#its feels scary but heartwarming at the same time

[gomzreblogfr]

I forgot my followers, or rather; the internet have people of different ages so whenever someone bring up their kids I be like

O right we’re not all 22

[lynn-tged-posting]

tged webtoon ep 165 spoilers and thoughts below the cut that im not terribly late on this time yippee!

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what if i went up to you and stared at you like this

HAHAHAHAHAAA I LOVE THIS PANEL SO SO MUCH

ive been sending this on like all my socmeds and to all my mutuals/irls. im tormenting them with it it's just so fucking cute and silly . puppy dog eyes javier. pleading emoji. he's just so fucking silly ALKJDFLSDKF HELL I MADE IT MY DISCORD PFP ITS SO GOOFY I LOVE IT SM HAHAHA CUTE CUTE CUTE

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

silly panels aside back to the top!

lloyd. stop hurting me oh god he looks so tired and gaunt and,,, lifeless. it HURTS seeing him like this, the life he once had just,,, stripped from him.

LIKE I WANTED TO SEE HIM WITH HIS HAIR DOWN AND MESSY BUT NOT LIKE THIS BRUH WHAT THE HELL SOB SOB SOB

the invitation oh my god. its so silly goofy but also so so personal its cute as hell its stupid looking but in the most affectionate way possible. the people of the estate really REALLY care about him and god idek if lloyd realizes that bc literally just after this, he apologizes to everyone for not being able to things for them anymore

not even able to get back up to get back to the bed GOD I FEEL SICK

but it doesnt matter anymore whether or not lloyd can still protect them, the estate has come to care for him so much , its not his protection they want they just fucking love him and he doesnt realize that i feel so fucking ill. lloyd i need you to open your eyes and look at this beautiful land, this beautiful home you've built with your own two hands. ITS NOT OVER YET PLEASE GOD ITS NOT OVER

and then lloyd without second thought chooses javier to live. because he really thinks hes just an extra getting in the way, a burden, a bug that shouldnt be there. so he thinks its fine if he, as a side character, is the one that dies SOMEONE PUNCH ME.

he looks so fucking SMALL. alone and in the dark IM GONNA EXPLODE INTO TEN BILLION PIECES. who wrote this fuckass program. SWEAR TO GOD IM COMIN DOWN TO FIX IT MYSELF GOD DAMMIT

AND THEN THE SYSTEM TEXTBOX COMING IN IM SO GRATEFUL PLEASE HELP HIM SOB SOB SOB

im super duper heartwarmed to see that whoever is running the blue textbox is on suho's side. it has never been impartial, huh,,, it just wants to see his wish come true. ooogh my heart.

lloyd looks,,, strangely peaceful here. is he like, paused rn? im not really sure what the system box is up to, but hopefully thisll delay anything from happening while javier is concocting his plan,,,

speaking of!

FATE KICKING IN LIKE TEN TIMES WORSE IS SO DAMN SCARY. THE MULTIPLE GIGATITANS OH GODDD im so fucking terrified. javier please hurry!!! he looks rlly cool on draggy here hehe

I THINK JAVIER AND ALICIAS EXCHANGE TOO IS SO FUCKING HILARIOUS. alicia, upon only seeing javier, immediately is suspicious of lloyd scheming something. she thinks the two of them are plotting again, hence the "what are you up to".

the problem is that it's just javier on this plan. there is no lloyd directing him, so javiers reaction is SO silly fun bc i. dont think he thinks of himself as being. scheming?? bc he seems SO confused at alicia's skepticism here HADLFKJSDLFKJ ITS SO FUNNY

I REALLY THINK JAVIER WAS GENUINELY A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY ALICIA WAS QUESTIONING HIM PLEAAASEEE

i think javier believes he's just going about business as usual. doing what he can to protect his lord, as he does, all the time, the usual. sure that involves getting an angel to ask the queen for the eye of summer, but that's certainly not plotting on the same scale that lloyd does. javier isnt a schemer. he just does whats necessary to protect the one he cares about the most. hence his goofy innocent puppy eyes, because its not like hes "up" to anything. idk how accurate this assessment is, so pls correct me if im wrong, but I LOVE IT A LOT HES JUST SO FUCKING DEDICATED I LOVE U JAVIER MVP!!!!!

and then raphie shows up yay!! EXCEPT HELP WHY DID HE GET SUCKED BACK IMMEDIATELY WHAT THE HELL he was so underprepared. poor guy. getting thrown around like this sob sob

ALICIA ASKING IF THIS IS SMTH JAVIER KNEW ABT OR IF THEY WERE PLANNING SOMETHING AND THEN JAVIER BEING GENUINELY FUCKING SHOCKED HELP MEEEE "maybe its not a prank...?" LMFAOOOOO

i mentioned this in the last ep post but like. again javier wears his heart on his sleeve he's so fucking protagonist its unreal. hell, not even on his sleeve, he has his heart out on his damn palm sob sob

i think he's shocked here bc he didnt expect raphaels call to play out like that, he prolly thought theyd issue it more seriously. the issue with this being so half-hearted is now alicia isnt absolutely certain that this is the will of the heavens, so she's less inclined to follow along. it doesnt help that her board of nobles (seriously why does she keep these bozos around they just keep yapping) are arguing back and forth abt whether or not to listen. this is kind of a little wrench in the smoothness of the plan... everything now hinges on alicia's whim now.

anyway two more panels javier being menacing/blunt as hell and alicia thinking on her throne,,, god they are so fucking. awesome i love them so much

anyway that is ALL! for this week! the episode felt a little bit slow to be honest, but i think that's because the events of this ep are little things that build up to whats next, so i dont mind it at all (especially since the last couple of eps have been super fast lately)! i really really enjoy this buildup and im super excited to see what happens next,,,

see yall next week! lloyd please be okay! or ill cry! like for real!

[mythicalgeek]

The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance is a tragically underrated work of art.

If your a fan of fantasy like Lord of the rings, Harry Potter and Star Wars please give The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance a watch.

Its a prequel series to the 80s movie and it's one of the best fantasy shows in recent years and goes back to classic fairytales and mythical storytelling.

Everything is mostly done with practical effects and only uses CGI where it's really necessary. The show also brings back puppetry and even though none of the character's are humans there's more humanity in this show than most media we get today.

The world of thra is a magical and strange place that you find yourself immersed in, with all the creatures and beuaty of the natural world at full display you find yourself encanted by it.

The gelfings are really adorable and you can't help but care about them, the main three protagonists have well flushed out personalities and each one has a interesting journey they go on that lead them to start the resistance and the quest to save there world.

The Skekies are really creepy and make for some pretty great villains. There motivation and interactions are giving just as much time as the heros, they rule thra with cruelty and manipulation, stealing the live force of the planet and the then the gelfing. There some of the most terrifying villains we've gottan in the last few years and I gotta say, I was absolutely horrifying by them.

This show does a lot of things right and one of them is how it writes the female characters. Deet and Brea (the two female leads) are very feminine heroines who are kind, empathetic, intuitive, clever and strong without it being showed in our faeces. Even when the female characters are warriors or soldiers there femininity is not devalued or see as a weakness. We also have more complex characters like Seledon and the gelfing leaders (who are all female) and it's just so nice to have a fantasy show that handels the female reputation so beautifully.

At the same time the male character's are also written with the same amount of care and respect, for example Rian (the main male lead) is a soldier who after finding out the truth about the skekies, is faced with the hard challenge of spreading the truth while dealing with loss and trauma, we see plenty of moments where his aloud to be vulnerable and we see him grow into a strong leader for the resistance.

We also have Hup who even though he is a side character, is a lovable podling who steals every sence he's in. He dreams of becoming a hero and has such a heartwarming friendship with Deet it's hard not to love him and want more of him.

All the relationships between the gelfing feel so intimate and pure, wheater there familial, platonic or romantic the show gives us so many beautifully written relationship and dynamics, that add to the emotional core of the story.

There's also some political drama with the gelfling clans and the skekies as they try to hold on to there power, it's done in a way that both kid's and adults can follow.

The action is surprisingly good for show with only puppets, we have sowrd fights, flying gelfings dropping booms, wild carriage rides and it's really exciting and done well.

There is only 1 season unfortunately but it's still worth the watch, I do have to warn everyone that there is a lot of scary and truely horrifying moments so if your sensitive maybe give this a pass, but there's a balance between the dark and whimsical and there's so many funny and sweet moment's that allow you two catch your breath.

This series is a hidden gem in the world of fantasy and that's a dame shame because it is everything you could whant from a epic fantasy story that we just dont see a lot of anymore.

I like shows like The Witcher and Rings of power but none of those shows have captured my imagination or sense of wonder like the dark crystal aor did. I have so much love for this beautiful, weird, creepy, wonderful, magical puppet show and I wish it got more recognition for the work of art it truly is.

The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance is pure magic and deserve so much more attention. It's on Netflix so check it out if your looking for some good fantasy.

[writingquestionsanswered]

I'm currently outlining a sci-fi novel. It happens on a far future where some ecological problems are appearing, but I don't want to make it a dreadful dystopian thing in the whole story, I feel like there should be room for heartwarming moments. Do you have any advice on how to balance the stress of those big and complicated problems with moments of hope and kindness without making the external conflict feel like it's not a big deal?

I'm not sure if my English is good enough, but don't worry. I'm competent in my native language for sure.

Balancing Light Moments with Darker Themes

Even The Hunger Games--a dystopian tale where a corrupt and oppressive government forces teenagers to fight to the death in a televised event--has its lighthearted moments. In fact, even in the real world, joy and humor can find its way into the most grim backdrops. This photo of some smiling London moms taking a walk after the Blitz in World War II is a great example:

So, it's important to remember that humans are capable of joy, love, and humor in the darkest of moments. The key is to find the right time for lighthearted moments and the right timing for humor. If your characters are in the middle of a magic battle that's not going well, that's probably not a good time to have one of those moments where two love interests talk at the same time and then look away bashfully. Or, another example: in a book I read ages ago, the characters were attempting a very dangerous escape from the villain. I think a character had been lost in the face-off prior to the escape, and it was very sad and scary, but as they're escaping one character stopped to admire another character's cute purse. It was so silly and out-of-place with the mood in that moment, it pulled me right out of the story. That said, to work in your lighthearted moments, mainly look for "down time" where characters are catching their breath, maybe resting or gearing up for what's to come.

Humor, on the other hand, can usually be injected even at the worst possible moment if the timing, delivery, and character are right. I think Marvel movies do this exceptionally well. This is why it's helpful to have a character who's capable of injecting a little humor and wit when it's needed.

One other way to inject a little lightheartedness into your story is to look for "silver lining" or "on the bright side" moments. These don't have to be commented on necessarily, but they can still be shown. For example, let's say your character's city was ravaged during an attack by people from another planet. Maybe in the aftermath of the battle, after people have begun to rebuild, there are vegetable gardens where crowded city streets used to be. Or, maybe a character who lost their significant other in the battle is seen getting cozy with a character who was previously single and known to be a little bit lonely.

The key with all of these is to not overdo it. Use your gut instinct to find the right moments, and the right types of moments, to lighten things up a bit.

Happy writing!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[local-pr1nter]

Mondo Oowada Ship Dynamics

Just my opinions and personal Headcanons - if you don't like/agree with these, then please move on!

Assume these are all based in an Non-Despair AU!

Ishimondo

A classic ship. Absolute *chefs kiss*.

At this point it seems canon with the amount of shippers and fan content for these two. Don't get me wrong, I love them just as much as anyone, but even I can admit that they each have other respective ships that can be enjoyed just as much.

Anyways - Ishimondo!

Absolute dorks in love + nothing but respect and love on their parts. It takes a while for them to realize it's a romantic love instead of some brotherly bond as Taka puts it, but once they figure it out it's smooth sailing from there.

Taka encourages rational behavior and responsibilities, whilst Mondo encourages relaxation and realistic ideals. Together they're a good dynamic.

Nerd x former bully/moral compass x delinquent/rivals to lovers. A recipe for success.

Since they've been talked about to death, I won't elaborate much more on them.

But overall, they're a great couple together.

Owamiki

A FAVORITE AHHHHHHHHH

They're literally one of the sweetest pairings and it's a crime they aren't talked about enough. And yeah they never really interact like Taka and Mondo, but that one scene in the V3 Bonus Mode just kills me every dAMN TIME.

I adore them so much UGH - literally the only ship that made me wanna write fanfiction (and I did but we won't talk about that)

Anyway so timid shy girl x brash delinquent let's go.

Mondo definitely fell for her first. Thought she was a damn sweetheart from the moment he laid eyes on her - it only intensified whenever they ran into each other (ex the scene I referenced). Mondo absolutely adores her.

Mikan was oblivious to this and it took Ibuki and Mahiru pointing it out to her for her to notice. God she got so embarrassed and scared over the whole thing, thinking he was just some brute.

Ibuki was the first one to notice that Mondo actually REALLY liked her for her. And then she decided to help Mondo a bit because Ibuki is a matchmaker and I'm tired of pretending she's not.

With Ibuki's advice, Mondo is actually able to approach Mikan without shouting at her (however difficult it was) and expresses his feelings. She decides to give him a chance - after having a moment of confusion and fear once again - and agrees to go on a date.

And y'all. Mondo treats her so good. His volume is still hard to control but he goes out of his way to make her comfortable and happy and it both shocks and confuses Mikan that he actually wants to date her for her.

So they eventually get together!!!! Ibuki is very proud of herself for setting em up and constantly teases them about it.

They're the cliche highschool sweethearts you see in every movie and they're just adorable.

They adore each other - it's really sweet. Mondo thinks she's the cutest thing in the world and it takes every ounce of willpower to not squeal whenever she giggles or acts cute. Same goes for Mikan - she thinks he can be really sweet and adorable, despite his intimidating exterior. Almost like a big dog.

In public they only ever hug - PDA is too much for either of them, but on rare occasions they can be seen hugging, either Mikan hugging his midsection or Mondo wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hold her close.

Mondo is also very protective of her - he encourages her to stand up for herself as well, and doesn't butt into situations where she's got her friends to back her up. That doesn't mean he'll stand back and watch someone harass her - he will intimidate the other until they back off. Mikan doesn't support his violent tendencies at all.

OMG I REALIZED ITS THAT "BIG SCARY DOG PRIVILEGE" MEME HAHAHAHA

That's it that's their dynamic.

It gets better if Mondo's gang learns about her.

She's earned herself a pack of personal bodyguards who won't tolerate shit from anyone.

But anyways, they both stand to have a very sweet and heartwarming dynamic. Between the both of them, they have a relationship built on love, understanding, and mutual respect for one another.

Owagiri

A stoic introverted detective with the foul-mouthed biker delinquent. What more could you want?

God you know Mondo was the first to catch feelings. Albeit her initial cold exterior, Mondo wanted to know more, even after becoming friends (via Makoto), slowly turning into a crush on the mysterious detective.

Leon called him crazy for crushing on the "scary principal's daughter"

Taka and Chihiro were nothing but supportive and encouraging about the whole ordeal.

Daiyas only piece of advice was "Don't be a dick and just talk to her" Easier said than done of course.

But of course we all know his track record with other girls. The man started shouting at her again, much to his embarrassment and to Kyokos disappointment.

It only took some investigating on her end to figure out why he was acting so strange. And OH BOY WAS SHE FLABBERGASTED.

Mondo??? Likes her??? Impossible.

But as she looked at him with this whole new perspective, she slowly started to develop her own feelings. While he struggled to talk to her, Kyoko took a different approach to show her own interest. Subtle touches, faint smiles, more one on one time, subtle signs like that.

It slowly went like that until they both had a talk about their relationship. Then they agreed to give it a shot!

And my god it was a weird change.

Two people, infamous for hiding their emotions from others. Sounds like a disaster. And yet, they slowly start to adapt and change together.

They're both very quiet about the relationship, still trying to adjust and go about it at their own pace.

They're both very shy about any sort of affection or intimacy, finding it difficult to initiate. Although Kyoko quickly discovered she likes to play with Mondos hair when it's freshly washed and down.

That slowly evolved into cuddling sessions - Kyoko playing with his hair while Mondo simply enjoys her company. It only grows from there.

They're pretty casual about the relationship the more they lean into the whole idea, but they've grown pretty close - as friends and as partners.

Despite their initial setbacks, they actually make a sweet couple. Kyoko acts as the voice of reason, whilst Mondo shows Kyoko how to loosen up a bit and enjoy their school life.

Their dynamic is essentially rivals to lovers (if you count THH ch. 2/a non despair AU where their personalities just conflict) and/or badass/stoic person (Kyoko) x person who thinks that's the coolest thing ever and adores them very much (Mondo)

It's honestly a very mature relationship - built on lots of communication and learning from each party. Of course, no relationship could work without communication or understanding. With both parties being Kyoko and Mondo, once they get past both their setbacks and misunderstandings, they have potential to be a power couple. And even if it doesn't work out in the end, they would still have a strong friendship after the fact. A brain x brawn duo always has the potential to be a strong dynamic.

CRIME FIGHTING DUO FOR THE WIN BABYYYYYY

[thenewblackcanvas]

could you do something for seungmin😣 I know it’s scary time but could you do a fluffy one?? Halloween fluffy???

plz I just need more min

a/n: This was supposed to be fluffy(and it is) but it definitely wasn’t how it turned out haha I had a prompt I still wanted to use for seungminnie and it just became...well, yeah. I'll put the prompt I used at the end to avoid spoilers.

♡ spooky season 2023 ♡

“Can you stop cheating please?”

Seungmin laughs. “I told you last year to get better.”

With a pout, you accept your fourth defeat in a row. “Fine, then can we play something else.”

He pauses taking on a sorrowful face. “It’s almost 10, we should start the movie soon.” The implication is enough so you nod without looking up, not wanting to see the look on his face.

“Yeah,” you sigh.

He tries to put on a smile though it doesn’t reach his eyes as he goes over to the extensive movie collection on the shelves. “Casper right?”

You scoff, “A little on the nose isn’t it?”

“Aww cmon. How about ‘Ghost’? 

“How about 'Ghostbusters'?” You joke, pushing him away playfully. 

“Ok ok” He laughs heartily. You take in the sight of his joy. His adorable smile and the sound of his genuine laughter. You lock the moment away in your mind for later before it makes you too sad.

Skipping over the theme of ghosts completely, you settle on ‘Warm Bodies’. Seungmin’s house was definitely the best choice this year. Not only with the movie and game selection but privacy this time. This year, your house is the site of a loud horror movie sleepover party. Way too many things and way too many people. His house was quiet thanks to other parties farther away and much more alcohol-fueled. 

Partway through the movie, something about his proximity swirls your emotions again. Close but not close enough, though too nervous to do anything about it. You fidget and squirm with the rising feelings until the arm thrown around you pulls you tighter. He brings your legs onto his lap and hugs you closer. As you look up to his face his eyes are still on the screen but he is wearing a comforting smile. You snuggle into him and you swear his cheeks redden ever so slightly.

When the movie finally finishes, you are both relieved and anxious to see its 11:32.

Usually by now you would just talk casually, dissecting the movie or laughing about how hard you jumped at every jumpscare. This time, it’s silent. You can’t bring yourself to say much after the heartwarming ending. You want to keep the feeling of the love story but how can you when you know what’s coming? The tightness in your chest is already starting.

“_____?”

Seungmin is looking at you expectantly. You don’t say anything as you see confusion and sadness as well. It’s only when he wipes away a tear from your cheek that you realize you’re crying a bit. 

You want to tell him you’re ok, that you’ll be fine. But you can’t lie like that, not right now. You think of the feelings you’ve been forced to keep to yourself and how you don’t want to long for him in silence anymore. Without a warning from your own brain you surge forward, kissing him. Understandably it takes a moment for him to comprehend what just happened but he kisses back happily. His arms tighten around you as he deepens the kiss. You put all your passion for him into it knowing you can’t express it so easily with words. A hand caresses your damp face making you both realize you are still spilling tears.

He finally pulls away for you to see he’s doing the same. You hate to see the pain in his eyes though you know now you’re feeling the exact same even more so than you thought.

As he opens his mouth to speak, he stops, eyes widening as he looks at something over your shoulder. 

“It’s almost time.”

Your heads falls forward against his chest with a sob.

“I know.” he says softly. He lets you cry for a moment, unsure of how to comfort you since he feels the same helpless sorrow. As you sniffle and sit up, he stands, letting your legs fall from his lap.

He reaches a hand out for you. As you take it, you both walk outside.

The street is quiet. No wild parties with drunk people flooding from houses are taking place in the neighborhood. It made for a calm night but now it just seems lonely. He squeezes your hand tighter indicating he feels the same.

You two walk silently into the street and as your house gets closer you fold more into his side.

He stops right in the middle bringing you in front of him so you don’t have to look at it. You rest your hands on his waist as he holds your face, giving you another half-hearted smile. It would help ease the pain a little but the tightness in your chest is getting worse. You ball your fists, grabbing his shirt with them. You know he feels it too but he keeps his brave face. 

“It’ll be alright. I’ll just be across the street.”

With all the longing that's to come, you throw yourself into his arms as the tightness begins to spread.

You hold him tight, not willing to let him go so easy. He does the same whimpering “no, no please” as he feels the pull begin. 

As the loud chimes begin to signal midnight, you feel like you're being torn apart. You grip harder, tears wetting your faces, noses running, but neither of you care. You hear his cries get louder next to your ear.

Until silence.

The pull has ceased and now you only hear faint music. You will yourself to open your eyes.

As you see the same window, you begin to wail. This spot haunts you constantly but no more than in this moment. It is where you died. The spot you bled out in. The spot you return to every year at November 1st.

With new tears, you run down the stairs and out the door. You rush to the edge of the property, falling on your knees when you can’t go any further. You shriek and sob into the night before you see Seungmin on the opposite side of the street doing the same thing. His face is just as wet as his body shakes with emotion. His glossy eyes are stuck on you as he wishes he could just walk the short distance.

You futilely raise your arm, pushing against the invisible barrier. It was no use as always.

Both stuck in the places your lives ended to suffer 364 days of the year until your lonely souls can find solace in the other once again.

Prompt: 🌙Mutual Pining trope - but they’re ghosts who haunt the houses across the street from each other and can only leave their property on Halloween night!

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour: Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann

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Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Welcome to the Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places Blog Tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This Blog Tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Synopsis:

Lucky Hart has an affinity for the supernatural, but almost no one takes parapsychology seriously. She’s estranged from her family, has lost her friends, and has been rejected from graduate school—twice. But her big break finally arrives when she gets insider info about a troubled production company. Every actor on their new show mysteriously quits after spending three nights inside Hennessee House, an old Victorian with a notorious reputation.

This May, Claire Kann, the author of The Romantic Agenda returns to the page with LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES (Berkley Trade Paperback Original; May 21, 2024), a heartwarming, fun, and thrilling supernatural romance for fans of scary stories and love stories alike. Kann’s debut was loved for its asexual representation and diversity wrapped in a delightful love story. Her newest features the same things her fans know her for but adds an unforgettable paranormal aspect.

In the book, Lucky Hart falls in love unexpectedly on the set of a paranormal investigation show. But she’s soon forced to choose feelings or career when the mansion she’s examining doesn’t want to share her attention.

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES is a sweet take on a haunted house story, giving readers a charming single-dad, workplace romance setup and highlighting the experiences of an Ace, Black heroine. If you can’t get enough Halloween all year round, or like your romance with some mystery on the side, this is the perfect novel for you.

My Rating: ★★★

*My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.

My Review:

I enjoyed this story. It was sweet and wholesome and just a tad spooky, with a plucky protagonist, a super sweet single dad, and an adorable kiddo. Plus some other really great characters I wish we'd gotten to know more about. And Hennessee House of course.

While I for the most part enjoyed reading this, it was far too long and sometimes really dragged. It took me forever to finish reading it. If it had been shorter, I think I would have enjoyed it more. There's not enough substance there to warrant the length imo.

I really liked Georgia and Xander and I wish we'd gotten more of them. They balanced out Lucky and Maverick's intense insta-love thing they had going on.

I liked the asexual representation, although it sometimes got a little preachy and didn't always 100% make sense to me. But I'm willing to chalk that up to "everyone experiences asexuality differently." That's definitely a type of queer rep we don't often get in romance books so kudos to the author for including it as an integral part of Lucky's romantic experience and not just a sidenote.

The supernatural aspect I enjoyed but found to be very confusing at times. There were multiple times while I was reading that I got tripped up and had to stop and go 'wait, what?' because suddenly I had no idea what was going on.

The first time it happened was at the very beginning when Lucky is lying to Xander and team in hopes of getting the job. She tells the reader that she's lying, but not what the truth is or why it's important for her to lie, and I never felt like the lying was necessary. Lucky doesn't always explain herself very clearly, and she sometimes assumes that people will understand things when they (and the reader) definitely don't.

It was a fun story, not too scary, with just enough supernatural elements to be really unique. I think cutting a little of the length and adding in more of Georgia and Xander could have made it even better.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

A year ago, if someone told Lucky her experience being a nanny would inevitably lead to making a ten-year-old her partner-in-crime in a sentient house, she absolutely would've believed it.

[komajordan]

Media I’ve Experienced in 2024 (February) SPOILERS

Same as last time, in order of when completed on a scale of 1-10

Clone High (2023) Season 2 (8/10)-Like a lot of people I wasn’t really on board with Clone High’s revival. If you want to know my thoughts it’s honestly a 6, it has some good jokes but it’s weighed down by more forced and obvious comedy. Season 2 however really surprised me, there were a ton of jokes I found funny, brought in some fanservice like Skunky Poo coming back and Cloney Island being fully realized, and a ton of the character chemistry works.

Bumblebee (10/10)-I never thought a solo Bumblebee movie with humans would work but it turned out to be pretty heartwarming and emotional. Charlie and Bee’s relationship felt real along with some fun action scenes.

Clone High (2002) (9/10)-I tried to watch the original Clone High back in 2022 but my memory got clouded by a lot of personal stuff at the time. So checking the original out felt like a reminder of what the show used to be. The bait-and-switch comedy is top notch, Gandhi’s prescience will always be welcome, and by God the emotional soundtrack makes a ton of scenes even funnier.

Hello Kitty:Roller Rescue (5/10)-Pretty basic beat-em-up, cute soundtrack and visuals, nothing too special. I’m probably just spoiled from playing Island Adventure.

The LEGO Movie (Rewatch) (10/10)-I watched this movie on the exact day of its 10 Year Anniversary and by God, this movie is as funny as I remember it. And after I just watched Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s other work in Clone High I can definitely tell I was spoiled from their comedy from age 8 too. The animation still looks great and I can basically recite the script from how many times I watched it in the past. While yes I’m biased, it’s a very sentimental type of bias that I can never let go.

The Lost Boys (7/10)-The Lost Boys is an old but fun movie. It captures the feeling of adolescent summer fun on the boardwalk along with the relatively small sense of horror of the vampire cult.

Us (9/10)-Back on Halloween last year I watched Get Out and I thought it was good as a psychological thriller but not really scary to me. Us on the other hand was a step-up in my opinion. The doppelgänger plot is really cool and the way the tethered family goes around terrorizing everyone felt thrilling. And man the twist, I’m not gonna spoil it but that twist felt like a complete game changer.

The Marvels (2/10)-This movie is not good but not the worst MCU movie ever. Personally I liked the interactions between Kamala, Monica, and Carol even though I’ve grown to dislike Carol overtime. But otherwise the villain is forgettable, a lot of the fight scenes are complete white-noise, and a lot of scenes are completely cringy and predictable.

Epic Career Quest (7/10)-Waking up after a Super Bowl aftermath was weird for me. I don’t know the general opinion is on this series but I found it entertaining. The characters being mismatched kind of works for me as someone who likes these types of ensembles like Drawn Together. And as a growing adult their messages about imposter syndrome and making your goals really stuck with me.

Terrifier (6/10)-I don’t know if this is a personal thing after seeing so much Invincible and Mortal Kombat but the violence here literally had no effect on me. Sure, this movie is scary but the plot kind of drags for me personally.

Terrifier 2 (8/10)-This movie is a step up in terms of scares and production value. Not to mention there’s more of a plot when the first was just a simple murder plot here it’s an extensive plot about people’s perception of Art The Clown and who he is. Where this movie falls flat for me is the sword thing, I personally thought that was an asspull and kind of out of place in a serial killer movie that a fantastical item just doesn’t fit.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Season 2 (8/10)-Moon Girl Season 1 was a fun show that does a lot of cool superhero stuff while also doing enough to stray away from Marvel to make it its own. What do I think of Season 2? It’s on the same level. Nothing really noteworthy, they still do fun things, visuals are nice, and some of the plots are interesting.

Megaman X4 (9/10)-Probably my favorite Megaman X game given what I think about future games. The gameplay is fast paced and fun, the bosses are challenging but fun too, and the transition from SNES to PS1 translated greatly. And the cutscenes exist, if you know you know.

Jujutsu Kaisen (9/10)-Yeah I decided to ride the JJK train and unlike Naruto I do understand the hype. The animation is fluent especially with the domain expansion and curse enemies. I loved characters like Gojo, Maki and Nobara from their entertaining personalities. And Where Our Blue Is will always be one of my favorite songs in anime.

Freddy Vs. Jason (7/10)-The human parts suck especially if they get in the way of crossovers. But Freddy and Jason when they show up together they make the most out of them fighting each other and killing others. Not to mention the setup that has Freddy provoking Jason to getting into Elm Street works really well.

Venom:Let There Be Carnage (3/10)-If I described this movie in one word it would be annoying. Venom is a very obnoxious character who constantly screams and complains about everything. The cliche drama between Eddie and the rest of world is insufferable. The only remotely good part of the movie is the effects on Carnage as it was done pretty well. But other than that I have no desire to watch this one again.

Re:Cutie Honey (8/10)-Kill La Kill mixed with Ghost in the Shell. I honestly thought this was animated by Trigger. But in all honesty I love the fast paced action and character moments.

Resident Evil Revelations (4/10)-Boring. The ship location gets old and I wasn’t scared even once. I honestly like RE6 more than this considering that game has a lot of variety and fun gameplay. This game is so slow and unfulfilling.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (9/10)-I love how subversive this anime is. Flipping magical girl tropes to be grim dark was a unique twist and made the characters more real than the traditional magical girl stereotype.

[phoenixfangs]

tagged by @rizaposting HOLDING UR HAND AND PRESSING MY FOREHEAD AGAINST UR SHOULDER i never get tagged in these so this is fun huehue

are you named after anyone? not technically, ive asked my parents multiple times about How they came up with me and my siblings names, but they just. didnt think very hard about it. fjkdlsjfdlas. but in a way im named after my mom, because me and saturns given names start with the same letter as our moms; my younger siblings names start with the same letter as our dads. i guess me and saturn could also be named for one of my dads uncles?? our names mixed make that uncles name. but idk im not willing to believe my dad cares that much about Anyone in his family to honor their memory through our names lawl

when was the last time you cried? i think the other day watching atla, when zuko and iroh reunite before the final battle. zuko trying to stumble through an apology and thinking iroh must hate him, but iroh just without even saying anything grabbing zuko and pulling him into a tight and tearful hug... man ;_;

do you have kids? HELL NO!!!!! im barely halfway through my 20s i should be at the club. dont want kids, never wanted kids, will never want kids. i will tolerate being my nieces and nephews cool auncle when my siblings start having kids of their own, and No More, thanks

do you use sarcasm a lot? i guess so?? its hard to gauge. i feel like most of the time i speak sincerely, but i will also throw in the occasional sarcastic quip. shrugs

what sports do you play? i dont play any sports anymore, but up until high school i played softball. i was pretty good i think! pitcher and second base. also in middle/high school i was a baton twirler for band and i guess dance competitions (i have Never thought of it as 'dance' but i guess technically i was dancing... blegh), and im gonna count that as a sport. any activity with the possibility and probability of being hit on the head by a metal rod counts as a sport to me

what’s the first thing you notice about people? probably their height. most people are taller than me but i will make an immediate note of people who are Shorter than me

what’s your eye color? grrrreen gray? i spent a few minutes staring at my eyes trying to figure out the color but all i did was strain my eyes jfldks

scary movies or happy endings? hmmmmmm i love both. i like blood and gore and guts and evil, but i also like heartwarming fluff where everything works out. i cant decide!! it just depends on my mood hehe

any special talents? i hesitate to claim i have perfect pitch because it sounds self congratulatory, but im pretty sure i have perfect pitch lmao. i cant Identify notes by name but i can recreate pretty much any note i hear, as long as its in my range. im not a good singer though lawl i dont have the technique. in the same vein, i can recreate other noises i hear pretty well, like i taught myself how to do the perry the platypus clicking sound Thing he does just by listening to it

where were you born? texas born and raised! everyone i knew growing up was a redneck or a 'cowboy church' christian

what are your hobbies? drawing, writing fanfic oneshots or rps with friends, bideo games, rewatching the same handful of tv shows and letsplays and video essays over and over again

do you have any pets? my son, my sweet bubby, apollo :> my stupid little man, hes gonna be 3 this year i think! flame point siamese kitty, dumb as rocks, currently i think hes burrowed in the sheets on my bed taking a nappy

how tall are you? 5'2", but add a couple inches because i almost exclusively wear shoes that add height, like my Big Dyke Boots i wear every day hehe

favorite subject in school? any of my electives probably, like art and music/band. in college my favorite classes i ever took were film appreciation, screenwriting, and theatre directing (which i signed up for thinking it was film directing, but it was still so fun and interesting)

dream job? honestly?? i think anything on the set of a movie or tv show would be awesome. maybe creative consultant, so that i can interject my own ideas into other peoples projects. i tend to feel my most creative when im working Around other peoples ideas tbh. all that, or lead writer/director on my own tv show/movie/video game, if i ever feel like i can handle that pressure

GET TAGGED @applescabs @lizardyeast @cottagegay and anyone else that sees and wants to participate :>

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 121

Chapter 121: "Isn't This Great"

It's kinda scary how they're so excited about violence and destroying this world, like I know y'all have experienced harsh times here and just wanna live in peace but damn.

When someone as logical as Ray starts to believe in the new plan then you know it's gotta be a more optimal strategy. The Seven Walls is a big bag of surprises on its own anyway so they're not entirely wrong to be skeptical about it either.

I know they're worried for Emma and it's very sweet that they see Norman's plan as a way for her to finally relax after everything she's done for them up to this point, but it's not like she's been doing absolutely everything on her own either. Yeah everyone is following her as their leader, but the whole family is supporting one another as well, whether it's proving food, safety, healthcare or assisting with gathering information about the human world, WM, the Seven Walls, etc.

And yet something about their praise towards Norman kinda bothers me, or at least the timing of it and how they word it. Everyone was just saying how Emma was doing so much for them but now with Norman here, he's gonna do even better "this time for sure." Emma was already doubting her choices back during & after the shelter raid, do we gotta lead her down the same train of thought again? Our girl is doing her absolute best! It's not her fault a few people died while she was in charge.

Words can't express how glad and relieved I am that Ray notices her bluff.

It's such a tiny panel too but I'm glad the anime remembered to include it anyway. Very important for the upcoming chapters.

I love that we get a moment away from all the drama and just see the kiddos all excited as they explore paradise. They definitely deserve some luxury after the stressful trip they enduring to get here.

Affectionately blaming Tag because this is all I can think about whenever I see this panel of Norman.. I still dunno why I find it so funny to this day, but yeah.

It's beyond precious to see the trio play chess together again, even if Ray's acting like their parent. Deep down he knows he can't say no to them. Just give in, sweetie!

I hate this speech bubble so much! Let me see my boy's cute sleeping face!! He's probably feeling so safe and content around his two favorite people in the whole world, I'm certain he's got a big smile on his face as well.

Favorite panel/moment:

The younger kids are so cute when asking Norman which name he prefers. They wanna be so proper and don't wanna make him upset or annoyed by saying the wrong thing. It's so heartwarming to see him drop the facade around his family though.

And they're so relieved by it too! Just to have him act as their older brother again! (Ray actually imagining him as a giant is hilarious.)

Absolutely one of my favorite panels of this lad, not even solely because he's getting tackled and knocked down by so many kids but also with the happy look on everyone's faces.

And I especially love Anna, Sandy & Paula's reactions to finally seeing Norman; from the dramatic pause to their totally shocked expressions. Even Hayato is taken off guard as he's certainly never seen the boss act like this before. (it's a bit odd though because Paula was shown touring paradise with the others a couple pages ago so why is she suddenly surprised here? I know she and the other two were taking care of Chris & Dominic earlier and missed the initial reunion, but whatever.)

Don and I got that same mindset.

[bwobgames]

I played "Detective Beebo" all night and... fell in love with the game. It's funny, heartwarming, romantic! And sometimes even chilling to the bones.

I loved the horror sorta sci-fi part with anatomy. The house does feel like it's alive, but it's a very alien life, which is immposible to comprehend - and it scares. Usually I don't fear uncomprehencible, but, for some reason, your concept of haunted houses gets me.

Also the maniac feels scary too. Suddenly appears, proceeds to kill everyone, doesn't elaborate, leaves time loops. And when he does elaborate, it makes him even more scary... But it quickly gets away once you get to know him better. What a stupid stinky bastard man! (affectionately)

I love how everything in this story clicks together perfectly, and the whole puzzle opens new pieces that never were told to you directly, but you can see them through the cracks. Not gonna lie, I rotate the game in my head like a rubik's cube for the whole day and open up even more new details I didn't notice before. And headcanons. :)

And don't get me started on characters, because

I don't have words.

All I'm trying to say is:

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, fro the game and for the webcomic. It's perfect. I love "Detective Beebo". ❤️

Thank you so much!!!! Im so happy that you enjoyed the house part especially. Im a big fan of spookies but I also really like when things are explained to me directly (or else i get like what?? what happened why did that happened i don get it) so the whole house lore was a tight balance between making an understandable mechanic and leaving it vague enough to make it spooky.

Most of the house lore is me being a biology nerd. I think the fear of something thats natural but not yet understood has great potential. I think the fear to the house should be the same type of fear the first humans wouldve felt at seeing a whale for the first time, or people from the medieval era seeing an animal a little too weird and deeming it something demonic or magical. In a way, cryptids tie into this too.

Biology is so weird!! Organisms are weird!! and they get scary when you dont know what they do, how they do it and having no control over their actions.

And and and yes!! I also love when everything ties together at the end! Its pretty fun seeing people playing the start again bc of all the little hints/foreshadowy things that are at play, like Beebs hatred of art or the little "one more chance" on the top of the screen when you enter the house.

In other words. Happy!!! happy happy

[spookfished]

media roundup jan 2024

hey whats up!!! its me again!!! happy valentines day :3 finally caught up to patch. and by patch i mean "talking about things that i remember reading." finally got around to reading/playing a bunch of things that were really hyped up!! that ive been really looking forward to :3 yippee also, one of my new years resolutions was to play all of umineko? which according to most people ive seen, does in fact take An Entire Year due to being 1. fully voice acted 2. a little over 1 million words. so uh, please look forward to that.

books:

camp damascus by chuck tingle: horror ya. a girl on the cusp of adulthood belongs to a strict and isolated christian sect, living in the town with the us' most famous conversion camp. things get weird quickly.um ok i was really hyped about this! its the first chuck tingle thing that ive actually read (lol) but ive been following his stuff for a while. its an interesting look into what its like to be uh, really christian and also (SPOILERS) gay, but the whole time i was like man i wish i was playing [we know the devil]. which is a really good game please play wktd :3 there were some really cool and chilling body horror parts!! which i liked a lot!! but overall it was more inspiring (?) than scary, which wasnt really what i was looking for personally

the way spring arrives and other stories: translated chinese scifi/fantasy anthology, written and translated by a team of women + nb writers. really solid!!! took me a while to get through, but theres such a wonderful variety of stories here--some are creepy, some are heartwarming, some are silly, some are elegant. i particularly enjoyed some of the essays about translation itself, as well as the titular stories and A Brief History of Beinakan Disasters as Told in a Sinitic Language. definitely check it out!!

spark joy by marie kondo: an appendix of sorts to marie kondos super big book the life changing magic of tidying up, with a couple more practical tips and some anecdotes. ok to get kinda personal, konmari stuff appeals to me bc i grew up surrounded by detritus. from where i sit in my childhood bedroom, i can see a stack of floppy disks, old checkbooks, and a copy of The Lost Treasures of Infocom--a game from 1991. almost none of it is ever touched. so the idea of having a space full of only joyful things is really appealing.. honestly i think the best bit of advice from the book was that if you have things that are necessary but dont necessarily elicit joy (eg screwdrivers, coffee makers, whatever) that you try and take a bit to appreciate/praise those items and what they do for you? and they may become more beloved :3 anyways probably not worth reading unless youre already into the whole konmari thing

ninefox gambit by yoon ha lee: space opera. kel cheris, a freshly promoted general, has been sent to suppress a rebellion lodged in a fortress. but her greatest enemy is also her greatest asset: the implanted consciousness of the prodigy traitor-general, shuos jedao. famous for winning impossible battles--and infamous for killing his entire fleet. its kind of in a trio of "lesbian sff about empires and stuff" with machineries of empire and traitor baru cormorant. well for one i really liked it. i do have a lot of hours in um games like civ 5 and starcraft but i usually dont like Reading books about military stuff. this is obstacle number 1. obstacle number 2 is that ninefox gambit has some really intricate worldbuilding, and unlike some other lesbian bodysharing scifi novels out there, our protagonist is not a newcomer. you dont get the assist of getting to learn about the world as the same time as her. but the thing is that ninefox gambit makes you Want to pick apart everything thats going on and get into it, and once you have a good idea of all the factions and stereotypes and tensions, etc it feels really rewarding :3 and the world is grounded in how you get to see what feels like every single level of this one infiltration/siege, from the general at the top to the infantry at the bottom even to the servant robots who clean! yay robots :3 when youre jumping to someone completely different, doing something totally unrelated, its pretty easy for that to be… super jarring? (hi sanderson) but it was not that <3 although it took a bit for me to get it, i also liked the intermittent correspondence that we get to see from the enemy side as well. how humanizing! it also balances a large cast of characters very well. characters with bit parts still feel memorable to the extent they need to be? idk how to say that correctly. obviously between cheris and jedao, jedao has the upper hand conversationally pretty much always but they have a good dynamic and its cool to see her strengths come through in other ways i think one of its strengths/weaknesses is that its very focused on this One siege in One point in time. i would love to hear about the anden in the sequels for example. also like does everyone have to be in a section or are there real (non conquered) civilians. how do yall grow food. also yeah sorry democracy beign the ultimate heresy made me laugh ninefox gambit is kind of a tricky read; its probably not a good idea to try reading without a stretch of uninterrupted time + brain energy but i liked it 👍 i thought it was good 👍

raven strategem by yoon ha lee: sequel to ninefox gambit! yoon ha lees ability to balance lots of different povs works really well for this book :3 it really ratchets up the tension! i also really liked seeing all of the exotics lol (magic wepaons that do crazy stuff). unfortunately the tension didnt pay off in a way that was really satisfying to me personally, however.. it didnt really help that i didnt like one of the main pov characters (brezan.) the first book is still worth reading though as a standalone!

comics/manga:

mitsuya sensei no keikakuteiki na edzuke: m/m series about a cooking writer (older man) and his editor. ok i talked about this last time but im a big fan of romance with older people in it. the baggage comes preattached!! also the protag in this kinda looks really similar to shinji from kamen rider ryuki?? has some Extremely Delicious looking food art, as well as some really nice like. food + desire + eroticism type thing going on. (i started reading it bc tumblr user stella obstinaterixatrix was talking about it as an example of non explicit eroticism!) yay i love food manga :]

sonna me de mitekure: aka look at me with those eyes. m/m romcom that parodies a lot of common BL tropes (overbearing prince of the school falls in love with some rando!) but also has a lot of heart :3 definitely only worth reading if youre like. already sort of in the soup of romance manga though lol

ouji-chan no sukina hito: suuuper cute f/f oneshot about baby prince idolization

catch you catch me: another cute f/f oneshot :3

botticelli drawings exhibit: ok i just thought this was neat. it was an exhibit about some of the preliminary sketches that were made for some of botticellis famous pieces (he was a famous painter during the florentine renaissance in italy) i like how you got to learn more about how the Workshop Style worked like how a lot of paintings were actually made by lots and lots of apprentices.. also how botticelli apparently got really into this one super duper intense monk type guy and started making some kinda weird shit

movies/tv shows:

pokemon concierge: lighthearted family show about a stressed office lady who quits her job to work at a pokemon hotel. super cute!! very short!! you can watch it with your parents or kids or whatever its really not that deep but the stop motion was just soooo cute. slightly concerning in like idk the level of 'escapism from office culture' but you know how it is

dear ex: slice of life/drama? taiwanese movie. after his father's sudden death, song chengxi and his mother meet his fathers hidden male lover. dudee this movie is so fucking pretty and so sad. i almost cried and blew up and died. all 3 main parts of the cast are such good actors and the way it does grief and like the seamless sliding between memory and the present AUGH. so good

sousou no frieren anime: also known as frieren of the funerals! a slice of life/fantasy anime about what happens after you save the world. frieren is a long-lived elf who saved the world with her companions--but many decades afterwards, she still wanders the world the same as ever. bro this show is so freaking gorgeous and well made. it really makes me wish going outside was real. has a really nice sense of melancholy too.. its just a really solid adaptation :3

dungeon meshi/delicious in dungeon anime: cooking/slice of life/adventure anime set in a dnd-like setting that digs into a lot of fantasy worldbuilding. mainly about: can you eat the monsters!!!! i finished the manga a couple months ago so i was really hyped (and a little bit nervous) about this anime but studio trigger is doing a really good job!! its just a really good show ok please watch it

marry my dead body: straight police guy gets ghost-married to a dead man, and then is tasked with solving his murder. um ok so i watched this bc i misread neils text and thought it was by the same director as dear ex. spoilers this is very much not true lmfao its more lighthearted with a side of feelings about death and stuff. very silly! i think the gulf of expectation was so wide that i couldnt enjoy it that much.. also cops. why. some of the jokes didnt really hit for me esp the whole like ahhhh slag straight guy doesnt understand anything type thing? but its like not a bad light movie

percy jackson and the olympians: remake of the first percy jackson book. yeah this was fine i watched it with my mom while playing solitaire the whole time. the actors are very charming and the show is solid, but i think it really deserved to be like. a 20-episode series with 20 minute episodes, or something like that. like its oestensibly for kids but its Really trying to make that nostalgia cash grab so it exists in a slightly uncomfortable middle (writing is very basic and friendship-y which isnt necessarily bad but its not like That Deep, but also who is making a kids show 40 MINUTES LONG). anyways i think a longer pacing like that would have given more time for filler and replicating the road-trippy vibe that the original books had. its still solid though!

games:

umineko episode 1: its the classic murder mystery setup: a wealthy man on his deathbed still hasnt resolved the issue of his inheritance. he, his hateful children, and their own children are cut off from the world on a remote island. but the man still has unsettled debts….and something is deeply wrong on the island of rokkenjima 🤯ok umineko is infamous for 1. having fans who wont shut up about it 2. something something metatextual? 3. a very high bar for entry, featuring near-required modding, several hours of expository setup, and the fact that. well. its a visual novel. that aside, i enjoyed the first episode way more than i thought i would :3 the uroshimiya family is so rich and alive and shitty it felt like i was watching succession again lmfao. battler is a very endearing (if slightly stupid) main character, and there are some really strong characters laid down that make you excited to get into All That in the future. plus, once i got to the murder part it was genuinely so hair-raising? theres some phenomenal voice acting.. the scene with maria was so memorable i thought i was going to dream about it. also i loooove beatrice <3 anyways i would recommend but its not for the faint of heart. 99% of umineko-ers stop reading right before the love lets them see it, and so on.

off game: wow im so happy to have finally beat off. i mean. hey whats up. off is a weird, abstract game about a 4th-wall breaking "Batter" whos self proclaimed goal is to purify the world. its often viewed as a spiritual predecessor to games like undertale :3 …actually, i played off a long time ago and then got stuck/intimidated by the very last set of puzzles so i Just Now gave up on actually finishing and just watched a letsplay lol. honestly one thing that ive figured out over time is that actually?? im really not that much of a fan of pokemon-style rpgs like this 0_0 i mean, the gameplay is just. not that fun? and the typical random encounter type thing is just not that nice. i think this is something that a lot of jrpgs/rpgs have figured out recently, but off is an older game without those QOL improvements lol. (also random encounter is easier to code probably) anyways!! the writing in off is so compelling…its so weird in a way that invites you to pick apart that weirdness, but also makes you feel like some mysteries might remain unresolved forever. its a video game that actually Has Writing In It. its one of those (free!) indie classics thats definitely worth checking out. also i love drawing the judge and valerie. weird cats for the win ok now im just going to talk about my theories about the game. so we know that the only real humans in the world are sugar, zacharie and the baby. however, the queen and the batter are parental figures for the baby. the wardens of each of the levels were created for the baby as it (in the absence of its parents?) longed for companionship, but they warped over time. whats healthy becomes sick and whats sickening becomes necessary etc. possibly mimicking how the baby, sick and alone in the hospital, also warped over time? becoming warped caricaturizes the babys creations and makes them cruel and so the batter becomes the ultimate heroic figure, who purges whats evil and rotten. but if it lives where i live then i guess the whole world has to go?? well idk

music:

take my hand by zerobaseone: ok whenever i listen to this imlike this is one of gods perfect songs. the production is like chefs kiss and theres just some really beautiful sounds in here? its so warmly dreamy and delicate feeling.. just like first loves… or whatever lmfao the fluttering hook-y thing at the beginning is just too good i ended up looking up a bunch of the producers. also big pop is nice bc you can tell they mixed it so it sounds good in a car OR in headphones lmfao

1,000,000 by nine inch nails: i forgot what genre nin is supposed to be ok this song came up when i was playing hifi rush (rhythm based action game!! so cool so stylish) and me and neil were like NINE INCH NAILS?! it was like that one comic you know. anyways i like this song its very adrenaline feeling. i looked up the real lyrics recently but to ME its about trying to escape emptiness thru adrenaline and danger and sex and stuff :P not that i do that but its still a fun song!! yippee

dark red by steve lacy: ok i found this song bc of a tumblr post i did not know he was the "i wish i knew" guy lmfao. honestly if people only knew like a 5 second songbite from my works id be so mad. but anyways its progressive rnb apparently? i just like this song :3 when you are kind of pathetic but basically chill with it but what if.

anyways if youre reading this: hi!!! ive been spending a lot of time recently doing the hard fisher quests in final fantasy 14. guys never do beast of brewers beacon ok the school year is just starting up but having to wake up early is kind of doing a number on me…… other than that i actually totally have my shit together! yay :3 if you read to the end (or even skimmed) thanks <3

[cf8wrk4u-us]

Rescue Bots x One Piece

Do you think that when the kids are back at home after a lot of adventures, their pirates crews when meeting the kids families, would Sanji do a Sanji thing and start simping for Anna Barabova (Frankie's new mom), Dani (Cody's big sister) or even maybe Quickshadow 😂😅???

For Cody of course would be hard different as even tho the Burns and the Bots are angry Cody would stop them because he knows how strong Kid and his crew are... unless we say that in all this time the crew warm up to Cody and do feel sorry.

Part of this answer depends how long the kids were gone, ether a few months to a year or more maybe.

All the same, it's a heartwarming reunion for a lot of people.

Frankie or Greenie as she's called among the Strawhats has a great time showing her family along with the Rescue Team and the Bots.

Everyone is both impressed and a bit freaked out by Frankys robot body, with Anna Baranova horrified how anyone could put that much robotic prosthetics into there body all on their own😣

But it dies down, and Doc Greene is an instant fan asking so many questions about how Franky's body and the rest of his inventions work. Anna would be a lot more friendlier but would try to ask Franky to put on some pants, especially in front of Cece. Though she's pleasantly surprised at how brilliant Franky is despite his eccentric behaviors.

Chase would comment that Franky was being indecent, possibly criminally so 🤨

But Blades would try to copy his dance 😆

Speaking of the bots, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky are instant fans of the bots. Eyes sparkling at their shiny armor and at the way they transformed into different vehicles. Luffy would stretch to jump on Heatwave shoulder and immediately ask him to join his crew or Blades after seeing him fly🤩

Sanji is a gentleman to all women, it dosent matter what age or even species they are. So he be incredibly respectful to Dr. Baranova and Quickshadow, but you better believe that he'll do a noodle dance when he sees Dani or even Madeline Pynch.

"Dani! My darling! My dear rescuing angel! Please save me! My heart is in need of your sweet medical care! One only you can cure"!😍

He's swiftly cut off by ether a hit from Nami or a confrontation from Taylor if he's there.

Kade be pretty mad if he started flirting with Hayley but he get told off too for looking at Nami and Robin a little longer than he should😅

Though the biggest person who may not have made the best impression would be Brook. While being a singing talking skeleton made him extra cool to a lot of the Griffin Rock Team, especially the bots who are interested in learning about human anatomy and think the expossed bone structure is very educational, he looses a lot of respect when he goes around asking his....underwear question...😒

Kade threatened to bury him while Chief Burns was close to socking him😤

Plus Blades thought he was kinda scary.

But after a while, they make up, loving Brooks music and seeing what a kind person he was to her. His jokes are funny too, and the 45-degree angle one has Graham and Boulder laughing!

He even find a connection between himself and Baranova, given that they were left isolated for years. Him at sea and her underwater.

Chopper is an instant favorite with Dani and the other girls, along with the more animal loving bots. But what really makes him a fast friend to Dani and Dr. Baranova is his medical knowledge and they sir and talk about the best care for things like first aid or what kind of rescue needed a special kind if medical care. Chopper thought Dani wad the coolest given that she rescued and treated people as part of her job.

Usopp, being an inventory himself, thinks Geiffin Rock is amazing and would talk to Doc Greene about his inventions. The pair even swapping stories over how some of there inventions went wild.

Robin is another favorite among the scientists, offering insights into their world and its history to anyone intrested. Uncle Woodrow would like her and to hear her stories with the crew and the different islands they went too.

Doc Greene is just fascinated about Devil Fruits and goes around asking each member about theirs. He's stretched Luffys skin, shook hands with an arm Robin sprouted, asked Brook to show him his "soul", and on Chopper and his shape-shifting abilities.

Zoro is really interested in the bots andvwonders how good they could fight😏

The Rescue Team, though, is worried and nervous at the fact he carries swords, with Chase saying he needs to be jailed for bring illegally armed.

Luffy thinks Griffin Rock is cool though a little bit boring till an emergency happens. Hethinks the Burns are cool for being heros but still says he never be one. Kade likes Luffy and finds him funny, also that he like Kade sandwiches.

When its eventually time to leave Frankie cries, as much as she wanted to be with her parents the Strawhats were her family now too. She wanted to see Luffy become King of the Pirates and see the others complete there dreams but she wants to be with her dad and new Mom.

It's a hard goodbye.

Now onto Pricsilla.

Pricsilla tries to introduce her mother to the crew and Law, tell her about her adventures and her Devil Fruit Power. But her mother, Madeline Pynch m, remain polite but cold. Even brushing off the crew members who tried to talk with her and tell her what a wonderful daughter she has, even cute Bepo!

The only ones who were friendly were the Burns, the Greene Family, and the Bots.

Law didn't like her, the cold and calculating eyes of Madeline Pynch reminded him too much of Doflamingo or members of his organization. Measuring people's worth and how the stock of the situation could benefit them.

Also Madeline isn't very welcoming of Priscillas powers asking her not to use them or even show them to anyone. I. Her words there "creepy and unsightly" though Madeline would contemplate on maybe using them for a scheme.

It does break Priscilla heart, but this was her mom and her home, she was back and needed to go back to normal...right?

In a quiet moment Law offers a place on his ship for Priscilla, permanently. He understood this was her home universe but if she could see herself any other place then he be willing to take her on his crew again.

Priscilla almost cries as this was one of the nicest things Law has said to her.

But what should she choose?

Now we get onto the real angsty part of this crossover, Cody.

Again how Cody is depends on the timeline.

If hebwas older he would have learned at this point how to act like a member of Kids Crew. Being kind of haughty and tough. Imagine everyone's surprise seeing an older Cody who comes off as rude, dressed like a punk, and carrying a weapon 😰

But if it was a still a rather young Cody, he may just be really quiet.

Though all the same he does break into tears and the hisvfamily, along with the Greens, and the Bots ate so happy and relieved to see him...with a metal Griffin?

But slowly they start to see something wrong.

Unlike the pirate crew that Frankie and Priscilla had and where eagerly introducing to the others. Cody was quiet about his, only introducing his captain with a nod calling him "Captain Kid".

Chief Burns knows there is something wrong with his son, Cody was a bot full of smiles and warmth. But now it feels like he's just a shadow of his former self. With a scared face and a hard look in his eyes.

The pirates he was with don't seem friendly ether all glaring or looking apathetic at the Griffin Rock residents. But did have interested or wary looks to the bots.

All the same Chief Burns tries to be polite going up to Kid and thanking him for " taking care of my son and bring him back"

(The next scene depends of which kind of Kid this is. Kid from Wano may have been a little humbled but still determined and arrogant. In ether case if Cody was with him in Wano and supported him with the rest of the crew against the Beast Pirate, Kid might have just nodded at that. Cody may have just been a useless little kid but he was loyal and proved himself tough enough to make it on his crew. He knew Cody wanted to be home and for his time in the crew for good and bad he may have been soften enough to just let him just be with his family.

Pre Kaido Caaptain Kid is another story...)

Kid gave Chief Burns a look before laughing cruelly "Back? Who says he's staying"?

The turning around he gestures his crew back to the ship "I don't know how the he'll we got here but as soon as it's figured out we're leaving, I'll be taking my crew on a side of the island" Kidd glares at Law and Luffy "You better keep out of my way Strawhat, Trafalgar"

As he walks off he turns his head to Cody and Airazor and says "All of us"

Chief Butns could see his son stiffen but all the same Cody gestured for Airazor to move and silently he began to walk back with Kid and the Crew.

His family was shocked, there happy reunion ending too soon. There little brother leaving them, being forced to walk away

"Cody"! his dad called trying to catch up with him.

Kade followed yelling "Cody you've been gone for months! And just got back and now your leaving?! Why are you even listening to this guy-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as too fantastic a curved blade was at his neck.

"I watch what you say to Captain Kidd" said a masked man, Killer.

Everyone gasp and Hayley cried out in fear for Kade!

Heatwave moved to help his partner, a giant hand ready to pin or snatch the knife wielding human away from his partner.

But the-

"Repel"

Heatwave was sent falling down on his back. He was shocked, everyone was, that a Autobot could just be sent tobbling over like a block of wood.

A dark laugh from Kid rang out at he turned to the bots "So my power can work on these tin cans...this should be fun" 😈

But before he could move at the panicked bots a voice was heard.

"Weren't you leaving, Eustass"? Said Law

Kidd glared at him only to get an equally strong look back from not only him but Luffy as well.

Kidd scoffed and continued walking. Killer let Kade go who nearly collapsed at how close he was to losing his head.

Cody was watching his family worried, hesitant to try to check on Kade. His family and friends looked at him begging him to stay.

But Cody felt a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder, Cody looked to see Killer who gave him a quiet shake of the head before guiding him back with there group.

The Burns family was a mess, they just got there youngest back but now he was forced to leave.

How could they have let this happen?

(In the end things get worse before they get better)

[marshymeds]

What are your fave scenes from each Mxtx work?

I probably don’t need to say this, but I will anyway! SPOILERS for SVSSS, TGCF, and MDZS below!

Ill start with TGCF since it was the first I read. There are so many scenes that I loved, and this series was so long its a bit hard to narrow down, but everything in the White No-Face arc was impactful to me specifically. The 100 sword scene, the drunk scene, the suicide scene…I just think the arc did a really good job of portraying how helpless Xie Lian felt. There was literally nothing good happening. But my FAVORITE scene from it all was the bit where the man came back, in the rain, to apologize for being angry and tell Xie Lian to suck it up and get out of the rain. Something about the scene was so incredibly human, both for Xie Lian and the man. We have a tendency to see bad and assume there will only be bad, and it wasn’t just that it was a “happier” ending to it all. It was interesting and very REAL to see someone who had yelled at him for no reason turn around and apologize, explain he’d had a bad day, and then help him out without babying him.

MDZS was the second I delved into (technically at the same time as SVSSS but that’s not important) and I loved it for a lot of the same reasons. My favorite scene is probably the one where Lan Wangji visits Yiling and runs into Wen Yuan and Wei Wuxian. Everything about the setting was bittersweet—despite all of their disagreements in the past and the situation they’re in now they walk on egg shells and just sort of. Be friends for a bit. And then, Wei Wuxian, who knows on some degree that he’s ruining himself to save these people, walks in on the Wens throwing him a large dinner. And Wen Qing says they were AFRAID to ask him. That they thought he was some scary lofty figure but have grown so grateful that they want to give back somehow. And he just feels as if it doesn’t matter anymore how hard it is. Something felt so…painful but heartwarming about this scene. Like watching an old video that includes a family member that passed away or finding something from a friendship that didnt end well but was happy at the time. Im not sure if that makes sense. In that moment, despite their troubles, they just got to exist.

For SVSSS I’ll cheat and choose something from the extras because its kind of a tie. I loved the Bamboo Branch Poem extra so much, I love Zhuzhi Lang and Tianlang-Jun’s familial relationship a lot. The Airplane extras are also very near and dear to me as a moshang lover, but I love the bit specifically where Shang Qinghua runs away and Mobei-Jun tries to take him back and is actively making concessions to do so (carrying him, offering to make noodles) because

Overall, I think what I love most about MXTX books is how human the characters seem. Theres never a “good” or “bad” outcome necessarily. The Banyue arc is a good example in TGCF, or Wei Wuxian’s struggle to save the Wen prisoners in vain and tearing himself and his relationships apart in the process in MDZS. The gods in tgcf are more human than god, and the cultivators in mdzs and svsss are still flawed despite all their training and skills. Scum Villain is a bit different because it comments a lot of fandom culture and media consumption but ultimately its commenting about the READER instead of a character—still in a very human way.

I hope that wasn’t all gibbrish—I’ve been drawing and thinking about this question for a bit now and my mind is soupy from a busy week. So I hope my thoughts make sense. Thanks for the chance to ramble a bit and I wish you a great weekend ❤️🫶

[misadoringly]

Oh you poor thing... I can't tell you how much I empathize with you. The absolute despair of loving so gut wrenchingly strong, only to have it hit a wall as if it was nothing. To feel like nothing because the person who was supposed to look at you with such wonderous eyes and speak of you in passionate tones, and to just smile, genuinely smile because of you and they just don't. The worst part is they keep telling you they love you and yet nothing they ever do shows it...

Don't be like me. Don't let this escalate further based on words, look for actions, for the old saying is often true. I married someone who truly doesn't love me. It's made my existence a living hell because of that feeling above festeres for years now and I just couldn't delude myself any longer. You are in a similar boat but much earlier in its voyage... Don't let your heart keep getting broken like this by someone. I can assure you if this exact same thing has happened before and it's happening again now, it will happen again and again.

I know you may not want to hear it but they may not be deserving of your love. The only people who deserve your love are those who can return it in full. You may tell yourself she loves you a thousand times but if the little voice in the back of your head, your capacity to reason, is screaming they don't then listen to that voice. It may be scary, you may feel beaten and battered, but hey you have the absolute luck to be a human being.

Y'know how many of those there are? 8.2 billion. That 8.2 billion people who may be just the person for you. For me too as I seek to mend my broken heart, but you have the added benefit of being 18 rather than 24. You got college and the fields of academia to explore right at your finger tips. Any history you want is yours to explore, any art is yours to delve upon and to hone your skills in, any field of science be it physics, biology, chemistry, and everything in between is right there for you to explore and pioneer in, and of course there's also literature, language, etc, etc...

You have so much to see, so much to uncover, so much you could do if it suits your fancy. Don't be me, don't throw it all away because of fear... Besides, I guarantee, if you really dig into the the things you're passionate about... You'll meet lots of kindred spirits, and maybe, just maybe, one of them will be just the person for you. But above all else, know that you deserve love. Know it in your heart and mind. You are the descendant of billions of years worth of reactions and survivors, a chemical reaction we call life which consists of elements wrought in the death of stars, which has been going on with out end for roughly 3.8 billion years, always branching and adapting and you, dear, are among the survivors, you dear, are quite literally stardust personified. Never forget what you are, or where you came from because that is just your foundation, because you as an individual are much more than that. Love that part of yourself, love who you are, and love where you are going.

I truly hope my words help you, comfort you, and move you, because no one deserves the suffering you endure, especially when your heart just wants to love so strongly.

oh god — this is so heartwarming… thank you for taking the time to write such a beautiful message to me. i think i’ll look at this every time i feel particularly down or whatever!! this really put a smile on my face!! from the deepest part of my heart , thank you anon !! ♡〜٩( ˃́▿˂̀ )۶〜♡

[adamwatchesmovies]

Talk To Me (2022)

If you hear someone say they haven’t seen anything new - or scary - in a while, point them towards Talk to Me. With a great story, a focus on its characters, a fresh concept and genuine scares, it does just about everything right. This is an impressive directorial debut for Danny and Michael Philippou.

Mia (Sophie Wilde), her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Jade’s little brother Riley (Joe Bird) sneak out to go to a party. There, they partake in a ritual involving an embalmed hand. Holding it in a handshake position and saying “Talk to me” allows you to communicate with a dead person. Saying “I let you in” allows the spirit to possess you. If you blow out the candle and pull the hand away from the “player” before 90 seconds pass, the spirit will leave and no one will feel any side effects. When Mia hears her recently deceased mother speaking during a round, she becomes obsessed with the hand.

The premise may make Talk to Me seem like an off-brand version of Ouija. In a way, it is, but that’s the genius of it. In the real world, Ouija boards are games only because they don’t work. People have fun setting up the mood, gathering for a spooky time and seeing what happens. The same thing with this hand. The difference is that it works. You can use it to speak to those in the beyond. That’s a big deal… but it also isn’t because no one knows where it came from, you don’t get to pick who you talk to and you can only talk to someone for 90 seconds. This hand is a party favor you bring with you to make crazy things happen. Some people don’t believe it works or that the participants' reactions are exaggerated. You can understand why. Participants might do something scary or creepy. They might just act sort of weird. If you try it, you’ll probably embarrass yourself, which will be hilarious for everyone else. The obvious parallel is recreational drugs. The hand is a pill a teenager takes at a party while everyone watches them trip out. This gives Talk to Me a distinctly modern feel because it’s sort of a secret but also out in the open. People might not believe it works but once you say “I let you in”, everyone hits “record” on their cellphones.

Previously known for their YouTube channel RackaRacka, Danny and Michael Philippou are transitioning to filmmaking and this is a great first picture for them. They're not content with slapping a new coat of paint on a tried-and-true idea. There’s a heavy emphasis on Mia’s headspace. She’s 17, has been in trouble before, is currently struggling with the second anniversary of her mother’s death and has become distant from her father (Marcus Johnson). An early scene where she spots a fatally injured kangaroo on the road tells you volumes about her and how she feels about death. You know this hand will have a hold on her. You’re cautious but the movie makes you put your guard down with several heartwarming scenes of friendship and some big laughs. Then, everything goes so wrong so suddenly. When violence comes in this film, it’s brutal. Then, it's over. Now, all that happy energy has become tainted and you’re on edge. "Did I actually see that?" you wonder. You have to keep watching to be sure. Talk to Me has its claws dug into you and the scares are real.

You can tell the twin directors have seen a lot of horror films and have taken notes. A typical film would spend a good chunk of its middle with an investigation. Where did the hand come from? How can they stop it from doing the thing it’s doing? Talk to Me isn’t interested in that. There’s too much going on NOW. Instead, it doubles down on the character moments, the unsettling aftermath of the rules the teens have broken (you knew they would break them, that’s part of the fun) and the scares. Some of what comes from the hand is just so bizarre it gives you the creeps. Knowing the characters as well as you do makes it extra scary. You know how easily these people can be pushed in the wrong direction based on their past. You hope the sinister force that’s eyeing them now won’t figure that out.

Talk To Me is wonderfully original. It's also memorable, well-acted, smartly written and scary. You care about the characters, you worry about what might happen to them and when things go sour, it's horrifying in multiple ways. With this film, Danny and Michael Philippou make it clear they're directors you should watch out for. I can't wait to see what they've got next. (November 4, 2023)