#library adventures in America

[staydandy]

Genre : Adventure

🇨🇳 China Ancient Detective (2020) Farewell to Arms (2022) Fighter of the Destiny (2017) Fights Break Sphere (2018) The Golden Eyes (2019) Handsome Siblings (2020) Love and Redemption (2020) Side Story of Fox Volant (2022) - Full List

🇰🇷 South Korea Arthdal Chronicles (2019) Black Knight (2023) - Full List Stealer: The Treasure Keeper (2023) - Full List

🇯🇵 Japan Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) - Full List ... 2: The Revenge of Scar (2022) - Full List One Piece (2023) - Full List

🇹🇭 Thailand Cupid’s Last Wish (2022)

🇺🇸 America Arrow (2012) Black Sails (2014) Eureka (2006) Falling Skies (2011) Farscape (1999) Firefly (2002) The Flash (2014) Iron Fist (2017) Legend of the Seeker (2008) One Piece (2023) - Full List The Recruit (2022) - Full List Supernatural (2005)

🇨🇦 Canada Due South (1994)

🇬🇧 UK Atlantis (2013) Houdini and Doyle (2016) The Musketeers (2014)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting “The Bezzle” audiobook, sequel to Red Team Blues

I'm heading to Berlin! On January 29, I'll be delivering Transmediale's Marshall McLuhan Lecture, and on January 30, I'll be at Otherland Books (tickets are limited! They'll have exclusive early access to the English edition of The Bezzle and the German edition of Red Team Blues!).

I'm kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to last year's Red Team Blues, featuring Marty Hench, a hard-charging, two-fisted forensic accountant who spent 40 years in Silicon Valley, busting every finance scam hatched by tech bros' feverish imaginations:

http://thebezzle.org

Marty Hench is a great character to write. His career in high-tech scambusting starts in the early 1980s with the first PCs and stretches all the way to the cryptocurrency era, the most target-rich environment for scamhunting tech has ever seen. Hench is the Zelig of tech scams, and I'm having so much fun using him to probe the seamy underbelly of the tech economy.

Enter The Bezzle, which will be published by Tor Books and Head of Zeus on Feb 20: this adventure finds Marty in the company of Scott Warms, one of the many bright technologists whose great startup was bought and destroyed by Yahoo! (yes, they really used that asinine exclamation mark). Scott is shackled to the Punctuation Factory by golden handcuffs, and he's determined to get fired without cause, so he can collect his shares and move onto the next thing.

That's how Scott and Marty find themselves on Catalina island, the redoubt of the Wrigley family, where bison roam the hills, yachts bob in the habor and fast food is banned. Scott invites Marty on a series of luxury vacations on Catalina, which end abruptly when they discover – and implode – a hamburger-related Ponzi scheme run by a real-estate millionaire who is destroying the personal finances of the Island's working-class townies out of sheer sadism.

Scott's victory is bittersweet: sure, he blew up the Ponzi scheme, but he's also made powerful enemies – the kinds of enemies who can pull strings with the notoriously corrupt LA County Sheriff's Deputies who are the only law on Catalina, and after taking a pair of felony plea deals, Scott gets the message and never visits Catalina Island again.

That could have been the end of it, but California's three-strikes law – since rescinded – means that when Scott picks up one more felony conviction for some drugs discovered during a traffic stop, he's facing life in prison.

That's where The Bezzle really gets into gear.

At its core, The Bezzle is a novel about the "shitty technology adoption curve": the idea that our worst technological schemes are sanded smooth on the bodies of prisoners, mental patients, kids and refugees before they work their way up the privilege gradient and are inflicted on all of us:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

America's prisons are vicious, brutal places, and technology has only made them worse. When Scott's prison swaps out in-person visits, the prison library, and phone calls for a "free" tablet that offers all these services as janky apps that cost ten times more than they would on the outside, the cruelty finds a business model.

Working inside and outside the prison Marty Hench and Scott Warms figure out the full nature of the scam that the captive audience of prisoners are involuntary beta-testers for, and they discover a sprawling web of real-estate fraud, tech scams, and offshore finance that is extracting fortunes from the hides of America's prisoners and their families. The criminals who run that kind of enterprise aren't shy about fighting for what they've got, and they're more than happy to cut some of LA County's notorious deputy gangs in for a cut in exchange for providing some kinetic support for the project.

The Bezzle is exactly the kind of book I was hoping I'd get to write when I kicked off the Hench series – one that decodes the scam economy, from music royalties to prison videoconferencing, real estate investment trusts to Big Four accounting firm bogus audits. It's both a fast-moving, two-fisted crime novel and a masterclass on how the rich and powerful get away with both literal and figurative murder.

It's getting a big push from both my publishers and I'll be touring western Canada and the US with it. The early reviews are spectacular. But despite all of this, I had to make my own audiobook for it, which I'm pre-selling on Kickstarter:

http://thebezzle.org

Why? Because Audible – Amazon's monopoly gatekeeper to the audiobook world, with more than 90% of the market – refuses to carry my work.

Audible uses Digital Rights Management to lock every audiobook they sell to their platform. Legally, only an Audible-authorized app can decrypt and play the audiobooks they sell you. Distributing a tool that removes Audible DRM is a felony under Section 1201 of the 1998 DMCA.

That means that if you break up with Audible – delete your Audible apps – you will lose your entire audiobook library. And the fact that you're Audible's hostage makes the writers you love into their hostages, too. Writers understand that if they leave the Audible platform, their audience will have to choose between following them, or losing all their audiobooks.

That's how Audible gets away with abusing its performers and writers, up to and including the $100m Audiblegate wage-theft scandal:

https://www.audiblegate.com/

Audible can steal $100m from its writers…and the writers still continue to sell on the platform, because leaving will cost them their audience.

This is canonical enshittification: lock in users, then screw suppliers. Lots of companies abuse DRM to do this, but none can hold a candle to Amazon, who understand that the DMCA is a copyright law that protects corporations at the expense of creators.

Under DMCA 1201 commercial distribution of a "circumvention device" carries a five-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. That means that if I write a book, pay to have it recorded, and then sell it to you through Audible, I am criminally prohibited from giving you the tool to take it from Audible to another platform. Even though I hold the copyright to that work, I would face a harsher sentence than you would if you simply pirated the audiobook from some darknet site. Not only that: if you shoplifted the audiobook in CD form, you'd get a lighter sentence than I, the copyright holder, would receive for giving you a tool to unlock it from Amazon's platform! Hell, if you hijacked the truck that delivered the CD, you'd get off lighter than I would. This is a scam straight out of a Marty Hench novel.

This is batshit. I won't allow it. My books are licensed on the condition that they must not be sold with DRM. Which means that Audible won't sell my books, which means that my publishers are thoroughly disinterested in paying thousands of dollars to produce audiobooks of my titles. A book that isn't sold in the one store than accounts for 90% of all sales is unlikely to do well.

That's where you come in. Since 2020, I've used Kickstarter to pre-sell five of my audiobooks (I wrote nine books during lockdown!). All told, I've raised over $750,000 (gross! but still!) on these crowdfunders. More than 20,000 backers have pitched in! The last two of these books – The Internet Con and The Lost Cause – were national bestsellers.

This isn't just a way for me to pay off a lot of bills and put away something for retirement – it's proof that readers care about supporting writers and don't want to be locked in by a giant monopolist that depends on its drivers pissing in bottles to make quota.

It's a powerful message about the desire for something better than Amazon. It's part of the current that is driving the FTC to haul Amazon into court for being a monopolist, and also part of the inspiration for other authors to try treating Amazon as damage and routing around it, with spectacular results:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson

And I'm doing it again. Last December, I went into Skyboat Media's studios where Gabrielle De Cuir directed @wilwheaton, who reprised his role as Marty Hench for the audiobook of The Bezzle. It came out amazing:

https://archive.org/details/bezzle-sample

Now I'm pre-selling this audiobook, as well as the ebook and hardcover for The Bezzle. I'm also offering bundles with the ebook and audiobook for Red Team Blues (naturally these are all DRM-free). You can get your books signed and personalized and shipped anywhere in the world, courtesy of Book Soup, and I've partnered with Libro.fm to deliver DRM-free audiobooks with an app for people who don't want to mess around with sideloading.

I've also got some spendy options for high rollers. There's three chances to name a character in the next Hench novel (Picks and Shovels, Feb 2025). There's also five chances to commission a Hench short story about your favorite tech scam, and get credited when the story is published.

The Kickstarter runs for the next three weeks, which should give me time to get the hardcopy books signed and shipped to arrive around the on-sale date. What's more, I've finally worked out all the post-Brexit kinks with shipping my UK publisher's books to EU backers. I'm working with Otherland Books to fulfill those EU orders, and it looks like I'm going to be able to sign a giant stack of those when I'm in Berlin later this month to give the annual Marshall McLuhan lecture at the Canadian embassy:

https://transmediale.de/en/2024/event/mcluhan-2024

Red Team Blues and its sequels are some of the most fun – and informative – work I've done in my quarter-century career. I love how they blend technical explanations of the scam economy with high-intensity technothrillers. That's the the same mix as my bestselling YA series Little Brother series – but these are firmly adult novels.

The Bezzle came out great. I hope you'll give it a try – and that you'll come out to see me in late February when I hit the road with the book! Here's that Kickstarter link again:

http://thebezzle.org

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/10/the-bezzle/#marty-hench

[frogshunnedshadows]

REM for America's libraries. American Library Association, Disney Adventures Magazine, 1993.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Mad Season ❄ Story B

Warnings: non/dubcon, social anxiety, chronic illness, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: this is Bucky’s side of the story.

Summary: a class project gets messy. (short!reader)

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

“You get some good sleep,” Bucky says as he lingers behind you. You jingle your keys, nearly dropping them as you fish them from your bag. “I’ll be back for my jacket tomorrow.” 

“Right, er, you can just take it now,” you turn back and he puts his hand up. 

“Just in case, you hold onto it,” his lips curve slightly. “I told ya, I’m sweatin’ in this weather.” 

“Oh, okay,” you hate to argue, especially after he’s been so nice. He even walked you off campus. “Uh, thanks... I... I feel better.” 

“That’s good, doll. Didn’t even know you were upset? Something I should know about?” He wonders. 

You shake your head. You don’t want to think about Peter, let alone mention him. “No, just... college stuff.” 

“Ah, got a big assignment? Is that what you and the kid are working on?” He asks. 

“Mhmm,” you glance away evasively. “Yeah, homework.” 

“Didn’t do much school myself. Was an army brat. Hung around the base, did some smuggling, then I ended up babysitting the little twerp we now know as Captain America,” he scoffs. “Well, that was ages ago. I almost forget...” he shrugs then raises a hand and snaps his fingers, “oh, uh, not to be too forward, you want my number? For emergencies.” 

You hesitate. It’s probably a good idea. He’s leaving his coat and you’re not sure how long your study group will take tomorrow. 

“Um, okay,” you slip out your phone and shiver as you step back down the walk. “I’ll text you... number?” 

He takes out his phone and crackles out a tiny laugh, “you know, I can remember my US Army number, can’t for the life of me keep this one in my head.” He taps and scrolls, “here we are.” 

He reads out the numbers and you tap them in. You add him as a contact and open a conversation. You send him a smiley. 

“Amazing. Now I can tell Steve I got a pretty girl’s number,” he chuckles. You look at him in surprise. He cringes, “woof, not as smooth as I used to be. Anyway, I’ll be around. Let me know when I can pick the coat up.” 

“S-sure.” You agree. 

“You have a good night, doll,” he stays where he is, planting his feet as he watches you expectantly. 

You head up the walk and your keys tinkle once more as you unlock the door and push inward. You glance over your shoulder as he watches. He nods. It’s nice of him to make sure you’re safe. You give a wave then go inside. 

You’re just happy to be back at your dorm.  

❄ 

You wake up early despite the late night. You’ve never been very good at sleeping in. You get washed up, take your meds, and get dressed in a pair of wool tights and a cozy knit dress. As you go to leave, you stop short. Bucky’s fleece-lined leather hangs on the chair. You wonder what happened to your jacket. 

The winds whistle outside your window. You don’t have any other coats, just the one. You shrug on the loose leather and zip it up. It smells a bit like cedar.  

You get out the door early enough to buy a tea at the cafe on your way to the library. Your group for your lab is all there but one. You sit down but they hardly seem to notice. You don’t know how you’ll get anything done when they just stare blankly when you read out the instructions. 

You muddle through. It’s awkward because they all seem to know each other but none of them are very nice to you. In the end, you’re stuck with most of the work and they’re talking about the movie theatre. 

You pack up and they leave in pairs. You stand and grab the leather coat, hugging it under your arm as you check your phone. You’re going to check out a few shelves before you head off. 

As you push in the chair with your hip, a message blips up in the top of the screen. Bucky. You don’t get to read his message before your name pulls your head up. 

“Hey, been looking for you,” Peter says. “Got your coat...” He squints as his eyes fall to the coat over your arm. “That’s a bit big, isn’t it?” 

“Oh, it’s... borrowed.” 

“Borrowed? From who?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” you say as your scalp tingles. “Thanks for bringing that back.” 

You reach for your coat but he does the same and latches onto the leather. You try to tug both away. He yanks Bucky’s coat away and shakes it out. He snorts as he looks it up and down. His eyes snap up derisively and he throws it on the ground. 

“How the hell did you get that?” He growls. 

“I...” 

“No, why the hell are you carrying around his coat? He’s an old fucking man.” 

“Peter,” you bend to pick up the coat. 

“I’m not stupid. His dumb pin is on it. No wonder you ran out last night. You act like I’m the one messing around and you’re sneaking around with Bucky Barnes?” He sneers. 

“I wasn’t sneaking--” You lift the coat and hold it against yours. You back up as you pout at him. “Why are you yelling?” 

“I told you I liked you and now you’re walking around in another guy’s coat. Why wouldn’t I?” He pauses and looks around, only then aware of his audience. “Oh, right, it’s a library.” He speaks louder as he throws his arms out, “guess I need to be quiet!” 

You cringe and turn back to swipe up your bag. You keep your head down as your heart races and your breath begins to burn your chest. You turn back but can’t look at him. You keep a wide breadth as you step around him, bracing for him to do something.  

He just snarls as you pass, “you’re such a baby.” 

You hurry out, cheat thumping, head spinning, each step faster than the next. When at last you get to the first floor and burst out onto campus, your temples are pulsing. You struggle to untangle your bag from the coats and finally bury your hand deep inside. You take out your puffer but it slips from your frantic grasp. 

It bounces across the pavement and you cough and wheeze. Before you can reach for it, someone else does. You look up at Bucky as he stands straight. He looks you up and down and holds it out, “whatsa matter, doll?” 

You take it eagerly and suck on the end, puffing several times. He moves to block the wind as it whips around you. You finally steady yourself and hug the coats. 

“N-nothing,” you utter, “here. I have your coat.” 

He eyes you wearily as you pull his coat from under yours and hold it out. He takes it reluctantly as his mouth slants, “thanks. Where you off to?” 

“Just... groceries,” you shiver as you open your coat. 

“Groceries it is,” he says, “I’ll carry your bags.” 

You’re too out of it to protest. You need to get out of there before Peter catches up to you. You’re embarrassed after the scene he made in the library and you don’t need another. You just nod and pull your sleeves up your arms. 

“Thank you,” you murmur. 

[literaryvein-reblogs]

can you do a blog about the main types of book genres there are if you haven't already? and how to know what you're writing?

Types of Book Genres

Mystery. Follows a crime (like a murder or a disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved. Mystery novels are often called “whodunnits” because they turn the reader into a detective trying to figure out the who, what, when, and how of a particular crime. Most mysteries feature a detective or private eye solving a case as the central character.

Thriller. According to the New York Public Library, thrillers gradually build anxiety and suspense. Examples of thrillers include “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris and “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. ⚜ Psychological Thriller

Horror. “Carrie” by Stephen King, “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allen Poe’s work are all under the umbrella of horror. These works are intended to frighten audiences and elicit a feeling of dread, according to the CDE.

Historical Fiction. Historical fiction takes place in a historical setting, the CDE notes. Some examples of historical fiction include “The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr. and “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah.

Romance. Romance Writers of America (RWA) noted that romance refers to optimistic and emotionally satisfying stories that focus on a central love story. “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood and “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston are both romance novels.

Western. Primarily set in the American Old West between the late 18th century and late 19th century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West.

Bildungsroman. Translates to “novel of education” or “novel of formation,” chronicles a character’s journey from young innocence to worldly adulthood. This is a specific type of coming-of-age story in which the character gains knowledge and experience, even as innocence is lost.

Speculative Fiction. Refers to genres not based in reality, including work with magical, supernatural or otherwise imagined elements. Essentially, speculative fiction is the opposite of mimetic fiction. The category includes subgenres like fantasy, science-fiction, dystopian fiction and more, Witcover noted.

Science Fiction. This genre often involves science and technology of the future. Science fiction is frequently set in space or a different universe or world. It often uses some real theories of science.

Fantasy. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), fantasy "invites suspension of reality." The genre encompasses stories that wouldn't happen in real life, often set in another world or including magical elements.

Dystopian fiction. Imagines a future place in cataclysmic decline.

Action and Adventure. The tension of the protagonist’s journey in an adventure story creates a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping storyline. Dramatic car chases, secret missions, and violent fight scenes often pop up in famous action stories. Great action writing draws in your audience, getting their adrenaline pumping as they turn the page.

Nonfiction (Memoir: Stories from an author’s life that offer a firsthand account of events are called memoirs. According to Reader's Digest, some highly-recommended memoirs include “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and “Spare” by Prince Harry. ; Autobiography: a nonfiction (true) account of someone’s life. It is written by the subject of the autobiography; Biography: tell the story of a notable person’s life, written by someone other than the subject. Some examples are “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, which tells the story of the adventurer Chris McCandless, and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.)

Food and Travel. Cookbooks, food history books, travel guides and travel memoirs all fall under this category that includes “The Omnivore's Dilemma” by Michael Pollan and “My Life in France” by Julia Child.

Humor. Strong humor writers have a way of spotting the patterns of life and bringing them to the surface at exactly the right moment.

Young Adult. YA books are intended for readers between 12 and 18 years old, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Some examples include “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

Children's Fiction. Many classic examples of children’s literature are picture books, including “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak or “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems. Scholastic noted most picture books are intended for children up to seven years old.

Knowing your Genre. The world of literature abounds with different genres.

Although every literary genre has its own trends and defining characteristics, the divisions between these categories aren't always clear. Whether you’re picking another book off the shelf or plotting out your new novel, learning more about genre can help you decide what comes next.

If you want to become a writer, there are a number of reasons to learn about genres, according to Paul Witcover, associate dean of the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“I feel it’s important for writers to have an understanding of genre because it will impact how their books are marketed, as well as how they are perceived by publishers,” he said. “But I also think writers can be too concerned with genre.”

Although he encourages writers to learn about the subject, Witcover noted a tendency for overly rigid ideas about the distinctions between genres. “Concepts of genre are more fluid than writers may believe,” he said. It's important to keep that fluidity in mind.

Genre is determined by need and audience expectation. Its set functions are determined by its social need.

Broadly speaking, the fiction world is divided into 2 segments: literary fiction and genre fiction.

Literary fiction typically describes the kinds of books that are assigned in high school and college English classes, that are character driven and describe some aspect of the human condition. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners tend to come from the literary fiction genre.

Genre fiction has a more mainstream, populist appeal. It traditionally comprises genres such as romance, mystery, thriller, horror, fantasy, and children’s books.

Some genre writers straddle a line between genre-focused commercial fiction and the traditions of literary fiction.

Traditionally, there are 4 broader categories of genre:

Fiction: Imagined or invented literature is called fiction, Writers & Artists noted. Examples of fiction titles include “1984” by George Orwell and “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng.

Nonfiction: According to Writers & Artists, nonfiction refers to fact-based works. Some nonfiction titles include “The Body Keeps Score” by Bessel van der Kolk and “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai, and “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan.

Poetry: Britannica defines poetry as “literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound and rhythm.” Poetry incorporates poetic elements and encompasses the work of writers like Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Amanda Gorman and Richard Siken.

Drama: Dramatic literature refers to texts of plays that can be read for their literary value as well as performed, according to Britannica. Dramas include stage directions and specific formatting not found in prose or verse. Some of the most studied dramas are Shakespeare’s plays, like “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.” You might be familiar with other dramas, too, like “Death of a Salesman” and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller or August Wilson’s Century Cycle of 10 dramas depicting the Black experience in the U.S. throughout the 20th century, including “The Piano Lesson” and “Fences.”

Although most writing falls into at least one of these 4 categories, the edges are a bit blurred, and there can be overlap.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

It seems the general advice is to learn about the different genres first, and try to see which elements your story has that align with them. Perhaps start with the broader categories first, then narrow it down to the major genres, until you identify which specific subgenre your story fits. And it's fine if they overlap, as this happens with most novels. Hope this helps!

[pendogcreative]

America's favorite sailor, Dorothy Do is a very interesting character who got his start in award winning literature, ascended to puppet stardom, then featured in a landmark animated feature. Of all our characters, besides perhaps Maisy the Mutt, he has gone the farthest across mediums.

Created by Barbara Massey as the protagonist of her series of novels, “The Deep Blue,” Dorothy began life as a sailor in a world completely submerged by water, and while traveling to different islands he would explore the wonders and treachery of land and sea, always on the move, never returning to the same location. These stories would hop from place to place and delighted both the adults and children of America with their tales of danger and fantasy. In these novels, Dorothy Do was characterized by restlessness and a desire to do good in the world, hence his original full name: “Dorothy Do Good.” He was also notable for his calmness in terrifying, hopeless situations and taking the ship under control, so to speak.

The Dorothy Do series would run for several novels before Barbara was approached with the proposition of adapting Dorothy Do's adventures into a televised series. Although proposed to be an animated tv show, Barbara Mast had different ideas, as well as an unusual amount of control over the project. After contacting friends working at Silverstein Puppetry Theatre, she gathered together what would be known as the Deep Blue Team….

Read more at:

[qqueenofhades]

top ten non-fiction (general) books and top ten history books?

Naturally, whenever I volunteer to talk about books, I completely forget everything I have ever read, but we'll try to overcome this. Since it is impossible for me to pick them from all-time, I'll do this list from what I have recently read and enjoyed, including both nonfiction and history specifically since most of these fit that bill somehow:

Society of the Snow by Pablo Vierci. Just finished this last night, and it's the source material for the Netflix film of the same name, of the 1972 plane crash of an Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes and their incredible survival odyssey. If you've seen the film, you know how harrowing and also incredibly moving it is.

Pretty much anything by David Grann, including The Wager, Killers of the Flower Moon, Lost City of Z, etc. The Wager is his newest one, though people may have heard of Killers of the Flower Moon, but they're all good. He's up there with Erik Larson as one of my favorite writers of utterly gripping and novelistic nonfiction.

Speaking of Erik Larson: pretty much anything by, including Dead Wake, The Splendid and the Vile, In the Garden of Beasts, etc. Most people will have heard of and/or read Devil in the White City, but his other stuff is equally good. His newest, The Demon of Unrest, is a bit slower than some of the others IMHO, but it's also about the beginning of the Civil War and the crisis at Fort Sumter and is important reading in our current perilous moment.

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. A forensic and incredibly detailed history of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986.

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages, by Anthony Bale. This is an entertaining and readable introduction to mobility in the Middle Ages: who traveled, where they went, what they thought, and how they reacted and wrote about the other cultures they encountered, from both east and west. Definitely a good entry point for the layman who has heard the "medieval people never traveled/went anywhere" stereotype and knows it's wrong, but wants to know more HOW.

Into the Silence: Mallory, the Great War, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis. Another incredibly detailed doorstopper history book that reads like a novel, exploring 19th-century British imperialism in Asia, the race to climb Mount Everest, the Great War, and more.

Emperor of Rome and SPQR by Mary Beard. These are both incredibly accessible starting points for studying Rome, written by a renowned classicist with a knack for making her historical material and concepts easy to understand and entertaining. Don't be put off by the length of either of these, as they read easily.

The Wide Wide Sea and The Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides. The former is his newest book, about the last voyage of Captain Cook, and the latter is my favorite of his other books, about the 19th-century USS Jeannette polar expedition. He is a writer of incredible skill, thoughtfulness, and detail in handling subjects of empire, exploration, colonialism, maritime history, and adventure.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, by Patrick Raddon O'Keefe. A compelling, disturbing, mesmerizing, and infuriating account of the Sackler family, the creation of OxyContin, and the opioid epidemic in America.

Master Slave Husband Wife, by Ilyon Woo. Now, this one is a bit cheating since I haven't actually read it yet (it's on hold at the library), but it's won the Pulitzer Prize for history so I'm fairly sure it's going to be good. It's about 19th century slaves-turned-abolitionists William and Ellen Craft and their race- and gender-bending journey to freedom and anti-slavery activism.

[s-che]

Monsterhearts 2: Plotting Anti-Plot

Last week I had the fortune to MC (and play) Monsterhearts 2 for the first time as the Dream Library begins a unit on monsters, monstrosity, and monsterfucking which will carry us through November, and boy howdy am I glad we managed to do it. 

For those who (somehow) don’t know, Monsterhearts is a game that bills itself as being about “the messy lives of teenage monsters.” It cites Twilight, Buffy, Ginger Snaps, The Vampire Diaries, and The Craft as media touchstones, it’s not joking when it says that these monsters are 1. messy and 2. teenagers. Monsterhearts is angsty, horny, frightening and, above all else, extremely fun to play. On top of that, Monsterhearts is also one of those games that, if you’re in a certain sector of the indie RPG scene, people will remind you is extremely fun to play all the fucking time. It feels sometimes like every designer I know has a good Monsterhearts story, and as much as Avery Alder’s reputation on a larger stage has been defined by The Quiet Year, I get the sense that for people who like what Monsterhearts is doing it’s an extremely hard game to beat. 

So to be totally honest, I was more than a little anxious MCing for my first time actually playing the game. There’s a sense in which hosting a game which you know is great can be way harder than hosting games you think might be bad — after all, if the session goes poorly, there’s nobody to blame but yourself. On top of that, Monsterhearts moves through some tricky territory: underage sex is a core element of the game, and the eight “Small Towns” (short, pre-prepped settings for quick starting the game) all deal more or less explicitly with histories of racism and colonialism in communities across North America. While these are interesting places to go in play, the idea of taking them on myself as host made me shy away a little bit (and I’m excited in the next session to look at things from a player’s perspective). 

All in all, though, I think the session was a resounding success. I went in with basically no prep and as much familiarity with the book as I could get (not enough to realize the quick reference sheet we were using for the first half of the session was from Monsterhearts 1, but so it goes), relying on the game itself — which leans away from strictly organized plots and encourages you, in true PBTA fashion, to let characters and their needs bounce off each other until the conversation goes somewhere interesting — to get us smoothly into play. I would call my efforts there a mixed success: while Avery has a real skill for writing pedagogically, giving you the explicit frameworks you need to get into play (if you’ve never begun a session of The Quiet Year by reading the rules book aloud to each other, you should go fix that now), the session was hampered a little by some awkward pacing and uncertainty: partially driven by my chronic tendency to waste time on slowly establishing things in one-shots rather than swinging as hard as I can in the first five minutes and letting the players lead from there and partially by player character relationships that lead to clear, decisive actions... which left one of our players bored at work while the other two went off adventuring. We ended up taking a moment, after returning from the normal mid-session bio-break, to chat and refocus ourselves, figuring out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see in the last hour or so of the session, and then jumping back in and — thankfully — playing hard to reach a strong conclusion. In the end, I’m not interested in tracking down exactly where the first half of our session lost its footing (although I have some ideas for how I could have hit harder as an MC). I’m more interested in celebrating the way the table was able to come together, talk explicitly about what we wanted, and get the game somewhere satisfying for everyone involved. We closed on, among other things: an underwater fight between the Fairy (Mermaid?) Queen and a Kraken-Leviathan-Hellmonster, a throuple sneaking off from a beach party to hook up, and the messy end of a South Jersey summer (complete with a tsunami and a beached whale front of the boardwalk). It was a good time. 

Most striking to me in this moment, however, is the way thinking about Monsterhearts as a plotless game positions both me as MC and the other players. It really speaks to the way that capital-T The capital-C Conversation works in Powered by the Apocalypse games (good ones, anyway) to let play flow not according to the rules of a paced narrative, but along lines of player interest and highly-charged emotional incident. It is, I think, part of what makes all the PBTA games we’ve played in the Dream Library sing (in no small part because we pruned the last unit and didn’t play any PBTA games I think are bad, but that’s a different conversation) and it suits this game — with it’s emphasis on sex and messy desire — extremely well. It also fits in nicely with a point I’ve heard a couple of people make recently: that thinking of RPGs as first and foremost collective narrative engines is, at the very least, a narrow view. 

Anyway, this week I’m fortunate enough to be joined by a new host (hi @jdragsky) so I can check out MH as a player, then we’ve got a couple of two-shots planned for the end of the month before we move on to our next monstrously intimate game: Bluebeard’s Bride. You want in on an upcoming game? Have a link. You want to hear more about Monsterhearts? One of my players wrote up some of her thoughts as well.

Otherwise, well, get out of here. Scram.

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Delacroix Public Library Captain America Campaign

This is a series of graphics inspired by a convo I had with @logicheartsoul about libraries. This is also for the @sambuckylibrary's "Free Space" square on my bingo. The general gist of it is Sam and Bucky promoting the local library branch in Delacroix. All the graphics will be under the read more. Enjoy! 🥰

WHAT EACH GRAPHIC SAYS:

PAGE 1:

Middle: Cap says reading is cool! Bottom Left: Cap's boyfriend says so too!

PAGE 2:

Top Left: The Delacroix Library! Middle Left: Captain America Approved! Middle Right: VISIT!!! Middle Lower Right: Unofficially started as a library by local pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries, this branch hosts a variety of old texts brought to Delacroix by the pirates. Bottom Right: VISIT!!! Bottom Left: Delacroix is also the hometown to our current Captain America, one Samuel Thomas Wilson,

PAGE 3:

Middle: Readers of the Month Sam & Sarah Wilson

PAGE 4:

Top Left: 6 Ways Having Fun Isn’t Hard with a Library Card! Featuring Sam Wilson! Top Right: Cap's boyfriend is also here! List from 1-6: 1) Reading Books! 2) Rent Movies or Games! 3) Playing on the Computer! 4) Join a Local Club! 5) Help with a Book Drive! 6) Fight crime with Sam - I mean, go to book fairs!

PAGE 5:

Top Middle: The Delacroix Public Library Summer Reading Bingo 2024 Row 1 Left to Right: Read a Translated Book; Read in your bed; Read the First Book of a New Series; Read a Book Someone Else Picks; Read a Classic Row 2 Left to Right: Learn One New Fact About an Animal; Read a LGBTQIA+ Book; Character Goes on an Unplanned Adventure; Read A Historical Nonfiction; Learn a Recipe from a Cookbook Row 3 Left to Right: Read a Debut Author; Read in a Pillowfort; Free Space; Read a Graphic Novel; Read a Play Row 4 Left to Right: Read a Mystery; Read a Book about an Athlete or Sport; Read a Fairytale; Read a Book That Makes You Laugh; Read a Book with a Spooky Cover Row 5 Left to Right: Read a Book with a Movie Based on It; Read Your Friend’s Favorite Book; Read a Book of Poetry; Read Outside; Read with a Friend Bottom Left: Cap Approved!! Bottom Right: Cap's boyfriend says so too!

PAGE 6:

Top Left: Delacroix Public Library presents Middle: Book Club; FOR YOUNG AVENGERS, NO SAMS OR BUCKYS ALLOWED. Saturdays from 7-10 pm. Pull up your chair backwards, sit down, and talk books. Bottom Left: Et Tu, Cap's boyfriend? Bottom Middle: "Password for Entry, B******!" Bottom Right: CONTACT YELENA FOR MORE INFORMATION. SUNGLASSES NOT OPTIONAL.

PAGE 7:

Top Left: The Delacroix Voice; You're Local Newsletter Top Right: Edited by Eli Bradley Middle Right: Captain America at Library Summer Fun Run! by Yelena Belova; Last weekend, on a hot, humid day in Delacroix, Sam Wilson was spotted at the Delacroix Public Library Summer Fun Run with Bucky Barnes, his sister, Sarah Wilson, and his nephews, Cass and AJ... read more on pg. 5 Bottom Left: Sightings of Sam at the DPL by Kate Bishop; Read more on pg. 3 Sightings from 1-3: 1) Drag Storytime - Dressed in drag, Sam and Bucky gave a fun reading hour to the local preschoolers of Delacroix. 2) Summer Reading - As one of the prizes for the first kid to blackout the entire Summer Reading Bingo card this year, Sam visited and had a one-on-one with winner Leila Taylor Junior, daughter of Leila Taylor. 3) Tree Planting - As part of Sam Wilson’s ongoing community service efforts not just in Delacroix, but around the country, Sam organized a tree planting event for his hometown. Bottom Right: Local Hero Rolling with Boyfriend in Grass Near Local Library by Kamala Khan; Who says you can’t have fun right outside of the library? Local hero and celebrity, Sam Wilson, has been hanging out right outside with his boyfriend, local rescue saved from New York City and man who will pick you up if you ask him nicely, Bucky Barnes... read more on pg. 7

[nintendroid]

Happy belated birthday to the Nintendo 64, released in North America on September 29th making it 28 years old!

No other console I've owned gives me the nostalgia bug like the N64. I have so many stories of the adventures I had with it I could almost write a book. Maybe someday I will, but for right now let's talk about how you can celebrate Nintendo's most unappreciated console. We'll look at some modern software, some underappreciated games you should play and some cool N64 oddities. (NOTE: None of the items mentioned are sponsored. I just really dig the products)

Essential Hardware:

Brawler 64 Controller!

Available wired or wireless, the Brawler is for players who want to play the N64 with a more modern controller. I bought one some years back and have been nothing but satisfied with it. Check out my original review here. Shop here.

The Everdrive 64!

A cartridge capable of storing every N64 game EVER! Not just official games either, but fan-made game mods too! An absolute must if you're hardcore into N64 gaming. It should be noted, there are cheaper alternatives out there, but the rumor is that they can fry your console. KRIKzz-brand Everdrive's are known for their quality and for my money I want something that's not going to ruin my hardware. Check out my original review here. Shop here.

Underrated Games: Even with such a short library, there are good N64 games that don't have the Nintendo or Rare label on them. These aren't all of them, but here's a few that pop up in my mind when I think of the topic of underappreciated N64 games. Yes, some of these are ports but the N64 ports are the way I experienced them and I still prefer the N64 versions.

Duke Nukem: Zero Hour

In my opinion, the best sequel to Duke 3D. Don't let the 3rd-person perspective deter you, this is an authentic Duke Nukem game. Go through time shooting zombies, aliens, Jack the Ripper and send those alien scum packing. Duke's sense of humor is present, even under Nintendo's famous censorship guidelines.

Road Rash 64

A motorcycle racing game where you clobber the other racers with pipes, crowbars and plungers while avoiding the cops. It's so awesome and features one of the greatest songs Sugar Ray ever put out.

40 Winks

It was cancelled at 99% complete in the N64's heyday but publishing company Piko Interactive bought the rights and gave it an official release in 2019. While not what I would call a "classic" It's still a fun game to play over a weekend. As mentioned in my original review, it reminds me of a 3D adaptation of Nightmare on Elmstreet for NES.

007 - The World Is Not Enough

While not quite known as it's big brother, TWINE is a fun FPS Bond game in its own right. Eurocom (who developed Duke Nukem Zero Hour and 40 Winks!) knew they wasn't going to top Rare's iconic Goldeneye, but they did their best and it shows. The one advantage TWINE has over Goldeneye is multiplayer bots so you can play multiplayer because you don't have friends willing to come over because you're a 35-year-old father of two with a mortgage and 9-to-5.

Mods: The modding scene on the N64 is opening up and as a result we're getting some quality titles that extends the life of our favorite system. The one's mentioned here can be played on your actual N64 with the assistance of an Everdrive.

Smash Remix

Everyone collectively loves the original Super Smash Bros, but we can all agree it's pretty barebones in terms of content. Smash Remix fixed that with tons of new N64-era appropriate character additions, new levels, gameplay modes, music, costume changes and MORE. Phenomenal mod if you're a Smash 64 fan.

Shotgun Mario

Its Super Mario 64 but he has a shotgun. Fun for a laugh but adds a fun new mechanic to a classic. No more hoppin-and-boppin, Mario is here to dispense justice!

AKI-engine Wrestling Game Mods

I know most of you reading this aren't wrestling fans but the N64 had some iconic wrestling games thanks to Japanese studio AKI. Fans have been making mods for the AKI-developed titles like WWF No Mercy, Virtual Pro Wrestling 64, WCW vs NWO World Tour ect for years. It's hard to choose just one and each game has a wealth of characters, new arenas, match stipulations, create a wrestler options and much more.

Weirdo N64 Products: Any other time I would have 100 things to list but this is all I could find in the short time I have.

N64 Shirt!

Yes this bad boy is official. What other officially licensed shirt has Fox McCloud and a stormtrooper on it? In modern times, your best luck of finding something like this would be in a midwestern flea market.

Bill Goldberg Memory Card!

WCW legend Bill Goldberg had a memory card for some reason. I'm not complaining because it's awesome. Nothing I would love more than looking down after losing races in Diddy Kong to see big Bill yelling at me, motivating me to be a champion.

In conclusion: The N64 is a flawed but legendary console - it's popular but underrated, widely-known but intimate. My wishlist for the future is more awesome game mods of well known titles AND lesser known titles (let's fix Superman 64 or Carmageddon!). If you read this far, I hope this got you in the mood to play some N64.

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 20

Masterlist

Warning: nightmare, mention of past trauma, Vision gets a little upset, panic attack, fluff and angst

Note: I took some creative liberties in one section of this story. I did do some research but my thinking is if there is a soul realm why can't every infinity stone have one.

Word count: 4.5k

You were exhausted both mentally and physically. You loved spending time with Natasha and Wanda as they brought you to Bryant Park and the New York Public Library (you did get a library card). At the end of your adventure, you got two slices of cheese pizza. Now back at the tower, you wanted to lay in bed and fall asleep. You didn’t realize how exhausting it would be so social. As the metal doors opened to your floor, you were expecting it to be quiet and empty. You were mistaken. Instead, you saw Kate, America, Yelena, and Peter on the couch with a dog. You gasped, eyes glued to the one-eyed Golden Retriever. “Puppy,” you whispered. Kate laughed.

“Well don’t just stand there come say hi,” you walked over, extending your hand to the dog for it to smell you. “His name is Lucky.”

“Or Pizza Dog,” America added on. Lucky licked your hand and it was you needed to drop to your knees and bury your face in his fur. You loved dogs. When you were younger, your next-door neighbor had a yellow lab named Buddy. Sometimes, you went outside to go sit by the fence and pet him. He was never afraid of you.

“Wait,” you said suddenly. “His name is Pizza Dog?” The group laughed which launched them into the story of how Kate found the dog. Which Yelena explained as a ‘cool way to die’ getting hit by a car to save a dog. Kate left the dog in her apartment in a panic and gave him pizza to eat.

“I mean what New York City dog doesn’t love pizza,” Kate defended herself. She had a point. “But Eleanor’s ex-fiancé watches him for me,” you weren’t going to question that one. “I’m thinking about bringing him to the Bartons,” she scratched underneath his chin. “They love him and I think he’ll enjoy all the land.”

“But I’ll miss him,” America said, burrowing her face in his fur. “I’ll miss him so much.” You giggled as the elevator doors opened and Tony walked onto the floor. He was holding an envelope.

“Bishop,” he said slowly. “Why is there a dog in the tower?”

“Because he’s cute,” you smiled, scratching the sides of his head. Lucky’s tongue hung out of his mouth. “How can you be upset with this face?” You looked at the billionaire, giving him your best puppy dog eyes. Tony sighed, admitting defeat with a roll of his eyes.

“I think Stark is having trouble saying no to you,” Yelena smiled. You merely shrugged, going back to giving your attention to Lucky.

“Is that a mission, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked, pointing to the folder in Tony’s hand.

“Oh right. I got distracted by that,” he pointed to the golden retriever.

“Please Stark you thought about buying an alpaca,” Natasha said from the kitchen.

“This is for you,” he walked over to you and handed it. You took it, not sure what was in the envelope. “It’s not bad. Just your test results.”

“Test results?” Wanda questioned. You looked at Tony and then back to the envelope, trying to figure out what he was saying. Then it hit you like a freight train.

“Oh. OH!” You said, opening the envelope. You noticed that the seal was opened already ripped. He must have looked into it.

“Want to fill us in, bud?” Kate asked.

“You didn’t tell them,” you cringed, placing the envelope in your lap.

“I forgot,” you defended. And you did. With everything going on it was the last thing on your mind. You sighed. “I took the placement test,” it was like you spoke a different language that no one understood how quiet it was.

“Why-why didn’t you tell us?” America questioned. You began to pet Lucky. He knew something was bothering you as he cuddled up against you.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” you explained. “I asked Tony to not tell anyone then everything went to shit,” you heard Natasha gasp out a ‘language’ which made you giggle. “Then I forgot about. I’m sorry.” You had every intention of telling them when you found out your scores.

“So,” you looked at the witch. “How did you do?” Looking at Tony, you motioned for him that it was okay to tell everyone. He smiled.

“Well, our girl tested out of reading comprehension and writing,”

“Shocker,” Yelena sarcastically said. You giggled, hiding the blush on your cheeks. It was weird being the center of attention.

“According to the test, those two skills are at a college level,” he continued. You liked the smile on his face, it was like he was proud of you. A warm feeling filled your belly at the thought of someone being proud of you. “As for science and math, you tested around a 6th-grade level which is amazing considering you’ve never set foot in an academic building.”

“See!” Peter said, pulling you into a side hug. “I told you were going to do great!” You laughed, thanking him for helping you study. It was a chorus of congratulations and hugs were given to you. Your cheeks were hurting for how much you were smiling. For once in your life, you felt proud of your accomplishment. The negative words of your father didn’t reach your head.

*    

You called Shuri immediately, getting her phone number from Peter, and she congratulated you. Stating that she told you so and that you had nothing to worry out. When you were done with your phone call, you found your friends in the kitchen on the common floor. “What are you doing?” You asked, walking over to them.

“Thank God! Your back,” America groaned. “She kicked me out of the kitchen.” She pouted and pointed to Yelena.

“She wouldn’t even let me help,” Peter mumbled, picking up a card from the pile. He and America were sitting at the counter playing Uno while Yelena and Kate were in the kitchen. Water was boiling on the stove and Kate was chopping a carrot.

“That's because she almost chopped my finger off,” Yelena said. “And Peter Parker, you burnt yourself boiling water. I can not trust you in the kitchen.”

“But you trust her?!” America exclaimed. Yelena sighed.

“Against my better judgment,” you giggled at Kate’s expression but it quickly vanished when Yelena kissed her on the cheek. They were really cute together.

“What are we making and what can I do to help?” You asked, washing your hands.

“Dumplings, fried rice, chow mein, and wonton soup,” Yelena told you.

“Bucky, Steve, and Rhodey should be coming back tonight and Yelena volunteered our services to cook,” America made Peter draw 2 cards. Which caused your friend to pout but it soon faded to a smile when he placed another draw 2 down. America gasped. “Rude!”

“You made me draw 8,” he defended. “It’s not the end of the world.” You smiled at the interaction. Yelena sighed.

“If I give you the dough recipe for the dumplings can you make it?” The blonde asked you. You nodded and she handed you a tablet with the recipe. There was a time in your life when you hated cooking. It meant that you were left alone and no one was there to feed you so you had to feed yourself. You remembered living off of toast and peanut butter because it was easy for you. You moved to make scrambled eggs and pancakes. But know you loved cooking with your friends around you and their laughter filling the silence. It was comforting. It was a gentle reminder that you weren’t alone.

*       

“Dinner smells amazing,” Rhodey said, helping you set up the table. He was the first one back. You were told he had to make a trip to DC to clear stuff over with a few politicians about the Avenger’s work with the Wakandans and the mission that sent Vision and a few SHIELD agents to South America. You were a little jealous of all places the Avengers traveled to.

“I helped,” America proclaimed and Rhodey frowned.

“Then it’s poisoned,” you chuckled, walking back into the kitchen as the Avengers filed in to take their seats around the table. You put on hand warmers to grab the last dish from the oven.

“Need help?” You jumped at Steve’s voice and spun around to see the American super-solider. His hair was damped, he must have just gotten out of the shower. “Glad to see you up and moving.”

“FRIDAY alerted you and Bucky that I was hurt,” Steve nodded. “Can I have a hug?” Instead of answering, he held open his arm inviting you into a hug. His arms circled you. He was warm, felt safe, and comforting. “Thank you,” you said. Steve let out a shaky breath.

“Scared the hell out of me kid,” you heard a chuckle, pulled away from Steve, and saw Bucky.

“Did I just hear Captain America say a bad word?” Steve rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “Glad to see you are safe, doll,” you smiled, taking a step away from Steve. Starring at Bucky’s hands, you found yourself starting to panic. You’ve felt his hands on you before. They were cold, and strong, and caused bruises on your skin. You swallowed the growing fear and held out your hand. You weren’t ready for a hug from him yet. Bucky raised his flesh hand.

“The other one,” you stated. “I trust you, Bucky.” You tried to keep your voice steady. Did he hear the slight shake? Or was he just as nervous as you were to notice? He hesitated and connected his metal hand with yours. Still, it was a shock to your system. You knew it was coming but the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and all you felt was fear. You dropped his hand and forced a smile on your face as you busied yourself with getting the last dish ready. “Hope you boys are hungry,” you said, leading them back to the table. “We made a lot of food.” You set it down and took your spot between Yelena and America. The blonde gave you a questioning look but you gave her a reassuring smile. You were okay. You had another hurdle to climb over.       

Dinner was fun. You laughed at the stories Rhodey and the two super soldiers told about their missions. Tony told the rest of the team about your test results. It reminded you of your father and how he gushed and bragged about a test Caleb did well on. But the entire time Bucky kept watching you. You wondered what was going through his head. Was he trying to remember you? Or did he remember and was too ashamed to admit it? Once dinner was done and cleaned up, you said your goodnight to the team and went to bed.

Well, you tried to sleep. You lay awake staring at the ceiling. You were exhausted, right down to your bones but you were afraid to fall asleep. “FRIDAY, can you read to me?” You asked the AI, turning onto your side. You hoped the sound would fight away any nightmares.

“Of course, do you have a specific book in mind?”

“The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin,” was a book on your TBR that you’ve been meaning to read. You figured now would be a good night.

“Right away,” you closed your eyes. “Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things…”

*   

You woke up with a silent scream. You barely had enough time to stop the sound from coming out of your mouth. His hands. You could still feel them as he pinned you against the wall or held you down as waves and waves of electricity moved through your body. Scrambling out of your bed, you fell to the floor and put your back against the wall. Breath, you told yourself, breathe. The tingle in your palms began to spread. You didn’t register FRIDAY alerting you that she informed Wanda and Natasha or when the door opened. “Sweetheart, can you open your eyes for me?” You weren’t sure when you closed them.

“Can’t,” the pressure was becoming too much. “Need,” you couldn’t form the words you wanted to say. Everything was a mess in your head. You needed a way to release this pressure without hurting yourself, the couple, or causing a power surge in the tower.

“I’ll be right back,” you heard Wanda say and rush out of your room. Natasha stayed, talking through your panic. It was helping, the pressure began to lessen. Finally, you heard Wanda and she pushed something into your hands. “Focus your powers on that. Let go, molniyenosnyy zhuk (lightning bug). We are here,” And you did. You heard the familiar sound of your powers dancing around your fingertips and the warmth it caused. You opened your eyes when it stopped, the couple was blurry from your tears but you saw their smiles.

“There’s our girl,” Natasha whispered, whipping away your tears. You surged forward, arms wrapping around her waist as you buried your head in her lap. “Sh, your safe. Your safe.” Your body shook against her and Natasha ran her fingers through your hair.

“Was it a nightmare?” Wanda asked, rubbing soothing circles on your back. You nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?” That was the last thing you wanted to do so you shook your head.

“That’s fine. We can just sit here until you are ready,” Natasha said. You turned your head to face Wanda. She held a battery, similar to the ones attached to the machine Tony made for you. Where did she get it?

“Tony gave us a few extras just in case you need them,” she answered your question. “But I do think we need to do some training, maybe it will help you regulate your abilities.” You nodded, rubbing your eyes.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” you forced yourself off the Black Widow and climbed into bed. Natasha pulled the blanket over. “Do you want us to stay with you?”

“No, I’m okay,” you finally said. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank us,” Wanda said, kissing your forehead. “Come get us if you need anything. Goodnight,” the couple left and closed the door behind them. You traced the spot Wanda kissed. You never received a goodnight kiss from your mother. She was afraid to touch you once you revealed what you could do. You sighed, twisting the blanket in your hands. You wondered what you did to deserve this life you were living and if there were any way to repay them.

*     

You tried to go back to sleep but your room began to feel too small and suffocating. You debated on waking up Natasha and Wanda but you already disturbed their sleep. You began to walk the tower. You enjoyed the peace the tower provided at night. You were alone to figure out your thoughts but close enough to someone if you needed it. “Miss. Y/n,” you smiled at Vision, who sitting by the windows and illuminated by a nearby light. He was playing chess. “What are you doing up?” You walked over to him and sat in the empty chair.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you said. “How was your mission?” You asked him as he cleared away the game he was playing to start a fresh one.

“It went well,” he gave you the first move. “We completed the mission with limited injuries,” you both didn’t speak, finding peace in the silence as you played. Until he broke it, “The team informed me you were hurt. Are you alright?” You sighed, tracing the groves of the pawn.

“I’ve probably been the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been,” you took your turn. “But sometimes I worry this is all temporary, that the rug will be pulled out from underneath or my demons will come back to haunt me,” Vision stayed quiet as you continued, “Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning, unable to keep my head above the water.”

“Do you wish for advise or do you just want someone to listen?” He asked. You smiled, laughing slightly.

“If you have advice I’d love to hear it,” he smiled. There was something about Vision that made you feel connected. Unlike a few others in the tower, Vision could exist in silence. He didn’t want to be the center of attention and he was content with sitting back and observing. There was a natural calming presence around him.

“You were born to a family that didn’t appreciate you,” you recognized the quote from Matilda, the reference made you smile. “You bare the emotional and physical scars of those who hurt you and it’s very unfair. But,” you looked at him. “You are very special, resilient too. So if the carpet you are standing on gets pulled out from underneath you, you have the strength to overcome it. However,” his smile grew. “You have a family that will catch you.”

“Was that a Matilda reference I heard?” He nodded. “I didn’t expect you to be a movie lover.”

“I like to indulge in a guilty pleasure every once in a while,” you giggled.

“Thank you Vision,” you covered your mouth as you yawned. “I guess that’s my cue to try to get some sleep.” You stood up but before you went back to your room you stared at the infinity stone. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. You can ask me anything,” you suppressed a sigh. You were curious that was why you wanted to touch it. You wondered if it would feel like Wanda’s powers.

“Can I touch the infinity stone?” He hesitated. It was the first time you saw him so unsure of himself. You expected him to say no and you would accept that but he nodded.

“Just be careful,” he warned. You nodded. Your hand shook as you raised it and moved your finger to the yellow stone. Before you even touched it, a short surge of electricity left your finger and the world around you went dark.

*     

Your eyes slowly opened staring into the vast nothingness above you. You sat up, hands skimming the water you were sitting in but your clothes remained dry. Where were you? Where was Vision? Where was anyone? On shaky legs, you stood up. “Hello,” you called out. But your voice echoing back was your only reply. You began to walk unsure of where to or how to get back home. “Hello!” You yelled.

“There is no need to raise your voice,” you spun around but saw no one behind you.

“Whose there?” You questioned. “Where are you?” The voice chuckled. The sound bounced around so you were unable to pinpoint where it was coming from.

“That is an interesting question when I’m here but nowhere. I’m near but very far,” you heard footsteps walking towards you. Out of the darkness you saw yourself. It was like looking in a mirror. It wore the same clothes you wore now, the scar, even the color of your eyes. “I’m me but also you.” It mimicked the sound of your voice.

“Where am I?” You asked. The figure didn’t answer, instead, it titled its head from side to side and you couldn’t help but mirror it. You snapped out of the fog. “Stop that.” It laughed.

“You're in the mind realm, you stupid, foolish girl. Your lucky you aren’t dead,” Well that was a relief. You were beginning to wonder if this was some strange version of the afterlife. “But,” it raised its hands. “I can’t be too upset. I’ve been dying to talk to you,” it began to circle you. You stayed cemented to the spot, trying to call upon your powers but they didn’t answer you.

“What do you want with me?” You asked. Your voice was surprisingly calm.

“There is a problem, an imbalance if you want to call it that,” it stopped walking and stood back in front of you. “And you are going to be the savior or our downfall, the choice is yours.” Your stomach dropped.

“Me?” You questioned. “Why-why me?” You weren’t a hero. You were just-well you weren’t sure what you were. But you were just a kid, just finding your footing in this big scary world.

“Because I chose you. It’s very simple please try to keep up,” it turned on its heels and walked into the darkness.

“Wait,” it didn’t. “Wait, hold on.” You ran after the figure, the water splashing at your every step. “Are you going to tell me what this problem is so I can fix it?” The figure shook its head.

“Nope, I can’t do that. Sorry,” something told you it wasn’t but it did stop walking. “Think of it like a game of chess,” With a wave of its hand chess boards appeared in the darkness. At every board, you were sitting on one side and your opponent was one of the Avengers. “All the pieces have been placed,” you began to walk around, watching the games play out. “But there are thousands of possibilities that could be the outcome. You could lose,” a few captured your king. “But you could also win.” The boards disappeared, leaving one. It was you against Natasha. The image before you began to flicker; changing from you hugging her to you standing above her with a gun.

“No,” you whispered. You looked away as the gun went off. “No! I won’t let that happen.”

“Only time will tell and as the judge, I can’t change the outcome of how I want the match to end,” it closed the gap between you two. Grasping your chin in its hands. Its skin was cold against yours. “I want to make myself clear. I want you to win. Your loss will make my life difficult. But you aren’t ready,” it dropped the hold on you and its appearance began to change. You watched the mind stone form in the center of its forehead. “I gave life to the Vision, powers to the Maximoff twins, and Loki wielded me to enslave others and take over New York,” it smiled and began to float in the air. “I wonder what I’ll give you.” Its fingers began to glow, lighting up the darkness around you. It was like you were watching a movie, moments of your life flashed around you. “I wish you the best of luck and I do apologize, you won’t remember our meeting. You have to understand, it’s for the best.”

“Wait,” it was too late. The figure touched your forehead and you were forced back. Like a string was attached to your waist and someone yanked you back. You began to chant in your mind to remember. Remember. Remember. You had to remember.

*

You stumbled backward and you felt Vision grab onto your hand to catch you. “Are you alright? Should I get-”

“I’m fine,” you told him. He wasn’t convinced but you were. Your stomach was a little upset and there was a small ache in your head but you’ve experienced far worst.

“What did you see?” He questioned. You titled your head, eyebrows pinched together. “Tell me what you saw.” The grip he had on you tightened.

“Ouch,” he released you. His eyes said his apologies. You rubbed the spot on your wrist. “I-I didn’t see anything,” you said. “Honest. I wouldn’t lie to you, I promise.”

“Right,” he sighed. “I do apologize for my behavior. Have a goodnight,” you forced a smile, a little concerned by what happened.

“Goodnight, Vision,” And you went back to your room, holding onto the wrist that was going to bruise come morning.

*       

Vision watched the young girl walk over the staircase and return to her room. He rubbed the stone, that gave him life, and Wanda her powers. He valued the power and responsibility that came with protecting the stone. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to warn the Avengers of Thanos. Something was coming. He could feel it but the stone was silent, not indicate what the threat was. All he knew was it involved his new friend and that worried him more.

_

Taglist: @aestruvx, @toouncreativeforausername, @modedddd, @julilamoment, @mythixmagic, @yourmamacom, @vicmc624, @cherlenovix, @liliesandrosies, @whitewidowsbite, @clintsbigtoe,   @blackbirdv98   @arualdcg  @yoyo-w​  @natbelovasblog, @johnnyhulu, @blackwidow-3, @theenglishswiftie, @faith-olsen

[dragonomatopoeia]

Air's End-of-Year Youtube Video Rec-List Round-Up

In light of recent events and also because I wanted to, I have put together a rec list of various (mostly longform) videos that I've enjoyed this year. Not all of these videos were released this year, however-- I just happened to see them for the first time in 2023. For readability and quality of life purposes, I have put this list under a readmore and divided the videos up by category, then creator, which means that some youtube channels might appear in multiple categories

I reserve the right to edit this later as I remember more videos, but I feel comfortable publishing it as is, considering it has almost 100 videos on it at this point

Cooking

Get Curried Chili Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe | How to Make Chili Garlic Rosemary Chicken at Home | Prateek Anardana Chicken Recipe | Delicious Himachal Style Anardana Chicken Recipe at Home | Chef Prateek Old Delhi Style Tangdi Kebab | How to Make Indian Starter Tangdi Kebab Recipe | Chef Prateek Dhawan

How to Cook That The $10 Million dollar lie (Betty Crocker) Debunking the Pink Sauce Controversy | How To Cook That Ann Reardon Top 7 Best Easy Lemon Recipes 🍋 | How To Cook That Ann Reardon Toxic Foods promoted on TikTok! | How To Cook That Ann Reardon Why is Pyrex exploding? | How To Cook That Ann Reardon

Library of Congress' Youtube Channel El Camino del Mole a New Orleans El Camino del Pan a Baltimore

Immaculate Bites LEMON BUNDT CAKE FIRECRACKER SHRIMP

Simply Mamá Cooks 3 EASY Beef Pot Roast Recipes perfect for the cold weather EASY Chicken Tamales Recipe | How To Make Tamales Easy NO-KNEAD Soft Dinner Rolls + FLUFFY From Scratch Milk Rolls Recipe Zuppa Toscana Recipe EASY | Olive Garden Potato Sausage Soup Recipe

Fraud, Grifts, and Scams

FoldingIdeas Contrepreneurs: The Mikkelsen Twins The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the Metaverse In Search Of A Flat Earth This is Financial Advice

Maggie Mae Fish Is the "Off-Grid" Lifestyle a Lie??

Münecat I Debunked Every "Body Language Expert" on Youtube The Problem with Tony Robbins (Deep-Dive - Pt.1) The Problem with Tony Robbins (Deep-Dive - Pt. 2)

Super Eyepatch Wolf The Bizarre World of Fake Martial Arts The Bizarre World of Fake Psychics, Faith Healers, and Mediums Influencer Courses are Garbage: The Dark Side of Content Creation Tom Nicholas Griftonomics: Why Scams are Everywhere Now

We're In Hell A History of Spam on the Internet Hustling America: I Can't Believe This Show Is Real The Problem with Voluntourism WE Charity & the Nonprofit Industrial Complex

Gaming

Hbomberguy Halcyon Dreams: The Legacy of Dragon's Lair

Jacob Geller Games that Aren't Games How Can We Bear to Throw Anything Away?

Li Speaks An Exploration of the Avata Star Sue-niverse It's Time For You To Play Flash Games Again The Strange Case of Kissing and Flirting Games Untangling the Lore of Devilish Hairdresser

Mandaloregaming The Mystery of the Druids: A Bizarre Adventure Game

People Make Games The Games Industry Must Not Stay Silent on Palestine Investigation: Who’s Telling the Truth about Disco Elysium? Working at Valve: 'A Fearless Adventure' or 'Lord of the Flies'?

PowerPak Dead Space 3 Is Worse Than I Thought King's Quest - The First Adventure Game King's Quest 2 - A Bridge Too Far... MyHouse.WAD - Inside Doom's Most Terrifying Mod Squirrel Stapler is Absolutely Nuts Tunic is Deceptively Brilliant

Super Bunnyhop Perusing Pentiment's Boisterous Bibliography

History

BobbyBroccoli The image you can't submit to journals anymore

Cambrian Chronicles Wikipedia's King who Doesn't Exist

Defunctland Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History

Elliot Sang How Tea Became European McMindfulness: When Capitalism Goes Buddhist

Intelexual Media Creating The Conservative New Right In The 1970s A Buffet of Black Food History

Kaz Rowe A Deep Dive into the Deadly World of Victorian Patent Medicine Why Have So Many People Seen Ghost Ships? Why the Myth of the Library of Alexandria Is Wrong

Kendra Gaylord 500 years of dollhouses and what it meant to teach girls Alice Austen, the 1880s photographer: her house, her photos, her love life What happened to cheap food? Diners, Automats, and affordable eating

Nerdsync Bonkers origins of superhero memes The Scandalous REAL Origin of Superman's Lois Lane Superman's Uncomfortable History with Nuclear Weapons

Premodernist Advice for time traveling to medieval Europe

Stepback History How The Vietnam War Birthed a Generation of White Terrorists OK Fine I’ll Talk About Ancient Apocalypse

Tantacrul Notation Must Die: The Battle For How We Read Music

Film and Television

Be Kind Rewind How Breakfast at Tiffany's Turned into a Totally Different Movie | Adapting a Classic Casting the Women of Valley of the Dolls | PT 1 The Making of Valley of the Dolls | PT 2 How the "Old Ladies N' Hijinks" Subgenre Became a Thing How a "Sacrilegious" Film Changed Hollywood Forever... So I watched BLONDE... Why Tallulah Bankhead Never Became a Movie Star

Big Joel The Song That Broke West Side Story

Cherrybepsi Can We Kill the Final Girl Trope Already?

Hazel weird & kinda scary tokusatsu girls

Jane Mulcahy The Lunacy of Teen Wolf (Part 1) What is the 'psycho biddy' genre?

Maggie Mae Fish BLACK CHRISTMAS Before & After "Me Too" The War on "Woke" Hollywood: A History of Blacklists and Strikes Why is Clint Eastwood

Princess Weekes Black Trauma vs. Black Horror Why Are There So Many Confederate Vampires? Why Don't Worry Darling Doesn't Work ...

Shanspeare EUPHORIA: Sam Levinson’s Unfulfilled Fantasy The Girlboss-ification of the Horror Genre TikTok Femininity Coaching and Aestheticizing Racism

Science and Technology

BobbyBroccoli The $21,000,000,000 hole in Texas The man who faked human cloning How to catch a criminal cloner

Eastman Museum's Youtube Channel Photographic Processes Series

Technology Connections What's the deal with the popcorn button?

Practical Engineering How Flood Tunnels Work What's the Difference Between Paint and Coatings? Why Is Desalination So Difficult? Why Railroads Don't Need Expansion Joints

[nerd-goes-blogging]

how did I get here?

('bout how I became a dedicated Tintin fan)

You know, there’s a reason I call Tintin and Snowy my favourite.

I met them when I was 12 years old, in a dusty corner of my school library. An instant connection developed between us and since then we had never been apart. 

On his birthday, 9th January, my thoughts turned nostalgic about the young reporter who brightened and inspired my teenage years. Well, back then I wrote a journal entry dedicated to him and his glorious adventures. While creating this blog, the first content that came to my mind was this journal entry.

So, why not?

Here's to all those amazing memories I’ve made so far with this reporter and many more to come.

Back in middle school days, I remember searching for a book series to follow diligently. There were many of them. Mostly fantasies and fictions and dark romance. Some were menacing and awkward. As a whole, not an ideal read for me, I thought. I didn’t (and still don’t) want my head to be occupied with weird thoughts which yield nothing. But I knew my search would end one day. And it did.. 

One day, rummaging through the junior library at school, I noticed some illustrated books, which resembled the comics’s style but quite refined. With the librarian's permission I opened the locked up cabinet which seemed to have jammed due to rust.

That was my pirate treasure, a bounty which I was lucky enough to stumble upon.

The first book which I read from the series was ‘The Castafiore’s Emerald’. The only adventure completely based in the Marlinspike Hall, gives a cozy kind of feeling. Not only did I appreciate Tintin's wits, but I was also amused by Captain Haddock’s funny curses and alliteration which were insulting enough to trash anyone. I really felt that I was where I belonged. I decided to stick to it and started to gather more information and facts about the young protagonist and his brilliant creator, Hergé . The internet, of course, helped me to a great extent as all 24 volumes of the adventures were available there. Also, that was my first year learning french. When Madame came to know about my new hobby, she encouraged me to carry it further and suggested that I'd get the gist of both, the language and the stories, if I read them in french. So, I did that, and how! By the end of middle school, I had read all 24 volumes, some in french as well.

Since then, I’ve read the whole series many times. I've lost count of the number of times I've ...

cheered when Tintin fought Bobby Smiles in Chicago in the book ‘Tintin in America’, 

gasped at the revelation of Rastapopoulos as an antagonist in ‘The Blue Lotus’ (who continued on to become the prime villain in the series), 

chuckled to see (or hear) Bianca Castafiore’s god forsaken singing and Tintin’s reaction in ‘King Ottokar’s Sceptre’, 

been amused at the introduction of Captain Haddock into the series in ‘The Crab with Golden Claws’, 

got my funny bone tickled as Captain Haddock grouched on Professor Cuthbert Calculus’ “hard of hearing” trouble, 

got thrilled with the hero’s treasure hunt in ‘The Secret of the Unicorn’

got terrified at the vengeance of Inca Rascar Capac and Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock’s quest to release the professor from the captivity of the Incas in ‘The Seven Crystal Balls’ & ‘The Prisoners of the Sun’ (this story is hands down my most fav :)

greeted the Emir and his son Abdullah (devil’s incarnation) in ‘Land of Black Gold’, 

followed the friends to the moon and back (literally!) 

visited Borduria and Syldavia, 

cried my heart out (when I first read it, I was so touched) in the joyous reunion of Tintin and Tchang, 

rolled with laughter on seeing the magazine cover of Paris Flash in ‘The Castafiore Emerald’, 

encountered all sorts of people (even aliens! in ‘flight 714’) 

and went to an extent of a military coup for General Alcazar. 

Oh, and not to forget the cliffhanger of the unfinished ‘Tintin and the Alph-art’ (left for fans to complete it with our imagination, I like to believe!)

 

Phew! The list is much longer than this & the memories are limitless!!

You might wonder why I'm so into Tintin's adventures and what makes him different from other comic book heroes? 

More importantly, what made me stay? 

You can find this out and more in my next blog.

Until then, stay nerdy ✨👩‍🎓

The Nerdy Olive :)

[hug-kiss-marry-kill]

List of already polled characters:

2b/YoRHa No. 2 Type B - Nier: Automata: Hug

A.B.A - Guilty Gears: Hug

Abe - The Oddworld Series: Hug

Abed Nadir - NBC Community: Hug

Aborto - Filler Bunny: Kill

Abramar - The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood: Kill

Abuela Claudia - In the Heights: Hug

Adam - Hazbin Hotel: Kill

Adonis “Donnie” Creed - Creed movies - Rocky franchise: Hug

Adrian Andrews - Ace Attorney: Hug

Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug: Adopt

Aeryn Sun - Farscape: Hug

Ageha Hijiri - Hirogaru Sky PreCure: Hug

Agnea Bristarni - Octopath Traveler 2: Hug

Aidan - The Illuminae Files: Kill

Aiden Clark - School Bus Graveyard: Hug

Aiden Sousuke - Bleach: Kill

Aigis - Persona 3: Hug

Akane Sonozaki - Higurashi: Kill

Akira Kenjou - KiraKira PreCure à la Mode: Hug

Alan Wake - Alan Wake: Hug

Alexandra Trese - Trese: Kiss

Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange: Kill

Alex Taylor - Good Game: Kill

All Might - My Hero Academia: Hug

Almalexia - Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind: Tribunal: Kill

Alphonse Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist: Hug

Alucard Tepes - Castlevania: Marry

Amanda Ripley - Alien: Isolation/Alien franchise: Hug

Amane Momose - MILGRAM Project: Adopt

America/Alfred F Jones - Hetalia: Kill

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader - Star Wars: Kill

Anacostia Quartermaine - Motherland: Fort Salem: Hug

Anders - Dragon Age 2: Hug

Andrew Minyard - All For The Game: Hug

Andy Knightley - The World’s End: Hug

Angela - Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruin: Hug

Angelica Schuyler - Hamilton: Hug

Angoramon - Digimon: Hug

Anthony "Tony" Prince - Grand Theft Auto: Kill

Antonio Madrigal - Encanto: Pat on the head

Applejack - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Hug

Apple White - Ever After High: Pat on the head

Aragorn - The Lord of the Rings: Marry

Archer - Pokemon: Kill

Argan - Winx Club: Hug

Aristotle - Billie Bust Up: Hug

Arthur Dent - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Hug

Arthur Lester - Malevolent: Hug

Arthur Morgan - Red Dead Redemption 2: Marry

Arvin Russell - The Devil all the Time: Hug

Ashe Bradley - Witch's Heart: Kill

Ashley Graham - Resident Evil: Hug

Ashley Williams - Mass Effect: Hug

Ashlyn Banner - School Bus Graveyard: Pat on the head

Astarion - Baldur's Gate 3: Hug

ASTRA - The Entropy Centre: Pat on the head

Astro Boy - Astro Boy: Pat on the head

Atlas - Cryptid Crush: Hug

Atropal Scion - Dungeons & Dragons: Kill

Atsushi Nakajima - Bungo Stray Dogs: Hug

Augustus Sinclair - Bioshock: Kill

Avicenna - Some Desperate Glory: Kill

Awake Remembrance of These Valiant Dead Kia Hua Ko Te Pai Snap Back to Reality Oops There Goes Gravity - The Locked Tomb: Kiss

Aya Maruyama - BanG Dream: Hug

Ayame Sohma - Fruits Basket: Kill

Aziraphale - Good Omens: Hug

Baba - Baba is you: Pat on the head

Babe - Pit Babe: Hug

Bai Wuchang - Word of Honor: Kill

Bandit Heeler - Bluey: Hug

Barbara Kopetski/Barb Wire - Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Comics: Kill

Barbra - Night of the Living Dead: Hug

Barnaby - Billie Bust Up: Hug

Barney - Barney and Friends: Kill

Barry Klemper - The Boys Next Door: Kill

Bart Simpson - The Simpsons: Pat on the head

Basil - Omori: Hug

Basil Exposition - Austin Powers: Kill

Battler Ushiromiya - Umineko: Kill

Bayonetta - Bayonetta: Marry

BD-1 - Star Wars Jedi (Survivor / Fallen Order): Adopt

Beatrice - Umineko: Marry

Becka - Scarlet Hollow: Hug

Beebee - Adventures with Anxiety: Hug

Benoit Blanc - Knives Out: Hug

Bernd das Brot - KiKa/German TV: Kill

Bernkastel - Umineko: Hug

Bibble - Barbie: Kill

Bierce - Dark Deception: Kill

Big Hill - Reservation Dogs: Hug

Bill Cipher - Gravity Falls: Kill

Billy Coen - Resident Evil 0: Kill

Blazer - Stray: Hug

Blitzwing - Transformers Animated: Hug

Bloaty - Invader Zim: Kill

Blood Pet - Magic the Gathering: Kill

Bob Newby - Stranger Things: Hug

Bob Pancakes - The Sims: Kill

Bog King - Strange Magic: Hug

Bolt - Disney's Bolt: Adopt

Bonnie - In Stars and Time: Hug

Boyfriend - Friday Night Funkin: Kill

Bradley Nicholson - Milo Murphy's Law: Pat on the head

Bradley Uppercrust III - An Extremely Goofy Movie: Kill

Brad Meltzer - Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: Pat on the head

Brahms Heelshire - The Boy: Kill

Brainy Smurf - The Smurfs: Pat on the head

Breezepelt - Warrior Cats: Pat on the head

Brian Flanagan - Cocktail: Kill

Brian Robeson - Hatchet: Pat on the head

Brian The Prethinker - Toontown Corporate Clash: Kill

Bridget - Guilty Gear XX: Hug

Brooklyn - Gargoyles: Hug

Bruce Wayne - Batman: Hug

Bucky Beaver - Shipwrecked 64: Hug

Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hug

Buggy - One Piece: Kill

Cale Tucker - Titan A.E.: Hug

Camila Noceda - The Owl House: Hug

Camille Saroyan - Bones: Hug

Candace Flynn - Phineas and Ferb: Hug

Captain Pip Bernadotte - Hellsing Ultimate: Hug

Captain Haddock - Tintin: Hug

Captain Takeo Masaki - Call of Duty: Zombies: Hug

Carlos the Scientist - Welcome to Night Vale: Hug

Castiel - Supernatural: Hug

Catherine - The Gregory Horror Show: Kill

Catra - She-Ra: Hug

Cecil Palmer - Welcome to Night Vale: Hug

Celty - Durarara!!: Hug

Cerise Hood - Ever After High: Pat on the head

Cersei Lannister - Game of Thrones: Kill

Charlene "Charlie" McGee - Firestarter: Pat on the head

Charles Calvin - Henry Stickmin Collection: Hug

Charlie Cutter - Uncharted franchise: Kill

Charon - Hades: Hug

Charon - John Wick: Hug

Chelsea - Royal Scandel: Hug

Chibiusa/Sailor Mini Moon - Sailor Moon: Pat on the head

Chikai Kuji - Sarazanmai: Kill

Chilchuck Tims - Delicious in Dungeon: Hug

Child - Young Justice: Kill

Chloe Bourgeois - Miraculous Ladybug: Adopt

Chloe O'Brian - 24: Hug

Chococat - Sanrio: Pat on the head

Choi Chul-woong - Oasis: Kill

Chrom - Fire Emblem: Marry

Chrome - Dr. Stone: Pat on the head

Claire Fisher - Six Feet Under: Hug+Kill

Claud - Fire Emblem Genealogy of the holy war: Kill

Clay Puppington - Moral Orel: Kill

Clea - Doctor Strange: Kiss

Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Marvel: Hug

Clive Handforth - LittleBigPlanet/LittleBigPlanet2: Hug

Cloud Haetae Cookie - Cookie Run Kingdom: Pat on the head

Cogimyun - Sanrio: Pat on the head

Clyde ‐ Dreams of an Insomniac: Hug

Coco - Witch Hat Atelier: Adopt

Cole Brown - Martin: Hug+Kill

Colette - The Thea Stilton novels: Hug

Conan Edogawa - Detective Conan: Pat on the head

Coraline - Coraline: Hug+Adopt

Cordell Walker - Walker 2021: Hug

Cormag - Fire Emblem: Kill

Coro chan - Sanrio: Pat on the head

Crash Man - Megaman 2: Hug

Cream the Rabbit - Sonic: Hug

Crow Strider - Homestuck/Crow Strider AU: Kill

Crying Child - Five Nights at Freddy's 4: Adopt

Cully Barnaby - Midsomer Murders: Hug

Cynthia - Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: Marry

Daijin - Suzume: Pat on the head

Daisy Johnson - Agents of SHIELD: Hug

Daisy Tonner - The Magnus Archives: Kill

Dale Cooper - Twin Peaks: Hug

Damian Wayne - DC Comics: Pat on the head

Damien Darhk - Arrow: Kill

Damon Salvatore - The Vampire Diaries: Kill

Dana Scully - The X-Files: Marry

Daniel - Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope: Kill

Daniel Matthews - Saw: Pat on the head

Danny "Danny Boy" Archuleta - Predator 2: Kill

Danny Butterman - Hot Fuzz: Hug

Danny Fenton - Danny Phantom: Hug

Da Quing - Guardian: Hug

Darcmon - Digimon: Hug

Darkiplier - Who Killed Markiplier: Kill

Dash Parker/né Arkadin - Minority Report: Kill

Dave - Total Drama: Kill

Daxter - Jak and Daxter: Hug

Dean Winchester - Supernatural: Hug

Death - Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: Kiss

Death the Kid - Soul Eater: Hug

Delenn - Babylon 5: Hug

Desmond Hume - Lost: Kill

Detective Noel/Charlie Dowd - Malevolent: Hug

Dewey Duck - Ducktales: Pat on the head

Dexter Morgan - Dexter: Kill

Diana of Themyscira | Wonder Woman - DC Comics: Marry

Dib - Invader Zim: Pat on the head

Dick Grayson - DC comics: Hug

Dieter - Monster: Kill

Digby - Dead Estate: Pat on the head

Doctor Strange Supreme - Marvel's What If...?: Kill

Dogday - Poppy Playtime: Adopt

Dominique de Sade - Vanitas no carte: Hug

Donald Duck - Ducktales 2017: Hug

Donald Trump - Real Life: Kill

Donald Trump - Real Life: Fuck

Donatello Splinterson - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003: Hug

Don Ramón/Seu Madruga - El Chavo del Ocho/Chaves: Hug

Doorstopper - Animatic Battle/Object Fool: Kill

Dorana - Winx Club: Kill

Dr. Boris Habit - Smile For Me: Hug

Dr. Claire Finn - The Orville: Hug

Dr. D Light - It's Not Me, It's My Basement: Hug

Dr. Flug ‐ Villainous: Hug

Dr. Herbert Lankmann - Dreams of an Insomniac: Kill

Dr. Loboto - Psychonauts: Kill

Dr. Ludwig/The Medic - Team Fortress 2: Kill

Dr. Temnova - PAFL/Parties are for Losers: Kill

Dr. Two Brains - WordGirl: Hug

Dragon - Shrek: Hug

Draco Malfoy - Harry Potter: Kill

Dream of the Endless - The Sandman: Hug

Dylan Lenivy - The Quarry: Hug

Echidna - Fire Emblem: Marry

Echo - Star Wars The Clone Wars/The Bad Batch: Hug

Ecolo - Puyo Puyo: Hug

Ed - Shaun of the Dead: Kill

Edd - Eddsworld: Hug

Edie Finch - What remains of Edith Finch: Kill

Edward Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist: Pat on the head

Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate - One Piece: Hug

Ego Core - Meet the Cores: Kill

Eileen Leahy - Supernatural: Hug

Eisen - Sousou no Frieren: Hug

El Chapulín Colorado - El Chapulín Colorado: Hug

El Chavo/Chaves - El Chavo del Ocho: Kill

Elena Shimabara - THE iDOLM@STER Million Live: Pat on the head

El Huachimingo - 31 minutos: Hug

Elias - Noli Me Tangere: Kill

Elias Bouchard - The Magnus Archives: Kill

Elizabeth Swann - Pirates of the Caribbean: Marry

Emily Kauffman - Gylt: Hug

Emperor Belos - The Owl House: Kill

Emu Otori - Project Sekai: Pat on the head

Ena Shinomome - Project Sekai: Hug

Entrapta - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Hug

Eowyn - The Lord of the Rings: Marry

Eri - My Hero Academia: Adopt

Eric Foreman - House M. D.: Hug

Ericht Samaya - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Pat on the head

Eric Matthews - Saw: Kill

Eric Wynn - Cube Zero: Kill

Erik (The Phantom) - The Phantom of The Opera: Kill

Eucerin - Object Fool: Kill

Eva Ushiromiya - Umineko: Hug

Evan "Buck" Buckley - 9-1-1 TV Series: Hug

Ezio Auditore da Firenze - Assassin's Creed: Hug

Ezra - On Air Island: Hug

Fan - Rockman Strategy: Kill

Fantoccio - Billie Bust Up!: Hug

Felix Fathom - Miraculous Ladybug : Pat on the head

Felix Kranken - The Walten Files: Kill

Feng - Balls of Fury: Kill

Fernando Vera - Mr. Robot: Kill

Fezzik - Home Movie: The Princess Bride: Hug

First Aid - Transformers Animated: Hug

Fitz Vacker - Keeper of the Lost Cities: Pat on the head

Five Pebbles - Rain World: Hug

Flowey - Undertale: Pat on the head

Floyd - Trolls Band Together: Kill

Flynn - Shin Megami Tensei IV (Apocalypse): Hug

Folca - Pathfinder: Kill

Fox Mulder - The X-Files: Hug

Francine "Fran" ("Flygirl") Parker - Dawn of the Dead: Hug

Francis Mosses - That’s not my neighbor: Hug

Frank Fontaine - Bioshock: Kill

Franklin Saint - Snowfall: Hug

Freddy Fazbear - Five Nights at Freddy's: Kill

Frisk - Undertale: Pat on the head

Fubuki Shirou - Inazuma Eleven: Hug

Fukase - Vocaloid: Hug

Furina - Genshin Impact: Hug

Future Edd - Eddsworld: Kill

Fyodor Dostoevsky - Bungo Stray Dogs: Kill

Gabe Ugliano - Percy Jackson: Kill

Gabriel - Ultrakill: Hug

Gale Hawthorne - The Hunger Games Franchise: Kill

Gamzee Makara - Homestuck: Kill

Garden of Thorns Gregor - Limbus Company: Marry

Garfield - Garfield: Pat on the head

Garry - Ib: Hug

Garu/Karu - Nu:Carnival: Hug

Gary King - The World’s End: Hug

Gelus - Death Note: Pat on the head

General Sarah Alder - Motherland: Fort Salem: Kill

Geno - Super Mario RPG: Hug

Gideon Nav - The Locked Tomb: Hug

Giles - The Shape of Water: Hug

Gilgamesh Wolfenbach - Girl Genius: Hug

Ginpachi-Senpai - Gintama: Kill

GLaDOS - Portal: Marry

Glenn Close - Dungeons and Daddies: Kill

Godzilla - Godzilla (Monsterverse): Hug

Gomamon/X-Antibody - Digimon: Pat on the head

Gonta Gokuhara - Danganronpa: Hug

Gorōbei Katayama - Seven Samurai: Hug

Gosha - Beastars: Hug

Grant Ward - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Kill

Gray Wing - Warrior Cats: Kill

Gray Yeon - The Weak Hero Webtoon: Kill

Greg Heffley - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Kill

Gregory - Five Nights at Freddy's, Security Breach: Kill

Gretchen - Scarlet Hollow: Pat on the head

Grillby - Undertale: Marry

Grimora - Inscryption: Kill

Guardener - Undertale Yellow: Hug

Gummigoo - The Amazing Digtal Circus: Hug

Gundham Tanaka - Super Danganronpa 2: Hug

Hal 9000 - Space Odyssey: Marry

Halsin - Baldur's Gate 3: Marry

Hal Stewart/Titan - Megamind: Kill

Haruhi Fujioka - Ouran High School Host Club: Hug

Harrowhark Nonagesimus - The Locked Tomb: Adopt

Hau - Pokemon (Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Moon): Hug

Heath - Blackstar Theater Starless: Hug+Kill

Heathcliff - Heathcliff Comic Strip: Hug

Heather Mason - Silent Hill 3: Hug

Heinz Doofenshmirtz - Phineas and Ferb: Hug

Hello Kitty - Sanrio: Pat on the head

Helob - Cult of the Lamb: Kill

Hernan Alvarez/Shades - Luke Cage: Kill

He Who Gets Slapped - He Who Gets Slapped: Kill

Heywood Floyd - Space Odyssey: Kill

Hideyasu "Sōki" Yūki - Onimusha games: Kill

Hikaru Sulu - Star Trek Continues: Hug

Himiko Toga - My Hero Academia: Pat on the head

Hinata Shouyou - Haikyuu!!: Hug

Hiro Hamada - Big Hero 6: Hug

Holston Becker - Silo: Hug

Homelander - The Boys: Kill

Homer Simpson - The Simpsons: Kill

Homura Akemi - Puella Magi Madoka Magika: Hug

Horrid Henry - Horrid Henry: Kill

Howard "Bunny" Colvin - The Wire: Hug

Huey Duck - Ducktales: Pat on the head

Hug Kiss Marry Kill Tumblr blog - Tumblr: Hug

Husk - Hazbin Hotel: Hug

Hwoarang - Tekken 7: Kill

Hyuk Lee - Sweet Home: Kill

Hyun Cha - Sweet Home: Hug

lan jingyi - The Untamed/cql: Pat on the head

lcb Sinner Gregor - Limbus Company: Marry

Ignatz Victor - Fire Emblem Three Houses: Pat on the head

Igor Grom - Major Grom: Hug

Ilya Oblomov - Oblomov: Hug

Indika - Indika: Hug

Inosuke Hashibira - Demon Slayer/Kimetsu No Yaiba: Pat on the head

Inuyasha - Inuyasha: Pat on the head

Invidia Bat - A Little Vice: Hug

Iris Black - Countdown to Countdown: Hug

Iron Giant - The Iron Giant: Hug

Isaac - The Orville: Hug

Ivan - Alien Stage: Hug

Izaya Orihara - Durarara!!: Kill

Jack Horner - Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: Kill

Jack Kline - Supernatural: Hug

Jaime Lannister - A Song of Ice and Fire: Kill

Jaime Reyes - Blue Beetle: Hug

Jak - Jak and Daxter: Hug

Jake Carter - The Marine movies/WWE: Kill

Jake Holling/Megaforce Black/Super Megaforce Green - Power Rangers Megaforce / Power Rangers Super Megaforce: Kill

James Wilson - House MD: Hug

Janet - The Good Place: Hug

Jason Todd - Batman: Hug

Jason Voorhees - Friday the 13th: Hug

Jax - The Amazing Digital Circus: Kill

Jay - Beyond Two Souls: Kill

Jeanne - Vanitas no carte: Hug

Jedah Diamond - Tokyo 7th Sisters: Hug

Jeff Whitman - The Devil in Me (The Dark Pictures Anthology): Kill

Jerry - Undertale: Kill

Jessica "Jess" Riley - Until Dawn: Hug

Jester Lavorre - Critical Role: Hug

Jiang Cheng - Mo Dao Zu Shi / The Untamed: Hug

Jim Phelps - Mission Impossible: Kill

Jiro Yamashita - The Idolmaster SideM: Hug

Jobin Higashikata - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Kill

Joe Biden - Real Life: Kill

Johan Liebert - Monster: Kill

John Coffey - The Green Mile: Hug

John Crichton - Farscape: Hug

John Doe - Malevolent: Hug

John Gaius - The Locked Tomb: Kill

John “Soap” MacTavish - Call of Duty - Modern Warfare series: Marry

Jonathan Sims - The Magnus Archives: Hug

Joshu Higashikata - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: JoJolion: Kill

Josh Washington - Until Dawn: Hug

Jotaro Kujo - Jojo’s bizarre adventure: Kill

Joyce Barnaby - Midsomer Murders: Hug

Juan Carlos Bodoque - 31 Minutos: Hug

Judy Hopps - Zootopia: Hug

Julian - Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja: Pat on the head

Juliette - Mushoku Tensei: Pat on the head

Kabru - Dungeon Meshi: Hug

Kagamine Len - Project SEKAI: Pat on the head

Kagome Higurashi - Inuyasha: Hug

Kakashi Hatake - Naruto: Marry

Kaladin Stormblessed - The Stormlight Archive: Hug

Kanba Takakura - Mawaru Penguindrum: Pat on the head

KAngel/Ame-chan - Needy Streamer Overload: Hug

Kankri Vantas - Homestuck: Kill

Kanta Higurashi - Zom 100: Hug+Kill

Kaoru Hakaze - Ensemble Stars: Kill

Karkat Vantas - Homestuck: Kill

Karma Akabane - Assassination Classroom: Hug

Kasane Teto - UTAU: Hug

Kata Akuna - Star Wars Jedi (Survivor/Fallen Order): Pat on the head

Kat Neese - Raising Dion: Hug+Kill

Kayne - Malevolent: Kill

Kazuya Kinoshita - Rent a Girlfriend: Kill

Keiju Tabuki - Mawaru Penguindrum: Kill

Keine Ron - UTAU: Pat on the head

Kel - Onori: Hug

Kellyn - Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia: Pat on the head

Ken - Barbie: Hug

Kendall Roy - Succession: Hug

Kensuke Kurosaki - Corpse Party: Pat on the head

Kermit the Frog - The Muppet: Hug

Kestrel - Wings of Fire: Kill

Kevin - Welcome to Night Vale: Kill

Kevin McCallister - Home Alone: Pat on the head

Keyleth - Critical Role: Hug

Khalida - Motherland: Fort Salem: Pat on the head

Kikunojo - One Piece: Marry

Kikuchiyo - Seven Samurai: Kiss

Kikyo - Inuyasha: Hug

Killua Zoldyck - Hunter x Hunter: Pat on the head

Kim - Kinnporsche: The Series: Hug

Kim Dokja - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint: Hug

King Andrias - Amphibia: Kill

King Randolph - Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses: Kill

Kinito - KinitoPET: Pat on the head

Kinzo Ushiromiya - Umineko: Kill

Kira Seijirou - Inazuma Eleven: Kill

Kirby - Kirby: Pat on the head

Kitty Jones - Bartimaeus Trilogy: Hug

Klaus von Reinherz - Kekkai Sensen: Marry

Klavier Gavin - Ace Attorney: Hug

Klutzy - Club Penguin: Pat on the head

Kohaku - Dr. Stone: Pat on the head

Kokichi Oma - Danganronpa V3: Kill

Korosensei - Assassination Classroom: Hug

Korra - Legend of Korra: Hug

Kotoko Yuzuriha - Milgram: Hug

Kou Minamoto - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun: Hug

Kris Dreemurr - Deltarune: Hug

Kurokumo Clan Captain Gregor - Limbus Company: Kiss

Kuzco - The Emperor's New Groove: Pat on the head

Kyle Drako - Milo Murphy's Law: Kill

Kyubi - Puella Magi Madoka Magika: Kill

Kyungsoon - Purrgatory: Hug

L - Death Note: Hug

La Chilindrina/Chiquinha - El Chavo del Ocho/Chaves: Pat on the head

LadyDevimon - Digimon: Kiss

Lady Eboshi - Princess Mononoke: Marry

Lady Sio - Afro Samurai: Kiss

LaFawnduh Lucas - Napoleon Dynamite: Hug

Lance - Pokemon Special Edition: Pat on the head

Lance Serrano - Voltron: Hug

Langly (X-Files): Kill

Lantern Gregor - Limbus Company: Hug

Lara Vega - Minority Report: Hug

Lee Doo-hak - Oasis: Hug

Lee Everett - Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Hug

Lenore "Lenny" Busker/The Breakfast Queen - Legion: Kill

Leo Valdez - Heroes of Olympus: Hug

Leshy - Inscryption: Hug

Lestat de Lioncourt - Interview with the Vampire: Kill

Lev Myshkin - The Idiot: Hug

Licorice Cookie - Cookie Run Kingdom: Hug

Lila - Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022: Hug

Lili Zanotto - Psychonauts: Pat on the head

Lisa Simpson - The Simpsons: Pat on the head

Liu Qianqiao - Qord of Honor: Hug

Lloyd the Lion - Indigo Park: Kill

Logan Fields - School Bus Graveyard: Hug

Luke Trapper - The Marine movies/WWE: Kill

Lonely Wizard - Inscryption: Hug

Looks to the Moon - Rain World: Hug

Luan Loud - The Loud House: Kill

Lucia Villanueva - Snowfall: Hug

Lucifer Morningstar - Hazbin Hotel: Marry

Luigi - Super Mario Brothers: Hug

Luisa Madrigal - Encanto: Hug

Luke Carder - Inscryption: Hug

Luke Skywalker - Star Wars: Hug

Lumine - LUMINE: Pat on the head

Luna Lovegood - Harry Potter: Adopt

Luz Noceda - The Owl House: Hug

Mabel Pines - Gravity Falls: Hug

Mademoiselle Anastasie "Tasi" Trianon - Amnesia: Rebirth: Hug

Madoka Kaname - Madoka Magica: Hug

Madotsuki - Yume Nikki: Pat on the head

Mafuyu Asahina - Project Sekai: Pat on the head

Maggie Simpson - The Simpsons: Hug

Magnificus - Inscryption: Kill

Magolor - Kirby: Kill

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter - Sailor Moon: Hug

Malak - Dark Deception: Kill

Malcolm Merlyn - Arrow: Kill

Mallow - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars/Super Mario RPG: Pat on the head

Manny Heffley - Diary of a wimpy kid: Kill

Man with the yellow hat - Curious George: Hug

Marceline Abadeer - Adventure Time: Marry

Marge Simpson - The Simpsons: Hug

Maria Ushiromiya - Umineko: Adopt

Marie Whitman - The Devil in Me/The Dark Pictures Anthology: Hug

Mark Beaks - Ducktales: Kill

Marnie - Stardew Valley: Hug

Martin Blackwood - The Magnus Archives: Hug

Martin Payne - Martin: Hug

Martyn InTheLittleWood - Life Series: Kill

Mary Schmidt - Five Nights at Candy's 3: Pat on the head

Master Kohga - Legend of Zelda: Kill

Matcha Cookie - Cookie Run: Hug

Matsudappoiyo - UTAU: Hug

Matt - Eddsworld: Kill

Matty - Witch's Heart: Kill

Max Goof - An Extremely Goofy Movie: Hug

Max Madigan - True Jackson, VP: Kill

Medkit - Phighting!: Kill

Melchior - Riot Kings: Hug

Mia Dolan - La La Land: Kill

Miae Hwang - After School Lessons for unripe apples: Pat on the head

Michael - The Good Place: Hug

Michael Afton - Five Nights at Freddy's: Hug

Michael J. Caboose - Red vs Blue: Hug

Michael Kaiser - Blue Lock: Hug

Michael "Mike" Munroe - Until Dawn: Kill

Michonne Grimes - The Walking Dead: Hug

Mike Horvath - Saving Private Ryan: Hug

Miki Sayaka - Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Hug

Miko Nakadai - Transformers Prime: Pat on the head

Millennial Tree Cookie - Cookie Run: Hug

Millie Fitzsimmons - FNaF Fazbear Frights: Hug+Pat on the head

Min - Parallel City: Hug+Kill

Mina Harker - Dracula: Hug

Mini Yaemori - Rent a Girlfriend: Kill

Minish Cap Link - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap: Pat on the head

Mion Sonozaki - Higurashi: Hug

Miorine Rembran - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Hug

Misa Amane - Death Note: Hug

Misaki Ayuzawa - Kaichou wa Maid Sama: Hug

Miss Circle - Fundamental Paper Education/Basics In Behavior: Kill

Miss Kobayashi - Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Hug

Miss Piggy - The Muppets: Hug

Mithrun - Dungeon Meshi: Hug

Mitty - Made in Abyss: Kill

Miwako Sakurada - Paradise Kiss: Hug+Kiss

Miyo Takano - Higurashi: Kill

Molar Boatworks Fixer Sinclair - Limbus Company: Hug

Momo - Stray: Hug

Monika - Doki Doki Literature Club: Hug

Mono - Little Nightmares: Adopt

Monsieur Tidbits - The Who Was? Show: Kill

Moonwatcher - Wings of Fire: Hug

Mo Ran - The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha): Hug

Morgan Yu - Prey: Hug

Mothwing - Warrior Cats: Pat on the head

Mr Bean - Mr Bean: Hug

Mr Peanutbutter - BoJack Horseman: Kill

Mr. Puzzles - SMG4: Kill

Mrs. Asahina - Project Sekai: Kill

Mr. Scratch - Alan Wake: Kiss

Munehisa Iwai - Persona 5: Hug

Murmukusmon - Digimon: Kill

Mustache Girl - A Hat In Time: Pat on the head

Mylene Farrow - Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Kill

Narrator - The Stanley Parable: Hug

Naruto Uzumaki - Naruto: Adopt

Nastasya Filippovna - The Idiot: Hug

Nastya Rasputina - The Mechanisms: Hug

Natalia - The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: Hug

Nate Wright - Big Nate: Hug

Natsukage Suoh - 1bitHeart: Pat on the head

Natsuki - Doki Doki Literature Club: Hug

Natsuki Shinomiya - Uta no Prince-sama: Hug

Near - Death Note: Hug

Ness - Earthbound: Pat on the head

Newton Pud - Little Big Planet: Hug

Nicholas Angel - Hot Fuzz: Hug

Nick - Zootopia: Hug

Nick Valentine - Fallout 4: Marry

Nico Robin - One Piece: Marry

Nicumond the Red aka Santa Claus - Violent Night: Kill

Niffty - Hazbin Hotel: Pat on the head

Niki Sanders - Heroes: Hug

Niko - Oneshot: Hug

No.96 Dark Mist - Yugioh Zexal: Kill

NOAH - Lancer TTRPG: Hug

Nobara Kugisaki - Jujutsu Kaisen: Hug

Noe Archiviste - Vanitas no carte: Hug

Norma Jennings - Twin Peaks: Hug

Norman - Honey I'm Home: Hug

Nurgle - Warhammer: Kill

Nurgling - Warhammer: Pat on the head

Obi - Akagami No Shirayukihime: Hug

Obscurum/Dark Argan - Winx Club: Kill

Oh Jung-shin - Oasis: Hug

Omnimon/Omegamon - Digimon: Hug

One-One - Infinity Train: Pat on the head

Ongsa - 23.5: Pat on the head

Onion San - Undertale: Pat on the head

Orel Puppington - Moral Orel: Adopt

Oroboros - Honka: Star Rail: Kill

Oscar - Malevolent: Hug

Ozen ""The Immovable"" - Made in Abyss: Hug

P03 - Inscryption: Kill

Pal Percy - Playtime with Percy: Kill

Patrick Star - Spongebob Squarepants: Hug

Pavel Yudin - Fear and Hunger Termina: Kill

Peacock - Skullgirls: Pat on the head

PearlescentMoon - Double lifesmp/Traffic life series: Hug

Peter Washington - Dawn of the Dead: Kill

Phaya - The Sign: Kiss

Philippines - Hetalia: Hug

Phillip Price - Mr. Robot: Kill

Phoebe Spengler - Ghostbusters: Pat on the head

Phosphophyllite - Land of the Lustrous/Houseki no Kuni: Hug

PicoDevimon - Digimon: Pat on the head

Pink - Everhood: Hug

Pinkie Pie - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Hug

Playtime - Baldi’s Basics: Kill

Pomni - The Amazing Digital Circus: Hug

Popeyes Employee - RDCWorld1: Hug

Poppy - Poppy Playtime: Kill

Portgas D. Ace - One Piece: Hug

Princess Leia - Star Wars: Marry

Priya Singh - Tenet: Hug

Prospera Mercury - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Kill

Qifrey - Witch Hat Atelier: Hug

Quark - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Hug

Quico - El Chavo/Chaves: Kill

Rachel Green - Friends: Kill

Radahn, Consort of Miquella - Elden Ring: Kill

Raelle Collar - Motherland: Fort Salem: Kill

Rainbow Core - Portal Stories: Mel: Hug

Rambley the Raccoon - Indigo Park: Hug

Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim: Hug

Randy Random - Rimworld: Kill

Ranko Mannen - Akiba Maid War: Hug

Ranma Saotome - Ranma 1/2: Hug

Ranpo Edogawa - Bungo Stray Dogs: Hug

Rantaro Amami - Danganronpa: Kill

Rasputin IV - X-Men: Kiss

Rasta Beast - Everhood: Hug

Ray - The Promised Neverland: Hug

R.B. Sous-chef Gregor - Limbus Company: Kill

R. Daneel Olivaw - The Robot Series: Kill

Red Harvest - The Magnificent Seven: Hug

Reese Kelly - Scarlet Hollow: Hug

Regina - Dino Crisis: Hug+Kill

Regina George - Mean Girls: Kill

Reigen Arataka - Mob Psycho 100: Kill

Reimi Sugimoto - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Hug

Rei Sakuma - Ensemble Stars: Hug

Rem - Death Note: Hug

Ramy Hassan - Ramy TV show: Kill

Retsuko - Aggretsuko Anime: Hug

Riamu Yumemi - The iDOLM@STER Cincerella Girls: Hug

Rider - Centaurworld: Hug

Riku - Kingdom Hearts: Hug

Ringo Oginome - Mawaru Penguindrum: Pat on the head

Roadhog - Overwatch: Hug

Robert E. O. Speedwagon - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Kill

Robert Freeman/Granddad - The Boondocks: Hug

Robin - Honkai Star Rail: Hug

Robin Scherbatsky - How I Met Your Mother: Kill

Rod Sullivan - Ice Scream: Kill

Ronald Novikov - Jackson's Diary: Hug

Rory - Morgana and Oz: Hug

Rosa Ushiromiya - Umineko: Kill

Rose Quartz - Steven Universe: Hug

Rozy/Rozana - The Guy Upstairs: Hug

Ruby Rose - RWBY: Hug

Runaway Kid - Little Nightmares: Adopt

Ryland Tate - Good Game: Hug

Ryo Akizuki - The Idolmaster: Pat on the head

Ryotaro Dojima - Persona 4: Hug

Ryuji Sakamoto - Persona 5: Hug

Saburo Yamada - Hypnosis Mic: Pat on the head

Sakuna - Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin: Pat on the head

Sakura Haruno - Naruto: Pat on the head

Samantha "Sam" Giddings - Until Dawn: Hug

Sam Drake - Uncharted Franchise: Marry

Sammy Lawrence - Bendy and the ink machine: Kill

Samuel J. Stuhlinger - Call Of Duty:Black Ops 2 Zombies: Kill

Sam Winchester - Supernatural: Hug

Samwise Gamgee - Lord of the Rings: Hug

Sanetoshi Watase - Mawaru Penguindrum: Kill

Sans - Undertale: Hug

Sarah Lynn - Bojack Horseman: Hug

Sara Lance - Legends of Tomorrow: Marry+Kill

Sasara Nurude - Hypnosis Mic: Kill

Sasha Nein - Psychonauts: Hug

Sasha Waybright - Amphibia: Pat on the head

Satoru Gojo - Jujutsu Kaisen: Marry

Saturday Tasogare- vivid/stasis: Hug

Savannah - Milo Murphy's Law: Kill

Sayori - Doki Doki Literature Club: Hug

Scissors - Paper Mario the Orgami King: Kill

Scrappy Doo - Scooby-Doo: Kill

Scrooge McDuck - Ducktales: Hug+Kill

Scylla Ramshorn - Motherland: Fort Salem: Kill

Seliph - Fire Emblem: Hug

Senku Ishigami - Dr. Stone: Kill

Sergei Dragunov - Tekken: Marry

Sergey Razumovsky - Major Grom: Hug

Serial Designation N - Murder Drones: Hug

Sesshomaru - Inuyasha: Kill

Seungha - Odd Girl Out: Hug

Severus Snape - Harry Potter: Kill

Shaggy - Scooby-Doo: Pat on the head

Shannon LaFae - Heart Fragment: Hug

Shauna Shipman - Yellowjackets: Hug+Kiss+Marry

Shaun Riley - Shaun of the Dead: Hug

Sheryl Luria - Evil: Kill

Shigaraki Tomura - My Hero Academia: Hug

Shinobu Sengoku - Ensemble Stars: Pat on the head

Shinra Kishitani - Durarara!!: Kill

Shin Sato - The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Hug

Shion Sonozaki - Higurashi: Pat on the head must

Shirogane Ryo - Tokyo Mew Mew: Pat on the head

Shouko Komi - Komi San wa komishou desu: Hug

Shouto Todoroki - My Hero Academia: Hug

Shrek - Shrek: Hug

Shu Itsuki - Ensemble Stars: Kill

Shuji Ikutsuki - Persona 3: Kill

Shuya Nanahara - Battle Royale: Pat on the head

Siffrin - In Stars and Time: Hug

Simon Keyes - Ace Attorney: Kill

Sir Pentious - Hazbin Hotel: Hug

Six - Little Nightmares: Pat on the head+Adopt

Skull Kid - Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: Pat on the head

Skyler White - Breaking Bad: Hug

Slate - Outer Wilds: Hug

Slaymate - Dungeons & Dragons: Pat on the head

Snow White/Red Shoes - Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs: Hug

Sojiro Sakura - Persona 5: Hug

Soldier Boy - The Boys: Kill

Solomon - Obey Me: Marry

Sonya - Fire Emblem: Marry

Sora Harukawa - Ensemble Stars: Pat on the head

Spamton G. Spamton - Deltarune: Kill

Sparkle - Honkai: Star Rail: Kill

Spencer Reid - Criminal Minds: Marry

SpongeBob SquarePants - SpongeBob SquarePants: Hug

Stanley Poole - Bioshock 2: Kill

Stan Pines - Gravity Falls: Hug

Stardust Cookie - Cookie Run: Kingdom: Hug

Star Flower - Warrior Cats: Pat on the head

Starscream - Transformers Prime: Kill

Stephen "Flyboy" Andrews - Dawn of the Dead: Kill

Steve Harrington - Hug

Stokely Mitchell - The Faculty: Hug

Stonemover - Wings of Fire : Hug

Strider Hiryu - Strider: Kill

Subspace - Phighting!: Kill

Suletta Mercury - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Hug

Sypha Belnades - Castlevania: Marry

Taichi Fujisaki - Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls: Hug

Taiga Kagami - Kuroko No Basket/Kuroko's Basketball: Hug

Takuto Maruki - Persona 5 Royal: Hug

Tali'Zorah - Mass Effect: Marry

Tally Craven - Motherland: Fort Salem: Kill

Tamaki Suoh - Ouran High School Host Club: Hug

Tangerine - Bullet train: Kill

Tarvek Sturmvoraus - Girl Genius: Hug

Taylor - Simulacra: Hug

Taylor Hebert - Worm (Parahumans): Hug

Taylor Swift - Real Life: Kill

Teddy - Among the Sleep: Kill

Terry - Deltarune: Kill

Teruki Hanazawa - Mob Psycho 100: Pat on the head

Teruteru Hanamura - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair: Kill

Tessa James Elliot - Murder Drones: Hug

Testament - Guilty Gear: Strive: Marry

Tetsuya Kuroko - Kuroko no Basuke/Kuroko's Basketball: Pat on the head

The Collector - The Owl House: Adopt

The Dud - The Simpsons: Kill

The Emperor - Baldur's Gate 3: Kill

The Goose - Untitled Goose Game: Pat on the head

The Grim Reaper - The Sims: Marry

The Maker/Reed Richards - Ultimate Marvel: Kill

The Mask - The Mask Animated Series: Kill

The Ninth Doctor - Doctor Who: Hug

The Nowhere King - Centaurworld: Kill

Theodore "Teddy" McDonald/Reed Thompson - Snowfall: Kill

Theodore Peterson - Hello Neighbor: Kill

The Once-ler - The Lorax: Kill

The Princess - Slay the Princess: Hug

The Puppeteer - Five Nights at Candy's: Kill

The Second Coming - Animator vs Animation/Animation vs Minecraft: Hug

The Shade - The Longing: Pat on the head

The Shapeshifter - Odd Squad: Kill

The Snatcher - A Hat In Time: Kill

The Stalker - Stalker: Kill

The Survivor - Rain World: Pat on the head

The Test - Baldi's Basics: Kill

The unnamed salesman who recruits participants for the Game - Squid Game: Kill

The Wandering Trader - Minecraft: Kill

The Works - The Works: Kill

Thomas Richardson - The Apostle: Kill

Thorn - Wings of Fire: Hug

Tien Shinhan - Dragonball: Hug

Tifa Lockhart - Final Fantasy VII: Hug

Tippi - Super Paper Mario: Hug

Titania - Fire Emblem: Marry

Tom Barnaby - Midsomer Murders: Hug

Tony Tony Chopper - One Piece: Adopt

Tord - Eddsworld: Kill

Toya Aoyagi - Project SEKAI: Hug

Trevor Belmont - Castlevania: Kiss

Trevor Garbo - Smile For Me: Kill

Tsubasa Yuunagi - Hirogaru Sky PreCure: Pat on the head

Tsukasa Okino - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim: Hug

Tulio Triviño Tufillo - 31 Minutos: Kill

Tulip Olsen - Infinity Train: Pat on the head

Turbo - Wreck It Ralph: Kill

Twelve - Zankyou No Terror: Kill

Twice - Boku No Hero Academia: Hug

Ubel - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End: Kill

Ukitake Jushiro - Bleach: Hug

Umi - Sharkgirl Umi: Pat on the head

Uncle Iroh - Avatar: The Last Airbender: Hug

Unpleasant - Regretevator: Kill

Uraume - Jujitsu Kaisen: Hug

Usami - Danganronpa: Hug

User Friendly - 3DV: Kill

Uta - One Piece: Hug

Vanessa - A Hat In Time: Kill

Vanitas - Vanitas no carte: Hug

Vasily Petrovych Goloborodko - Servant of the People: Hug

Vee - The Owl House: Hug

Vegas Theerapanyakul - KinnPorsche: Hug

Vertin - Reverse: 1999: Hug

Victoria Best - Wordgirl: Pat on the head

Vigilante - My Friend Pedro: Hug+Kill

Vinegar Doppio - Jojos Bizarre Adventure: Hug

Virgil - Portal Stories: Mel: Hug

Vriska Serket- Homestuck: Kill

Wabuu - Wabuu the cheeky raccoon: Kill

Wade Wilson - Deadpool: Hug

Wallace - Pokémon ORAS: Hug

WALL-E - WALL-E: Pat on the head

Wally Franks - Bendy and the Ink Machine: Hug

Warren the Eagle - Don't Hug Me I'm Scared: Kill

Wednesday Addams - The Addams Family: Pat on the head

Wes - Pokemon Colosseum: Hug

Wheatley - Portal: Kill

Whitty - Friday Night Funkin: Hug

Will Solace - Heroes of Olympus: Hug

Winry Rockbell - Fullmetal Alchemist: Hug

Winfrey/Speciment 02 - Dreams Of An Insominiac: Hug

Winston Byrd - Toontown Corporate Clash: Hug

Wombat - Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!: Hug

Wooly - Rune Factory: Pat on the head

Wu Xie - Daomu Biji: Hug

Xavier - Xavier: Renegade Angel : Kill

Xavier Riddle - Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: Pat on the head

Yadina Riddle - Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: Pat on the head

Yagami Eiji - Danball Senki: Kill

Yamato - One Piece: Hug

Yang Xiao Long - RWBY: Hug

Yato - Noragami: Kill

Yellow - Malevolent: Hug

Yellow/Amarillo del Bosque Verde - Pokemon Special Edition/Pokespe: Pat on the head

Yoda - Star Wars: Hug

Yoo Joonghyuk - Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint: Hug

Yor - Yor, the Hunter from the Future: Kill

Yor Forger - Spy x Family: Marry

Yoshino Himekawa - Date a Live: Pat on the head

Youhei Sunohara - Clannad: Kill

Yui - Sakuna: of rice and ruin: Pat on the head

Yukito Ayatsuji - Bungo Stray Dogs: Gaiden: Kill

Yuki Yoshikawa - Horimiya: Pat on the head

Yura Beletsky - Pafl: Kill

Yuri - DDLC: Hug

Yurika Hakonaka - Yuri Kuma Arashi: Kill

Yu Shu Lien - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Hug

Yusuke Urameshi - Anime House: Hug

Yuugo Tennouji - Steins;Gate: Hug

Zenkichi Hasegawa - Persona 5 Strikers/Scramble: Kill

Zeus - Greek Mythology: Kill

Zhang Chengling - Word of Honor: Pat on the head

Zhou Zishu - Word of Honor: Hug

Zim - Invader Zim: Pat on the head

ZombieCleo - The Life Series: Hug

Zuko - Avatar The Last Airbender: Hug

[study-with-aura]

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

I missed posting yesterday, but I had a lot to get done. I volunteered at the library for two hours yesterday, so that took up my usual extra afternoon time. I'll be starting to volunteer for two hours every Monday since they started this particular volunteer program back up now. I enjoy doing it.The planning meeting on Sunday for Girl Scouts went wonderfully! We officially figured out the badges we would like to earn for the year:

Outdoor Art Expert

Democracy for Seniors (it's election year here)

Behind the Ballot

Adventure Camper

Outdoor Journey Project completion

Business Startup

My Cookie Network

Mission: Sisterhood Journey

Traveler

Voice for Animals

Social lnnovator

Business Etiquette

Savvy Saver

Digital Leadership

Game Visionary

Think Like an Engineer Journey

Sky

Outdoor Trail Adventure

Badges I will work on solo or with my friends in seniors on our own time:

Coding for Good (1-3)

Cybersecurity (1-3)

We have already determined that at some point, we will probably need to meet more than once a week, which if our schedules allow, my mom agreed to (she's one of the troop leaders). In all fairness, it gives us a chance to hang out and earn badges at the same time, so it's a win-win if we can make it happen. We'll still be missing a few badges before moving to Ambassador, but that's okay.

Then Saturday, the trip was incredible! It was a bit hot, but overall, we had an amazing time exploring the park! I even went fishing. I don't even fish with my dad and brother! Dad thought that was funny. It isn't my thing for sure, but I understand how it could be relaxing. Don't worry, all the fish we caught, we threw back into the lake. We also got to hike some beautiful yet quite steep at times trails. I was so tired when I got home that I didn't go in game at all. I finished up what I needed to with reading and language practice, showered, had dinner, and went to sleep (not all in that order).

Now that I have caught you all up with my weekend, I hope everyone has a wonderful week. It's almost autumn! My mom got me two new squishmallows! One is in a Halloween costume. She looks like a devil, but she's really dressed up like a vampire. You can see her little fangs. And the other is a squirrel! Aren't they adorable?

Tasks Completed:

Algebra 2 - Learned about special products of polynomials + practice

American Literature - Copied vocabulary terms + read about Herman Melville + read about Moby Dick + read about Moby Dick as a great American novel + read an analysis of the major characters + read about the themes, motifs, and symbols

Spanish 3 - Vocabulary test (20/20)

Bible 2 - Read 1 Kings 12

Early American History - Finished reading "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon by Johnathan Edwards + read about the Enlightenment + read "The Enlightenment in America" + answered discussion question + answered study guide question

Earth Science with Lab - Read about the rock cycle + completed rock cycle activity (15/15)

Music Appreciation - Listened to Beethoven's 5th Symphony + wrote a description of music using music terminology

Khan Academy - Completed US History Unit 2: Lesson 3.8

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese) + completed daily quests

Piano - 60-minute piano lesson + practiced for two hours

Reading - Read pages 133-174 of Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Chores - Laundry + took trash and recycling out

Activities of the Day:

September Study (John 15: 1-2, Matthew 3:10, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 5:5)

Personal Bible Study (1 Corinthians 2)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness