bit silly fic.

shall i compare thee to a summer's day? (22 minutes) another Check Please! podfic based on dairaliz' (@schitthappens) sweet story. Featuring a very pining Dex on a farmer's market with an equally pining Nursey to match.

This one was made for the Madisonandmore ficfest and it was my first try at adding intro and outro music to fic, something I will definitely do again, but also something I would like to get better at. It was also the first ficfest I participated in which led to me having a bunch of technical issues which were thankfully resolved along the way.

The Way My Heart Bleeds (54 minutes) a Batman podfic of egg_thief's (@thief-of-eggs) story, made for DevilWithABirdDress as part of Summer podfic swap. Featuring Damian as Robin who gets hurt on patrol and gets patched up by Dick.

I looked through a lot of Damian & Dick centered stories before I landed on making this one (I actually got permission to podfic another one as well, which I might just do someday), but this one just hit the spot: It is just the most perfect Hurt/Comfort and I really love reading Damian (Though he always ends up sounding vaguely British, which I can't really explain). It also features some very important headcanons on the batfam's opinions on the Barbie movies, which is always a bonus.

Pay Attention to Me (33 minutes) an A3! podfic of Dokuhan's story, made as part of pod_together. Featuring Chikage who ISN'T jealous when Sakuya and Tasuku start spending more time together (and definitely doesn't have a crush on Sakuya).

This one was a fun one as it was made for pod_together and I thus worked with Dokuhan on this one. It was very fun getting some sparring on my readings of things and thus get some insight on the thought behind different lines. I often, when podficcing, sit and argue with myself on how to read a certain line/what emotion to convey with it etc. and to be able to discuss that with the one who wrote it was very fun.

All in all I am very happy to have expanded my podficcing scope this summer and I currently have two projects I have recorded stuff for on my computer that aren't published (one of them I started in may or something, but am currently still a little scared of, and the other is what I'm focused on at the moment), aside from Vertical Limit of course which I am still steadily working on and will probably have another chapter out soon because I am literally only missing like 30 minutes of editing time which isn't that much compared to the time it takes to make these.

It has been so fun making these and I hope they brought some other people joy as well!!

[ace-reviews]

Anime Review: Trigun Stampede

Originally, when this series won the poll to see which of this season's anime I would review, I was planning to rewatch the 1998 anime in order to better discuss the differences between the two series, since I've never watched the movie or read the manga or seen any of the other adaptations that may or may not exist. I ultimately didn't because I have super important video games to play, but it's probably fine. I'm sure there are plenty of comparisons between the two just a Google search away if that's what you're interested in.

I watched several disconnected episodes of Trigun in high school and watched the whole series a few years ago, in the background while I played some video game or another. Basically, while I definitely enjoy and have fond memories of it, I've never had the deep and abiding love of the series that a lot of other millennial weebs have.

I didn't retain much about the plot or the history of the characters, but I remembered that Vash is a plant (though not the kind I originally thought of) who likes love, peace, and donuts; Meryl and Milly were trying to keeping him from causing more property damage; Wolfwood dies; and Knives is yandere. That's about it. Even so, I was put off by some of the seemingly arbitrary changes made for Stampede--mostly the decision to replace Milly with a middle aged alcoholic named after an actor and the introduction of Vash and Knives' backstory in the first episode.

I left the first episode feeling largely ambivalent toward the whole thing, and when the second episode was out I was busy watching other premiers so I didn't bother with it. Then I got caught up with the third episode and was blown the fuck away.

Knives has always ever been "Vash's yandere brother" to me. I remember little about him from the '98 series except that he exists and was the bad guy. When he was introduced in the first episode of Stampede playing piano while draped in that weird blobby shroud thing, I found it a bit silly. Like, "ooooh look at him he's so scawy lmao". Then he showed up in episode three and was fucking terrifying.

The highest point of the series is the episode detailing Wolfwood's backstory, which is presented in a charming picture book style that looks very nice and contrasts nicely with the really dark shit being covered. If I wanted to, I could also write a separate essay just talking about how Knives is the best character and how he was totally right all along (some of the shit he gets up to in the last couple episodes crosses over into 'what the fuck dude' territory, but he is supposed to be the bad guy so it's fine).

The environmental messaging is a bit hamfisted, but considering the current state of the climate I think we're far past the need for subtlety--if anything, we should probably start looking into beating people 'round the head with actual hammers instead of merely metaphorical ones lest this series become based on a future true story.

Ultimately, though, Trigun Stampede is fucking phenomenal. I'm not going to say 'you owe it to yourself!!' to give it a second chance if you bounced off the first episode because the only things you owe yourself are food, water, sunshine, and love, but I doubt you'd regret giving it another go.

[aquaticlime]

JIMMY FALLON INTERVIEW

February 11th of 2024 I was invited to guest star on an episode of the tonight show which Jimmy Fallon. The teaser trailer for my debut film had just been released on February 8th creating a lot of excitement and buzz surrounding my name.

I’ve mentioned this interview before I believe on my BAFTAS post. But it’s the first interview I do in my Fame Dr, in it I almost reveal my celebrity crush on live Television, how girly pop of me! I seriously had so much fun with this idea I’ll probably be so embarrassed by the repercussions of it but c’est la vie! Below is what I wore nothing to crazy, fancy but still comfortable and of course red for the movie I’m promoting. Enjoy!

❝ [Transcript of the interview]

Jimmy Fallon is in bold, My answers are in normal text.

I cut out the pleasantries in the beginning.

"We saw the trailer for your new film, and everyone here was blown away by it. How does it feel to finally be starring in your first full-length feature film?"

“Euphoric is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s all happened so quickly and now I’m a guest star on jimmy Fallon of all things”

"No kidding? I would have thought you'd been in the business for years judging by that trailer. Tell me, is there a lot of pressure working on a big film like this for the first time?"

“I think there should be but I haven’t felt much, I’m still riding the high from everything. Plus everyone I’ve met and worked with so far has been so kind and supportive.”

"Ah, so you've gotten lucky with your first project, then! How do you feel about all the hype surrounding this film? does it make you nervous, excited, how are you feeling?”

“It’s amazing I hope everyone loves the story and my Character Dinah as much as I do. There’s a lot to appreciate in this movie from costuming and world building to the more behind the scenes like camera work and editing.”

“So how did the whole journey of becoming the star of a blockbuster movie happen? Was it something you always wanted, or was it somewhat unexpected?"

“Uhm A bit of both, I hadn’t known want i wanted to do in life til I was 14 or so, once I found acting though I dove straight into community theatre. But for this particular project I had read the book series it’s based on and fell in love with the story, so I practically stalked the authors instagram and found it was in the process of becoming a movie, I auditioned and the rest is history.”

"Wow, you really went for it, huh? You didn't just wait until an opportunity came along; you made your own. And I see that things are looking bright for you. Besides this film, do you have any other roles or projects lined up in the future?"

“I may have something else coming in the near future”

"Alright, now to get to know you a bit more personally. I'm sure some of the people in the audience here want to get to know you better. Do you have any siblings?"

“Yes I have two younger siblings, we’re quite far apart in age though.”

"Oh, really? How far apart are we talking?"

“My sister and I are 5 years apart while my brother is 14 years younger than me.”

"Wow, that is quite a gap, especially between you and your brother. I imagine you were pretty close to your sister growing up, since she was closer to your age?"

“Yeah we definitely were pretty close, she’s at that age now though where she thinks I’m embarrassing and would rather be with her friends”

"Ah, I know how that goes. It can be tough when your younger sibling just wants all their friends around or to be out living their lives. So, for your next question, let's talk about love and relationships. Are you in a relationship right now?"

“Oh haha nope nothing”

"Really? Nothing at all, not even a special someone?"

“You mean like a crush?”

"That's right. Is there someone in your life that you secretly have a crush on, maybe a school crush or someone you met on set?"

“I’m guessing you’re referring to David Iacano, who plays Wardley my characters love interest, but no. There’s nothing like that between us.”

"Okay, so not David. He's a very good looking guy, though, right? Plus, I heard you had some amazing chemistry during filming. Are you sure you don't have a little crush on him, even if you won't admit it?"

“Nope we’re just great friends, I’m sure my saying that isn’t going to change many peoples mind though.”

"Well, I'm not sure you'll convince me and a lot of people out there. But we can drop that line of questioning. So let's move onto the "Celebrity Crush" bit, then. Got any Hollywood actors that you swoon over?"

“Yeah I do”

"Oh? And who might that be?"

“I won’t say, if they know I’ll be so embarrassed. I’m hopeful that I’ll meet him on day and that I can play it cool, instead of freezing or saying something stupid like ‘omg you’re aar-‘“

“next question please”

"Alright, alright, let's leave that for the audience's imagination because we still have some questions about the movie. Without spoiling anything, can you tell us your favorite aspects of this show/movie?”

“Uhm- ooh that’s a good question. I- I would say the world of Wonderland is unlike any other you’ve seen yet. It’s fully flushed out but it changes with Dinah. She’s sort of the lens you see everything through. That might be my favorite bit, the audience seeing the way I saw it when playing Dinah.”

“Where will we be able to watch this movie once it comes out?”

“In Theaters April 20th”

❝ [End of transcript]

˗ˏˋReturn to masterlist ✦ main masterlist´ˎ˗

[dallasareaopinion]

Piggybacking on others work

Yep, since I am not a reporter why not jump on someone else’s article. Seriously though I was reading an article in the Dispatch which was a straight forward piece or analysis of the state of the GOP campaign apparatus since Trump’s people took over 6 weeks ago.

I do not have much to add with substance, just some extra opinionated commentary on the situation. For those that do not know, the Dispatch is quite a bit more professional than this blog and speaks conservative commentary that is not aligned with the MAGA universe.  Basically real conservative commentary. And they are professionals so they even write in full sentences.

There is an accompanying picture with the story and whoa, Matt Getz looks like death warmed over. Granted the picture is credited with being taken in February and most of us white people are relatively pale at this point in time, however Matt appears to be struggling. There are four people in the picture, Lara Trump and MTG are showing some color. Michael Whatley is definitely white, but is more of the I haven’t seen the sun since October. I have seen corpses that appear to have more color than Matt Getz does in this picture. I would like to have seen the panoramic of the whole room because there is an interesting dynamic in this picture. MTG and Whatley are looking to their left at something or someone it appears. Matt is just staring straight ahead rather blankly. Lara Trump is standing at attention with plastered smile also staring straight ahead with that Stepford wives look. Not saying anything, but it looks rather weird.

In the article there is concern expressed by some in the GOP that a ground game for the election isn’t materializing yet and that the one being developed before Trump’s takeover had faded away. Some in the article expressed confidence one was coming, others that it might be a bit too targeted to just presidential battleground states and some wondered about what was coming at all. My thoughts were Trump is in charge so how is anyone expecting a full blown plan. The man is notorious for shooting from the hip and if he is anywhere close to being involved with the strategic thinking I will not accept anyone saying the 2024 election was stolen because ineptitude seems to be more the reigning problem now.

And specifically election integrity is the basis for the gameplan, not boots on the ground campaigning which just further leads to the election stolen gambit should not work. Yet I will bet there will be many in the GOP operatives that know better will stand up in November and say the election was stolen even though they know how shoddy of an operation is being developed.

One comment was that third parties may be hired to do some of the footwork and other campaign activities. And this caused me to burst out laughing. I hope they ask to get paid upfront because if anything the Trump campaign will hire them, then he will keep all the campaign money and not pay them if his history is any indication of what may happen. I would definitely cash the check before doing any work for the Trump campaign.

As always people can change, but I am not betting against the house on this one.

Cheers

[faerie-goth]

Love Bites

It was a day that started like any other - woke up with a batcat purring in my ear, had a quick breakfast with Sherry and Rio, Lynt failing to fight off slumber yet again and nearly face-planting into his porridge, then off to class.  All pretty par for the course in the magical realm, or at least, that’s how my days had typically gone since the day the universe saw fit to randomly chew me up and spit me out in freaking Narnia.  My normally cool and collected boyfriend causing problems?  Not so much.

***

***

“Oi.  Studying by yourself, I see?”

My thoughts were interrupted by one Guy Avari, known pain in my ass.  I glared up at him from my textbook, eyes threatening to bore a hole through his big stupid head.  Is heat vision a thing in this realm?  No, probably should not even attempt that on a prince, as irritating as he may be.

“I was with Sherry and Aquia for a while, but they both had things to do.”  As inconspicuously as I can, I spread out my things in an attempt to make the table look as uninviting as possible.  Too bad, no room for you.  Go bother someone else.

He attempts to place a hand on my arm, something I’ve learned to dodge after dealing with both him and Fenn for quite some time now.  I scowl in return.  Why are all the men here so handsy? Welp, time to go hide in the music room.

He huffs under his breath.  “Come with me,”  he demands rather than asking, once again reaching for me.

“No thanks, I’m perfectly fine in the library,” I deflect, swatting the offending hand away.

Crimson eyes meet crimson, as he glares right back in an attempt to bend me to his will.

“You will belong to Avari,” he hisses.

“I am not a thing to be owned, Guy!”  I prod his chest with my finger.  “And certainly not by the likes of you!”

He shifts, clearly uncomfortable with the presence of someone behind me.  

“Threatening students again, I see?”  Toa remarks, clearly unamused.  The blue haired prince quickly swoops in to stand a respectful distance behind me, but just barely.  If I leaned back far enough, I’d probably bump into his warm…er, cool, broad chest.  Not a good time, brain!

The library was blessedly empty, with most of the higher ranking students in class.  The two princes were known for their spats, and although they never got physical, well, they definitely kept life interesting.

“Tch.  Just offering her some private tutoring in my chambers,” Guy remarks unapologetically.

Really?  Is that what you’re calling it now?  More like borderline sexual harassment.

“Hmpf.  You made no mention of going there to study,” Toa points out.  His hand strokes his chin as he casts a suspicious gaze at the other man.  I quickly make to gather my things, eternally grateful to Toa for saving my hide.  Again.   

“What are you really after, Avari?”  Toa was in full-blown ice prince mode now.  

“Tch. None of your damn business.”  He glances between the two of us, clearly contemplating how much trouble he’d be in for using his more forbidden talents in front of Toa, of all people.

Toa obviously picked up on this quickly, because in a moment he had a firm hand on my shoulder, gently nudging me on.  “Come now, we’ll review what you learned in class over some tea.”

***

***

I was engulfed by a strong pair of arms practically the moment the door to the music room clicked shut.  Toa could be needy at times, but he preferred to save any sort of physical affection for behind closed doors, particularly because we had not quite made our relationship public.  It wasn’t that we were unsure of our feelings for one another, but that we had a mutual dread of the teasing and invasive, inappropriate, indecent questions we’d likely receive from a handful of gossips, friend and foe alike, but especially Fenn.  The man had a way for knowing precisely how best to get under your skin, and had an absolute field day with it.  Besides, sneaking around was fun; at least for now.

When I didn’t immediately respond to his unspoken request for attention, he moved to rest his chin on my shoulder, deviously ghosting his lips over my neck as his hands crept down towards my hips and underneath my blouse.  I inclined my neck to give him better access, but was not anticipating…

"Mmhmm...Toa, if you keep doing that you're gonna leave a mark,"  I warned.

“Ah….ack!  Toa, what are you doing?”  I questioned as he continued his pursuit, all intentions of studying clearly forgotten.

                                                                                    “Mmm...I need...you.” He panted between rough mouthed kisses, slowly maneuvering us to the couch that was at the center of the room.  How we didn’t manage to trip over something with how intent he was on making a snack of my neck was beyond me.  Without his usual grace, he flopped onto the furniture, then pulled me onto his lap to continue his pursuit.

He shot me a pointed look before proceeding to affix himself to my neck like a freaking lamprey.

“Fuck!  Toaaaa!”  I winced.  “Are you trying to out us or something?”

He pulls back, smirking like the Cheshire cat, then rubs soft circles with his thumb over what I assume to be a pretty large hickey.  “That’ll teach Avari to keep his hands off what does not belong to him.”  

I glared right back, although it was incredibly hard to stay mad at him while I was still straddling the man, that devilish look on his face, those long navy blue lashes that kissed his cheeks like a butterfly with each blink of his eyes….Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous?

“Toa…” I start in a warning tone.  “You do know there’s no way you’re getting this past Sherry, right?  Not to mention that once Letty knows, Fenn knows.”

The blue haired man waves his hand nonchalantly.  “Once they know, you can be properly protected from Guy and Fenn.  They’ll be annoying for a while but…no, wait, Fenn is always annoying, and Guy is...”

“The bane of your existence?”  I grin, pressing a kiss to his nose.  “Okay, but you owe me for this.  I would have preferred to tell my friends on my own terms and deal with the chaos later, not everything all at once.”

“Okay, I know the two of you are…involved?  But…gwrrr…okay, technically you’re already in Toa’s private room.  This is going to take some getting used to.”

“Urk!”

Knight chooses now, of all times to enter the music room with the tea trolley.  Thankfully he is only pushing it rather than handling something fragile, because if he had, it would likely be in pieces on the floor.

***

***

I shook my head, setting my tray down in the spot next to her.  “Nope.  Had some trouble with Guy in the library earlier.  Toa had me hide out with him in the music room for a bit to evade him and blow off some steam.”

As usual, Rio had insisted on the usual gang having dinner together, so I made my way to the dining hall after my intensive makeout study session with Toa.  Lynt was nearly sleeping in his soup, while a frantic Tino attempted to arouse him enough to get some food in him.  Sherry was animatedly telling Rio about a magical accident that had befallen some poor unfortunate soul in her potions class earlier, while Rio was absolutely shoveling bread and some sort of roast meat into his mouth.

“There you are!”  Sherry exclaimed.  “I was beginning to worry about you.  Tough lesson?”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” The Invidian princess shot me a knowing look, her golden eyes twinkling with mirth.

I sputtered.  “It’s Toa.  We had some tea and cookies, and he reviewed a couple things with me.  Nothing happened.”

She giggled.  “Are you sure about that, Lysandra?”

Rio, dear sweet clueless Rio, suddenly looks up from his meal to form a rather delicate question.  “Say Lys, did you get bit by a mosquito or something today?  You have a big red mark on your neck.”

“Uh…mate…” Thoma, bless him, attempts to put an end to this awkward conversation, but it’s too late.

“Not unless mosquitoes are six feet tall and have blue hair,” Sherry says through a fit of laughter as she pulls a tell-tale strand of blue hair from my collar.  “Rio!  That’s a hickey!”

“A what now?”  

Poor Rio.  Poor me.  My face must be on fire by now.  Tino blushes just as furiously, but refuses to comment on the situation.

“A love bite, Rio!  Surely you must know what that is?”

Lynt chooses now, of all times to look up.  “Lysandra has a paramour?”  *Yawn*  “Mmh.  Well, as long as you’re happy together.”

“Lys is courting someone?”  Rio asks with a confused look on his face.  “But when would she even find the time?  If she isn’t with us, you’re usually holed up with Toa in the music room, aren’t you?”

“Ah.  So that’s why he’s been in such a good mood lately,”  Lynt remarks, smiling softly.  “You’re good for him.”  

“Wait…so you and Toa?”  Rio finally gets it.  “But that mark…Toa’s the prim and proper sort.  I can’t imagine him doing that sort of thing.”

“Ahhh, but that’s love for ya,”  Thoma reassures him.  “Toa must be absolutely smitten.”

I sigh in defeat.  There’s no getting out of this one.  “He caught Guy harassing me in the library.  Toa’s a bit…”

“Possessive?” Sherry is positively beaming.

I grimace, absentmindedly covering the mark with my palm.  “I was going to say territorial, but that works too.  Especially when it comes to Guy.”

“Those two do get on like a fox in a henhouse,” Rio murmurs in agreement.  “I’m glad it’s Toa though.  I would be awfully fretful if you were stepping out with some lad who might not treat you right.”

“I for one am eager to hear about what he’s like when you’re alone together,” Sherry gives me a conspiratorial wink.  “Drinks in my room with Letty later?”

[13uswntimagines]

Cutie Pie (Christen x Reader)

Request: christen x reader one? Maybe where the reader has a child (1-2 years old) and the Team doesn't know. Reader and her child are at a game right behind the bench and the kid accidentally drops his paci down to the bench and the teammates there interact with them without knowing that it's christens girl? Reader also is really tall and fit and a tomboy!

“Alright half-pint, you ready for this?” You asked the little girl in your arms, bouncing her just a touch as you stepped through the stadium gates. 

“Yeah, Mama!!!” She cheered around her pacifier, staring around the stadium in awe and wiggling excitedly. 

You were happy that she loved coming to games so much, as they were kinda a big part of your life. You weren’t quite sure what you would do if she didn’t. She was your soul and a certain soccer player had your heart, and you were glad that you didn’t have to choose between the two. 

You smiled indulgently down at her and kissed her slightly chubby cheeks. “I’m glad baby,” 

She wiggled again, her little bounces getting more and more wild with every step you took in the stadium. You hadn’t really planned on having Riley, but now you couldn’t imagine your life without her and her wonder at everything around the two of you.

“Chris?” She asked as you passed a giant poster of the national team, pointing towards where your favorite forward’s blinding smile was blown up 100 times its normal size. 

You would be forever grateful for how amazing your girlfriend was with your daughter. 

She came into your life nearly a year and a half ago, and you had been extremely reluctant to introduce her to your 6 month old (You didn’t want either of them to get attached before you knew it would work out), but Christen took the role of parent very seriously. She treated your little girl like she was her own, and the two had an unbearable bond. You knew that even if things didn’t work out the way you wanted them to, Riley would always have a friend in the forward. 

“You bet. I’m sure she’s super excited to see you!” You said, glancing down at your ticket to and looking for the right section, navigating through the crowd without issue (something you were used to considering how private you and Chris were about your relationship, the only person on the team who knew about you was Tobin). 

“She score?” Riley questioned, her pacifier bobbing adorably in her mouth and her little eyebrows furrowing. 

“I’m sure she will, just for you kiddo,” You smiled, blowing a raspberry into the little girl's neck, and earning a giggle. “Now, do you think you can help me count the rows so we can get to our seats?” You asked as you passed under the sign with your section number and the pitch came into view. 

Riley nodded, puffing her little chest up. She may only be 2, but you and Christen had been working hard on her colors and numbers. She still needed help, but she was super smart for her age. 

“Alrighty then baby, let’s go,” 

*****

The team wasn’t usually this distracted. They were a group of highly competitive women who were at the top of their game, which meant that they could usually block out all of the noise from the stadium, even if it was just warmup. However, the cutest kid they had ever seen was sitting just behind the bench, being held by a very attractive lady. 

“Oh my gosh, have you seen the little girl?” Kelley asked, slinging an arm around Christen and Tobin’s shoulders, nodding towards the toddler in the stands. 

A gooey smile (something that didn’t go unnoticed by Tobin) broke across Christen’s face the second she saw her two favorite people. She noted how you had dressed the little one in the jersey she had gotten her for Christmas, a bold 23 visible every time she flashed her back towards the field. There was just something about having a part of herself visible (something tangible) on the girl she thought of as a daughter. “Yes, she’s absolutely adorable in that jersey,” 

She wiggled her fingers at the little girl who squealed excitedly and waved back. Her mom wrapped a protective arm around her belly to prevent her from accidentally wiggling under the guardrail. 

“Too bad it’s got Press’ number on it” Megan laughed, wrapping her arm around Christen’s other side, nudging the woman’s ribs. Christen rolled her eyes and shot the little girl another little wave, giggling when she bounced wildly in her mother’s arms (Christen might have also greatly appreciated the way the girl's reaction forced you to flex to prevent her from falling). 

“And her mom doesn’t look too bad either,” Ashlyn added, wiggling her eyebrows. 

The woman behind the little girl was tall, and the black ink that swirled up her arms only served to make her muscles more visible (Christen would call her drool-worthy after she finally told the team she was dating her). 

“You’re married, remember?” Ali grumbled, slapping her wife in the stomach. 

“Yeah, but If I wasn’t…” Ashlyn shrugged, cackling when Ali hit her harder. Christen frowned, suppressing a sneer. You were hers, even if the team didn’t know yet. 

Tobin smirked, gently grabbing her training outfit to prevent her from moving forward. “Come on, you can go flirt later. We have to get changed for the game,” She laughed towards Ashlyn, subtly pulling Christen towards the tunnel. 

The rest of the group laughed and followed after them. There would be plenty of time to say hi to the small child later after they had won. 

The forwards still sent another small wave towards the toddler clearly frowning now that her favorite person was walking away (she also may have winked your way just for kicks). 

*****

You could tell that Riley was having a blast. Her little hands wrapped around the bars of the railing so she could be as close to the action as possible. She waved to every player as they passed her (no matter how many times they did) and giggled exuberantly every time they waved back. 

It seemed that the team on the bench was far more interested in making your little girl laugh than watching the game (and you could only imagine how it would be when they finally realized that one of their teammates was basically her second mom). 

“Babe, you gotta stay a little away from the edge alright?” You said softly, tapping her shoulder when her little head went just a little too far through the bars. 

She definitely had your tendency to get in over her head. She ignored you, too enamored by Christen darting down the field, and shooting the ball. It sailed right past the goalie’s hands and before you could grab your little one she was leaping up and down, head still through the bars screaming “Goal!!” as loud as she could around the pacifier. But her enthusiasm caused the small object to fall out of her mouth.

“Uh oh,” Riley said, turning to you, her bottom lip trembling. 

You scooped her up, and she immediately nuzzled into your neck. “It’s ok babydoll,” you murmured into her hair, bouncing her and looking over the railing.

You leaned over the side, only to see one Kelley O’Hara holding your daughter's pacifier and rubbing her head. “Lose something?” She asked, quirking an eyebrow up at you. 

“Sorry, she got a little excited,” You said blushing a little bit. A little smirk graced Kelley’s lips you looked absolutely adorable with some red in your cheeks and paired with the backward cap it made you practically irresistible. 

“Don’t we all when Pressy scores a goal?” Megan winked up at you, wiggling her fingers at your little girl when she peeked up from your shoulder. 

“That’s fair, but she’s a very big fan,” You smiled, bouncing the little girl in your arms and blowing a raspberry just under her chin. 

“Well in that case, why don’t you two come down on the field? You know, so we can return this?” Ashlyn asked, grabbing the pacifier out of Kelley’s hand and jingling it a little. 

“What do you think babydoll?” You whispered into your daughter’s ear, as she was suddenly too shy to look at the soccer players who she had been interacting with not even minutes ago. 

“Wanna go,” she mumbled into your neck, just loud enough for the girls on the ground to hear. Kelley smiled wildly. “Well, little miss speaks after all!”

“Come to the stairs and we’ll get security to let you down. The games about to be over anyway,” Megan said, pointing towards where a little stairway was located. 

You nodded and headed in that direction, unaware of Christen’s furrowed eyebrows on the field. 

*****

“Oh my gosh, that kid is freaking adorable,” Alex said, trotting up beside Christen just as the final whistle blew. Christen turned towards where Alex was looking, awing at the sight before her. 

Riley was shyly standing behind you, clutching the back of your tank top so tightly that it was pulling down the collar (simultaneously showing off some of the swirling lines she knew spread across the skin of your shoulders). 

She would peek out to get a glance at one of the soccer players vying for her attention, and then tuck back into you the second she realized they were looking at her. 

“Isn’t she?” Christen smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. She might not be biologically related to your daughter, but she was 100% her other mom. She loved that little girl so much it hurt  (even when her pigtails were crooked- you were great at a lot of things but hair certainly wasn’t one). 

“Your gooey is showing,” Tobin said, nudging the forward. Christen opened her mouth to respond but was cut of by a very excited squeal. 

“Chris!!!” It yelled, just before a little body collided with the forward’s legs. She quickly bent down to lift the little girl up, throwing her in the air before allowing her to settle on her hip. “Missed you,”

“I missed you too babydoll,” Christen said into your daughter’s hair, holding her tight. She absolutely loved her job, but one major downside was that she couldn’t take you and Riley with her all of the time. At least she had Tobin to keep her up to date most of the time since you lived in Portland, but there was absolutely nothing like holding her two favorite people in person. 

“You better at hair and clothes,” Riley mumbled into her neck, pulling back just a bit to wave her hand around her head. You tried. You really did, but there was a reason you always kept your hair short. You weren’t into bows and frilly things, but your little girl absolutely loved them. So you did your best and were very grateful that Christen was so good with that kind of stuff. 

Christen threw her head back and laughed “I know baby,”. She rubbed Riley’s belly “Did you enjoy the game?” 

“Yeah, you score goal for me and mama,” Riley cheered and kicked her leg as if recreating the goal. Christen laughed again and began walking in your direction. “That’s right. I scored just for my favorite girls,” 

“Hey I scored too you know, and I want some baby bear hugs,” Tobin said, appearing over Christen’s shoulder. 

Riley wiggled wildly in Christen’s arms, practically throwing herself at her favorite aunt. “Aunt Toby!!” She yelled as Tobin dramatically spun her in circles. 

Christen watched the two with a wide smile, only looking away when she felt a presence beside her. 

“Hey superstar, you looked amazing out there,” your smile was evident in your voice as you wrapped your arms around Christen’s waist from behind, kissing her ear and resting your head on her shoulder. 

She signed happily and leaned back into you for a second, before spinning in your arms. “Hey darling,” she said, leaning up and placing a kiss on your lips. 

“Wait, you know Christen?” A voice appeared very close to you, and you reluctantly pulled away from your girlfriend to look at one Kelley o’hara’s wide eyes. 

“Well she’s my girlfriend, so yeah,” Christen shrugged, leaning up to kiss you again. 

You hear Kelley and several other team members sputter, but you were far too preoccupied to actually care. That was until a little voice joined the mix. 

You pulled away when you heard little feet approaching you, squatting down to catch your very excited little girl. You stood with her in your arms, unable to stop you smile when Christen wrapped her arms around the two of you. 

“Yes baby?” Christen asked, running a hand down your daughters back to try and settle her excited wiggiling just a little. 

“Mama, mommy, we go eat with aunt Toby?” Riley asked. And Christen’s sent her an indulgent smile blinking back tears (you were happy that Tobin was so accepting and great with your babygirl). Sure Christen might not have been biologically related to her, but Riley was 100% hers.

[glassessence]

Elriel Hint and Analysis - includes analysis of Feysand & Nessian (ACOSF Spoilers)

I’m pretty new to the fandom, but I am currently obsessed with Elriel. This is my ship and I will go down with it until the day I die. As a fairly casual reader, I honestly had zero doubts the next book would be Elain’s and that the couple would be Elriel. 

Then I discovered the existence of the extra POV chapters and Azriel’s threw me in for a bit of a loop. Especially with the ending (which I genuinely believe is a red herring. I lean very heavily into the lightsinger Gwyn theory).

However, stalking Tumblr made me come across this again: 

Life and death and rebirth

Sun and moon and dark

Rot and bloom and bones

Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn. 

Love me, touch me, sing me.

And then my brain accidentally vomited an essay on the symbolism in each sister’s journey... 

Life and death and rebirth so clearly symbolise Feysand’s journey. Feyre leaves behind her life of poverty for a brand new one with Tamlin. She journeys Under the Mountain for love of him and ultimately succeeds in saving not just him, but all of them. In the process, she dies. Not just in the physical sense, but spiritually too. Feyre the human perishes, giving rise to Feyre the High Fae. In a purely physical sense, this is definitely a rebirth. But it’s stilted, incomplete. She’s the newly born phoenix - young, fragile and yet covered in the ashes of its fiery death. Her spiritual rebirth lags behind her newly changed body. Like a bird in a cage, she is trapped in Tamlin’s realm, unable to finish developing, to spread wings and fly. 

That all changes when she is whisked away to the Night Court. She learns to read and some of the ash falls from her body. She makes friends and some more ash is brushed away by the Inner Circle. The final remnants of ash are blown away by the taste of freedom and the kiss of wind, and Feyre’s rebirth is finally complete. Spiritually and physically, she is changed. She becomes Feyre the High Lady. From life back to life, she is returned through the power of love. Take note that while love is important in all the sisters’ journeys, it is the focal point and highlight of Feyre’s. She is someone who has never been loved in that wholesome, selfless way Rhysand loves her. Tamlin was possessive and abusive; Nesta was barbed and sharp. Elain was fragile and ethereal. Love was something she had never really known and consequently something she desperately, desperately needed. That’s why the phrase that symbolises her is love me.

Sun and moon and dark refers very much to Nessian. Nesta is the sun and she is burning. Has been burning for a long, long time. She is aflame, nothing but ashes inside, and her words are fire. She scalds anyone who dares approach, just as everything melts before the sun. Like Feyre, she has had her physical rebirth, but not her spiritual one. She is trapped in her own head, locked behind her own self-hatred, her own raging inferno that yields to no one. Like Feyre, she is also a phoenix, but one whose fire never stopped. In that sense, she has never died. Her spiritual rebirth is not simply incomplete; it has never happened.

Until she starts training with Cassian. Until she starts befriending Emerie and Gwyn. This is what marks the death of Nesta the human and the emergence of Nesta the High Fae. (I use the term ‘human’ loosely here, mostly as a way of conveying my point about her spiritual journey rather than the state of her physical being). She loses her solar flare, that inner blaze that was killing her and blackening her soul. She mellows from unapproachable sun to a softer moon. It’s here that she stays a while, seeming to progress and regress in her healing journey as the moon waxes and wanes. It’s not until the hiking scene that she finally breaks. She weeps despite Cassian’s expectations to the contrary. Through her tears, she finally extinguishes the long-raging fire and hatred that has been destroying her. No more blazing sun, no more wavering moon. Only darkness to cradle her, and acceptance. Through Cassian’s ceaseless efforts and her friends, her journey reaches its apex. She finally becomes Nesta the Valkyrie. 

Her journey hinges heavily upon the fact that nobody could reach her through the flames. Nobody had kept trying after getting burned again and again. Nobody except Cassian. He reaches out, time after time, even when she hurts him. Even when she burns him. Until he succeeds and touches her soul. That’s why the phrase that symbolises her is touch me.

Of course that leaves only the last line: rot and bloom and bones. I wonder who this could symbolise! Surely not the Archeron sister who is associated with roses and has a complicated romance dilemma with someone from the Autumn Court (rot) and someone else from the Night Court (bones)! Surely not!

Jokes aside, I strongly believe this line reveals Elain’s journey. If we continue thinking of the words as a progression, I think it makes a lot of sense. Keeping in mind the theme of life, death and rebirth, this is how I think of it: 

Life / Rot / stagnation, the start of the journey

Death / Bloom / change, the start of healing

Rebirth / Bones / ascendance and acceptance, the start of the future

There are several interesting things to note about the sentence: 

The word bloom is nestled among rot and bones

Elain’s two potential love interests both have strong associations with those words

I’ll address each point as we delve into Elain’s analysis. 

Let’s start with Elain the human. As previously established, this is when the character is at their worst, blind in the dark before the dawn. I see this as Elain’s forced transformation by the Cauldron. Everything she knows is ripped away from her and her marriage crumbled to dust. She is thrust into a world both unknown and at war. She emerges changed and cursed with powers she cannot control and does not understand. Her life, once a slow-blooming flower, has just rotted into nothing. She is lost, confused and deeply depressed. Her physical rebirth may be complete, but her spiritual rebirth cannot begin until she gathers the shattered pieces of herself back together.

This happens slowly. So slowly, in fact, that it’s hard to notice and easy to dismiss. She befriends Nuala and Cerridwen. Begins gardening again. Talks to the Inner Circle and buys them gifts for Solstice. Slowly, so very slowly, she is starting to piece herself back together. Off-page, she quietly unravels Elain the human and emerges from her cocoon as Elain the High Fae. Like a wilted flower that has dropped its petals, a new season has come, bringing with it new buds. She is blooming, opening herself to new possibilities for companionship, love and for a new self to rise to the surface. But blooms are fragile, newly born things. Elain hasn’t dealt with the full force of her trauma, of her lifelong lack of choice (I’m not going to delve into this as there are so many amazing analyses out there!). She is a trembling fawn, still trying to learn how to walk.

But her spiritual rebirth will remake her. Bones. It’s so different from the previous two words that it really leaves an impact. Blooms rot and fade. Flesh breaks and dies. But bones are strong, the frame that holds up our entire beings. Bones are unyielding and solid, taking no other shape like blood nor bruising like flesh. I see this as Elain standing up for herself, unswayed by external forces that have always governed her life and breaking away from the fragile flower people have always thought she was. By cutting away the rotting flesh, she will reveal the backbone beneath and ascend as Elain the Kingslayer/Seer. 

Of course, closely tied to each sister’s personal growth arc is her love interest. For me, I don’t see it going any other way than Azriel. 

SJM chose rot not only to represent the ‘life’ section of Elain’s personal journey, but also to represent Lucien. He has connections to the Autumn Court, a season that is often associated with decay and rot, but also with harvest and bounty. Highlighting the negative aspects of autumn invokes a strong sense of wrongness. Lucien is not right for her. Not to say anything bad about his character; he’s just not right for Elain. His presence in the books eats away at her newfound boldness; he rots away the path she is trying to carve for herself. 

On the other hand, Azriel is closely tied with death, with blood and bones and shadow. He’s not only Rhys’ spymaster, he’s also his torturer. His association is with bones, a word that invokes a sense of everlasting, of persevering beyond death. Bones is also used to describe the ‘rebirth’ section of Elain’s personal growth arc, the final aspect that leads to ascendance, and acceptance of one’s past and present. Meanwhile, bloom represents Elain herself and the ‘death’ portion of her story, the aspect that heralds change and healing. 

Rot, bloom and bones represent both her personal journey and her love interests. It’s all intrinsically linked. Lucien is ‘life’ and stagnation, Elain is ‘death’ and change, and Azriel is ‘rebirth’ and acceptance. As a progression, this is how I interpret the sentence: 

By rejecting the bond with Lucien, she is stepping into herself and forging something everlasting with Azriel.

Lastly, let’s not forget that the phrase symbolising her is sing me. This didn’t make much sense to me until I read Azriel’s bonus POV. In it, he confesses to Gwyn that he does sing. Why include this if it’s not a subtle callback to this prophetic paragraph in ACOMAF? It feels like a treat to hardcore fans who like finding all the little connections (since they’re the ones most likely to have read the bonus chapters). The fact that Gwyn also sings signals to me there’s an important plot point regarding song. Maybe homegirl Elain will be forced to throw a hardcore metal concert to save Az XD Wouldn’t that be a plot twist HAHAHA. 

I don’t know when SJM started planting seeds for Elriel in any serious capacity, so perhaps I am reading WAY too much into this. Either way, I am super keen for the next book!

Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts! I am desperate for Elriel right now hahaha. Thanks for reading! 

OH, BUT ONE MORE THING. 

The greetings are really interesting. Sweet thing obviously refers to Feyre. Lady of night and princess of decay are clearly meant for Nesta. 

Fanged beast and trembling fawn are left for Elain. It’s easy to write this off as being about her LI and herself, respectively, but I don’t know. The sentences build upon each other. A single moniker grows to two - the first separated by a comma, the second expanding to use an and. It’s something you see a lot in poetry, generally used to emphasise a point. I’m not entirely sure what the point is; it might just be a nice writing flourish, but wouldn’t it be interesting if both those statements were referring to Elain herself? Wouldn’t it just be juicy? 

[squidwen]

Match Up #4

⚡️Sebek Zigvolt⚡️

For the lovely @sugarandmelody

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Your rambunctious and escapist personality have this royal retainer not knowing which way to look! Of course, you can’t expect a relationship with this man to be a walk in the park, but you definitely will be able to hold your own.

First of all, your protective nature is something he’s drawn to like a moth to flame. He relates a lot to you when it comes to wanting to protect those he admires, so be prepared if he corners you one day and asks demands you train with him to refine your fighting skills. Perhaps he can turn you into Malleus’s next retainer? But if you play around by adding dance moves to your attacks, expect him to scold you while blushing bright red.

(BONUS: Lilia will be howling with laughter from the ceiling beams. Don’t be surprised if the mischievous fae orders Sebek to dance with you in those moments. It would then be your turn to play teacher since Sebek is not used to loose and gentle movements!)

Furthermore, if you ever are in a situation where you’re about to battle someone for dissing your friends, expect Sebek to be there quick as lightning to defend you. But…if you defend him…oh my word… He would be blown away. Being half-human as he is, Sebek is still strong thanks to his fairy genes. So to see a complete human, such as yourself, weaker than he is, not even hesitate to protect those closest to them, has him questioning all his morals. Aren’t humans supposed to be greedy and pathetic? Wait… does this mean you’re not human? Put simply, you enrich Sebek and slowly start to deconstruct all the prejudiced assumptions he’s developed from being told stories of the fae-human war.

I also think that, despite his propensity to scold and nag people, he does take great solace in your jokey and friendly demeanour. You counter-balance his harshness. He may question interrogate you on your past, since you always are so jovial whenever telling your anecdotes. He loves seeing you laugh and smile, and he’s extremely interested in the customs of other cultures. The only time he would draw the line would be if you used self-deprecating jokes. As your partner, he has duties to you now: to dote on you and uphold your dignity and wellbeing. You yourself are no exception. He would immediately challenge you speaking ill of yourself and lecture you on how you’re only giving other people permission to say the same things. He won’t abide it.

And your fondness of literature is a deal-breaker. Sebek claims he only reads for the sake of deepening his cultural understanding, but I bet he totally gorges on fairy tales! Reading offsets the stress of having to defend Malleus, much like your bubbliness makes him less austere. If you’re interested in a particular author or genre, expect him to pay frequent trips to the school library to get books he thinks the two of you would like. And as someone who likes to criticise things, Sebek would love it if you could share your thoughts on the things you read. You’ve already broken down so many perceptions he had of humans, so he’s intrigued to hear everything you have to say.

Finally, if you injure yourself in any way, shape, or form, expect to be given an earful by Sebek. How are you so accident-prone? Should you be wrapped in cotton wool just in case? His words may be harsh, but his touch less so. Since he’s a trained guardsman, he’s also practiced in healing (in case the battlefield demanded it). Expect every scrape to be dressed with upmost care. But if you hurt yourself training with him/if he hurts you, he’ll panic. It’s his job to protect you! You might have to calm him down and tell him you’re okay. And if you get back up and say you want to continue, he’ll praise you on your tenacity and progress.

All in all, it’s a solid match. The pair of you are like yin and yang, two sides of the same coin. After all, a partner is supposed to be your ‘other half’; someone who accepts all of you while showing you things you’ve never seen before, and that’s just what you are to Sebek. You present him with an outlook on life completely foreign to what he’d originally perceived, and you are the pause in the midst of all the turmoil that’s demanded of him.

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Thank you so much for commissioning me!

Reblogs, comments and likes are forever appreciated and my commission info can be found here

[interact-if]

Final day of interviews! Last but not the least... the talented Aalaa!! :chinhands:

Aalaa, author of Thrill Seeker

Religious Diversity Month Featured Author

Upon coming back to the family home from college, you find the corpse of your mother mutilated almost beyond recognition. Apart from the terrible scene, there is seemingly no evidence found by the police and no suspects are brought up.

The lack of answers is driving you crazy, and so you set out to find out who has killed your mother yourself. This job will be difficult– there will be friends that can help you along the way, but some of them have darkness that runs through them bone deep, and to trust the wrong person can be deadly.Still, if you can find it in yourself to trust them… or to simply look past your own judgement– you might be able to romance them, as well.

There is corruption all around you– make sure you know who to trust. Make sure you can trust yourself.

Will you be led into corruption, yourself?

Thrill Seeker Demo | Read more [here]

Tags: horror, mystery

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

Q1: Tell us a bit about your project! 

My project is Thrill Seeker, a modern horror/mystery game. You play as a normal, albeit burnt out student that has just come back from college to have a small holiday with their mother, but then finds that she has been brutally murdered. When you call the cops, their investigation is unsatisfactory and they find nothing. At the funeral, you are united with some people who may be able to help you-- but the corruption runs deep, and you don’t know who you can trust. Indeed, right now, even you aren’t trustworthy. 

The story explores how you take your fate into your own hands and make all the wrong decisions. The line between black and white fades, and all you can do is stare at the puddle of gray in front of you. You decide your own morals, you decide what becomes right or wrong.

Q2: Why did you settle for interactive fiction? What drew you to this format? 

There are a few reasons I gravitated towards interactive fiction. One could be that I’ve always been interested in writing. I’ve been making small video games since I was very young, and so I’ve tried a bunch of different forms of game making. Mostly, I’ve stuck to 2D, but it was getting kind of boring, and I was stumped for ideas. When I found interactive fiction, I was just blown away, and I knew I wanted to change the way I made games. 

I think I love it so much because it feels like a new life. Every new character, every choice, it’s like writing your life again. Maybe one could call it escapism, but I feel like it’s more about the thrill of the choice. There’s something about taking control of the narrative that is very exciting, not only as a consumer, but as a creator, too. I love the feeling of both knowing what’s coming next, but knowing that it’s something I designed, a fate I created. It’s better than any other format of game in it’s uniqueness.

Q3: How have your identity and beliefs influenced your work? 

I think my identity has rubbed off in every single aspect of my writing. I'm most used to writing fantasy, mostly for the fact that’s what I’ve been raised with. I find themes in my writing that I can see in the stories my mother read to me as a child. I am welcoming to others like I have been taught. 

Anything I didn’t have then, I do now. The representation I didn’t see in the stories of my childhood, I now write them myself. I hid my personality when I was younger, but now I represent it, and I put a little of myself into every word I write, every character I create, every scene I draw out. I have the opportunity to do what I want and to show the aspects of myself that I haven’t always gotten the opportunity to, and I think that’s the biggest way my identity has changed my work-- it has given me strength and the bravery to continue what I love.

Q4: What aspects would you like to be more explored or represented in media involving your religion? 

When looking at media representation, there is almost none for muslims, and all of the ones that exist are typically stereotypical and demeaning. I also see them always kind of having a bad relationship with their family and parents, something that they try to ‘break away’ from. And it almost feels like they have a blueprint for the ‘regular muslim’-- but there are so many different types of muslims, and they can’t fit under one bubble. I would like more muslims of colour (other than the usual pale brown), more muslims in fields that aren’t science related, and more muslims who are secure in themselves and their relationships. I want to see muslims be treated with respect and kindness, just like anyone else. 

Q5: What are you most excited about sharing related to your project? 

I'm looking forward to establishing the different ways that the main character interacts with the ROs. I see in many interactive fiction stories the ROs are kind of separate-- they don’t influence the RO a lot. However, I want to write a story where your personality actually changes with your RO. Maybe they make you more deranged. Maybe they make you more calm. It’s really up to the character, and I think it’ll be very interesting to write about the point where control starts to fall into someone else’s hands.

Q6: A tiny bit unrelated, but, what's your favorite religious holiday? 

My favorite holiday, by far, is Eid. I look forward to it all year. It’s a time that I get to share with my loved ones, a time that I can really be closer to them. It gives us all a break from hardships and allows us to celebrate! All aspects of Eid are wonderful-- the colors, the clothes, the food… the list goes on. Eid is a time of brightness and giving, like a rainbow christmas! Eid is a day that makes me feel that I can unapologetically be myself, and I wear my culture and personality like a badge of honor. It makes me feel human, the kind of humanity where you realize you are one in a web of extraordinary beings who are just intricately designed as you are, the kind of people that are just as worth celebrating as you are. It reminds me to love. 

Q7: Any other thoughts or advice you'd like to give to fellow authors or readers? 

To my fellow authors, I would say to find a community that supports you. It doesn’t just have to be writers-- just someone that can help motivate you. I myself like to rely on my family to encourage me to keep going, as well as a few other talented writers that inspire me to keep working on improving. Having someone as an example and having someone to encourage you is priceless, and so you should definitely look for a community that supports you. 

To my readers, thank you so, so much for coming along this journey with me. You are a community I can rely on, and your support is what keeps me going. I was in a bit of a rough patch before writing this story, but now that I’ve started I’ve gotten so much encouragement and I’ve been a lot happier. Thank you so much for everything, and I hope you enjoy the development of the game!