#ACS Spring 2025 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

reborn-readings · 6 months ago

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What does 2025 have in store for you?

Tip Jar | Masterlist | Personal Readings

Welcome to the end of the year, and the beginning of a new one. At this moment, I'd like to take a look at what sorts of opportunities are available on our collective paths in 2025. Hope you enjoy!

This is a group reading, so take what resonates and leave the rest. Don't force anything if it does not fit. Remember that the future is not set in stone and that other potential paths exist depending on your movement through the course of time.

Pile 1 (Top Left)

Pile 1, 2025 is the wake-up call for you. For so long you have focused on your security and material gain that you have now built a fortress around you. How much more secure do you need to be? You are already very skilled at procuring what you need, but it seems that you do not trust your skills. You seem to place your trust in what you have, not what you are. But that is unsustainable.

Do you fear that the fires of your passions—those frivolous things that we enjoy, those things that we’d place as wants and not needs—will burn up what you’ve built? Well, Pile 1, you can either light your abode with a cozy fire or suffer the cold of winter, letting it sap your strength. There have been signs that you have been neglecting this side of yourself, maybe from the universe, maybe from your own body.

I will say, you are correct that any passion taken too far can be destructive. But just as destructive is the notion of living your life whilst denying yourself your dreams. Think back to the reason that you wanted to feel safe in the first place.

I have three big, important messages for you. One: Closed eyes are just as important as open eyes. Two: Your dreams chose you for a reason. Three: rekindle the flame that burned for your passions and projects. 2025 will be a hard road toward stability and fulfillment, but remember: whatever falls apart you have the ability to build back up.

Other messages - It’s about the journey. Rest and relaxation allowing one to see clearly. The worst-case scenario in your head is worse than the actual worst-case scenario. Traveling the hard path for no reason. Urgent messages to you—stop, be quiet, listen.

Symbols - Drawing from a never-ending well. Basking in the glow of an out-of-control flame. Weightlessness. Soft, heavy paws. Someone wrapping you in the folds and depths of their cloak.

Pile 2 (Top Right)

I’m sorry to tell you, Pile 2, but 2025 heralds heartbreak. But that’s not the be-all end-all to it. The rest of these cards don’t point to that much of a loss with the heartbreak.

After all…you kind of have it made! You are somebody who indulges in the pleasures of life, and, if someone can’t keep up with you, well, then it’s their loss, isn’t it? You’ve got other things to do, other people to grace your time with. Solitude is not the answer right now, and I don’t think it’s even crossed your mind.

Remember to value the traits of yourself that you know are true. I can sense you’re a very honest, direct, straightforward person, and maybe whoever tried to break your heart didn’t like that about you. Or maybe they saw the suave, elegant way that you move about, the charm with which you capture whole rooms full of people, and they grew jealous. Either way, you have more than enough capability to swat off their attempt at making you hurt.

Still, it’s difficult to not feel icy or standoffish after a breakup (romantic or non!). Maybe you feel like instead of winter fading to spring, it’s bouncing back to autumn? Don’t worry; as long as you keep and cherish your remaining connections and remain calm, things will go back to normal soon, and what you’ve been growing will yield fruit as usual. For you, 2025 is the year of the bounce-back! Life goes on, and you will keep on enjoying it, quickly filling the space left behind with something grounding and complimentary.

Other messages - Remember and be awed by the sheer connectivity of the world. Waiting to bloom. Obscurity—a message of intrigue that only you will know. Embrace the myriad colors in you.

Symbols - Tangles. Stepping into darkness where you expected something else. Lively settings; bars, parties, large get-togethers, festivals and fairs. Multitasking easily.

Pile 3 (Bottom Left)

Hello, Pile 3! I immediately get a sense of relaxation from you. You’re someone who knows how to kick back and have a good time, someone who people flock to because you share that feeling with others.

But I can sense in you, deep down, a hesitation at this kind of life that you’ve built for yourself. You wonder if it’ll hold water. Deep inside, you are someone who seeks glory and security, someone who strives to be intelligent and to be held as intelligent. Don’t get me wrong—you’re grateful for all this time, for everything in your recent past, and you should be. But there’s an itch telling you that it’s time to move on.

2025 is a good opportunity to set your achievements up on their shelves and go out to achieve some more. I get both the sense of something duly completed and of something just beginning. Your uncertainty shines through and tints your vision, though. You don’t want to leap out onto a new field where you won’t even know how to stay on your feet. How will you build up if you don’t know where to start? Just remember: often, the best solution is the simplest. You have good instincts, intuition that has been passed down from your ancestors to you, and all you need to do is learn how to use it.

Hope is a muscle that you have not been working, but it’s never too late to set a goal and start working those muscles. It looks like 2025 is gonna be a busy year for you! As long as you remember to fall back on your common sense and not give up, you’ll be fine. Get out there already! The whole Earth awaits you. I have faith in you.

Other messages - Very few come through. Value or emphasis on charity, helping others. Optimism (needed). Judgement-free zones. Many things to look forward to throughout the year.

Symbols - Gossamer wings. Sand; maybe a local beach? Primary colors, esp. red and yellow. Castles.

Pile 4 (Bottom Right)

Pile 4

Pile 4, the first message that came through to me was a voice screaming—it’s not fair! It’s not fair at all. And life just seems to…go on.

As we move into the new year, it seems that you have one eye on the past, or more. I sense that you are someone on a quest to see the past clearly. Do you have memories that are fuzzy and indistinct? Did a story that you heard about your past not line up with the truth? Is there something unaddressed that’s keeping you from being yourself?

Well, 2025 seems to bring an opportunity to resolve that. But you must temper yourself and keep your feet on the ground; it is likely that complicated and well-thought-out plans won’t work. There’s always something that could go wrong. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m telling you to miss out on the opportunity when it comes—just that you should be careful to take a very grounded, consistent, and well-paced approach to it. And perhaps what you’re looking for isn’t a sudden falling-into-place of all the knowledge that you seek, but the knowledge that you gain about yourself as you undertake this journey.

Whatever the outcome, there will be an element of sorrow to it. Even if everything goes off without a hitch, you might still look back on 2025 and mourn the loss of anything else you could’ve done with the time. This year will come with many emotions, many ups and down. It’s cliché advice, I know, but I’m sensing that the best way to go about it is to take life one moment at a time. I see some very warm moments for you; being surrounded by your friends, quiet spaces that bring time and space to think, walks or rides surrounded by nature in golden light. Let each moment be what it will be, and once it’s gone, let it pass on.

Other messages - To enjoy the journey, let go of the outcome. Find fulfillment in pursuit. Annoyance. Sunsets.

Symbols - Spirals. Small spaces or doorways. Relief and tears.

If this was helpful, please consider donating 🤍💛

Dividers by @/saradika-graphics

#pick a card #pick a pile #pac #pap #tarot readings #tarot cards #oracle readings #oracle cards #group reading #general reading #tarotblr #pick a picture #divination

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genshin-impact-updates · 4 months ago

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"Moonlight Amidst Dreams" Version 5.4 Update Details

Dear Traveler,

Below are the details of the Version 5.4 update "Moonlight Amidst Dreams" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems per hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/02/12 06:00 (UTC+8).

Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 5.4.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/02/12 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please log in and claim your compensation before 2025/02/15 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins 2025/02/12 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Xbox Series X|S: Open the system main menu, select "My games & apps," select the "Manage" tab, and on the "Updates" page, find "Genshin Impact" and confirm to update.

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Character

5-Star Character "Embrace of Enchanting Dreams" Yumemizuki Mizuki (Anemo)

◇ Vision: Anemo

◇ Weapon: Catalyst

◇ A shareholder of Aisa Bathhouse, a baku, and a clinical psychologist. Dedicated to the dispersal of nightmares, and to bringing people peace of mind.

◆ Elemental Skill: Aisa Utamakura Pilgrimage

◇ Enters a Dreamdrifter state where she floats above the ground and drifts forward continuously. In this state, Yumemizuki Mizuki will deal AoE Anemo DMG to nearby opponents at regular intervals, and increase the Swirl DMG that nearby party members deal. Dreamdrifter will end when Mizuki leaves the field or uses her Elemental Skill again.

◆ Elemental Burst: Anraku Secret Spring Therapy

◇ Pulls in nearby objects and opponents and deals 1 instance of AoE Anemo DMG, and summons a Mini Baku that follows the current active character. At regular intervals, the Mini Baku will create Snacks near opponents or characters. After one of your party members picks up a Snack, it will deal AoE Anemo DMG or provide healing based on the HP of the character who picked up the Snack. If a Snack is not picked up after a period of time, it will deal 1 instance of AoE Anemo DMG to surrounding opponents.

◆ The 5-star character "Embrace of Enchanting Dreams" Yumemizuki Mizuki (Anemo) will be available in the standard wish "Wanderlust Invocation" in the next Version.

II. New Equipment

New Weapons (Examples based on Refinement Rank 1)

Sunny Morning Sleep-In (5-Star Catalyst)

Elemental Mastery increases by 120 for 6s after triggering Swirl. Elemental Mastery increases by 96 for 9s after the wielder's Elemental Skill hits an opponent. Elemental Mastery increases by 32 for 30s after the wielder's Elemental Burst hits an opponent.

◆ During the event wish "Epitome Invocation," the event-exclusive 5-star weapon Sunny Morning Sleep-In (Catalyst) will receive a huge drop-rate boost!

Tamayuratei no Ohanashi (4-Star Polearm)

Increase ATK by 20% and Movement SPD by 10% for 10s when using an Elemental Skill.

◆ Tamayuratei no Ohanashi (Polearm) and its refinement materials can be redeemed in the event "Enchanted Tales of the Mikawa Festival."

III. New Main Story

New Story Quest

Yumemizuki Mizuki's Story Quest - Tapirus Somniator Chapter: Act I "Dream Eater's Melancholia"

Permanently available after the Version 5.4 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Raiden Shogun's Story Quest - Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act II "Transient Dreams"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

Starting from Version 5.4, you can accept Story Quests directly from the Quest Menu. Story Quests no longer require "Story Keys" to unlock (Hangout Events still require "Story Keys" to unlock).

IV. Other Update Details

New Recipe:

○ Inazuma Shimura's: Bathhouse Manjuu

New Character Specialty Dish:

○ Yumemizuki Mizuki's specialty: Dreams of Healing

Adds Set 38 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

New Namecards:

"Yumemizuki Mizuki: Nightmare Devourer": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Yumemizuki Mizuki

"Celebration: Scorch": Obtained from the "Realm of Tempered Valor" event

"Travel Notes: Reverie": Reward obtained via the BP system

"Genius Invokation TCG" Gameplay Update:

New Character Cards: Arlecchino, Kinich, and their corresponding Talent cards. Corresponding invitation duel and guest challenges have been added to the Player List.

New Action Cards "Flower-Feather Clan," "Little Tepetlisaur — Treasure Hunter at Large," and "Hot Spring O'Clock" have been added which can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

The Forge Realm's Temper is once again available. The theme of this edition is "The Forge Realm's Temper: Clever Stratagems":

1. During The Forge Realm's Temper: Clever Stratagems, you can select the parameters for each stage. Parameters that may be set include: stage difficulty, enemy health, and the round limit for the match.

2. After completing the challenge, points will be obtained based on the difficulty completed for each parameter. The best score obtained for each stage will be recorded, and will allow you to claim rewards that correspond to certain scores.

Imaginarium Theater

After the Version 5.4 update, the first season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on March 1, 2025.

Required Elemental Types: Hydro, Electro, and Cryo

Opening Characters: Kamisato Ayato, Barbara, Raiden Shogun, Ororon, Eula, and Layla

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Yumemizuki Mizuki, Navia, Xinyan, and Thoma

After the first season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Barbara, Baizhu, Chiori, and Sethos will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

Spiral Abyss

After the Version 5.4 update, Phase 1 of the Spiral Abyss will be updated on February 16.

◆ Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All party members have their Elemental Mastery increased by 200.

◆ Floor 12 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• First Half: Swirl DMG dealt by the active character increased by 600%.

• Second Half: Characters' Charged Attack Cryo DMG increased by 75%.

◆ Updated the monster lineup on Floors 11 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

◆ Blessing of the Abyssal Moon:

Stirring Moon

When a character receives healing, a shockwave will be unleashed at the character's position, dealing True DMG to nearby opponents. This effect can be triggered once every 3s.

Phase 2 of the Spiral Abyss will be updated on March 16.

◆ Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All characters in the party gain a 75% Electro DMG Bonus.

◆ Floor 12 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• First Half: Characters' Elemental Skill Hydro DMG increased by 75%.

• Second Half: Characters' Plunging Attack DMG increased by 75%.

◆ Updated the monster lineup on Floors 11 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

◆ Blessing of the Abyssal Moon:

Plunging Moon

When a character's Plunging Attacks hit opponents, a shockwave will be unleashed at the character's position, dealing True DMG to nearby opponents. This effect can be triggered once every 3s.

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Quests

After the version update, Story Quests will no longer require "Story Keys" to unlock (Hangout Events will still require "Story Keys" to unlock).

Removes the secondary confirmation pop-up window for the "Quick Start" function for Archon Quests.

After the version update, the NPC "Cipac" in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame will sell the quest items "Saurus Crackers." Travelers who have completed Archon Quest Chapter V: Act V "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection" but missed the related quest items can purchase them from Cipac.

● Enemies

Adjusts the game's camera angle when challenging the opponent "Secret Source Automaton: Configuration Device" to help Travelers better target the enemy and assess arena conditions.

● Map

After the version update, when clicking "Spiral Abyss" or "Theater Lobby" in the top right corner of the map, the map will not only move to the corresponding location, but also automatically select "Spiral Abyss" or "Theater Lobby."

Adds quest hints for Archon Quests, Tribal Chronicles, and Story Quests to the top left corner of the map. Clicking these hints allows you to view the quest details or accept the relevant quests (only one indicator will be shown when multiple quests are available).

Combines certain reward hints in the top left corner of the "Map" interface (such as Reputation reward hints from different regions will be merged into one).

After the version update, tracked Custom Marker will no longer disappear when zooming in or out on the map.

● Training Guide

Adds the "Level-Up Plans" feature to the "Training Guide" interface. You can set a character as the one you wish to level up, and set level-up goals for their Character Level, Weapon Level, and Character Talent Level. After setting these goals, the system will automatically calculate the amount of materials needed to achieve each goal and display the missing materials if there are insufficient materials.

Additionally, after setting a character as the one you wish to level up:

a. Enemies related to the corresponding character's "Character and Weapon Enhancement Materials" will be pinned and marked in the "Enemies" interface of the Adventurer Handbook.

b. When available, Domains related to the corresponding character's "Character Talent Materials" or "Weapon Ascension Materials" will be pinned in the "Domain" interface of the Adventurer Handbook.

c. Materials related to the corresponding character will be marked in certain interfaces in the "Map" that display material drops (such as Domain details interface, local specialty tracking interface, etc.).

d. If you don't have enough materials to meet the level-up goals, the amount of materials needed to achieve level-up goals and the goals' completion status will be displayed on the item info pop-up when collecting materials.

● Enhancement Systems

Clicking on "Craftable Amount" in the "Source" section of the details for some enhancement materials will now redirect you to the map and highlight the "Crafting Bench" icon.

When obtaining a new item, if you click on the related item in the main screen to access the "Inventory," the "Inventory" interface will display the corresponding new item in a prominent, easily visible position.

Optimizes the operation logic, icon display, and interactive experience when filtering, switching pages, and other operations within the "Character" interface.

In the "Character" interface, there will be special effect prompts when a character's Talent can be leveled up.

Adds an element-based filter for certain situations in Keyboard and Mouse Mode, located below the character avatar list in the "Character" interface.

Adds a feature to the "Character > Weapon > Switch" interface to filter weapons based on their secondary attributes, and the relevant recommended secondary attributes will be marked.

Adds the "Auto Add" function to the "Weapon Enhancement > Refinement" interface.

● Serenitea Pot

Adds usage text instructions and gameplay tutorials to the item details interface of "Radiant Spincrystal."

Adds a quick access function for Tubby in the Serenitea Pot: When in your realm, click the pot icon in the top right corner of the main screen to access the "Tubby" tab. In this tab, you can quickly switch Realm Layouts, create Furnishings, and open the Realm Depot.

Adds more materials for crafting the 3 types of dye in the "Create Furnishing > Creation/Dye" interface.

● Genius Invokation TCG

Adds a button to the "Edit Deck" screen to change the deck's appearance.

The "Deck Design Settings" screen now allows you to set the appearance for individual decks, and also apply batch settings to all decks.

The "Deck List" screen now shows the selected appearance for each deck, and you can change the decks' order by holding and dragging.

When you select either your own or the opponent's Hand, the interface will display the number of cards in Hand.

The opponent's "Forbidden Knowledge" card in their Hand will have a special effect on its Card Back.

Cards that are invalid due to other card effects will now have an effect marker when in the Hand.

The Event Card "Bolstering Bubblebalm" generated by the Character Card "Sigewinne" will trigger special effects when activated.

● Battle Pass

The Battle Pass system's "This BP Period" has been updated to include cross-version tracking for Spiral Abyss task progress: When the Battle Pass is available after a version update, for the "Spiral Abyss" in the same version update, if there are any Abyssal Stars that were not recorded by the previous version's BP Missions, their progress will now be added to the current mission "Gain a total of 12 stars in the Spiral Abyss."

*Relevant features will start recording data from Version 5.4, and will be fully implemented from Version 5.5. In this Version 5.4 update (corresponding to the January 16 Spiral Abyss), only Abyssal Stars earned by using the skip function and were not recorded by the Version 5.3 Battle Pass system will be recorded.

● Audio

Adjusts the words of one of Lyney's Japanese Chat voice line.

Optimizes the English voice lines for some quests.

● Other

Increases the Adventure EXP rewards for certain quests in the "Adventurer Handbook > Experience" interface.

The maximum single instance DMG limit in combat is raised from 9,999,999 to 20,000,000.

In "Shop > Paimon's Bargains," Character and Weapon Enhancement Materials will now be sorted based on the enemy types that drop them.

Optimizes the special effects for Citlali's Opal Shield to make it more visible in Aiming Mode.

Optimizes the combat experience for Chasca when performing Charged Attacks in her Nightsoul's Blessing state against large-sized opponents in narrow spaces.

Through active communication, after the version update, the character Aloy will be available as a Supporting Cast member in "Imaginarium Theater" (when Cryo is one of Imaginarium Theater's required Elemental Types for the season).

Optimizes the appearance when Mavuika's hair effects overlap with translucent scenery in the Nightsoul's Blessing state.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Enemies

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Qucusaurus Warrior: Blazing Sky" would display abnormal behavior due to incorrect orientation when entering the alert state.

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Lord of Eroded Primal Fire" could still be hit by certain characters' skills after leaving the combat area.

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby there would be a chance that the enemy "Ruin Guard" would fail to cast its skills normally.

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby treasure could not be collected after defeating the enemy "Iniquitous Baptist."

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, the enemy Tenebrous Papilla had a small chance of being unable to cast the skill "Beseech the Dark" in the Spiral Abyss.

● Characters

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, when Xilonen is climbing in her Nightsoul's Blessing state and triggers Nightsoul Transmission to switch to Mavuika, there was a small chance that Mavuika would be unable to move.

Fixes an issue whereby Citlali's model would abnormally disappear when entering Aiming Mode in mid-air.

Fixes an issue whereby when Citlali enters her leaping state, her attack range would abnormally decrease and become inconsistent with her Normal Attacks.

Fixes an issue whereby Citlali's facial expressions would be slightly abnormal when casting her Elemental Skill or triggering her idle animation.

Fixes an issue whereby when Ororon and Citlali leap into the air, glide, and use the gadget "Red Feather Fan," the corresponding special effects would not display normally.

Fixes an issue whereby some damage had a small chance of not triggering the "Hypersense" effect of Ororon's Passive Talent "Nightshade Synesthesia" as intended.

Fixes an issue whereby in Co-Op Mode, when Mavuika or Mualani enter the field of view in the Nightsoul's Blessing state, there was a chance that the special effects of their skills would be abnormal.

Fixes an issue whereby when Mavuika got knocked away on her Flamestrider and defeated, the character's movements would be abnormal.

Fixes an issue whereby in certain environments, Hu Tao's glasses when wearing the outfit "Cherries Snow-Laden" did not display correctly.

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby triggering Mavuika's Lv. 6 Constellation effect would cause abnormal Nightsoul point consumption while in the Nightsoul's Blessing state.

Fixes an issue whereby some outfit special effects were not displaying normally when Mavuika unleashed her Elemental Burst and entered the "Crucible of Death and Life" state.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, when triggering Nightsoul Transmission and switching to another character, the character's Nightsoul's Blessing state would be abnormal.

● Open World

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, a rock near the "Coatepec Mountain" and "Ancestral Temple" areas could not be destroyed by a Flamegranate.

● System

Fixes an issue whereby Lan Yan's character expressions would be slightly abnormal when switching from other characters to Lan Yan and triggering her animation in the "Party Setup" interface.

Fixes an issue whereby after sorting characters in the "Character Showcase" or "Craft" interface, closing and reopening the interface would not reset the character sorting to its default state.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, there was a chance that the tutorial "Unlocking Domains" would be unable to trigger normally. After the version update, Travelers who have met the trigger conditions but have not triggered this tutorial will automatically trigger the relevant tutorial upon logging in.

Fixes an issue in the "Character > Voice-Over" interface for Citlali, whereby the voice-over "About Us: Awkwardness" had an incorrect Friendship Level requirement (should be unlocked at Friendship Lv. 6, previously incorrectly set at Friendship Lv. 4).

*For Travelers who have already unlocked this Voice-Over, if Citlali has not reached Friendship Lv. 6, this Voice-Over will be temporarily unavailable until the character's Friendship Level reaches 6.

● Audio

Fixes an issue whereby when Citlali or Mavuika triggered their chat voice lines, after swapping to other system interfaces and returning to the original interface, the characters' interrupted voice lines would not resume playing.

Fixes an issue with the Pyro Traveler Lumine whereby the sound effect of her third Normal Attack was not synchronized with her movements.

Fixes an issue under certain circumstances whereby Mavuika's Charged Attack voice-lines were abnormally missing in Japanese, Korean, and English.

Fixes an issue with Mavuika whereby after performing a Plunging Attack while riding her Flamestrider, the Flamestrider's sound effects would keep playing after switching immediately to the All-Fire Armaments form and exiting the Flamestrider.

Fixes an issue whereby some background music would play abnormally during the phase transition of the enemy "The Knave" after the Version 5.3 update.

Fixes inconsistencies between Chinese voice-over and text in certain quests, and optimizes some Chinese voice-over sound effects.

● System

Fixes an issue on PS5 devices whereby settings could not be applied when setting the key binding to R2 in the "Instrument Settings" interface of the musical instrument gadgets.

Fixes the issue of abnormal list order in the "Co-Op Mode" interface after the Version 5.3 update.

● Other

Fixes an issue with the text description of the effects of the "Ley Line Disorder" on Floor 3 of the Spiral Abyss.

Fixes an issue whereby the item Xiao Lantern could be abnormally attacked by some characters.

Fixes an issue whereby the camera would abnormally shake slightly in certain areas of Natlan.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, some actions of the "Firstborn Firesprite" would be triggered abnormally.

Fixes an issue whereby under certain circumstances, the current progress of "Envisaged Echoes" would abnormally be lost when resuming the challenge.

Fixes an issue whereby after Xiangling dons the outfit "New Year's Cheer," selecting "Upbeat Encouragement" in "Take Photo" > "Pose" would result in her actions displaying abnormally.

Fixes an issue in Imaginarium Theater whereby the Performance Event that starts the battle with the character at 50% HP is treated as a healing effect, causing certain character abilities to trigger abnormally at the start of the battle.

Fixes an issue whereby the effect of the weapon "Ferrous Shadow" could not be applied to Mavuika's Flamestrider Charged Attack.

Fixes some text errors in certain languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

◆ Optimizes inconsistencies between certain voice-overs and the corresponding lines.

◆ Optimizes certain English translations.

〓Genius Invokation TCG Balance Adjustment〓

Adjusts the HP of the Character Card "Emperor of Fire and Iron": Adjusted from 6 to 5 HP.

Adjusts the Elemental Skill DMG of the Character Card "Xianyun": Anemo DMG dealt is adjusted from 2 to 1.

Adjusts the Elemental Dice cost of the Talent Card "In Five Colors Dyed" of the Character Card "Chiori": The Geo Dice cost is adjusted from 3 to 4.

Adjusts the effect of the Technique "Artful Grapple" of the Equipment Card "Yumkasaurus": Effect is adjusted to "Deals 1 Physical DMG, steals 1 card from opponent's Hand with the highest original Elemental Dice Cost. Then, your opponent draws 1 card. If your Hand has no more than 2 cards, this Technique costs 1 less Elemental Die."

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #genshin impact 5.4 #got so caught up in the thrill of alhaitham birthday that i forgot about the update sorry

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cloudy-caspirations · 5 months ago

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Wednesday • January 15, 2025

So….. Long time no see? 😭😭 Sorry for dipping for *checks notes* 3 full months, the semester got ROUGH midway through and I had to lock in. I took my usual photos and timelapses throughout that time, so expect to see those for a bit because I don’t have anything to do yet. The pic for today is of my annual pre-semester folder cleanse.

Okay so semester debrief:

Starting off with the good, I LOVED circuit analysis 1! I was so nervous to take it because I was scared I would hate it (and by extension hate my major), but the work was so satisfying that I would study for it as a break between other assignments.

On the other hand, my combined linear algebra and differential equation class was the worst experience I’ve had in a class ever. I struggled heavily with the material, and my professor’s condescending attitude did NOT help in the slightest.

I was pulling all nighters weekly to finish piles of homework covering material we weren’t taught, but every time I reached out to the professor for help I was met with disdain for not understanding the material, which then escalated into derogatory comments relating my work ethic to my gender and appearance. I think I mentioned one of these in an earlier post, but they continued throughout the semester until I eventually couldn’t take it anymore and stopped showing up to his office hours.

Unsurprisingly I ended up failing the class, and I was super unmotivated for a while because I felt I proved him right and was just not cut out for this field, but after a couple of pep talks and a long rate my professor review I’m back on track and retaking it this semester!

Regardless of that train wreck, I ended up acing almost all of my finals! The only one that I bombed was LinAlg/DiffEQ, which was expected, but I was pleasantly surprised by my electromagnetism final grade, which was an A-!! I got the top score in a class of 100+, and it pulled my grade up from a low C- to a high C+, which shocked me so much after a week of nonstop studying that I actually screamed when scores were released :D.

Anyway, I updated my intro post somewhat to include my new classes for spring semester, so if you are interested check that out! See you all soon :D

#studyblr #university student #stem student #academia #student life #study blog #studyspo #uniblr #university #studyblrs get real #college student #studying #study motivation #women in stem #stem studyblr #stem academia #university studyblr #study inspiration #caspirations.txt

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free-queer-books · 2 days ago

Text

Romance Bookworms Stuff Your Kindle Day - June 20th, 2025

An enormous one-day book blast of 1600+ romance books! The link above goes directly to their list of books with LGBTQ protagonists.

The ist of the books sorted by representation is below the read-more, as this is a very long list - 277 books with LGBTQ protagonists by my count! Given the length, I'm listing only the identites that were mentioned on the event page unless I happen to know more about a specific book.

Asexual and acespec characters

One Touch by Linden Rowe - ace representation (Amazon)

Deceiving the Cursed Beast by Jen Lynning - demisexual female character (AmazonJ)

Scars of the Sun by Noelle Upton - demisexual female character

Giles Ashby Needs a Nanny by K. Sterling - demisexual character

An Epic Construct by D.C. Emerson - asexual best friend (Amazon)

Bear characters

More Reason to Stay by Ryder O'Malley (Amazon)

Bisexual and pansexual characters

Double Dare by Jeanne St. James - bisexual (multiple stores)

Upside Down by Liz Gavin - bisexual (multiple stores)

Of Boys and Games by Mona Black - bisexual (multiple stores)

Kiss Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra - bisexual (multiple stores)

Rescuing Krampus by Robin Jo Margaret - bisexual (multiple stores)

Tainted Evidence by Rachel Grant - bisexual (multiple stores)

Her Elysium by Emmy Engberts - bi/pan awakening (multiple stores)

Taking Out the Trash by Zoey Indiana - bisexual (multiple stores)

The Scottish Play by Phoebe Alexander - bisexual heroine (Amazon)

For Keeps by K.C. Everly - bi awakening (Amazon)

Knight of the Hunted by Elizabeth Dunlap - bi awakening (Amazon)

A Match Made in Evan by Anna Sparrows - bi awakening (Amazon)

Oblivion's River by Shoshana Rain - bi4bi (Amazon)

Mazikeen: Hands of Fate by M Pettengill - bisexual character (Amazon)

Unscripted by J.R. Gray - bisexual awakening (Amazon)

Step Daddy by Morticia Knight - bisexual awakening (Amazon)

Sweat Connection by Katherine McIntyre - disaster bi character (Amazon)

Something to Someone by Grace Turner (Amazon)

Becoming a Bi-con by Sarah Zane (Amazon)

The Krakan's Castaway by Cassandra Medcalf - bisexual character (Amazon)

Scars of the Sun by Noelle Upton - pansexual male character (Amazon)

The Heartbreak Show by Jesikah Sundlin - bisexual male character (Amazon)

Giles Ashby Needs a Nanny by K. Sterling - bi rep (Amazon)

Adora by A.D. Ellis - bi awakening (Amazon)

Tastes of Honey by Frances M. Thompson - bisexual character (Amazon)

Like Cracks in the Sidewalk by Sadie Jay - bi romance (Amazon)

Blood on the Ice by Cassandra Featherstone - bisexual characters (Amazon)

Freedom: What are you willing to sacrifice for love? by Cassidy Langue - bisexual (Amazon)

All the Oceans by Polly Emorie - bisexual (Amazon)

Wrapped Up In You by Melody Claire - bisexual (Amazon)

The Bully's Dare by Adora Crooks - bisexual romance (Amazon)

The Arcana Ignited by Anya Clara - bi awakening (Amazon)

The B-Side by B. Harmony - bisexual (Amazon)

Used by Shanon Elliot - bisexual female character, pansexual male character (Amazon)

Play By Heart by Ariella Zoelle - bisexual awakening (Amazon)

Hot Summer's Prey by Latrexa Nova - bisexuals (Amazon)

We Own the Stars by D.J. Russo - bisexual (Amazon)

SoloPlay by Amanda Usen - bisexual female character (Amazon)

Hunting For a Home Base by Adriana Golden - bisexual awakening (Amazon)

A Polar Expedition by Cass O'Shire - bisexual (Amazon)

Misfit Betrayal by Daria Binx - bi awakening (Amazon)

F/F books

Femme Like Her by Fiona Zedde (multiple stores)

Caught With Zeus by Arizona Tape (mulitple stores)

Reign of Secret by L.L. Hunter (multiple stores)

Alchemiya by Katey Hawthorne (multiple stores)

Mer Made by S.T. Lynn (multiple stores)

Her Purrfect Familiar by Pepper McGraw (multiple stores)

Her Elysium by Emmy Engberts (multiple stores)

A Blooming Spring Love by Emily Engberts (multiple stores)

Cursed Slumber by Luna Lockhardt (multiple stores)

Unthaw My Heart by Harmony Noble (Amazon)

Murder by Multiples by Rachel Ford (Amazon)

Level or Live by Miya Kressin (Amazon)

Their Search for Ms. Right by Janet Lee Smith (Amazon)

Becoming a Bi-con by Sarah Zane (Amazon)

Summer Love by Gemma Addison Dove (Amazon)

A Taste of Red by Stephanie Lee (Amazon)

Claimed by Her Bear by Ariel Marie (Amazon)

Infatuations by Barbara Winkes (Amazon)

Little Miss Santa Claws by Beka Westrup (Amazon)

The Paradox of Survival by Anna Lynn Hammar (Amazon)

Her Mortal Champion by Luna Lawson (Amazon)

Freedom: What are you willing to sacrifice for love? by Cassidy Langue (Amazon)

All the Oceans by Polly Emorie (Amazon)

Bitter Winds by Marina Tempest (Amazon)

Off with Her Head by Dana LeeAnn (Amazon)

Maiden Over by Renee Dahlia (Amazon)

My Carmilla by Anita Zara (Amazon)

Tangled Encounters by Madison Nicole (Amazon)

Bean There, Found You by Cameron Tate (Amazon)

Keeping Alessa by Jenna Kent (Amazon)

Mainely Books Club Collection: Books 1-4 by Chelsea M. Cameron (Amazon)

Cursed By Malignant Magic by Jenesis St. Clare (Amazon)

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Claire Dugmore (Amazon)

Lesbian Boss by Kitty Jones (Amazon)

Sigrid & Elyn by Edale Lane (Amazon)

My Valentine's Deception by Giselle Nyte (Amazon)

Candid Camera by HA Blackwood (Amazon)

Virtue by Ida Brady - contains FF, FM, and FMF scenes (Amazon)

Queen of Love by Cynthia Dane & Hildren Billings (Amazon)

The Honeymoon Mix-up by Frankie Fyre (Amazon)

F/M books

Kiss Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra (multiple stores)

Rescuing Krampus by Robin Jo Margaret (multiple stores)

Tainted Evidence by Rachel Grant (multiple stores)

Oblivion's River by Shoshana Rain (Amazon)

Deceiving the Cursed Beast by Jen Lynning (Amazon)

Something to Someone by Grace Turner (Amazon)

The Sneaky Lass by Kennedy Sutton (Amazon)

The Kraken's Castaway by Cassandra Medcalf (Amazon)

Scars of the Sun by Noelle Upton (Amazon)

The Heartbreak Show by Jesikah Sundlin (Amazon)

Diamond Heat by Jess Washoe (Amazon)

Used by Shannon Elliot (Amazon)

Hot Summer's Prey by Latrexa Nova (Amazon)

We Own the Stars by D.J. Russo (Amazon)

SoloPlay by Amanda Usen (Amazon)

A Polar Expedition by Cass O'Shire (Amazon)

Oath Keepers MC: Hybrid Collection by Sapphire Knight - MF, MMF, and MFM stores (Amazon)

Virtue by Ida Brady - contains FF, FM, and FMF scenes (Amazon)

F/NB books

Of Melodies and Maledictions by Maddox Grey (multiple stores)

A Lady's Finder by Edie Cay (multiple stores)

Femme characters

Femme Like Her by Fiona Zedde (multiple stores)

Gay characters

His Coffee Shop Crush by Elle Waters (multiple stores)

A Daddy for Christmas: Brighton by TL Travis (multiple stores)

Blood in the Water by Tami Veldura (multiple stores)

The Dragon Heir's Omega by London Kemaker (multiple stores)

My Omega's Return by Rosa Swann (multiple stores)

One Touch by Linden Rowe - gay awakening (Amazon)

More Reason to Stay by Ryder O'Malley (Amazon)

Wish We Were There by Lionel Hart (Amazon)

Hammering Hearts by Alex Danvers (Amazon)

His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene (Amazon)

Winter and the Wolves by Kinkaid Knight (Amazon)

Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark (Amazon)

Maximus by Stella Rainbow (Amazon)

Hunted by the Omega by S. Rodman (Amazon)

Rust and Stardust by Atreus Rosewood (Amazon)

Valor on the Move by Keira Andrews (Amazon)

Friendly Skies by Marie Sinclair (Amazon)

Nova's Training by A.D. Young (Amazon)

Throwing Hearts by N.R. Walker (Amazon)

Twisted Villain by Bella Slash (Amazon)

Hollywood Slide by Cyd Sidney (Amazon)

Slapshot To The Heart by Lina George (Amazon)

Mage of the Dragon Prince by Zarina Aston (Amazon)

What You Need by Avril Ashton (Amazon)

Chasing Seth by J.R. Loveless (Amazon)

Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn (Amazon)

Lesbian characters

Her Elysium by Emmy Engberts (multiple stores)

A Blooming Spring Romance by Emily Engberts (multiple stores)

Murder by Multiples by Rachel Ford (Amazon)

Claimed by Her Bear by Ariel Marie (Amazon)

Infatuations by Barbara Winkes (Amazon)

Her Mortal Champion by Luna Lawson (Amazon)

Tastes of Honey by Frances M. Thompson (Amazon)

Freedom: What are you willing to sacrifice for love? by Cassidy Langue (Amazon)

All the Oceans by Polly Emorie (Amazon)

Bitter Winds by Marina Tempest (Amazon)

Keeping Alessa by Jenna Kent (Amazon)

Lesbian Boss by Kitty Jones (Amazon)

My Valentine's Deception by Giselle Nyte (Amazon)

Queen of Love by Cynthia Dane & Hildred Billings (Amazon)

The Honeymoon Mix-up by Frankie Fyre (Amazon)

M/M books

Honey Mead Murder by Dalia Donovan (multiple stores)

Solstice Surprise by Gabbi Grey (multiple stores)

His Coffee Shop Crush by Elle Waters (multiple stores)

Icarus and the Devil by Layla Reyne (multiple stores)

Surrender Love by Kayelle Allen (multiple stores)

Shift Work by TA Moore (multiple stores)

A Daddy for Christmas: Brighton by TL Travis (multiple stores)

Road to a Cowboy by Amy Aislin (multiple stores)

Tough Cute Omega by Eva Lyra (multiple stores)

What Would You Do? by PT Long (multiple stores)

Blood in the Water by Tami Veldura (multiple stores)

The Gentleman and the Spy by Neil S. Placky (multiple stores)

Dante by Stella Shaw (multiple stores)

My Omega's Return by Rosa Swann (multiple stores)

Timeslip by Clare London (multiple stores)

A Knight to Remember by Jackie Keswick (multiple stores)

Detour by Talia Carmichael (multiple stores)

Love by Chance by Blake Allwood (multiple stores)

Storm Warning by Rae Simmons (Amazon)

What He Needs by E.M. Denning (Amazon)

The Sinner's Penance by K.C. Carmine (Amazon)

His Hunter by MM Farmer (Amazon)

Not Strictly Ballroom by Jem Wendell (Amazon)

Unspoken Rules by Penny Fox (Amazon)

A Match Made in Evan by Anna Sparrows (Amazon)

Defending Freedom by T.S. Ankney (Amazon)

Waiting for Daddy by A.W. Scott (Amazon)

Alpha Island by Tia Fielding (Amazon)

Mistaken by Charity Parkerson (Amazon)

Seeking Daddy by Joe Satoria (Amazon)

One Touch by Linden Rowe (Amazon)

You Started It by Hinsel Meyer (Amazon)

Fauxmance in the Falls by J.E. Birk (Amazon)

An Alpha forr Osvaldo by Allie W. Scott (Amazon)

Sunshine and the Vamp by Bailey Grayson (Amazon)

Chasing Magic by Toby Wise (Amazon)

Doc by Abrianna Denae (Amazon)

Saving Ziggy by Alex J. Adams (Amazon)

Model Citizen by Lissa Kasey (Amazon)

More Reason to Stay by Ryder O'Malley (Amazon)

Blu, My Protector by RS McKenzie (Amazon)

Mocha Lattes & Candy Hearts by Peyton Holmes (Amazon)

His Mate by Vengeance by Mel Aitchess (Amazon)

Wrong Number, Right Bear by Lorelei M Heart and Colbie Dunbar (Amazon)

Mad World by Laura Ciociola (Amazon)

Wish We Were There by Lionel Hart (Amazon)

A Daddy for the Chubby Omega by Anna Winehart (Amazon)

Body Count by L Eveland (Amazon)

Weaker Than Instinct by Becca Seymour (Amazon)

Hammering Hearts by Alex Danvers (Amazon)

Unscripted by J.R. Gray (Amazon)

Pumpkin Patch Cutie by Lacey Daize (Amazon)

The Bear's Brave Omega by A.J. Cane (Amazon)

His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene (Amazon)

Step Daddy by Morticia Knight (Amazon)

Sweat Connection by Katherine McIntyre (Amazon)

Breakaway by E.M. Lindsey (Amazon)

The Last Grift by Elle Keaton (Amazon)

Forbidden by Phoenix Black (Amazon)

Pain in the Ice by Arden Stelle (Amazon)

Ancient History by A.J. Truman (Amazon)

Man Crush by Isobel Starling (Amazon)

Redraw Your Hand by CD Rachels (Amazon)

Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark (Amazon)

A Swan for Christmas by M.M. Wilde (Amazon)

Maximus by Stella Rainbow (Amazon)

The Soldier's Familiar by TJ Nichols (Amazon)

Deviant Legacy by Sophie Dyer (Amazon)

Asher by Louisa Masters (Amazon)

Tooth Fairy Lies by Emma Jaye (Amazon)

Inside the Sandcastle by Megan Linden (Amazon)

Paint Our Song by Maia Kinley (Amazon)

Hunted by the Omega by S. Rodman (Amazon)

Something Unintended by Rory Maxwell (Amazon)

The Incubus's First Real Meal by Riley Rivers (Amazon)

Beyond Reason by Lee McCormick (Amazon)

Praise You by Ashley Rayne (Amazon)

Rust and Stardust by Atreus Rosewood (Amazon)

Wild Heart by Spencer Spears (Amazon)

Taming the Tackle by Rye Cox (Amazon)

Giles Ashby Needs a Nanny by K. Sterling (Amazon)

Life Lessons by Kaje Harper (Amazon)

The Tenor's Shadow by J.B. Warrick (Amazon)

Valor on the Move by Keira Andrews (Amazon)

Adora by A.D. Ellis (Amazon)

Magic Marco by Argentina Ryder (Amazon)

Quill Me Now by Jordan Castillo Price (Amazon)

Like Cracks in the Sidewalk by Sadie Jay (Amazon)

Blood on the Ice by Cassandra Featherstone - tagged as MM, but I think this doesn't involve the POV character (Amazon)

Friendly Skies by Marie Sinclair (Amazon)

Wrapped Up In You by Melody Claire (Amazon)

Faded Dreams by BL Maxwell (Amazon)

Bad Joey by Rhys Everly (Amazon)

Throwing Hearts by N. R. Walker (Amazon)

Room for Love by Quinn Ward (Amazon)

Twisted Villains by Bella Slash (Amazon)

Bring Me Home by Annabeth Albert (Amazon)

Moon by Wendy Rathbone (Amazon)

Summer of You by Joelle Lynne (Amazon)

Hollywood Slide by Cyd Sidney (Amazon)

Slapshot To The Heart by Lina George (Amazon)

The Answer by Piper Scott (Amazon)

Room 405 by Trisha Linde (Amazon)

The Shadows Beyond by TJ Rose (Amazon)

The B-Side by B. Harmony (Amazon)

The Angel's Kiss by Nicholas Bella (Amazon)

Two Thousand Dreams by Jocelynn Drake (Amazon)

Shroom for Improvement by Jemma Croft (Amazon)

Play By Heart by Ariella Zoelle (Amazon)

Mage of the Dragon Prince by Zarina Aston (Amazon)

Lost and Found by Lucy Lennox & Sloane Kennedy (Amazon)

What You Need by Avril Ashton (Amazon)

The Only Way to Live by M.A. Innes (Amazon)

Reborn by Richard Amos (Amazon)

Fated to the Dragon Prince by Silvana Falcon (Amazon)

Omega Shadow by Quin Michaels (Amazon)

The Beauty Within by H.L. Day (Amazon)

Chasing Seth by J.R. Loveless (Amazon)

Once Upon a Dance Club Wish by Jessica E. Subject (Amazon)

Forbidden Devotion by Lee Colgin (Amazon)

Hunting For a Home Base by Adriana Golden (Amazon)

Just A Little Love by Kerry Kilpatrick (Amazon)

Unhinged Titan by E.V. Olsen (Amazon)

Red Hot Fate by Dylan Reece (Amazon)

Lust by Sienna Moreau (Amazon)

Stealing the Silver Fox by Daniel May (Amazon)

Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn (Amazon)

Pitcher Perfect by Lee Blair (Amazon)

The Mobster's Mate by Kiki Clark (Amazon)

Polyamory books

Double Dare by Jeanne St. James - MMF (multiple stores)

Found by Jayne Rylon - MMF (multiple stores)

Valkyrie Condemned by Nixie Jade - why choose (multiple stores)

Upside Down by Liz Gavin - MFF (multiple stores)

Don't Fight It by Samantha Cole - MMF (multiple stores)

Game On by L.E. Eldridge - tagged as M/NBI/F, but I think it's only MF in this novella (multiple stores)

Parisian Ghosts by Janna Ruth - FMM (multiple stores)

Of Boys and Games by Mona Black - reverse harem (multiple stores)

Kiss Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra - polyamory (multiple stores)

Dirge by Lesli Richardson - MMF with MM (multiple stores)

The Dragon Heir's Omega by London Kemaker - MMM (multiple stores)

Stolen Omega by Layal Heart - MMMMFF with MMF and FFM (multiple stores)

Her Escape by Skylar Heart - MMMFM with MM (multiple stores)

Taking Out the Trash by Zoey Indiana - MMMMFFMM (multiple stores)

The Heiress Auction by Evie Croft - why choose (Amazon)

Jordan by Michelle Dare - MMM (Amazon)

Poor Rich Boys by Ally Vance & Yolanda Olson (Amazon)

The Scottish Play by Phoebe Alexander - FFM (Amazon)

A Touch of Royalty by Anita Primrose - poly (Amazon)

For Keeps by K.C. Everly - MMF (Amazon)

Dark Cravings by Darcy Hayes - FFM (Amazon)

Knight of the Hunted by Elizabeth Dunlap - reverse harem (Amazon)

Rise of the Witch by C. Rochelle - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Absentia Mori by M. Violet - heroine ends up with multiple love interests per blurb (Amazon)

A Sanguine Solstice by Alex Le Bruyere - FFM (Amazon)

Doc by Abrianna Denae - M/M with consensual non-monogamy (Amazon)

Chasing Their Bride by Loryn Fox - MMMF with MM (Amazon)

Be My Sinner by A.L. Maruga - MMFM with MM (Amazon)

To Catch a Rook by Cora Flynn - MMMF with MM (Amazon)

Hunter's Moon by Gwyneira Blythe - reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Hardwick Hall by Jess Savage - MFF (Amazon)

On Death's Door by Miranda May - reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Our Pretty Little Cupid by Casie Fairbanks - why choose (Amazon)

Winter and the Wolves by Kinkaid Knight - MMM (Amazon)

The Heroes and the Heiress by Kaylee Pike - MMF with MM (Amazon)

Why Not Both? by Kristin Lance - MMF with MM (Amazon)

Comfort of Lies by N. Slater - MMF with MM (Amazon)

Nest of Lies by Tea Ravne - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Rudimentary Distortion by Mila Crawford - MMF (Amazon)

And Omega Makes Four by Aria Grace - MMMM, reverse harem (Amazon)

All the Rage We've Ever Lived by Carlotta Page - likely eventual MMF (Amazon)

Ruined by Teal Rose - FFMMM (Amazon)

Absolved In Death by M. Bonnet - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Orange Lake by Aly Tatum - MMMF with MM (Amazon)

Fortune Fae Academy: Book 1 by J.R. Thorn - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Queenie & the Krakens by Aleera Anaya Ceres - reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Drown the Sea by Elisha Kemp - reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Feral Alphas by Sierra Knoxly - MMMMMFM (Amazon)

Tastes of Honey by Fances M. Thompson - FFX (Amazon)

Roommates: A Queer Why Choose Romance - FFFM with FF (Amazon)

The Jekyll and Her Hydes by Sierra Rowan - reverse harem (Amazon)

Pi by Thia Mackin - MMF with MM (Amazon)

Her Fairy Court by Sicara J. Weaver - MMF (Amazon)

Nowhere to hide by Jaye Pratt - likely reverse harem from book blurb (Amazon)

The Truth of Our Secrets by Heather Leighson - MMF (Amazon)

Captured: The Alien Clutch Prequel by D. Dove - MMM (Amazon)

The Bully's Dare by Adora Crooks - MMF (Amazon)

The Arcana Ignited by Anya Clara - likely eventual MMF (Amazon)

Only Orlando by Charlie Novak - MMM (Amazon)

Red is for Roxy by Meg Stratton - MMFFMM (Amazon)

Loving Ladybug, Part One by Jane Handler - MMF (Amazon)

Love on the Ice by Bre Rose - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Packed: Book One: Kol by Aiden Frost - MMMFMM (Amazon)

Son of Sin by M.M. Riott - polyamory (Amazon)

Gambler's Conceit by Adara Wolf & R. Phoenix - MMMM (Amazon)

Carnal Nights by Pinky Cockburn - MMF (Amazon)

Young, Wild, & Three by Amity Malcom - MMF (Amazon)

Final Straw by Cassie Lein - why choose (Amazon)

Trio by Kimber Delaney - MMF (Amazon)

Dirty Little Secrets by KG. Reuss - why choose with MM (Amazon)

Omega Domain by A. Purr - reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Day of Judgement by Aurora Crane - MMM (Amazon)

Misfit Betrayal by Daria Binx - MMFM (Amazon)

The Midnight Manor by Morgan Blackwell - MMFF (Amazon)

Gemini Kings by Laura Navarre - Reverse harem with MM (Amazon)

Oath Keepers MC: Hybrid Collection by Sapphire Knight - MMF, MFM' and MF (Amazon)

Virtue by Ida Brady - contains FF, FM, and FMF scenes (Amazon)

Sapphic books

Femme Like Her by Fiona Zedde (multiple stores)

Caught With Zeus by Arizona Tape (multiple stores)

A Lady's Finder by Edie Cay (multiple stores)

Reign of Secret by L.L. Hunter (multiple stores)

Alchemiya by Katey Hawthorne (multiple stores)

Her Purrfect Familiar by Pepper McGraw (multiple stores)

Her Elysium by Emmy Engberts (multiple stores)

A Blooming Spring Love by Emily Engberts (multiple stores)

Cursed Slumber by Luna Lockhardt (multiple stores)

Murder by Multiples by Rachel Ford (Amazon)

A Sanguine Solstice by Alex Le Bruyere (Amazon)

Becoming a Bi-Con by Sarah Zane (Amazon)

Summer Love by Gemma Addison Dove (Amazon)

A Taste of Red by Stephanie Lee (Amazon)

Claimed by Her Bear by Ariel Marie (Amazon)

Infatuations by Barbara Winkes (Amazon)

Little Miss Santa Claws by Beka Westrup (Amazon)

Her Mortal Champion by Luna Lawson (Amazon)

Tastes of Honey by Frances M. Thompson (Amazon)

Freedom: What are you willing to sacrifice for love? by Cassidy Langue (Amazon)

All the Oceans by Polly Emorie (Amazon)

Bitter Winds by Marina Tempest (Amazon)

Off with Her Head by Dana LeeAnn (Amazon)

Maiden Over by Renee Dahlia (Amazon)

My Carmilla by Anita Zara (Amazon)

Tangled Encounters by Madison Nicole (Amazon)

Bean There, Found You by Cameron Tate (Amazon)

Mainely Books Club Collection: Books 1-4 by Chelsea M. Cameron (Amazon)

Cursed By Malignant Magic by Jenesis St. Clare (Amazon)

My Valentine's Deception by Giselle Nyte (Amazon)

Queen of Love by Cynthia Dane & Hildred Billings (Amazon)

The Honeymoon Mix-up by Frankie Fyre (Amazon)

Trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse characters

Of Melodies and Maledictions by Maddox Grey - nonbinary love interest (multiple stores)

A Lady's Finder by Edie Cay - nonbinary/sapphic romance (multiple stores)

Game On by L.E. Eldridge - tagged as M/NBI/F. The sequel novella, Game Over, has a nonbinary beta, but I don't think that character is introduced in this novella (multiple stores)

Alchemiya by Katey Hawthorne - Woman crossdressing as a man and presenting as a man in society, but unsure if crossdressing is willing (multiple stores)

Mer Made by S.T Lynn - trans woman character (multiple stores)

Her Escape by Skylar Heart - trans man (multiple stores)

Unthaw My Heart by Harmony Noble - trans woman (Amazon)

Murder by Multiples by Rachel Ford - butch-like character passing as a man (Amazon)

Model Citizen by Lissa Kasey - m/m gender fluid romantic mystery (Amazon)

The Sneaky Lass by Kennedy Sutton - woman crossdressing as a man, but unsure how willing (Amazon)

The Heartbreak Show by Jesikah Sundin - gender non-conforming male character (Amazon)

Diamond Heat by Alex Washoe - trans woman character (Amazon)

Tastes of Honey by Frances M. Thompson - nonbinary character (Amazon)

Roommates: A Queer Why Choose Romance by April Gaisford - nonbinary character in book blurb (Amazon)

An Epic Construct by D.C. Emerson - nonbinary gender realization, genderfluidity representation (Amazon)

What You Need by Avril Ashton - trans man character (Amazon)

Other books tagged with LGBTQ protagonists

Power Play by Amelia Wilde (multiple stores)

Dragon's Instinct by Elva Birch (Amazon)

Bewitched Blooms: A Fundraiser Anthology for Zoë - collection of short stories, some with queer characters (Amazon)

Stalking the Mafia Man by Tierney Storer - has LGBTQ characters (Amazon)

Savannah's Temptation by Ellie Sandoval (Amazon)

Drunk for Revenge by Chrissy Nicole (Amazon)

A Cruel Game of Fate by Jessica Lane (Amazon)

Songbird by Sarah Williams (Amazon)

Amethysts & Alchemy by Rachel Rener (Amazon)

Locked by L.R. Douglas (Amazon)

Our Unexpected Beginning by Lenore Danvers (Amazon)

Aphotic Born by Elizabeth Myrva (Amazon)

Fake Flowers, Real Feelings by Domina Easton (Amazon)

29 notes · View notes

take-my-divine · 5 months ago

Text

BTS 2025 Comeback

(Take my tarot interpretation with a grain of salt and sugar)

I asked the BTS members what they envision for the 2025 (or even 2026) comeback. Each one of them has an element that they want to stress on.

Overall and common theme— Two of Wands

They want to open more doors for themselves and expand their legacy

Woodland Oracle— Finding Self Worth, Inspiration, and Wisdom

BTS have felt and seen a lot of things. The process has made them wise and experienced. Their only advice is to not downplay themselves and continue walking with their heads up high.

(Now let’s get to what each member wants to do with the group comeback. I got some interpretations of what they want their music and visuals to look like and sound like.)

(I also used three different decks because the members wanted different pictorial representation. I used the mythology card deck for Namjoon, Jin and Hoseok, original Arthur Waite for Yoongi and Taehyung, and Cat tarot for Jimin and Jungkook)

Namjoon

Ace of swords + The Fool

Namjoon is bursting with creative and intellectual energy. He wants a new chapter for BTS’ perception and career. He’s not too strict with what he wants but he wants something bold, divisive and unique for the comeback.

I see him gravitating towards two songs— Spring Day and Sea (hidden track from ly her). It seems he wants to expand on those two themes. BTS have gone through a lot of seas and deserts and spring days in the past two and a half years and he wants to showcase that pain and fulfilment.

Jin

The Chariot

Well Jin was a bit curt sjdjjdjd. I sort of see him want the same thing as Namjoon— a revisit of the Sea themes. I also see Jin wanting to recreate that map of the soul seven rollout. He really wants to travel and explore a lot with this album. It seems his heart is really all about exploring and trying out new things. He doesn’t seem to want to jinx it or hold himself back by already coming up with an image but he too wants a song like Sea.

Hoseok

King of Swords + Six of Swords

Hoseok also wants a Sea song theme. He sort of wants to show BTS’ self discipline and ability to bounce back. Something about moving on and also rising from ashes. He sort of sees BTS group returning with vengeance and prowess unlike any other.

Yoongi

Ace of Swords + Six of Pentacles reversed + The Fool

Yoongi has similar cards as Namjoon but from a different deck. He’s not really thought of revisiting songs but he too shares the vision of going all out and bold. The reversed six of pentacles is showing me that Yoongi really wants to talk about something that was really unfair that happened to BTS. Something about them being betrayed or cheated out of something. Maybe the media? Or something that happened to them personally? He wants to bare his and BTS’ bruises. If Namjoon wishes for something hopeful, I see Yoongi wishes for something dark and contemplative.

Taehyung

High Priestess Reversed + the Emperor + Knight of Wands

Taehyung wants to make a song about similiar things as Yoongi— something about trust being broken, shallowness, superficiality, ignorance. I think this is because he sees BTS as an outlet that can help bring awareness to certain things. But at the same time he wants to show a “cool” side. Like despite all BTS went through, they came back like the Emperor and Knight card here. He might want something that’s also flirty. My brain heard Fake Love so I guess he wants something like that.

Jimin

The Chariot + The Magician Reversed + Page of Cups.

Like Jin, Jimin wants to travel with this work. He feels the most comfortable with BTS, and he treats their work like a throne. He might want to make a song also talking about some deceit that he has faced— like Yoongi and Taehyung. He also wants to try something super new and connect with his inner child once again with BTS.

Jungkook

The Sun Reversed + Lovers

Awwww… he’s just so happy to unite with the members. I guess that’s what he wants to make the music on— about the period where they weren’t together and then their reunion. It seems he wants this to be the defining track on the album. For him, the BTS bond is what makes the music hit for others and for himself too. So that’s really what he wants to focus on. He might take hands on approach with this track.

• • • • • • •

Overall I think the men are restless to come back. They have so many stories to share and concepts to explore. They all pretty much want the same thing.

#bts tarot #tarot #Jimin #Taehyung #Namjoon #Jungkook #Seokjin #Jin #Hoseok #jhope #rm #suga #agust d #Yoongi #bts 2025 #tarot reading #kpop tarot

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nutty1005 · 10 months ago

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Xiao Zhan | The simpler is more complex

Original Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Zkps0vHvP89ZrMWQIUZ3NA Original Author: JIAWEI This article was originally published on 10 August 2024 on ELLE’s Weixin Official Account 世界时装之苑ELLE.

Xiao Zhan believed that truth brings simplicity. But in performance, he is starting to like multi-sided and complex characters more, or rather, this is the true and real state of human existence. At a time when everything is being simplified, to be willing to admit the difference between people, to seek the possibility of communication, to be sensitive and defend complexity, this definitely requires passion, as well as courage.

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Two black curtains reached the top of the studio ridge, neatly separating the shooting area from the surroundings, there was a need to go through a maze of them to enter the small core space. Pure white, plenty of air conditioning, and the camera shutter sound was high-frequency and continuous.

Xiao Zhan wore black clothes and rarely made any unnecessary movements. For a while, the lights broke down and photography was suspended, so he maintained standing in the dark with one foot on the wooden box; when the staff and the photographer were discussing the photographs, adjusting the styling, he stood alone in front of the display screen, and the weak screen light enveloped his body. Very occasionally, he swayed slightly to the background music, his legs lean but muscular.

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#01 I’m afraid of becoming dull

After entering the entertainment industry, these things quickly became part of his daily life – cameras, spotlights, monitors, and barriers. Because of his career and popularity, he had fissioned into countless “Xiao Zhans”, such as giant portraits on the facades of high-end shopping malls, the projections of an astonishing number of fans, or the appearance of characters in successive movies and TV series.

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Currently, in the dressing room after the shooting, Xiao Zhan was carrying his box of whole grain salad, vividly imitating the scene of meeting director Zheng Xiaolong.

“I was a little bit hesitant, so I asked the director if he wanted me to be thinner or stronger? He said, thin, of course thinner, so good looking, sharp.” After a while, Zheng Xiaolong saw him again while taking final costuming photographs, “He said, hey, you’ve done well.” From then till now, he has lost more than five kilograms.

Xiao Zhan, the source of all of this fission, was presentable and relaxed, to him the glamor seen by the outside world was a supplementary value. Sometimes he even forgot about it and said, “No one really cares about you.” Then he continued to talk about his work.

Recently completed was the 5-month filming of “The Legend of Zang Hai” in Hengdian. The previous film, also shot for 5 months, was the film “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero” directed by Tsui Hark. This was often the case for large-scale movies and long-running television dramas, it took four or five months once you joined the group. In 2022, his filming work was mainly “Where Dreams Begin / The Youth Memories” and “Sunshine By My Side”, in 2021 it was “The Longest Promise”, in 2020 it was “Ace Troops”, in 2019 it was “Douluo Continent” and “The Oath of Love”.

Endless filming appointments. Hence, it was sometimes impossible to decide whether the interval between filming should be lengthened or shortened.

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In the second half of 2019, during the filming of “The Oath of Love”, Xiao Zhan was filming during the day and recording the variety show “Our Song” at night. Both sides were very challenging. The former was his first time playing the male lead in an urban drama, so he had little experience and was under great pressure; the difficulty of the latter lies in the harmonizing, “I had to memorize all the harmonizing that were different from the song’s tone, and not to be led astray. “

“Then, I thought it didn’t matter. I slept for an hour or two and woke up a good man again. But now, while my mind says it doesn’t matter, my body will make some protests.”

This year he was filming in Hengdian. Later, one day, he discovered that his tonsils were inflamed and it was painful to swallow, but he went to work as usual. Until the director came over and asked him, what happened to your eyes? Only then did he see his own swollen eyes in the mirror, held on until the afternoon, “completely like a frog.”

He had to go to the hospital, the symptoms themselves were very common and could be stopped by taking medicine. What can’t be done was exactly what doctors advised the most: you need to rest.

More importantly, “Perception will become dull. I am really afraid of this, afraid of becoming very mechanical and formulaic.” When saying this, the emphasis was on the word “really”. When he chatted with seniors, “They also said that you have to live life, you need to experience life.”

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The fact is that the life in the limelight is somewhat contrary to the life of ordinary people, but the profession of an actor requires him to be in touch with as many folds of life as possible.

A while ago, he watched a one-man show on a variety show, describing the current workplace situation of contemporary young people. Xiao Zhan had opened a studio and worked before entering the entertainment industry. He could understand the gloom caused by going to work, but the new vocabulary and tools that appeared in the workplace made his sense of resonance weaken. He found himself gradually uncoupling to a certain extent.

#02 The flavor of life lies in the details

In early June, Xiao Zhan took a short vacation and returned to his hometown of Chongqing. He loved walking very much, and one night he walked for several hours, visiting old streets, People’s Liberation Monument, and even around the place where he used to work.

In 2014, the 23-year-old Xiao Zhan graduated from university and worked as a designer in a design studio. Every weekday morning, he transferred from Line 2 to Line 3 at Niujiaituo Station, pushing through the crowds and squeezing onto the light rail, and several times he had been squeezed so hard that his face was pressed against the glass windows.

He simply stuck against the glass and looked at the Jialing River below, seeing the strange rocks exposed in the dry season and various people, including winter swimmers, joggers and fishermen, with a rather optimistic spirit.

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He still loved to observe the people around him——

“Why are you still here so late?”

“People walking in a hurry must be people who have just gotten off work and are rushing back, their behavior is just like when I was trying to catch the subway, when it’s the last train and you want to run, in a panic. Some food delivery guys are rush forward undauntedly. There are also some very leisurely people, sitting there drinking beer, then going home and starting a new day.”

“Everyone has an exciting story happening, and it is everyone’s life that makes up our society. So it is wondrous, everyone is the protagonist, we are all filming our own biographies, how will tomorrow’s story develop?”

At that moment, mixed in, he was like all those who have been busy working in a foreign land for a long time and finally had the time to go home, and discovered that “it had been a long time since I came here, and there had been quite a lot of changes.” “Actually, I’m not particularly happy or have any other feelings. I’m living, that’s all.”

Two and a half days later, Xiao Zhan left Chongqing and returned to Beijing due to work, then rushed to Shanghai, and then in turn to France. This time he brought his parents too. This was a long in coming family trip, within a week, they traveled from France to Switzerland and back to France. Every detail of the trip was magnified, they were happy, bickering, or just walking for a while, “it was all very vivid.”

On the day they parted, they had dinner at a restaurant in the south of France, the car to pick him up arrived and he had to leave first. Before leaving, his mother hugged him and told him to take care of himself. In a rare move, his father also hugged him awkwardly.

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The flavor of life lies in the details.

“I used to think that work was everything and life was not that important, it was nothing more than having a place to sleep, then getting up, going to work, finishing work, and resting. But now, when my parents have grown older, and I have not been with them for a long time, you will feel as if each other’s lives, even your family’s, would become further and further apart. “He especially did not want this to happen.

The way to avoid suspension and regain the real sense of life is not difficult. “When you have time, go out and see more. The important thing is to feel life and feel the world. Even if some of the things are bad and cruel, they are all life, and will burst out with energy when you need it.”

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#03 Stay innocent, stay complex

Halfway through the interview, Xiao Zhan suddenly said that he was ambivalent about long interviews. On the one hand, he was worried that he had not grown up enough and would show ignorance in the conversation, but on the other hand, he wanted to explore some subtle feelings through the conversation because he felt that he was not good at using words to record them.

Observation, feeling, understanding and expression are the essentials of why actors can bring creativity.

“Dialogue is also muscle memory.” Xiao Zhan said, “Although I am very introverted, I am not antisocial. Because I think actors need to learn to express, express your inner thoughts, and digest the content conveyed to you by the other party.”

Before the filming of “Sunshine By My Side” started, he met with the main creators and held several script meetings to deepen his understanding of one another and the characters. In the early stages of “The Legend of Zang Hai”, the producer also mentioned that he would discuss the script in detail and talk about a scene with a lot of his own understanding.

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Xiao Zhan is not an actor with a professional background, when he first entered the industry and filmed “Battle Through the Heavens” and “The Wolf”, he had strong doubts and asked himself, am I suitable? The constant negativity and self-refuting made him lose self-confidence.

Sometimes he would be asked what he would be doing now if he had not participated in the talent show, debuted, or entered the entertainment industry at the age of 23. He had thought about it, but did not look back.

If he was not good at acting, then he needed to spend extra time taking acting classes, review more in the monitors, and ask more advice from his seniors. He put his head down stubbornly, and with hard work, he slowly found the knack.

Later the filming of “Where Dreams Being / The Youth Memories” started, Xiao Zhan played Xiao Chunsheng, a young man from the military courtyard in Beijing, who was completely different from him, and even his accent was completely distinct. He felt insecure. Before filming started for many scenes, director Fu Ning would run over and whisper to him, “Don’t be afraid Zhanzhan, just speak bravely, if you feel it, just say it, the audience actually can feel your emotions and what you want to express.” .

He also gradually gained more self-awareness: “Techniques may not be my area of expertise, I rely more on feelings. Only when I feel it myself then I can have the confidence to interpret it. If I rely solely on some techniques, I don’t think it is sufficiently moving.”

It had been 8 years since Xiao Zhan first acted, and his resume included leading male roles in films and television dramas of various themes. But he still felt that he is a newcomer and hopes to cooperate with more experienced production teams if there is an opportunity in the future.

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He would not think too much, he actually did not know his work plan divided by year. He only cared about the work arrangements for the next stage, rather than “asking about things that are too far away.”

“I still feel like a child now, but in fact I am not anymore. It seems like I am still in high school, but in fact I have grown up.” The nature of a child means curiosity, desire to explore, and power of imagination.

He placed the curiosity and desire to explore into his characters, “I mean, for myself, when I dig into the character’s background and past, I explore the complexity and contradiction of the character as a person, and present it. Only in this way can some of his choices and motivations be understood by the audience, and the work may then be good, and only then can you have the audience you have now, right?”

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#(Q&A)

ELLE: During the break, will you think about anything on the set? Xiao Zhan: Of course, I remember that just a few days after filming was completed, I was still dreaming that I was still filming, and the director and I were still discussing how to say that phrase on set? How to handle that scene?

ELLE: Do you actually miss the atmosphere on the set? Xiao Zhan: I like it very much, because I like the feeling of everyone creating together and working together to get something done.

ELLE: When you first entered the entertainment industry and your popularity grew very quickly, you said you felt it was a bit unreal and magical, but now you seem to be quite relaxed. How did this change occur? Xiao Zhan: Rather than being unreal or magical, after so many years, I feel that I hadn’t had time to adapt to such a fast pace at that time, so when I woke up from sleep, I was like where am I today? What am I doing? I think it is a process, just like when you first enter the workplace, you will be very excited, “Work here I come, please take good care of me”, “My highness is here, everyone get out of the way”, “I can do it, I will do it”. (Laughs) But after experiencing a lot of things, you will feel that it seems that everything needs to be considered in the long term.

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ELLE: In several interviews, you mentioned that you like to play roles that “can convey energy.” Why do you have such a preference? Xiao Zhan: Because I think this is the life of the character. The kind of energy I’m talking about is not just a single, generally understood positive energy, I’m talking about nourishment that can subtly influence and moisturize. I believe that every character has a complete storyline inside, this is what I like very much, and as long as you dig deep, you can move people. I don’t really like to call the villain a “villain”, as it seems to be a bad character from the beginning, but in fact it is not, he may have his own difficulties.

ELLE: It sounds like “transmitting energy” is just a general term, but is it actually about understanding different people through performance? Xiao Zhan: Yes, if you break it down to each character, what they convey is different. But if you want to talk about “good people” and “bad people”, then I don’t think it’s interesting.

ELLE: So do you think performance is a form of communication? Xiao Zhan: Yes, you can say that, I think it’s great to say that, (performance) is a bridge to communicate with the audience. Just like when a drama is broadcasting, I will read some of the audience’s comments and impressions after watching it, and I feel that they have a very rich feelings about the work. When I see some comments that are exactly the same as my thoughts during the filming, I will feel very amazed, as if the bridge is really connected, we don’t know each other in life and have never communicated with each other, but he suddenly understands my thoughts then, I’ll just feel that, oh, acting is a beautiful and magical thing.

ELLE: Do you watch some science fiction movies, TV series, and literary works? Xiao Zhan: Yes, I used to like watching “The Three-Body Problem”, I have actually watched some science fiction movies recently, the American drama “Constellation”, and recently I am watching “Dark Matter”, which is about infinite flow and parallel time and space. Because I think maybe there really is a parallel time and space. Every choice you make will split out a different parallel time and space.

ELLE: Then will you imagine Xiao Zhan in parallel time and space? Xiao Zhan: I will really wonder, for example, is he still an actor? Maybe yes, but is he still filming now? Is he still singing now? Or is he also a designer? Is he an employee or is he his own boss? (Laughs) Really, I will.

ELLE: As for the future, what do you think it will be like? Xiao Zhan: Wow, I feel that the world may return to its original nature when the time comes instead, maybe the world will become a better place, and people will return to very essential communication.

ELLE: This is very interesting. Why do you think so? Xiao Zhan: Anyway, at least now I have a little aversion with this kind of ubiquitous Internet, when we were young, there were no mobile phones, everyone just chatted during meals, my friends would all come downstairs to play, hide and seek, and play various games, I feel that that time was very precious instead.

ELLE: Will there still be an actor career by then? Xiao Zhan: I think there will be. I believe that as long as life goes on, drama will continue. Because everyone needs an outlet, emotional resonance and sustenance, be it images or sounds. So I feel that even if the world is destroyed, as long as there are still people, drama will definitely exist.

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#xiao zhan #xiaozhan #肖战 #sean xiao

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arimiadev · 3 months ago

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recommendations of visual novels on sale for the steam spring sale 2025

spring is almost here and with it is Steam's Spring Sale! like usual, it will run for the next two weeks, so if you're looking for a new visual novel to try (or want to get into them), here's a lot that I've played that are on sale on steam.

umineko when they cry

the ushiromiya family returns to the family head's home on an isolated island for their annual conference with the intention of settling how his vast amount of wealth is divided. instead, though, a letter is left from someone claiming to be a "witch". with the ushiromiyas dropping dead left and right, the mystery behind everything remains to be solved by you, the reader.

I can't make a recommendation list without mentioning umineko. it's life changing. it might even trans your gender. it's hard to describe umineko, but just know that it's absolutely deserving of the "cult classic" tag.

notes:

kinetic/linear - no choices

VERY long, 120+ hours (over all 8 episodes)

divided into two games on steam - Questions Arcs is the first 4 episodes and Answers Arcs is the last 4 episodes (8 episodes in total, play Questions Arcs first)

created by Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi

fantasy vs mystery

ace attorney

follow phoenix wright as he embarks on his career as a lawyer to help people. meet a variety of clients and prove their innocence by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exposing lies in court.

ace attorney is a classic mystery visual novels, being a blend of point-and-click elements via investigations and visual novel storytelling. the steam port is a massive collection, combining the first 3 games (the original phoenix wright trilogy) as 1 game.

notes:

investigative gameplay segments, a good chunk of the story is point-and-click parts

pretty long for the whole trilogy- each game is around 20 hours long and the steam edition is 3 games

modern murder mystery with supernatural elements

of the devil

in a cyberpunk world where everyone has cameras connected to the police infrastructure, how do you get away with crime? get a killer lawyer.

meet ace attorney with gambling addict lesbians in one of the most stylish games I've seen in years, all made by a very tiny indie team. currently only episode 1 is released, but it's well worth your time if you're a fan of detective-style murder mystery visual novels.

notes:

only episode 1 is out (around 9-13 hours)

lots of interactive segments similar to ace attorney, but with more variety for questioning segments

sci-fi murder mystery

ai: the somnium files

play as detective kaname date as he hunts down a serial killer using a cutting-edge technology which allows him to "psync" with a person, diving into the memories of others to solve crimes in a limited amount of time with the help of his AI assistant/eyeball Aiba.

aitsf is a lot. it's probably the raunchiest non-eroge game I've ever played and despite my low tolerance for dirty jokes I found most of it to be laughable and a fun experience, though I did play this with friends. if it's a miss for you, it's gonna miss you by a wide margin, but if it's a hit for you, you're going to be recommending it nonstop. either way you'll want to hit kaname date with a car.

notes:

long, around 25-35 hours

this game heavily relies on going back to prior choices via their branching menu to try other options in order to get the full story (and true ending). there are several endings to this game but you're meant to play through them all, not just one or two.

a lot of gameplay and interactive segments

sci-fi murder mystery

english voice acting

witch on the holy night

aoko aozaki is a highschooler who has to balance her class president, perfect grades life with her secret afterschool life of being a mage—a secret she has to keep at the risk of death. keeping this balance already isn’t easy but one day she gets a wrench thrown into it with the introduction of a transfer student, soujuurou shizuki, a country boy so out of touch that he’s never seen electricity before.

I love witch on the holy night so, so much. it's one of the most beautifully directed visual novels ever made with so much love and care put into each frame. the cast is wonderful (touko my beloved) and it's a must-read for anyone who likes modern-ish fantasy.

notes:

kinetic / linear - no choices

long, around 25-30 hours

originally written by kinoko nasu, one of the co-founders of type-moon and creators of fate/stay night. has some relation to tsukihime and garden of sinners but you don't need any knowledge of those going in

modern-ish (1980s) fantasy with lots of talking about magic

ghostpia

a snowy town filled with "ghosts" is where the young woman sayako finds herself trapped, feeling like she doesn't belong and wants to leave this town where no one dies.

it's hard to describe ghostpia. it's a surreal-ish story about "ghosts" where every character is quirkier than the last but every part is made with so much heart behind it. you never really know where the story is going, but unfortunately only 1 season is currently out on steam.

notes:

medium length, around 10 hours

very innovative and unique use of visuals and paneling

surreal-ish (sometimes violent) fantasy

please be happy

as a shapeshifting fox called a "gumiho", miho has traveled the world in search for a traveler who showed her kindness many years ago. afraid of sticking around in one place for too long, miho has never stayed anywhere for more than a few nights- but all of that changes when she arrives in wellington, new zealand and meets the barista/writer aspen and the vampire archivist juliet.

okay I did work on this one but hear me out. please be happy was a labor of love for our team that took over 3 years to make and is a slice of life story about love, trust, and what it means to be human. and you get to play as a gay fox girl voiced by dottovu.

notes:

medium to long, about 20 hours

2 romanceable ladies, aspen and juliet, and a plethora of side characters to meet via a map system

modern slice-of-life fantasy

english voice acting

WE KNOW THE DEVIL

find yourself back at summer camp with all the queer religious horror of it.

WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a short, atmospheric and slightly surreal story about 3 teens at a religious summer camp waiting for the devil. if you want something that feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, this is right up your alley.

notes:

very short, about 2 hours

3 endings and 1 true ending

isolation, psychological horror

fate/stay night

seven mages known as masters summon heroic and fictional characters from the pantheon of history to fight it out over the ultimate magical item - the holy grail.

fate/stay night is one of the most well-known visual novel properties out there and it's finally not only available in english officially but on steam! this remaster is a treat and done with a lot of care put into it, it's a great way to get into the fateverse if you've never tried it before.

notes:

pretty long, 70+ hours

3 routes / heroines to be with with lots of bad endings

modern fantasy, battle royale

mamiya

the end of the world is near. what will you do in the final months? and who is this "MAMIYA" who proclaims their love for you?

MAMIYA is a dark mystery visual novel about a group of guys who meet during the funeral for a friend, a stranger, a passerby, and become entangled in the web of an entity known as "MAMIYA". the presentation and style feels fresh.

notes:

check out the content warnings before reading

medium length, but is segmented into a lot of chapters that make it easy to pick back up

dark modern mystery with supernatural elements

a date with death

the grim reaper contacts you saying he wants your soul. naturally, you respond...with flirting??

a date with death is a free game but it does have paid DLC so I'm including it here because I want to. it's a comfy chatsim romance visual novel about, well, courting the grim reaper.

notes:

short, around 8 hours for the base game

customizable protag

1 male love interest

cute modern supernatural romance

twofold

Olive has 1 last chance to graduate college - pass a filler class. when their situation comes to light, 2 club presidents agree to help them but end up dragging them in the middle of their feud...

I also worked on this one. the writing and art is truly charming and heartfelt. it's a story about romance but also relationships in general - friendships, platonic relationships, familial bonds, etc. this visual novel took several years to be completed and the final result is one made with a lot of love.

notes:

medium, around 15-20+ hours for both routes

nonbinary protagonist, 2 female love interests

modern slice-of-life, college setting

english voice acting

slay the princess

you're tasked with a simple goal - slay the princess, or else she'll destroy the world.

talk about taking a simple premise and running with it. slay the princess is a mind-bending psychological horror about love and repeating things a lot of times. after all, all you have to do is slay the princess, right?

notes:

short to medium, around 10 hours for a full run

lots and lots and lots of branching paths

psychological horror, does contain gore

english voice acting

canvas menagerie

Niko is a trans man and lifelong actor who's been down on his luck until he gets the lead role in a major TV show. there, he starts to fall for his annoying celebrity costar.

well I wrote and drew and programmed this one by myself so I can't really give an indepth recommendation for it but I think it came out pretty nice and currently only has positive reviews. it's a comfy gay romance about actors.

notes:

medium length, around 10-12 hours

boys love romance

modern slice-of-life, adult cast

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note that most of the indie visual novels listed are also available on itchio as DRM-free versions. there's a ton of VNs on sale over there right now as well.

#visual novel #visual novels #game recs #game recommendations #reposting this every quarter is actually a great way for me to keep up with new steam titles I play #though not all of them end up on sale

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bloody-bee-tea · 2 months ago

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Emotional Spring 2025 Day 8 - That's not an option

Shouta watches Hitoshi's parents leave and he can't help the uneasy feeling in his gut as he pinches the bridge of his nose against the oncoming headache. There wasn't anything explicitly wrong with their conduct during this parent-teacher conference but Shouta has been a pro hero enough years to develop a sixth sense for this and it's telling him that something is wrong.

They appeared completely normal, not really doting but not cold towards Hitoshi either and they were interested in what Shouta had to say.

He remembers them frowning when he said that Hitoshi isn't the best in class academically, but he still excels in a few choice subjects and he's in no way in danger of failing any classes.

It's something parents are usually proud to hear but something about their response was just off and he felt as if they were trying to get him to agree to things he already agreed to—mainly that Hitoshi is a good student and that his conduct is without fail—but his responses also clearly didn’t make them happy in the way they should have.

Something just feels off about the whole interaction.

Hitoshi's parents were the last he had to talk to today, so he leaves the conference room in search for Hizashi. Shouta knows he invited Hitoshi's parents as well, because Hitoshi is well above average in English and Hizashi has been giving him work sheets from his third years to complete and even those Hitoshi aces.

Hizashi probably talked to them about extra lessons and Shouta is dying to hear what he thought about the Shinsous.

It doesn't take him long to find Hizashi, they've been married long enough for Shouta to know all of his usual haunts and predictably he finds Hizashi in front of his favourite vending machine, getting the most sugary treat he can find.

Hizashi looks at him with a deer-in-headlights expression but right now Shouta couldn't care less what unhealthy treats he indulges in.

"You spoke to Hitoshi's parents," Shouta says without beating around the bush and Hizashi nods, even as he stuffs his cheeks.

He's clearly afraid Shouta will take his treat from him and Shouta is happy to let him think that because it means it stays an indulgence and not a daily thing.

"What did you think?"

Hizashi swallows as he frowns at Shouta.

"They were perfectly normal parents," he gives back and in all honesty Shouta had not expected that answer at all.

"Come again?"

"Shou, I don't know what you want me to tell you. They were interested, nice and supportive. Did something happen during your talk with them?"

Shouta can't really say yes to that because nothing really did happen, except that he has a feeling.

Hizashi can clearly read that right off his face because he sighs.

"Just because Hitoshi doesn't like to talk about his parents doesn't mean that anything is wrong at home, you know that, right?" He waits until Shouta nods, even though he thinks it does mean exactly that. "They were much nicer than some other parents, they were interested and agreed to let me tutor Hitoshi some more in English. What more do you want?"

Shouta thinks about it for a moment, trying to decide how to make Hizashi understand what he feels but he knows he can never adequately explain his suspicions.

"Something just felt off. The way they talked about Hitoshi was almost condescending and their mannerisms were creepy. They kept completing each other sentences. They gave me a headache," Shouta almost grumbles out because he knows that's not a real reason, and just like he feared, Hizashi throws his head back and laughs.

"They just know each other really well. I thought their mannerisms were sweet. Clearly they've been married for a long time."

Shouta doesn't point out that he and Hizashi don't complete sentences like that, mostly because it would be childish, but Shouta also knows that they could if they really wanted to.

Still, it doesn't help with the uneasy feeling in his gut.

"You're—actually worried about something," Hizashi finally says, all traces of humour gone from his face and Shouta shrugs.

"I have a feeling," he simply gives back and Shouta knows Hizashi understands what that means.

They have been married long enough for that.

"Suspicion?"

"Bad, actually," Shouta corrects him. "Something feels off about them and it's worrying."

Hizashi doesn't brush Shouta's feeling off, for which he loves him all the more, and in the end he nods.

"We can keep a closer eye on Hitoshi. Maybe even ask him, see what he has to say about that. He never mentioned any tension or anything at home."

"Because he never talks about his home," Shouta reminds him and Hizashi presses his lips together.

"I promised his parents to stay in touch regarding the extra lessons, so I'll try and see if I can spot anything, too. You should definitely talk to Hitoshi, though," Hizashi tells him and Shouta nods.

Hitoshi will already be on his way home, but they have training tomorrow after school and Shouta is going to get to the bottom of this.

It's been a long time since his gut feeling about someone was wrong and if it means Hitoshi could be in danger, he's not going to sit idly by.

~*~*~

"How are things at home?" Shouta bluntly asks the next day and Hitoshi looks at him with big eyes.

"What do you mean?" he carefully asks and Shouta motions for him to sit down next to him on the ground.

"Your parents were here yesterday, for the conference," Shouta says even though Hitoshi knows that damn well himself.

"Yeah? Did something—happen?"

It's subtle, but Shouta could swear there's a spark of hope in Hitoshi's eyes and it only solidifies the bad feeling Shouta has about his parents.

"No," Shouta admits, because it didn't.

It doesn't make it any easier to see Hitoshi shut down on him, though.

"Why are you asking, then?"

"Why are you avoiding the question?" Shouta shoots back and then sighs when Hitoshi stays stubbornly silent. "Listen, kid. Nothing happened, and I shouldn't really say this anyway, because it's just a feeling but—something about your parents was off. Are you safe at home?"

"They've never beaten me," Hitoshi mutters and while that is good to hear, it doesn't really equate to being safe.

"And I hope they never start," Shouta says and leans closer so he can catch Hitoshi's gaze. "But physical violence is not the only reason to not feel safe at home. If you ever do feel unsafe at home, for whatever reason, you can always come to me and Hizashi. You have our address, or you can talk to us here at school. Do you understand?"

He holds Hitoshi's gaze until he finally nods and then he watches how Hitoshi fiddles with the hem of his uniform.

"You think something about them was off?" he asks, clearly nervous, clearly desperate for Shouta's answer and if this is what pushes Hitoshi to ask for help—either now or in the future—Shouta sure as hell is not going to play his gut feeling down.

"Yes. I can't pinpoint what it was but I learned to listen to that feeling. Something about them wasn't quite right and until I know why that was I want you to stay safe."

"You're going to talk to them again?"

"Hizashi is. He promised them to keep them updated on your English progress and I'm going to listen in on those talks," Shouta admits, completely shameless, and it seems it was the right course of action because the hope is back in Hitoshi's eyes.

Something is definitely not right then.

"Okay," Hitoshi nods and then adds almost too quietly to hear "Thank you."

"I haven't even done anything." Yet, Shouta adds mentally, because there is no doubt in his mind now that there is something to be done.

He'll just have to wait for Hitoshi to come around and confide in him, or figure out what is so upsetting about his parents himself.

Shouta hates that this is the situation Hitoshi finds himself in now, but he's not going to fail the kid.

~*~*~

That very same evening finds Shouta stretched out on the couch, a cat on his chest, Hizashi's head on his stomach and a knock on the door to ruin the perfectly relaxing atmosphere.

"No," Hizashi whines out but he doesn't hold Shouta down when he untangles himself because with his hell class—and what he told Hitoshi just today—there is no way in hell Shouta is going to ignore whoever is on the other side of the door and Hizashi knows it.

And rightfully so, because when he opens it, he comes face to face with Hitoshi who is sporting a black eye and a split lip.

"Who did this?" Shouta immediately growls out and Hitoshi shuffles on his feet.

"You said I can come here when I don't feel safe at home," he says and for a split second Shouta sees red, before he gets himself back under control and steps to the side.

"And I meant it," he says as he waves Hitoshi in. "Zashi, get the first aid kit!" he yells into the apartment and he can hear Hizashi scrambling towards the bathroom.

"What happened, Hitoshi?" Shouta asks once Hitoshi is seated on the couch and Hizashi's eyes get big when he gets back to the living-room, first aid kit in his hands.

"I'm no longer safe at home," Hitoshi says again and Hizashi almost fumbles the kit.

"Your parents did that?"

"I told you something was off," Shouta mutters at him before he takes Hitoshi's chin between his fingers and tilts his head this way and that. "Any other injuries?"

"Dad kicked me when I was down, and something kinda cracked?" Hitoshi carefully says and Shouta can almost feel how Hizashi vibrates with anger.

"Your mother?"

"Did this," Hitoshi says and motions at his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Hizashi asks and Shouta has to wonder the same.

This seems like a drastic change, especially given that Hitoshi told him just today that his parents have never hit him.

"What happened?"

"They told me they don't want me training with you anymore," Hitoshi says and holds Shouta's gaze. "They want me to drop out of U.A. That isn't an option. I can't—I can't just not be here, I have to be a hero!" Hitoshi desperately says and then takes a deep breath, wincing as he clearly aggravates his side.

"I take it they weren't too happy about that," Shouta guesses and Hitoshi lets out a desperate chuckle.

"You can say that."

"Hitoshi, today you said they never hit you before, but you clearly didn't feel safe at home even before that. What's going on there?"

"It's just—you have to believe me. Please, you have to believe me," Hitoshi pleads and he seems desperate enough to make Shouta think that maybe people have not believed him before.

"We will, little listener, we will, we promise. Tell us what's going on," Hizashi says as he carefully dabs some disinfectant on Hitoshi's lips and the raw looking skin around his eye.

"My parents—I don't know if it's their quirks but they have this way of convincing people to do and think what they want. I've seen it before; it's almost as if they suggest something and then you can't refuse? It's hard to describe."

"You don't know their quirks?"

Hitoshi shakes his head and Shouta frowns. This is unheard of; usually the quirk of a child is a combination of their parent's quirks, or an evolution. A child would greatly benefit from learning from their parents and to think that Hitoshi doesn't even know his parents quirks—

"They never said and they don't like me asking questions," Hitoshi admits.

"Have they used their quirks on you?" Shouta wants to know and Hitoshi helplessly shrugs.

"I think so? I'm not sure. I don't really feel compelled to do what they say, it's just—I know that if I don't do what they want they get mad so I do it anyway. I don't know if it's them using their quirks though. Today was the first time I can remember telling them no and it really didn’t go over well at all," Hitoshi wryly says and shrugs, wincing immediately when he aggravates his side.

To think that Hitoshi is terrified enough of his parents to always do what they ask of him is already a red flag if Shouta has ever seen one and he shares a worried look with Hizashi.

"Have you asked for help before?" Hizashi carefully asks and Hitoshi nods, pressing his lips together and causing the split lip to bleed again.

"Several times. I told the police, some teachers, I event went to CPS one time but—they take me seriously, but as soon as they speak with my parents, it's as if my concerns are just made up. Everyone always agrees to what my parents say and I just—I stopped asking for help. But now—I can't drop out of U.A., please, you have to help me."

"Of course," Shouta immediately says and then remembers the headache he had when the Shinsou's left. "Are you suffering from headaches at home?" he asks because he might have an inkling of what's going on.

"Yeah. I think there's something in the walls? Or maybe it's the paint or mold?" Hitoshi mutters and Shouta turns towards Hizashi.

"After your talk with his parents, did you have a headache?"

"No. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that they both have mental quirks and that they don't work well on people who also have mental quirks. I had a headache after the talk, almost as if I used my quirk too much."

"You think they tried to influence you?" Hizashi asks.

"I think they try to influence anyone they talk to. Have they always finished each others sentences?" Shouta wants to know and Hitoshi nods.

"For as long as I can remember."

"Hizashi, go call Tsukauchi, I want this investigated. We're enacting the Emergency Fostering Protocol and you'll stay here until we’ve figured out what's going on, Hitoshi. We won't let you drop out of U.A. and we won't let them hurt you again," Shouta promises Hitoshi and is startled to see tears in Hitoshi's eyes.

"You promise?"

"I promise. No matter what they try, it won't work on me anyway and if we get Tsukauchi involved we have ample opportunity to get them into quirk suppressors before any kind of talks happen. They won't get away with this."

At that the tears spill over and Hitoshi lets out a shuddering breath.

"Thank you," he manages to get out and Shouta carefully pulls him into a hug.

"We've got you, kid, don't worry. You're safe now," Hizashi promises as he pats Hitoshi's head and then he leaves to call Tsukauchi.

Shouta hates that he was right, but he's glad Hitoshi came to them for help because now they get to make sure that he'll be safe and protected.

They won't let any more harm come to him.

(It turns out Hitoshi's parents have minor suggestion and influence quirks, but they figured out early on that when they work together they are powerful enough to get away with anything. They were excited for a child, because they had high hopes for the quirk they made but were insanely disappointed with Hitoshi because brainwashing was too obvious and Hitoshi too good a person to use it on a whim anyway. They try to talk their way out of all the accusations being brought up against them but with the quirk suppressors around their wrists, there's really nothing they can do. They get separated and sent off to jail and Hitoshi gets to stay with Shouta and Hizashi.)

#bt writes #emotional spring 2025 #shinsou hitoshi #aizawa shouta #yamada hizashi #married erasermic #bnha #mha #hurt/comfort #child abuse #quirk misuse

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