#the 2nd one is a wild ride from start to finish

[ask-arthur-conan-doyle]

Hi, Arthur! What's your favorite book? I would also like to ask you if there's one book you like enough to wish that you could have been the one to write it. I know that this might happen to writers or just artists in general. If you like one book and you feel like you could have written it too, it gets disappointing. ☹️ Personally, I get the same feeling with poetry or simple quotes written in books. I write poetry in my free time, but it sounds like the words of a drunk divorced middle aged man proving his love at 3 am for his ex wife while he tries to be poetic lol

— Sincerely, 🌙

This is a rather profound question that deserves an equally serious answer.

My two favorite books are Bernard Hamilton's The Light and Frank Norris' McTeague: A Story of San Francisco. Both of these books are considered to be a bit melodramatic. The Light touches on religious discussions and certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a favorite of mine.

McTeague is.. well, it's a bit hard to describe. It touches on the life of a young dentist who courts and marries his childhood sweetheart, and it devolves from there into the titular character becoming increasingly more abusive and spiraling downhill.

It's an interesting read, but perhaps both of them are a bit dated.

[fuctacles]

The last chapter is here! With the 2nd art piece from @penny00dreadful I'm so glad I could work with her for the @steddiebang2024 <3 It was a wild ride but it's finally done!

Steve opens the bathroom door, releasing the steam from his shower so he doesn't slow cook himself while finishing his evening routine. 

"Would you mind if I changed up the bathroom? The dark colors aren't doing this for me!" he calls out with half a smirk while fishing out his toothbrush.

"Yes, I would mind!" Eddie answers him loudly through the distorted voice from the walkie. Steve only smiles to himself and starts brushing his teeth. 

He doesn't realize he has company until something appears in the fogged corner of his mirror. Eddie draws him a frowning face, making Steve raise his eyebrows. 

"I'm not actually going to change your bathroom, calm down."

There is clearly not enough room for Eddie to express himself, so he only adds an exclamation mark. Steve walks over to the bathroom door. 

"What is it?" he asks, mildly annoyed.

"I've finished my book," Eddie complains through the walkie placed on the bed. 

On Steve's spare pillow lies another Pratchett book he managed to hunt down. It's indeed flipped to its last page. 

"Already?! You just started it!"

"I started it two hours ago," Eddie corrects him.

"Still! If you keep reading this fast there won't be enough books in the store!"

"There are other stores. Will you please bring me another one?"

Steve crosses his arms.

"Or you could go to sleep." He points out, raising an eyebrow. 

"Pleeease Steve. Only one chapter. I'll be good."

Steve sighs. He's heard these 'one chapter' lies for almost half of his life. 

"Fine. But don't come complaining when you run out of things to read."

"I won't! Promise."

He acts grumpy but is more than happy to bring Eddie his books. Hearing his excitement when Steve brought them was reward enough. Now he grabs the rest of the books from the pile and brings them back to spread them on the bed. 

"Pick your poison, Munson."

Eddie hums through the walkie-talkie. 

"The Gaiman one looks good."

"Okay." Steve swaps his previous book with the new one. He can almost imagine a man lying next to him on his stomach, flipping it open. 

"Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it." Steve gets up to switch off the light. "This okay?" he asks, trying to gauge if the bedside lamp's light is enough to read by. 

"Yeah, it's alright."

He walks back to bed to tuck himself in for the night even though he knows he won't fall asleep anytime soon. It's too new, being able to hear Eddie by his side and see the evidence of his presence in the flipping pages. 

"Is it fun?" he asks, unable to stop himself. 

"It seems promising. I could read it for you?" Eddie offers. 

"Oh. No, it's alright." He wants to but doesn't want to ruin Eddie's experience. He's been so excited to get his hands on the new books. 

"It's no problem, really. I'd love to use my new voice privileges."

Steve chuckles at that. 

"Well then, by all means."

Eddie doesn't hesitate and even through the radio static, manages to pull Steve into the story. It shouldn't be surprising that he likes storytelling and showmanship, adding unique voices to all the characters. It's a shame that Steve falls asleep before the end of the chapter. 

Eddie's hair is splayed over the pillow like a dark cobweb. He's shaking, little tremors running through his body, and his mouth is open in a perfect o-shape. Steve feels the need to spit right into it and he doesn't hesitate long to indulge that thought. The loud moan he gets in response is all the reward he needs.

"Thank you, holy shit, thank you," Eddie mumbles after swallowing the spit given to him. The blissed-out look on his face fills Steve with pride. He did it. He reversed the local heartthrob into a babbling mess. 

read full on Ao3

[not-a-perfect-metaphor]

Hi, I've been a fan of J2 for some time now but I've never come across the tin hat fandom (do I call it correctly?) before (i always adored their interactions but never actually considered that they could have an actual romantic relationship that's not just in my mind haha) and I'm intrigued now. Could you please point me in the direction of some masterposts about them? Would love to read more about it! & also about their wives and kids bc I don't quite understand how it would be possible for them to maintain a beard-marriage for so long and also to have kids (??)

Sorry if this was really messy but it's 1am and English is my 2nd language so I'm not exactly capable of forming grammatically correct sentences🙈

Hi, there! 😊❤️

And welcome!

You’re about to start a wild ride into the heart of this decade point five romance between Jared and Jensen that will absolutely have you supergluing your tinhat onto your head just like the rest of us (as is always the case when anyone decides to really delve deeply enough into what’s been going on between the Js ever since their paths merged so many years ago).

A great starting place is going to be Speak the Truth, the site I’ve linked above, which pretty extensively covers 2005-2013, although there’s a lot of reading involved in that, so for some more condensed summaries, I’ll include links to a few of my past posts outlining a lot of my own observations on key elements of the Js’ relationship.

But first, I’ve also added timelines for a couple of additional years (2016 and 2017) on my page:

I’ll be adding 2018 fairly soon, and 2019-2023 (plus 2014 and 2015, very important years) will all be here as well as soon as I can finish them.

Here’s a post where I go over quite a bit of my own tinhat journey:

And here’s another summary-type post with some good examples to look into:

I could probably turn this post into a nightmare of far too many links lol, so I’ll cut myself off here, but I’m so glad that you reached out, and I’m ALWAYS happy to chat (in excruciating detail 😜) about anything you may wonder about or want to clarify or have questions about…anything at all.

So message me whenever you like, or send asks, either way.

And I wish you all the best, my friend!

———

Edit: here’s one last link focusing more heavily on the kids/parenting stuff!

[domokunrainbowkinz]

babe wake up its time for more manhwa posting!!!!!

titles mentioned:

painter of the night (18+)

bend over backwards (18+)

miscreants and mayhem (18+)

fly me to the moon

why Ophelia couldn't leave

taming the tiger (18+)

walk on water (18+)

codename: anastasia (18+)

the ghost's nocturne (18+)

steel under silk (18+)

dreadful night (18+)

toxin (18+)

smyrna and capri (18+)

roses and champagne (18+)

painter of the night (18+) - listen so many ppl talk abt this one and have hyped it up so much, but unfortunately I didn't really like it 😔 I do like their relationship at the end and they are very loving but the journey....bruh 💀 I just think it could've been so much more interestingly written, and I think most of my problems stem from me just straight up not liking nakyum as a character. the art is very pretty though. I would skip if you're not a fan of passive/weak MC'S who are treated like shit by the ML in the beginning but get stockholmed into developing feelings somehow (I rly don't know how else to explain it IDK MAN). warning for non-con/dub-con between the 2 leads.

bend over backwards (18+) - very cute!!!! it does start out kinda toxic and in like a transactional/coercive FWB situationship, but it doesn't last super duper long and they do end up being very cute and loving. I have this bookmarked as my comfort read 😌

miscreants and mayhem (18+) - HEAR ME OUT THIS ONE SLAPPED OK. I originally was gonna skip this one bc the main pairing is uh about a guy and his step-son 🧍‍♀️. extremely questionable rship and he does get called "dad" when theyre fucking but my 4th wall must be made of titanium bc I was able to look past that due to the way the story was written. it deals a lot with the mc's guilt about failing his family and not being able to raise his step-son, and he blames himself for why his step-son turned out the way he did. a wild ride with the most HWOOOO spicy scenes that i would definitely give a try if you're able to like look past the inherent weirdness of the rship.

fly me to the moon - God this one started out so promising but as soon as the main pairing was established the MC's personality went poof 😭 WHAT HAPPENED TO MY NO-NONSENSE SARCASTIC CHAIN-SMOKING MOMMY....THEY TURNED HER INTO A TYPICAL DAMSEL IN DISTRESS 😭😭 this also was giving "I can't believe it's not omegaverse!!" bc they were talking about like pheromones and scenting and imprinting, it had me going "is this straight omegaverse.....??" I think I knew it was time to drop this when I started caring more about the unhinged insane 2nd ML that everyone hates more than the main couple bc at least he elicits an interesting rxn from the MC rather than the boring ass vanilla insta-love vibes of the main pairing. maybe I just have weird taste 😭

why Ophelia couldn't leave - once again started off promising but started going downhill once the main pairing was established 😔 I think it's bc I was expecting more of a battle of wits or mutual manipulation story, but there wasn't a whole lot of that. i thought the ML's personality was quite flat, bc although i am biased towards obsessive characters, the way he was written just didn't click with me since he has no depth besides "I love ophelia". I did think the slow reveal of the truth behind the parents' death was interesting, they do feed you some info bit by bit, and Ophelia's unreliable narration also helped with the mystery. honestly I was a little mad when I finished this one bc I lowkey felt like I wasted my time 😭

taming the tiger (18+) - by the same author as "miscreants and mayhem", this one was A Ride. this pairing is the definition of matching each others' freak and it also had the best spicy scenes out of all the ones i've read so far like they made me go aWOOGAAAAA!!!!! it can get quite sad near the end but i personally LOVED the way it ended with the side stories....the soulmate-ism of it all.......i would highly recommend this one if you're looking for like something that will make you Feel Things.

walk on water (18+) - by the same author as "under the green light", this one was the most grounded and realistic bl manhwa i've read. at times it gave off almost indie movie vibes with the way the dialogue was written. it deals with discussions surrounding the ethics of like the gay porn industry and the stigma that is attached to sex workers in that industry. would definitely give this one a read!!

codename: anastasia (18+) - the only reason i'm continuing this is bc i think it's finally getting to the good shit after an entire season of me wanting to grab the MC by the shoulders and yelling "HELLO????? YOUR PARTNER IS SUS AS FUCK WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!" for a spy he is kind of stupidt 😭despite that though i did like the banter between the 2 leads, and i'm really curious to see how they will interact in the new season now that uhhhh Shit Happened. anyways huge warning for non-con between the 2 leads like. it was fucked up man.

the ghost's nocturne (18+) - i love supernatural stories, especially ones that deal with folk horror and curses and ghosts, so obvs i liked this one. the art style for this one is SO GOOD, each panel is coloured so beautifully and rendered so well shit had me staring at each panel going "HOW?????" the rship between the nok and jaeshin was pretty iffy in the beginning but it improves pretty quickly once jaeshin explains wtf is going on and they come to an agreement. anyways i'm enjoying this one so far and i am also in love with jaeshin, unfortunately i am not immune to sexy half-ghost man 😔. warning for non-con/dub-con between the 2 leads in the beginning.

steel under silk (18+) - listen when i heard this one was a joseon-dynasty enemies-to-lovers revenge story my ass was clicking into it IMMEDIATELY. i do admit the beginning is a little rough since our MC was acting mainly on impulse and doesn't really have a long-term game plan, but he smartens up and starts to actively scheme around the 20-episode mark. it's so nice seeing both yeonjo and heeryang's perspectives and their thought processes, they each know the other person is scheming and they're constantly thinking of ways to out-scheme the other person to get the upper hand (yeonjo's goal is to gain the governor's trust so he can create an opportunity to assassinate him, while heeryang suspects yeonjo wants to kill him so he constantly blocks opportunities/creates obstacles to make sure he never gets a chance). i am really really curious to see what direction the story takes, especially with the recent chapters that have come out. it's really hard for me to read enemies-to-lovers stories and not compare it to captive prince, which i still consider to be the creme-de-la-creme of enemies to lovers, but so far this one is very promising. warning for dub-con between the 2 leads, and non-con between the MC and another character.

dreadful night (18+) - really unique premise, basically our MC is stuck in a slasher horror game, and he needs to clear all of the endings in order to escape. i'm really enjoying this one bc it's clear the author is a horror-enjoyer with the way they're so knowledgeable about tropes and death flags and like the mechanics of horror games, that has a horror enjoyer myself it made me go "ohohohoho....." they should make more transmigration stories where they transmigrate into a horror game, enough with the fantasy/otome games!!! give me stories where people transmigrate into silent hill or something!!! the ML seems to be an NPC who's sentient and aware of the game, but he also seems a little obsessed with our MC (in a yandere way) so i'm curious to see what his deal is.

toxin (18+) - i usually give something like 20 episodes before i decide if it's for me but like 6 episodes in i went "brother eughhhh". it's an enemies to lovers story but the ML gave me the biggest ick. idk if i just dropped it too early but it's giving colonizer romance (like the ML literally hunted the MC's people for sport and doesn't see them as individuals, he views them as livestock and lower beings). i do get it's enemies to lovers, but this particular brand doesn't appeal to me.

smyrna and capri (18+) - once again by the same author as "miscreants and mayhem" and "taming the tiger", i got curious about their other works since i really enjoyed what i've read from them so far, so i decided to open my heart and try reading an omegaverse story. i think i can conclude that i really don't like omegaverse bc i liked everything about this story except for the pregnancy and pheromone shit 😭i would recommend this if you're a fan of omegaverse, the rship between the 2 leads is very sweet and the alpha is also very very green flag (he is so cute...i lov him...)

roses and champagne (18+) - man this one started off interesting but then went off the rails at the end and made me go "HUH????? okay i guess!!!!" also the MC is a lawyer but he can also be kinda dumb which frustrated me. i did like their relationship in the beginning, but once again Something happens near the end that made me go "oh you Crazy crazy" and i felt like they kinda speedran the ending. there are side-stories, but i honestly lost interest so i stopped following. this is going to sound deranged but this story gave off mad victuuri mafia au vibes. warning for non-con between the 2 leads near the end (where it goes off the rails LOL)

[batsplat]

watched donington 2005 bc of your rec and loved it! do you have any more recs for interesting (and/or messy) wet races?

sure do! we're going to take a broad definition of 'wet' race here... there's also been some major rule changes this century, like bike swaps didn't used to be a thing - plus I'm not particularly inclined to check how each race was actually categorised. so for our purposes here, any race where I remember the track being wet playing a significant role counts

in honour of being incredibly inconsistent with the asterisk system, this time I've added * or ** by how much of a definite recommend it is as a wet race (also to be complete I'll include donington '05)

donington 2000*: valentino's first premier class win and a very valentino way to do it. absolute horror show of a start that drops him to thirteenth on lap one, and he picks his way through from there on the damp track. lovely little comeback ride as they wobble around - crucially at a time when vale did not have a good reputation as a wet weather racer. fun 3-way fight for the win

suzuka 2002**: the first ever motogp race in nasty nasty conditions, and features an unexpected starring performance from japanese wild card rider akira ryo who was very familiar with the track and where all the puddles were. valentino sticks behind him for much of this race, watching and learning. showcases valentino's approach rather nicely

le mans 2003: this one isn't wet for most of the race, and when it starts raining the race is interrupted. that being said, the sete/valentino duel in slippery conditions after the race resumes is fun and fiddly enough to justify its inclusion. banger of a last lap

mugello 2004: same as above - interrupted a few laps before the end for rain. the conditions are very uncertain when they resume, and the last few laps involves a multi-rider scrap between riders on slicks on a track that is very much not dry. fantastic race

shanghai 2005: conditions proper nasty start to finish, crazy amounts of spray. vale does the thing where he gives himself a bit of work to do and is 6th at some point during the first lap, though he's soon up to 2nd and goes about hunting down kenny roberts jr. in the end he disappears out front, so it's up to everyone else to make it exciting (mostly by struggling to stay on track)

donington 2005**: this one's a go-to pick for a reason. horrendous conditions, high attrition rate, lairy saves, a tense fight for the lead before valentino eventually feels comfortable enough to pull a painful margin on the field. classic race all round

phillip island 2006*: first ever bike swap race! late in the season so it's all very dramatic with the title fight - you've still got several different contenders at this stage with constantly changing fortunes. drama up and down the field until the very very end

donington 2007**: proper wet race and exactly what you want from these things, with the run order constantly chopping and changing. the winning rider spends a lot of time in a lot of different positions, great ride to fight his way through

sachsenring 2008: dani's leading the championship, vale crashed the last time out at assen before recovering to 11th, casey's won the last two races... all three of them have very different races in the full wet conditions. incidentally the last race before laguna

indy 2008*: proper fun scrap in appalling conditions! the usual suspects and also some more unusual suspects (that year anyway) scrapping it out at the sharp end of the race - and they really are going for it given the conditions. once stopped, there isn't a restart, though there's still that fun bit where casey joins valentino to (presumably) tell ezpeleta that they are not going back out there

le mans 2009*: my pitch for this one is that it has a claim to being the most embarrassing race of valentino's career. everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong. I laugh every time I think about this race, but I suppose you have to admire his perseverance

mugello 2009*: yeah, this one's fun! bike swap race right after le mans so Certain Riders are playing it a bit safe... some great tussling and mixing it up and odd run orders in this one, just what you're looking for. incidentally the last race before catalunya

donington 2009*: another one for people who sometimes want to watch some very talented athletes embarrass themselves. casey has the mystery illness excuse for making a ridiculous tyre choice, but the others? lemme not speak. great chaotic shenanigans

sepang 2009: valentino's first matchpoint race, but he has a horrendous first lap (after qualifying well for once) that makes it look like the championship might not be quite done yet. great race out front from casey, though a lot of this one is about tracking vale and jorge's progress through the field. good fun!

le mans 2011*: plenty of talking points post-race, with some riders perhaps not balancing risk/reward quite right on the slippery track. a fierce fight for the final two podium spots behind casey

silverstone 2011*: the signature casey wet weather performance, and it's just too good from him to be exciting out front. still, the conditions are nasty enough there's plenty of peril behind - which two riders in particular discover while attempting to take on dovi

valencia 2011*: unpleasant first corner pile-up, but it's a nice little race from there in tricky conditions that get worse at the end. an extended dovi/dani duel that has real stakes for championship standings and pride. also you get a really dramatic ending out front, kinda out of nowhere? worth sticking with this one

le mans 2012*: jorge's in that stage of his career where he's a decent wet weather racer, and he very much disappears out front as battle rages behind. valentino fights with casey, fights with dovi/cal, fights with casey again... the last vale/casey duel featuring a last lap overtake

assen 2014: wet to dry bike swap, with more rain threatening. it features the first real dovi/marc scrap (doesn't last long, but they have a 2nd go at it as marc hunts dovi down). plus there's also an impressive comeback ride from vale after a poor tyre choice

aragon 2014: rather a nasty valentino crash close to the start - but once you're through that, you're in for quite a silly one. let's just say the dominant rider that year does not have a particularly dignified day in the office. dry to wet bike swap race, which some perhaps grasped a little too late

silverstone 2015**: first race in which valentino lost the championship lead, but this is the bounce back race in the soaking wet. marc puts a lot of pressure on valentino here, it's 2015, what more do you want? late pressure from other riders too, a signature valentino wet weather ride

misano 2015*: big twists, big turns, massive title fight implications. a flag-to-flag race where both title contenders perhaps don't get it quite right... a lot of chaos where bike swap timing makes all the difference. a truly excellent performance from the winner

sachsenring 2016: no prizes for guessing who won this one, but way more jeopardy than the average visit to the circuit. marc just got these flag-to-flags bang on so often, and it's fun watching him secure what at one stage looked like rather an unlikely victory

brno 2016**: if you can, go into this one without being spoiler-ed, because I promise you that you will not be able to guess the podium combination after the first few laps. a lot of this race ends up being about tyre choice. a slow burn but a goody

misano 2017**: in that stretch of 2017 where every race is a Big Title Fight Race, which makes it so fun 2017 had so many of those in the wet. a fun race throughout, but the last lap is particularly daring and memorable. a signature marc performance

motegi 2017**: a race that gradually builds to a dovi/marc duel - and the additional jeopardy added by the conditions makes it something special. one hell of a last lap

sepang 2017**: first match point race, just to add a little extra drama to proceedings. a lot of tense wobbling about as dovi attempts to navigate his way back to the lead of the race - including past his rather stubborn teammate. excellent performance under high pressure from dovi

valencia 2018*: the conditions get so poor you do get several crashes that just make for unpleasant viewing... when they finally red flag it, the field is severely depleted, then it's broadly more of the same. defo a good race if 'chaos' is what you're looking for

le mans 2020*: entire race on wet track. I don't remember the 1st half of this being all that exciting, but once it gets going it's just SUCH dumb chaos, in a title fight that's all about dumb chaos

austria 2021**: a race that will be remembered more than anything because of the crazy way in which it was won. the whole race is fun, but the last few laps are kinda unforgettable

motegi 2023*: quite fun to have a flag-to-flag this late in the championship fight! the title contenders feature heavily in this one and there's enough shake-ups in the order to keep things interesting. psa: this race doesn't get restarted. pretty short

honourable mentions: valencia 2001, estoril 2002, jerez 2004, estoril 2005, le mans 2007, assen 2011, phillip island 2011, assen 2016, le mans 2021, argentina 2023

[a-ladyman-in-waiting]

Current abilities

Priestess Stage 1 (City story)

Light Discs [subconscious]:

Madeline Rivera can walk on solid discs of Moonlight that she subconsciously summons under her feet. She mainly uses them as automatic chairs and tables for her tabletop hobbies, which includes writing and drawing.

Like this ^

Flight [conscious]:

Using her wings and tail fins, she can fly tight bank turns at high speeds to relive her experience riding their scooter down steep hills.

Time Out (Stage 1) [conscious]:

She clasps her hands once to summon a Moonlight Ring with a short clock hand that stops Time within a large area to hold people in place. A clock hand immediately moves for one whole rotation of 6 seconds. The targets stuck inside are still able to speak (may change this later). Anyone with proficiency of Time Magic remains unaffected by this.

The clock hand doesn’t deal damage.

Abilities earned midway into the story

Moonlight Blade/Clock Hand

A simple stretched out rhombus shape of Moonlight that Madeline had crafted for self defense. It is the same shape as the clock hand for Time Out spell.

Fillet Mignon (Time Out Stage 2) [conscious]:

Madeline clasps her hands together for 3 seconds to summon 2 Moonlight Rings, four numbers, and two clock hands. This time, she moves her hands around the air in a clockwise motion for half a rotation before returning them to their starting point.

The second clock hand is longer and faster than the first, hitting 12 times within the much larger Moonlight Ring that holds the first hand. Additionally, the longer clock hand also deals damage (albeit I may change this later on).

The numbers in the spell are 3, 6, 9, & 12. An indicator of the length of the attack.

Soul Vision ability [conscious]:

Madeline closes her eyes to scan the color and vibrancy of a person’s soul. She can “mark” specific souls for the main goal of avoiding them at all costs to avoid stress.

Queen Species (Future timeline)

- Aka after egg stage —

Accelerometer (Time Out Stage 3) [image below]

Madeline clasps her hands together for 6 seconds to summon 3 Moonlight Rings, 3 clock hands, all of the 12 numbers in a clock, and decoration surrounding the third and largest Moonlight Ring. Where she repeats the same clockwise hand motion for a duration of 6 seconds. (May change later).

The largest Moonlight Ring houses the longest and fastest clock hand, which steals energy from everyone within the large and nearly unavoidable 3rd Moonlight Ring. The 3rd Clock Hand strikes 60 times within one revolution of the 2nd Clock Hand. Therefore, the 3rd Clock Hand strikes 720 times, rendering almost all targets with fatigue to the point of passing out.

However, for the targets within in the range of the 2nd Clock Hand, the combination of blunt strikes and energy absorption will leave targets dead or barely alive depending on whether they escape the range.

But for those stuck in the range of all three Clock Hands die before the spell even finishes half a rotation without ever experiencing the pain.

Personal Domain

A subspace that Madeline created that holds a small waterfall with a lake to match, a tall two story rock formation that consists of living spaces and staircases, a smooth wooden table for table top hobbies, a warm sun, wild grass and flowers and a heated water lake for relaxing.

The subspace has a day and night system.

[bayalexison]

Bay Plays Persona 5 Royal [Third Semester Arc] - Finale

Wee, so I finished Persona 5 Royal this evening! 

So yesterday I did the rest of Maruki’s palace and got to his treasure. After that did the last of the Mementos request and trained a bit until everyone was lv 99. I thought I would be able to do the Jose secret boss fight because one guide I was using mentioned they didn’t do all of the stamps, but when I reached the final location of Da’at (or whatever it’s called), I didn’t see Jose. I...got a bunch of stamps here and there I’m missing, so I skipped that. 

Damn you Shifo (shakes fist) Also found more Maruki’s notes over his “test subject” and boy oh boy.

Okay, onto today’s finale session!

Boy oh boy oh boy

After declining Maruki’s offer (again lol), time for his boss fight. 1st phase against his persona was easy while 2nd phase was trickier due to Maruki able to prevent you from using magic/baton passes and Akechi kept knocked down lmao. Bravo Billy's performance as him.

Valentines and White Day date with Haru! Very cute scenes there

And completed my first playthrough of P5R! What a wild ride it was from start to finish. There were stuff like not collecting all mementos stamps and a whole bunch of Personas not entered but maybe I’ll attempt those if I ever do a second playthrough haha

[stanwixbuster]

Things That (Should) be Happening in 2023

You can also read and boost this on itch.

I've gone back and forth over making a post (or chain thereof) like this for some time, but always flaked out on some lazy excuse of "I like dropping things with no warning for the surprise factor," and "Being scared of accountability."

And, yeah, project jumpscare is fun for a while but I'm starting to feel left out of the cycle of teasing little bits of what you're working on for people to comment on. Before that felt pointless because I had no comments point blank, but now I've got a few eyes on my stuff it feels like a decent time as any to start. One game even got fanart. Wild.

I'm currently on the forth of this cycle, so I'm riding it and making a full deal of it. If it ends up I hate doing this I'll just stop and never acknowledge it again. 

Here's things that (should) be happening this year.

I'm Exhibiting at WASD Curios

Yeah I still don't believe this either, and ENGLAND ON FIRE got accepted into the WASD Live "weird" indie selection.

I'm going to be at WASD in person at the Curios booth from March 31st to April 1st. If you're going, feel free to drop by and say hi. I'll be handing out some pins if you do.

The PC Problem

As some of you may or may not be aware, I'm currently without my main PC. Most of my stuff was left with my parents when I moved down on a short let, and I am living in what feels like a closet right now and only have access to a chromebook that stutters trying to open discord. Lack of Windows aside, next to no computing power puts intensive game dev out of the question. It can barely survive bitsy once projects start getting chunky.

Fortunately, I'm completely unimpeded doing pure writing, which does work out nicely for me. The games I make spend well over 90% of their time in google docs, and only leave it to get shoved into an engine at the last minute. And for the last 10%, I'm lucky enough to work a job where I can fuck about for an hour on a stupidly powerful PC. 

The good: for the games you guys are used to seeing from me, I can make these mostly unimpeded, if not a little slower than usual. Once I get used to the new workflow, it should be business as usual. The bad: this locks me out of doing any complex projects, of which I had several I wanted to take a crack at. This is annoying, for now, but I have enough in mind to keep me occupied—

Until the PC Comes Back

I've got a series of Quinn & Flynn sequels in the works, and this will fill the gap until I get my PC back. Currently, it's looking like a series of 5 games including the first (and even as I'm writing this now, I'm looking at my notes and a tentative 6th). I'm also not making any guarantees that all of them will be released by the time my PC is back, but I will make a guarantee that the run will be finished, at some point, and probably later compiled in omnibus form.

The series is also headed into adult-only territory. There's going to be on-screen sex and no real way to dodge it that doesn't impact the narrative. My apologies if you were under 18 and wanted more Quinn content but also congratulations to the sickos who want more stories with cum.

The 2nd game is going to follow Elias' POV. What happens, you'll have to wait until it comes out.

Pun not intended. I just noticed this while proofreading.

The PC Returns

So, the PC is back, and now I can work on those bigger projects I keep mentioning. Right now, I've got two I've been rotating in my mind and getting increasingly mad I can't pull together.

The first, in full spirit of what inspired it, would be a not-quite remake, and a not-quite sequel, of one of the most popular games I've made so far. I had a whole stack of cut content I wanted to put in that I couldn't because of the jam time limit, and now I want to redo it from the ground up in a bitsy-like engine that's far more flexible. We might even see the old Spdrcstl Special and have multiple engines glued together. You'll have to wait and see what that inspires.

The second is going to be a Proper Game. As in, something with a play time well over a couple hours. It's a Narrat game and leaning hugely into the disco-like mechanics. I'm planning to have enough content to sell it for about 10 quid or so, with the obvious caveat that I don't give a shit if you steal it if you can't afford it.

You'll be a paranormal investigator, tasked to a rural town in Cheshire where, to no rational explanation, buildings have been disappearing. The big twist, however, hinges on how you approach the case. A sceptic in this town may get a completely different story to the superstitious. It's on you to see where belief takes you.

This is going to be extremely heavy, British, and Northern. CWs abound for this one.

Since we're on a wider timescale and I'm still unsure when my beloved returns to me, I have no guarantees I can make here. At the very least, I'd like the first game to be fully released, and the second to have a demo that runs to the end of day one. Keep your eyes peeled.

Other Bits

This bit's a dumping ground. These are projects that have been floating around my head or I have some notes for down already. I decided to throw these here in case one or two make you go "Hey, that sounds cool, line it up next."

These, in no particular order, are:

A wiki-style game a-la Excalibur. I'm planning one in the same universe and as compliment to No Saints Go to Heaven. The main problem is I've gone Motherfucker Unlimited on the worldbuilding of this setting, and beyond that being a task in itself is filtering it all through an in-universe lens. Happening, but a while out. And speaking of—

No Saints Go to Heaven, in a full demo form. I still want to tack bullet hell quasi-rhythm game battles onto it and see if people like it. The problem being this requires a musician and probably a dedicated programmer who knows what they're doing, so this one may be out of the question for a while, as dearly as I love it.

Something with the 12 Cannettes engine. It captivated me the instant I played it and I've been desperate to make a game. I've got something in mind already, but might wait for a jam to fully flesh it out.

Something with Decker. Need to play with this to see where the limits are but I promised myself I would try it after having to pass on Decker Jam. Pending experimentation.

A web engine. It will let you make point and click adventures in the same style as the Club Penguin PSA missions. I am deadly serious about this. Pending more web dev knowledge.

A Len'en fan game. This is literally just that sentence in turns of planning, but I'll make one as soon as an idea comes around. I am very normal about Len'en.

Something using King Gizzard's Polygondwanaland. It's CC0. Album of all time. Have to. Pending what I'm actually going to do with it.

Other Other Bits

Also known as "Stan has a back-and-forth debate over starting a kofi and/or patreon or not."

On one hand, it feels a bit iffy when I have a fulltime job. That money could be going to devs who fully need it rather than me, you know? On the other hand, people are free to spend their money how they want, and extra pizza money sounds decent.

If I do the patreon route I haven't got any ideas for it beyond it being a glorified tip jar that auto-renews. Maybe down the line when I'm working on a Proper Game that has enough meat for update posts it could be a bonus dev log. But if I were to start it up, like, tomorrow, it would be a glorified tip jar.

aight

I think that's about it, for now. I need to put a disclaimer that any and everything mentioned in this post is subject to jam inspiration, scoping, Shiny New Tool syndrome, random hyperfixations, explosions (figurative), explosions (literal), "I didn't feel like it"-itus, and other bullshit under the helpful label of Life.

With that said, Elias & Flynn is definitely happening.

Have a good one.

[umichenginabroad]

Abhi in Paris

Week 12: Wrapping Up & Starting up my Next Travel Adventure

Hello folks! I’m so glad to be back because this week is the start of something big. Excuse me for a this late post, things have been so busy. This blog is about last week & I'll most about my travels this week in the next few days. On Friday last week, begins ENSEA’s second extended two week break. I’ve been planning a 16 day trip backpacking through Italy from the North down to the South. It starts with a train across the French Italian Border into Milan and then down to Tuscany to visit a few Tuscan cities including Florence. After that, I’m most excited to go further south to Rome and experience Roman history & food. Finally, I will travel down into Sicily to spend a few days at the beach in small towns & then a few days on the Aeolian Island of Stromboli. But first, I’ve got to finish out the week strong at ENSEA!

Monday, April 1st – Something I forgot to mention earlier, last we spoke I was still finishing out a week in Germany. Monday was the last day of this trip & an eventful one at that. After an early wake up, I rushed on a local commuter train to Oranienburg, a suburb of Berlin, to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. It was a sobering sight, one that puts everything you’ve learned about the Holocaust into perspective. I got to see firsthand the houses where prisoners were kept, the fields where they labored, the towers of guards that watches over them, and the gas chambers where unspeakable acts were committed. It was truly a scary sight that I will never forget.

After this visit, I got some Italian food for lunch and then visited another piece of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. Both our critical pieces of Cold War History that were so fun to witness. Finally, I headed back to Berlin Hauptbahnhof Train Station to hop onto an overnight seat car train to Paris Est. It was a very different experience than I’m used to. I’m not sure I would take an overnight train again, after all the noise and lack of personal space, but it was a cool experience, nonetheless.

Tuesday, April 2nd – My overnight train arrived in Paris in the morning right around 10am. After a restless night, it was tough to get up and take the metro back home. After which, I completely crashed until I had to run to French Class at ESNEA in the afternoon. Today was an important day in French Class, we were doing a speaking presentation based on a trip we took in the past tense, and I had spent the overnight train working on it. I was a bit nervous, but I ended up killing it, and then taking the train back home for the night.

Wednesday, April 3rd, Thursday, April 4th & Friday, April 5th  – The next few days were smooth and nothing super eventful occurred. I spent most of my time relaxing and studying for a Power Engineering midterm exam that I took on Friday. But Friday evening was packed – packing up and getting everything ready for the trip to Italy. I was taking a large 60L trekking bag that was perfect for this sort of European backpacking adventure. I ended up getting a midnight dinner with some friends after packing up and getting a good night’s sleep before the next day’s journey.

Saturday, April 6th – A record high temperature for the spring in Paris today kicked off the morning. It was 70 degrees F around 10am, when I went out for a quick walk. I then grabbed my bag and headed to Paris Est for my afternoon train. It was a wild train ride. First a TGV train to the nearest French border town that took around 4 hours. Then, they put us on a bus to cross the border, because of a huge avalanche that compromised the tracks last year. The train met us on the other side and took us through to Turin and into Milan. By the time I arrived it was midnight, so I had time to grab a quick dinner at a bar and then crash.

Sunday, April 7th – Sunday was a beautiful day in Milan. I got ready in my summer clothes (finally a break from the usual cold of Paris), and headed to an amazing brunch place, Biancolatte, to enjoy some coffee, pastries, and pasta. Afterwards, I spent the day exploring the sites at the center of Milan, specifically the Duomo, the Galleria, and Navigli canal. It was a day of shopping & food, representative of Milan.

Next week, I’ll use the Italian train system to traverse cities & villages across Italy as I make my way southward!! Thanks for reading.

Ciao,

Abhi Athreya

ENSEA at Cergy, France

University of Michigan, Aerospace Engineering 2025

[afr0-thunder]

[Poor Chronicles Pt. 29]

Topics: The Poor (Work/Hours/Wage)/Shopping/Work Birthday/The Pipe Situation/Living Arrangements

Using this as means to correct my last post.

The poor has resumed, but my head coach asked me to stay longer yesterday which doubled my hours. It mostly consisted of various cleaning tasks. Garbage, bathrooms, scrubbing floors, it was outrageous, but money is money. I considered using this income to buy Jordans (I don’t even like Jordans anymore). Also, not the new releases. I also considering them including white and not matching my color theme. I gazed over a few at the new store I’ve been going to and thought, “Maybe they have some I like, I’ll check again.”. I also considered jeans as well (or both).

Today is my former favorite coworker’s birthday. Yesterday my head coach got him a cake. It was ironically, the one I considered buying myself to celebrate my birthday this year (oreo cake). He offered everyone slices. I finally took food offered at work for the first time since about July.

*10 months. The pipe held for 10 months, we’re going on month 11, so this would be the 11th month. Technically the 12th, not sure if I started on New Years or New Year’s Eve. I had just came home from work that night. My housemate was oblivious to the pipe situation. It turns out the other washer is here, she just moved it and put it in a drawer. It is currently still not being used. I went to the hardware store while I was doing laundry to look for new pipes and washers. I found some, but was not prepared to buy, just checking it out. I’d never been there before. She called the neighbor over to fix it when I got back. He did no such thing. He attached the pipe, put the bowl I was using to catch the water (and dump outside every use) underneath it so it held in place. I didn’t check until today because when leaving I heard him say, “It should hold, I’ll be back in a few days to finish it.”. I considered not using it until he came back. To see if it’d fall off again. While at work I said, “Fuck it, I’m not starving.”.

I made some noodles today. Apparently the drain is just clogged. I considered getting draino, but I’ll probably just end up abandoning the ramen noodle diet unfortunately and all home cooking. With no kitchen sink, I refuse to use any other methods. I will most likely just revert to the snack diet (candy and chips, possibly fruit juice). Requires a lot of teeth brushing, but that’s fine.

This also means I cannot move. Between the pipes and her daughter’s dog ruining the carpet, I cannot see myself not having to pay after doing so. One of those situations no longer exists, but you can see why all dogs should go to heaven, “expeditiously” - Kodak Black. The winter will be a wild ride, not sure how I’ll manage with just chips. I MAY find something else to eat, but if it requires dishes, consider it out of my diet. Unsure of what to do with these packs of Ramen Noodles, there are about 80+ left.

I may have to wait until one of the neighbors move and get a 2nd apartment here, for cooking…and fucking these bitches. I may not even have to, but I see this as a very likely option.

- MH (2023)

[11/09/2023 - 3:23PM]

[gettatranslations]

Hamamatsu Refresh Diaries Part One Yumigeta Ako (23.11.08)

Good evening🌛

I'm Yumigeta Ako 🛑

I have lots of photos I want to post and things I want to say in today's blog so I'll split it into Part One and Part Two♡

Thank you very much for your comments yesterday！

Thank you very much、for watching UtaCon！

You said my Suggoi face was cuteー It was funnyー which made me happy！

I took my chance and made the most of it🤣

I gave it my all in rehearsals tooー！

...

Also today!

School finished at midday！

So I visited my birthplace… Hamamatsu

And went to 【Fruit Park】‼️‼️

（Cameraman：Mama）

That's right、I was born in Hamamatsu〜

I grew up in Hamamatsu until I was in kindergarten！

It was amazing…

My first visit to Fruit Park in about a year‼️

I went last winter to see the illuminations and water show with my familyー

But I couldn't go fruit picking that time‼️

So today I felt refreshed＆got my revenge〜♪

We picked kiwis🥝🥝🥝

I never knew kiwis grew like this〜！

It thought they'd be kinda like how pineapples grow so I was amazed🍍

We picked 28 of them〜✨️

🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝

（Cameraman：Mama）

Plus the kiwi staff said 「There are all these different varieties of kiwi〜」

They showed us 3 different types！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！

Then we went to a suspension bridge type place‼️

The kiwi staff told us 「If you take this path the sunset looks really beautiful from the suspension bridge」 so me and Mama took a different route back than usual‼️

It was amaaaazing‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

It was suーper beautiful‼️‼️‼️

Plus since it was a weekday there was no one there except for me and Mama so we got to take lots of photos without worrying about the people around us📸

I did some bold poses too、yaーyᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

I also slid down a huge pineapple slide！

I haven't gone down a slide in absolutely ages！！！！

It was so tall it was like a thrill ride〜

I'm scared of heights so I don't ride roller-coasters or anything but this was perfect for me！

It was scary but in a fun way！

I went down it twice！

And And、we saw a snake on our way home！

It's only my 3rd time ever seeing a wild snake！

We were driving past paddy fields when we saw it、so me and Mama were like woahー

And then I saw another snake‼️

Plus it was all coiled up！But Mama didn't see that one…

We were unreasonably excited about that so we did a U turn and went back to that same spot once more…

But it was just a manhole cover…

That's so embarrassing… My brain went

🐍🟰🕳️🚶

I was so upset…

I'll be more observant so that I don't shout 「It's a snake！」 every time I see a manhole cover in the future…

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

Well then it's time for today's 【Gettaa Life】✨

Today I saw my grandad and grandma‼️

I saw both Mama's parents and Papa's parents！

I haven't seen my grandad and grandma on Mama's side since I joined Morning Musume。so I was super happy to see them！

We ate dinner together but I was talking so much I can't remember what it tasted like… We had sashimi and hamburg steak and salad and grilled shiitake mushroom steak and soup…

Which is to say I ate a lot、and it was delicious‼️

I talked lots with grandma and grandad on Papa's side！We didn't have much time and I won't be able to see them for a while now because rehearsals are starting so I'm glad I got to see them briefly today！

They also watched UtaCon！

I felt comforted that they're watching over me〜☺️

Everyone seemed well too which made me feel relievedー‼️

I feel like my grandparents never age so I remember them looking the same as they did when I was in 2nd grade

So I was surprised when I calculated their ages again today…

I dunno when I'll next be able to see them so I felt like I needed to talk with them more while I have the chance！

So today I chatted quite a lot‼️

...

We also shared some of the kiwis we picked at Fruit Park with them🥝 They seemed happy！

Talking with my grandparents really is fun…

I felt really relaxed (*^^*)

Next time I want to sleep over〜

I hope they stay healthy through the cold winter to！

I Getted 「Heart Warming Moments」✨

...

My grandparents also gave me candy and unagi pie and tea and lots of mikans🍊🍭🍵

I realised I really am a Shizuoka girl at heart…😁

...

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

T/N News and information has not been translated

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

We're currently in the car driving home from my grandparent's house、

And I've just seen the first star of tonight and it was super pretty〜✨

Why is it that when you look at the night sky you can't see any starts but once you spot one you suddenly see loads more？！

I wonder why…？

I currently can see 3 stars our of the car window。

My goal is to see 10 starts but I'm currently failing Ahーhh

Well then I'll see you tomorrow！

This has been YumiGettaa Ako！Good night🐔🐔🐔

The end！

[mubal4]

Race Wrap Up – Black Canyon 100K

 We start off, as we typically do, with thanking the team over at Aravaipa Running. They put on so many great events and their staff does a wonderful job. To all the volunteers, a big thank you as well. This race has approximately 900 runners, 9-10 aid stations, plus the start and finish, not to mention all the effort it takes to set-up, break-down, clean-up; the list goes on. There are so many volunteers out there that are integral to putting on these races and we would like to say thank you very much. To those from the @AZTraileggers, specifically @MeganS & @Brian – much gratitude! Always there for encouragement, a hug, and a smile 😊! To my friend & work colleague Jenn, thank you so much again for trekking out with the kiddos, only to see me for about 10 minutes!! The energy you provided and seeing your smile provided much needed oomph! To my brother @Frank – really grateful you took a flight out here to witness first hand this wild and wacky sport. I had a very good idea that it would be an “experience” for you. What that meant I didn’t know but I had a feeling it would be something that you would appreciate. You were critical in being part of the crew and I thank you very much for helping Robin out through the day. I understand the sacrifice and work it takes, especially with a point-to-point race like this so know your efforts mean a lot to me. Robin!  My wife. Who for the past 8 years since I started doing these races and the few before with the other nonsense we’ve done – you give me the strength, grit, and perseverance to keep going. Your positive and upbeat energy, no matter the circumstance during a race, whatever situation we are working through that isn’t “ideal” we do it together. No one else I would choose to have along side of me to get these done. I know it is usually never pretty. Some moments are, most are not but whatever the situation, in a race or life, we keep moving forward, left foot, right foot – I am grateful I get to do it arm and arm with you. To our youngest daughter Alaina and her friend Katherine – thanks for being there at the finish line – awesome to see your faces. And to end the gratitude to the other crew members, from afar, our oldest @Bella away at college, #ultradad @Bryan S in our hometown & @Tracy L  – missed you all, thanks for the messages, words, and encouragement – love all of you.

 So, how’d the race go? Well, typical except for some things that were not “ideal” 😊 This was the 3rd time running the Black Canyon 100k, fist since 2020. We had planned to run it last year but Alaina’s soccer team made it to the 2nd round of the state soccer playoffs and that game was Saturday so I jumped down to the 60k on Sunday. We though it was going to be a repeat this year and Alaina’s team again made it to the 2nd round, but the game was last Wednesday, and they lost. If they did win and made it to the 3rd round, I would have done the 60k. But as luck would have 😊, I got the full money’s worth and ALL 62 miles! We were very happy with the training block leading up to the taper 2 weeks ago. The volume was where we wanted it, factored in a good amount of vert, and nutrition was dialed in through January. At the end of January, a wedding surfaced and I began traveling for three weeks straight, which complicated things, and of course, the Philadelphia Eagles made the Super Bowl. So……….these last few weeks haven’t been as ideal as past leading up to this race 😊. Needless to say there was a lot going on but we were able to stay consistent with the training at least and we trusted it going into Saturday. However, as all these races go, you have no idea what could and will happen over the course of 62 miles.

 The race got started off in an interesting manner. My wave was #2, starting at 730am. We had a shuttle that took all the runners from the drop off site, to starting line, which was about 40 minutes away. During the bus ride I typically just get things in line and rest up, knowing that we will have about 15 minutes or so at the starting line before we head out. Unfortunately, things were running late, and the bus got there at 7:26am giving me enough time to shed my sweats, throw them into a bag, and put my pack on as I am starting the race. Fortunately, there was not a moment for nerves to surface because we were thrusted into the swing of things immediately. As we meandered through the town of Spring Valley, AZ going to meet up with the Black Canyon trail, I was grateful for the rushed start because we didn’t have to wait around in 35 degree temps, thinking about things to get going! The first several miles where nice and easy. This race is very deceptive with the first half being mostly downhill and is what can break the race for many. My first time I went out way too fast and it came back to haunt me the last half of the race in 2019. I learned my lesson and dialed it back considerably and enjoyed the beginning miles. The first aid station, around mile 8, is essentially at the high point of the course and gives a beautiful shot of the valley down below where we would be running into over the next 12-15 miles. It is a great show with the sunrise and runners flowing through the trail. We also get the Bradshaw Mountains towards the west of us so makes for epic scenery. Miles 8 through 20 are very flowing, very runnable downhill trails. Some technical spots but at this point I was feeling really good and the miles were ticking off quickly. I was excited to see my wife Robin, and my brother Frank, at the Bumble Bee aid station around mile 20. This was the first time Frank had ever scene me race or even experience something like this. It was really great to have him there. He was smiling the entire time and also shaking his head at the wildness and wackiness of this sport 😊.

 After seeing them, we had a nice climb out and then a pretty flat area to the next aid statin around mile 25. At this point, I hit my first dark spot. I was feeling good and there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary happening, but my mind started going a bit south. It was weird since it was relatively early in the race. I found myself thinking about times, how much more of the trail I had left to cross and knowing this race well, for some reason I was letting the future get the better of me. When I hit the aid station I fueled up and got back on the trail. Knowing that I still had another 13 miles or so before seeing Robin and Frank again at Black Canyon City, my mind was still not where it should be. At some point, I think it was around mile 26 though, I was running really well, feeling good, solid! I started to run happy. I know that may sound weird, but I was enjoying the moment, this trail, this race, this time out in a beautiful part of the world with some incredible people. We hit a jeep road and it was smooth sailing and the miles were again, clicking on by. I came into Black Canyon City to see Robin, Frank, and our dear friend Jenn with her kids. I was feeling better than any previous time running those 37 miles. I felt incredibly fresh, smiling, really enjoying all that was happening. We got things rolling with sock changes, foot care, new shirt, electrolytes, and a banana. And before we knew it, I was back on the trail running and smiling. At this point of the race, many runners tend to drop. The back 25 miles are the toughest. It is where the majority of the climbing comes, and they are long climbs and the trail is very technical. Things tend to slow down, and runners get beat up through this patch. Fortunately, outside of the 3 other times I’ve done the race, I’ve run these last 25 miles a handful of times so I felt comfortable leaving know what to expect.

 Less than two miles from leaving Black Canyon City aid station, there is a small river crossing and then a long, long climb for a few miles and I could feel like it never ends. It isn’t terribly steep but it does go on. About 30 minutes into the climb, my stomach began turning south; nauseous and I didn’t feel well at all. I then remember that I really didn’t eat at the last aid station. I had an electrolyte drink and a banana but unfortunately, nothing real like I would typically have at that point of the race. There wasn’t any real reason. I was feeling good, talking with everyone, getting ready to go out and just didn’t think of grabbing any food as I headed out. That was a bad mistake considering the next aid was about 9 miles away. The climb wasn’t terribly bad but I think it was because my mind was more focused on my stomach and the way I was feeling. I did my best to navigate those nine miles but it was slow going and just kept moving. I finally got to the aid station around mile 47 and took a seat for about 5 minutes, fueled up on some good stuff, and got my mind back together. I had about 5 miles to go before seeing Robin and Frank for the last time. The sun was going down, it was getting a bit chilly, and the trail was going to be getting more technical.

 As I left, hiking, my stomach started to feel better, as was my mind, so I started running again. These miles were not too tough from a climbing perspective but technical, however my legs were feeling good so I just kept going. As the sun ducked behind the mountains, temps began to drop and the trail got harder to see. I popped on my headlamp and picked up the pace a bit because I was beginning to get cold. With only a few miles left, I was moving well, stomach was solid again, and I knew I was going to see the crew very soon. Unfortunately, at this point however, my left knee went wonky! That is the best way I can describe it. Pain all around the kneecap and the tendons on both the back left and right. Not something I’ve experienced before and it seemed to hit all of a sudden! I was about a mile from the aid station, so I started hiking again to see if that helped, and it did. Slowing down however, with the sweat on my and the temps dropping caused me to get cold, so I did my best to navigate the terrain with the knee and get into see Robin and Frank. I made it, before they did actually, so this gave me time to get some warm food in me while I waited for them to arrive. We had about 11 miles left to go and I grazed the aid station table like it was a buffet grabbing as much as I could stuff in my mouth to ensure my stomach held. My energy was also low, and I was tired, so I chugged to water bottles full of Mountain Dew. Yeah – that’s right, I get to eat and drink whatever I want when I am running 62 miles 😊! Robin, Frank, and I connected. I was able to take care of my foot, change out socks and shoes, and put some extra layers on for the last push.

 This last stretch has another one of those long, steady climbs, and the trail is very technical again, even more so at night. With the knee banged up a bit, it was challenging to get a comfortable stride or pace going for long periods of time. So, I did what I could – running when it felt okay, and then hiking when the pain increased. The next 7 or so miles to the last aid station was sluggish and not ideal but we were still moving forward and knew that we were well ahead of where we wanted to be so it was just about getting it done. The last aid station came about and I downed some Coke and broth for the final 4 miles. Heading back out we were on a jeep trail for about a mile so I was able to run a good amount of that and it felt okay again. Once we got back onto the trail, it was pretty smooth as well, until we hit a series of small little climbs and then things got a bit technical. It was like this for about a mile outside of the finish line but at this point, I knew the pain would all be gone the moment I crossed so I just kept running. You can hear the music and see the lights of the finish about ½ mile out and I was happy to close another race out, smiling, grateful, and a little beaten up. Robin, Frank, my daughter Alaina, and her friend Katherine where right there at the finish line with a chair and beer waiting for me!

 It was a great day with awesome people. We hung out for a bit before jumping on the shuttle back to the car. Another big thank you to Aravaipa Running, all the volunteers, staff, and other runners. To the crew, both near and far, thanks for the continued support, love, and incredible energy. You guys make this wild and wacky sport so fun for me and for that I am grateful. It is never sexy or happens as planned – put that is just like life and I am fortunate to get to walk through it arm and arm with you all!

[evenstarfalls]

Finished my goodreads challenge for the year and there's no way I could put together a top 10 bc I read a lot of good books so I'll just do a recap/roundup I guess!!

Kind of started off the year with a reading slump, something I'm hoping to change in 2023. Didn't get through a book til March, when I discovered VE Schwab through Vicious and blazed through her adult books. Was a wild few weeks. I also read Cinder's Adventure in March, which was a wild ride let me tell you.

In April I read the last Wings of FIrst book, flames of hope. I also watched Netflix Heartstopper, which is not a novel, but I immediately read the graphic novel, watched it a few more times for good measure, and then read all her books. Loveless was actually a reread, but I did enjoy them.

That also kinda kicked me into an agressively looking for queer books to read phase. Made me realize how badly I needed them, I guess. Cinderella Is Dead, Evelyn Hugo, Cemetery Boys, all of Casey McQuiston's books, and a handful of others were read in May and June and July. Also read the first two ember in the ashes and continued my Schwab marathon with Gallant, Monsters of Verity, and the first cassidy blake and everyday angel.

This was also the year I reread Percy Jackson, which was a lot of fun. Got through the whole first series and half of HoO over the summer. I still need to finish that, actually. I also reread Renegades, and Vicious and Vengeful in June. (2nd of 3 times reading Vicious!) It has been an exceptionally reready year.

This summer my local bookstore had a summer reading challenge. There were like 25 books to read and I got through about half of them; fewer than I'd been shooting for, but still good all things considered. Most of them were lame. some were books I've already mentioned that were coincidentally on the list. Best book I got out of that? The Count of Monte Cristo. I read it in August, and it was definitely my longest book of the year.

This fall I also fell into a reading slump, busy with school. I read the next two cassidy blake books, Cursed released and I got to meet Marissa Meyer (!!!), I read Schwab's ExtraOrdinary and hated the art, Ninth House, but wasn't that many by my standards. Sad times. College is unfortunate like that sometimes.

Just this month I've been able to get back into reading more. I reread Six of Crows, read Children of Blood and Bone and the rest of Everyday Angel, They Both Die at the End, The Girl from the Sea, and yes. These Violent Delights (the gay one). Jumped in at the last minute as one of my top books of the year. I am thinking about it right now and I don't think I'll stop anytime soon.

Tonight I finished reading Vicious for the third time. I liked it that much. Definitely my top book of the year, and the only one I feel like I can definitively rank...it gets messy after #1. My sister bought me a signed copy for my birthday, and I can't wait to finally get it in my clutches next year.

And next year? I'm hoping to finish my read/reread of the Riordanverse (I've never actually read the last 3 or 4), reread Crooked Kingdom and Vengeful, and maybe some Marie Lu, read The Archived (I've been avoiding it because idw be through with schwab), Warcross, Children of Virtue and Vengence, and the last two ember in the ashes books. Also planning to get through a bunch of other books that I own but haven't read because reasons and reading slumps. Excited for Hell Bent, The Stolen Heir, Stars and Smoke, With a Little Luck and, of course, Threads of Power. I miss my babies and I want the book title.

On the off chance you read all this rambling, thanks bestie ily

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Out of the animated shows you've watched, which do you consider having the best and the worst finales?

That's a difficult question. I haven't got a big list. For most of them I either haven't seen the finale, or it's far from the best episode.

Pokemon Sun and Moon had a really sweet finale, but it was a lot like the SU Future one, wherein you had Ash saying goodbye to everyone. Though I think it was far more emotional and hard earned than SU's version. But I think everyone agrees it was the best finale to a Pokemon series yet.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Season 1 had a phenomenal finale. 2nd gig also had an okay ending, the scene with the tachkoma will make you cry, but I liked it a lot less.

OK KO!'s finale was..... eh. In good spirits but not amazing. My favourite part was TKO's breakdown and KO playing the song, and them realising that... they were the same person. It is an important lesson to young viewers on processing your emotions!

Steven Universe had a terrible finale. Like, the only part of it I enjoy is when White is terrorizing them and Steven is split in two and dances back together. The entire finale, and the entire series, is built around that scene, but as a result, it's the only satisfying part.

Steven Universe Future had... um. I was not a fan of Kaiju Steven. And I think the episode that happened afterwards was the most vanilla milquetoast "leaving town" template ep I've ever seen. Sorry, I don't like Future. It did the characters I love dirty.

Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, which I assume is the show you're wondering about, had a finale that... wasn't the best. I don't think it's terrible, I enjoyed it, but the whole "magic getting destroyed" part is a bunch of nonsense. Return magic to the people, like in She-ra - don't annihilate it!

She-Ra had the best finale of the stuff on this list so far, but that's mostly because of the Catra/Adora/Shadow Weaver scenes. I also really loved the Entrapta and Hordak scenes, and the one Mara scene. All of these were satisfying and emotional!!! The rest of the finale is "eh", going through the motions, there's way too much of them stopping people with love, but it's a really good end to the show and these strong, focused moments - with lots of breathing room -more than make up for the worse parts.

Adventure Time had a wild finale, but compared to normal episodes of the show, it's middle of the road at best. Betty-tier, in my opinion. Far from AT's strongest. I do love some scenes but wish they'd been given more space.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands... I count "Together Again" as the finale. And jesus fucking christ. That has to be one of the most emotional things I've seen in my ding dang life. I'd say it annihilates nearly everything above. Though more for the start and ending scenes rather than the main content.

Gravity Falls is, well, I'll tell you once I finish rewatching it. I remember enjoying Weirdmageddon! But... I did not enjoy how quickly the “final problem” was resolved. I’d have preferred a more ambiguous, yet optimistic, ending here.  

Over the Garden Wall is simply a masterpiece.

Infinity Train doesn't really have a series finale, but I DO love the "Train to Nowhere" scene. The book 1 finale was also strong.

Samurai Jack had a random ep as the season 4 finale, then the adult swim season 5 came out over 10 years later. I was digging the AS version, until they started throwing in penis jokes and romance, and then I just.... got turned off, hardcore. The finale was dissatisfying for the obvious reasons of leaving the Future to get destroyed/erased, and Ashi's refridgerator death.

Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball Super all have wonderful finales (yes, unfortunately, episode 131 of Super is probably the series finale). They're not clever, but they're good fun. In DB, Goku becomes the strongest in the world and cheerfully rides away with Chi-Chi. In DBZ, there's a far more emotional scene, with Goku using the power of the world to defeat Buu. And asks Kami to reincarnate him! Then in End of Z, well, he kind of fucks off with Uub, which I guess is less satisfying, but is VERY Goku. And in Dragonball Super, the final ep is the climactic, massively engaging finale of the Tournament of Power, which was a rocky road, but god damn, there's a reason these episodes basically destroyed Brazil.

Hell, even Dragonball GT has an OK finale. I think it's GT Goku saying Goodbye to everyone before he runs off with Shenron. Has the SU Future issue of ending a terrible series with a "generic goodbye", but like, it's more true to the characters.

Anyway, that's the end of my opinions. I can't think of any more right now.

[stuckybarton]

Red Velvet Cake

Summary:   Behind the sweet smile and angelic personality was a spitfire when someone dared destroy her little bakery in the heart of New York. Steve finds that out the hard way when his girlfriend's bakery becomes collateral damage in a small fight in New York. Warning: Profanities. Mild Violence. (Two Loud Slaps to be specific). Grammar Errors. Not Beta’d. Characters: Unnamed Female Character x Steve Rogers Words: 1,775 A/N: I don’t know, I just thought of this idea and thought why not. Masterlist

You had never thought your life would become this wild, but you've gone with the flow. Who would have ever thought that finally starting this bakery in the heart of New York. It was tough, with just a handful of employees, would bring you into so much chaos in your once peaceful life.

Meeting the Avengers had been a wild ride with a smooth beginning for you. First meeting Sam, a man that was looking for a quick snack post-work out. A man with a soft smile and quick quips that brought a smile on everyone's faces every single time he would come to visit. Then eventually, he came not alone, but with two of his best friend and your life changed ever since.

Bucky Barnes was the mellow of the trio, preferring to stay in the background while Sam would try his hardest to flirt with you and push his other friend with you. But he always had this charm on him that had a few of your female employees swooning just by the simply nickname of Doll he would throw at them.

But Sam's other friend had all his attention on you just as much as you had your entire attention on him. The dame that always spoiled him with sweets and made him enjoy morning runs more now that your bakery become their daily stop after.

It started out with the flirtation, at least that was what Steve believed it to be. Having been used to Sam's daily flirtation, you got so immune to it that it had become easier to hide the warmth in your cheeks or the heart eyes that Sam and Bucky were once quick to point out when Steve wasn't looking. Eventually it ended with him finally asking you out for lunch and the rest, as they say was history between the two of you.

Eventually, it had brought you into the circle of what was his team. The Avengers. Starting with one Tony Stark that had visited your bakery one fair morning and brought everything in your bakery long before the trio would come for their visit. It was an eventful day for you, that much you could admit. Everyone had the rest of the day to themselves and gave you time to spend with Steve, as annoyed as he was to not be able to have his usual treats. You made him your special apple pie as compensation, much to his enjoyment.

Then it was the rest of the team, Natasha Romanoff, Wanda Maximoff, and Vision. Visiting after getting a taste of your pastries that Tony Stark had generously provided for the team. Now like the trio, you now have another trio you can call as your regulars. Then there was Clint Barton, Thor, and Dr. Bruce Banner that eventually came to visit after everyone had egged them on and they would come for a few pastries and coffee, but not as much as the rest of the bunch. You were alright with that, being able to meet Steve's team and knowing each and every single one of them were good people in their own little way was enough for you.

Weeks turned into months, and months now turned to almost two years. Your life at the bakery was filled with ups and downs just as much as your relationship with one Steve Rogers. The constant fear you had when he was on a mission, uncertain whether he would come back alive or not.  Then there was the more often than not times that you were too consumed with the bustling number of customers than you only had time to give him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before helping out on the cashier. It had once been a fight between the two of you because of your line of work, but you would constantly compromise. He was out saving the world while you were living the dream you had always wanted for yourself with baking. Instead of his apartment in Brooklyn, Steve was now living with you, in the humble little apartment you had above the bakery. Your little piece of heaven.

This life you had created with Steve was something you had never thought you'd have for yourself but you were enjoying it immensely. You would want nothing more in your life. Until things had gone horribly bad and you want nothing more than to kill Steven Grant Rogers and the rest of the Avengers.

~

Y/N was going to kill him. That much Steve had known while they continued on with the debriefing. A quarter of New York City was wiped clean by the attack of the alien overlord attempting their luck on the planet. As much as Tony had assured that they could stay in the tower while repairs were being made, He was still uncertain with what you would be feeling because of it.

Nothing hurts him more than seeing you sad or disappointed.

"What's the ETA on the repair?" he inquired as soon as the meeting was done.

"More or less two weeks. We've had our team assure Y/N that her employees would be paid full for the two weeks while we are doing repairs." Tony explained. "Last time I heard she barely spoke a word while she helped her employees with cleaning up."

Steve could only sigh, annoyance peaking through his mind. It was worst than he thought.

"Mister Stark, Ms. Y/L/N is on her way to the meeting room." F.R.I.D.A.Y announced.

Before the A.I could finish with the announcement, the sudden slam of the door had everyone's head turn, every single one ready for another fight. But the sight of the innocent Y/N looking displeased brought everyone to a slight calm. There was still a problem, but this was better than another alien attack.

"Babe-"

The resounding slap had everyone else wincing. So much for the Super Serum. Everyone could see the red imprint on Steve's face and your shaky hand responsible for the said mark on the Captain's face.

"Your fucking shield destroyed the ramekins." you snapped, Steve could practically see you shaking from where you stood in front of him.

You were nothing, compared to him, a Super Soldier. But just the sight of you, fuming to the nose made everyone believe that you can easily take him on. This was a genuine surprise for Steve. He had seen so much side of his girlfriend of nearly two years. Through many stages of emotional turmoil, happiness, sadness, annoyance, dysphoria, and that godforsaken puppy dog eyes that he could never say no to. But this, the sight of you  angry, genuinely furious was the last thing he would have ever thought to see from you.

"Everyone has a long day, Y/N." Tony approached and the glare than now focused on her made it very well known that his presence and his response was the biggest mistake he has ever made in the moment. "Why don--"

Tony wasn't able to finish his sentence as he gets to experience the same slap handed to him by you. Without the Super Soldier Serum, the sound of the slap resounded even louder than the former. Everyone was left in a mix of shock and the need to hold in their laughter at the shock look than now lingered on Tony's face as he rubbed his red cheek.

"As for you," you snapped pointing your finger right into Tony. "You're going to pay for both the fuckin bakery and my apartment upstairs. Of all the places Stark, you just had to throw the alien on my newly renovated bathroom."

Tony could only nod.

"Your people also need to talk to my employees, some of them are injured because a big fucking green dickhead thought it would be nice to throw alien matters into the basement like basketballs through the hoops." you snapped side-glancing towards the guilty Bruce Banner that refused to make any eye contact with you. "You're covered for their hospital bills, therapy, and two weeks of their supposed shift."

Tony gaped nodding.

"Jesus, why the fuck does it always have to be New York, better yet, why the hell does it have to be in the US? There are so many fucking countries in this world." You ranted turning your attention back to Steve that now broke into a small smile at your outburst. "You're not off the hook. We're staying here, but you're sleeping on the coach until further notice."

What smile he had now comes falling from his face. Blinking, this was a dangerous situation. Far more dangerous than his earlier encounter with the aliens only hours ago. But all he could do was nod, not knowing if any protest from him would result in a worst punishment.

"Sam," you turned to the man that now looked scared to be your focus. "Can you show me to the kitchen? I'll try making everyone someone to eat. God knows you're all starving." you request, all signs of anger now slowly dissolving from your features.

Steve didn't know what scared him more at this point, your anger or how quick you were able to recover from said anger. As Sam escorted you out of the meeting room, the rest of the team also made their way out to help you in whatever you may need in the kitchen. It now left Steve and Tony alone, practically still feeling the aftermath of your slap.

"Having second thought about proposing, Lover Boy?" Tony finally broke the awkward silence.

Taking a deep breath, the first chuckle all day finally escaped his lips.

No, he was far from having second thoughts. The engagement ring hidden in his locker room made it evident to him what he was about to do on their 2nd anniversary. It would take some convincing on your part after what happened. But you loved him enough to forgive him for what happened, since technically it wasn't really his fault why the bakery was ruined.

"The proposal is still a go, Tony." he responds finally leaving the meeting room to making his way to the kitchen, already hard at work with cooking what he assumed was spaghetti and meatballs and his favourite red velvet cake.

"Steve's not having any cake right?" Nat asked as soon as she caught sight of him.

"You know what, Romanoff--"

"Not even a fucking crumb." Your response even with you facing away from him had everyone roaring in laughter and Steve rolling his eyes even with the smile on his lips growing bigger at the situations.

The things he has to endure for love.

[spextkrr]

idk much abt a7x, but i wld like to hear abt u fave song/album :)

AAA YESSS

Tysm for this ask, they are my favorite band of all time and I love talking about them sm <33

My favorite album by A7X is a three way tie between Waking The Fallen, City Of Evil, and Self-Titled, each album has such a unique and distinct sound it's nearly impossible for me to choose which album I like best lol

Waking The Fallen is straight up metalcore, with definitely a lot of punk influences and some classic 80s metal- it's a pretty straight forward and well rounded album for it being their 2nd album, a lot cleaner and more focused than their first album Sounding Of The Seventh Trumpet- probably because Syn joined the band around this time and he definitely has a very clean and distinct way he writes and plays the guitar, he's really organized lol. My favorite song off of that album is either Unholy Confessions (the guitar solo 💓💓) or Eternal Rest, which is extremely fast and one of the more punk driven songs off that album

City Of Evil is their 3rd album and has a really big hard rock/classic metal vibe to it, the harmonies and heaviness of WTF is consistent, but it's not as punk driven. Lots of very crazy and very fast drum tracks which I adore listening to- The Rev is SUCH a talented drummer and I really hope I can play like he does one day. Syn and Zacky are fucking brilliant on this album, they're great on every album, but this one especially, y'know? They really pushed themselves with this album, it's so articulated and so well rounded, and is definitely a big leap from WTF. My favorite song off of this album is Bat Country without a doubt, that song is nuts from start to finish, and I love it so much!!

Self-Titled is their 4th album, and doesn't really have a set sound- it's metal, mostly, but they really just branch off and play around with this one, even writing a country-ish song, Dear God, which even then still has some metal influences in it. It's definitely an experimental album, they found their sound in COE and went "Alright, we went pretty far, how much farther can we still go?". Not one song on this album is the same, from having straight thrashers and head bangers like Almost Easy, to A Little Piece Of Heaven, which has a really big Tim Burton/Danny Elfman feel to it, and then you have Unbound (The Wild Ride) which, as Syn put it, "is a magic carpet ride.". This album is so over the place, and it's the album that got me into A7X, so it has such a special place in my heart. My favorite song off of that album is either Scream (it's such a vibe, I've always loved heavy songs that still have a nice groove to em) or A Little Piece Of Heaven (that song is crazy bonkers + it's the first ever song I heard by em, so bias lol)

Tysm again for this ask, sorry if I rambled for a bit too long, A7X has helped me so much throughout my life and I love them endlessly- their new album is supposed to come out either end of 2022 or early 2023 and I am so excited to hear it, and maybe even see em on tour!!

<33