#unparalleled reading experience

[thesedistantstations]

[htmlerror]

having put together that entire reading list.... midnighter is such a deeply weird character. it's like a car crash in slow motion. you think you've swerved out of the way and then you get rear-ended by 5 years of batman jokes and something so homophobic you wish you could go back to him getting called a faggot every few issues

[why-lamp]

i'm finally getting around to reading Killing Time by Della Van Hise.

you know, the Star Trek book that was so gay that it was recalled and reprinted with over 50 changes.

I got my hands on a first edition copy from Thriftbooks and decided to use a sticky tab every time something "spirk" happened

I'm only halfway through.

update its very fucking gay

[suttttton]

Writing lore-heavy fanfic for the robots series is so funny because Asimov literally just wrote down whatever thought came into his head and then never revised anything so pretty much every piece of the worldbuilding gets contradicted in some way. (Sometimes in the very same freaking book!)

So you either gotta accept that your fic is never gonna be fully canon compliant because CANON isn't canon compliant. Or you gotta get real creative with your Watsonian explanations.

For example:

On earth, there are solariums with glass ceilings at the top of the Cities that only the highest rating citizens get regular access to because real sunlight is treated as a luxury good. But also everyone on earth is so agoraphobic that the thought of being separated from the Outside by only a single wall is viscerally terrifying, and apartments at the very top of Cities are undesirable because of it.

(Watsonian explanation: There's a class divide where high-rating people who get regular opportunities to see the sun as children are less agoraphobic than low- and middle-rating people who very well could go their whole life without ever seeing the sky.)

(Side complaint because jfc Isaac 🙄: Elijah specifically says the top-level apartments are "low rent." But how can anything be "low rent" when Earth has a communist economy where every resource is assigned to you based on your rating??? No one is paying rent! No one has any money! [Anyway Watsonian explanation: Despite rent not existing for at least one full generation, and probably a lot longer than that, "low rent" is still a turn of phrase used to indicate low-quality housing assigned to people with low ratings. Maybe the medievalists brought it back idk.])

And then, of course, there's my favorite accidental retcon of all time:

Daneel has a built-in brainwave scanner that he can use to read humans' emotional states and receptivity to certain ideas. But only in the first book because Isaac forgor ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(Watsonian explanation: Dr. Fastolfe removed it between books 1 and 2. Maybe it's illegal on Aurora to have a robot like that. Or maybe having a quasi-psychic robot around was just really annoying for him idk)

[verdiesque]

Thinking about that part of the first Berserk arc where Griffith arrives w the rest of the Godhand and tells Guts he's still as pathetic as usual as if Griffith himself didn't ruin his entire life because of the divorce

[benevolenterrancy]

hm. started book 3. hm.

@fluffypurpleglitterdemon hey. hey. i just want to talk.

[once-in-a-blue-moon-rising]

LOVE it for me that when I'm feeling sleepy and watching a silly Christmas film (A Christmas Prince [2017]) but start getting a little bit bored, I have the option to READ THE AU I MADE USING THE PLOT OF SAID FILM, just with my fave LCDP characters and my personal plot improvements adding in a bit of heisting and anti-monarchist sentiment (but keeping the kissing and lying)

it's great

(also if you want to read said AU it's right here on ao3!!! for free!!!)

[altruistic-meme]

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

i went to copy the emojis and i somehow copied the whole post lolol so here

the same thing happened to me sakfhs idk why it did that ? it doesn't usually

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

because of my sister! she brought home a fic and we all read it together, and after that she would bring home more fics and share them with us. i only started writing because there was a specific kind of fic i wanted to read, but she couldn't find anything like i was asking for. so i wrote it myself!

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

I finally have a new car!!! something i have been wanting for a few years!!! and it's all my own :) i am so unbelievably excited about it now that the initial stress and anxiety about the shopping/buying process is over

i have been feeling more and more appreciated(? not really the right word hhh) at work lately. i knew before that i was objectively a good worker, but it's only started to really hit me recently just how much people actually recognize that! i think it's because of a conversation i had with one of my pseudo-supervisors: i was talking to her about how it was hard because after you've been working here for some time, people stop actually introducing themselves to you. and i would always feel kind of lost because all these people seemed to know my name but i never knew who they were! because they didn't introduce themselves!! but she told me that the reason they knew my name is because people talked about me. and it hit me again yesterday bc i was working in my old area but with primarily new people, but the manager there had heard of me before!! she recognized my name. idk. it's just kind of a nice feeling that people actually do see how hard i work.

despite the horror of April, i am actually looking forward to a few things this month :) including the Haikyuu movie (please let at least one of my theaters have it, they've been having quite a few anime movies recently ;; ) and also momocon !!! which i convinced my sister to let me drag her to it lmao <3 and i'll be hunting for bsd plushies there hehehe

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

do not seek out stuff that upsets you. it is self-harm. i have so many thoughts about it, but that's the base of it. just don't.

[ writers truth or dare ask game ]

[potatosaresweet]

what the fuck did maggie stiefvater put in the raven cycle to make it feel the way it feels it's been years since i last read it but the experience was unparalleled

so many scenes felt like one of those dreams you try to recall the second you wake up but the details are already fading away, but the feeling of the dream is there and it has left you craving more

that's what the raven cycle feels like to me

[inafieldofstarflowers]

The Sunshine Court truly offers an unparalleled reading experience because you’re switching rapidly between being utterly devastated by Jean’s trauma & how little he understands about what it means to truly live and creating an unhinged conspiracy board with the scraps of information that slip out about Jeremy’s life to try to theorize what the fuck is going on with him

[thatbadadvice]

Help! I'm A Private Person!

Neil Gaiman, Journal.NeilGaiman.com, 14 January 2025:

Over the past many months, I have watched the stories circulating the internet about me with horror and dismay. I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation. I've always tried to be a private person, and felt increasingly that social media was the wrong place to talk about important personal matters. I've now reached the point where I feel that I should say something. As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen. I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.  I went back to read the messages I exchanged with the women around and following the occasions that have subsequently been reported as being abusive. These messages read now as they did when I received them – of two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationships and wanting to see one another again. At the time I was in those relationships, they seemed positive and happy on both sides. And I also realise, looking through them, years later, that I could have and should have done so much better. I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been. I was obviously careless with people's hearts and feelings, and that's something that I really, deeply regret. It was selfish of me. I was caught up in my own story and I ignored other people's. I’ve spent some months now taking a long, hard look at who I have been and how I have made people feel.  Like most of us, I’m learning, and I'm trying to do the work needed, and I know that that's not an overnight process. I hope that with the help of good people, I'll continue to grow. I understand that not everyone will believe me or even care what I say but I’ll be doing the work anyway, for myself, my family and the people I love. I will be doing my very best to deserve their trust, as well as the trust of my readers. At the same time, as I reflect on my past – and as I re-review everything that actually happened as opposed to what is being alleged – I don't accept there was any abuse. To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can't accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn't do.

Dear Neil,

You, sir, are nothing other than fundamentally misunderstood — indicated in every sense by this, a smart and good post that you published on the whole-ass internet for literally the entire world to read.

The important thing is that you're learning! And you deserve infinite credit for that. Not nearly enough people appreciate how much you've learned about yourself in the course of ~ allegedly ~ committing sexual assault against multiple, probably crazy, women and the aftermath thereof. Less enlightened men would disregard the experiences of women who have highly specific and detailed accounts of being sexually abused, but you are open to the idea that the women who foolishly believe you assaulted them were simply mislead by your interminable charm! For which you cannot be held responsible! What a gift you are, friend; your generosity and open-mindedness are unparalleled.

Truly, whomst among us has not been where you find yourself now? Come, enjoy the company of friends who understand the brutal loneliness that results from being misunderstood by hysterical bitches who fail to appreciate the privilege of having your masterful fingers shoved up their asses without notice!

Again and again, women love men like you too much. They want you to be emotionally and sexually available! And that is just so, so much to ask. You have a lot going on! It's not a ding on them — of course they find you irresistible, being as you are an intellectual titan — and they may find themselves confused and intimidated by your sexual prowess, unaware that you exist in a world beyond pedestrian notions of consent. That is what makes your work so particularly meaningful and powerful.

You write about a man who does a bad thing, but you do the other good thing! You do a good thing, but in your work, a man does a bad thing! This is the stuff of sheer brilliance, capturing the sturm unt drang of the human condition — or, at least, of the humans whose conditions matter most, which is to say, men of your creative stature.

The sorry truth is that despite your best efforts, no one understands you, the author of 40-plus years of written work in which you had every fucking opportunity to emulate literally any character of your design who was not an unrepentant rapist. Whomst among us has not struggled with such quandaries? Whomst among us has not wondered: Should I rape women in the presence of my child, or should I just the fuck wait a minute and destroy my marriage by other means? Should I order a cinnamon bagel, or an egg sandwich? These are the questions men such as us must grapple with in a world where cancel culture has run rampant, and where people are liable to believe anything they hear from over half a dozen unbridled harpies (story idea! make sure Katee Robert doesn't see this, she seems like a bitch with designs) whose indeterminate fantasies have been aggressively fact-checked by risk-averse media legal departments.

You're right and everyone else is wrong, and that's exactly the take-away that everyone will have from reading this thing that you posted! Great work, great instincts, great writing. It's like Stardust, but hotter. You know what I mean.

A+ all around, no notes other than: you should share this with more people directly so they have the clearest possible idea of where you're coming from. Don't hold back, bud!

[wisesoultarot]

How will your future spouse make you feel about yourself?

Instagram | Want to tip me for my work? | For personal reading

🌷Image 1

Your future partner will envelop you in a warm embrace of respect, affection, and admiration, creating a safe haven where you can truly be yourself. They will celebrate your uniqueness and make you feel cherished in every moment, reminding you that you are deserving of love in all its forms. In their presence, your inner child will come alive, feeling liberated and joyful, as if the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders.

They will take the time to understand your emotional needs, offering support and encouragement that nurtures your spirit. With their unwavering belief in you, they will help you realize that your dreams of a fairy tale ending are not just fantasies, but beautiful possibilities waiting to unfold. Together, you will create a love story filled with laughter, adventure, and deep connection, where every day feels like a new chapter in a book you never want to end.

Their kindness and thoughtfulness will be a constant reminder that you are valued and appreciated, and they will inspire you to reach for the stars, knowing that you have someone by your side who believes in you wholeheartedly. How sweet it will be to share a life filled with love, joy, and endless possibilities! 🥺🩷

🌷Image 2

You and your future partner will share a profound and transformative connection, one that transcends the ordinary and resonates on a soul-deep level. It will feel as though you have known each other for lifetimes, as if you both belong to the same soul family, intricately woven together by shared experiences, values, and dreams. This bond will be a sanctuary, a safe haven where both of you can be your authentic selves without fear of judgment.

Their embrace will envelop you in a cocoon of warmth and comfort, creating a sense of belonging that is unparalleled in your life. In their arms, you will find solace and security, a refuge from the chaos of the outside world. It will be a place where you can let down your guard, allowing vulnerability to flourish and trust to deepen. This connection will be a source of strength, reminding you that you are never alone in your journey.

Being with them will invigorate your spirit, breathing new life into your days and igniting a passion for existence that dispels any lingering feelings of boredom or despair. Their laughter will be a melody that lifts your heart, and their presence will be a spark that ignites your creativity and enthusiasm for life. Together, you will embark on adventures that fill your days with joy and excitement, exploring new horizons and discovering the beauty in the mundane.

As you navigate life side by side, you will cultivate a vibrant bond that inspires you to embrace your true self. This relationship will encourage you to shed any masks you may have worn, allowing your genuine essence to shine through. You will feel empowered to pursue your dreams and aspirations, knowing that you have a partner who believes in you wholeheartedly. Their unwavering support will foster a strong belief in your own potential, encouraging you to reach for the stars and chase after your passions with renewed vigor.

Together, you will create a tapestry of shared experiences, filled with laughter, love, and growth. You will celebrate each other's victories and provide comfort during challenges, forging a partnership that is resilient and nurturing. This connection will not only enhance your individual lives but will also create a beautiful synergy that propels both of you toward your highest selves. In this union, you will find not just a partner, but a true companion on the journey of life, one who enriches your existence and inspires you to be the best version of yourself.

🌷Image 3

You might be an incredibly intuitive individual, perhaps even spiritual, psychic, or a medium, and you have a deep understanding of your own worth and values. Your self-love is already profound, rooted in a strong sense of identity and self-awareness. You are fully aware of how you feel about yourself, and no one can elevate your emotions to extraordinary heights because you recognize your own brilliance. This self-awareness acts as a shield, protecting you from the superficial validations that others might seek to offer. Your confidence radiates, and it’s this very energy that will attract your future partner.

As you embark on this journey of love, your future partner will undoubtedly pick up on this unique essence that you exude. They will be drawn to your authenticity and the way you carry yourself with grace and self-assuredness. What will they do? I sense that their romantic gestures will leave you breathless, as they possess a deeply romantic nature that resonates with your soul. They will surprise you with thoughtful acts of kindness, spontaneous adventures, and heartfelt expressions of affection that will make your heart flutter.

This partner will encourage you to explore your romantic side, gently nudging you to embrace the softer, more vulnerable aspects of love that you may not have fully appreciated in past relationships. They will create a safe space for you to express your desires and dreams, allowing you to open up in ways you never thought possible. No one before has truly shown you what love and romance can feel like, but with them, you will discover a new depth of connection that transcends the ordinary.

They will demonstrate that they are your perfect match, your one true love, by understanding your needs and desires on a profound level. Their ability to listen and respond to your emotional cues will make you feel seen and cherished. Together, you will embark on a journey filled with laughter, passion, and mutual respect, where both of you can grow and evolve as individuals and as a couple.

In this relationship, you will find a partner who not only appreciates your brilliance but also inspires you to shine even brighter. They will celebrate your achievements, support your dreams, and stand by you through life’s challenges. With them, love will feel like a beautiful dance, where both of you move in harmony, creating a rhythm that is uniquely yours. 🥰

[deathbxnny]

Hey! May i request some abyss princess lumine, Skirk and Arlecchino x Jingliu! Reader? The reader used to be from the fallen nation of khaenriah, they were a legendary figure as they were known as the strongest swordman/swordswoman of all time. Their strengh and skilled with the blade could even rivals those of gods. However after the fall of their nation they were corrupted with the abyss. However it took a different effect on them, instead of rotting their flesh. It made them unhinged and unstable as they are ruthless and merciless. However they usually keep a blindfold as a way to surpress their bloodlust. However despite all of this they are kind and respectful until they are provoke.

I really loved writing this, Anon, so thank you for the requested and I hope you'll like this!<3

Content: Angst, mentions of death, reader is unhinged, can be read as either platonic or romantic, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns.

((Not fully proofread))

》LUMINE

She pitied you, she really did. In a way, she even felt guilty and responsible for the state you were in. Lumine had met and seen you in your prime, back when you were revered as a powerful figure that reigned over battlefields with you sheer strength alone. And now, only a shell of that remains. A fragile one that's at risk of falling apart at any moment. It was tragic and yet another reminder as to why she was doing the things she did. It was important for her to prevail with her plans, if not just for you.

Your mental state was extremely unpredictable, something she learned to deal with over time. You were an even match, and that kept her bloodlust from attempting to kill her. For now, that is. She knows that she can never let her guard down around you, as much as she hates it. On most days, however, you simply calmly reminisce on a long gone past with her, perhaps out of necessity to hold onto something familiar.

Your relationship is filled with turbulent ups and downs that she always handles with ease. You may not be seeking a cure anymore to your deteriorating mental state, but she forever will look for one if it means to bring you back to your former glory.

》SKIRK

You knew each other. It's the first thing she claimed when meeting you, whilst you tried confirming it through a violent battle. It was a tie. And so, you began traveling through the Abyss together, wondering what it was that led your paths to cross. You apologized for your previous transgressions as well, something that piqued her interest greatly and hinted at your irreversible mental state.

She was careful with this fragility of yours and kept you away from the bloodlust by helping you train for it. It was natural to her to teach others, and surprisingly, you kindly accept her offer. Your condition may be incurable, but that doesn't mean that you don't understand the importance of discipline. You begin to learn that you two are strong-willed and very similar through it, a fact you enjoy deeply.

Once you open up about your past and your previous glorious life plagued by victorious battles and unparalleled power, you find yourself reflecting on Skirk's starting words to you. Was it perhaps the connection through the Abyss that made you familiar to one another? Or have you truly met before the fall of your home and nation? There was still so much to learn and experience at her side, that's for sure.

》ARLECCHINO

She has stern control over your chaotic state of mind. To some, this may be concerning, but to the both of you, this was a kind mercy. She helped you regulate the bloodlust and keep it away when it got unbearable. And you appreciated her deeply for it, especially as you knew each other for a long time.

Before your nation fell, she had heard and seen you in all your glory, fight against God's and mortals alike, making you a legend. Your stories had been lost to time by now, but that doesn't mean that she ever could forget them. You are a part of the home now, and the children are trained to deal with your unpredictability as well. They enjoy how kind and respectful you are and strive to be the same.

But alas, the pain and agony the curse had left you in made her secretly look for a cure. She was lucky not to be corroded by it in such a terrible way. And so she used her luck to help you out as well. She figured that she owed you at least that for sticking around with her here.

[thedemonofcat]

I've recently delved into the Witcher book series for the first time, and while I absolutely adore Jaskier and Geralt in the television adaptation, I must admit that their friendship reaches unparalleled heights in the books.

It's as if they both have this endearing perspective of each other, constantly thinking, "Behold this feral gremlin man I stumbled upon in the dumpster; I love him."

The genuine adoration between Dandelion and Geralt is an absolute delight to experience while reading. Their dynamic is filled with infectious joy and camaraderie, making it an incredibly enjoyable aspect of the story.

[stevejobsbuysasamsung]

Why 'The Naked Time' says so much about Spock and Kirk's relationship

Okay y'all buckle up, because I'm 'bouta read too much into subtext and symbolism for my own good,,,

In saying that, I feel that this episode reveals so much about Spock and Kirk. It portrays their attitudes and feelings towards love, relationships, and... each other??!?!?!

The premise of this episode is that there is a disease transmitted through touch. It leads the victims the descend into a form of 'madness'. The disease's manifestation is related to the individual's inner psyche; Spock himself says it forces 'hidden personality traits ... to the surface'. This happens to Sulu, who starts to yield a fencing sword towards other crewpeople on the ship. Given his love for fencing, and that he is 'at heart a swashbuckler', the illness has responded to this. This is foreshadowed by the word 'naked' in the title: to mean bare, undisguised, as you are.

Christine Chapel soon becomes ill with this disease. She confesses her love for Spock and reaches out to touch his hands. Spock flinches at first but does not choose to resist as she continues. Significantly, she says she is in love with 'the human Mister Spock, the Vulcan Mister Spock.' Chapel finishes with, 'I do love you just as you are.'

Summarily, Spock becomes incapacitated in two ways; by the physical touch of Chapel, he has the illness; but also by the denigration of logic and surfacing of repressed emotions. I mean, why does Spock hold on to Chapel's fervourous touch and apologises to her profusely, multifold? By what logic would permit this? Surely no logic that abides by the teachings of his Vulcan upbringing.

Spock is visibly overwhelmed by the confession. That, not only is he loved, he is loved as a Vulcan and as a human - a dual identity that Spock struggles to live with.

Importantly, for Spock this disease reveals the unresolved tensions of these identities and the vigorous dedication he has to silencing his human side with Vulcan logic. Spock stumbles out, tearful, and plaintively cries that he is in control of his emotions. He grasps a computer of all things, the zenith of binary choices and answers, of perhaps Vulcan logic. Then, he assures himself that he is a science officer - a professional observer - an identity which would somehow negate the feelings he is experiencing. But even scientists, humans, and Vulcans can experience emotions, and this fact, coupled with the encumberment of this disease, causes Spock to unravel.

The height of this episode, for me, is when Kirk finds him. Through glassy windows of tears, Spock looks to Kirk and laments that he can never tell his mother that he loves her (because he is Vulcan). He then looks to Kirk and says, 'when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed'. The emotion that Spock is battling is not grief, anger, sadness, but, let's face it, love.

When they start slapping each other, they actually... tightly hold hands. To me, they're ferociously making out, full pash sesh, heaving petting.

And where, earlier, in a similar embrace, Spock found himself restricted by Chapel, Spock holds on to Kirk's hand for dear life.

This next bit seems like it runs unparallel to Spirk as a ship, but let me explain why it doesn't. Kirk contracts the disease from Spock, and also battles with the impossibility of love as the Ship's Captain. This love is dedicated to his yeoman. Immediately, it seems as if Spock has ... recovered? He switches off, begins to take control of the situation and the impending doom that would occur if they don't get power for something something sciency words something to do with engines. When Spock seeks Kirk in this state, it's as if he has responded to Kirk's lack of affection. The illness appears to recede.

Where this comes full circle is with the writing on the wall (literally). Spock observes, 'Love Mankind' on the wall.

This may relate to embracing his human side, and further his love for Kirk.

Kirk's writing on the wall? In the turbolift, upon finishing his comments about his love for his yeoman, is faced with:

What must Kirk repent for as a sinner? Can I be bold and say this might be about lying as a sin, perhaps?

Anyway. It is 1.30 am, I need to fight with the writers of this episode and I need to put my creative writing skills to use somewhere else, probably. I hope you enjoyed the mess that lives in my mind and my attempt to coherently collate what was a dozen voice messages sent to my best friends who are sleeping. I should probably sleep too...

[thesunsethour]

if i could re-live one reading experience again it would be finishing the prologue of a storm of swords for the first time, then turning the page and seeing JAIME written. unparalleled