#these people were do diversely and insanely talented

[tenebrius-excellium]

Hnnnnghhhhhh I miss #What If ToA Rott already.

The video has over 600 views on Youtube now...

And somehow, this became its own lore, its own au...

Which I cannot let go of because I want to see Douxie again.

I want to somehow watch the whole movie that I wrote????

But it's also extremely unhealthy the way I'm holding on to this.

It's just... I go off at the potential of potential.

And there was so much potential in the ToA movie.

And also in the people that I made this with.

I would have loved to do something else with some of them, even though it turns out that I am bad at teamwork for an idea that was mine first. I locked into it and was terrible at sharing it. Had we written Goncharov together, it might have turned out differently.

Blender sits on my mind constantly because of Blue. NEED TO LEARN it because it looks infinitely better than Minecraft.

I'm obsessed with the police chase preceding the café scene because of Prism.

I would LOVE to have worked more with Tempest.

I'm trying to make a goodbye post for myself haha

[astrow1zar6]

Astro Observations- 38

Aries suns with Scorpio moons can be big adrenaline junkies. They need to do something dangerous that makes them feel alive. They can be extreme sometimes such as fast driving, mixing substances ect. They don’t feel like they’re living if they aren’t experiencing enough intensity. They should learn to focus this energy in healthier ways such as maybe exercising and sports.

Pisces Mercury’s often did art to express their emotions when younger. I’ve seen Pisces Mercurys who struggled to logically explain how they feel so they would draw or make crafts to show what they were feeling. Their emotions a lot of the times are too complex and intense to explain with only words. They work better with visuals. They could’ve also been better visual learners compared to people giving straightforward instructions when in a classroom setting (they are usually very imaginative).

Mars in Scorpios can have a hard time keeping friends and partners because of how intense they can be. When hurt they can say some really scary fucked up things that can make people want to distance themselves away. ESPECIALLY when they get jealous. They can be super cut throat with their words.

Taurus Venus’s usually came from households where they were exposed to really good food. Either they had enough money in their childhoods to afford high quality ingredients or they came from a family who cooked a lot. This can cause them to be natural cooks themselves. Usually indulged a lot as a child.

Aquarius suns either give IT girl/boy too cool for you vibes or they’re complete weirdos with a school shooter vibe no in between.

I believe Taurus suns are way more jealous than Scorpio suns

Leo moons tend to be the most awkward Leo placement. They have this dorkiness about them which most people don’t expect but I’ve seen it a lot. They can also be very childishly dramatic about very minor problems. Any little inconvenience is seen as a tragedy. However they usually are extremely talented in one area (usually art related) I’ve seen a lot of musicians and drama kids have this placement.

I’d love to have a Sagittarius moon yall seem like you generally don’t give a f*ck what people think and I’m here for it. Such a happy moon sign. However your good vibes 24/7 attitude can make others believe you’re insensitive or shallow.

I notice a lack of fire in the chart can cause a person to go into depression easier. It’s harder to be optimistic.

Venus in 2nd house isn’t just about being rich it also has to do with self esteem as well! When these people are really on the right path they can live such a favorable life! These are the girls you see on YouTube who’s morning routine is waking up at 6, eating a balanced breakfast, moisturize and exfoliate and exercise all before 8 lmao. Usually they don’t start making good money until they fix their self worth but once they do it’s like they flow with the universe without much obstacles. But when struggling with your self esteem you can become bad with your money and be very greedy and jealous of others success so be careful!

Venus in 7th house people are so lucky with relationships. It’s like they just slide into romantic relationships so easily & naturally. So many people want to cuff them up it’s insane. They tend to get along with a lot of different personalities. Very diverse people which attracts people to them like magnets. However, they can be very codependent and do poorly when alone.

Pisces suns are either extremely wise or super foolish and immature. They also always look like they don’t know what’s going on whether they actually do or really don’t😭 even if they are listening to everything your saying it looks like they have nothing going on in their minds like they got a lobotomy lmao (sometimes tho they really don’t know what’s going on, especially Pisces mercs)

Mercury in Capricorns are normally super smart. Street wise and book wise. They can come off as intimidating tho sometimes because of how intelligent they come off. They also have a vibe that can lowkey make people feel unwelcome like you’re too dumb to talk to them💀 (similar to cap risings). They tend to surround themselves with people older/more mature than them they can really get put off but younger acting energies.

Sag risings can be SOOO loud. Especially when they get excited or drunk.

Having a Sun in Aries and a Cancer moon seems like the most difficult sun/moon placements to have together. You have this tough exterior and such a vulnerable interior that no one knows about so people usually treat you harshly not knowing it’s really hard for you to take that☹️ also struggles a lot with being vulnerable to anyone.

Every Pisces Mars woman I’ve ever met was so dazzling to look at. They have such an ultra feminine nature that’s almost ethereal.

[explosionshark]

2024 AOTY

by me! your pal, bri-bri

originally i was going to just write up the first ten albums or so, but then i had things i wanted to say about the rest of 'em so i just kept going. that made the list really long though. so here's just the numbered list, under the cut you'll find my extended thoughts n feelings :)

What I'll Leave Behind by Void of Vision

For Your Consideration by Empress Of

Sanshi by Ripped to Shreds

Coup de Grace by Seeyouspacecowboy

Aumicide by Atrae Bilis

Children of the Moon by State Faults

Ridiculous and Full of Blood by Julie Christmas

Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation

Lonely People [EP] by Love Rarely

Cutting the Throat of God by Ulcerate

Infinite Mortality by Replicant

I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy

Valerie by Tei Shi

Forever by Charly Bliss

You Could Do It Tonight by Couch Slut

World Fighter by Angel Sword

Hicimos Crecer un Bosque by Fin del Mundo

Ephemera [EP] by Ben Quad

Stygian Rose by Crypt Sermon

Infinite Void by With Sails Ahead

Vault of Horrors by Aborted

Revelations by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers

Steps Ascending by Stand Still

The Tower by Urban Heat

AOTY 2024

Full list here: write-ups for specific albums under th cut. Ranked somewhat arbitrarily.

1. What I'll Leave Behind by Void of Vision (metalcore) - absolute bummer that this will be the final album by these guys, but I'm grateful for the fact that I was able to see them a few times before they had to call it quits. Been describing this as like a song missing from the Saw 2 soundtrack or something that should have been playing at one of the clubs in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines or something. I feel like that's accurate - alt metalcore with its nails painted black and a profound love of Nine Inch Nails. Strong lyricism drawn from real trauma, enough fun electronics to make them stand out from more generic metalcore acts, plenty of hooks and some sick breakdowns as well to keep things heavy. I hope Jack Bergin's brain never explodes again and retiring from touring helps him lead a long and healthier life. "Gamma Knife" is the highlight for me

2. For Your Consideration by Empress Of (Pop) - my favorite pop album of the year. Lorely Rodriguez is so insanely talented, this album has a pretty diverse range of sounds without becoming too inconsistent. I love that there's raunchy club bangers like "Femenine" right next to sappy love songs like "Kiss Me" and more introspective tracks like "What Type of Girl Am I?"

3. Sanshi by Ripped to Shreds (Death Metal) - very good year for death metal but I think this is my favorite DM record of the year. I've always enjoyed Andy Lee's projects and Ripped to Shreds has been my favorite of them for years but expanding to a full band has taken them to a whole nother level. Killer riffage throughout, insanely fun lead swapping between Lee and Michael Chavez. "Horrendous Corpse Resurrection" is easily one of my top songs of the year

4. Coup de Grace by Seeyouspacecowboy (Metalcore) - this was a big big SYSC year for me, in large part bc I ended up seeing them live so many times. Honestly initially I struggled with Coup de Grace because it leans harder into the dramatic, theatrical MCR/P!ATD style of emo than any of their other work, and that's not necessarily to my taste. This still makes the top 5 despite regularly skipping several songs on each listen because the rest of it is so damn good. Could not stop listening to it this fall. Safe to say it grew on me. "Chewing the Scenery" and "Subtle Whispers to Take Your Breath Away" were two of my most played tracks for the whole year

5. Aumicide by Atrae Bilis (Death Metal) - one of the most underrated death metal bands active rn imo. No sophomore slump for these guys, this record absolutely smokes from start to finish. It's heavy and it's nasty, but it still grooves. There's enough melody to make it addictive but they're still able to maintain the harshness that makes dissonant death metal compelling. "Hell Simulation" and the closing track "Excruciate Incarnate" are perfect examples of the balance they strike between those two modes

6. Children of the Moon by State Faults (post-hardcore) - 2024 was the year I discovered State Faults. Very much the experience of finding a band that is so much Your Shit that it feels insane that you're almost a decade late to the party. Children of the Moon is the best post-hardcore album of the year imo and it's not even close. These guys draw from an incredible range of influences to create some of the most affecting work in the genre - brutal and beautiful and profound. "Palo Santo" and "No Gospel" absolutely blow me away every time

7. Ridiculous and Full of Blood by Julie Christmas (post-metal? Noise? Julie Christmascore) - anyone already familiar with Julie Christmas' work does not need me to explain why she's such a powerhouse and anyone not familiar will be done a disservice by anything short of listening to her music for themself. All I can truly say about Ridiculous and Full of Blood is that it's one of the most dynamic, interesting albums of the year and I just hope to God she doesn't make us wait another 14 years for her next solo record. The band she assembled for this album is insane across the board, but in particular it was a delight to see her collaborating with Johannes Persson again eight years after the absolutely masterful collaboration with Cult of Luna. If you listen to only one song out of all the stuff I'm recommending today, let it be "The Lighthouse"

8. Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation (progressive death metal) - everyone won't shut up about this album but in this case the praise is absolutely earned. Cosmic, atmospheric, brutal, spacey, heavy as hell. With a Tangerine Dream collaboration no less! Essentially comprised of two long songs, Absolute Elsewhere is a record you need to make time for, meant to be listened to in full to get the most out of it, but it's so, so worth it to take the time. A stunning, transportive piece

9. Lonely People [EP] by Love Rarely (post-hardcore/math rock) - my favorite EP of the year. A very exciting band, they fuse hooky, math rock riffs with post-hardcore intensity. Courtney Levitt's vocals are incredible - a combination of throat shredding shrieks and powerful, emotional clean singing that makes you instantly sit up and pay more attention. "Say Yes" was on repeat for me all year

10. Cutting the Throat of God by Ulcerate (death metal) - an absolutely crushing, depressive, beautiful piece of dissonant death metal. Undeniably heavy, but on this outing we see Ulcerate lean into some post-rock esque melodicism that elevates their sound even further. It's such an atmospheric album - grim and unrelenting, but strangely delicate in places. Top notch musicianship throughout, but Jaime Saint-Merat's drumming is just mind-blowing. The title track is a must-listen song for anyone who gives a shit about heavy music at all

11. Infinite Mortality by Replicant (Death Metal) - I noticed in my write-ups for the other two dissonant death metal albums on this list, I took a moment to highlight and praise the melodicism therein. That won't be happening for Infinite Mortality. That's not to say there's zero melody at all but to emphasize how much that's not the draw here. This album is an altogether darker, nastier, more menacing affair. There's a grime here, a dizzying, sinister undertone of violence. My first time listening to this record was as background music while I was reading Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud and there was a scene in that book I was reading during "Orgasm of Bereavement" where the combination of the sounds I was hearing and the words I was reading gave me a full-body sensory experience: goosebumps, a faint sense of nausea, slight dizziness. I can't think of a stronger album recommendation than that.

12. I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy (Rock) - ANOTHER BANGER FROM MISSY DABICE AND CO. Mannequin Pussy keep getting better and better and it seems like they're finally (deservedly) starting to blow up with this record. It's a joy to listen to - snarky, vulnerable, earnest, clever, joyful and pissed off in turns. "Loud Bark" is already iconic, easily one of the finest songs they've written in an already stacked career of certifiable bangers

13. Valerie by Tei Shi (pop) - my second favorite pop album of the year! Tei Shi's first independent release. The breadth of songs on this album is incredible - bachata inflected pop kicks the album off with the explosively catchy "QQ (QUÉDATE QUERIENDOME)" and by the middle of the record we've somehow transitioned to intimate, heart wrenchingly vulnerable meditations on a painful miscarriage with "Falling From Grace." Frustration with the major label rat race as well as evergreen pop subjects of love and heartbreak fill out the rest of the album, but no matter the topic or the style of the song, everything feels honest and confident. The Spanglish version of "Mona Lisa" is one of my favorite pop songs of the year

14. Forever by Charly Bliss (Rock/Power Pop) - talking about honest, vulnerable music! Charly Bliss made their comeback this year and it's unsurprisingly one of the best albums to come out in 2024. Forever feels like a great marriage of the sounds on their other two LPs, Guppy and Young Enough. The band is still leaning into the pop sound that clearly enthralls them but there's a welcome return for fun guitar riffs too. Also there's no album on this list that has a stronger opening than the three song run of "Tragic" to "Calling You Out" to "Back There Now"

15. You Could Do It Tonight by Couch Slut (Sludge Metal/Noise) - okay enough pop music time for something gross and gnarly and almost guaranteed to give you some kind of disease. Couch Slut have always been here to upset you - and holy shit are they good at it on this album. Each and every song on this record is a provocative, stomach-churning vignette in its own right but none moreso than "The Donkey" where Megan Osztrosits recounts a horrifyingly fucked up story of a friend's drug-fueled bout of self mutilation in Chat Pile-esque spoken word over massive, dirty sludge metal riffs. It's fucking sick. "Here's what happened when my friends and I got fired from a haunted water park" - tell me you don't want to hear how the rest of this story goes, even knowing it will end in a grotesque, bloody mess.

16. World Fighter by Angel Sword (Heavy Metal) - okay enough edgelord shit now we're back to having fun. I honestly didn't think there would be a trad metal release that would top Razor Wire by Mean Mistreater, and then I stumbled into Angel Sword this summer. It's just candy, man. Extremely catchy 80s style riffs, incredible hooks, gritty yet charming vocals. This album is dripping in neon, racing down the highway at 90 miles an hour with two topless babes in the backseat telling you how cool your studded denim jacket and fresh perm look. "Vigilantes" never gets old for me

17. Hicimos Crecer un Bosque by Fin del Mundo (shoegaze) - kinda wild that this is the only shoegaze album that made it onto my list this year but it is what it is! And what it is in this case is the killer second album by Argentinian band Fin del Mundo. If you like fuzzy guitars and ethereal vocals, this is the record on this list for you. Although labeling them a shoegaze band is accurate, it fails to account for the ways post-rock, emo, and dream pop elevate the bands sound to another level. It's a record that's soothing and engaging at the same time, well produced, clear sounding without being too polished. "Vivimos lejos" brings a charming kind of ASIWYFA-style combination of gang vocals and emo instrumentals, resulting in basically four and half perfect minutes of music

18. Ephemera [EP] by Ben Quad (post-hardcore) - many bands are doing the throwback 00s emo/metalcore thing right now, but few of them are doing it as well as Ben Quad on this EP. This is basically They're Only Chasing Safety-worship but that's fine by me. Frantic, melodic, scathing and nakedly emotional, I love the intensity of this EP. I'd kill for a full record in this style tbh, but for now I'll be happy with what we've got. It's an incredibly short 11 minute runtime so I'd really recommend just listening to the whole thing but if nothing else, don't skip "Your Face as an Effigy"

19. Stygian Rose by Crypt Sermon (Epic Heavy Metal) - epic heavy metal, I'm sure, sounds like the stupidest genre name in the world. But like, listen to Stygian Rose and you'll immediately understand there's nothing else that describes it as well. Big, heavy doomy guitars, fast drumming, crazy soloing, nimble bass riffage, powerful heavy metal vocals and lyrics about like wizards and evil kings and stuff? Lie to yourself if you want, but I know the truth. This album fucks hard. "Heavy is the Crown of Bone" and "Glimmers in the Underworld" are crushing, face-melting works of fantasy bullshit. I can't get enough of this album

20. Infinite Void by With Sails Ahead (Post-hardcore) - I discovered these guys through a collaboration with Pulses. last year and I spent most of the intervening time eagerly anticipating the release of their debut LP Infinite Void. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It's an incredibly confident and fun first record - firmly on the Swancore side of PHC but lacking a lot of what tends to annoy me in that subgenre (insufferable songs about the male ego). Sierra Binondo's powerful and diverse vocal range really takes these guys to another level in a genre where extremely talented musicians are a dime a dozen. Go listen to "Ryn" right now and tell me you're not at least a little bit in love now

21. Vault of Horrors by Aborted (Brutal Death Metal) - it's Aborted! It's a cheeseburger. But it's a really, really, really good cheeseburger after you've been craving one for ages. This record has two gimmicks - all the songs are based on horror movies and each has a feature from a guest vocalist. Admittedly, I find brutal/tech death to be kind of wearying after a while and this tends to affect listenability for me, which is precisely why this album has a place on my AOTY list - I don't get tired of it. It's brutal and punishing but catchy and fun to listen to. Daníel Konráðsso absolutely does not sound like a human being on this. I bet his calf muscles are insane, because the double bass on this record is frankly disgusting. "The Golgothan" has my favorite riff of the record, but there's no bad tracks, honestly

22. Revelations by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers (Alt Country) - haven't really figured out a way to talk about this band that doesn't feel at least a little bit like deadnaming singer/guitarist River Shook but they've yet to change their band name so! Admittedly, not a very country heavy year for me, but if everything I've dabbled in, Revelations is the easy standout. Continuing the band's legacy of clever, honest lyricism and rollicking country rock musicianship, Revelations feels like the best version of their sound yet. "Motherfucker" is a straightforward, righteously pissed off ode to gross, predatory men in the industry, "Backsliders" is a good old fashioned broken-hearted ode to a bad relationship, while "Jane Doe" is the easy standout shot through with emotion, clever lyricism and brilliant guitar work

23. Steps Ascending by Stand Still (Pop Punk/Melodic Hardcore) - I was a teen in the 00s so I'll always be weak to that very Long Island melodic hardcore in 2004 sound that this album is evoking so perfectly. I love fast drums, I love posi philosophical lyrics, I love those melodic, angular guitar riffs, I love a guy shouting and I love gang vocals. Those things in combination just always work on me. "We Know the Score" + "Mysticism" are the perfect 'holler along at the top of your lungs in the car' combo

24. The Tower by Urban Heat (Post-Punk) - one of my most anticipated albums of the year. When they started the album rollout with singles like "Sanitizer" and "Right Time of Night" I had a pretty good idea that the final product would have a good shot at being one of my favorite records of the year. And of course I was right. Most Post-Punk isn't quite capable of keeping my attention, but Urban Heat are so damn good at songcraft. The songs on this record are incredibly dynamic, ranging from the snotty disdain of the aforementioned "Sanitizer" to the surprising tenderness of the New Wave ballad "Seven Safe Places." It's an incredibly strong showing from a really exciting band. I've heard they're killer live, too. Maybe if I'm lucky this coming year I'll get a chance to find out for myself.

And that's it! 24 for 24

Except for these also >:)

Honorable Mentions (aka albums it killed me to leave off this list so I'm cheating by adding them here)

Club Shy [EP] by Shygirl

Prude by Drug Church

It's Inside You by Candy

Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis by Beaten to Death

Verses in Oath by Hulder

Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force by Tzompantli

Agony & Wounds by Obscene

Cure by ERRA

Songs of Blood and Mire by Spectral Wound

The Cycles of Trying to Cope by Like Moths to Flames

Razor Wire by Mean Mistreater

I'll Drown on This Earth by Cold Gawd

Heaven Let them Die [EP] by Counterparts

Dark Superstition by Gatecreeper

[superbat-lmao]

Honestly, the whole batfam literally a circus in its own right, so give me an au where all of the kids started out in the circus together. Like, Bruce didn’t just adopt Dick that night, but all of his brothers and sisters as well. And sure, maybe they were a foster family to begin with in the circus, like Dick’s parents kept taking kids in and giving them a family, because that’s what a circus is, a family of diverse individuals.

So when Jason talked Catherine into going to the circus, and after she’s gone, he goes to see them again, and he stays, Dick gained a little brother.

Or when Tim started following the circus and the Grayson’s realized he was alone too often as a small child, they let him stay.

Or when Cass escapes her father and is on the run but can’t speak and is incredibly talented in her movements, they gain a sister.

Or Damian and Steph and Duke and Babs, like a lot of people get taken in, in some capacity, by the circus. Idk how much of canon to change, and like definitely their ages will be way off, but the family is already insane.

So when Bruce finds Dick that night, after the horrible tragedy - it’s not just seeing himself in a young orphan, but also realizing that Bruce Wayne might be the only person on the planet with enough resources to adopt an entire, literal, circus all at once.

So when he shows up at the manor with a minimum of 7 or 8 children, Alfred resigns himself to being a ringmaster and shepherding them all around because of course his son could never do anything in half measures.

[1moreff-creator]

Happy Birthday David Chiem!

Usually, for these characters’ birthdays, I do a somewhat half-hearted attempt at a character analysis. But do you think I’m gonna do this for David? Hell no, he’s way too complicated for me to do something like that in this style of post! And I am not making a post that difficult right after that Mai thing.

So, instead, I’m just going to list a few fun facts, because that’s easier. Hope you like it anyways!

(By the way, I’ve always loved that frame of the MV so, so much)

-His birthday lands on “National Book Lovers’ Day”, which says National but is recognized globally. Considering the MV, I’d say that fits. It also coincides with the Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Peak Night, Co-working Day (hah, as if), and get ready, “Hold Hands Day”.

-His profile states he likes ready-make oatmeal. According to the recent Q&A, he can cook, he just prefers not to. This actually fits with quite a few scenes in the series where it’s implied he prefers not to get out of bed unless necessary (mood), such as his brief outburst in the introduction and the several times he’s shown not to eat with anyone else. Though maybe that’s actually caused by him hating people.

-He dislikes expensive things. Kinda based.

-He does TEDTalks, and that’s presumably where he gets his talent from.

-As he stated himself, he has pretty bad bed hair. And apparently, he can summon it at will, as seen in Ch 2 Ep 11.

-His pupils seem to turn into stars whenever he… smiles or puts on a positive attitude? It doesn’t seem to follow a strict logic other than “whenever it looks cool”.

-He has an older sister named Diana. Or, well, that’s what he claims. Footnote 11 of you-know-what may imply she never actually existed. It’s unclear what this means at the moment.

-He seemed to genuinely like Xander, and wanted to be friends with him, as he’d value that relationship more than Xander’s idolatry.

-The secret quote in his page is "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I wish you could just die." How nice! This is either talking to himself, or presumably something he'll say to Teruko since their characters do be foiling.

-The quote on Mai's page attached to him is "She forgives everyone." It's the second to last line in the script, before MonoTV's. I have to physically restrain myself from theorizing.

-Some stuff from the Q&As:

*He usually wears semi-formal, 'professional' clothes.

*His blue hair is actually fully natural.

*This is the default sprite for his fuckboy persona:

... But, like, why though. Why's he so sassy.

*Bisexual with a strong female lean. Diversity win! The biggest liar you know is bisexual!

*His favorite color is gamboge (the yellow of his star pupils), stating it’s inspiring; while his least favorite is gray, stating it’s depressing. This could imply he actually likes the cheerier persona he usually puts on more than his real self, or the villainous persona he plays in the trial.

*He handles his feelings badly. We been knew.

*His hair clips were his manager’s idea, to build brand recognition. Apparently David doesn’t like this manager too much, but he puts up with them for the contract. Also, when he takes off his hair clips in the trial, he places them in his PANT POCKETS.

*I’m sure you’ve realized this, but you remember that section of the Q&A where the dev gives details about the family members we had known about from the series (Elliot Cuevas, Felicity Giles, Fuyuko and Natsuko Naegishi, Ryan Moreno/Rosales)? Diana Chiem isn’t mentioned, perhaps further hinting at her non-existence.

*He has an average amount of strength.

*His favorite ice cream flavor is pistachio, because of course it’s pistachio.

*He smells like men’s cologne, but only faintly. Hope you’re happy with that answer, you weirdos (/affectionate).

*He’s American, like everyone else except maybe Teruko.

And now, for his playlist! I kinda already posted this in a reblog to another post, but here it is officially!

+Literature Girl Insane, by Karasuyasabou (I mean, obviously)

+Undead Enemy, by Suzumu and Giga-P (probably his song from the official character playlist)

+Monochrome Mentality, by Riproducer / RIP

+Grey, by QueenPB

+The Distortionist, by Ghost & Pals (CW: Abuse)

+Copycat, by CircusP

+How to Pretend, by CircusP (FNAF pog)

+Echo, by Crusher-P

+God-ish, by PinocchioP

+The Court Jester, by thquib

+DISAPPEARANCE ADDICTION, by Kairikibear

+Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Set it Off

+The Things I Deserve, by Ghost & Pals (CW: suicide)

+All Eyes on Me, by OR3O

+Not Your Angel, by NightCove_theFox (apparently I’m making him into an Alice Angel kinnie)

And, finally…

+Happy birthday! Though he would absolutely despise anyone who tries to sing it to him, I imagine.

[stormyoceans]

is it just me who thinks this "riding the wave" thing is not good at all? like the plots are not giving, they are pretty lazy and only rely on the same old fixed couples they know are going to work, otherwise no one would be watching these tbh where is the quality, the good scripts, the original ideas, the talent? 😭 idk i see ppl so happy and i'm like we should aim for more actually, we deserve better than this...

im afraid we might have to agree to disagree on this matter anon im really sorry ;;;;;;;;;

i actually feel like the lack of originality and the company relying on the popularity of fixed pairings to carry the stories was way more present in both of the two parts from GMMTV 2024 combined, but with the 2025 lineup what im personally seeing is more variety and the willingness to experiment with new genres, which is something that i can't help but be very happy about

there are still students and school settings, but they're trying to put a fresh spin on it by sprinkling some fantasy elements and religious guilt on top, and the majority of the characters we've seen are actually adults with countless different jobs: there are teachers, and detectives, and shop owners, and debt collectors, and scammers, and photographers, and doctors, and fortune tellers, and flight attendants, and emergency rescuers, and im probably forgetting some because there were SO. MANY. and not only that, but we also got toxic yaoi in theatre, toxic yuri in the industry, a love triangle that maybe if we pray hard enough can turn into a polycule, a master and a servant fighting each other in the ring, an amnesiac prince, and last but not least a mafia adjacent soap opera loving perfume maker (which let me tell you. that sure is a string of words i never thought i would be putting together. and y'all see me use words recreationally on the daily)

we can't really be certain of what GMMTV means with 'riding the wave', but after seeing this line up, the way im interpreting it is that they've started to understand that people are interested in queer shows with diverse storylines, and so they're finally willing to invest in them

now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that our job here is done and that im fully satisfied. on the contrary. like do i think they overused the amnesia trope and the fortune telling plot? a little bit, yeah. do i wish they had have given us more GLs considering the insane amount of engagement they are pulling? YES GOD DAMN IT. do i believe that GMMTV, as a big ass consolidated company, should be setting the trends by being bolder and experiment more instead of just following along? absolutely. but we have to start somewhere, and to me this is what it is: the beginning, not the ending point, and i personally will never stop being vocal and advocating for better quality and unique plots

all this being said, i did see people being disappointed by the amount of fixed pairings we now have and expressing doubts over this 'darker', more mature era of QLs, and i think everyone's feelings are perfectly valid, because at the end of the day we all have different tastes and different things we would like to see

so what im hoping for rn is that everyone will be able to find something to be excited about and look forward to with what we've got, and as for the future, i hope we can all keep moving forward and aim for more together

[elegantballetalk]

LOL, why is Joy Womack a judge? Who owed her a favor? Who did the girl pay?

The Prix de Lausanne has become a competition to see who is the skinniest.

Nice to see some shorter dancers; look how good, on average, their petit allegro is.

Oh my, you can always spot the American and Australian-trained dancers because of their obsession with constant, teeth-jarring smiling. Please stop.

Why are people in the comments saying there’s no diversity? It seems to me there’s a huge amount of amazing Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dancers.

You can tell who’s not Vaganova-trained, LOL. I feel bad for them.

It’s obvious to me who will not be chosen for the finals, but I wonder if these dancers that we all know won’t win, know it as well. Do they know it? Are they there out of delusion, hope, or for the opportunity to be seen?

There is more emphasis on being skinny and having long limbs than on having hyperextended knees and arched feet. Interesting.

The average level of the Asian dancers is higher. However, many seem to lack artistry, but many compensate for that with good musicality and long limbs.

There’s a general lack of musicality, lack of use of the back, no use of cambré, and lack of use of the eyes.

I wonder if students actually learn something from these classes. The combinations are so fast, and there are absolutely no specific corrections—just generalized reminders.

It gives me great satisfaction when the variation coach gives them the same corrections I would give them.

Some of these variations are a disaster. There’s no way the coach has enough time to fix most of it. Pity.

If you don’t end up a finalist, I think the Prix is useless and a waste of time and money. Yet, being a finalist doesn’t necessarily mean that much either. It’s luck, I guess. But it can’t hurt to win. Obviously.

I hate how they coach the variations. I wish there were long group coaching sessions for each variation. What are they going to take away from just a few minutes? No. It gives me anxiety. This way of coaching variations just favors those who already have good teachers with them.

Myrna Kamara is the definition of a pretty dancer but a bad teacher. If I had her daily, I would go insane.

The way Élisabeth Platel gives class is so fast, but there’s logic and flow to her class. She seems like she doesn’t care, though. Hopefully, she’s different in real life.

The Prix really has some lovely costumes.

You can tell that European/American ballet schools don’t abuse their students as much as Russian/Asian schools. The level at which these Asian dancers are taking class is just so much higher.

These variations are too short. There’s no way to test stamina.

Is this stage raked? It better be.

I wish there were female and male categories. What’s the point of having junior and senior categories?

My toxic trait is skipping all the contemporary and male stuff.

hahahah I don’t watch competitions. But whole heartedly agree with your last point, I don’t care about the boys at all either unless I find them truly exceptional.

I would agree that it’s more an opportunity rather than a teaching moment, it takes time to get adjusted to a new teacher and her style, and classes are too big to offer life changing advice. But of course, it can’t hurt to get some practice in, absorb new tecnique inputs and take class with other talented girls. It’s sad that the girls have become so lean, I wish they knew how harmful it can be in the long term for their health, personal life, social life and future careers. It’s sad to see the problem ignored by the adults which should be protecting these talented kids.

I know, the American grin stapled on their face is so funny and disturbing. It’s cause they’re so focused on competitions that they forget that ballet is not a two minute long variation pageant show 😂

[loverockawaitsyou]

The Seattle music scene is beautifully diverse and amazing. While I've been living here, I'm growing to love it so much.

It is quite sad to see more and more how in the '90s, the media perpetuated the whole "Seattle Sound" and "Grunge" hype machine and aesthetic mostly centered around conventionally attractive white people that still has a chokehold today.

I'm still learning a lot about Seattle history, but it's insane how many people were lost, or are largely unknown outside of the Seattle community because of the lack of exposure and media attention. The most egregious example I can think of is Tina Bell.

While I adore a lot of the "Grunge" bands (i.e. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc.), there's no denying they met the image requirements to catch the attention of establishment media giants like MTV at the time. They had talent, DEFINITELY, but they had the right look which catapulted them into the international spotlight.

This also points to a problem with the diversity of music journalists. Particularly when it comes to rock music, it's almost uniformly white and male. Obviously, there are going to be a ton of blind spots in coverage, especially in the form of history books. And when it comes to social media Grunge historians and "influencers," many are also perpetuating that same image to a whole new generation.

As someone who doesn't fit the Grunge Aesthetic, I do get annoyed when people try to recreate it and uphold the "beauty standards" without any kind of understanding of the period or the history behind it. Possibly more than a lot of other things I've dealt with, there is a lot of gatekeeping.

Last thought: While I think it's great to appreciate the past, make sure you understand it. Also, pay attention to what's going on in the present.

[blackoutfeverdream]

Literally the only reason I bother to upload my work anywhere is this pathetic wan hope someone might want to interact with me, the writer.

But they don't. It's a solipsistic act of consumerism for them.

It isn't really worth the effort to try to engage with others. No one bothers the second they learn I'm not made in their rigid expectations' exact image.

People bleat about diversity and openness and what they really mean is: I want diversity and openness to look exactly like me. What they mean is: I want to be the hero, the heroine, the universe's perpetual center, and I don't want to need to admit anyone else's humanity as more than hanger-on, praise-singer, and sycophant.

I have tried to be open, to be myself, all the self-serving lies told to keep people delusional about betterment

but of all the time I've been on social media, all the time I've been in artistic communities, all the time in the world, I've made literally one durable friendship outside of found family who live so far away now I only see them a few times every year.

Maybe I'm the problem.

But why should that be?

I'm kind. I'm open. I try to be without judgment and to learn others' ways and sensibilities that I might be able to appreciate their worlds. I don't instigate conflicts and with the means to do so, I disengage from them.

But all the same

all the same.

I have a sad personal life. I'm a kept woman to someone of means who sometimes makes me think they really don't care about me as more than a burden to carry out of guilt and love that can't conquer all.

They see me maybe a few hours every week

tell me I should find other romance

and what a cruel joke that is. All that eagerness to clutch me close to them, to surround themselves with the passion and fire and talent, that had a time limit.

I changed my life for them.

And now I'm a dependent for which to budget.

And I don't hate them.

I do resent

I do blame

I am angry and hurt.

And I do love them.

Lovelovelovelove them like a dog except after how they've hurt me all I want is to sink my teeth into their neck not to hurt them but somehow to change both of us in that moment.

Almost every night unless they fuck me right before bed I go to sleep alone

and almost every morning unless they chose to spend the night with me it's the same to open my eyes.

I'm stranded here. They found someone insane and held onto them because they were beautiful and charismatic and they didn't care about anything else.

I don't have any value

I don't think anyone really does without the ability to bring enlightenment to others.

I try.

But value cannot be conferred by the self.

I try.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

would you say john was a good producer? if yes, how? (i'm kinda ignorant on technicalities sorry :"))

Yes I would!

I don't think John's talents as a producer were technical, specifically – he doesn't seem to have been that into that. But I just find his last three (non-cover) albums have a lot of interesting sonic choices.

One Day (At A Time), for instance, is such a strange little piece, musically. I also really like the weird sounds going on on Mind Games the song. And the rest of the album moves in a similar sonic landscape as Imagine but just sounds a lot fuller and warmer. And general he surrounded himself with some very good session musicians. The basslines on this album are excellent.

I also feel like Walls And Bridges as a whole employs horns in a very cool and dramatic way that doesn't feel forced the way they do on quite a few post-Beatles songs. And god, #9 Dream is just sooooooooo great. Every instrument is doing something cool and ethereal.

Double Fantasy may have my favourite production of all post-Beatles album, though John shares credit for that with Jack Douglas (as does Yoko on her DF songs). It's so diverse from an album POV and intricate on an individual song level. There's fun stuff going on at every layer and I encourage people to follow individual instruments. The steel drums and vocoder on Beautiful Boy. The airport sounds on Starting Over. The absolutely CRAZY way the guitar is employed on I'm Losing You. (and also Yoko's songs, especially side 1 are fucking insane and criminally overlooked)

Does that make sense? Do you have more questions? :)

[ghostorbz]

Do people care about danganronpa ocs. idk. I care about mine

These are updated references! I made them when I was 11 and hyperfixating on danganronpa so much it was insane

Um,,, here's the old references,,,,,,,

Yea theyre kinda ugly but it's okay. But anyway!!!!! Here's some stuff about them!!!!!!!!!

-Kana was the first danganronpa oc I ever made. She also has a fan made little sister made by and old friend I used to have. I also used to draw her deathly thin when I was little?? So I made her a bit bigger for more diversity. She isn't proud of her talent

-Kugutsu can perform all type of puppetry, string, handheld, and like,, the other types too. He also has a skill for creating his puppets from scratch, preferring more plush like designs. Though despite being quite dramatic while performing, he's very laid back

-Chaiicais talent first started as a hobby, creating small bombs to see what she could do, their family noticed her talent and they got hired to create bombs for companies for company reasons. Idk. She's also bilingual and can speak spanish

-Sabu started a side job when she was young, volunteering to substitute early grade classes. When schools caught notice of how well the early grades were learning with her, she gradually started substituting for higher and higher grades. Sometimes she'll even substitute for collages

-Saidon grew up in a loving family with a known talent for cutting hair, once it was Saidons turn to work at the family business, she was noticably exceptional at the task. The most difficult and intricate haircuts she could do in a breeze, she even cuts her families hair every now and then

-Masuku ever since 1st grade, was a star in the classroom. Passing every test with 100%, in 5th grade she skipped multiple grades to highschool. He was shown off on multiple news stations. All the attention made them turn sour, thinking her childhood was ripped away from him,,, so they took over the new class of hopes peak

[landofzero-archive]

Absolute - To Abhor the Impure World 11

(Location: Michigan Townscape)

Jun: Haaah~…… The world is way too confusing.

NEGI: “It’s relatively common in this country. Absolute is the flashier one, but there are others where people hit each other with cars, and I heard that there are a lot of abandoned cars once the competition’s over.”

Hiyori: What would possess people to do that?

NEGI: “It’s insane. But that’s what makes it so interesting, you see.

Art can only be born from madness, I guess.”

Hiyori: Madness, huuh. We don’t have enough of that, do we?

Jun: It’s true that we always perform perfectly according to Ibara’s carefully thought out plans.

And that’s why unexpected things rarely happen.

But with Ibara, I’d like to see him break out of his shell and spread his wings, rather than staying stuck in his own expectations.

Hiyori: Ibara, even though he gets angry when we act unexpectedly and selfishly.

Jun: Ahaha. If he found out we’re walking around outside like this, he’d probably get angry.

Hiyori: Probably. I hate Ibara’s lectures since he just drones on and on and on, so let’s get this all settled before he finds out.

NEGI-chan. You said there might be clues at this Absolute venue—

NEGI: “I don’t have any proof though. The performers in Absolute essentially work individually, unlike ES with its unit system.”

Hiyori: The super idols that have already become obsolete in Japan are still mainstream, huh.

NEGI: “Yes. The same goes for Shaka, who, officially, is working as an individual.

But in reality, many staff members work together to create the stage— including a large number of backup dancers and a special effects team.”

Hiyori: It’s the same way in Japan. Behind the sparkling, shining sun, there’s a large number of staff supporting us.

NEGI: “Yes. And talented people are in high demand everywhere, and some of them work with Shaka while also helping other performers.

But then, Shaka disappeared. But not all of the people involved with him disappeared with him.

There’s a chance that one of them may know where Shaka is.

It’s a classic trope in mystery novels, it’s not that easy to erase a human being from existence.

There must be an accomplice who is guiding him or acting as a diversion in order to mislead the investigation.”

Hiyori: So the idea is to figure out Shaka-san’s whereabouts from that perspective.

However, since we don’t know who is involved in this incident, it seems like it’s going to be a pain to go around asking questions.

NEGI: “That’s true. But I know quite a bit about Shaka’s friendships, so I have a good idea of who it may be.

From here on out, I’m going to contact each of these people and ask them about it.

It’s straightforward work and disheartening, but I can’t think of anything else I can do right now.”

Jun: The fortress-like place where Shaka-san was being protected is on high alert.

It had an atmosphere that I couldn’t even get close to~. On-site verification isn’t possible, either.

Hiyori: I don’t think we would be able to find any clues even if we inspected the scene, no matter if we were detectives or not.

We just have to try our best and do everything we can.

I don’t really like that kind of uncouth stuff.

It can’t be helped, though. It’s for Nagisa-kun’s sake.

Jun: Well, we still don’t know whether Nagi-senpai has something to do with Shaka-san’s disappearance, y’know~. He could be back at the hotel by now.

He was just taking a morning walk, or something. Like he usually does, in his carefree way.

Hiyori: Yeah. It would’ve been nice if it had been a “we didn’t know that and had just been wandering every which way of our own accord” kind of disappointing punchline.

However, until we reach the truth, we can’t be optimistic.

Jun: Gotcha. At worst, Nagi-senpai’s life is at risk.

NEGI: “I agree. Let’s do our best. And for that reason, I need your cooperation.”

Jun: But we’ve said it a bunch of times already, we’re not detectives or anything, y’know~? Can we even be of any use?

NEGI: “But you guys are performing in Absolute, right? If you didn’t have that position, we wouldn’t be able to enter the staff’s tent village.

See, it would be a problem if fans could come in without permission and come in contact with the performers and staff.

This city is usually unsafe, so these kinds of security measures have been put in place.”

Hiyori: I see. So we’re like key cards necessary to enter areas that are normally off-limits to outsiders.

NEGI: “Something like that. Of course, to you there’s basically only foreigners here, so they don’t understand Japanese—

I’ll be the one to interrogate any shady people.”

Hiyori: I can also speak English to some extent since it’s necessary for socializing.

Jun: …… I don’t think I’ll be too useful in that area, so I’ll keep an eye on our surroundings, okay~?

NEGI: “Alright. Then, just like that—

I’ll get to the dirty work. I can’t stand having the biggest idols in ES do something like that♪”

Previous | Directory | Next

[the-phantom-author]

it’ll take me a while to fully digest TTPD because it’s a LOT (probably my favorite album of hers, besting reputation which says a lot because that’s always been my number one) but just a few things about popstar!gf right now.

this was an excruciatingly honest look into her brain and it seems like a lot of people can’t handle it. they think it’s too much and the general public isn’t going to really look into what her lyrics mean. it was really brave of her to put this out into the world while being at some of her lowest times and now at her highest with hasan. this album is for people who want to understand her. her true fans and a good chunk of hasanabi heads are with her and supportive.

she’s feeling really vulnerable. she had let hasan hear a few songs before it’s official release but she wanted him to experience it altogether. so when it’s officially out, they’re laying on his couch alone in the house. just the album on, for two hours they lay together and listen. hasan is immediately overwhelmed because 1. he’s proud to be with someone who is so intelligent and turns her own life and struggles into something beautiful and poetic 2. he knew a lot about the bad times she was having and continued to have while they were just friends but he didn’t really understand. listening took his understanding of her to a whole new level. 3. he’s heartbroken that any person would treat her the way she’s been treated but also has to appreciate how strong she is and she’s on the other side of that now. he assures her he hopes to never ever treat her like that. he is careful with his words, avoids saying “i’ll never” or “i’ll always” because that might feel a bit scary and like an empty promise but he’s there for her.

she’s really in her own head the next few days, just writing a lot in her journal. she’s also been on twitter which is NEVER a good thing. she knows how great the album is going, her team has been keeping her in the loop, she’s breaking records. but actual people? her seeing their own opinions and people’s think pieces, a lot of it being negative, hits her in a certain way. she tries to not focus on the negative but it’s like a little nagging feeling she can’t shake off. it’s starting to eat at her. her journal entries are going to become a bit sadder and also more idgaf what anyone thinks, i’m damn proud of this album. if people think im on the news so much, if im doing too much, fine. you won’t see me.

but the positive right now is that all of her friends and family and all of hasan’s are super proud of her and think she’s done something truly incredible. although hasan tries to get her to go on fear& she won’t, but she’s appreciative of hearing from will and qt and austin and more that they think she’s an insanely talented artist.

she’s just kind of in a weird place. she has a tour planned but of the public opinion of her is going down quickly… she’s afraid she might just cancel the whole thing. she cancels interviews and appearances. she just needs some time to be with herself and hasan, friends and family. away from the public eye. maybe she will return soon. but maybe the public will continue to come crashing down on her and force her into living completely out of view.

The way it'll take me like a month to listen through the album. But I definitely say that it's going to up in my favorites, folklore is one hell of an album.

Not only does the general public think it's too much, it's too honest, it's too intimate, it's too long, it's simply too much. They also don't like how big of a change it it from what they know of her. She is a pop princess, Red and Guts have firmly put her in that position. However TTPD, is such a departure from her previous albums that a lot of people who aren't her fans don't like. Heaven forbid a female singer have a diverse sound. And some of her "fans" only like the pop music she makes and then not getting any of it, makes them very upset.

But as you where saying, it's a very vulnerable album, and she knows it. I can see them on the couch, or even the bed, she's resting her head on his shoulder, his arm over her, as she fiddles with his rings. While they listen to it together.

This is the start of Hasan's adventures into figuring out the delicate balance of giving her all the reassurance that she needs (which is a lot), but not saying the wrong things (which is basically anything to do with the words "forever, never, and I promise).

Hasan is always on a process of gaining respect for her. He has always had a great deal of it, but the more he knows about her the more his respect grows. Like yours so talented and smart, and capable, but no one should be treated the way.

I can imagine after getting done listening to it neither really know what to say, she wants to make sure that Hasan gets the chance to take it on without her influencing his opinion in any way. And he was to make sure she knows how much he's not going to pick up their relationship, but can't quite get the wording right. He just holds her tighter.

[prodigiousvisions]

To ▒▒▒▒,

You’re likely off investigating the current crisis. This message isn’t a pressing one whatsoever and you’re under no obligation to respond to this. Yet, I have to stress the importance of getting through it entirely, even if I wound up having to hunt you down and read it to you personally. Do not force my hand and make me do that. Both of our time is much more valuable than that. But I guess I won’t really be able to confirm if you did or not if you choose not to reply.

Well, whatever.

Worry as everyone will, they’ll ultimately be fine. As respectfully as I can say this, none of the people who have congregated in this shared space are normal. The masses are talented in their own rights, with a rather frightening amalgamation of abilities and powers. And for those who aren’t, the others will do what they can to protect them. There is power in leadership, and there is also power in community. Some prefer one more to the other. This is okay; ideal, in fact, to have such versatility in carrying out their day-to-day lives.

We, as respective leaders in some fashion of the people we govern and oversee, work tirelessly even in inactivity for the sake of our people, driving ourselves to insanity to do what’s right for them. You’re forced to work in the face of budding distrust despite your best efforts to work for the unionized interests of everyone. I’m not implying you’re so fragile or weak-minded that this sudden turn of dreary events will be your utter folly. In fact, I won’t ever be able to understand the full scope of your responsibilities, but I sympathize with you and refuse to lie dormant in a time when you are most certainly struggling. It takes no forensic psychologist to notice the difference in your disposition lately. Whimsy and eccentricness were discarded for a more formal authoritative voice. But perhaps, this is also you?

“What could we have done to prevent this?” “How can we prepare for something that is so utterly out of left field that we have no basis to even anticipate a need to prepare for it?” “How do we move forward and regain the confidence of those underneath us?” These are age-old questions that even I have found myself sprawled over a beat-up wooden desk, all but tearing my hair out over. You provide a voice in the darkness, yet it’s not enough to extinguish the fire without a resolution. You don’t update and opt to busy yourself with the matter at hand directly, and then you’re questioned about your efficiency and pathos.

As you continue to strive to find an answer to this murky puzzle, know that you are permitted a moment’s rest yourself as well. There are people who support you and believe in your efforts. Time, too, acts as a factor in the journey we take into our own hands. If the solution isn’t found readily, then there must be an effort to find an alternative. Adaption and change; don’t forget the will and strength of us humans to overcome diversity and strife.

Yours,

Keqing

[the-jury-room]

This could be a sensitive 'ask' but I wanted to ask, do you think he may have exaggerated things when he said like a decade ago in the Vlad i.v. "I have a special connection to black women" then I believe on the Essence red carpet where he said he loved black women and he sees them (✊🏾us, I am a black woman ) as 'wife material'?

Bc if that were the case, his 2nd child would be with a black woman first. And then if not that (obviously the case) he'd be at least linked with black women. The closest I've seen him linked to any black women (publicly) is the random celeb shots with rapper women here and there.

I'm asking this because of the 'ask' s1 put the Storm Monroe video from 2022 where SM says that perhaps mgk had Casie (or I guess shows her off? Or makes her public more so) to gain black women fans... I mean that's insane to think I think... Bc he doesn't have a lot of BW fans (unfortunately. And I've been to 2 shows of his and it was less than 20 black women there sadly) even when he was doing rap more.

I think you said Sandra that, him shouting out BW years ago / bringing Casie to light proudly was a reason you were drawn to him. I admit that was it for me too. I mean he's talented and hot and seems like a great guy (outside of the demons he has) but I thought it was so cool seeing him speak highly (mostly, exclude the Vlad i.v. where he says the thing about BW + BJs!) of black women (and Casie's mom) and acknowledge his 1/2 black daughter.

But I have to wonder tho, how he didn't end up with a black wife (thus far bc he could get married in the future after Megan), or 2nd child with another black women if that seemed to be his preference... 🤔

I think a lot of rappers especially white rappers tend to oversell their love for black women because if you have a large black female following it is beneficial. Black women as a fan base are very extra and I don't mean that in a bad way. They're very creative. They'll show up to the shows decked out. They'll be very proud and loud about their love and when they find an artist who wants to love them back they receive that very well. And we saw this with Jack Harlow. He came in hot with his love for black woman, while his type was very obviously Latinas.

Now I don't think that he had his daughter as a token to gain traction for his fan base. I think that was just the results of his life in Cleveland and the circumstances that happened when he was young. Do I feel like he oversold his love for black women with the "we give the best head" comment? Yes I do. I think it was just a little unnecessary. But the reason I feel that he is currently not with a black woman is not because he's in LA but because of who he is surrounding himself with. The women that you are constantly finding around him do they or do they not look the same? (and you can do what you want with that statement.) However, when he's in Cleveland, he is surrounded by a more diverse group of people and I can't really understand why he would not go ahead and date someone in Cleveland. I don't know if it's because not a lot of women understand his lifestyle and therefore don't support it. Or perhaps he's kind of just gotten to the point where the only women he sees are high society and influencers because they're loud enough to grab his attention. I don't know how he is maneuvering his love life and how he establishes relationships, but I do remember that Pete said that Colson is very intimidating, so that may have something to do with the average woman being hesitant.

Considering Colson's love life was private at some point, he may have dated every race under the rainbow, but this is just my opinion.

[bluesstorycorner]

Book rating and info:

Fanart:

Here’s my first book review/fanart post I’m putting on Tumblr! I’m hoping to do more of these in the future :) Also there aren’t any spoilers in this review but I do go into a lot of details about the story and characters, so if you want to be surprised, I suggest reading the book first. But if you want a detailed review about this book before reading it, keeping on reading. ✨

ALSO also, please support the amazingly talented writer who wrote this book! Here is his link tree:

Review:

I had so much fun reading this book. It reminded me a lot of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with all of its wacky humor and crazy space adventurous, but with its own twist and writing style. Everything about this story is colorful from the world, to the technology, to the characters and more. It had found family, crazy cooperate politics, diverse characters, relatable struggles, and a really unique depiction of the future. I found myself laughing and cheering on the characters for every page and looked forward to reading it whenever I could. I would say my only critiques are related to the prose and world building. There were a lot of times where I didn’t understand what was going or had a hard time imagining things because of the way things were described which, in turn, made some of these colorful places and things get lost in the narrative. But I believe a lot of the errors I found will be resolved in the final draft, and I honestly had such a perfect image in my head most of the time that it wasn’t hard to connect the dots during the more difficult moments. I imagined everything like a cartoon because of the energetic, over the top, and sometimes slap stick type descriptions and situations which, in my opinion, is some of the best ways to tell a story. It’s so imaginative and creative and I wish more books took that approach honestly. It makes everything seem so colorful and clear in my head.

Regarding the world-building, it felt like it lacked a tad at times since I was unsure of why a lot of things were a certain way, but all in all, I was able to pick up on the way things worked eventually. The story knew what it wanted and did a pretty good job maneuvering us through this insane galactic world.

I think where the book lacked in prose/world-building, it made up for in its characters.

Oh. My. God. These characters. I love them unbelievably. They felt like family to me and I think I almost cried at the end lol. I loved seeing how these characters developed and how they each worked together to get their happy endings. They are all such a tight-knit family who love each other dearly, and each has their own unique, 3D personalities.

First, we have Jolene, a determined, hard-working waitress at Galaxy Waffles who also does a lot more work on the ship than her job requires, but that’s just the way she is. She’s reliable, and will always go above and beyond to help her ship and her crew no matter if it’s her duty or not. I related so much to her frustration as an overworked and underpaid staff member who just wants the best for her loved ones while also struggling as a minority in this world, being held back from opportunities because of her status. I think that part specifically hit very close to home and I loved how the book covered real-world topics like that but in its own fictional way. It was a great allegory and I think, as a minority myself, it approached it realistically, respectfully, and in a way that is digestible and understandable to younger audiences while also showing it in a way where older people can be like: “yeah I understand and/or sympathize with that.”

Then we have Boris, the veteran Robot and chef of the ship, and also probably my favorite of the crew. He’s such a kind-hearted, lovable sweetheart who’s witty, sarcastic, playful, and caring. He’s always got his heart in the right place and does what he can to help his crew mates and ensure they’re all safe and happy. He warmed my heart in every scene, and I wish I could be friends with him irl lol!

Next on the list is Murph, a quirky blue alien with a jelly body and shifting abilities. They’re such a crackpot with a huge personality. Whether they’re talking/acting like a mobster from their favorite old movies, turning their hand into a calculator, or shifting into hilarious creatures/beings, they always got a laugh out of me.

Lastly, we have O.D. and Erabella. O.D being the ship’s AI, usually appearing like a holographic, sentient waffle. And Erabella being a mostly Android prick in charge of the crew’s every move. Although I hated both of them at first because of their mean-spirited and spiteful personalities, I came to love O.D. as his arc progressed and was satisfied with Erabella’s ending.

I could go on and on about more characters, but you get my point. I also really enjoyed how the book read maturely but also cleanly at the same time. It’s NA, and it did a really good job at finding a middle ground between mature content that adults could relate to while also being clean enough and digestible for teenagers.

This book was such a colorful, whimsical, chaotic adventure that had me smiling, laughing, and feeling sad for these characters every step of the way. I really recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy-to-read space adventure with humor and heart, and I hope a sequel comes out because I’d love to see what these guys do next!

A/N: I was an arc reader for this book back in July, and though I’ve already posted my review on Goodreads and Amazon, I MEANT to post it along with this fanart on my accounts too but life got into the way. Better late than never I guess 😅