#2023 murder stats

[tomorrowusa]

News you won't find on Fox News or other far right outlets.

Official crime statistics are only released after a substantial delay, so for nearly a decade I’ve collected and compiled big-city crime data as a way to assemble a more real-time picture of national murder trends. And this spring, I’ve found something that I’ve never seen before and that probably has not happened in decades: strong evidence of a sharp and broad decline in the nation’s murder rate. The United States may be experiencing one of the largest annual percent changes in murder ever recorded, according to my preliminary data. It is still early in the year and the trend could change over the second half of the year, but data from a sufficiently large sample of big cities have typically been a good predictor of the year-end national change in murder, even after only five months.

It's in the interests of extremist Republicans to get white people in particular to think that out of control minorities are out to murder them. So when crime goes down, the GOP ramps up other things like culture war issues.

Murder is down about 12 percent year-to-date in more than 90 cities that have released data for 2023, compared with data as of the same date in 2022. Big cities tend to slightly amplify the national trend—a 5 percent decline in murder rates in big cities would likely translate to a smaller decline nationally. But even so, the drop shown in the preliminary data is astonishing.

True, there is still the sensational murder here or there which will get a disproportionate amount of coverage. But murder rates across the board are down notably.

[T]he good news is, well, good. Murder is down 13 percent in New York City, and shootings are down 25 percent, relative to last year as of late May. Murder is down more than 20 percent in Los Angeles, Houston, and Philadelphia. And, most significantly, murder is down 30 percent—30 percent!—or more in Jackson, Mississippi; Atlanta, Georgia; Little Rock, Arkansas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and others.

The last significant drop in crime took place in the 1990s during the Clinton administration.

The cause of the Great Crime Decline of the 1990s, when murder fell 37 percent over six years, is still not fully understood, so any explanations of the current trend must remain in the hypothesis phase for now.

I hate to rub it in, but there seems to be at least a modest correlation. In the 1970s and 1980s when 16 of those 20 years were under Republican administrations, the crime rate in the US soared. The crime decline of the 1990s and the current murder nosedive are under Democratic administrations.

The current dip is despite the number of police officers being the same or just slightly down.

Murder is down in Chicago, New Orleans, and New York, for example, but Chicago’s number of police officers is virtually unchanged from last summer, while New Orleans’s is down more than 8 percent and New York has roughly 2 percent fewer officers. The end of the emergency phase of the coronavirus pandemic may also be contributing to the decline in murder.

The murder rate went up during the COVID-19 emergency. Perhaps that's another result of Donald Trump's botched handling of the pandemic.

It's been finally dawning on people that Republicans aren't great for the economy. Eventually it may also become conventional wisdom that the GOP is bad for public safety.

When the de facto leader of the Republican Party is an indicted lying crook with the mindset of a petty mobster, that sends a message to American society that such behavior is acceptable. No wonder criminal behavior is down since Trump's departure from office.

No honest person can call the GOP the party of "law and order" any more.

[eirianerisdar]

Simon: [Lewis] has had a 17-year career in F1 now.

Nico Rosberg: Can you believe the skill?! Such a long career and he's only been off six times!

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[respectthepetty]

Reading the (Visual) Rainbow Awards

Now that 2023 is officially wrapped up, I'm delivering awards to the QLs that gave the best visual narratives in 2023. In order to be considered for these awards, the series 1) had to air during 2023, and 2) had to finish airing by December 31, so out of the 108 BLs I watched this year, 14 are still ongoing and cannot be considered for these awards. Out of the remaining 94 QLs, 67 had some degree of consistent color coding.

*If a show is mentioned with an asterisk, it means the show was not considered in the nominations for not meeting the required criteria.

But before I begin the award ceremony, I must stay on brand and deliver one award for my namesake.

Petty Award: Only Friends & I Feel You Linger in the Air

This award goes to a show or shows that had great visual narratives but I refuse to write about it because I'm petty. Cinematographers Rath and Jim never fail, and they both delivered beautiful visuals in their shows, but these series know what they did to me, so now we got beef. Cutie Pie and Bad Buddy finally broke out of Petty Prison this year, so Only Friends and I Feel You Linger in the Air now join I Told Sunset About You behind bars for making me want to fight them in the parking lot of a Texas Chicken.

Now for the ceremony to begin!

Stats Awards [These awards are based solely on numbers]

Most Popular: Blue Boy

This award goes to the color that was most popular in a pair, number-wise. The stats: A Blue Boy was part of a color-coded pair 26 times this year. The next color-coded boy was a Black Brooder who was a part of 15 pairs.

The Best Blue Boy was Bed Friend's King. He is actually bi-colored with blue and black, so he represents both of the most popular color-coded boys well. He was loyal, dependable, sensitive, and a little arrogant, but always sincere, which made him a King among men, and he truly deserves the title of "Best Color-Coded Boy of the Year."

Most Popular Pair: Light x Dark

This award goes to the color-coded pair who were used the most in the year, number-wise. The stats: The Black x White dynamic was consistently used for 9 couples, and the Happy Human (Multicolored Menace) x Brooding Boy dynamic was used 3 times. A Yellow/Orange Oddity x Blue Boy pair was used for 7 couples, a Green Guy x Blue Boy were used for 6 couples, and Red Rascal x Blue Boy were used for 6 couples as well.

The Best Light x Dark Couple: Tew x Guy from My Dear Gangster Oppa perfectly represent what makes this color dynamic work. Tew was an actual gangster who murdered people and only wore black, while Guy was an innocent college student who only wore white, yet they both ended up owning a bar on a beach and wearing stripes of the other's color to show that everyone needs to find a balance within himself and his relationship.

The Outlier: Star Struck

This award goes to a series that delivered a colored-coded pair that no other series did. Korean drama Star Struck gave us the ONLY Black Brooder x Red Rascal pair of the year. The leads were color coded as children into adulthood, and the show included color-coded accessories and a color exchange.

Visual Rhetoric Awards

Best Boundary/Barrier/Bars - My School President

This award goes to a series that best displayed an internal conflict with a physical barrier between the two leads. My School President did this several times and each time was different, but throughout the sixth episode, as the boys recreated the music video for Tilly Birds' "Just Being Friendly," the line between friends and boyfriends was clearly represented. Both boys struggled with their feelings and the physical barriers were there as a reminder that one of them would have to cross the line in order to move forward. However, when Blue Boy Tinn finally did, it was after confirmation that Red Rascal Gun felt the same, and it was a gentle move which was true to his character and the high school context.

Best Balance - Between Us

This award goes to a series that best used the scene to outline the balanced dynamic between the leads. My Beautiful Man 2 did a fantastic job of slowly showing Hira and Kiyoi's evolving power dynamic by Hira going from laying down to kneeling in front of a sitting Kiyoi, but Between Us showed that Win and Team were a balanced pair from the very first episode during their sexual encounter. That scene stated that neither boy was being taken advantage of, and this visual continued throughout the show. Both boys were afraid of their feelings, yet both boys loved each other, equally.

Best Background (Noise) - Our Dating Sim

This award goes to a series that best used the background details to strongly reinforce the ongoing plot. Our Dating Sim's plot revolved around a company creating an interactive game that would serve as a dating simulation, and that basis played directly into the former friends-to-lovers' conflict. The very first scene involved Eddy inputting code into his computer to "FindProblem; ResetTime; BackToStage; RestartGame" then the company Ian was applying to and the one Eddy worked at was called RE:TRY with a controller that had a heart as one of the buttons. However, every episode had some degree of background noise speaking directly about the plot including additional game simulation scenes where an unidentified player would have to select future moves based on the boys' previous experiences.

Best Use of Clothing - Never Let Me Go

This award goes to the series that made the best use of clothing to show the evolving dynamic between the leads. Never Let Me Go wins because Nueng began the series in dark solid colors while Palm was in colorful patterns. As their relationship progressed, Nueng's colors became lighter, and patterns were introduced. Yet in the end, both boys stayed true to themselves and each maintained their style while incorporating components from the other. Palm's color darkened but remained patterned, and Nueng opted for neutral colors with patterned ties.

Colors Awards

Honorable Mention - Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This award goes to a series that had a great visual narrative but could not be considered for these awards because it wasn't marketed as a QL (even though it's canon to me). If Oh No! Here Comes Trouble was marketed as QL, it would easily be nominated for the Best Overall Award. The use of the color red as a continuing reminder of the thin red thread of destiny, alone, would win it a spot on this list, but the show also included ample amounts of visual rhetoric, a "kiss of life," and color-coded matching outfits which deserve to be recognized.

Best Color Exchange - My Personal Weatherman

This award goes to a series where the leads were color coded and switching their colors demonstrated more than their love being mutual. My Personal Weatherman owned this category. The series was riddled with miscommunications between the leads regarding the love they felt for each other, but after Mizuki's possessiveness ramped up at the end of the seventh episode, the love was made clear, through bondage. Yoh, wearing Mizuki's blue, felt the love Mizuki had for him when he was tied up and being, essentially, held hostage by Mizuki. And yet by tying up Yoh, Mizuki could finally physically reinforce the way he felt for Yoh. He wanted Yoh. All of Yoh. To himself. And Yoh needed that to be made clear with a color-coded bonding moment (hehe).

Best Kiss - The Eighth Sense

This award goes to the series that best used a kiss to support the color narrative of the story. The Eighth Sense waited until the second-to-last episode to deliver this extraordinary color-coded kiss, but the wait was well worth it. Jae Won was color coded as a Brooding Boy (dark) and Ji Hyun was color coded as a Happy Human (light). After an accident involving the two, Jae Won was the darkest he had been, color-wise and mentally, so he isolated himself. But after several episodes apart, Jae Won walked out of the darkness, straight to Ji Hyun's, and kissed him on the street with all the colors of the rainbow pulsing around them perfectly showing that Ji Hyun was the color in his dark world, but that Jae Won also brought color to Ji Hyun's life and directly to his doorstep.

Best Pink - Be My Favorite

This award goes to the series that best used the color pink to demonstrate the love between the two leads. Normally, shows use pink lighting, pink clothing, or pink blankets to display this visual, but Be My Favorite used pink wisteria delicately hanging behind Pisaeng comforting Kawi. The flowering plant symbolizes friendship, love, and longevity and perfectly tied into the show's themes of valuing friendship and putting in the effort day-after-day to make any relationship last.

Best Heart - Love Tractor

This award goes to a series that best represented love by using a tangible item to symbolize a heart. Even before Yechan realized he loved Yol with the physical representation of Yechan's red gloves sprouting out from his left chest pocket in Love Tractor, Yechan let Yol know that he could be trusted with Yol's heart. During the third episode, Yechan taught Yol how to pick strawberries. He advised Yol to be gentle, to not use force, and to not put too much pressure on them or they would bruise or break. Yechan proceeded to use this method with Yol, and continued to give Yechan red fruits to enjoy as a means of encouraging Yol to experience things he had truly not before, like fresh strawberries, stolen fruit, and unconditional love.

Best Accessory - I Cannot Reach You

This award goes to a series that best used a color-coded accessory to support the ongoing plot. Usually, color-coded accessories are physical items such as a phone, a shirt, or a mug, but I Cannot Reach You instead color coded feelings via a bokeh effect. Blue Boy Yamato tried to deny his feelings for his best friend, Yellow/Orange Oddity Kakeru, but the colors don't lie, and the bokeh effect snitched on him each time. When Kakeru was tending Yamato's wound or when Yamato thought of kissing Kakeru, the bokeh effect would show both boys' colors to let the audience know that Kakeru was on Yamato's mind. But the biggest moment was when this phenomenon happened to Kakeru, which finally showed that he felt the same for Yamato. [GIF by @my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Best Blinding Light (of Love) - HIStory 5: Love in the Future

This award goes to the series that best used a blinding light to emphasize the overwhelming feeling of being in love. Taiwan and its long-standing HIStory series win this award because Taiwan showed everyone else why it's the expert. HIStory 5: Love in the Future waited until the last episode to use this with an established couple, which is why it deserves the win. Vincent had already quit his job and moved to the beach, where his boyfriend Wynn would visit, but in the last episode, Wynn quit his job as well and ran to the beach because he finally realized Vincent was the reason all his dreams came true. Vincent told Wynn he never planned to tell him because he didn't want Wynn to believe he owed Vincent, and Wynn told Vincent his love was genuine regardless of what Vincent had done for him. They kissed, and the blinding light hit as they solidified their love. Therefore, the light wasn't just for love, but for understanding what that love meant and where that love came from.

Best Lighting - Moonlight Chicken

This award goes to the series that best used lighting to support the story's narrative. Cinematographer Rath, who has regularly partnered with Director Jojo and Director Aof, never misses. Not once. And Moonlight Chicken is a flawless example of that. Warm and cool lighting were used to show the difference between neglect and care, isolation and warmth, and a house versus a home. The characters' development could be directly seen through the lighting surrounding them and projected on them. Heart's entire storyline is a beautiful progression through blues and oranges and reds, and we see that although Jim did not realize he was the heart of his community, the lighting made sure that the audience understood how important he was to each character he interacted with, even Alan.

Best Cinematographer: Nid Nidchaya - Dangerous Romance, Love in Translation, My Universe*

This award goes to the cinematographer who best supported the story through visuals without distracting from the ongoing plot. Thailand dominated this competition with Joy (The Promise, The Warp Effect*); Rath (Never Let Me Go, Moonlight Chicken, Our Skyy, Only Friends, Last Twilight*); Jim (Step by Step, Hidden Agenda, I Feel You Linger in the Air); and Suthipong (609 Bedtime Story, Our Skyy, Chains of Heart, My Dear Gangster Oppa), but only Nid deserves this win.

My Universe consists of twelve different stories, and each has had a slightly different visual presentation, but it's Nid's work in Dangerous Romance and Love in Translation that show off his true skill. When Red Rascal Sailom was drugged and attempted to call Blue Boy Kanghan, the bathroom was lit in blue as Sailom fell down from the purple, and when Kanghan cried while pinning down Sailom, they were surrounded by their colors. When Phumjai and Yan Feng kissed in their store, their colors enveloped them much like the colors would combine as they had sex in the same spot a few episodes later. The colors and the love were always present even if it was overlooked, which only reinforced the on-screen drama of failing to notice the ways love is always present, even when in conflict.

Best Rainbow - I Became the Lead in a BL Drama

This award goes to the series with the best use of a rainbow. There were many rainbows this year featured in opening credits and several more that were nominees of this award such as Our Dining Table's rainbow over the smiley face sucker, Dangerous Romance's rainbow over Kanghan's heart, Past-Senger's rainbow paper hearts in a jar, and Wen's office Pride flag in Moonlight Chicken, but I Became Lead in a BL Drama's rainbow in the opening credits of the first episode swooped in right before the clock struck midnight ending 2023. The reason it stole this award at the last minute is simple - it's queer. Regardless if a kiss happened or not, this series was still about two men falling in love, and that's pretty gay. But how the rainbow was used in the opening credits of the first episode with the Blinding Light of Love as the clapperboard hid the leads' kiss is what gave it the edge in this category. We only saw one practice kiss because the scripted one was never for us. That kiss was for the audience of the fictional BL drama, and the real kiss between the actors was just for them. It was gay. It was meta. It was Japanese BL.

Best Surprise - La Pluie

This award serves as a catch-all for a series that delivered a color-coded surprise while still incorporating it well within the plot. Several series offered color-coded surprises in 2023, but La Pluie, the show about soulmates, splendidly reinforced its plot through the two color-coded brothers at the center of the series. Tien was a Yellow/Orange Oddity who believed in the power of destiny, yet he ended up in blue with a person who wasn't his soulmate, and his brother, Blue Boy Tai, who never wanted a soulmate, ended up with his and embracing more yellow in his life. The story is more complicated, and so are the colors, but for a series about bucking fate, it resisted every common use of color-coding techniques in order to support that theme. Life is unpredictable, and so were the colors.

Best Group Effort - Destiny Seeker

This award goes to the series that best color coded a majority of its characters. Destiny Seeker had consistent color coding throughout the entire season, but it really excelled at color coding each of its three couples. The youngest couple color coordinated, the second pair were yellow x green, which is usually reserved for friends and not lovers and went well with their plot, and the main characters were the traditional Thai blue x red. The show gave three different color-coded pairs yet provided something new and fresh while still hitting each stop on the BL history tour, and no couple was wasted. Each one, and their colors, perfectly added to the story, and gave a nice depiction of the rainbow of colors that queer love can be.

Best Consistent Color Coding - Tie: What Did You Eat Yesterday? 2, My Beautiful Man 2, Naughty Babe

This award goes to the series that had the most consistent color coding throughout its run. However, this year we were blessed with sequels and additional outings from some of our favorite series and color-coded couples. Therefore, this award goes to THREE shows for not only having consistent color coding but for also openly using those colors as part of the plot:

Shiro x Kenji [What Did You Eat Yesterday?] - Shiro was always a Brooding Boy (dark colored) and Kenji brought color into his life, but the second season directly addressed this. Shiro wasn't ever going to be a colorful person, but he didn't need to be because the show repeatedly stated that relationships are about balance. Kenji loves Shiro because he is practical and saves for their future. Shiro loves Kenji because he is upbeat and optimistic. They have different colors, but they are the perfect match, just like their aprons.

Hira x Kiyoi [My Beautiful Man] - Hira was a loyal and reserved servant (blue) to his god Kiyoi (white). Yet the second season and movie continued to show that Kiyoi was not a god, but instead a man lacking love and color, and because of that, Hira had to learn to give his color to Kiyoi rather than mindless devotion. Both men shined the brightest when it was clear that Kiyoi loved Hira for his stalker tendencies, and Hira thrived knowing that the best way to show Kiyoi love was by being himself and doing exactly what he loved, which was taking care of Kiyoi with all his color.

Lian x Yi Kuea [Cutie Pie, Naughty Babe] - All polycule jokes aside, Lian and Kuea had a complete color-coded story in Cutie Pie, so Cutie Pie 2 U felt like a repeat of the first season, but then came Naughty Babe. The boys wore more of the other's color which proved they were very much still in love as husbands, and at their best friends' wedding, these husbands stood in red and took a serious moment in a season full of hijinks and shenanigans to look directly at the audience and state that "Love Always Win." Domundi has been beating this Marriage Equality drum the hardest, and it continues to use its characters to emphasize the importance of QUEER family and rights. The Next Prince and Love Upon a Time when?

Best Overall - Kiseki: Dear to Me

This award goes to the series that did it like nobody else to claim the ultimate prize, and no other show can even compete with Kiseki: Dear to Me. The promo material, as shown above, outlined the light versus dark dynamic the two couples would have in the show. The main couple would be the lighter love and the second couple would be the darker version. It also showcased that the main couple would be the loyal blues, and the second couple would be the defiant reds. Before the show even started, it told us there would be balance. One couple with their baked treats would be sugar and sweet, while the other couple with their torture tactics of chili peppers would be spice and everything-not-nice. It would be a group effort.

And once the fun got started, we got several color-coded cameos from couples in other well-known Taiwanese BLs, the Blinding Light of Love for both couples, and the pink light of love.

But it didn't stop there! The series gave the traditional color exchange between Blue Boy Zong Yi and his devoid-of-color future-husband Rui, but true to his word and actions, Zong Yi never took his color back. He was serious about his love and gave it ALL to Rui, which was also depicted by Zong Yi opening a bakery that specialized in strawberry goods, because in case it wasn't clear, strawberry =💗= love.

Even with all that, the second couple still stole the show for most viewers. Perhaps it was Eddie's rainbow cardigans and sweaters. It's possible it was Eddie's cat collars combined with Chen Yi's dog tags or the body pillows of each other that watched the other's back as they slept. Maybe it was the graffiti behind Chen Yi that stated he was "no good at goodbye" when he was lying to Eddie about needing him to help with business issues or that they continued to wear each other's clothing which WERE COLOR COORDINATED THE ENTIRE TIME!

Regardless of the exact reason people preferred one couple over the other, Kiseki: Dear to Me continued to serve a visual narrative that underlined the plot and provided additional context for both couples and the overall story. Color-coded boys in love get happy endings, and this series proved that.

Before the show even began.

[zanderlisle]

Because I struggled to find information on the Sudanese genocide, here's a collection of info I've found, complete with sources and ways to help.

Note: Most of these stats are coming from October of 2023, and numbers have climbed since. Content warning for genocide, war crimes, sexual violence, and more. Please correct me on anything you notice is incorrect.

In April of 2023, the Rapid Support Forces attacked Sudanese Armed Forces bases across Sudan. including the Sudanese capital Khartoum with a population of 6,344,348. While this was initially described as a war between the RSF & SAF, it quickly became a matter that murdered, injured, & displaced millions of civilians. The most notable of the casualties - actress Asia Abdelmajid, singer Shaden Gardood, and former football player Fozi el-Mardi with his daughter Alaa. el-Mardi's wife. Zeinat Ahmed Othman was also wounded by a bullet.

There have been over 9,000 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and 5.4M displacements. There have been a total of 55 foreign deaths from the countries of Ethiopia (15), Syria (15), Congo (10), Eritrea (9), Egypt (2), The USA (2), India (1), and Turkey (1). Journalists and humanitarian workers have been injured, killed, and/or detained.

As of July, there have been 88 reports of sexual assault against women in Sudan blamed on the RSF. Activist Hala al-Karib stated that war rape had become an everyday occurrence with both fighting parties participating.

Over 1.3M people have fled Sudan as refugees. "The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that 1,200 children had died from disease outbreaks in refugee camps in White Nile State since May. In Central Darfur, the head of the Hamidiya refugee camp said at least 43 children had died in the camp since July. UNICEF also estimated that the conflict had led to the number of children being out of school in Sudan to rise from seven million prior to the fighting to 19 million in October 2023." - War in Sudan 2023 Wikipedia

An imminent epidemic of cholera and a collapse of the healthcare system - How to help: donate to SAPA at https://sapa-usa.org

Women are at risk of sexual violence (especially in areas like Darfur) - The Darfur Women Action Group has a donation link AND sample emails to send to your officials They also accept volunteers with media experience

Menstruation doesn’t stop due to war. - Donate to provide Sudanese girls and women with menstrual products

Another IMPORTANT organization currently providing direct medical care in a few states including Khartoum

will hopefully update with more reliable links or resources Also check

@Hometaxsd on Twitter (X) and eyesonsudan.net for other reliable donation sites

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65284945…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65467934…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65585746…

https://apnews.com/article/sudan-war-military-rsf-conflict-khartoum-f12975eb72c830ed86ed6a7a49e9658d…

https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/violations-against-journalists-in-sudan-war…

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/dtm-sudan-monthly-displacement-overview-october-2023…

https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4296896/diplomat-says-15-syrians-killed-amid-clashes-sudan…

https://theguardian.com/world/2023/may/07/eritrea-accused-of-forcibly-repatriating-civilians-caught-up-in-sudan-fighting…

https://abcnews.go.com/US/2nd-american-dies-amid-violence-sudan-state-department/story?id=98877370

dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/more-than-40-children-die-in-central-darfur-camps-as-fighting-escalates…

https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/19-million-children-in-sudan-are-out-of-school-says-unicef

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkish-toddler-killed-in-ongoing-clashes-in-sudan/2875179

bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/egyptian-doctors-killed-in-sudan-conflict-buried-in-backyard/…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65821597…

https://africanews.com/2023/09/19/un-raises-alarm-over-child-deaths-in-sudan-as-health-crisis-deepens/…

https://aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/2/fighting-reignites-between-sudan-army-rsf-in-khartoum

The linked source is a more detailed Twitter thread of Sudan's timeline starting in December 2018 by Kandakat_alhaqq.

[the-six-that-thrive-if]

THE SIX THAT THRIVE IS A 18+ INTERACTIVE FICTION! THIS DEALS WITH DISTURBING THEMES OF HORROR, MURDER, GORE, VIOLENCE, EXPLICIT SEX SCENES, ABUSE, DISCRIMINATION, AND DARK ROMANCE! PLEASE BE AWARE WHEN INTERACTING WITH THIS STORY

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

♡ | DELVE DEEPER |

♡ | DEMO | ~ LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 2ND 2023

♡ | PATREON | DISCORD | ASK BOX |

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

AMERICA | NORTHEAST | DISTRICT 6 | DATE UNKOWN

ILLECEBRA

/ilˈle.ke.bra/

/noun/

1. the state of enticement and or lure.

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

“Anyone with the illecebra Illness is destined to die at the age of 22. There is no cure.”

You were destined to die in 22 years. Since the moment of your birth, you have known your downfall. The age in which you die. You aren’t sure why your parents told you, why they wanted you to know on your tenth birthday, but they did. Holding back tears as if they were the ones to suffer, as if they knew the exact moments they’d die. You like to pretend they prepared you, made you live your life without fear, but—

You’re 22 this year. With no cure in sight, and no way to prevent what is bound to happen to you. You’ll die and you’ll die soon. Unless you can make a deal.

Nearly two thousand years ago, creatures assumed only myth broke free from the ground and ripped away the sky. Fighting amongst themselves and fighting and killing humans. Unable to fight against these creatures, the creation of districts came into being, representing states, nations, and countries, bound to crawl amongst the floor and a dome of safety for the humans living.

Your story begins within the District of Six, one of the first domes built, and the location of the Eclipse Facility, which is in charge of studying Subjects who are monsters from the outside.

☼ Bring Death to a vicious cycle and allow destiny to take a course or Save a vicious world, which seems to be beyond saving. It is up to you.

☼ Customizable MC

[Name, Personality, Gender, Pronouns, Appearance(tattoos n scars), Traits, Allergies, Diet, Piercings, Aesthetics, & More]

☼ Ability to have certain traits, likes, and disabilities

[Favorite Foods, Smoking/Drinking Habits, & More]

[Personality, Mental Illness, Hearing Aids, Prosthetic Arms or Legs and choosing how you lost + MORE]

☼ Options that have and effect on romantic and platonic relationships.

☼ Choose between seven romanceable Love Interests or None at All.

☼ Stats that will affect the story.

☼ The ability to fight, run, hide, and survive.

[Harem Route & Poly Routes Optional]

☽☼☾ [THE DEMON] SUBJECT F-24:

THE FIRE WHICH BREATHS — {AMAB - MAN}

A sadistic and sarcastic demon that is often quiet and looms around you like a shadow, he's oddly cold to others and can be described as being dosed with water. He's smart, far smarter than the others, and only cares for your input. He's murderous and has no qualms about killing others for you. No matter how good they seem. He's lazy but has an extremely good sense of smell and exceptional hearing.

“What the others think, matter not. I’m here for you and you alone.”

༺ Appearance:

6’7FT[200.66CM] He says long, shaggy black hair that reaches his waist and messy side hair pieces that messily shape his face. He has striking almond-shaped gold eyes that seem to glow. He has an athletic build and warm tan skin that's littered with scars, such as cuts, bites, gashes, healed bullet holes, and claw marks. He has a facial scar that runs vertically along his lip's left side.

[UNKNOWN YRS OLD, SPECIES: DEMON BLOODHOUND]

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

☽☼☾ [THE ANGEL] SUBJECT L-18:

THE WESTERN WINDS WHICH BLOWS — {AFAB - WOMAN}

A calm and energetic person who switches often. Sometimes being extremely energetic and loud, while others, she's calming, and sometimes you forget she's even there. She's kind and loves humans and mortals. She finds their short lifespans adorable and thinks humans are adorable since she's lived many lifetimes. She is quite the birdbrain and often jumps from topic to topic.

“Aw, humans are the cutest~ I just love, love, love ‘em!”

༺ Appearance:

6’0FT[182.88CM] She's a tall woman with the orangish-yellow talons and legs of a harpy eagle, with two large white wings that fade into a pastel yellow. She has the tail of a bird, which is a pastel yellow that fades into a pastel blue. Her skin is white, almost yellow, and she's covered in an assortment of blue freckles, varying in color.

[3000 YRS OLD, SPECIES: HARPY]

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

☽☼☾ [THE DRAGON] SUBJECT R-12:

THE WATER IN WHICH BITES — {??? - GENDERFLUID}

A quiet and soft-spoken woman who spends most of his time reading. She's very straightforward, blunt, and struggles to pick up on social cues. He likes the dark and spends time in the dark corners, only speaking up when necessary. She's obedient and kind but dislikes humans.

“… No. It is simply easier for my skin to remain in the dark.”

༺ Appearance:

5’11FT(180.34CM) She's a tall and slender woman with dark brown skin that looks almost black and black eyes. She has raven black hair that reaches her feet, with two long dark blue horns. Her back is lined with dark blue spikes. Her wrist, upper thighs, upper arms, and ankles have white armbands. She also has a thick lizard-like tail with spikes that run along the middle. While her forehead has an intricate design, similar to a circlet.

[UNKNOWN YRS OLD, SPECIES: DRAGON(UNCOMFIRMED)]

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

☽☼☾ [THE ARMADILLO] SUBJECT X-6:

THE EARTH IN WHICH LIVES — {AMAB - GENDERFLUID}

A hardheaded and stubborn individual who is strong-willed but hates change. They often spend time sleeping, curled up into a ball like a rolly-polly. They hate humans and don't shy away from letting you know; they're sometimes outspoken and aggressive.

“Get away, please! The last thing I need is human cooties!”

༺ Appearance:

6’10FT(208.28CM) He has deep brown skin and glowing emerald green eyes, with pale brown armor plates along his back, starting at the base of his neck, with a long flat tail that drags behind him. He has short curly dark brown hair, and his face is dusted in white and pale brown freckles.

[1046 YRS OLD, SPECIES: UNKNOWN (WITHIN ARMADILLO FAMILY)]

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

☽☼☾ THE WARDEN:

THE VOID WHICH BECKONS — {AMAB - MAN}

A towering, intimidating man that rarely speaks but is quite sadistic. He cares for order more than justice and is okay with playing the role of the bad guy. He prefers it. He's seen as emotionless and uncaring but constantly aware of his surroundings. He demands attention and unwavering loyalty.

“You must simply follow the rules. Or die. There is no other option.”

༺ Appearance:

6’7FT[200.66CM] Simple black slacks, thick black winter trench with silver buckles and chains, and a black helmet similar to a 12th Century English Knight.

[UNKNOWN YRS OLD, SPECIES: SPECKULATED SHADOW BEING OR CHAOS DEMON]

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

TWO HIDDEN LOVE INTERESTS - THE KING & ????

· · ─────── ·☽☼☾· ─────── · ·

☽☼☾ HAREM [MAIN] ROUTE:

F-24, L-18, R-12, X-6, WARDEN, & MC

☽☼☾ POLY ROUTES:

Poly Route One: F-24, WARDEN, & MC

Poly Route Two: L-18, R-12, & MC

Poly Route Three: L-18, R-12, X-6, & MC

Poly Route Four: R-12, Warden, & MC

Poly Route Five: X-6, Warden, & MC

Poly Route Six: F-24, R-12, Warden, & MC

Poly Route Seven: F-24, R-12, & MC

[You’ll learn their names in book]

ⓒ 2023 CVLUTOSGAMES & the-six-that-thrive-if — all rights reserved. Any sort of plagiarizing, copying, modifying, translating, editing of my works are strictly prohibited.

[welcometololaland]

2023 writing wrap up (for the mems) (part 1 - i want to do the stats one as well!)

Thanks for the tags @liminalmemories21 @alrightbuckaroo and @reyesstrand 💜 Rules: Share what you wrote this year! It can be works you posted to Ao3, Wattpad, Tumblr, or anywhere else! You can share everything you wrote or just the ones you're most excited about.

1. a long time ago (we used to be friends) (December / Tarlos / E / 166.6k)

Carlos is a former private investigator, and his runaway ex is being accused of murder.

2. Cursed is a State of Mind (September / Firstprince / E / 17.2k)

A commentary on Alex and @dustratcentral's cursed coffee habits. Also, a love story. For my angel @rmd-writes.

3. (Un)Professional Services (September / Tarlos / E / 63.3k)

The Tarlos Professional Services AU co-write with @rmd-writes.

4. Catch and Release (September / Firstprince / T / 4.8k)

Snippet of a Rowing AU. For a title challenge given to me by @tailoredshirt.

5. oh baby, i'm a fool for you (September / Tarlos / E / 3k)

Total crack. TK tries to get Carlos to watch Twilight (and fails). For the vampire enthusiasts @strandnreyes @lightningboltreader @rmd-writes.

6. Fifty First Dates (September / Firstprince / E / 26.4k)

Alex challenges Henry to go on fifty first dates and then wishes he was one of them. Also, oodies. For my baby girl @celeritas2997.

7. living at the centre of a wound still fresh (June / Tarlos / E / 43k)

The Tarlos honeymoon, reimagined.

8. all is near and can't be touched (May / Tarlos / T / 3.8k)

Season 4 Episode 16 coda.

9. Cause of Action (WIP / April / Hangster / T / 7.7k)

ARGH don't look here I need to finish it.

10. (Fl)oral Arrangements (March / Tarlos / E / 5.2k)

Tarlos smut made into a season 4 episode 8 coda.

11. Like Gravity (February / Hangster / E / 6.5k)

Flirting at a bar that turns into something else, with a twist.

12. Warm Whispers (February / Tarlos / E / 4.3k)

Gratuitous wedding night spec.

13. Hearbreak High (January / Tarlos / T / 6.8k)

Kidfic part 3 with a teenager experiencing heartache.

14. Love in Slow Motion (January / Tarlos / E / 32.7k)

Tennis AU prompt fills. Super soft.

15. Target Audience (January / Tarlos / E / 8.2k)

Carlos Reyes vs. TikTok. This fic is a damn comedy.

I'll leave an open tag for anyone who would like to share, please tag me if you decide to participate. I'll also yeet this into the rwrb fandom by tagging @rmd-writes @clottedcreamfudge @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @kiwiana-writes @inexplicablymine @dumbpeachjuice @happiness-of-the-pursuit @everwitch-magiks and @indomitable-love just in case you haven't done it <3 and also @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @carlos-tk and @carlos-in-glasses just because.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[thecreaturecodex]

Ranna

"Slaadi" © Wizards of the Coast, by Sam Wood

[New Year, New Monsters! I am feeling much less burnt out than I was for the back half of 2023, and have built up a small backlog of new writing. I'm going to keep monsters I post to 2/week for now, to give myself time to go through said backlog in case the burnout rears up again when I'm back to work.

So for my first trick, is a monster NPC I actually wrote back in like September, but didn't post. Consider her an epilogue to the whole "Monster Girl Summer" thing. Ranna is @strawberry-crocodile's character, and fits with some of my other monstrous NPCs. She's Doctor Shiny's main minion, and their relationship serves as sort of a nasty counterpart to Gigi and Priscilla's. Of course, if you just want to use the stat block as a particularly burly slaad enforcer type, that works just as well as Ranna's baroque and macabre backstory.]

Ranna CR 18 CE Aberration This blue, frog-like humanoid has a triangular fanged snout, warty skin and enormous claws growing from the backs of their hands. A red gemstone is embedded in their skull, right between the eyes.

Marina Rhynne was an alchemy student at Endirion School in Absalom, prone to anxiety and to thinking with her stomach. She caught the eye of Doctor Agatha Shiny, who used the pretext of a dinner invitation and offer of a graduate program to abduct her and implant her with an alchemically treated red slaad egg. Doctor Shiny succeeded in one of her goals, which was to cause memories to be passed from the host to the parasite, but failed in that the resultant blue slaad did not maintain the intelligence of her progenitor. The resultant slaad, named Ranna, could recall her previous life in a hazy, dream-like way, but the predominant personality trait that was carried over was hunger.

Ranna is now Doctor Shiny’s Number One Minion, her assassin, procurer and lover. If Doctor Shiny needs someone eliminated or an unusual creature captured and brought to her, Ranna is the one to do it. She usually tracks her targets as an unassuming humanoid until she can set up an ambush and remove her greater hat of disguise. Ranna fights with her natural weapons almost exclusively, although she does occasionally toy with targets by battering them with heavy objects hurled by telekinesis. Although she is lapdog-loyal to Doctor Shiny and always follows her instructions for her specified victims, Ranna enjoys collateral damage, which usually involves biting bystanders. She views any red slaadi that are created through chaos phagethe way a proud parent views their children, and is happy to hear of any death and destruction they create.

Ranna’s personality is playful in a cruel way. She sees her progenitor, Marina Rhinne, as a pathetic figure, and has an air of contempt towards academic pursuits in general. She still appears as Rhynne when abroad in Absalom, and is the terror of Endirion School’s faculty, staff and students as Doctor Shiny’s personal assistant. Ranna is happy to play the bad guy so that Doctor Shiny can maintain her impeccable public reputation, and takes matters into her own claws if anyone gets too close to the truth about Doctor Shiny’s goals and activities. Ranna tends to dispose of the evidence of her murders by eating the corpses of her victims. She is also an excellent chef. Doctor Shiny does not eat food that Ranna prepares unless she is very sure of where the meat came from.

Ranna  CR 18 XP 153,600 Blue slaad slayer 9 (cutthroat) CE Large aberration (chaotic, slaadi) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +19

Defense AC 33, touch 20, flat-footed 24 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural, +4 armor, +2 deflection) hp 303 (11d8+9d10+200); fast healing 6 Fort +22, Ref +20, Will +15 Immune mind reading, sonic; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 19

Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee +3 bite +32 (2d6+16 plus disease), 2 +3 claws +32 (2d6+16/19-20x3) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks augmented critical, opportune target, rend (2 claws, 2d6+22), sneak attack +3d6, stab and grab, studied target (swift or move action, +2) Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +11 3/day—hold person (DC 15), passwall, telekinesis (DC 18) 1/day—chaos hammer (DC 17)

Statistics Str 36, Dex 26, Con 30, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16 Base Atk +17; CMB +31 (+33 bull rush); CMD 52 Feats Alertness,Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Intimidating Prowess, Killing Flourish, Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +20 (+24 in urban environments), Bluff +16, Climb +20, Disable Device +25, Disguise +16, Intimidate +34, Linguistics +4, Perception +19 (+23 vs. traps), Profession (chef) +14, Sense Motive +19, Stealth +21, Survival +15 Languages Common, Slaadi SQ legendary, slayer talents (surprise attack, trapfinding [trap sense +3], stalker, street stalker (Acrobatics) Gear manual of gainful exercise +4 (expended), manual of quickness of action +2 (expended), manual of bodily health +4 (expended), belt of physical perfection +4, bloodstained gloves, greater hat of disguise, soulbound eye, amulet of mighty fists +3, bracers of armor +4, boots of teleportation, cloak of resistance +3, ring of mind shielding, ring of protection +2, potion of fly (x2), potion of displacement, potion of haste, potion of lesser restoration (x2), potion of cure light wounds (x4), masterwork cooking tools, 150 gp

Special Abilities Augmented Critical (Ex) A blue slaad’s claws deal x3 damage on a successful critical hit. Disease (Su) Chaos phage; bite—injury; save Fort DC 25; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Con damage and 1d6 Cha damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. A creature that is reduced to 0 Con or Cha by chaos phage is immediately transformed into a red slaad. This transformation can only be reversed by a miracle or wish. A Small or Medium humanoid with levels in an arcane spellcasting class instead transforms into a green slaad. The save DC is Constitution based. Legendary (Ex) Ranna’s statistics are built with 25 point buy, and she has the equipment of an 18th level PC. These advantages increase her CR by +1. Opportune Target (Ex) If Ranna can act in the surprise round, she can study a foe as a free action and select them as her studied target. Stab and Grab (Ex) As a swift action, Ranna can attempt a steal combat maneuver against a dead or unconscious foe, or against a studied target that she has successfully confirmed a critical hit against. A dead or unconscious opponent takes a -10 penalty against this maneuver. Street Stalker (Ex) Ranna adds ½ her slayer level to Acrobatics checks made in urban environments.

[bittercape]

2023 fanfic roundup

perhaps the fact that I dreaded writing this roundup really says it all. because this year's stats:

81 fics

176,665 words

Completed projects:

Year of the OTP: 12 works, 30k

Year of Jason and Slade: 12 works, 28k

Whump-/monsterfuck-/winterhawkhoodtober: 31 works, 33k

Exchanges: I don't even know, so many

I've sorted chronologically by fandom, and listed my favourites at the start in case you're looking for a teaspoon rather than a whole bathtub.

author's favourites:

how to get ahead in Gotham

the DC/Discworld crossover someone actually asked for. I'm really happy with this one - it's one of the few fics I took my time with this year, and it's all the better for it. It's a murder mystery (sort of) with Vimes, Sybil and Vetinari in Gotham, and more than anything it's funny. or at least I think it is.

fandoms: DC/Discworld

rating: M

wordcount: 16858

ships: Sybil/Sam, Jason/Slade

it's a horrible morning in Gotham

the soulmate goose fic. I personally thing my writing is best when it's fun, and this one very much is that. it's also a little sad in places, but not more than absolutely necessary.

rating: M

wordcount: 7537

ship: Jason/Slade

the unbearable lightness of bedding

the IKEA fic. this is just comedy from beginning to end, but it was the fic where I figured out Dick's voice and I had a lot of fun with it. also outsider POV on the ship, which I always love to write (and read).

rating: T

wordcount: 2045

ship: Jason/Slade

a bird on the edge of a blade

this one is not all that funny, but I am very pleased with it. featuring my favourite trope murder as a love language. it's what Jason deserves.

rating: T

wordcount: 1261 words

ship: Tim/Jason

cornucopia

back to the comedy, or possibly porn-comedy. in which Jason gets cursed to sprout horns whenever he's horny. it's exactly as silly as it sounds.

rating: E

wordcount: 3078

ship: Jason/Slade

go wherever you go today

I was going to stop at five, but I really am very fond of this tiny little slip of a thing. A slow morning for Natasha.

rating: G

wordcount: 601

ships: none

so! over to the full list:

DC -- series

tell it slant

works: 4

complete: yes

ship: Jason/Slade

with fingers and teeth

works: 2

complete: no

ship: Jason/Slade

blackbird

works: 13

complete: yes

ship: Jason/Slade

(has a little bit of Winter Soldier, but not enough to be a crossover imo)

the kamakura job

works: 3

complete: yes

ship: Jason/Slade

windows of opportunity

works: 7

complete: no

ships: Jason/Slade, Dick/Tim

DC -- oneshots

stuck on a winning streak

rating: T

wordcount: 512

ship: Jason/Slade

paradise at my fingertips

rating: T

wordcount: 1559

ships: Jason/Slade, background Dick/Tim

under your skin (over the moon)

rating: T

wordcount: 1044

ships: Jason/Slade, background Dick/Tim

the unbearable lightness of bedding

rating: T

wordcount: 2045

ship: Jason/Slade

a bird on the edge of a blade

rating: T

wordcount: 1261 words

ship: Tim/Jason

say I'm wrong, make me right

rating: E

wordcount: 3180

ship: Jason/Slade

it's a horrible morning in Gotham

rating: M

wordcount: 7537

ship: Jason/Slade

dulce y fatal

rating: M

wordcount: 1792

ship: Jason/Slade

like the holding of hands, like the breaking of glass

rating: E

wordcount: 3357

ship: Jason/Slade

headed straight into the fire

rating: E

wordcount: 1925 words

ship: Jason/Slade

you're how I pray

rating: E

wordcount: 1396 words

ship: Jason/Slade

(choke this love) 'til the veins start to shiver

rating: E

wordcount: 2126

ship: Jason/Slade

that hunger in you

rating: T

wordcount: 1702 words

ship: Jason/Slade

eggs eggs eggs

rating: E

wordcount: 3969

ship: Jason/Slade

living and dying and the stories that are true

rating: T

wordcount: 954

ships: Tim/Dick, Jason/Slade

feel me, completer (down to my core)

rating: E

wordcount: 1546

ships: Jason/Slade

sink your claws in

rating: E

wordcount: 2160

ship: Jason/Slade

cornucopia

rating: E

wordcount: 3078

ship: Jason/Slade

just a shot away from you

rating: E

wordcount: 2649

ship: Jason/Slade

poured a drink all over my wiring

rating: T

wordcount: 910

ship: Jason/Slade

cookies & communication

rating: E

wordcount: 2218

ship: Jason/Slade

the snowball effect

rating: E

wordcount: 1428

ship: Dick/Jason

warm like a gun

rating: E

wordcount: 1690

ship: Jason/Slade

Marvel

sub rosa

rating: T

wordcount: 2542

ship: Bucky/Clint

make you feel whole

rating: G

wordcount: 574

ship: Bucky/Clint

the path, it just ain't clear

rating: T

wordcount: 4937

ship: Bucky/Clint

winterhawk bingo drabbles

rating: M

wordcount: 596

ship: Bucky/Clint

go wherever you go today

rating: G

wordcount: 601

ships: none

the Berlin exception

rating: T

wordcount: 3021

ship: Bucky/Clint

Crossovers -- series

barter economy

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating: E

works: 2

ships: Jason/Slade, Dick/Tim, Bucky/Clint

complete: no

snow on the beach

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating: E

works: 15

ships: Bucky/Clint/Jason

complete: no (missing a rather crucial bit of porn)

marvelbats

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating:

works: 2

ships: Tony/Roy, Steve/Jason

complete: no

Crossovers -- oneshots

of people wrapped up tight in things that will kill them

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating:

wordcount:

ships: Bucky/Clint/Jason, complete (strictly speaking whumptober 2022, but was completed in march 23

how to get ahead in Gotham

fandoms: DC/Discworld

rating: M

wordcount: 16858

ships: Sybil/Sam, Jason/Slade

coming night

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating: E

wordcount: 4790

ships: Tim/Venom, Roy/Jason, Clint/Dick

coddled, not shirred

fandoms: Marvel/DC

rating: E

wordcount: 4790

ship: Eddie/Jason/Venom

Others

effanineffable

fandom: Discworld

rating: G

wordcount: 1433

ships: none

This madness has only been possible thanks to my magnificent beta and partner in crime @mightymightygnomepriest, who genuinely has the patience of a saint. Thank you so much, darling Rach. I promise I will slow down next year.

[bestmusicalworldcup]

Best Musical World Cup 2023 - Full Ranking

While the Best Musical World Cup 2023 ended a week ago, I have decided it would still be worthwhile to publish some more stats about it! As such, I have created a full ranking of all 74 entrants; the winners of the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Ranking Parameters:

Musicals that finished in higher stages ranked higher than those that finished below, and I used the votes each musical got in its final poll to rank musicals within a single stage. Musicals that placed 3rd in the Group Stage rank higher than those placed 4th, which rank higher than those placed 5th.

Link to the Best Musical World Cup Knockout Stage

Link to the Best Musical World Cup Group Stage

The full ranking is below the keep reading button.

Fiddler on the Roof 🏆🥇

Les Misérables 🥈

Hadestown 🥉

Cabaret

The Phantom of the Opera

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The Sound of Music

Spring Awakening

Hamilton

Cats

Rent

In The Heights

The Lion King

Hairspray

Fun Home

Company

Moulin Rouge

The Wiz

Guys and Dolls

A Chorus Line

The Book of Mormon

Hello, Dolly!

The Producers

Annie

Avenue Q

Kinky Boots

My Fair Lady

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Once

The Band's Visit

The Music Man

The King and I

Monty Python's Spamalot

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Dear Evan Hansen

Billy Elliot the Musical

Evita

La Cage aux Folles

Kiss Me, Kate

A Little Night Music

South Pacific

Man of La Mancha

Jersey Boys

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Titanic

42nd Street

The Will Rogers Follies

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

1776

Bye Bye Birdie

Thoroughly Modern Millie

The Pajama Game

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

City of Angels

Nine

Passion

Sunset Boulevard

Fosse

Damn Yankees

Memphis

Hallelujah, Baby!

Applause

Contact

A Strange Loop

Big River

Crazy for You

Ain't Misbehavin

Kismet

Raisin

Redhead

Fiorello!

Wonderful Town

Jerome Robbins' Broadway

[slasheru]

Slasher U Update Roadmap: End of 2023!

Holy crap, it's been a hell of year, hasn't it?! Slasher U Act 1 came out at the end of April 2023 and there's been SO MUCH that's changed!

Things that were added in post-launch Slasher U Act 1 updates:

Sawyer's entire romance arc, storyline, and hookup/makeout games

Outfits

Bartending

The ability to talk to Dark Tate post-coitally

Butterflies and crows (fighting crows used to crash your game)

The entire good UI

Characters including Cliff, Stitcherella, Jennykind, Paisleigh, Tanya, and I'm pretty sure Kennedy was a very early addition, too

And that's not counting the tweaks, fixes, and content! In the interest of continuing to Ship of Theseus this game into the best dating sim ever (no biggie, right?), I have the following updates planned before the end of 2023 for Act 1!

Accessibility settings: A way to opt out of minigames with a random roll based on your personality stats (different stat per minigame as appropriate!)

Refining the places you can get personality points in Act 1

Customization: Cane accessories! These will run on a different band than outfits so you can mix and match them/equip them alongside outfits!

Finance: I made everything in the game on the pricey/"realistic" side and the money you get from gigs relatively low because A) college and B) i kind of thought it would both be funny/reflective of shitty college jobs AND a nice incentive to grind some minigames but. I think the economy needs a bit of a fix, right? ;) (in the meantime, try typing InfiniteMoneyVent with the caps correct in the Cheat Codes menu when you're in-game! Your wallet will be a little fuller!)

There are 27 major bugs left in the list for me to tackle as of now, most of them are routine but there are 3 or 4 harder ones to tackle (naming save files is being a beeeetch specifically because afaik Wolf wipes any additional system string variables even if you specify a larger variable count list? My engine just is like "naw actually I'm not saving that"?)

Prior Planned Quality of Life Stuff: Either a way to name your save files OR a way to make your character name appear under your save file (this used to happen but there was a bug where all names would default to your last used character name)

WHITE WHALE HOLY GRAIL I'm still trying to fix the text box bug! This actually isn't borked in the vanilla version of the WRPG engine but I can't fucking figure out how to fix it with the way I've set up the UI (I think? I THINK?!). This is realistically the last bug to get fixed due to my own ineptitude, so I'm hoping to A) make autosaves automatically turned on and B) making Data 1's save slot unusable so it's reserved for autosaves!

There's ALSO a couple content updates for Act 1 still (nothing major, except for, uh, ONE MAJOR THING, haha):

The Truth or Dare minigame/scenario is now going to be included in the Act 1 game, but take place after the Act 2 bumper (post-murder-attempt)

This is already in there but the preamble for Dark Tate's continuing storyline, and Laila's Act 2, activates after the murder attempt

I'll be adding Hex, Juno, and Sawyer's Act 2 lead-ins, plus regular Tate's lead-in, as I work on Act 2

Resolving the storylines (or, if you're being a Chaotic Evil type of player, ruining everyone's life) with story choices/quests for non-dateables: Act 2 will include more Sawyer/Horsemike story, and personal quests for Melyssa, Professor Plutonium, and partially Veronika/Archibald (theirs will continue into Act 3)

Maybe I'll let you fight crows again. MAYBE.

I'm ALSO working on Act 2, which has a lot of new features (notably permanent cosmetic upgrades like a piercing system and tattoos) as well as new content (obvi lmao), but I really want to find a way to offer early access passes to folks who didn't make it to the Crowdfundr (maybe via Patreon)?

Here are some Act 2 features that I'm excited to include/are already being worked on (you'll recognize a lot of these from fanvotes!)

Piercing/Tattoo Parlor

Headless Horsemike one-off hookup minigame

Tate's movie date (yes it's scripted and implemented, it'll be in the next Act 2 update lol. I KNOW I KNOW :D )

Being able to run the speakeasy/sex dungeon as a little moneymaking game in and of itself (well. More for the speakeasy. The sex dungeon is mostly for sex. You're welcome, Sawyer Enjoyers)

Being able to gift outfits to dateables

I'm personally super hype for Tate's storyline (which also involves some other students?? ooo????) and how that's going to mechanically shake out, PLUS, tattoos. Oh my god. TATTOOS GUYS. Plus, the piercing system works like IRL-style - you have to get pierced, then buy jewelry for your piercing if you want to replace your starter/healer gear! I'm a big fan of body mods IRL and having a more realistic piercing/tattoo system was important to me!

Can't wait for next year AND to bring y'all more Slasher U!!!!!!!!! Making video games is literally my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world and I can't imagine doing anything else with my life :')))) (one day I'll be able to do this FULL-full time instead of on top of reviewing medical documents and drawing IP comics for Big Corpo)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BEST FUCKIN' 6 MONTHS OF GAME DEV I COULD EVER FUCKING ASK FOR!!!!!!!!!! You guys rule :')))))))))))

xoxooxoxoxoxox, Professor Plutonium

[lololollywrites]

LoloLolly's 2023 Year in Review

Thank you for the tag, @discordantwords! It seems apt, as you're one of the reasons I was productive (for me, that is) this year - I so appreciate your FTH bid! I participated for the very first time in 2023 and published TWO FTH fics. Such a cool experience.

Here is my 2023 stats page from AO3. I know it's modest for most seasoned AO3 authors, but as a relatively new poster on the site, I've been thrilled so see the constant growth and explosion of support.

Completed fics:

*I currently have no WIPS, nor did I publish any ficlets this year. We'll see what 2024 brings!

Never Been Better

John gets married. Sherlock leaves the wedding reception early, but he’s fine. Fine. The seven percent solution? It helps him think. If only Baker Street didn’t seem so empty. But he’s perfectly okay. Never been better, in fact. Never been better. (Published January 30, 2023, completed February 24, 2023; Chapters 3/3, 16,109 words)

Pressure Points

(My first FTH entry for @discordantwords)

The bonfire doesn't happen during The Empty Hearse. Instead, both John and Sherlock are placed into a life-or-death situation. One that may prove too much for a still-wounded Sherlock. Excerpt: “Pressure p-points. They’re observing our reactions to the situation. It’s possible they’ll intercede should w-we be in any real danger of dying – it’s an ex-experiment. It may or may not be attempted m-murder.” “May or may not be?” “We must operate un-under the assumption that it is, of course.” “Already there, Sherlock. The water’s up to our fucking ribcages.” “Mm. So it is.” (Published May 26, 2023, completed June 14, 2023; Chapters 4/4, 19,892 words)

Cold Inside

(My second FTH entry for @shakespearelovedladymacbeth)

Sherlock has just shot Magnussen, and John feels adrift. Everything is wrong. He's fairly certain he hates his wife, too. The regrets are too numerous for him to count. Sherlock is in prison, his ultimate fate unknown and the isolation slowly (or, rather, worryingly quickly) whittling away at his sanity. Mycroft is equally untethered, scrambling for options. Perhaps John can help. And perhaps, just perhaps, they can manage to save Sherlock and rid themselves of Mary in one fell swoop. (HLV fix-it) (Published October 6, 2023, completed November 3, 2023; Chapters 5/5, 26,843 words)

[tomorrowusa]

Bad news for Republicans: violent crime is down across most of the US.

Donald Trump and far right media want people to believe there is a massive crime wave sparked by hordes of bloodthirsty migrants charging in waves across the southern border. In fact, the spike in crime which began with Trump's botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

To hear the latest version of Donald Trump’s “American carnage” narrative of a country lost without him, you would think law-abiding citizens are cowering in their homes or stockpiling weapons to deal with a massive crime wave that’s due to illegal border crossings caused by various nations emptying their prisons and by leftist “Soros-funded” prosecutors gleefully opening our own penitentiaries. The idea of an ongoing crime wave is incorporated into all sorts of MAGA rhetoric, including claims that prosecutors pursuing cases against Trump in New York, Atlanta, Florida, and Washington, D.C., should instead be frantically trying and jailing predators who are cavorting on the streets. The alleged threat of murderous “animals” who entered the country illegally has been crystalized by Republican agitprop about the tragic death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered while jogging, allegedly by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant. But graphic, horrifying anecdotal evidence does not an actual crime wave make. And the more we learn about what’s actually happening in our major cities, the clearer it is that the surge in violent crime that did occur during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to subside. The COVID crime surge largely ended in 2022. Then the incidence of murder and other violent crimes dropped significantly in 2023, according to preliminary federal data, as CNN recently reported:

Fact check: Trump falsely claims US crime stats are only going up. Most went down last year, including massive drop in murder

To the degree that migrants are involved in criminal activity can now be attributed to Trump's blockage of border security legislation in the House by his spineless minions on Capitol Hill.

Bipartisan border deal hits legislative wall as Republicans say they will block bill

Republicans are now officially the owners of border chaos – not the solution to it.

Back to the featured article...

[W]hen a long upward trend in crime during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s — a true crime wave — finally came to an end, then dramatically reversed. The current numbers are beginning to show that we’re more than likely in a long period of stable (and, by past standards, relatively low) crime rates that were briefly interrupted by the many dislocations the pandemic caused in American life (and police effectiveness). So the myth of a deadly threat to Americans stemming from liberal policies on the border and in the justice system is mostly just that. Perceptions of public safety, of course, aren’t always in line with objective reality, and violent crime is horrifying even if it’s not as prevalent as law-and-order demagogues suggest. An October 2023 Gallup survey that coincided with growing evidence of dropping crime rates showed 77 percent of Americans agreed there was “more crime” in the country than in the previous year.

Spectacular crime stories are always going to grab headlines. If it bleeds, it leads has been one of the mainstays of American journalism for centuries. You'll never see a headline in the NY Post like Murder Rate Plummets!.

One thing that is often overlooked is that the "long upward trend in crime during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s" mentioned in the article came to an end in the 1990s during the Clinton administration.

For ideological reasons, Democrats have been too restrained about publicizing their own law and order successes. As with the 1990s, another drop in crime is taking place under a Democratic administration – despite GOP attempts to exploit individual incidents of crime.

Donald Trump himself is a "one man crime wave".

[tungle-squentacles]

huecember 15! could be better but I'M FINALLY FYCKING FREE WAAHHAAHAHAHA

and now that I've completed huevember/huecember for 2023 i've compiled some stats under the cut

total pieces: 25 (missing 5)

fanart: 14 non-fanart pieces: 9 ocs: 2

most figures: day 18 (8 total) pieces with 2 figures: 5 pieces with 1 figure: 15 pieces with no figures: 4 average amount of figures per piece: 1.32

by fanbase: aurora (3), scythe (2), e2068 (2), mob psycho 100 (2), murder drones (1), sorry to bother you (1), leverage (1), calvin & hobbes (1), mario (1) (9 total)

true huevember (colors ONLY from one hue): 8 i think ()not sure about citizens

pieces on time (before midnight of the next day): 8 pieces late: 17 earliest piece: day 2 (skateboarding), 10:56 pm before midnight latest piece: day 8 (verm), almost 3 days after midnight

favorite: day 14 least favorite: day 12

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Stats from Movies 801-900

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

Thirst (2009) had the most votes with 1,097 votes. Captain Clegg (1962) had the least votes with 413 votes.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

Fright Night (1985) was the most watched film with 32.8% of voters out of 665 saying they had seen it. Zibahkhana (2007) had the least "Yes" votes with 0% of voters out of 444.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) was the least watched film with 68.3% of voters out of 492 saying they hadn’t seen it. Sewing Love (2023) had the least "No" votes with 5,9% of voters out of 523.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

Fright Night (1985) was the best known film, 14,6% of voters out of 665 saying they’d never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

Zibahkhana (2007) was the least known film, 93% of voters out of 444 saying they’d never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

Near Dark (1987) The Wrath (2018) The Uncanny (1977) Fright Night (1985) Zibahkhana (2007) My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987) Willard (1971) Woman's Wail (1986) The Atticus Institute (2015) Resurrección (2016)

Nanny (2022) The Lodgers (2017) Dead Birds (2004) The Medium (2021) Captain Clegg (1962) The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) Hagazussa (2017) The Priests (2015) The Wailing (2016) The Devil's Doorway (2018)

House of Usher (1960) Shutter (2004) Without Name (2016) Lake Bodom (2017) The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016) Under the Shadow (2016) Southbound (2015) The Dybbuk (1937) The Golem (2018) Invaders from Mars (1986)

Birth/Rebirth (2023) Dave Made a Maze (2017) Await Further Instructions (2018) The Beast Must Die (1974) Imprint (2006) A Wounded Fawn (2022) The Housemaid (2016) Slash/Back (2022) Slumber Party Massacre (2021) Sissy (2022)

In The Spider's Web (2007) Maneater (2007) Stigmata (1999) Resurrection (2022) The Pale Door (2020) Jack Frost (1997) Return of the Fly (1959) She Will (2021) Spiral (2019) The Strange House (2020)

Mary Reilly (1996) The Binding (2020) 32 Malasana Street (2020) The Strange House (2015) Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) The Reaping (2007) The Moth Diaries (2011) Let Us Prey (2014) The Possession of David O'Reilly (2010) The Burrowers (2008)

Cruel Peter (2019) Sewing Love (2023) A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) Darkness Falls (2003) Night Killer (1990) Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022) Black Sunday (1960) Superhost (2021) The Puppetman (2023)

Tom at the Farm (2013) Malum (2023) Suitable Flesh (2023) The Deep House (2021) Winifred Meeks (2021) Son (2021) The Banishing (2020) Alone with You (2021) Enys Men (2022) The Unkindness of Ravens (2016)

Sennentuntschi (2010) The Queen of Spades (1949) Super Dark Times (2017) Lokis: A Manuscript of Professor Wittembach (1970) Life (2017) Citadel (2012) Creep (2004) Thirst (2009) The Canal (2014) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

The Innkeepers (2011) The Sacrament (2013) Apollo 18 (2011) The Outwaters (2022) Horror in the High Desert (2021) Spring (2014) The Uninvited (2009) The Grudge (2020) The Messengers (2007) Rawhead Rex (1986)

[non-plutonian-druid]

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

thanks for the tag @littlerit!!!

Words and fics

I posted a tua oneshot Grace Through The Doorway In Time

and thats it!

ok rit i know you did say i should adjust it for art, i just thought it would be funny to do that first.

✨ Art Making Review 2023 ✨

Posted Art oh god

I kicked off the year by drawing Five and Lila in silly outfit submissions [1] [2] [3]

Delores as a mermaid in a crumbling ruin

Lemony Snicket au - Ben tied up in a closet

Redraw of a S3 promo poster

Five and Lila in that bathtub phone call x files scene

Tarot series - Death

Paranatural au - [1] [2] [3] [4]

Celebratory aroace Barbie

Comic fanart for alephnaught's fic Theory of Quantum Superposition

Five definitely just murdered someone with a chainsaw

Tarot Series bonus - Ten of Swords

Tarot Series - Judgement

Five and Lila run into each other for 0.2 seconds at the Commission water cooler

Baby Azula Mai and Ty Lee as centaurs

TUA centaur au - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Girl being abducted by a kelpie WIP

The Ben dying drawing that tumblr ate for some reason

Lemony Snicket au - the comic

OTGW au - Fei and Sloane

trick or treat WIPS: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [12] [13]

Voltron Gravity Falls au comic

OTGW au - Diego and Ben hide from Five

Paranatural au round 2 - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Top Art By Notes

(probably the closest parallel to kudos is likes, but trying to figure that out feels hard)

s3 promo poster redraw - 840 notes

Death tarot card - 319 notes

bathtub x files scene - 273 notes

the first paranatural au post - 242 notes

Theory of Quantum Superposition fanart comic - 239 notes

Fandom Events 2023

@tua-masked-author !!!

Upcoming 2024

i joined the murderbot diaries new years gift exchange! so ill be making a gift for that!

i have an installment of the lemony snicket au that i think i finished like two years ago and never posted. i should proooobably post it

also, i did just finish a different installment of the lemony snicket au that yall can look forward to!

im either done or almost done with another short paranatural au comic

i will try to finish the tarot series. or failing that. ill try to at least make additions to it

im working on a post with regular canon five (doing this made me realize its been a MINUTE since i posted art of regular canon five. ive abandoned my boy) playing with mr pennycrumb

i have Another finished thing but im waiting for something else to be posted first. i dont actually have to, i just want to outsource having to write context

Rules and tags below the cut!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass, just keep on scrolling.

i dont know how many people I'm supposed to tag but! @destinyandcoins @darbydoo22 @ford-ye-fiji @grammarpedant @blessphemy trying to mind palace all the people i know on discord, who write fic, what their ao3 username is to triple check they posted this year, and what their tumblr url is... (and also if any of you dont like these kinds of games, sorry, thats my bad!!)

lmao also i fucked up all the formatting for you guys, this is what these are supposed to look like

[foxofsunholt]

Current Demo progress— ( 01/07/2023 )

Currently at 40k words, all the prologue (or what I consider the prologue, and what will be the opening to chapter 1 MAYBE)

To Do:

A few scenes need to be added in some choices that I’ve left blank.

More scenes and choices in the opening to define character personality

More writing. Obviously.

An editing and re-haul of the stats currently in the demo (this is all planned out, just need to implement and adjust)

Will be making an intro post for FOS soon, when the demo is more complete. And so I need to redo and make some graphics for the game

Also major editing. I haven’t been editing as I go because I’ve found it quicker to get all my nasty thoughts out and then go back when it’s all said and done

I am thinking of posting the demo up until the opening of chapter 2 (what in my notes is chapter 1 but I made the prologue really long and anyway it doesn’t matter what chapters are what anyway); at that point, you’ll have met and been able to speak and get to know Adelaide, Mars, Camille and Sidney — Yoon and Faith will be seen but you don’t actually meet them until later.

A lot of the prologue is stuff happening TO the MC and not the MC doing their own thing (this is a little by design as the next chapter opens up significantly and gives you immense freedom after having none…which is also a thematic choice as the mc is also getting that freedom just as much as the player is). But this does make me feel inclined to release the demo when there’s more because I know how boring something where the MC lacks their agency is (again, by design, as the MC’s goal in those early chapters is getting their agency back via…..um…some silly goofy revenge. You know. Murder…or not murder.)

Anyways, not going to give a release date because we all know how well that goes. But I am optimistic about SOON. Maybe even before the end of the month.