#100th loop

[uu-tella]

It's Latla's Birthday!

@tadpolebobatea made me realize how similar these two were on the previous loop, so here's a little angsty thing about that (Happy birthday Latla, I guess?)

Art by @lovethedanielhd !!

[izzizzels]

No seriously go for it Isabeau!!! Isabeau!! ISABEAU GO FOR IT ---

[raayllum]

Depths You Can't See

summary: Callum and Rayla revisit Akiyu's grotto to get answers. An unexpected one leads to deeper intimacy. Otherwise known as, "Rayla finds out Callum tortured Claudia, and then they bang angstily about it: the fic." co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs a/n: set during the 9ish month timeskip between the archdragons' demise and the rayllum bridge scene. listen to this song for maximum effect. Rated: E for explicit / sexual content word count: 3.9k

“You don’t have to come,” were the first words out of Callum’s mouth, once he’d resolved to go back to Akiyu’s grotto.

They’d spent a few months in the Silvergrove just recuperating after everything: Aaravos, the Archdragons, Ezran watching them leave with a frown but without the fury in his eyes. He hadn’t invited them back to Katolis, and they hadn’t asked to stay. The last few days, though, Rayla had sensed the shift in Callum: he’d gone to the Silvergrove library to look into magic.

Moonshadow elves didn’t have much on Ocean magic, but they had something, and given that the Great Bookery had been obliterated, well... they had to start somewhere.

“We need another pearl for when he comes back,” Callum had said when she’d corralled him away from the books and into bed, her room in the Silvergrove now firmly theirs . 

Rayla had run her hands down his shoulders and arms. That was for sure. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t —bring herself to sacrifice him again. “And you think Akiyu’s grotto might have some answers?”

He’d nodded. “I might need a moon opal, but I can cast historia viventem and see what she was working on to make it. Then maybe I can fill in the steps and work on recreating it.” He’d looked at her, his brow creased beneath his new white streak. “You don’t have to come with—”

But she’d leaned over and kissed him. “Where you go, I go, Callum.” 

Now they were here, the beach not yet recovered from whatever violent tantrum Claudia had thrown. Rayla wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the lifeless tidepools. Violence was one thing; unnecessary violence was another, and it seemed like every dark mage became exceedingly prone to doling it out. 

At least the sky was blue, hardly streaked with any clouds. They wouldn’t have to worry about rain on their way out. She’d walked in more rainstorms than she’d ever cared for, during her two years away, shivering under her soaked cloak. The idea of staying in one place for longer than a few weeks was more than tempting after so long on the road, but... Rayla never would have let him return here alone.

[marvelous-spirit]

The face of a man treasuring the chance to be wrong once again.

[avelera]

Apparently Astarion’s theme in Baldur’s Gate has LYRICS and they’re BEAUTIFUL?? And I’m just

Just

[your-zipper-is-down]

The OG team

[otakunews01]

TV ANIME ADAPTATION for Yuuji Yuuji's Shoujo Villainess Light Novel "The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, so How Did She Unlock "Super Love" Mode?!" (99-kai Danzai sareta Loop Reijou desu ga Konse wa "Chouzetsu Aisare Mode" desutte?!)

Accused of plotting to assassinate the Saint and time rewind every time the villainess' executed for a crime she didn't commit 99 times in a row, something different happens the 100th time around: She can hear people's true feelings — and that everyone secretly loves her!

Leaker

[zef-zef]

Chill on Sunday

VA - Illuminations III (Dronarivm, 2024)

Chihei Hatakeyama, Offthesky, Henrik Meierkord, Andrew Heath, Snufmumriko, Enrico Coniglio, Machinefabriek, The Green Kingdom, Porya Hatami, Celer, Aaron Martin, Anthéne, and so on and so on

In the twelve years of their existence, the Dronarivm label has built a firm and reliable reputation of releasing nothing but quality ambient music. And doing so, they also built a strong network of artists – as is demonstrated by their 100th release: Illuminations III.

For this 24-track (2hr24 minute) compilation, they invited musicians who released music on the label to create a track in collaboration with another (Dronarivm-)artist of their choice. As a result, there is an amazing array of unique music spanning ‘the vast musical spectrum of the genre we generally call “ambient”‘. (ambientblog)

[kingofanemptyworld]

oh I am so very fond of these pages, haruka went from having to be teleported into the fight with Spring to willingly jumping in to fight Beast. fuuko’s influence truly is transcendent

[loopadoop]

I-... y'know, gonna be honest, didn't expect the type of dialogue I'm seeing from some of the saviors. I mean I already knew stuff was going to be a bit different, but I didn't expect it to be this different already. Like... a squirrel bride? Really?

[uu-tella]

Happy Birthday Enjin!!!

Art by @lovethedanielhd

[dreamnants-mis]

Bau: Nico won't come out of his room! Ichico: Alrighty, just tell him I said something. Bau: Like what? Ichico: I dunno, anything factually incorrect. Bau, shrugging: If you say so. Nico, arriving moments later: Did you just say the Sun revolves around the Earth?!

[kairithemang0]

the terrifying fact that i have 99 fics posted on ao3 just set in bcs i know my 100th is gonna be the worst garbage ever

[saintofhounds]

edge of tomorrow au

(tap for quality)

[tsukiyadori]

Reading+(Watching)+Listening Log 2024.08 - August

Previous: Reading (+Watching+Listening) Log 2024.06 - June

——————————————————————————

Reading languages: German, English, French, Japanese, not listing which was what. (There’s also been some feeble attempts at Chinese, but that was more on drama and music.)

Titles are as I’ve read them either first or most and thus remember it for that title mostly

Not going to bother putting in the original titles of translated reads unless there is something worthy of note to it

Cursive titles have been completed

If it says a volume number, it may mean it has been finished or is still in progress

Some notes’ content may be subject to repetition here and there, as I also copied some older notes from casual conversations over and didn’t go through any rounds of cutting things down.

——————————————————————————

AUGUST

I bought myself an application to hold my phone while lying in bed. That's gotta not only solve my neck and back getting into bad posture issues with using it in bed, but actually be even better for it, as long as don't use a cushion. Once I find a proper page turner, I could just read there. The cold season is coming after all!

... Is what I thought, turns out there is no page turner for the simple function of scrolling down. They'd always scroll several screens worth of content down in a big swoosh. Why. What good is this down botton even for? (Aside of decreasing volume in a media app.) Anyway, at least left and right work, so can read some manga or JNC in the app.

Which still fed me up after a while, because no offline reading, so now I installed an auto scrolling app for scrolling. Would vastly prefer a remote, but oh well. It's useful for reading in a train where a remote is not very handy to fiddle around. My thumb is also thanking for the lack of strain.

The main learning I took away: All remotes with a camera button are complete crap on all buttons for this purpose. For those not even left and right work.

And the other ones so far have rather loud buttons…

Light Novels/Web Novels/Novels:

Fake Saint of the Year: You Wanted the Perfect Saint? Too Bad! v1-4

A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires (Light Novel) v2

A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady v1

Accidentally in Love: The Witch, the Knight, and the Love Potion Slipup v1-2

Coins of Destiny Rosmei Preview

Fushi no Kami v1

Hell Mode v3-4p6

I Met You After the End of the World v3

I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m the Strongest? I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! (Light Novel) v5

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? v10

The Blessing of Liefe: Leave This Magical Letdown Alone! v1p1

The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! (Light Novel) v1

You're Too OP! Rosmei Preview

(classified)

Manga/Manhwa:

A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life (Manga) ch1, v2ch6-11

A Side Character's Love Story ch50.2-51

A Wild Last Boss Appeared! (Manga) v2ch6-10

An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride ch55-57(v11 finish)

Ano Natsu ga Houwa suru. ch20-21.1

Are You Okay with a Slightly Older Girlfriend? ch22.1-24.2

Beast Tamer ch1-6

Black Summoner (Manga) v16ch112-119

D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared (Manga) v3ch15-21

Death's Daughter and the Ebony Blade (Manga) v2ch6-11

Domestic na Kanojo v17

Firefly Wedding ch1-5-10

Hari to Hitsuji no Fune ch11.2

Hell Mode Manga v4ch20-26

How a Single Gold Coin Can Change an Adventurer’s Life ch1-15

I Lost My Adventurer's License, but It's Fine Because I Have an Adorable Daughter Now ch42-46

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons (Manga) ch1, ch11, v3ch21-30

I don't want to work anymore ch19.52-21.5

Infinite Dendrogram (Manga) ch56-57

Isekai de Ane ni Namae wo Ubawaremashita ch20.1-2

King in Limbo ch1

Knitter's High ch29-30.1

Living With My Brother's Wife ch66-74

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsusuru ch34

Making Magic: The Sweet Life of a Witch Who Knows an Infinite MP Loophole ch1-2.1

Mononogatari – Die Wächter der Artefaktgeister v1-2, v4

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer (Manga) v5ch25 i

My Housemate Sano-kun Is Just My Editor! ch1-3.1

Nabi ch113

Okazari Ouhi ni Nattanode, Kossori Hataraki ni deru koto ni Shimashita ~Usagi ga Iru no de Hitorine mo Sabishiku Arimasen!~ ch27-28.2

Quality Assurance in Another World v1ch6

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀ (Manga) v5ch22-25

Reincarnated as the Daughter of the Legendary Hero and the Queen of Spirits ch59-61.1

Run Away with Me, Girl v1-2

Sonna Kazoku nara Sutechaeba? ch76-77

Strawberry Love ch1-8.52

Stuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainess (Manga) ch1, V1ch5

The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode?! (Manga) v1ch5

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses ch100

The Invincible Summoner Who Crawled Up from Level 1 (Manga) ch1, v2ch6-10

The Prince's Keeper: The Cursed Prince is Too Fluffy to Resist! ch1-3.1

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World (Manga) v1ch1-4

The Vexations of a Shut-in Vampire Princess ch1-4.2

This Art Club Has a Problem! v4ch20-26

Through the Viewport: Child of a Ruined World v2ch8-14

Trying Out Alchemy After Being Fired as an Adventurer!: Frontier Settling? No Problem, Leave It to Me! ch1-2

Victoria's Electric Coffin v2-3

Wistoria Wand and Sword (Manga) v1-3

Webtoons:

A Royal Princess with Black Hair ch60-65

Can the Grand Duke and the Marquis be Friends? ch33-43

Closer Heartbeat ch1-7.5

Ice Lamp: The Chronicles of Kira ch52-56

Kijou no Eden ch32-33

Taberare Usa ch114-117

Drama:

Story of Yanxi Palace #9

Music/Music Videos:

RADWIMPS - Suzume (Suzume No Tojimari) [Dante Levo and Kindred Remix]

Zhou Shen - 铃芽之旅

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 02 - 蜃楼 Mirage

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 08 - 缝合

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 11 - 没关系

Zhou Shen - 我的答案

Zhou Shen - 人是_ (电影《流浪地球2》定义主题曲)

Zhou Shen, 新裤子乐�� - 不会拜拜的Disco (Live)

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 01 - Intro

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 03 - 重启 Restart

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 04 - 记忆商店 The Memory Store

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 05 - 警报 The Giver

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 06 - 少管我 Shao Guan Wo (Watch Ur Manners)

Zhou Shen - 浮光

Zhou Shen - Shenself - 09 - Wala li longla

Notes:

Fake Saint of the Year: You Wanted the Perfect Saint? Too Bad! v1-4: It was in the catch-up and a total last minute read I even considered dropping at the beginning - really the MC makes every effort to be a questionable creep. And almost any other character unfortunately is a bit bland. (A few get a bit more characterization in the epilogue chapters.) Which just made the MC stand out even more. By v2 I half suspected if it was just half an act, due to the plot twist of him being dead sick before being isekaid, but by the end him being like this became actually plot relevant. That was quite a nice surprise. The overall world structure and how it offered some reverse isekai alongside the normal isekai was also refreshing. (And on top of that there's even alternate universes.) So I'm glad enough to have finished it to get the payoff of sitting though the beginning, but that bit by itself still remains more of a turn-off than not.

A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires (Light Novel) v2: Volume 1 was about as anti-fluff as it could possibly be, but volume 2 has scaled things down in terms of its cruelty factor. MC, while still very much have the upper hand by plot, is now also not the overly OP Mary Sue. Probably mainly because the people in the empire appear to have some wits themselves, unlike the fellows of her home country.

A Surprisingly Happy Engagement for the Slime Duke and the Fallen Noble Lady v1: Have the generic villainess story shafted to the sidelines, this one focuses on the sister of one without having to be a spin-off to some main series. In a way it's a bit of cinderella plot x shy nerd standing up x MC with wits, good naturedness and effort spending hard worker mentality. Nothing really there that makes it special per se (slimes by now are also a dime and a dozen), but cooks the ingredients up in a decently enough dish. Surprisingly, the cheese factor wasn't even that hugely focused on.

Accidentally in Love: The Witch, the Knight, and the Love Potion Slipup v1-2: Right, another one of those that just cook your standard dish with standard ingredients……… It makes for a literal light novel, because, well, it's perfectly a light read. Full of soft cheese.

I Met You After the End of the World v3: Just when I got a bit ??? about the supernatural elements, it struck me maybe that was what the narrative resorted to, because it may be a little bit hard to spin a narrative with just two characters alone to force up some circumstantial plot. And now suddenly there's a parallel narrative. One continuing from where it left off last time (still with the supernatural elements) and another some years into the future introducing a bunch of new characters. Daisuke suddenly is gone, but as they say, unless there's been a corpse, don't assume he's dead? But more than anything, it proves that it can very well spin a plot without said supernatural elements. The mystery box is working rather well as to what happened to Daisuke or what strange occurrence that looks-like-a-ritual-sacrifice-site may be about.

The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! (Light Novel) v1: Read the manga before on JNC Catchup and while the manga entirely sucks at having a good flow between scenes, the world and setting wasn't too uninteresting. But the novel is a bit… too rants-y. MC is just way too much of a bundle of impatience and forced expectations based on his worldview, and that makes him rather obnoxious. And while the manga is kinda too jumpy, the LN definitely is a bit slow. Maybe a little too slow for my taste. Will continue, but not in a hurry.

An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride ch55-57(v11 finish): FINALLY CHASTILLE HAS SOME BADASS MOMENT AGAIN.

Domestic na Kanojo v17: I forgot to take notes immediately after writing and now I can't remember zilch about the volume. I suspect, there was loads of whatever cheese.

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsusuru ch34: Rishe making faces.

Also that hairdo is just so very pretty, gimme, too----

Run Away with Me, Girl v1-2: Original thoughts of when I had just finished it: I think it kinda lost me at the end. How so? In a "flows over my head and just goes puff"-way somehow? I dunno, i doesn't seem bad, just euh, kinda after the asshole gets ditched and the family discussion bit, it kinda lost it's string. Maybe the photoshooting is just also too cheese? dunno And the epilogue with that daughter was very much I have now read it almost twice, but it's just not sinking in really

Sonna Kazoku nara Sutechaeba? ch76-77: Some chapters expired yet again in between. Darn it, damn me. But ok, after the thing with the very very questionable classmate raising a ruckus we move on to… puberty! And some cheese. And it's getting back on track with the new teacher's mystery endeavor.

Stuck in a Time Loop: When All Else Fails, Be a Villainess (Manga) V1: This one raised a big question: If the MC is SO massively OP, how come she never took a stand for herself, but then just suddenly is able to do so and with such a superior aloof attitude, too. You'd think there ought to be some development or rehearsal to go from meek damsel to this rather smooth going with the badassery. Not sure where this is going, but probably will read on a bit.

The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode?! (Manga) v1: Now this one is the entire opposite. MC died so many times but still maintained this balanced calm, almost carefree attitude. That's truly being badass. Although I have no idea what the title is referring to, even after reading v1.

The Prince's Keeper: The Cursed Prince is Too Fluffy to Resist! ch1-3.1: I object to the title. It's not too fluffy, it's too sparkly bishonen. Like so much glitter, stop it, the MC looks like she's going to go blind… The vibes are similar to Hi, I'm a Witch, and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion, with the MC just a little bit more wordly. At least she doesn't risk starving to death by accident.

Victoria's Electric Coffin v2-3: It wound up being about as generic/preditable as I expected it to be after v1. Closes on the same note it already exhibited across v1 as well. Nothing remarkable about it beyond that it does have a rather eyecatching cover.

Wistoria Wand and Sword (Manga) v1-3: Wistoria's long term goal premise composition is kinda real similiar to Kaiju 8, except the MC is more like an OP Version os Rakudai no Kishi's. Is what I thought after v1. But then: ....  I take it back. It's purely teenage-y cheese motivated, Kaiju 8 didn't have that. I will say, is of now, half of v1, it is vastly more interesting than Danmachi. But.

It's.... almost as bad with the outfits after all....

Kijou no Eden ch32-33 - Ouf, that's been some ages that I last read it. But it was easy to get into again and I still quite like it. The subject matter is a bit heavy, but there is just this bold, but sense of optimism filled with kindness about it. How inspirational things can start from something as small as imaginative wishful thinking. I quite like the the title. Kijou means "theoretical, something not yet implemented", but it's also meaning "on the table". And MC's a writer, an abused child who wrote a novel about what family could mean. That's like this hypothesis, his eden, that sits on the table that he has yet to reach. Which he has a hard time to, but to his first biggest fangirl it was a life altering experience regardless and she wants to give some of the goodness it brought her back. That's a very endearing sort of positive feedback loop.

August's Music Listening: Same stuffs from last month continues, with the addition of the new tracks of Zhou Shen's Shenself album (there's more than is listed on youtube music, apple music etc.) 缝合 struck some chords melodically only to turn out to be somewhat depressive with an optimistic silver lining. The English refrain line of "I'm giving my all" is kinda haunting. 没关系 meanwhile goes the opposite way of doesn't matter what comes around, just "don't mind". 我的答案 is melodically a total motivation mood track…… that turned out to be a propaganda song for the Chinese Crimes/Laws department. That is, it's used like that, but the lyrics are maybe not really that heavily propaganda in the negative political connotation of one may think of first. From what I can glean after some extended use of the dictionary it appears to be more about the variety of diffrent departments and what calling those professions have (or should have).

Mirage was kind of an instant hit melodically and its lyrics sounds very cyberpunk-existential, now I wouldn't have minded to watch a SciFi series with such a mood. Clearly someone else had the same idea, as there is a fanmade movie MV for it cutting scenes from the movies Wandering Earth I, II and the trailer from III together in a quite well put together clip for it. And guess what, Zhou Shen actually did the theme song of the second movie. 人是_ is just the kind of bombastic fireworks epic sort of song suiting the bigger than one life-movie and so it also wandered into the playlist.

Other than that Shenself album ran a lot when I was sitting onto (classified) and especially I was at it when I discovered 缝合, 没关系, so they together with tracks 3-6 of it kinda have half become my theme songs for that series.

[je-lurk]

Sunday, 28 July 2024, day 100:

I am bored out of my mind.

Since it’s the hundredth iteration (I don’t think I messed up my count but it’s getting hard to tell), I figured I might as well write where I’m at. If anything, it passes the time.

First, the achievements of the day: I baked a cake! I made it to celebrate the milestone, I suppose.

It has been a while since I baked. Nowadays, I mostly eat outside. Money can hardly run out in this kind of situation, can it? I’d say it’s nice, but truthfully I’d rather be home.

I tried to go back, I really did. Unfortunately, there are too many heavily hindering parameters that lie outside of my control. The time zones don’t help either.

Speaking of which, I made several discoveries:

The loop always resets at midnight. Well, not midnight, midnight; time zones are a construct. I think it’s when the Sun is at its nadir? In any case it’s always in relation to me. This is not practical at all.

If I decide to pull an all-nighter, no I don’t. I’ll be asleep in my bed as soon as the loop resets.

My body resets. I actually discovered it early on: I burnt myself on my oven. The type of small burn that takes about three days to heal on its own. The next iteration, the area was pristine and completely painless. So obviously I cut the weird strands of half-baby hair right next to my ears. Discreet but unmistakable. They were back the day after. I sincerely hope the "interferences" I make on my body and the world around are fully erased every iteration and not, I don’t know, saved for a rainy day.

It’s not all bad, really. I’ve had time to burn through interests, consuming content to the point of nausea, and even re-spark some that laid dormant.

It’s cool for art, too. Great supply economizer and I do things much quicker. I just wish I could see my progress. To be fully transparent, I stopped doing anything creative a month ago; it made every reset just a little more painful.

Another cool thing, and I’m actually very proud of myself for this one, I have been reaching out to old friends I haven’t talked to in years. I do it whenever I feel the need for company. It’s great. I’m happy to see what they’ve become.

Funnily enough, I’ve never been as social as I am now. It’s crazy how some events can change a person.

On the flip side, these last few days I’ve not been feeling like doing anything. The days are getting long, and the gimmick, really, really old. I’m bored, I can’t concentrate, and anyway there’s no point to anything.

I’m typing this out as I’m eating my cake. It’s the recipe my mom made for me because I’m so picky in taste and texture, lol. The chocolate is mid at best, but I couldn’t track down a better one. The cake is still good, though, and it makes me so giddy I squealed at the first mouthful and giggled maniacally for a good five minutes. I hadn’t realised I haven’t been that happy in a long time. That’s sad, in a detached sort of way. I’m slowly getting used to it.

I don’t remember the deadlines I have to meet anymore. I’m not sure it matters. It’s probably fine.

I’ll schedule this post for midnight, tomorrow. I know I’m a fool for hoping, but what can I say? At this point I’m just too deep in sunk cost fallacy.