#published 12/28/2023

[thevikingwoman]

Meryta passes through Onokoro on the way to Riesen temple, and has a very good time.

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV | Words: 4518 | Read on Ao3

Meryta Khatin x Tansui | After SB patch 4.3 | smut Rating: Explicit. SB 4.3 spoilers, mild Four Lords trial spoilers, Sexual content, casual relationship, Tansui being cheeky, Meryta too tbh, piv sex, oral, a bit roughness, aura head canons, confederacy headcanons, pwp

Passing Through

Meryta could, perhaps, have travelled by way of Tamamizu, but no matter how nice the kojin are, she does prefer staying above water. So, when she needs to go to Riesen Temple again, she finds herself in Onokoro.

And when she’s here, it would be rude not to pay a visit to Tansui. And Rasho of course. They are – allies, of sorts – with the Scions, and it would be discourteous to make use of their aetheryte without a greeting.

She finds Tansui on the docks, working on a small boat, painting its stern. He’s bare-chested, a paint streak on his shoulder where he has brushed against the boat.

“The Warrior of Light graces us with her presence. What doom do you bring now? Are there Garleans in your tow?”

Meryta barely stops herself from rolling her eyes. There is trouble if they don’t fix Koryu’s ward, but she doesn’t need to trouble the Confederacy with that.

“I’m just passing through, Tansui. And it’s Meryta, please.”

He grins, and turns to the boat and his paint.

“Alright, Meryta. Will you be staying a while, then, or does your errand demand haste of you?”

She looks at his back and his sunburnt shoulders.

“Perhaps I will.”

Tansui bends and washes his brush in the seawater. “I am all but done here. Did you give your greetings to Rasho already, or did you seek me out first?”

Heat rises in her cheeks, and she ignores it.

“I saw you from the aetheryte plaza.”

“Walk with me then.” Tansui bends to pick up his haori, folded neatly on the dock.

“Wait!” Meryta reaches for it, stopping his hands. Tansui raises an eyebrow. She runs a gloved finger across his back, below the sun-yellow paint. “You have paint on your shoulder – you’d ruin it.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

He kneels on the dock, and scoops the seawater in his hands, splashing it across his back, missing the paint entirely.  

“You missed,” she says, already kneeling next to him, unbuckling the fastenings of her armored gloves.

“Ever ready for battle,” Tansui shakes his head and grabs a rag from his bucket, dipping it in water. Her left glove lands with a clatter beside her, and she simply takes the wet rag for his hand, and wipes it awkwardly across his back. She does not linger.

“And ever helpful,” Tansui continues, eyes sparkling.

They both get up, she holding her glove in her hand, and him shrugging on his embroidered garment. She knows exactly how soft the silk feels against her skin, and fights the urge to look away, instead holding his gaze.

Together, they walk the dock towards the beach settlement, back where she came from.

“Let me put these away,” he gestures to his paints and brushes, “and then here is the matter of the tithe, of course. You better go see Rasho as I mentioned.”

“I already paid the aetheryte fee,” she grumbles.

Tansui laughs. “That is not collected for us. And I had rather hoped you would stay a little, to catch up if you have interest.”

His smile is bright, the sun reflecting off his black and purple hair. She remembers it, unbound and spread beneath her. This time, she looks away from him.

“Let me settle the tithe, then.”

They make their way up the beach, waves crashing, idly talking of the returned Domans, the many who have joined the Confederacy – and some of their number who left, to be reunited with their family. She wonders about Tansui’s family, but she does not ask. They pass a guard standing lookout at a rock, Tansui nodding at him. There’s a dead landjelly by his feet, and no more around. She keeps her hand on her katana just in case.

“And what of the viceroy? The former viceroy. All snuck and tucked in with the Domans?”

Meryta frowns, a bitter taste on her tongue. It seems he is not aware of the details of what happened in Castrum Fluminis.

“She’s dead.”

“I sense it was not a well-considered dispersal of justice.”

“Her brother – her step brother – goaded her until she turned into a Primal. At that point there was no option but to slay her.”

Something about it feels hollow, another day, another primal, but here in the sun she doesn’t dwell on it. She tells the whole tale – how Asahi had planned this, provoking Yotsuyu until she remembered her past, smuggling crystals under the guise of a gift. How he was killed too.

“I don’t think she deserved the end she got,” she says “Or the life she lived. I – see things, with the Echo, of people’s lives and past sometimes. It’s powerful and sometimes unpleasant, and I saw how her stepparents treated her, sold her away to a brothel.”

Something passes over Tansui’s face, something she can’t quite read. Anger replaced by grief or determination.

“We all get hands dealt to us we may not like, but it’s up to us to make of it what we do. She didn’t have to hurt that many people. Perhaps it was for the best. Tell me, what do you mean – you see things of the past?”

She tries to explain as best she can, how it’s beyond her control, seemingly at random and sometimes with headaches to follow. How it made her see enough of Yotsuyu’s life to feel saddened at the way it ended.

“I wasn’t sure sparing her was the right call, initially, and glad it wasn’t my choice,” she says. “But now I’m less certain, other than it shouldn’t have ended like that. She wasn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“You believed her. That she lost her memory.”

She nods, as they reach a shed. Tansui unlocks it to put away his paints and Meryta follows him inside.

“I guess the choice was taken from us – but I shall tell the Captain. Had he insisted, I would have slain her if no one else had.”

She regards him, defiant chin and eyes, and she’s not going to argue. His loyalty is unquestionable, bright and simple, and she respects all that comes with it. She nods in understanding.

“For better or for worse, it’s over now.”

“Aye – and I’m glad you made it through another fight.”  Tansui smiles, and in the darkness of the shed, he raises a hand to her face, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Something undefined changes between them, alone as they are here. “You’ve cut it.”

“I wanted a change.”

“It suits you.”

His hand is still on her face, and he buries it in her hair, pulling her close and then they’re kissing. The spark of desire she’s felt every time she’s run into him since Isari, every time he’s helped; flares and bursts into flame. The kiss is gentle at first, but it quickly turns demanding, Tansui’s tongue running across her lips and she yields to him, letting him in, their tongues entangled. He backs her against the table, lifting her up. The feel of him is intoxicating, and she wants more. She can feel him harden against her, and she’s wearing far too many clothes and armor and layers. Tansui kisses her throat, running the flat of his tongue against the scales there, and he pushes closer.

A jar of brushes clashes to the floor, tin clanging and the brushes scatted on the dirt floor. She gathers herself a moment, and he’s too damn handsome as he grins sheepishly, scratching his beard.

“Stay for dinner?” he asks.

“I should have time.”

“Perhaps I can also offer a bed this time.” Tansui winks, and leaves her to follow, her cheeks heating as she straightens her collar.

--

As the sun goes down, the confederates gather at the wooden platforms up above, under the stars. Tansui brings her there, sitting with him and Rasho and others at a long table. Hearty foods are served, grilled fish and rice and miso dengaku. The conversation is lively and loud and happy. It’s not every day they share a communal meal, Tansui tells her, but it is not infrequent. It seems this week has been especially profitable, the seas rife with ships. Not to mention the gil she dropped in Rasho’s lap earlier, while Tansui made sure they made space for her at dinner. She’ll call it dinner payment and be done, no matter how indignant Tataru will be of it. It’s her own money and she doesn’t have to justify her spending.

Now, she’s talking with a Hyur woman who recently joined, a former Garlean conscript. Happy and bright-eyed, the women tells of her day on patrol. She seems excited by her new life here, free and full of hope. Meryta wonders, if she’d left home through the Ruby Seas, if she’d ever made it to Eorzea, or simply stuck here, found the life of adventure she was seeking. No need to speculate – her travels took her elsewhere and there is little point in regrets or second guessing.

Tansui laughs at something Rasho says, and her attention drifts to him, from his dark eyes to where his thigh is pressed against hers. She doesn’t regret stopping by here now either.

After dinner, everyone seems to scatter in a rush of activity – a number of people start to clear away the tables and some leave for patrol, exchanging places with those coming back grabbing bowls of still warm food. Someone opens a bottle of sake, and someone brings out a deck of Triple Triad.

“I’ve hope you’ve enjoyed our hospitality tonight,” Tansui says. “And I hope you’ll enjoy it further.”

“I wouldn’t say no to a game,” she says, tilting her head towards the cardplayers, and winks.

“Here I thought I could offer your something better, in ways of entertainment.”

“And what may that be, Tansui?”

“Mayhap a tour of the lieutenant’s quarters.” He steps into her space, crowding her, and then shrugs with feigned indifference.

“A private tour, I assume?”

“Very much so.”

“Lead the way, then,” she says and sneaks her hand into his.

--

They pull off their shoes outside his door, and step inside. It’s a simple room in the larger dwelling, a kitchen area with a small table separated from the rest by a screen. A bed, a drawer, a washbasin and a mirror. A chair with pillows and more strewn on the mat on the floor, the room bathed in warm lights.

“Well, here we are. Not much, perhaps, but it’s mine.”

“It’s lovely.”  She drops her gloves on the mat, and turns to him, and takes him in, her eyes roaming over him, his cheeky smile and his broad chest. “I’m enjoying the tour.”

Tansui steps forward and kisses her, fierce and passionate. His beard scrapes against her lips, and she opens her mouth to let him in. He pulls her close as the kiss goes on, eager as if he’s been waiting all night to do this once more. She knows she has, and wraps both hands around his neck.

After a while he pulls back, and she chases him, wanting more, already pushing his garment off his shoulders, the very same accursed ones she saw from the aetheryte earlier, making her pause her trip. His skin is warm under her hands.

“Better get those off you before you poke my eyes out,” Tansui says, hands moving to the pauldrons, and true enough, she’s overdressed and over armored. The pauldrons follow the gloves in the pile on the mat.

“I was on my way somewhere,” she says, fidgeting with her belt.

“Yet you found time,” he says, and deftly works the knots on her coat.

“I found time.”

The sashes and belts on her coat undone, Meryta places her katana next to where his lance rests against the wall in the corner. Her coat slips off her, and she’s no longer overdressed, and returns her attention to him, hungrily follows the trail of hairs from his belly down below the hem of his pants with her eyes. She wants to touch, and she does, sliding her hands down his chest, question in her eyes as she dips her hands beneath his pants. He’s half hard and she caresses him, as he nods and pulls her in for another searing kiss.

She slides his pants down his legs, and Tansui undoes her breast band, flinging it somewhere. Their hands are roaming, exploring, and he bends, his mouth on her neck, his hand on her breast. He caresses, mapping her skin under his hands, and so does she, tracing a scar on his shoulder, kissing where she can reach. A thumb teases her nipple and she whimpers, causing him to repeat.

“Gorgeous,” he says.

“Handsome,” she counters, and she kisses his chest, experimentally flicking her tongue over his nipple in turn. He lets out a low sound at that, so she does it again. His hand scramble on her back, and she wants – she wants him, and she want to taste and touch all of him.

She kisses a small scar on his sternum, white with age and almost invisible. He’s pressed hotly against her, his hardness enticing against her skin. Meryta sinks to the floor in front of him, kissing his belly, the top of his thigh, avoid his cock jutting out in front of him, tempting as it is.

“Meryta…”

“Yes?” She kisses his other thigh, and scrapes her teeth along it experimentally. His hips jerk slightly and she does it again. She looks up at him, his strong legs and solid shoulders, his handsome face above her. His eyes burn with desire, igniting her own.

“Something you wanted?”

She kisses the point of his hips, careful of the tips of her horns. His skin is soft all over, no scales to protect him. She ghosts her hand over his cock, then runs a finger up it, watching him twitch.

“Suck me,” he says, rough and demanding. She shivers and complies, engulfing the head of his cock in her mouth. She swirls her tongue around it, delighting in the groan she elicits from him.

Gripping the base of his cock with one hand, she takes him deeper, her hand preventing her from scratching her horns against his groin. His hands clench at his sides, before one strokes her cheek, the other landing awkwardly on her shoulder. She hollows her cheeks and sucks, moving her hand along with the mouth. Tansui digs his blunt nails into her shoulder, the pressure on her scales welcome. She moans around his cock, looking up at him, hopefully encouraging.

He moves his other hand along her horn to the back of her head, gentle like a question. She nods as she can, breathing through her nose and taking him a bit deeper, moving a bit faster with her hand and her mouth. Tansui groans and adds pressure on his hand. She feels hot, slickness pooling between her legs, trapped between the hand in her hair and the heaviness of his cock in her mouth. He pushes into her, moving his hips in a even rhythm, not forcing himself into her but holding her steady. Her own need grows with his loss of composure, with every thrust he makes into her mouth. Her cunt clenches and throbs, wanting him to lose himself in her.

“Meryta, I…” He gaps and tugs on her hair until she lets up, reluctantly letting him slip out of her mouth. She looks up at him, tall above her, his eyes glassy and breath coming in pants. He must be close, the salty taste of him on her tongue and she wants to continue, to swallow him down and have him come in her mouth, but she waits.

Tansui takes a breath and smiles down at her, caressing her cheek.

“There was something about a bed, I believe. I want you in it.”

She’s not opposed, not at all, the thought of being close to him excites her too, feeling all of him above or beneath her. She gets up and he kisses her, hungry and openmouthed and without restraint. She groans into his mouth or maybe he does, his hips stuttering. Arms sliding down to her ass, he lifts her and carries her to the bed, three steps across the small room.

He sets her on the colorful bedspread, running her hand down her torso, pushing her back. She falls willingly. Following, he caresses her breasts and she arches off the bed when he rolls both her nipples between his hands. Back in control of himself, he observes her, how she moans and gasps – his name too, which makes him grin. She files that away for later. He drags his hand down belly, pressing into her scales. She wants more, she wants him closer, and she’s tired of waiting, already so slick and wanting from sucking his dick. She pulls him down over her, but he resists and she relents.

“Eager,” he says, and runs a single finger down to her slit, to her wetness. She’s not ashamed of wanting, and barely stops herself from grabbing his hand and pressing it closer, harder. He has something in mind it seems, so she watches him, nodding and canting her hips.  

“Turn around,” he says, a bit fast and hoarse, and perhaps she’s not the only eager one. “Please.”

Scooting a bit up the bed she does, getting on her hands and knees, tail lifted. She wants him to see what he’s done to her. One of his hands finds her tail and she hisses in pleasure when he wraps his hand around it, when he presses his fingers against the base. It’s almost too much and she wants more. She wants to tell him, pull it, harder, but when she opens her mouth all she gets out is a gasp as his other hand wanders across her ass and he slides one finger into her.

“So wet,” he mumbles, and she slides her legs outwards and pushes back against him. She’s rewarded with another finger inside of her. It’s not enough.

“More. I need. I need you inside of me, Tansui.” She looks back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of his handsome face, jaw slack and mouth half open. “Please, Tansui.”

“Since you ask so nicely,” he pants and he obliges, his cock pushing her lips apart, entering her wanting cunt slowly and gently. Much bigger than two fingers, it stretches with a pleasant burn and a moan tears from her mouth. She pushes against him, wanting to feel him, all of him, now.

“Meryta!” Tansui gasps, digging one hand into her ass, scrambling for a semblance of control. He holds her still, both hands on her hips. She wants to force him to move, but with a shallow breath she lets him have control, settling for an embarrassingly impatient whine in her throat, a flick of her tail across his body.

He fucks her, frustratingly slow at first, a measured, almost lazy pace that makes her ache for more. Letting him do so brings its own appeal, every single part of her body focused on him, her want climbing with every stroke until she is almost shaking.

Once Tansui realizes she’s letting him do what he wants, he releases the bruising grip on her hip, a short-lived disappointment when he grips her tail, his hand once again wrapping around the base of it. He tugs on it, pulling her back on his cock now, speeding up a little. Like this, she can’t reach him or tease him, she has to let him fuck her however he wants, and it leaves her desperate and quivering.

“Like that, do you?”

“Yesss, more, you can… more, I’m —"

He understands her, and grasps firmer, pulls harder, slamming into her. He grunts and increases the pace, but he doesn’t lose his control. She’s tethering on the brink as pleasure washes over her, a burning need for her climax that’s just out of reach.

“You feel so good,” he says, and he strokes her tail. She can’t help to push back now, gasping when he changes the angle of his thrusts.

“Tansui, I need ��”

He likes his name on his lips, and she will say it as many times as she must.

“What do you need, Meryta. Say it.” He pulls on her tail again, and slams into her.

“I need you to touch me, please, Tansui!”

“Very good.”

He leans forward over her, covering her and reaches around her. His hand finds her clit, uncoordinated and messy but it’s good, pressure where she needs it. She collapses forward and he follows, kissing her neck, teeth scarping over her scales. He uses his new leverage to thrust harder, faster, his hand moving over her slippery clit, and she screams his name as she tumbles over her crest, her orgasm striking her when he bites down on her shoulder.

Tansui grunts and snaps his hips and shudders above her, his own climax fueled by hers as she still rides the waves pleasure. He falls completely on top of her, kissing her neck as she stretches out under him. He’s heavy and pleasant on top of her, his arms trapped beneath her. She doesn’t want to move, and she doesn’t know why she should.

Eventually, he rolls off her and they clean up and he returns to his bed to lie next to her. Their legs entangled he throws an arm across her, and they lie in silence for a while, enjoying the nearness of each other. She feels achy and tired in the best way, and almost ready to drift off to sleep, when she hears people – laughter, and someone beating at a table perhaps – from below them. She thinks of the tall wooden structure, dotted with doors. Living quarters for many of the pirates, all sharing walls.  

“I fear your comrades may have heard us. I’m sorry.”

“Us? You mean when you were screaming my name from the top of your lungs?”

Her cheeks heat furiously, and Tansui laughs. “I do not mind. It is hardly the first time I’ve had someone do that here.”

“Bragging, are you now?”

He just smirks at her and kisses her soundly.

“Do you mind, Meryta? That they know you’re here?”

She thinks on it for a moment. She likes the people here, when they’ve passed through, and how they’ve helped her and the scions and Doma, and she’s helped them. But she does not need them to put her on a pedestal, and she does not need to keep any secrets. There are no political implications of their second in command fucking her out of her mind. And she does not mind Tansui’s posturing; not when he leaves her boneless and satisfied.

“No. I don’t.”

They fall silent and shuffle, tired of her tail trapped under her she turns to her side and wraps it round his hip. Tansui runs his hand across her back, caressing her scales there, now idly wandering up and around and he pulls her a little closer. She yawns, glad that his pillows are soft enough for her horns to sink into.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, kissing her shoulder. “I suppose it’s my turn to apologize.”

“Whatever for?” she says, half asleep and wondering why he’s apologizing for his pillows.

He traces her shoulder, lightly brushing her scales. There’s a light soreness, she’d barely have noticed was it not for his attention. Ah. The bite.

“Mayhap I should have asked. It’s the kind of thing that is polite to ask for.”

She turns around and looks at him.

“You don’t strike me as overly polite in the first place – not to your neighbors either.”

He chuckles, and does look contrite.

“Ah, but –”

“I didn’t mind.” She’s never had a lover that was quite so forceful, so intense, and yet he understood what she needed. Taking care of her. “I liked it.”

“I shall keep that in mind, then.”  

His gaze is fixed at where he bit her, and she wonders if he likes leaving a mark, like he likes to hear his name spilled in passion. Suitable, somehow, that he should take what’s due, though she’d hardly call him selfish.

“That confident I’ll be back again?”

He seems to falter a moment, a slight blush on his cheeks, before giving a confident smirk.

“You did just scream loud enough to wake my neighbors, so perhaps it’s not too presumptuous.”

“It was all but happenstance I came by at this time,” Meryta says and smiles. She does not want him to feel too self-assured, even if warranted.  “A favorable one.”

“I’ll ask no promises from you, but perhaps another errand will take you here - violence in its wake or not.”

“Must you always say so?”

“You came into my life in strife and blood. Not that I’m unhappy you’re here.”

She frowns. He has the right of it, in a way, but it also does not feel entirely fair.

“I don’t bring it. I’ll go where the strife is. Where I’m – needed. I wish it wasn’t so.”

He nods and runs a hand over her cheek.

“Well - I’ll be torn then, to have you needed here.”

There’s something soft in his eyes and an undefined feeling rises in her chest. She ignores it.

“You never know – perhaps I’ll catch a break.”

“Glad I would be of that,” he says, brushing a lock of her hair away from her face.

She has nothing to say to that, hope and worry for Alphinaud gnawing in her gut, along with the possibility of an Ascian walking in Zenos’ skin. Hopefully Alphinaud will arrive safely and untangle the mystery and Thancred will bring them news. For now, she settles into his arms, content to let her worries fade as she slips into sleep.

--

She wakes early, the sun filtering through a curtain. Are there even windowpanes? She wonders just how many people heard her last night. No matter. She needs to get going, Genbu has waited long enough, so she slides from the bed to find her clothes, her armor. Tansui mumbles something, and looks at her bleary eyed.

“I need to go,” she says, biting her lips.

“Your important errand, I see.”

“Maybe I’ll tell you later.”

He waves his hand. “No need. I assume it will let us all safely conduct our operations, and not bring doom on the waters.”

“That’s the hope,” she says. “It’ll be fine.”

The light falls across Tansui, half covered by his blankets. Sleepy eyes regard her.

“Last night was fun.” She reaches to touch him, a hand on his cheek. “Thank you.”

He kisses her hand, stretches, and sits up to kiss her on her mouth.

“That it was. I should thank you.”

 “A mutual benefit.” She winks, and grabs her armguards, buckling them, and gets her katana. She looks at his well-worn lance next to it. There’s a notch on the blade. Someone should fix that.

“Take care you there, Tansui, on the waters.”

“You too, Meryta.”

She slips out the door.

[slimedryer]

TO BE A FLY ON THIS WALL (or: time. pain.)

A 41 minute, 14 second compilation featuring the breakdown during every live, formal performance of "The Foundations of Decay" in 2022 and 2023, in chronological order.

(Many thanks to @sleepoutro and @angstics for their foundational data compilation work. More information, credits, and individual video details after the cut.)

During work on a separate Foundations video project, I decided the the breakdown footage wouldn't be used. Of course, it's an impactful moment every show — the footage shouldn't go unseen, and the most fun My Chem fans can have is finding parallels, noticing patterns, etc. So, that project was put on hold while this compilation was made.

Hopefully the final product looks deceptively simple. I'd estimate 150 hours of work including learning DaVinci Resolve, footage discovery (YT search is borderline useless now?), review, and editing. If, after all that time, there's any discrepancies in the data, links, or audio/video sync, let me know.

link to angstics masterlist: angstics.tumblr.com/post/714904480751206400/

link to sleepoutro masterlist: sleepoutro.tumblr.com/post/702020960719683584/

I also utilized the MCRchive Dropbox catalogue, but for this project didn't include any videos I wasn't able to source directly from YouTube (note: two videos from edmorris2191 were set to private between sourcing and publishing).

DATE (YMD) | VENUE LOCATION | UPLOADED BY | LINK TO FULL VIDEO

2023 03 26 | Intex Osaka, Osaka, Japan | kei-y | youtube.com/watch?v=GroVKRMiFrc

2023 03 25 | Makuhari Messe 9-11 Hall, Chiba, Japan | liveshowclips (video) | youtube.com/watch?v=1BrZ9Xj8deg (video) | maddhatter_yungho (audio) | youtube.com/watch?v=5lnNus6nZ-8 (audio) [The visual here was fantastic but the audio was better on an alternate recording.]

2023 03 20 | Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia | gin4918 | youtube.com/watch?v=p7Kw70LCkCQ

2023 03 19 | Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia | Australian_Satan | youtube.com/watch?v=GpttxJILB_k

2023 03 17 | Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia | xander85 | youtube.com/watch?v=H8gutfrqkTQ

2023 03 16 | Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia | kingswrestlingtalk4234 | youtube.com/watch?v=A95Fma0PocA

2023 03 14 | Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia | camosconcerts | youtube.com/watch?v=AdY6luAduWs

2023 03 13 | Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia | JBfromOZ | youtube.com/watch?v=rsUFHis8nLE

2023 03 11 | The Outer Fields at Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand | Dirvinator | youtube.com/watch?v=0207hOpIFkA

2022 11 18 | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico | wikiconcerts | youtube.com/watch?v=--ag8X-RhTM

2022 10 29 | Las Vegas Festival Grounds, Las Vegas, NV, USA | sirsuchil290 | youtube.com/watch?v=uZoEQeIjOC4

2022 10 17 | Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA | deadhoarse | youtube.com/watch?v=4BSpQGxiFq0

2022 10 15 | Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA | untamedb3ast813 | youtube.com/watch?v=YDiIztE4ZuY

2022 10 14 | Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA | craiggaynier1565 | youtube.com/watch?v=pm-mWFCYZzw

2022 10 12 | Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA | danszig77 | youtube.com/watch?v=ldIbzKhQkPk

2022 10 11 | Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA | edmorris2191 | Video Made Private

2022 10 08 | Discovery Park, Sacramento, CA, USA | KobeA7 | youtube.com/watch?v=lTbVkbjqJKs

2022 10 07 | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA | Arguetil3am | youtube.com/watch?v=lmQzMFiFENk

2022 10 05 | Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA, USA | sorryimaiden | youtube.com/watch?v=oa4lUEn-B60

2022 10 03 | Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA, USA | BrandinoLee | youtube.com/watch?v=19UhkSGbQkI

2022 10 02 | Moda Center, Portland, OR, USA | Gravity.Prince | youtube.com/watch?v=La29nwYG3iQ

2022 09 30 | Ball Arena, Denver, CO, USA | feedbackmusicbar | youtube.com/watch?v=xXk9kfAuj0A

2022 09 28 | American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA | osceola13 | youtube.com/watch?v=dfC-in1S9Z0

2022 09 27 | Toyota Center, Houston, TX, USA | ericrainey7143 | youtube.com/watch?v=giVqgehNAZk

2022 09 24 | FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL, USA | marcg.3333 | youtube.com/watch?v=HjUYgchyTO4

2022 09 23 | The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway, Dover, DE, USA | aleneb5712 | youtube.com/watch?v=z6NGn_L3uis

2022 09 21 | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, USA | odetoanathema | youtube.com/watch?v=xr_V-hRH3Gs

2022 09 20 | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, USA | jimpowers10411 | youtube.com/watch?v=Me2Zzrm1E4k

2022 09 18 | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA, USA | siberwolf | youtube.com/watch?v=A2hC7TZPplc

2022 09 16 | Douglass Park, Chicago, IL, USA | cynthiachang465 | youtube.com/watch?v=lienHKv6JFs

2022 09 15 | Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN, USA | Kittycat12353 | youtube.com/watch?v=4WQ5zCETOs8

2022 09 13 | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI, USA | i.i.i.1 | youtube.com/watch?v=EWeF7jkZAdE

2022 09 11 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA | tomsarchive3623 | youtube.com/watch?v=F1ARCm_tzzY

2022 09 10 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA | maes6050 | youtube.com/watch?v=5UvEJxDMXW0

2022 09 08 | TD Garden, Boston, MA, USA | Lilazzini | youtube.com/watch?v=bkJfbcaoNIU

2022 09 07 | TD Garden, Boston, MA, USA | wesleyjillson4810 | youtube.com/watch?v=6a0xlGlzAWU

2022 09 05 | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada | Eddievanhello | youtube.com/watch?v=wSJPOrNWv8I

2022 09 04 | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada | AruWindRabbit | youtube.com/watch?v=xUjfaf0da2U

2022 09 02 | Centre Bell, Montreal, QC, Canada | Nataly080186 | youtube.com/watch?v=cX9K9yTVwuY

2022 09 01 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT, USA | kylestraveljournal | youtube.com/watch?v=UJ7F1Ps5RzE

2022 08 30 | MVP Arena, Albany, NY, USA | deterioration | youtube.com/watch?v=sYESfqGtbMo

2022 08 29 | Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA | deadhoarse | youtube.com/watch?v=cEu8nRD2-H4

2022 08 27 | UBS Arena, Elmont, NY, USA | anonymousconcertwatcher7879 | youtube.com/watch?v=M8tbKjJQtPE

2022 08 26 | PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC, USA | divineproxie7736 | youtube.com/watch?v=CAqDdKQC5CE

2022 08 24 | Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA | DatBlizz | youtube.com/watch?v=Y6CpUbyLeRk

2022 08 23 | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, USA | MoshPitChronicles | youtube.com/watch?v=Nks-iLsYPYk

2022 08 21 | AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX, USA | dragontype191 | youtube.com/watch?v=OVAEdXT3FqM

2022 08 20 | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA | xXspiraloutXx | youtube.com/watch?v=LIUrd6hYNxs

2022 06 18 | Kunstrasen Bonn, Bonn, Germany | edmorris2191 | Video Made Private

2022 06 17 | Kunstrasen Bonn, Bonn, Germany | starstrucklilly9024 | youtube.com/watch?v=rnu1LOWYGbY

2022 06 14 | Stora Scenen, Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden | JulianneSands | youtube.com/watch?v=x2pXYuTMi5s

2022 06 12 | Velodrom, Berlin, Germany | cybeshi | youtube.com/watch?v=PA1DtnMdy5g

2022 06 11 | O2 arena, Prague, Czechia | matovkanal5361 | youtube.com/watch?v=yGh889k4Pj0

2022 06 09 | Letnia Scena Progresji, Warsaw, Poland | wiktoria.j | youtube.com/watch?v=OpdxyuvKFFU

2022 06 07 | Budapest Park, Budapest, Hungary | FMA4EVERX3 | youtube.com/watch?v=I2xoDB6Z3b8

2022 06 06 | Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany | gabrielaw.8449 | youtube.com/watch?v=thhZGzpYk4U

2022 06 04 | Arena Parco Nord, Bologna, Italy | EndlessNightMCR | youtube.com/watch?v=bAmJQL2RY3k

2022 06 02 | Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Prinren | youtube.com/watch?v=ue_cUm1oYjQ

2022 06 01 | Accor Arena, Paris, France | parisandallthatjazz | youtube.com/watch?v=aoNzsPOe7Lc

2022 05 30 | The OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland | DrFluffyNips | youtube.com/watch?v=0zqCiEMg0uA

2022 05 28 | Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground, Cardiff, Wales | visiblexperia6693 | youtube.com/watch?v=o5z_iYjLu1M

2022 05 27 | Victoria Park, Warrington, England | darrenquin317 | youtube.com/watch?v=Mxso0GJyjSE

2022 05 25 | Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland | SelfishxRomance | youtube.com/watch?v=ucoez2VlGVo

2022 05 24 | Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland | calumharkness3932 | youtube.com/watch?v=SMLoZotO-S8

2022 05 22 | Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England | MrDunky123456 | youtube.com/watch?v=DEOicrAKyuk

2022 05 21 | Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England | ErynnHalvorson | youtube.com/watch?v=xWYsVgDNMMw

2022 05 19 | Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England | owenpower03 | youtube.com/watch?v=L-notPaM_ow

2022 05 17 | The Eden Project, St Austell, England | keeleyduckworth500 | youtube.com/watch?v=lz5mywxeyoI

2022 05 16 | The Eden Project, St Austell, England | jannersontour8696 | youtube.com/watch?v=q9-GcMktJuA

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Chloe Cole

Published: July 28, 2023

On Thursday, her 19th birthday, Chloe Cole testified to Congress with a “final warning” that medical treatments to change the gender of confused children is horrific. Cole, who was given surgery as a teenager to become male and soon regretted it, said what she needed most was therapy, not a scalpel. Here is what she told lawmakers:

My name is Chloe Cole and I am a de-transitioner.

Another way to put that would be: I used to believe that I was born in the wrong body and the adults in my life, whom I trusted, affirmed my belief, and this caused me lifelong, irreversible harm. 

I speak to you today as a victim of one of the biggest medical scandals in the history of the United States of America. 

I speak to you in the hope that you will have the courage to bring the scandal to an end, and ensure that other vulnerable teenagers, children and young adults don’t go through what I went through. 

Deceit & coercion 

At the age of 12, I began to experience what my medical team would later diagnose as gender dysphoria.

I was well into an early puberty, and I was very uncomfortable with the changes that were happening to my body. I was intimidated by male attention. 

And when I told my parents that I felt like a boy, in retrospect, all I meant was that I hated puberty, that I wanted this newfound sexual tension to go away.

I looked up to my brothers a little bit more than I did to my sisters. 

I came out as transgender in a letter I sent on the dining room table.

My parents were immediately concerned.

They felt like they needed to get outside help from medical professionals. 

But this proved to be a mistake.

It immediately set our entire family down a path of ideologically motivated deceit and coercion.

The general specialist I was taken to see told my parents that I needed to be put on puberty-blocking drugs right away. 

They asked my parents a simple question: Would you rather have a dead daughter or a living transgender son? 

The choice was enough for my parents to let their guard down, and in retrospect, I can’t blame them.

This is the moment that we all became victims of so-called gender-affirming care.

I was fast-tracked onto puberty blockers and then testosterone. 

The resulting menopausal-like hot flashes made focusing on school impossible.

I still get joint pains and weird pops in my back.

But they were far worse when I was on the blockers. 

Forever changed 

A month later, when I was 13, I had my first testosterone injection.

It has caused permanent changes in my body: My voice will forever be deeper, my jawline sharper, my nose longer, my bone structure permanently masculinized, my Adam’s apple more prominent, my fertility unknown. 

I look in the mirror sometimes, and I feel like a monster.

I had a double mastectomy at 15.

They tested my amputated breasts for cancer.

That was cancer-free, of course; I was perfectly healthy.

There is nothing wrong with my still-developing body, or my breasts other than that, as an insecure teenage girl, I felt awkward about it.

After my breasts were taken away from me, the tissue was incinerated — before I was able to legally drive. 

I had a huge part of my future womanhood taken from me.

I will never be able to breastfeed.

I struggle to look at myself in the mirror at times.

I still struggle to this day with sexual dysfunction.

And I have massive scars across my chest and the skin grafts that they used, that they took of my nipples, are weeping fluid today, and they’re grafted into a more masculine positioning, they said. 

After surgery, my grades in school plummeted.

Everything that I went through did nothing to address the underlying mental health issues that I had.

And my doctors with their theories on gender that all my problems would go away as soon as I was surgically transformed into something that vaguely resembled a boy — their theories were wrong.

The drugs and surgeries changed my body, but they did not and could not change the basic reality that I am, and forever will be, a female. 

Depths of despair 

When my specialists first told my parents they could have a dead daughter or a live transgender son, I wasn’t suicidal.

I was a happy child who struggled because she was different. 

However at 16, after my surgery, I did become suicidal.

I’m doing better now, but my parents almost got the dead daughter promised to them by my doctors.

My doctor had almost created the very nightmare they said they were trying to avoid. 

So what message do I want to bring to American teenagers and their families?

I didn’t need to be lied to.

I needed compassion.

I needed to be loved. 

I needed to be given therapy that helped me work through my issues, not affirmed my delusion that by transforming into a boy, it would solve all my problems. 

We need to stop telling 12-year-olds that they were born wrong, that they are right to reject their own bodies and feel uncomfortable with their own skin. 

We need to stop telling children that puberty is an option, that they can choose what kind of puberty they will go through, just like they can choose what clothes to wear or what music to listen to. 

Pseudoscience 

Puberty is a rite of passage to adulthood, not a disease to be mitigated.

Today, I should be at home with my family celebrating my 19th birthday.

Instead, I’m making a desperate plea to my elected representatives.

Learn the lessons from other medical scandals, like the opioid crisis. 

Recognize that doctors are human, too, and sometimes they are wrong. 

My childhood was ruined along with thousands of de-transitioners that I know through our networks.

This needs to stop. You alone can stop it. 

Enough children have already been victimized by this barbaric pseudoscience.

Please let me be your final warning. 

Thank you.

Might as well call her a murtad and kufr.

"The medical industry mutilated me, maybe don't mutilate other kids," shouldn't require bravery or renouncing an ideology.

Reminder: A minor under the age of 18 is too young to agree to a cellphone contract. 🤦‍♀️

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Who Broke the Internet? Part II

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in PITTSBURGH on in THURSDAY (May 15) at WHITE WHALE BOOKS, and in PDX on Jun 20 at BARNES AND NOBLE with BUNNIE HUANG. More tour dates (London, Manchester) here.

"Understood: Who Broke the Internet?" is my new podcast for CBC about the enshittogenic policy decisions that gave rise to enshittification. Episode two just dropped: "ctrl-ctrl-ctrl":

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1353-the-naked-emperor/episode/16145640-ctrl-ctrl-ctrl

The thesis of the show is straightforward: the internet wasn't killed by ideological failings like "greed," nor by economic concepts like "network effects," nor by some cyclic force of history that drives towards "re-intermediation." Rather, all of these things were able to conquer the open, wild, creative internet because of policies that meant that companies that yielded to greed were able to harness network effects in order to re-intermediate the internet.

My enshittification work starts with the symptoms of enshittification, the procession of pathological changes we can observe as platform users and sellers. Stage one: platforms are good to their end users while locking them in. Stage two: platforms worsen things for those captive users in order to tempt in business customers – who they also lock in. Stage three: platforms squeeze those locked-in business customers (publishers, advertisers, performers, workers, drivers, etc), and leave behind only the smallest atoms of value that are needed to keep users and customers stuck to the system. All the value except for this mingy residue is funneled to shareholders and executives, and the system becomes a pile of shit.

This pattern is immediately recognizable as the one we've all experienced and continue to experience, from eBay taking away your right to sue when you're ripped off:

https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-user-agreement-may-2025-arbitration/

Or Duolingo replacing human language instructors with AI, even though by definition language learners are not capable of identifying and correcting errors in AI-generated language instruction (if you knew more about a language than the AI, you wouldn't need Duolingo):

https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-ai-jobs-crisis-is-here-now

I could cite examples all day long, from companies as central as Amazon:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

To smarthome niche products like Sonos:

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/sonos-ceo-patrick-spence-steps-down-after-app-update-debacle-2025-01-13/

To professional tools like Photoshop:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/28/fade-to-black/#trust-the-process

To medical implants like artificial eyes:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/12/unsafe-at-any-speed/#this-is-literally-your-brain-on-capitalism

To the entire nursing profession:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/18/loose-flapping-ends/#luigi-has-a-point

To the cars on our streets:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

And the gig workers who drive them:

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

There is clearly an epidemic – a pandemic – of enshittification, and cataloging the symptoms is important to tracking the spread of the disease. But if we're going to do something to stem the tide, we need to identify the contagion. What caused enshittification to take root, what allows it to spread, and who was patient zero?

That's where "Understood: Who Broke the Internet?" comes in:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1353-the-naked-emperor

At root, "enshittification" is a story about constraints – not the bad things that platforms are doing now, but rather, the forces that stopped them from doing those things before. There are four of those constraints:

I. Competition: When we stopped enforcing antitrust law, we let companies buy their competitors ("It is better to buy than to compete" -M. Zuckerberg). That insulated companies from market-based punishments for enshittification, because a handful of large companies can enshittify in lockstep, matching each other antifeature for antifeature. You can't shop your way out of a monopoly.

II. Regulation: The collapse of tech into "five giant websites, each filled with screenshots of the other four" (-T. Eastman) allowed the Big Tech cartel to collude to capture its regulators. Tech companies don't have to worry about governments stepping in to punish them for enshittificatory tactics, because the government is on Big Tech's side.

III. Labor: When tech workers were scarce and companies competed fiercely for their labor, they were able to resist demands to enshittify the products they created and cared about. But "I fight for the user," only works if you have power over your boss, and scarcity-derived power is brittle, crumbling as soon as labor supply catches up with demand (this is why tech bosses are so excited to repeat the story that AI can replace programmers – whether or not it's true, it is an effective way to gut scarcity-driven tech worker power). Without unions, tech worker power vanished.

IV. Interoperability: The same digital flexibility that lets tech companies pull the enshittifying bait-and-switch whereby prices, recommendations, and costs are constantly changing cuts both ways. Digital toolsmiths have always thwarted enshittification with ad- and tracker-blockers, alternative clients, scrapers, etc. In a world of infinitely flexible computers, every 10' high pile of shit summons a hacker with an 11' ladder.

This week's episode of "Who Broke the Internet?" focuses on those IP laws, specifically, the legislative history of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a 1998 law whose Section 1201 bans any kind of disenshittifying mods and hacks.

We open the episode with Dmitry Skylarov being arrested at Def Con in 2001, after he gave a presentation explaining how he defeated the DRM on Adobe ebooks, so that ebook owners could move their books between devices and open them with different readers. Skylarov was a young father of two, a computer scientist, who found himself in the FBI's clutches, facing a lengthy prison sentence for telling an American audience that Adobe's product was defective, and explaining how to exploit its defects to let them read their own books.

Skylarov was the first person charged with a felony under DMCA 1201, and while the fact of his arrest shocked technically minded people at the time, it was hardly a surprise to anyone familiar with DMCA 1201. This was a law acting exactly as intended.

DMCA 1201 has its origins in the mid-1990s, when Al Gore was put in charge of the National Information Infrastructure program to demilitarize the internet and open it for civilian use (AKA the "Information Superhighway"). Gore came into conflict with Bruce Lehman, Bill Clinton's IP Czar, who proposed a long list of far-ranging, highly restrictive rules for the new internet, including an "anticircumvention" rule that would ban tampering with digital locks.

This was a pretty obscure and technical debate, but some people immediately grasped its significance. Pam Samuelson, the eminent Berkeley copyright scholar, raised the alarm, rallying a diverse coalition against Lehman's proposal. They won – Gore rejected Lehman's ideas and sent him packing. But Lehman didn't give up easily – he flew straight to Geneva, where he arm-twisted the UN's World Property Organization into passing two "internet treaties" that were virtually identical to the proposals that Gore had rejected. Then, Lehman went back to the USA and insisted that Congress had to overrule Gore and live up to its international obligations by adopting his law. As Lehman said – on some archival tape we were lucky to recover – he did "an end-run around Congress."

Lehman had been warned, in eye-watering detail, about the way that his rule protecting digital locks would turn into a system of private laws. Once a device was computerized, all a manufacturer needed to do was wrap it in a digital lock, and in that instant, it would become a literal felony of use that digital device in ways the manufacturer didn't like. It didn't matter if you were legally entitled to do something, like taking your car to an independent mechanic, refilling your ink cartridge, blocking tracking on Instagram, or reading your Kindle books on a Kobo device. The fact that tampering with digital locks was a crime, combined with the fact that you had to get around a digital lock to do these things, made these things illegal.

Lehman knew that this would happen. The fact that his law led – in just a few short years – to a computer scientist being locked up by the FBI for disclosing defects in a widely used consumer product, was absolutely foreseeable at the time Lehman was doing his Geneva two-step and "doing an end-run around Congress."

The point is that there were always greedy bosses, and since the turn of the century, they'd had the ability to use digital tools to enshittify their services. What changed wasn't the greed – it was the law. When Bruce Lehman disarmed every computer user, he rendered us helpless against the predatory instincts of anyone with a digital product or service, at a moment when everything was being digitized.

This week's episode recovers some of the lost history, an act I find very liberating. It's easy to feel like you're a prisoner of destiny, whose life is being shaped by vast, impersonal forces. But the enshittificatory torments of the modern digital age are the result of specific choices, made by named people, in living memory. Knowing who did this to us, and what they did, is the first step to undoing it.

In next week's episode, we'll tell you about the economic theories that created the "five giant websites filled with screenshots of the other four." We'll tell you who foisted those policies on us, and show you the bright line from them to the dominance of companies like Amazon. And we'll set up the conclusion, where we'll tell you how we'll wipe out the legacies of these monsters of history and kill the enshitternet.

Get "Understood: Who Broke the Internet?" in whatever enshittified app you get your podcasts on (or on Antennapod, which is pretty great). Here's the RSS:

https://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/nakedemperor.xml

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

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/13/ctrl-ctrl-ctrl/#free-dmitry

[offender42085]

Post 1362

Gabriel Davies, Inmate number not yet published -- Juvenile Offender -- born 2006, sentenced to 12 years, scheduled release date not published

Murder, Burglary, Unlawful Use of Firearm

In November 2023, one of two Pierce County Washington teenagers was sentenced to spend 12 years in prison for the killing of an Orting Washington man in September 2022.

Gabriel Davies and another man, Justin Yoon, had both pleaded guilty in adult court to the murder of Daniel McCaw, 51.

Davies and Yoon agreed to a sentencing recommendation of 123 months. A judge then added 27 months to their sentences, for a total of 150 months behind bars.

According to court papers, it took four days before McCaw's body was discovered in his home. During that period, authorities said that Davies, then 16 years old, staged his disappearance to make it seem like he had been the victim of a crime. He was reported missing when he left his home in Olympia to attend football practice at Olympia High School and never showed up.His car was then found near Tenino.

Deputies said they found items thrown around inside the vehicle and even noticed blood. They also found his phone shattered outside the vehicle.

Two days later, Davies was found safe after an extensive search throughout Thurston County. During his disappearance, Detectives learned that McCaw had previously been in a relationship with Davies' mother. Within 24 hours, he was arrested for McCaw's murder, along with Yoon, who was also 16 years old at the time.

On Sept. 1, 2022, Pierce County deputies found McCaw's body following a welfare check at McCaw's home on 190th Street East in Orting. Co-workers reported that McCaw hadn't reported to work in four days and wasn't answering any of his calls or text messages. Upon entering the home, deputies said they smelled what seemed to be the odor of a decomposing body. They also said they saw a German shepherd around McCaw's property. They then found McCaw's body in the home's laundry room.

It was later determined that McCaw died after being shot and stabbed. Detectives then turned to footage from McCaw's home security system and identified Davies and Yoon entering the victim's home through a dog door on Aug. 28, 2022.

According to detectives, Davies and Yoon went camping at Panther Lake with friends and family between Aug. 27-28, 2022. Family said the two left a cabin on Aug. 28 shortly after midnight and returned around 6:30 a.m. They left again shortly before noon that day and did not return.

Davies was then reported missing on Aug. 31, according to charging documents.

According to court papers, Davies initially told detectives he couldn’t remember where he’d been during his disappearance and “admitted to damaging his cell phone because he was afraid that the police were going to find what was on it.”

On Sept. 2, 2022, Davies’ father called the lead detective with Thurston County, saying, “Gabe was involved in (the victim’s) death.” According to Davies’ father, Davies was approached by “biker buddies” of McCaw, threatening Davies to steal something from the victim’s home.

Davies and Yoon then developed a plan to steal the item from McCaw’s safe, according to Davies' father. The father then told authorities that the two snuck into the home through a dog door, as seen on surveillance footage.

Prosecutors said there was never any evidence to suggest Davies had ever had any interaction with biker gangs. They said Davies fabricated the story to absolve himself of pre-meditated murder charges.

4d

[aqua-dan]

hello!! Do you have any Garth comic recommendations for someone (me) who has never read a Garth comic outside of a handful of TT issues before?

Hi!! I definitely have some recommendations! This definitely isn't a comprehensive reading list by ANY means (although I do want to make one eventually!), but rather a small smattering of Garth centric comics that I think are fun or noteworthy! (These are also not in any particular order, just written out as they come into my brain lol)

Tempest (1996) - Obviously the Garth holy grail! There is no better Garth comic than this. It is peak and honestly one of the best books DC has ever put out. It's short, too (only 4 issues), so it's not too intensive of a read.

Adventure Comics #269 - "The Kid from Atlantis" - Garth's first appearance! Don't get too hung up on the lore here, as it changes later on, but it's a sweet issue and obviously important!

Adventure Comics #270 - "The Menace of Aqualad" - I love this issue for a multitude of reasons-- including the fully unintentional foreshadowing,-- but mainly I love it because it showcases what a sweet person Garth is and always has been.

World's Finest Comics #133 - "Aquaman's New Partner -- Aqua-girl" - Again, the lore needs to be disregarded, but this issue fascinates me as an early iteration of Garth's insecurity about where he stands with Arthur/feeling useful.

I probably shouldn't list everything individually so this post doesn't end up being a mile long, haha! So I'll start putting some groupings together:

Aquaman vol 1 #14, 18, 23, and #33

The Brave and the Bold #54

Teen Titans vol 1 #11 (not particularly Garth centric but just especially fun to me lol), #17, #19, #28, #29, #44-end of series. (Side note that @ttwasteland has a really good podcast covering volume 1 of Teen Titans! Actually, they have a lot of Teen Titans podcasts! Which is really useful for those who struggle to read Silver Age comics + I am immensely pleased with Hub's Aqualad enthusiasm!)

The Brave and the Bold (vol 3) #10

Death of a Prince (Technically, I recommend reading all of it, since it'll help you understand how things got to this point. But especially Adventure Comics #452 and the Aqualad stories in #453-455.)

Tales of the Teen Titans #85 & #86 + Teen Titans Spotlight #10

Teen Titans Spotlight #18

Teen Titans Spotlight #21

Aquaman vol 5 (Yes, all of it lol)

Showcase '96 #1

Teen Titans (Vol 3) #12-16

JLA/Titans

Titans (vol 1) At least the Devin Grayson portion, but I don't dislike the later stuff either!

There are also storylines that I think are fun or important that happen in across various books/stories (Obsidian Age, Aquaman vol 6, other (Teen) Titans stories, Blackest Night, CoIE, dare I even say Sword of Atlantis...), but I'll save those for a more in-depth reading list some other time! These ones are just popping up in my head rn.

If you want N52/Rebirth stuff, there are also a few stories that are pretty good. Sadly, they're pretty few and far between since canon changes and DC tossing their character bibles have left poor Garth in an odd, largely OoC limbo for years. Although I don't /love/ these stories as much as others, they still manage to vaguely pass the vibe check:

Nightwing & the Titans in Team Building (Robin 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular) It's not super Garth centric, but it's fun!

Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 - “It’s a Family Affair”

Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 - “Lady in the Lake”

World's Finest: Teen Titans & DC's Spring Breakout "Relay for your Life" Garth's characterization in these... isn't right, but I feel like it has the spirit more than the vast majority of things published in recent years.

Titans (2023-) I... don't totally feel right putting this here, but I feel like slowly... extremely slowly... they are starting to fix Garth's characterization. We're not quite there yet-- and it is sadly written by Tom Taylor,-- but I feel like it's going to lead to something that's actually good for Garth again. (Aka so many hints towards a potential new Tempest mini-series or one-shot have been dropped lately, and I feel like this series will be context important.)

Ok, to try to finish this out: Also consider watching some stuff with Garth in it like Aquaman (1967) TV show / DC Super Hero Girls (2019), or reading some cute, non-canon series such as Tiny Titans! It's just good fun!!

Anyways, thank you so much for the ask!! I hope this helps!!! (And thank you for allowing me a chance to ramble lol!)

[dawnoftime22]

"my love, darling, sweetheart."

| W.M ( -> N.R )

Undeserving of a love like yours, Chapter 1

Chapter Warnings: None (series warnings in series masterlist)

Summary: A peaceful day spent with Wanda.

Series Summary: When you're stuck in a complete hole of confusion and hurt with the one you thought you loved most, a certain redhead finds her way into your life.

Word Count: 2.1k

Category: Fluff, for now.

A/N: well here it is finally :] this is an old story of mine I never published that I decided to remake, finish up, and post gradually, that miiight also eventually break your heart...but I hope you all enjoy <3

| Started on 29/12/2023, 11:19 PM |

| Finished on 05/01/2024, 9:28 AM |

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | N.R Masterlist

Chapter 2 ->

“Let the sun kiss your skin softly.”

|——————————— ᗢ ———————————|

It was a sunny day. The sun kept shining in your eyes, and you had to shield yourself with your hands.

You held your hands out to the sky, as if touching it, but only the wind visits your hand. That is practically the sky, after all. Air. Wind. Moisture. You curl your fingers into a fist, firmly clenching it to perhaps capture the cool breeze, only to feel the warmth of your hand's skin against each other, making the cold fade away.

You end up letting your arm drop down to your side, and sigh. There was nothing better, truly, than soaking in a moment of calmness like this. Upon hearing footsteps though, you await what comes for you.

A familiar brunette appears in your view above, eradicating the sunshine and the bright blue sky. She looked down on you softly, your body laying restfully against the grass that moved along with the wind, but is flat underneath your back.

"I got us cakes," she says, sitting down beside you and putting the container down on the ground. You carefully prop yourself up with your elbows until you're sat up properly.

It was your favorite kind. Your lips turn up into a smile, and you grab the small fork while your legs settled into a criss-crossed position. Your hands reached to open the container, the corners clicking open.

The brunette watched you with amusement as you didn't hesitate to grab it. The bakery you loved was right near the park you're at, so it was the perfect time to go when it caught her eye. The man behind the counter had happily greeted her, knowing she's the partner to one of the patrons. The patron, is of course, you. But it was starting to become her new favorite bakery, too.

Wanda had also gotten a bag of warm freshly baked cookies, so she opted to unravel the top of the paper bag and take one, her cake sitting unopened next to yours.

You hum when the smell of the lovely cookies traveled to your nose, making you turn your head to her instead of your slice of cake. She was taking a bite of the cookie, the piece melting in her mouth.

Your hand leaves the fork in the cake container and goes to grab one for yourself, little crumpling noises making sound from the bag as it moved due to your hand.

While the both of you ate your delicacies, you soon space out far off in the distance of the park. Somewhere near there, someone sat at a bench with birds surrounding them and some seeds in their hand.

Beside the scene was another of a little golden retriever happily playing around with another dog, chasing each other around, and sometimes the two of them would stop, the husky looking dog teasing the other one by moving its paws forward, but not running again.

You soon stop focusing on those and turning your attention back to Wanda, but once you look at her, an irresistible smile grows on your face and you have to turn to your cake instead.

"What?" She asks, a breath of a laugh coming through the word. Wanda wondered why you would turn away so quickly. She knew she could make you blush easily, but she hasn't even said or done anything.

"Nothing, you just have some crumbs near your mouth." You shook your head, taking a spoonful of your cake to put in your mouth and look at her once more.

"Oh." Her hand goes up to wipe it off her face, but she went to the wrong side. Her eyes focused on you, visibly struggling to find it because she knows it's not gone due to simply your smile growing.

"No, the other side." You say, helping her. She gets it and looks at you expectantly. You nod, and put a thumbs up, making her reflect your smile.

"You got it." You finish off the last of your cake, and pop the lid back on. Soon your attention drifts off to the sky and the gold shining through the clouds. Wanda follows, and sees the sun behind you, making you glow like an angel.

"We should go to the lake. We can take some beautiful pictures there." She said, tiltng her head slightly, and you see her brunette hair starting to soak in the sunlight. Your eyes brightened at the sentence though, and a soft gasp comes from you.

"Yes! We should." Her lips rise up into a smile once more, and she grabs the bag of cookies before going to stand up. You follow along with your empty container and hers that still had a cake.

You turn to walk with her towards the nearby lake. Since the sunset was only just starting, you had more than enough time to arrive there. A cool breeze goes by, visiting your skins and your hairs. The water that started to come into your view properly, too, was moving with the wind.

The trees shaped the lake beautifully and openly. Not many people were around, especially because nighttime is soon coming around. But it made it all the more better.

Wanda took out her phone from her pocket and started taking some pictures. You stood by, but placed down the containers at a nearby bench and kneeled down to grab a couple small rocks to keep in the palm of your hand.

A thought to take some pictures, too, crossed your mind, but with the present reason of having forgotten to bring your camera, you decided against it.

You stood up and held only one rock in the other hand, throwing it on the water. It jumped lightly against it and splashed, until it dropped to below the water. Wanda turns her phone to you and you look at her.

"Nooo, don't take pictures of me! Look at the lake!" You point your finger towards it before throwing another rock. She moved her phone along the movement, and you assumed she was not just taking pictures, but videos. That rock went farther than the previous one.

"But you're more beautiful than the lake or the sunset!" She says, and you shake your head with a tinge of blush on your face. Once she was done, she walked closer to you with a smile and put her hand out.

You gave her the rest of the rocks in your hand except for one and she threw them. It only jumped twice and you try your hardest not to laugh or smile too wide.

"Okay, that was only my warmup." She says, looking at you with a warning before preparing for another throw. You only hum in response, knowing that it was an obvious excuse.

Wanda throws another, and it does skip farther, before it splashed entirely and disappeared into the water. The clouds had melted into the skies by now, and the last rock you had, you put into one of your pockets.

"I think that one jumped more than yours." You grabbed the cakes and turned away from the lake, now starting to walk to, perhaps, the car. The brunette was behind you anyways though, the place seemed to get darker, with the sun sinking down in the horizon.

"Nope, it did not." You say softly, glancing at her before focusing on the path towards the car once more. She raised her eyebrows at you. To be honest, the two of you got the same amount of jumps in the water with the rocks.

"Sure it did." She adds, wanting to be right. You were getting closer to the car, and she brought out her keys from her pocket, unlocking the car.

"Nope." You repeat, a playful smile on your face when she managed took a look at it at from her driver side just through the windows. She shakes her head with a smile of her own.

You pull the door handle and it opens. You sit in the passenger's side and close the door, your next move being to click the seatbelt on. Wanda had already done the same, and she's starting the engine.

The car powers up and the screens light on. She makes sure to adjust the ac temperature before moving from off the parking spot and into the main road slowly and carefully.

As the truck tires hit the road, the quiet humming of the car is added with the sound of concrete and small pebbles hitting the tires. You look out the window and watch the other cars pass by. There's people on the side of the street.

A florist, holding a boquet of flowers ready to go in a vase. Or perhaps a bought gift, as they're heading for their bicycle. The warm sunlight shone down on the florist, making out a pretty scene. Oh, dear, moments like these filled your heart with life.

Wanda looks at you softly for a second, seeing you spaced out the window. Her hand goes up to turn on the radio, finding a channel that holds good music. She focuses back on the road once she's gotten it.

The songs were calm. Perhaps even encapturing the entire feeling of today. Trees passed by. Streetlights passed by. The lights are on already, and the moon's showing up. Birds are retreating back to their houses, just as you are currently doing.

You look over to your other side, where Wanda sat, her fingers drumming, and her head nodding along the rhythm of the music. She was...so, so pretty. The car comes to a gentle stop, but you hadn't arrived just yet, only at a red light.

"I can see you staring," she says quietly with her eyes focused on the road. Her foot pushed on the pedal once more when the light turned green, and she went to make a turn.

"It's hard not to," you respond, saying only the truth. She glanced at you again, the corners of her lips raising. Buildings went by in her own window.

That is, until she goes into the driveway of your shared house. The car stops and Wanda slides her seatbelt off along with you. She turns the engine off, and the music turns into a quiet silence.

You grab the cookies and cake then open the door, getting out. She locked the car by the time the both of you had closed the doors, and she had grabbed all the items inside.

With the keys in her hands already retrieved from her pockets, she walks to the front door and inserts the key, unlocking it. You were waiting behind her on the porch, and she enters first with you at her back.

The lights in the house were flicked on by Wanda and she goes back to the front to close the door, considering your hands were full. You got your shoes off and went to place the small desserts in your hand onto the kitchen island.

When you looked behind you, the brunette was choosing a vinyl from her shelf to play, her face concentrated. She chooses one right as you went to sit on the couch, her hand carefully grabbing the disc out its sleeve to gently put on the turntable.

She plays the record and slowly drops the needle down on the vinyl, it eventually playing out a soft, mellow tune, one perfect for dancing.

When you see her walking towards you, you expected nothing more or less than an offer. You smile once she holds her hand out for you, a way to ask you to dance. You hesitate, but you gently take her hand, your body getting pulled up with your heart's answer.

She puts her hands around your waist and starts swaying gently to the music, while you settled with your head on her shoulder, your mind wandering with the thoughts of everything.

Outside, sounds of rainfall starts pattering down. The windows filled with drops of it all, but with the curtains closed you couldn't. Although the noise made it clear that it wasn't the record player, or anything else.

You looked up at Wanda, and you can see her gazing back down at you, her eyes meeting yours softly. A small smile goes on her face, the two of you ever so lost in the love you held.

She whispers softly, "I love you," and your heart did leaps in your chest. You've been together for a while, but she's never said such a sentence until this very moment. It came as a surprise.

"I love you, too." You lean back slightly to look at her more, and you can physically see the happiness that fills her face.

end of chapter 1. <3

Series Masterlist Chapter 2 ->

A/N: I am terribly sorry to say that there won't be this much happiness in the later chapters :')

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taglist <3 - join here! :]

@may-z3 @ludasgf @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @justanotherteenpoet @fxckmiup @dmenby3100 @natashasilverfox @wandsmxmff @simp-erformarvelwomen

[saintmeghanmarkle]

The timing of Archewell's $250K donation to first daughter Ashely Biden's brand new charity SCREAMS quid pro quo. Keep in mind the donation was in 2023 when the Heritage Foundation was suing the Dept of Homeland Security over disclosing Prince Harry's US visa application. Makes you wonder.... by u/BuildtheHerd

The timing of Archewell's $250K donation to first daughter Ashely Biden's brand new charity SCREAMS quid pro quo. Keep in mind the donation was in 2023, when the Heritage Foundation was suing the Dept of Homeland Security over disclosing Prince Harry's US visa application. Makes you wonder.... The largest individual donation made by Archewell Foundation in 2023 was to Ashley Biden's brand new non-profit organization, Women's Wellness Space based in Pennsylvania. BTW Ashley is the daughter of President Joe Biden and "Dr." Jill Biden.In 2023 Elle magazine published an article about Ashley Biden (see archived link below) and mentioned her plans to open the Women's Wellness Space. At the time, Ashley was applying to a PhD program in clinical social work at the University of Pennsylvania. For those who are unfamiliar with US universities, the University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League school and has deep connections with Joe Biden (i.e. The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement opened in 2018; late son Beau and granddaughter Naomi are graduates, Ashley earned a masters degree). BTW, "UPenn received millions of dollars from anonymous Chinese sources, with a marked uptick in donations when then-former Vice President Biden was announced as leading the Penn Biden Center initiative. Following the formation of the Penn Biden Center, donations originating from China tripled and continued while Joe Biden explored a potential run for President." (Source: https://ift.tt/H21IFSQ ).Ashley's Women's Wellness Space received 501c3 status from the IRS effective July 12, 2023. According to the IRS determination letter dated Sept 19, 2023, Women's Wellness Space is required to file Form 990 on an annual basis. The $250K donation from Archewell ensures that Women's Wellness Space needs to file a full Form 990 for 2023, in which the nonprofit has to disclose all donations received that exceed $5,000 among other detailed information about the organization (if a non-profit receives less that $50K in donations in any given year, it can file an abbreviated version of the Form 990).What a coincidence that this sizable donation was made during the same period of time that the Heritage Foundation was challenging in court the Department of Homeland Security over Prince Harry's visa application to the United States! Of all the thousands of worthy non-profit organizations that serve women, H&M chose an organization that had not yet even been established and had no track record.I don't know for certain, but I suspect Ashley's non-profit might be based at the same location as Vetri Community Partnership at 915 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. There seem to links between this nonprofit and Ashley Biden and the address popped up when i was doing a google search of "Women's Wellness Space." I haven't come across any evidence online that the Women's Wellness Space is actually up and running yet. https://ift.tt/Pj7HcEd link to Elle article, March 28, 2023:https://ift.tt/Z1ko76b address in Media, PA seems to be that of various individual lawyers post link: https://ift.tt/x4DHQVf author: BuildtheHerd submitted: December 03, 2024 at 06:07PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

By Chris Dall, MA

New data published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show older adults continue to be hospitalized for COVID-19 at a much higher rate than other age groups.

The data analyzed by the COVID-Net Surveillance team, which includes researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health departments, show that cumulative rates of COVID-19 hospitalization from October 2023 through April 2024 were the lowest for all adult age groups during the October-to-April surveillance period since the first year of the pandemic. An estimated 40,761 COVID-19–associated hospitalizations occurred during the surveillance period, 38,900 of them in adults ages 18 and older.

But adults ages 65 and older accounted for 70% of all adult COVID-associated hospitalizations, and hospitalization rates were highest among those ages 75 and older, with nearly one COVID-associated hospitalization for every 100 persons. Relative to adults ages 18 to 49 years, cumulative hospitalization rates among adults aged 65 to 74 and over 75 years during the surveillance period were 7.3 and 24.1 times as high, respectively.

"These findings suggest that COVID-19–associated hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years remains a public health concern," the study authors wrote.

Racial and ethnic disparities, low vaccination rates The data, collected from 90 counties across 12 states, also showed that disparities in COVID-19 hospitalization by race and ethnicity have decreased but continue to persist.

During the surveillance period, hospitalization rates were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic black adults; rates among both groups were 1.4 and 1.3 times higher than those among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adults, respectively. Data from the July 2021 to August 2022 surveillance period showed that age-adjusted COVID hospitalization rates were twice as high for AI/AN and Black adults compared with White adults.

Another significant finding from the report is that among a sample of 1,320 adults hospitalized for COVID-19, 88.1% had not received the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine and 57.7% had not received the 2022-23 vaccine.

"Receipt of COVID-19 vaccine has been demonstrated to reduce the risk for COVID-19–associated hospitalization," the authors wrote.

Further analysis of that sample found that 80% had at least two underlying medical conditions and 16.6% were residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Among all in-hospital deaths, 45% occurred in patients aged 75 and older.

The authors say that adults 65 and older can reduce their risk for COVID-19–associated hospitalization by receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccines, adopting measures to reduce their risk of infections, and seeking early outpatient COVID-19 antiviral treatment.

Antiviral treatments underused in older adults But in another study published yesterday in MMWR, a team led by CDC researchers found that COVID-19 antiviral treatment remains underutilized in older adults.

The findings, based on electronic health record data on 393,390 patients aged 65 and older who received a COVID-19 diagnosis at 28 US healthcare systems, show that from April 2022 through September 2023, only 45.9% received recommended COVID-19 antivirals treatments (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, molnupiravir, monoclonal antibody, or remdesivir). The percentages were even lower among those ages 75 to 89 (43.5%) and over 90 (35.2%).

Patients aged 75 to 89 and over 90 years had 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15 to 1.19) and 1.54 (95% CI, 1.49 to 1.61) times the adjusted odds of being untreated, respectively, compared with those aged 65 to 74 years.

Although the study did not investigate the reasons why older patients didn't receive COVID-19 antiviral treatments, the researchers note that frequent self-reported reasons for nonuse of antivirals include the presence of mild signs and symptoms, lack of awareness of eligibility, and absence of a provider recommendation. Other reasons cited include delays in seeking treatment and missing the treatment window (5 to 7 days after symptom onset) and concerns about drug interactions.

Whatever the reason, the authors say improving COVID-19 antiviral use among older adults should be a public health priority, given that older age is a strong risk-factor for severe COVID-19–associated outcomes.

"In addition to vaccination and access to early sensitive diagnostics such as polymerase chain reaction testing, COVID-19 treatment should be routinely discussed with older adults with mild or moderate COVID-19," they wrote. "Public health efforts to address provider hesitancy and patient knowledge of COVID-19 antivirals and to eliminate barriers to COVID-19 diagnostics and treatment are needed, especially among older adults."

Studies referenced: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7339a3.htm?s_cid=mm7339a3_w www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7339a2.htm?s_cid=mm7339a2_w

[suzy-queued]

Fic Writers Year-End Wrap-Up

Thank you for the tag, @energievie @sam-loves-seb and @mybrainismelted

1. How many words have you written this year? About 135,000

2. How many works did you publish this year? 6, not counting Out of Nowhere which was complete in January. (That's a 2023 story)

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? Workhouse Rock, my multi-chap prison/work camp story.

4. What work of yours has the most hits? From 2024? Workhouse Rock.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? A Song Only You Can Hear. I figured this AUgust series would get a few eyes on it (I know it's hard as a reader to stick with 31 days of consecutive installments). But a lot of people read it!

6. Favorite title you used. No Sleep 'Til Nashville

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist's songs did you pull from the most? I usually use song lyrics, but I got away from that in 2024. So I guess Beastie Boys is the winner.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year? Ian and Mickey, although I did branch out and do some Stede/Ed art from Our Flag Means Death.

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? Ian and Mickey.

10. What work was the quickest to write? Coming Attraction, for the Gallavich Gift Exchange.

11. What work took you the longest to write? Workhouse Rock. It's still in progress.

12. How many WIPs do you have in your docs for next year? The Big Bang story and Big Bang art.

13. What's your longest work of the year? Workhouse Rock, 61,041 words

14. What's your shortest work of the year? Coming Attraction, 3052 words

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you? Workhouse Rock, plus my drabble series The Lord and the Footman.

16. What's your most common "Additional Tags" tag? Alternate Universe (which is a surprise to no one)

17. Your favorite character to write this year? Mickey. Always Mickey.

18. The character who gave you the most trouble writing this year? Maybe Marco from Workhouse Rock, because I wanted to take care to write him just right. OCs are hard to make three-dimensional and interesting.

19. What's one pairing you want to explore next year? More Gallavich, I'm sure!

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most? From this year? Probably A Song Only You Can Hear, because I re-read the entire story every day for the whole month.

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year? 946, plus I'm sure there were works from past years that got kudos in 2024.

22. Which work has the most comments? A Song Only You Can Hear

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year? Yes! I wrote Scary Sweet with @francesrose3 and Then and Now with @sam-loves-seb.

24. Did you write any gifts this year? Yes! Coming Attraction was a gift for @blue-disco-lights

25. Did you receive any gifts this year? I received Heat of the moment from @sickness-health-all-that-shit as part of the Gallavich Gift Exchange. I also got the story fruit by GrandSelfMythology, which was a gift for @deathclassic, but I am claiming it, too.

26. What's your most common category/trope? Enemies to lovers (or annoying co-workers to lovers)

27. What do you listen to while writing? Either nothing or classical music.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year? Workhouse Rock, but I'm also really excited about my Masquerade story.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? The most recent lines in WR: "Please accept my care. My rebellion. My body. These are the only gifts I can offer you in here. They have to be enough. Please let them be enough."

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year? How much fun it is to write shorter works. I still love the multi-chap format, but smaller works have their place, too. I want to do more of each.

Tagging (or just saying hi!): @gallawitchxx @crossmydna @andthatisnotfake @blue-disco-lights

Happy New Year, everyone!

[kining-the-evil]

2023 Kinktober Masterlist

It is spooky time everyone! I'm super excited, this is my first big event as a writer, and I have been putting a lot of work into it! If everything goes right, a fic will be published one a day every day this month. This a mature event, so if you can't handle please don't interact.

⁙⁙⁙⁙⁙

Day 1- Cockwarming with Sam Carpenter

Day 2- Edging with James Wilson

Day 3- Knife Play with Tara Carpenter

Day 4-Phone Sex with Billy Loomis

Day 5- Mutual Masturbation with James Wilson

Day 6- Gagged with Finnick Odair

Day 7- Marking/Hickeys with Daisy Johnson

Day 8- Uniform with Bucky Barnes

Day 9-Dumbification with Jason Dean

Day 10- CNC with Stu Macher

Day 11- Thigh Riding with Kate Bishop

Day 12- Overstimulation with Greg House

Day 13- Dirty Talk with Valkyrie

Day 14- Bondage with Natasha Romanoff

Day 15- Ruined Orgasm- Johanna Mason

Day 16- Dacryphilia with Haymitch Abernathy

Day 17- Breeding with James Wilson

Day 18- Humiliation/Degration with Katniss Everdeen

Day 19- Gun Play with Jason Dean

Day 20- Praise with Peggy Carter

Day 21- Spit with Billy Loomis

Day 22- Sex Pollin with Leo Fitz

Day 23- Somnophilia with Loki

Day 24- Car sex with Daisy Johnson

Day 25- Mirror Sex with Randy Meeks

Day 26- Lactation with Dewey Riley

Day 27- Cum Play with Scott Lang

Day 28- Purity with Chad Meeks

Day 29- Pet Play with Stu Macher

Day 30- Double Penitration with Stucky

Day 31- Dry Humping with Randy Meeks

[cityof2morrow]

Tile Blocker

Published: 9-22-2023 | Updated: 9-28-2023 SUMMARY “..not really a mod, but made to go with one of my favorite mods…” I prefer to make objects with 1-tile footprints (the number of tiles the game recognizes as “occupied” by an object) whenever possible - even if they cover multiple tiles. A major setback to this is having sims clip/walk through parts of the object during gameplay – but not anymore! Put this tile blocker down to prevent sims from walkin' where they shouldn't be walkin' – it doubles as a column and has an invisible recolor for your convenience. Place the object wherever you want to prevent sims from walking, then apply the invisible recolor (see pics below).

You may get a routing tantrum occasionally, but this wasn’t a significant issue in my testing. DETAILS Requires Basegame or higher. §1 | Build > Misc > Columns | 12 poly Some shifting/placement mods such as Object Freedom (Fway, 2023) may disable tile blockers such as The Magical Blocks of Blocking (BOBs) (Sun & Moon Star Factory, 2016) and/or the Slot Blocker (NixNivis, 2016) from obstructing a sim’s path. I couldn’t figure out if it was the mod by itself or if this happened when it is used with other mods. – BUT I figured out that COLUMNS still work as path blockers with/without shifting/placement mods. That’s why this object is cloned from a basegame column – to ensure compatibility with such mods. DOWNLOAD (choose one) from SFS | from MEGA

CREDITS Thanks: ChocolateCitySim. Sources: Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), Icons/Imagery (EA/Maxis), Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik).

[gofancyninjaworld]

The OPM Manga in 2023

By the numbers:

23 updates (most 14 days apart, shortest interval: 9 days, longest: 33 days).

662 pages (range 12 - 41 pages, mean page count: 29 pages).

Volumes published: 2 (Volumes 28 and 29). 1 bonus chapter included in Volume 28 -- Olfaction.

By the story:

Psychics and Temper Tantrums (chapters 176 - 184)

Well, the Monster Association is behind us but the fallout from it is slowly beginning to settle. Most of the heroes are now back at work and some of the consequences of a world that's increasingly scared of monster attacks are beginning to show up. The first quarter of the year was taken up with Tatsumaki's temper tantrum -- and Saitama once again daring a strong person to do their worst -- it's like he didn't learn his lesson with Garou, which disappoints me. [I love Saitama, but when brains were being handed out, he was not at the front of the queue.]

That said, even though I did not care one whit for Tatsumaki throwing Saitama around (it wasn't terrible, but really it could have been condensed into 1-2 chapters), the start of the Psychic Sisters arc was fantastic, and its ending was very interesting. I made a nuisance of myself at the start of it, pestering everyone in earshot with my excitement that Tatsumaki was taking Fubuki into her confidence to try getting Psykos out rather than trying to do everything herself.

Her complex feelings of disappointment, betrayal, and the sense that she'd made a mistake were some of the most complex and nuanced we'd seen in the story. She may be paranoid and misanthropic, but she's not crazy: there's a basis for her actions, and being knocked back just when she'd taken the risk of opening up was harsh. Unfortunately, Tatsumaki's default response is rage.. and I'm not going to waste time on recounting what happened then.

I felt pain for her here.

The end as well, expanding as it did on Tatsumaki's thoughts about how she'd accidentally woken Fubuki's psychic powers by scaring her so badly and the guilt she felt at having made her sister a target, was great. Her feelings about Blast are great, as this is the first time we get what she actually thinks of him. I still want her to learn that Blast doesn't work alone -- it'll blow her mind. The session ending with her giving the Fubuki group a chance to grow stronger and prove themselves is a fantastic development.

Even when she's giving someone a chance she still has to be scary.

Schemes (chapters 184, 187 - 191)

I really love how seamlessly the Psychic Sister arc flows into the next big theme: that of schemes and threats to the Hero Association's future. ONE has done a lot of work reworking the webcomic story so that the storyline is a coherent whole rather than two-three apparently unrelated storylines. Fubuki taking advantage of the chaotic aftermath to extract Psykos while securing immunity for her sister, and Tatsumaki brazenly using the HA's need to keep the rich clients sweet to scupper an investigation into Psykos's whereabouts was all clever. However, they're just amateurs and their antics played beautifully into McCoy's hands, who leveraged the crisis to make himself appear indispensible to the HA, thus making it very hard for him to be removed, even as he works to implicate the Hero Association in scandals (many of which he's running).

You can't call McCoy hasty: this guy has played a good long game.

The Hero Association is already having issues recruiting new heroes as they're going to Neo Heroes, which is also pinching existing heroes. However, it's not 100% going McCoy's way. Something I started praising in my review of chapter 173 is the greater self-efficacy of the characters in the manga. Sekingar and Sicchi haven't just been sitting on their hands watching McCoy sell the HA down the river. They've teamed up with Child Emperor to find out what he's really up to.

I think that this is the best cover of 2023: a collection of individuals who embody heroism, whether or not they're recognised as such or work in 'regular' ways. Well, there's one impostor…

Critically, they're not assuming that the Neo Heroes are necessarily evil: they want to understand what this outfit is actually doing. After all, heroism is heroism, no matter what guise it takes. To see that Sekingar has so earned Metal Bat's respect that the latter follows him into the heart of danger did my heart good [1].

Please, my poor heart, it'll burst if things get much more awesome.

Ninjas, Ninnies, Nintendos (193 - 199, ongoing)

That Blast has some connection to the ninjas from Sonic's Ninja Village has been clear for a long time in the webcomic. [2] However, it is only here in the manga that we're getting a full explanation of what that connection is.

Yes, yes, my partner may be a monster but he's a useful monster.

The intertwined story of Blast and his attempts to reach his former partner, Empty Void, who was also running a horrifying 'school' for grooming boys into assassins, and that of Flashy Flash and Speed o' Sound Sonic isn't done yet, but it looks to be reaching at least one turning point. It's a pity that the fan translators stopped translating the cover text because that for chapter 199 was incredibly pertinent: 'Staring at the back of a friend you used to stand shoulder to shoulder with.' Sonic has so much to process.

And like that, Sonic's world has been turned upside down.

Since Blast has an ongoing relationship with Empty Void, we get troubling questions as to how long Blast had known about the Village and whether he disapproved, or had been content to ignore it as long as he had his partner by his side and found his talents indispensible. It's going to be interesting when those two meet! Also, if Blast is hoping to reverse Empty Void's monsterization, he'd better hope that the guy isn't like most people who became monsters. Most ex-human monsters *want* to be that way and there doesn't seem to be a good way to undo it. Well, maybe if you chop them up, have Phoenixman (oops, he seems to have lost his powers) resurrect them, then shock them incredibly hard, that might work. It's unlikely that anyone present can deduce what happened to Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame, much less put all the working parts of that together.

Still, they're going to try. This *is* going to be interesting. Also, potentially heartbreaking.

Reappearances

Genos: the disciple returns to his duty

Unlike the webcomic, Genos has not been completely absent. He's been quite busy: helping Saitama recover their apartment, meeting the Hero Association to discuss important matters, and also, hanging out with Saitama as a friend rather than as a disciple. It's been fun to see that he's finally ditched his flip phone for a smart one, heheh.

Nevertheless, it's not until Dr Kuseno finishes his new upgrade that Genos sets foot in Saitama's house, formally reporting for duty, so to speak. I praise Saitama's self-discipline and good sense in not breaking eye contact and in politely ignoring his disciple's new-found exhibitionism until he had the sense to put a shirt on [3].

Less positive, it's been painful to see that Genos is frustrated at how he doesn't seem to have grasped the kind of growth he's looking for and is unsure whether Saitama truly sees him. It's not been helped by Saitama trying to reassure him, pulling his best 'Reigen' face and instead made everything worse. There are two interesting shames, which will surely be built on at some point. 1: We see Saitama seeing Genos's strength but he doesn't say anything. 2: Genos is right that the strength that comes from within is different from that granted to one by upgrades. We see in another chapter from Nichirin, that having artificial parts is no hindrance to pulling out that great inner strength. The funny thing is that Genos has shown that kind of strength before, when he was fighting Elder Centipede, but he doesn't know it.

Ah, despite everything, those fools are no better at speaking to each other than they were before! It'd be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.

Rarely have the words 'open your mouth and solve your problems' been more apposite. Sadly, that's exactly what they don't do.

Garou: the other disciple tries to learn duty

Now this really threw a lot of fans for a loop -- ONE making clear that he's aware of how young Garou actually is. It was very easy to read Garou as a guy in his early twenties, but strip away the pretensions and he's really young. His over-simple understanding of what was wrong with the world and his over-large sense of responsibility to fix it are thoughts of a teen. It's just a good thing that teenagers don't have world-shattering power, and so can be extreme and wrong without hurting anyone. But it has really jarred with a lot of fans.

I may be giving Bang the side eye as he implements his idea of reformation (apparently, it involves hitting Garou over the head often), but the sense of lightness Garou feels at having a reliable mentor, the relief he undoubtedly feels at having a way to work his crimes off -- being a social outcast may seem cool in a 'reject-the-corrupt-world' way but it gets old fast -- and being able to contribute meaningfully to the dojo's re-establishment is palpable.

His life is sure to start sucking again soon, but for now, it's a joy to see him.

Let him gambol for now. Go Garou!

King: ugh

Sorry, King just irritates me some days and this was one of them. Not because he was running around trying to find someone who could help him: that was fine. But because, unlike the webcomic, once Saitama told him to work out, he's continuing to stick around and play videogames. In a world where everyone is trying their best to make sense of their world and help themselves in some way, however imperfect, the sight of this poster child for mediocre white men overpromoted for looking the part continuing to laze about just pisses me off.

Let him start helping himself and I will praise him.

He's been told what to do but he's not doing it.

GAY!

This year, ONE said: here, my children, I have brought you a pint of homo milk. Drink. What else are we to make of Fubuki triumphantly cradling Psykos as she makes a clean getaway?

This has to be the smuggest 'got the girl' face I've ever seen.

Or Blast continuing to call Empty Void his partner, despite everything that the guy has done, including turning into a monster? He wants him back so badly, and though he says it's strictly professional interest, we think the man doth protest too much.

And then whatever's going on with these two:

Flashy Flash, you ain't got no business calling Blast soft when you're handing Sonic tissues and smiling at him.

Fandom Follies

Do we need to do this? Yup! This year, we discovered that a lot of dudebros who have been against the idea of romance in OPM have just been shippers afraid to come out and own it. The sheer number of Saitama x Tatsumaki fans has been incredible. Nothing wrong with SaiTatsu but the obnoxiousness of fans new to shipping has been hard to tolerate. Learn some manners, folks!

Asides

[1] I think this is great foreshadowing of something Forte says later in the webcomic to paraphrase, risking your life for another hero is something you do as a favour for a friend, not because someone's declared themselves the boss of you and ordered it. It's nice to see Sekingar embodying that ideal.

[2] It's hard to believe it, but to this day (chapter 149), Blast is not yet seen in the webcomic. At this rate, he'll show up at the very end to get jobbed by God (no ID), but not before giving an over-long exposition about what he's been up to. That is, if he's not already dead, only nobody knows yet.

[3] I can see SaiGenos shippers worried that my saying that it's good that Saitama isn't taking Genos up on his obvious attraction means that I might be disapproving of the ship. That is not the case. I'm going to assume that most of us here are old enough to vote, enter into contracts, and pay taxes and so can think of things with nuance and context. A fandom that needs the reassurance of canon to decide what's permissible is a weak, timid, and pallid imitation of one, and one I want no part of. For certain, we're here to discuss the story as it exists, but please, we're also here to consider and explore scenarios and make works that cannot and often should not exist in the canon because they are FUN. Even more pertinent, ONE is on record as LOVING that fans spend their time and creativity doing things with his stories. So please, don't allow any in-universe discussions on what is helpful or unhelpful in the story affect what you draw and write! PLEASE SHIP! Gimme!

[mpchev]

You like reading fanfics? How about reading about fanfics? 😏

Here’s what I've read so far (or am currently getting through) for my dissertation on fanfiction bookbinding! I'll be updating it as I go until the end of July. If you have any recs to add to the towering pile or any questions/opinions about something on there, I’m all ears!

on fan studies & ficbinding ✔

Alexander, Julia, ‘Making fanfiction beautiful enough for a bookshelf’, The Verge, 9 March 2021 <https://www.theverge.com/22311788/fanfiction-bookbinding-tiktok-diy-star-wars-harry-potter-twitter-fandom> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Buchsbaum, Shira Belén, ‘Binding fan fiction and reexamining book production models’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Dym, Brianna, and Casey Fiesler, ‘Ethical and privacy considerations for research using online fandom data’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Jenkins, Henry, Textual Pochers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (New York: Routeledge, 1992)

Jenkins, Henry, ‘Transmedia Storytelling 101’, Pop Junctions, 21 March 2007 <http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html#sthash.gSETwxQX.dpuf> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Hellekson, Karen, ‘Making Use Of: The Gift, Commerce, and Fans’, Cinema Journal, 54, no. 3 (2015), 125–131

Kennedy, Kimberly, ‘Fan binding as a method of fan work preservation’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Minkel, Elizabeth, ‘Before “Fans,” There Were “Kranks,” “Longhairs,” and “Lions”: How Do Fandom Gain Their Names?’, Atlas Obscura, 30 May 2024 <https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fandom-names> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Penley, Constance, Nasa / Trek: Popular Science and Sex in America (London: Verso, 1997)

Price, Ludi, ‘Fanfiction, Self-Publishing, and the Materiality of the Book: A Fan Writer’s Autoethnography’, Humanities, 11, no. 100 (2022), 1–20

Schiller, Melanie, ‘Transmedia Storytelling: New Practices and Audiences’, in Stories: Screen Narrative in the Digital Era, ed. by Ian Christie and Annie van den Oever (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018), 99–107

on folklore, the internet, other background reading ✔

Barthes, Roland, ‘La mort de l’auteur’ in Le Bruissement de la langue: Essais critiques IV (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1984)

Blank, Trevor J., Folklore and the Internet: Vernacular Expression in a Digital World (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2009)

Mauss, Marcel, ‘Essai sur le don. Forme et raison de l’échange dans les sociétés archaïques.’, L’année sociologique, 1923–1924; digital edition by Jean-Marie Tremblay, Les classiques des sciences sociales, 17 February 2002, <http://classiques.uqac.ca/classiques/mauss_marcel/socio_et_anthropo/2_essai_sur_le_don/essai_sur_le_don.html> [accessed 10 June 2024]

McCulloch, Gretchen, Because Internet: Understanding How Language is Changing (Random House, 2019)

Niles, John D., Homo Narrans: The Poetics and Anthropology of Oral Literature (University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1999)

hopefully coming up next (haven't started yet)

A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, ed. by Paul Booth (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018)

A Fan Studies Primer: Method, Research, Ethics, ed. by Paul Booth and Rebecca Williams (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2021)

Dietz, Laura, ‘Showing the scars: A short case study of de-enhancement of hypertext works for circulation via fan binding or Kindle Direct Publishing’, 34th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT ‘23), September 4–8, 2023, Rome Italy (ACM: New York, 2023)

Fathallah, Judith May, Fanfiction and the Author: How Fanfic Changes Popular Cultural Texts (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2017)

Finn, Kavita Mudan, and Jessica McCall, ‘Exit, pursued by a fan: Shakespeare, Fandom, and the Lure of the Alternate Universe’, Critical Survey, 28, no. 2 (2016), 27–38

Hjorth, Larissa et al., eds. The Routledge Companion to Digital Ethnography (New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2017)

Jacobs, Naomi, and JSA Lowe, ‘The Design of Printed Fanfiction: A Case Study of Down to Agincourt Fanbinding’, Proceedings from the Document Academy, 9, issue 1, article 5

Jenkins, Henry, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York: New York University Press, 2006)

Jenkins, Henry, Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning In A Networked Culture (New York: New York University Press, 2013)

Kennedy, Kimberly, and Shira Buchsbaum, ‘Reframing Monetization: Compensatory Practices and Generating a Hybrid Economy in Fanbinding Commissions’, Humanities, 11, no. 67 (2022), 1–18

Kirby, Abby, ‘Examining Collaborative Fanfiction: New Practices in Hyperdiegesis and Poaching’, Humanities, 11, no. 87 (2002), 1–9

Kustritz, Anne, Identity, Community, and Sexuality in Slash Fan Fiction (New Work: Routeledge, 2024)

Lamerichs, Nicolle, Productive Fandom: Intermediality and Affecive Reception in Fan Cultures, (Amsterdam: Amsterdam Universtiy Press, 2018)

Popova, Milena, ‘Follow the trope: A digital (auto)ethnography for fan studies’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Rosenblatt, Betsy, and Rebecca Tushnet, ‘Transformative Works: Young Women’s Voices on Fandom and Fair Use’, in eGirls, eCitizens: Putting Technology, Theory and Policy into Dialogue with Girls’ and Young Women’s Voices, ed. by Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves

Soller, Bettina, ‘Filing off the Serial Numbers: Fanfiction and its Adaptation to the Book Market’, in Adaptation in the Age of Media Convergence, ed. by Johannes Fehrle, Werner Schäfke-Zell (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019), 58–85

[yumemiru12]

Liella BRODY magazine Interview February 2025 Issue

[This interview was published on BRODY's magazine, released Dec 3, 2024.]

Thank you so much @Xeraeulius for providing the full interview pages!

Liella! From Love Live! Superstar!!

Yuina x Suzuhara Nozomi x Misaki Nako x Sakakura Sakura

“Let our singing voice shine, let our feelings connect.”

Yuina as Wien Margarete

“I think the biggest sign of her growth is how much more she smiles from the bottom of her heart now.”

[PROFILE] Yuina = Born on September 27, from Kanagawa Prefecture. She voiced Wien Margarete in the second season of the anime Love Live! Superstar!!, which aired in 2022. On April 28, 2023, she officially joined Liella! as a 3rd-generation member.

Sakakura Sakura as Onitsuka Tomari

“Tomari is the kind of girl whose overwhelming love makes things complicated. I can relate because I also tend to say things that contradict my true feelings to my family precisely because I care about them, so I felt a connection with her.”

[PROFILE] Sakakura Sakura = Born on April 3, from Saitama Prefecture. After passing the 3rd-generation public audition, which was announced after the broadcast of the second season, she joined the school idol group Liella! from Love Live! Superstar!!.

Suzuhara Nozomi as Sakurakouji Kinako

"At first, after joining Liella!, she was working hard to catch up with her seniors, but with the addition of cute juniors, I felt like something started to blossom within Kinako-chan's heart."

[PROFILE] Suzuhara Nozomi = Born on November 1, from Miyazaki Prefecture. She made her voice-acting debut as Kinako Sakurakouji in Love Live! Superstar!!. Her first photobook (published by KADOKAWA) is scheduled for release on February 12, 2025.

Misaki Nako as Arashi Chisato

"No matter how much we practice the choreography for the songs, in the end, we align ourselves with how the members are shown singing and dancing."

[PROFILE] Misaki Nako = Born on March 8, from Hyogo Prefecture. Her notable works include Love Live! Superstar!! (as Chisato Arashi) and the mobile game Nobunaga's Ambition: Hadou (as Midoriya Yoshino), among others. She is actively involved in live performances, events, and radio programs.

[INFO] The Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 6th LoveLive! Tour Let's be ONE will be held from March to June 2025! Starting at Tokyo's National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium, the tour will feature two-day performances in five cities across Japan. Blu-ray releases of the third season of the TV anime and a new single, scheduled for release from December 25 to March 2025, will include priority lottery application tickets for the tour. For more details, check the official website.

A Meeting We Had Been Waiting For

— Yuina-san and Sakakura-san had already been active as part of Liella! through live performances and other activities, but at the time when the third season of the TV anime started, Margarete and Onitsuka Tomari had not yet joined Liella!, right? In fact, for Tomari, we had only just gotten to see her moving in the anime.

Sakakura: That's right. Margarete-chan had already appeared in the second season of the TV anime, but for Tomari, this was her very first appearance. So, the opening was the first time I got to see her smiling while singing, and it was really touching.

Even though I had already performed on stage many times as Liella!, there were times when I wasn't sure what kind of expressions I should have while performing, but I kept doing my best. That’s why I was so happy to finally see that this is how Tomari smiles and sings.

Yuina: I had been really looking forward to this as well. In the second season of the TV anime, Margarete-chan was more like a solo competitor facing off against Liella!, so we never got to see her singing as a member of the group.

When she was solo, there weren’t any scenes where she gave a big smile; she was always a cool and composed character. That’s why seeing Margarete-chan naturally smiling while interacting with everyone in the opening and ending really left an impression on me. I thought, “Wow, she has this kind of side to her too!”

— The facial expressions of the members in the TV anime are something you pay close attention to, right?

Misaki: No matter how much we practice the choreography for the songs, in the end, we align ourselves with how the members are shown singing and dancing. Things like, “They winked here, right?” or “They smiled at each other here, didn’t they?” Those details become really important.

That’s why I’m happy that from now on, we can align ourselves with the members even more closely.

Suzuhara: That's right. In the ending theme song “DAISUKI FULL POWER”, there's a dance where each member strikes a pose one by one. I remember talking with Aya (Emori Aya, who plays Onitsuka Natsumi) about how we should do it.

So the moment we saw the footage, we were like, Oh, this is how it's done! And of course, they make that kind of expression! We kept talking about it the whole time (laughs).

— In the third season of the TV anime, Shibuya Kanon (CV: Date Sayuri) temporarily left Liella! to form a group with Margarete and Tomari called Tomakanote, where they challenged and improved each other. How did the members you portray grow throughout the story? First, how did Kinako Sakurakouji develop?

Suzuhara: In episode 10, there was an episode where we could really see Kinako-chan’s growth. Hazuki Ren-chan (CV: Aoyama Nagisa) asked Kinako to become the student council president. At first, she ran away from it, but later, after talking with Margarete-chan, she decided that she actually wanted to take on the role.

I don’t think Kinako-chan before entering Yuigaoka would have been able to make that decision. At first, after joining Liella!, she was working hard to catch up with her seniors, but with the addition of cute juniors, I felt like something started to blossom within her heart. I think that’s where she really grew.

Misaki: The scene that follows with "Egao no Promise" is really great, so I definitely recommend watching it! Also, I want everyone to see the scene where Kinako-chan sings while drawing.

You kept singing during the recording too, right?

Suzuhara: There's a scene where Kinako is working on songwriting and sings alone, and I received a lot of vocal guides for it, so I ended up singing a lot (laughs).

So, please pay attention to that part as well!

— How about Arashi Chisato?

Misaki: She has become more mature and has grown a lot, but at the same time, I feel like she might have become a bit more childlike as well. I think that's probably because the second-year members have become more reliable, which has allowed Chii-chan to show more of her true self and even express her selfish side.

Seeing that side of her peek through makes me really happy.

— She’s a dependable senior, after all.

Misaki: Because she’s so reliable, I wish she would rely on others more and become someone who can open up about her weaknesses.

She doesn’t have to do it with everyone, but I think the fact that she was able to say “I feel lonely” to Kanon-chan was a sign of her own growth.

— How about Margarete?

Yuina: In the second season of the TV anime, I love how she had such a strong side—she love singing, pursued her dreams with unwavering determination, and never gave up once she set her mind on something. That part of her remained in the third season, and I thought it was wonderful.

As for what changed, I was happy to see her enjoying conversations with others after meeting Liella!. In the flashbacks to her childhood, she was often alone, spending time with stuffed animals, so I think the biggest sign of her growth is how much more she smiles from the bottom of her heart now.

— It seems like Tomari changed the most. Sakakura: That's right. Tomari was someone who wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t profitable, and at first, she used to argue with Aneja (Natsumi). But in episode 8, they reconciled.

From that point on, she gradually became more honest and expressive about her feelings, and I think that’s where she grew as a person. Initially, she questioned why people would engage in school idols when it wasn’t profitable, but as she gained stage experience, she came to understand the joy and the irreplaceable value that can’t be measured by profit.

I think the biggest sign of her growth was discovering her desire to continue as a school idol.

— How was the recording for the reconciliation scene with Aya Emori (episode 8), with whom you are usually close?

Sakakura: Tomari is the kind of girl whose deep love for others can sometimes make things complicated. I think I can relate to that because I also tend to say things that don’t directly show my true feelings to my family precisely because I care about them.*

For this scene, it felt like I was expressing my genuine feelings of affection toward Aya-chan just as they are. Aya-chan also told me that she put her feelings for Sakura (Sakakura) into her voice, so I felt there was a strong connection between the cast and the characters.

That being said, their sibling relationship is just so precious (laughs).

*TL NOTE: In Tomari’s case, the idea is that she loves deeply but doesn't know how to express it well, which leads to misunderstandings or tension in her relationships—particularly with Natsumi. Sakura is saying that she can relate to this tendency because she sometimes acts the same way with her own family.

PAGE 2

— All of the insert songs were amazing, but is there one that you would call the standout song?

Misaki: The one song where even we didn't know what kind of performance it would turn out to be was "Dazzling Game."

Sakakura: That song plays right during the Onitsuka sisters' reconciliation episode, doesn't it?

Misaki: Yes! It's a song where Liella! and Tomakanote go head-to-head, and since the song "Zettaiteki LOVER" that they sang earlier in Shanghai was super cute, it made us wonder, How is this going to fit in? (laughs).

It’s a song that unlike anything Liella! has done before.

Sakakura: This song serves as the turning point where Liella! and Tomakanote come together. That’s why the representative members from each group collaborated on writing the lyrics and composing the song. I feel like it combines Liella!'s cute style with the stronger, more assertive elements that Margarete and Tomari bring to the table.

Yuina: It’s not that they dislike or are outright opposing each other—it’s more like because they care about each other, tension arises. So rather than aiming to bring the other down, I think the song conveys their desire to become one. But at the same time, there was a part of them that couldn’t quite accept it yet, which is why they felt the need to have a proper showdown first.

Misaki: The idea that Kanon-chan had from the beginning—of pushing each other to improve and returning as 11 members—is fully embodied in "Dazzling Game." The song incorporates both the battle and the reconciliation within it.

The Miracle of Soap Bubbles

— Now, stepping away from the TV anime, I’d like to ask about your memories as Liella!. Are there any particularly memorable moments?

Yuina: I had already participated in the 3rd Live Tour as Margarete, but not as a part of Liella!, so in terms of working as a group, I was the same with Saku.

Before officially joining Liella!, we had been taking lessons together, so I actually met Saku before meeting the rest of Liella!. I was so hyped, wondering what kind of person would be joining, that I think I ended up approaching it with a super ‘Yay!’ kind of energy... I did, didn’t I?

Sakakura: No, but compared to now, you were way more reserved.

Suzuhara: If you had come in with your usual energy, I would have been really surprised (laughs).

Misaki: Saku-chan, how did you feel?

Sakakura: I wasn’t told that I’d be meeting Yuina, so I just went in thinking it was a regular meeting. Then they suddenly told me, “Yuina’s in the next room, let’s go.” I wasn’t mentally prepared, so I panicked a bit, but Yuina approached me in her usual cheerful way and started talking.

Yuina: We actually ended up having a pretty good conversation, didn’t we?

— So, that was when you met the rest of the Liella! cast. The footage from that moment was even shown during the release event for the Season 3 OP & ED theme songs, right?

Misaki: Saku-chan was super nervous.

Yuina: Since I already knew everyone in Liella!, I thought it would be nice if I could help bridge the gap. But Saku's social skills were so good that she was already chatting away with everyone in no time, and I was like, Wait, I’m not even needed here! (laughs).

All: No way! (laughs)

Yuina: The most memorable thing was when we were talking about how Saku had been a fan of Liella! even before joining, we asked her, "What did you originally call everyone?" She was like, "Sayurin, Nako-chan, Emorin, Kuma-chan..." but when it came to me, she said, "Yuina-san!"

(Everyone bursts into laughter.)

Yuina: I was like, "Am I the most distant one?"

Suzuhara: (laughs) That really stuck with me.

Yuina: Even though I was supposed to be the closest one to her, I was like, huh?

Sakura: When I was a fan, Margarete-chan felt like an unattainable flower, with this cool and distant aura (laughs). But now, that image is completely gone.

Misaki: And you know, Saku-chan, I was the one who brought you here, right?

— Oh, really?

Sakakura: During the 3rd Live Tour (Miyagi Day 2, in “Dreaming Energy”), Nako-chan was the one who showered me with soap bubbles.

Misaki: Our eyes met back then.

Yuina: You remember that?

Misaki: Yeah. I didn’t realize it was Saku-chan at the time, but I do remember seeing a girl there, and I was like, “Ah!” So I was the one who brought her in! That’s why when Saku-chan mentioned this story, I was like, “Yay!”

— Lastly, please tell us something you’d like everyone to look forward to.

Sakakura: The biggest thing is the "Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 6th LoveLive! Tour ～Let's be ONE～", which starts in March 2025. This tour carries the weight of the Season 3 anime, and since it’s my first time performing with the anime behind me, I really hope everyone will come and see it. We’ll be giving it our all!

Misaki: I’m looking forward to seeing how Tomari-chan and Saku-chan synchronize, and also seeing Margarete-chan smiling, as well as Yuina’s smile syncing up with hers.

Suzuhara: The 3rd Live Tour was a performance that carried the weight of the TV anime's second season, and it was such an incredible experience! Kinako-chan was right behind me, and being able to perform like that made me really happy.

Now that we'll be able to do it with all 11 members, I can't help but smile when I think about the 6th Live Tour, and I can't wait for it!

Yuina: I'm already imagining how it will feel like we're stepping into the world of the TV anime ourselves. From the costumes to the stage production, I'm excited about everything!

Misaki: I think the 6th Live Tour will be a huge milestone for both us and the members. As we've talked about many times, one of the most wonderful aspects of the Love Live! series is the synchronization between the members and the cast. I believe the true charm lies in how we inspire and elevate each other.

I hope we can create a show that welcomes everyone into Yuigaoka and captivates them at the same time. During the gap between the second and third seasons of the TV anime, we've been working hard to grow just as much as the characters, and we can't wait to show that in our performance.

Be sure to come and see it!

[blackyote]

Belated 2024 ao3 wrapped (that I actually typed up a couple days ago).

How many words have you written this year?

61,554! Over twice as many as I wrote in 2022, holy cow! (I don't have the tally for 2023.)

2. How many works did you publish this year?

16

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Might be recency bias, but I want to say "Forget Me Not." It was a real labor of love for me to write that long of a one-shot, and I'm happy with it start to finish :)

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

"and we'll have a spring wedding" with 7,240 hits. I'm a bit surprised because I thought it would be "Seeing Ghosts."

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

"Forget Me Not" got so many really really sweet comments from people who say they loved it T.T I didn't expect that kind of response.

6. Favorite title you used

"Ice Ice Baby" is so silly I have to love it. That's also the fic that took the longest for me to name lol

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist's songs did you pull from the most?

Only used three song lyrics and they were each from a different artist.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Lulawlu

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Also lulawlu. Hyperfixation go brrr.

10. What work was the quickest to write?

Hmm either "To Be Free" or "Have a Heart," which I think I wrote the bulk of in a sitting.

11. What work took you the longest to write?

"Ice Ice Baby" took me over two months which is a long time for me.

12. How many WIP's do you have in your docs for next year?

I have notes for Match My Freak and notes for my daemon AU.

13. What's your longest work of the year?

"Match My Freak" is at 12,771 words so far.

14. What's your shortest work of the year?

"To Be Free" at 810 words.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

"Match My Freak" because it will hopefully have another two or three chapters.

16. What's your most common "Additional Tags" tag?

Idk I don't think there was a ton of overlap.

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

Law. Love me a wet cat.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Luffy was tricky at first but I'm more comfortable writing him now. I wrote Doflamingo in one (1) scene and was sweatin' cuz I didn't want him to feel ooc.

19. What's one pairing you want to explore next year?

Idk really, we'll see where inspo takes me!

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

Naturally, I reread chunks of "Forget Me Not" and "Ice Ice Baby" just cuz of their length and how long it took to complete them.

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

Obviously I'm tallying these a little late but, including January thus far, 6,446 kudos :)

22. Which work has the most comments?

"Match My Freak" has 55 comment threads (multi-chapter privilege).

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

A number of my fics were based on pre-existing art, but I'm not sure that counts? "Forget Me Not" was a collab, though, because @sen-ya did art for the piece while I was writing it.

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

No, but there are a few I probably should've marked as gifts if I'd been thinking about it :x

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

Second Wheel by disco_girl on my birthday :)

26. What's your most common category?

G then T

27. What do you listen to while writing?

(copy and pasting this answer) I can't really listen to music while writing. It's too distracting for me. But I like writing at coffee shops and stuff where there's background chatter.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

"Forget Me Not" but I really like "Hats Off" too!

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

I didn't sit with this question long but I like this bit from "Seeing Ghosts":

Sanji was used to watching his step this early in the morning, before the sun rose and properly dried the planks still slick with condensation, but even the black leg couldn’t get it right every time. On the fourth step, the heel of his dress shoe slips from underneath him, sliding past the edge and hitting air. Arms flailing, he tries to catch his balance, but the overcorrection makes his other foot lose purchase beneath him—he’s going down. He prepares to catch himself with the palm of a hand, expecting at worst a bruised tailbone, but before he lands, Sanji feels a violent tug at his collar. Someone’s grabbing his suit jacket from behind.

And this from "It Takes a Village":

He slipped out, feeling proud of his work. And just in time, too, as Law returned to the Polar Tang just minutes later. The sun had brought some color back to his face, but he still looked tired and vacant, discussing logistics only briefly with Bepo before making his way down the corridor.

When he opened the door to his room, Law stopped dead in his tracks, taking a second to recognize the bright, tidily done space as the sad mess he had left behind. It didn't even smell the same: spice and citrus and clean linens met his nose when he breathed. He scanned his room once, twice, noting the books all in their place, the cleared floor, the meticulously made bed. In a daze, he drifted to his desk and sat in front of the meal left for him.

The love he felt for his brothers—the love they evidently felt for him—washed over him like a hug.

He hid his face and cried.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

Finding out that I CAN write longer fics, even if it doesn't always come easily to me. Also, all the wonderful people I've met in the One Piece fandom!