#Best places to live in Cyprus

[prapasara]

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Best places to live in Cyprus

Nicosia

Limassol District

Limassol villages

Larnaca

Paphos

Peyia and Tala

Ayia Napa and Protaras

Paralimni

Nicosia

Divided in two by the Green Line, Nicosia is a vibrant and quite sophisticated city that offers a perfect blend of urban life and relaxation.

Nicosia lies inland; therefore, it can get hotter than the seaside in summer. However, the bliss of it is that as a consequence tourists don’t think much of the place, instead preferring the seaside resorts and towns. This not only keeps the place from becoming overcrowded but helps to preserve a true Cypriot feel and character of the place.

Nicosia is the business and financial centre of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the administrative heart. The city offers great entertainment, vibrant nightlife, excellent shopping and a choice of leisure activities.

Although the main language is Greek, you will find that around 90 percent of the population speak some English, and fluency is common amongst the younger generations.

Cyprus might be the third biggest Mediterranean island, but it’s not really huge. And when you live in Nicosia, everything is no more than an hour away by car, be it wonderful beaches, gorgeous mountains, hiking trails or historic sights.

As in any city, there are enough districts and types of property to choose from in Nicosia. The choice depends on whether you want to live in an apartment or a modern villa, in the quiet outskirts or in a luxurious part of the city near all the major embassies where the properties are superb, both in style and price.

Living in the south-east, for example, gives you easy access to Athalassa National Forest Park, which is 840 hectares of greenery. Its network of trails – covering 20 kilometres – makes it a popular place for cycling, walking, dog walking and picnics.

As to what you can consider drawbacks, the summers are very hot in Nicosia, hotter than in the seaside locations. There’s also the issue of a very unreliable public transportation system; as a result almost everyone over 21 owns a car.

In short, Nicosia is one of the best places to live in the Republic of Cyprus: diverse cuisines, cultures, rich history, great nightlife, almost the best weather possible, great nature and sightseeings and all the amenities you need for normal day-to-day living. What you won’t find in Nicosia is the seaside.

Limassol District

Limassol, a city on the southern coast of Cyprus, has a very modern, cosmopolitan feel to it. It is a loved destination by expats from all over the world.

The Neapolis area of Limassol is considered the centre of the town, yet is also residential and has all the necessary amenities close to hand. It is close to Anexartisias – the main shopping district of Limassol, and within walking distance of the beach too.

Right in the centre of the city, near the Castle and Limassol Marina, there is a beautiful promenade called Molos, which offers great walks along the beachfront. If you like a seaside stroll, Molos will be your favourite place.

Molos is flanked by busy streets packed with restaurants, cafes, English style pubs, vibrant nightclubs, and a wide range of shops selling almost everything, including souvenirs and traditional sweets and delicacies.

Not a big fan of city beaches and prefer something more intimate? There are beautiful beaches 15 minutes drive away from the city, such as Kourion Beach.

This particular beach is located under the ancient city of Kourion where you can visit the ancient site and also attend evening performances at the ancient theatre.

Limassol is also the city with the highest mountain peak on the island, Troodos (Olympus). During the winter between January and April, you can go skiing. The Cyprus Ski Club, based on Mount Olympus, has four ski lifts and eight alpine ski runs of various levels.

The city is perfect for supporting an active healthy lifestyle. It offers limitless possibilities for all kinds of sports and activities including golf, go-karting, skiing, cycling and horse riding. There are beautiful walking trails and an abundance of nature trails. Bicycles are available on rent all over the place and are an ideal way of exploring the city and its interior.

Limassol villages

Just 12 minutes drive from Limassol there is the lovely village of Erimi. It takes you just far enough from the hustle and bustle of Limassol to give you a nice relaxing atmosphere but is still close enough to the city for you to still use its facilities.

The same feeling of tranquillity can be found in the village of Kolossi on the outskirts of the city of Limassol. The village is close to the imposing Kolossi Castle, which dates back to the 13th century. The vineyards of Kolossi are famous for the sweet dessert wine of Commandaria, which is one of the oldest wines in the world.

Some 8 miles from Limassol on the Limassol-Troodos road is the pretty village of Alassa. The village is built next to the Kouris Dam. A few minutes drive away is Episcopi – a village lying partly in the Limassol district of Cyprus and partly in the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

There is a good supermarket, doctor, police station etc. It has quite a few expats but is not very touristy.

Larnaca

Larnaca is compact, easily accessible and offers easy access to other regions on the island.

Larnaca is where Cyprus adventures start for most new arrivals, as it is where the most popular Cyprus airport is located.

Phinikoudes is a very pretty town and is particularly pleasant for a stroll in the evening. There is a long beach alongside the Phinikoudes promenade, the waters there are always calm and quite shallow, so you have to wade for quite a distance before it is swimmable.

The Makenzie stretch is more remote, easily accessible by car and has many fish restaurants lining the strip. It’s full of bars and cafés, where locals and expat freelancers come together to co-work. However, it’s very close to the airport, and although spending a day out there is fine, living there constantly means putting up with noise and pollution.

The prevalent communities in Larnaca are Greek, British, Russians and Germans and they mostly use English as means of international communication. However, move away from the expat communities towards outlying villages, and a bit of Greek will come really handy if you want to integrate and build local friendships.

The town offers all the amenities and facilities necessary for a comfortable life, but as with any tourist place, it gets very quiet in winter and really crowded in summer.

In general, Larnaca is more relaxed, easy-going and comfortable, and a bit cheaper compared to Limassol or Nicosia. You get the beach and the places for cycling, and it is only a 30 minutes drive from both Limassol and Nicosia. The intercity bus will take you to the capital if you don’t like driving, however public transport is not very reliable in Cyprus, so you might want to consider a car.

There are a few lovely villages on the outskirts of Larnaca. Oroklini is just outside the town and very popular with Brits. The village stretches from Larnaca Bay up to Oroklini hill and has a nice sandy beach.

It takes 10 minutes to get from Oroklini to central Larnaca. The Larnaca-Ayia Napa motorway runs through the outskirts of Oroklini and leads onto the Larnaca-Nicosia motorway.

Paphos

Paphos is a lovely coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and, as legends say, the birthplace of Aphrodite.

The town has good infrastructure and amenities – from shopping malls and shops to modern hospitals and decent road connections. Paphos International Airport is just 15 minutes drive from the town centre and a modern highway links the Paphos district to the whole of Cyprus.

The great thing about Paphos District is that you’ve got the sea and great beaches with hills, forests and mountains inland. The Akamas is a delight if you like the unspoilt countryside.

Paphos city is a popular tourist resort. It is also famous for its charming fishing harbour. The main residential district in Paphos is Ktima.

Kato Paphos, built by the sea around the medieval port, is where most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city is located.

There’s a lot going on in Paphos itself to sustain life there. It’s also only 45 minutes along the motorway to Limassol.

Peyia and Tala

Paphos district has quite a few lovely towns and villages dotted around. Lots of Brits live there, especially in places like Peyia and Tala. That means no language problems. If you venture further into the hills, a few words of Greek will be very helpful to get by.

Peyia and Tala are very popular for full time living among expats. There are plenty of restaurants and tavernas in both places, and they are close to Coral Bay.

Peyia is a bit overbuilt. The nice areas of Peyia can mostly be found on the outskirts. It’s also quite a drive to Paphos. Tala is closer to Paphos but has fewer facilities.

If you want to be fairly close to town and live somewhere within walking distance to a decent supermarket, pharmacy, doctor, butcher etc., Chloraka is possibly a good place to consider as it is just 3 km north of Paphos.

Ayia Napa and Protaras

In the eastern part of Cyprus, just south of Famagusta, lies the lively and vibrant town of Ayia Napa. It is a favourite international seaside resort with all the paraphernalia and amenities that come with that. It is crowded, dynamic, loud, full of entertainment and typical tourist activities such as water-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing, scuba diving and speed boating.

Ayia Napa has 14 beaches, and all of them have been awarded the Blue Flag status.

Nissi, a beach on Nissi Avenue, gets really crowded in summer; it has a fantastic beach bar, which plays music throughout the day and offers events such as foam parties and games if that’s what you’re looking for!

If you want to be close enough to Ayia Napa to enjoy the life it offers, but still be far away enough to be able to have relaxing moments, you might want to look at Protaras.

About 5 miles away from Ayia Napa, Protaras, although being rapidly developed, still manages to remain low-key, and is preferred by locals and expats for its more family-friendly feel. It is still touristy and gets very busy in summer, while the winters are usually quiet and the place looks a bit deserted.

Paralimni

If the seasonal hustle and bustle of both Ayia Napa and Protaras are too much for you, but you still want to be close enough to both places, then probably the best solution will be to look at Paralimni.

Paralimni is close enough to both Ayia Napa and Protaras but is not attractive to tourists. It is a nice residential town with modern houses being built on the outskirts. There is a shopping centre, a number of cafes and bars and supermarkets there – all the amenities you need to live comfortably without paying over the top, as one commonly does in tourist towns.

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Best places to live in Cyprus

CR    ::     https://expatra.com/guides/cyprus/best-places-to-live-republic-of-cyprus/

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere Coworker (Part 16)

Thank you @i---believe---in---pink for commissioning this chapter.

(3443 words)

tw: afab reader, infantilization, nonconsensual touches from Cyprus, butchered Spanish, slight injury, violence, cyprus got pretty mad

Masterlists (+commission info), part 1, part 17

You twisted the knob and let the door creak open, the foreign noise made all parties quiet. From the gap, you peek out and see Cyprus, his mother, and another person standing by the doorframe, it seems like the stranger has tried to push their way in but couldn't succeed, thanks to Cyprus's hulking figure serving as an immovable gate.

Cyprus shot you a glare as he gestured for you to go back into the bathroom and close the door, he did so by jerking his head in the general direction of your original hiding place.

"Who's there?" The third voice was deceptively soft and kind, it couldn't be one of the voices shouting so fervently. It is feminine, and you immediately assume the worst; one of his insane exes is here. You made the smart move to retreat back and shut the door behind you, but you still pressed your ear against the barrier. It allowed you to listen to their muffled voices.

"Get the fuck out of my sight or we're calling the cops." Cyprus sounded aggressive with his guttural growl, which made you appreciate the way he speaks to you these days with the sweetest coos and murmurs.

"Who was that, Cyprus!?" You winced when the stranger let out a shrill shout. It is followed by the sound of struggling and yelling from Cyprus and his mother. It sounded violent, there was clattering of furniture and vague thudding, to which you can only deduce that the stranger is destroying the place and Cyprus is trying to stop it from happening.

There were panicked exclamations from Cyprus's mother amongst the chaos. In the end, you heard a slam so loud that it echoed throughout the apartment and caused the bathroom walls to reverberate. There was muffled screaming, but it was much softer than before; you assumed that Cyprus successfully shut the door on her. Aside from her deranged shouting, the living room was mostly quiet, and you deemed it safe enough to leave your safe refuge.

You cautiously opened the door and slipped out of the bathroom once more. The front door is locked, latched, and barricaded by a sofa. Cyprus is staying clear of the door, you could hear manic banging on it.

His mother is nowhere to be seen, but you hear her voice talking on the phone from her room. It sounds like she's talking to an emergency line operator.

Ignoring the frightening sounds of insanity outside, Cyprus calmly walked to you and firmly wrapped his arm around your waist. He pressed an assuring kiss on your head as he led you into his mother's bedroom. You asked him what was going on, and to that, he merely flashed you a smile. "Don't worry about it," Cyprus said as he shared a look with his mother before shutting the door behind him.

You saw his mother hastily walk to the door, blocking it with her body as if guarding it. All this while, she was still on the phone with the operator. You think that she's trying to stop you from getting out.

You took a few steps and decided to sit on a chair, it's probably not very safe to be outside anyway. You nervously wring your hands as your ears continued to pick up on the shouting and hitting. All you could do was pray that the police would be here soon, even if Cyprus is a professional boxer, his fists are no match with a bullet if she happens to be armed and dangerous.

You waited and waited. Somewhat grateful for the older woman's presence in the room. Even if she doesn't look like she could physically do much to protect you, the idea that she's willing to be a barrier between danger and yourself is heartwarming. Yet pitiful, she is only doing this because she perceived you to be the best option yet; she is paying for her son's atrocious taste in women.

The two of you waited, the operator stayed on the phone with her. You were sure that the stranger's havoc was audible enough for the microphone in her device to pick up.

It felt like eons before it slowly became softer and softer, you deduced the deranged woman somewhat lost interest and walked away. You sighed in relief but tensed up when you noticed Cyprus's mother was still not as calm as you like. She widened her eyes when she realized where you were sitting.

You let out a surprised exclamation when she suddenly grabbed you by the arm and pulled you away from your resting place.

Your questions are shortly answered with a deafening crash and tiny stings as shards of glass give you small, but painful cuts on your skin. His mother rushed to open the door, dragging you out of the room and pushing you into Cyprus's protective arms. He was eerily silent, staring at the cause of his mother's glass window shattering. You adjusted your head, so you could see past his muscular structure.

A rock. Not particularly large, it's smaller than the size of your palm, resting on the floor with glistening specks of broken glass illuminated by the lights above. Other than that, nothing seems to be amiss, except unintelligible, distressed yelling coming from outside.

The implications sent shivers down your spine, the three of you aren't on the ground floor. That means whoever Cyprus invoked the wrath of, was powerful enough to hurl a rock to break a window at this height. The fear subconsciously made you sink deeper into Cyprus for comfort, so he wrapped his arms around you tighter. He pressed numerous kisses on the crown of your head as he whispered words of assurance, but you were too occupied to register what he said.

After that, you heard a car alarm go off along with disordered metallic whacking and banging. You think she's in the process of destroying Cyprus's car; he, his mother, and you were hoping that the police would be here sooner. He sighed softly, you knew that he was angry and despondent, who wouldn't be, knowing that the vehicle that you bought with your hard-earned money was being eviscerated? However, Cyprus is clearly trying to control his temper around you, so as to not make any brash decisions to put you in harm's way. As shown by his enraged shaking. The idea of compromising your safety was the only thing stopping him from rushing down the fire stairs and beating her half to death.

His mother rubbed his arm to calm him further. She shared a sympathetic look with you.

-

The woman was long gone when the police arrived. It took almost all evening for them to gather evidence and everyone's statements. Dinner was long forgotten, the beer was at room temperature and his car was totaled; the offender managed to mar it so badly, it couldn't even start anymore. There were fluids of different colors and viscosity leaking out of his once functional vehicle, and Cyprus had to arrange for a flatbed tow truck.

You were treated for the minor cuts you sustained by the paramedics, Cyprus refused to leave you alone with them. Almost raising hell when one of them politely asked him to give you a bit of privacy, luckily you were there to tell them that you're fine with him being around to supervise.

His mother drove the two of you back to his apartment, Cyprus held the sourest look on his handsome face as he was in the foulest mood. It was so bad, that he didn't even care to touch you in any way nor did a sound leave his lips. His eyes are perpetually trained forward on the windshield, you don't think he blinked once; even if the headlights of another car were shining directly into his eyes.

You couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty, feeling like you caused all of this just because you're nosy. Maybe if you stayed still in the bathroom, his Ex wouldn't have done this much damage.

Luckily the drive wasn't that long. Before you felt too compelled to say something, his mother announced that she had reached your destination.

Cyprus gave her a curt goodbye before storming out of the car. But he didn't ascend the stairs yet, he merely loitered nearby to wait for you. His fingers are twitching, itching for a cigarette or ten. To quell his urges, he leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, letting himself steam in his fury. His steely eyes never left you, though.

You excused yourself and got out of the car too, in a much calmer way.

"Mija." She had her window rolled down. She gestured for you to come closer.

You did, and you received a maternal kiss on the cheek, a solemn goodbye for now.

You were about to pull away and return to Cyprus, but she held you by the wrist. You turned your head back to her, it appears that she has something more to say.

"He is not angry at you." She gave you a kind smile. "Please don't worry, my son loves you very much."

Was it obvious on your face? Either that, or she's a mind reader.

You dismissed yourself and walked up to him. His mother drove away and you hope that she gets home safely. No doubt, she's still shaken by that.

He uncrossed his arms and approached you too in large strides, spooking you. But he didn't do anything other than to tuck his arm under your knees, to carry your bridal style. This, of course, embarrassed you. So you protested, but it was quickly shut down when he shot you a threatening glare and barred his teeth, like a dog. You shrunk back and let him carry you up the stairs like this; perhaps this is his way of cooling off now, seeing that he doesn't want to break his smoke-free streak.

He unlocked the door, opened it, and immediately locked it behind him. Cyprus, despite all his anger, sets you down on the couch extremely gently. He marched off into the bathroom but he didn't close the door behind him as he merely washed his hands with soap. It didn't take long before he returned with clean, dry hands, You didn't even notice that he had set your medicated drops on your lap.

"Look up." You didn't dare to make a fuss, his tone was already strongly suggesting that he was not playing with you. He swiftly applied your eye drops before recapping them and putting them away.

You were rewarded a kiss on the forehead and a praise, "Good girl." He whispered softly as you squeezed your eyes shut. You wonder if he's just going to do this each time he administers your drug until you're cured.

Cyprus shot up and spent no time going to the kitchenette. You watched him prepare the utensils and ingredients he needed for tonight's dinner. You were curious why he would rather go through the trouble of doing so instead of ordering food delivery. But you weren't comfortable asking him that, so silence hung heavy in the air.

He looked exhausted, and you knew that there were an impossible number of thoughts behind those grey eyes that were concealed by the glare of his glasses. You felt some sympathy for him, after knowing a bit more about his history earlier.

As it turns out, the offender was indeed, an Ex of his. Cyprus has moved many times due to constant harassment from his previous lovers and the police's incompetence. She is one of them, but not the sole terror. She had found his mother first, and she was stalking her for months; around the time you and Cyprus became an item.

The woman tried to gain his mother's favor, leaving gifts, running errands for her, and trying to talk to her every chance she got, all to his mother's approval for their relationship and to know where his son was. It was completely inappropriate, that she would pretend to be incredibly close to his mother, following her to church gatherings and introducing everyone around as Cyprus's mother's daughter-in-law. This terrified his mother, but she was sadly used to it, as this wasn't the first or even the fifth Ex to do this.

She tried alerting Cyprus through texts or by calling him, but he has the bad habit of brushing her concerns off. His exes would usually lose interest in her over time and leave her alone without Cyprus's intervention. After you started "dating" him, she couldn't get a hold of him, as he was constantly too busy enjoying the healthiest love life he ever had. Cyprus knew if he had told her about you too soon, they would get into a fight; his mother would always assume the worst in his girlfriends no matter what he says now. That's why, he decided to surprise her with your existence earlier today.

As it turns out, the conversation that he had with her all afternoon was about you, gushing about how amazing of a person you are, telling her how happy you made him; and as his mother, she could see it. She could see that you are actually a positive force for her son. Someone entirely different from the types of monsters he would always attract. You're so lovely, so kind, so docile. She only wished that Cyprus would shut up for a while so she could tell him about the looming threat of one of his stalkers. But every time she tried to change the subject, Cyprus would cut her off and talk about you instead, too blinded by his infatuation with you to realize that he was foolish.

Alas, she could also see that her son loves you much, much more than you love him. Maybe that was the missing piece after all, that Cyprus is a giver, not a receiver. There is always a downside to everything, and in this case, it was the fact that you don't seem to want this relationship. But she thinks that can be worked around, she just needs to convince you to stay and she will try her damned hardest to do so. A mother wants nothing but to see her son happy and thriving.

In a sense, this was his fault. This is entirely his fault, you should be absolved of all blame. He should feel like crap, not you. Cyprus deserved this, if only he listened to his mother, if only he picked up his mother's phone call from time to time if only he hadn't stopped by at her apartment... if only he hadn't met you--

Your train of thought was broken by Cyprus nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck, greedily inhaling your scent as he trapped you in his arms. You made no move to stop him, to stop his fondling or kisses.

"Stop blaming yourself." He mumbled against your skin as he rubbed his hands over your thighs. You didn't deny it, because you knew that you did, no matter how much you tried to squash the guilt.

"It wasn't your fault." He continued, pulling you into his lap and resting his chin on your head. "And I'm not mad at you, so stop the pouting... even though you look so fucking cute doing that, I don't want my baby feeling bad about something she didn't do, or caused." His fingers were stroking your bandages covering the cuts from the glass shards, it was feathery and uncharacteristically gentle.

Just with that, you broke down into tears. Sobbing and gasping for air, it felt like your mind was acting separate from your body; as you told yourself to stop whatever it was you were doing, but your mouth kept spewing quivery apologies to Cyprus. You gripped hard onto his shirt and cried, wetting the fabric and making it cling to his chiseled chest.

You felt vibrations as he chuckled at your involuntary reaction. "Aw, come on, doll. I already said I wasn't mad at you." You felt his lips curl up into a smile.

You hid your face and whimpered, embarrassed and still guilty over what had happened. Cyprus coaxed your arm away from your face, and you saw him smirking down at you with such amusement.

"Is my baby still guilty?" He cooed, "Oh, you're such a sweet, selfless, kind girl. You're paying a price that wasn't meant for you... what can I do to take your pretty little mind off what happened, mi cielo?" He teasingly pinched your cheek. You wanted to slap his hand away, but you're still quite upset.

"¿Quieres un beso, hm?" His Spanish rolled effortlessly from his tongue, perhaps it was too fast for you to catch, so you were momentarily distracted from your despair. "No, ¿quieres muchos besos, mi corazón?"

He grinned widely when he saw that you were slowly coming off that loop of self-pity.

You stared at him dumbfoundedly. "Say 'Sí'."

You entertained his request, only to be attacked by a flurry of kisses on your face. You kicked your legs in the air, but it was futile. It's not slowing him down.

Cyprus ended it with a long, passionate press on your lips. He has his eyes closed and you close yours too, as you allow the bliss of the moment to wash the unease away. He slipped his hand under your shirt, caressing your bare flesh as he enjoyed the warmth you shared with him.

However, he pulled away. Earlier than usual, but he cupped your cheeks and pressed his forehead against yours. "Don't you ever feel bad for that bitch. I don't want you to feel any of this was your fault. I don't want you to feel pity for her and I don't want you to feel pity for me." He murmured.

"I can take care of myself, and I sure as hell can take care of you." He paused momentarily to give you a quick and playful peck on the lips. "I love you, baby. I'm never letting you go, no matter what. I don't fucking care what I have to do, I'm never leaving you and I'll go through hell to keep you if I have to." Cyprus gave the shell of your ear a sensual nibble, sending jolts down your spine.

You stayed still as he showered you in love for a minute, slowly recovering from earlier events and absorbing his words.

"Te amo." He whispered before mischievously blowing hot air into your ear, making you jerk away and whine. This merely made him laugh at your flustered face. "There's my girl, my whiny, weepy, baby doll."

You complained, telling him not to do that. He ignored it and smiled wider.

"Te amo." Said Cyprus.

You asked what that meant.

"Hm? You have to be specific, Cariño." He brought your hand to his lips, grazing them against your knuckles. "I said many things in Spanish, I won't know which one you're referring to unless you specify."

Te amo, you wanted to know what that meant. So you repeated it in front of him. And at that moment, you felt a sense of deja vu, but you pushed it away.

He chuckled and ruffled your hair. "Ya sé que sí." Cyprus suddenly tickled you on your sides, making you involuntarily show him a smile and letting him hear the peal of laughter he had been craving all day.

Suddenly, he firmly but lovingly pushed you off his lap, onto the couch and got up, because the pot containing tonight's dinner was bubbling over. Cyprus left the stove on for too long, too busy consoling you in his own bastard way to realize that it's making a mess.

"Shit!" He cussed, the dish was ruined. Unsalvageable from its mangled corpse, there is no way he's going to eat it, let alone feed you.

Usually, something like this would stress him out to the point he would have a whole pack of cigarettes for dinner instead. But ever since he had you, Cyprus has learned to laugh it off. Because you just had that effect on him, that calming effect that no nicotine or drug could give. It's quite literally, addicting.

He dumps the pot into the sink with a face that's visibly uplifted, a major improvement from before. Cyprus turned around and opened a cabinet, he stared at the contents for a while before looking back at you.

"Shrimp, chicken, or beef?" He asked while presenting three packages of instant noodles with three different flavors.

[fiamat12]

No idea what the game plan is and whether or not this Cyprus sighting is a latergram, but it seems like it already is fueling the fans frustrations. Not that N and L cannot visit Cyprus together, but Cyprus is very much associated with A in the fandom and they are aware of it. Rn, all of this feels extremely inauthentic and borderline poking the bear.

I know. Always wait for more information. Whether it be a day, or a week, or even a month later, we usually find out that it was mainly PR. The thing is, a very high percentage of the fandom knows it's PR so whyyy??

Never have I ever hated a NDA with all the fibres in my body.

L looks more comfortable with that woman than he ever looked with A. I mean that woman is living our dreams. Look at that hug and how at ease he is. However, that is also going to get swiped under the rug as some can only focus on Cyprus and immediately make A connection.

I have seen N with L and there is no faking it. There is real love there, absolutely! It still is extremely frustrating to see the narrative being associated with A especially when Cannes and BAFTAS are around the corner. N just very recently posted something personal and I was hoping no more misdirections.

(Again, aware that this trip might just be a trip L and N took together and they had an amazing time but urghhhhh. Of all the places Cyprus? Come on, we need a Switzerland sighting. Not one at battleground. Why can't it be some place like the Turkey? I would rather see him in Iceland than in Cyprus).

L doesn't deserve the hate directed at him, but at the same time, it's at the point where it feels like his PR team's decisions are part of the reason why he is getting so much hate. At the moment it just looks extremely messy and a lot of it could have been avoided or it could have been curated gentler, IMO.

It is just so inauthentic and obviously I cannot imagine what L and N are going through. While I am happy to see a L sighting, I am just so sad to see it immediately being linked to A and go, "he has taken another hit for them."

When would all of this end? 😭

Happy Easter Anon! Just now getting to this and appreciate your thoughts. All I will say is that when something's off, listen to your gut. @lukolabrainrot & I laid out some options that could be at play w/ Lukola and/ or A's teams. @ladytumbledown gave us some inside scoop on how the pic was old, and moved up from a lower position on the restaurant's grid.

I don't usually ships celebs so it wouldn't be my dream to meet L lol although I think the Bridgy cast would be fun to hang out with... I'd love to share a laugh w/ LT & CJ and have a kiki w/ JB. I'm here because I saw, love & appreciate Lukola's soulmate connection ♡ and I think they'll be able to share it w/ us publicly, sooner than later.

Note: Just a bit of encouragement to shippers: YOU control how long you stay sailing on the ship. Your real life & real relationships are always more important. Take it easy, take a break if needed and you can always catch up and best of all come back to celebrate when we get our Tomdaya moment! 🍾🥂

[margaretkart]

Honestly the way how all Rick Riordan's books take place in the same univers doas not have the best execution.

First all the gods were taken out of they original country, and culture of origine and placed in the USA. "If they toke place in those countries it wouldn't make sense to be conected" is wrong. For exemple Annabell can still live in Greece whaile having a cousin who lives in a Scandinavian country, like Sweden. Simple. Magnus's mother imagrated to Sweden before Annabell was born, and after a time stoped calling the family. Similarly Percy and Carter from the Kane Chronicals could have meet in Cyprus?

Yep but the author never makes it that way. The structure and world building ,cuts the kids from actually getting in touch with their roots by having the gods in a foreign country they have no history with it.

Ancient Greece wasn't just war but culture, philosophy and arts.

He could have the campus be in Greece and Percy meet people of immigrants and locals at the same time. The immigrant kids would learn to speak greek phrases by the locals and learn about modern Greece.

He could have the kids instead of just training trying to find their preference in activities such as studying, playing in theatre, paint, train for sports competitions.

He could have the kids learn about traditional Greek dances and have them dance, have fun, and eat the local food. Learn about the traditions and important events.

Instead of "big bad villain" he could make a perfect series about people in campus acting jealous and corrupted. Having tension between campus and having a "civil war" amongst them, choosing "sides" ,showing the complexity of human relationships.

The author could make a series honouring the greek gods and culture but instead chose the safe road, to have easy sales in USA :)

[bloodmoonloveletter]

Hello!

I'm L (she/her)! Right now, this intro isn't finished, but I think I should put something up so people have something to go off of. I am an aspiring writer and songwriter (the former for at least 4 years, the latter for only around 1) , although Tumblr is definitely more of a writing place for me. I'm developing my art skills as well. I tend to write YA romance (almost always LGBTQ+) but I'm currently writing something with magical aspects and multiverses, so who tf knows. Tag me in stuff! Tag me in tag games - I love love love tag games.

also I'm now on ao3! check me out: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodmoonloveletter/pseuds/bloodmoonloveletter

WIPs:

Lilac

For the entirety of summer vacation, Virgil Whispercloud and Michael Ashtree have been at war. Both boys have come up with different pranks to pull on each other, many of which have cast a bad light on Virgil's dad's and Michael's mom's sporting goods businesses. Finally, the week before senior year is about to start, their collective parents decide that enough is enough and sentence them to no phones for the whole school year unless they can learn to be friends. For the sake of their phone access, the two boys resolve to become friends, and despite their apparent dislike of each other, it starts out promisingly. Could Virgil and Michael have more chemistry than they thought they did? And what type of chemistry exactly will it be? (Featuring one chapter from each of their friends' perspectives, the friends being Lali Mnemosyne, Ethan Hananoki, Liam Brown and Evan Boulder.)

Pomegranate (it's a series because of how long it is)

Oh, Christ, I'll try to keep this short (famous last words).

Essentially, three Californian teenagers (Arielle 'Aria' Brooks, Theo Amberfall, and Vivienne 'Evie' Halsey) are forcibly enrolled in a prestigious British boarding school, one they are all accepted to due to their extreme intelligence. Even though they don't want to leave their hometown, they end up reconciling with it due to their different yet unsatisfactory (to say the least) family situation. The three of them navigate and grapple with the turmoil of teenage life, love, new friends (Robin Gray, Emile Chastain, Albert Lightfoot, Nico Cyprus, Vil D'Or), the existence of magic, the fact that the universe as they know it is actually a multiverse containing nearly infinite dimensions, the endless anger of one girl hell-bent on vengeance and her many allies, and the war that seems to be hovering over the horizon. Together, they are the Supernatural Investigative Squad.

Roses of Autumn (working title)

Suuuuper rudimentary summary because I haven't done much work on this since 2021, but Autumn Roses is the Oregon-based story of Melanie Chambers, a girl with unresolved trauma from her past years of school and a whole lot of social anxiety, who ends up living with a mysterious, cool surfer chick who's just moved from California, Emma Flores. As the two get to know each other and become close, they discover more about themselves and each other than they ever thought they would.

Beams of Light (working title)

Same setting as Autumn Roses (and same rudimentary story), this is about Kayden Vigilanco, a boy whose entire perspective changes on the day he meets Dexter D'Angelo. The two are opposites in life and behavior, but against the odds, they become fast friends. Their relationship deepens, and suddenly, Kayden starts to question his sexuality. But, there's no way he could have a crush on his best friend... right?

Drops of Ambrosia (working title)

Same setting as the last two (honestly, I just wanted to write a story focusing on each character pairing in the first story). This time, it's a little darker.

Aurelie Chambers knows she does not like Ava Pierce. She is sure of that. She does not, will not, and cannot like that girl, no matter how attractive she may be. It's not because Ava is a girl, oh no; everyone knows that Aurelie is pansexual and proud. No, it's because Ava was actively present for the trauma that impacted Aurelie's sister Melanie so greatly, and so Aurelie has sworn off her. Absolutely. No doubt about it. But when that plan falls through and Aurelie can't resist temptation, she starts to fall down a rabbit hole of guilt and lies. Will Ava display a new side that pardons her to the Chambers sisters, or will Aurelie have to make one of the most difficult choices of her life?

"Maid thing" (either a graphic novel or a book - has no current title)

Since the day he was employed as a maid, Jonah Adair has been after one goal: marrying his employer, Roman Rochester, and living in opulence for the rest of his life. Jonah is very attractive and hardly subtle about his advances, so his task should be easy, right? Wrong. Roman is the most clueless Duke in the world. It's alright for the moment, though - Jonah is paid well, as is his sister (Tilly Adair), who is a maid like him but serves the Duke's sister, Ruth, and as much as he'd like to persuade himself that he has no pre-marriage feelings for Roman, it's always pleasant when the two are together. One day, though, out of the blue, a threat arrives in the form of Countess Anachronia Linden, who unfortunately has the same goal as Jonah. The only difference is she's got the parents on her side. Now, with the pressure on Roman to marry Anachronia, Jonah must rely on his allies (Tilly, Ruth, and the third Rochester sibling, Ricky Rochester) and his own charms to sway Roman into choosing him.

"Storriach mystery" (either a screenwritten series or a book - has no current title)

Henry Storriach is a young man. Smart. Pretty. Raised with love. Grieving. A while ago - not years but not weeks, six months, that's it, Henry always forgets - his wife Helen and child Daniel were killed in a house fire. Since the funeral, Henry has been roaming his house like a ghost, barely eating, barely sleeping, holding the hands of his piano like the past love he no longer can hold, and now, at the six-month mark, he is reunited through a series of events with his two formerly closest friends, Sumire Rydell-Eimin and Julian Underwood. After Julian dredges up something about the death, he and Henry end up investigating Helen and Daniel's deaths as a murder under the noses of their friends-turned-suspects. Can two young men with a troubled history together effectively solve a murder, or will their lives be turned to dust under the weight of the crime they've dug up?

Diadem/Teardrop (working titles - it will probably have to be a series because fuck it if all my characters can't have love lives and tragic backstories)

Almost as old as the Roses of Autumn series. Wowee!

Fuck prophesies. Princess Eclipse 'Ella' Vespertine has been treated badly her whole life and only finds respite in the company of her best friend and up-and-coming Duchess Laurie West. Princess Amara Vespertine has been expected to be a savior of the people and defend them against her own sister, expected to be the perfect heiress and ruler and take exactly after her mother, and so treats her sister like trash despite knowing it's wrong. Eventual Duke Alexander Toussaint-Corbin is a social pariah just because of the magic he was born with. At the start of freshman year in college, one meeting will change their lives for the better.

The three stories:

- Ella meets up-and-coming Duchess Charlotte Toussaint-Corbin, a girl who somehow embodies royal composure and yet an air of devil-may-care attitude. Friendship blooms instantly. Romantic tension blooms even faster, as easily as a princess with essentially no romantic experience (or so you'd think) and a girl who's as hot and has the same temperament as the sun can meet on a train. How will Laurie and Amara react to this new relationship?

- Laurie and Amara, though frenemies at first, are roped into a roommate situation and forced to learn to live with each other. Laurie has her preconceptions about Amara (and vice versa) but despite that, they quickly become friends, and to her own horror, Amara starts to develop a crush on Laurie. After a few too many drunken hookups, Amara gets in a life-threatening accident. I wonder how it will affect her life (wink wink).

- Alex Toussaint-Corbin has never been in a platonic relationship with someone who loved him, let alone a romantic one, but somehow, freshman year of college lands him in a love triangle with his hot, mean roommate, Luca Prince, and his new best friend, Adrien Solace. (Also, there is no Miraculous Ladybug connection. I swear to God I pulled those first names out of my brain caverns.) On top of that, he is quickly gaining new friends via his sister and somehow, a deep friendship with the current heir to the Vespertine throne herself, Amara. With so little experience in any of these matters, will Alex be able to handle all of it or will it all come crashing down on him?

When I have the energy, I will update this intro with the rest of the WIPs and information about yours truly.

But for now, I hope you enjoyed reading and have a good day!

[eurovision-del]

It’s already been a week since the Eurovision final but I still have a couple of thoughts I want to get out before I wrap it up for the year.

First, the semi final results! It’s always interesting to see who just missed out – this year it was Cyprus and Australia. Cyprus had it rougher, only missing out by two points. Other people have done much more in-depth analysis of the results in the past week, and I’ve seen a lot of comments that Cyprus would have qualified if Italy hadn’t been voting in semi final 1 since they gave San Marino 12 points, but I’m personally much happier with San Marino qualifying. Even putting aside that I prefer Tutta l'Italia to Shh as songs, San Marino got points from 14 different countries, Cyprus only got points from 5, their score heavily boosted by 12s from Azerbaijan and Albania.

The more interesting result in semi 1 given what seems to be general fandom perception of them as shock non-qualifiers is Belgium’s score! Second last in the semi with over half those points coming from the San Marino jury – maybe a sign that it might have done better if juries were voting in the semis again? There’s no way to know, and in the end it really doesn’t matter. I do feel bad for Red Sebastian though, I like the song a lot and thought his performance was decent.

Over in semi 2, the fandom was more on-point with identifying which song just missed out – Australia was the big shock NQ and came in 11th. The difference was 10 points, so it doesn’t feel quite as painful to me as when a country just misses out by one or two points, and they still got a reasonable score with points from lots of different countries, they just weren’t anyone’s favourite. I personally thought the performance was weak and didn’t hit the energy the song really needed, then it got overshadowed by other flashy exciting songs later on. Opening a semi isn’t necessarily the best place to be in – you have to go back to 2021 for the last time both semi final openers qualified, every year since then only one has made it.

The winner of semi final 2 was expected, but the big surprise was Latvia in 2nd place!! I loved the song and performance so I’m very happy for them. Albania also managed 2nd place in the first semi, over the odds favourites Sweden, which was exciting for me to see. Both seemed to be fan favourites which people weren’t sure would live up to the hype, so maybe that drove votes – but both were also great songs and performances which I think could have connected with anyone, so I’m glad to see them be rightfully rewarded. (I’m still not over what the Juries did to Albania in the final)

It’s always interesting to compare televote results from the semis to the final, and they can vary quite a bit. I could only find voting numbers released from Belgium (which are interesting to look at for multiple reasons) but they show a huge increase in people voting in the final vs the semis. More people voting and especially more casual viewers voting can lead to different tastes coming across. Another reason is that there are more songs to vote for in the final, so a song that qualifies with lots of low to medium scores from many countries in the final can see their televote scores drop in the final off as there’s more competition – exactly what happened to Portugal this year, going from 56 semi televotes spread across 14 countries, to only 13 televotes in the final – interestingly none from countries that voted in semi 1!

The other big reason is that only half the countries can vote in each semi-final, so adding in votes from a second set in the final can change things. I did a little comparison between how countries that could vote in each semi voted in the final to look at this more closely – it doesn’t explain everything but some patterns did emerge. The most interesting one for me was Estonia’s televote results. They did much better than Sweden in the televote in the final despite Sweden beating Estonia in the televote in semi 1. Estonia got 109 televotes from semi 1 countries in the final, but 151 from semi 2 countries, a full 42 points difference (the numbers don’t add up to their total televote of 258 due to the rest of the world voters who could vote in both semis and gave Estonia 2 points in the final). Sweden’s televotes were much more even, with 101 televotes from semi 1 countries and 100 from semi 2 countries – interestingly Estonia still overtook Sweden when you just look at semi 1 televotes but the gap is much less drastic, and their televotes in semi 1 were close anyway, 118 for Sweden and 113 for Estonia, so the change in points difference from semi 1 voting countries between the semi and final is only 13 – semi 2 countries account for all the rest.

Other countries with large differences between the sets of semi final voters are Germany and Armenia who were both heavily favoured by countries from semi final 2, Germany getting 52 votes out of 74 from semi 2 countries and Armenia getting a whole 28 of their 30 televotes in the final from semi 2 countries – such a difference that I reckon Armenia would have failed to qualify from semi 1. Italy was favoured by countries from semi final 1, getting 65 out of 97 televotes from them, as were the Netherlands and Norway, (30 out of 42 and 41 out of 67 televotes respectively) both countries who competed in semi 1. The Netherlands did have a dramatic drop off in televotes from semi 1 countries though, so the lack of semi 2 countries voting for them in the final doesn’t fully explain them going from 3rd in the semi televote to 15th in the final.

Here’s a screenshot of the table I made for this if anyone wants to take a look – it’s just the full televote breakdown from Wikipedia reordered with voting countries by which semi final they could vote in – countries from semi 1 in blue, countries from semi 2 in green, with the rest of the world included in purple in both categories:

[runicmagitek]

I would love to hear about your OCs, always!!

First off, I am SO SORRY for taking a million years to reply to this. I kept it in my inbox to find a chunk of time to sit down and properly ramble about my current OCs hijacking my brain. Apparently that took WAY longer than intended, so thank you for your patience!

Second off, let me introduce this blasted story that started as Yet Another AU With Keitaro And Natsuno that then took on a life of its own and inspired my new faves.

You remember that world with Evelynn and her Dear Friend I told you about? This now officially takes place in that same continuity. A kinda post-war dieselpunk/art deco inspiredsetting, but with witches and questionable pacts with entities that may be fae, may be eldritch horrors, or may just be manifestations of one's own emotions. Who knows! Anyhow, I've now established two things in this world bc reasons: cats are incredibly sacred creatures, for they may host a dead witch's soul to then act as another witch's familiar, and that making a good cup of tea is exemplary of one's magical talent, as it incorporates all the primary elements (harvesting tea leaves from the earth, steeping in clean water, achieving the right temperature with fire, and permeating its lovely scent in the air).

As for the actual OCs, they are two childhood friends: Liladawn and Cyprus.

Liladawn is a feisty young girl from a well-off family of witches. She likes to go on adventures and go against her mother's wishes constantly. That doesn't always work in her favor. She struggles a lot with the expectations placed on her by society and her family. All she wants to do is live by the ocean and sail on boats. But at least she has her friend, Cyprus, to keep her company. He's the only son of the head housekeeper for Liladawn's estate. He may not be a witch, but he does his best with what mundane tasks he's given. A very quiet and polite boy, which also paints a target on his back for abuse from his peers and father, bc how dare he not "man up" or whatever. These two definitely bond over gender bullshit as they grow older.

But then some shit happens and a war breaks out and Cyprus is taken away to battle. Liladawn writes to him every day and he writes back when he can. But then his letters stop. Eventually, her last batch of letters to him return, as well. Finally, officers arrive at his family's home with some not great news.

While everyone mourns his death, Liladawn refuses to believe he's died. Bc Cyprus promised her if anything happened, he'd find a way to reach her as a ghost and set her heart at ease. But he doesn't and Liladawn is a decent enough witch to know she doesn't feel anything when poking around the spirit realm, so to speak.

But this dumb story actually begins after the war ends, a year after Liladawn decided to run away from home and into the city in an attempt to live life her own way. She goes by Lil now and has some eccentric roommates with equally eccentric friends, which is par for the course when most of them are involved with the speakeasy-thing that Evelynn performs at. And for the first time in her whole life, Lil feels comfortable, feels like she can finally be herself. And she's starting to question a lot of things, like maybe calling herself a woman isn't quite right and maybe she should wear men's clothing some more and actually she's less of a she and more of a they.

But some other things are also haunting Lil. They're having nightmares and experiencing mysterious pains and receiving letters about something cursing the family estate. Is it linked to another wealthy boy who went missing when Lil was a teen, one they were betrothed to and couldn't stomach? Is it actually a murder that happened all that time ago? Excellent questions, except Lil can't focus on that when someone knocks on their door one night - someone who looks like and claims he's Cyprus, but is very, VERY much changed by war.

OK IM RAMBLING NOW but yeah, this has been marinating in my brain since the middle of last year or so. Just an adult coming-of-age about magic, ghosts, murder, gender fuckery, recovering from trauma, and learning to love yourself again. I don't know when I'll have the time to write it, but it's been a treat to think about them. Like a lot.

Oh and also Lil's familiar is a tuxedo cat named Edgar, who is equal parts fluffy and sassy and in my head sounds like Matt Berry bc reasons. OK THAT'S ALL I GOT THANKS FOR COMING TO MY TEDTALK.

[sbenvs3000w25]

My Dream Travel List Before the End of My 20s!

They say your 20s are for finding yourself, exploring, and making unforgettable memories that last a lifetime. For me, that means having my passport in one hand and a camera in the other, collecting stories from around the world. 

Here’s my dream list of destinations to visit before my 20s come to an end! 

Cyprus - Cliff Jumping Into the Mediterranean

In June of 2025, if all goes as planned, my roommate and I will be graduated and on the first flight to Cyprus to visit our friend who lives there. I want to cliff jump into the clear blue Mediterranean, lay in the sand until the sun goes down, and explore the island at night – trying new delicious foods and dancing in the streets. From the experiences my friend has shared with me, Cyprus is a must-visit, and I cannot wait to make some memories there!

Greece - Living My Mamma Mia Dream

Have you ever watched the film Mamma Mia!? Well, if not, I HIGHLY recommend it! Ever since watching the film, I have had this intense desire to visit Greece. The scorching sunshine, beautiful white houses sitting over the sparkling blue water, vibrant nightlife, and let’s not forget the delicious food! After spending the past year working at a Greek café, I have fallen in love with the culture, music, cuisine, and people. Now it’s time to experience it all for real!

Amazing Thailand 

I have always been interested in visiting Asia, with Thailand taking the number one spot. I am excited to be introduced to a different lifestyle, diverse wildlife, and fascinating jungles. The food? Already a favourite of mine, but I can only imagine how incredible it will be from the source itself. The views look stunning, the buildings look unique, and I hope to visit the energy of Bangkok soon! 

New York City - The City That Never Sleeps!

New York has been at the top of my list for as long as I can remember! I blame the iconic scene of the  Rockefeller Christmas tree in Home Alone 2. Fast forward to this past year, watching Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City only fueled my desire to meet up for dinner with my best friends on a Friday night in New York. The loud city life, Broadway shows, and endless shopping down Fifth Avenue. New York City seems like the perfect place for me! 

Paris - A Night at the Moulin Rouge 

The beautiful Paris has always been high on my list because of its beautiful art, architecture, romantic atmosphere, and French cuisine. While I’m excited to wander the Louvre and admire the Eiffel Tower, my greatest desire is to visit the iconic Moulin Rouge. Ever since I was a kid, the film Moulin Rouge! has been my favourite due to its captivating visuals, music, and energy. Sitting in the music-filled room, watching the show with a delicious French dinner? Sign me up!

Thanks for reading my slightly unrealistic – but hopefully possible – travel bucket list for my 20s! See you next week!

Sydney

[hiwataris-bitch]

My ESC 2024 ranking

Although I'm not as into ESC this year as I was the year before, I still wanted to do the ranking. It's kinda rushed since I have only listened to some of the songs for the first time yesterday, but my top 10 was established long before that so who cares. Anyways, here goes:

1-10 Best songs ever:

1. Finland - I LOVE THEM I LOVE THIS SONG THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVERYONE ELSE GO HOME. Finland sending banger again this year. My absolute favourite.

2. Austria - another huge banger, brings me back to early 2000s and I really love the lyrics

3. Poland - okay, look, I KNOW she doesn't sing all that well live. But I really like the song itself so let me have this one. It's gonna be a miracle if we qualify, but still I just like the song.

4. Switzerland - opera and rap in one song? I didn't expect myself to like it as much as I do, but it's just so catchy!

5. United Kingdom - another catchy song for me I can listen to on repeat (maybe slightly less than I can listen to Poland, but still good)

6. San Marino - great rock tune, another song that brings me back to the 2000s, although in a different way than Austria does.

7. Croatia - although they're only 7th on my list, I won't be mad if this wins, because just like San Marino, it is another solid, good rock entry.

8. Netherlands - you can clearly see my taste for crazy performances in this top 10, so it would be an offence if I didn't put the Netherlands here as well. It isn't my favourite, but still a song I like and enjoy very much.

9. Spain - okay, maybe the performance I saw on youtube made me put it higher than I would, I'm not really sure. But I have listened to this song quite a lot since it released.

10. Estonia - to complete my ultimate crazy tunes group for this year, they also closes my top 10. They make a perfect team with Finland, Croatia and the Netherlands. My top 10 would be just top 4 if it wasn't for some other songs that also turned out to be good..

11-20 Songs I like very much:

11. Albania - she was SO CLOSE to making it to my top 10, but I liked the other songs slightly more. Still, 11th place is the lowest I will ever put this song, because for whatever reason it really speaks to me.

12. Iceland - originally it was lower on my list, but after some time I decided it was way too catchy so it had to be moved up. It's really pleasant to listen to.

13. Czechia - I've read comments complaining she can't sing live. Maybe. But just like with Poland, I just like the song and you're not going to change my mind. Nobody listens to live versions after the contest ends anyway, unless they're rewatching the performances.

14. Luxembourg - tbh my places 12-14 kept being rearranged since I like all three of these songs almost equally as much. I am really happy to see Luxembourg return to Eurovision and I think they chose a great song for their return. It's one of the earworms for me.

15. Italy - just like above, places 15-17 kept switching for me. And although I listen to this song a lot, to the point I often skip it now when it comes on my spotify, I cannot in good conscience put it any lower. Even though I listened to it too much I still have to appreciate how good of a song this is.

16. Sweden - I've only listened to it today, but Sweden brings a high production quality this year as well (honestly, what'd you expect from them?). It is a good song, although it doesn't really do anything special for me. Still, It's just pleasant to listen to.

17. Moldova - similar to Sweden, but production value is slightly lower. But I just like fast songs.

18. Lithuania - honestly, I am slightly surprised I put it above Cyprus, because unlike Cyprus, I can barely recall this song. But I like it when I listen to it. Also, good for Lithuania for not singing in English, that is always refreshing to hear.

19. Cyprus - could be switched with Lithuania, but when I actually listen to both these songs one after another, I actually like Cyprus slightly less. They used to be higher on my list, but sadly, their song is a bit too average for me.

20-29 Song I don't care about all that much:

20. Latvia - okay, I lied, I care about this song. I don't usually listen to slower tunes, they have to actually make me feel something, and this one does. I wish I could put it higher, but I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it.

21. Australia - I mean, it is fine, but too generic. Still, a faster tune will always be slightly higher on my list.

22. Georgia - similar to Australia, except I care about this one even less.

23. Slovenia - another love-hate for me. I appreciate this song and how different it is, I really do. But I can only listen to it once in a while, otherwise I get overwhelmed. Anyway, I like them a bit more because my name's also Veronika (except spelled with W and not V)

24. Denmark - they're... just fine I guess.

25. Germany - an okay song I can listen to and forget immediately. Just like with Denmark, except I forget this one even faster.

26. Belgium - I remember this one, it's just really not my cup of tea. Like, it is a good song, just not really something I listen to.

27. Malta - okay, now this is a bit annoying of a song. I will listen to it if it's on the radio or something, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it on my own free will.

28. Ukraine - look, it isn't a bad song, definitely better than Malta. But it sounds just like many other songs we've heard from Ukraine and honestly, I'm just bored of them.

29. Norway - another not a bad song, but has some parts that annoy me. Would be much higher without them. It's simply too heavy for me at some parts.

30-37 I literally couldn't care less:

30. Azerbaijan - what ever this is, sorry, I barely remember this song, I don't even know why I put it as high as I did, I guess it was less annoying than the others.

31. Portugal - I kinda like the instrumental, but it is a slow song and not a type of a slow song I would ever listen to.

32. Serbia - I don't like ballads.

33. Greece - I'm sorry, it's just too annoying to listen to...

34. Armenia - okay, it's better than Greece in that it's not annoying, but I just don't listen to this kind of music.

35. Ireland - girl, I appreciate your style, but your song is too much for me.

36. France - no. Sorry, just no.

37. Israel - why are you here, y'all know what you did. You know what you're doing.

[inert-displacement]

GDP and GPD per capita isn't effective at measuring neither a country's nor its citizens standard of living, wealth, happiness, health or development rate. It is only a wage indicator of monetary traffic.

HDI is a slightly better indicator, but the US is also only on the 21st place regardless, behind Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Denmark.

The US has the worlds strongest military. Yes, this is true. But would China or Russia be a better country if they had a stronger one?

If we look at the crime rates, the US is at 89 out of 147 countries, beaten by Morocco, Italy, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Moldova.

The only thing the US is really the best at (if we don't count the military) is its economy, which is still ranked first globally. But I don't know how that's good for any citizen when their standard of living still isn't as good as it could be.

If you break down each states GDP per capita and cost of living you find this

1. District of Columbia: 0.339

2. Hawaii: 0.915

3. Massachusetts: 0.805

4. California: 0.744

5. New York: 0.715

6. Alaska: 0.825

7. Washington: 0.764

8. Oregon: 0.766

9. New Hampshire: 0.779

10. Maryland: 0.820

11. Connecticut: 0.651

12. Delaware: 0.711

13. Arizona: 0.699

14. Florida: 0.699

15. Colorado: 0.707

16. North Carolina: 0.712

17. South Carolina: 0.704

18. Illinois: 0.718

19. Wyoming: 0.722

20. Minnesota: 0.723

21. Louisiana: 0.726

22. Montana: 0.723

23. Ohio: 0.734

24. Pennsylvania: 0.756

25. Nebraska: 0.760

26. South Dakota: 0.745

27. Michigan: 0.744

28. New Mexico: 0.759

29. North Dakota: 0.757

30. Tennessee: 0.746

31. Georgia: 0.776

32. Indiana: 0.782

33. Iowa: 0.776

34. Arkansas: 0.781

35. Missouri: 0.793

36. Alabama: 0.800

37. Mississippi: 0.807

38. Oklahoma: 0.822

39. Kansas: 0.821

40. New Jersey: 0.825

41. West Virginia: 0.780

42. Utah: 0.740

43. Nevada: 0.697

44. Wisconsin: 0.586

45. Vermont: 0.600

46. Maine: 0.604

47. Rhode Island: 0.950

48. Texas: 0.841

49. Virginia: 1.050

50. Kentucky: 0.826

This shows the relative cost of living in each state compared to its GDP per capita.  Which would be on average how many people make more than it takes to live in that state

Country,Total Annual Cost of Living (Including Taxes) (USD)

Luxembourg,$58,800

Ireland,$63,840

Netherlands,$42,600

Denmark,$59,520

Austria,$42,600

Sweden,$50,868

Finland,$45,192

Germany,$39,228

Belgium,$40,980

France,$41,688

Italy,$38,160

Spain,$26,640

Portugal,$26,640

Greece,$26,640

Czech Republic,$23,400

Slovakia,$23,880

Estonia,$23,760

Slovenia,$25,920

Lithuania,$23,760

Latvia,$24,480

Poland,$24,840

Hungary,$23,760

Croatia,$25,200

Romania,$18,480

Bulgaria,$18,480

Cyprus,$26,400

Malta,$27,768

Country,GDP per capita (USD)

Luxembourg,137,000

Ireland,113,000

Netherlands,71,700

Denmark,71,870

Austria,63,870

Sweden,52,510

Finland,44,620

Germany,44,460

Belgium,41,490

France,37,340

Italy,36,760

Spain,36,290

Portugal,33,750

Greece,32,910

Czech Republic,29,080

Slovakia,28,880

Estonia,26,110

Slovenia,25,620

Lithuania,22,130

Latvia,19,460

Poland,19,250

Hungary,18,480

Croatia,16,710

Romania,15,330

Bulgaria,15,250

Cyprus,15,020

Malta,14,880

Latvia,14,430

Estonia,14,010

Lithuania,13,300

Slovakia,10,250

Bulgaria,7,900

Romania,6,900

Croatia,6,500

Slovenia,4,980

Estonia,4,940

In most countries in Europe have more people that can’t afford to live in their country. Making it harder for them to survive and also being the reason why many Europeans immigrate to America.

[kovacs-of-courage]

Sky during the Bronze Age Horrors

If he could save her; he could save them all.

Sky reached out a hand to the cavern wall, the ground shaking and trembling beneath his feet. It was the end of an age. The heavens and earth collided into the ocean, the monsters of hyrulean fable sieging the shores of his new home.

He’d lived his life on Cyprus, defending as proudly as he did Skyloft; unaware of his greater purpose, of his greater legacy.

Until now.

A thousand regrets poured through his mind as his memories came flooding back, filling his mind as neatly as a lake being crammed down a lab funnel. He remembered it all, all of his loves, sorrows and joys. He remembered the day he and sun met, he remembered graduating knight academy, the intensity of those recollections sending him to his knees.

How could he have forgotten his friends, his brothers..-

Fi

She was lost, lost in the miasma of their collapsed dimension. She was lost, and no one was coming to save her. His memory of her, and her imprint upon Sky’s soul would guide him to her-- a beacon of light in the blinding dark.

She’d do the same for him, if their places were reversed. 

Screams and panic echoed outside the beachside cavern, the feral war cries of demons unchained sounding over their terrified victims. Despair, and then anger swelled in his stomach, clenching at his heart. What kind of hero was he to let these people die--

Then again; what kind of hero was he if he let down his best friend, who needed him now more than ever?

Sky grazed his finger on the cavern walls, yanking them back as a river of liquid light cut open the space he’d touched--the visible thread between realities absorbing the entirety of the cavern wall in a pulsating neon light. 

A deafening chorus of recollected memories flooded the gap, underlying the screaming torrent of the monsters still trapped in the remains of their old dimension. Sky’s vision faded and folded onto itself, transparent trails of lives long lost coming to life within his glowing irises.

Sky looked back towards the cave exit, the sounds of wailing monsters increasingly in volume, and then back to the open rift. He would be alone, burdened in the midst of all that was lost and all that remains. It was foolhardy, dangerous, something that he’d stop anyone else from doing--but he had to do it.

There was no mountain he wouldn’t move, or ocean he wouldn’t cross, to see his loved ones safe. Eternity was pocket change compared to the fortune-expanse of his resolve. The blade of evils bane was a necessity beyond requirement if their world were to survive the coming storms.

Sky breathed deep, taking one last moment of consideration. 

He sprinted headlong into the portal, steeled determination outweighing any fear.

If death and calamity were the ways of earth’s destruction; Let it be their courage that defied that desire.

[ignatiusdubois]

Spirits of All Kinds || Gabriel & Ignatius

When: June 2000 Where: Paphos (Cyprus) - A Lively BarWith: Gabriel @regretmedicineandsmokes

Paphos. Forever beautiful, forever fertile, and forever tinged with that distinct hint of ancient power- if power was the word for it, Ignatius honestly wasn’t sure. But the city had an aura too it that tapped into his love of history and (more immediately) his love of a good party. Iggy was twenty five and fleshed doctor’d- Well, he’d not had the graduation ceremony yet but he’d passed the viva and corrections were done, so he was as good as. And such a feat demanded celebration. So, with scarcely a mention to his father, sister or dear Uncle/Lawyer, he’d booked himself first class on the soonest plane and arrived to the warm morning of Cyrus. 

And promptly headed out to the nearest bar. Of course, he’d learned some over his younger years and paced himself, plenty of good food and conversation with locals filled the day and he saw more than a few handsome men giving him the eye- this was far too beautiful a place to spend an evening in alone, after all. But it wasn’t till the evening faded to the night that fires were lit, drinks grew stronger and, best of all, live music kicked up and people began to dance. 

He’d struck lucky finding a bar throwing some kind of party- the owners birthday (and his Greek had been enough to earn him a hearty welcome inside) so he was pretty far in and had just finished spinning a beautiful young lady around in a dance before half collapsing into a stool by the bar and ordered himself another drink. His white shirt was unbuttoned enough that most of his chest was on display, the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows and the labours of the day had him coated in a slight sheen of sweat, the embodiment of unbridled party spirit if he did say so himself. Turning to the figure next to him at the bar, he offered a blinding smile and spoke in Greek, his voice just tinged with that slacked edge that spoke of decent inebriation. 

“A fine party! This- this is the reason we’re fun! Warmth, people, music, dancing-” he gestured grandly with each word, “This, is what it means to be alive! Living in the spirit of revelry!”  

[mindthelspace]

Eurovision 2024 first impressions

Wasn't sure what to listen to at work, and then I remembered that all the Eurovision songs have now been released! So I thought I'd give 'em a listen.

Until today, I'd heard small clips of the songs in Youtube top 36 lists. That was it.

Caveat 1: I've paid zero attention to any of the national finals, so I'm blissfully ignorant of 90% of whatever drama happened in those.

Caveat 2: Everything below is the personal subjective opinion of me, a knobhead on Tumblr. You will probably disagree with a lot of it and that's fine.

Caveat 3: "Why are you not boycotting when Israel are-" Yes, I know. I do follow the news. I'm not going to go into why I'm not boycotting because that's not what this post is for, but I promise I have thought about it and can explain my reasons.

So, with that out of the way:

Croatia: Strong start! I really like this, and get why it's one of the favourites! I might be on Team Croatia this year- I'd love the winner to be someone who hasn't won before, or hasn't won for decades!

Netherlands: It's... alright, I guess? But I'm not sure it's as funny as it thinks it is, and might get a bit old fairly quickly.

Switzerland: This is interesting, and a nice break from their pattern of the past few years. I'll be happy if this does well :)

Italy: I like this better than I thought I would, based on the little clips I've seen. Still a bit confused about why it seems to be topping literally all the Youtube rankings, though.

Austria: Meh

Sweden: This is the ONE song I couldn't make it all the way through. I, yeah, sorry, I hate it. Sounds AI generated. Sweden, please, you have good music, I know you do, I've heard it, you don't need to send this kind of crap every other year, please!

Ukraine: Ukraine my beloved, always understanding the assignment <3

Greece: Way more interesting than the clip I'd heard previously made it sound!

Germany: This is exactly what I was afraid would happen if LotL didn't do well. I'm getting flashbacks to Michael Rice and his 2019 last place.

Belgium: Meh

Cyprus: Extremely Meh. This is like a composite of every bland, inoffensive, radio 1 song ever.

France: It's a nice ballad. 'For the Mums', I think is the phrase. S'fine.

UK: Apparently 'obnoxious ear worms' is my country's new schtick. Although like Italy, I do like this a bit more than I thought I would. Also starting to notice a lot of the songs sounding a bit 80's-lite?

Georgia: S'fine, I guess. 50/50 as to whether it breaks their NQ streak.

Malta: Wow, there are a lot of trendy girl pop songs that I have absolutely no feelings about this year.

Armenia: This is enjoyable and I respect it.

Azerbaijan: Another Whelming-to-decent one, but I do like that they're singing in their own language for the first time!

Albania: Snore

Australia: I get what they were going for, but I find this a bit cheesy.

Ireland: Look at Ireland taking a risk! I so, so, hope this works out for them and breaks their NQ streak! I am slightly concerned, just because this is the kind of experimental that can be difficult to translate to a three minute stage performance, but if they give it the creativity it needs it could be their best entry in years!

Lithuania: A nice little catchy thing. Quite like it.

Denmark: Oof, Denmark really are in their wilderness years, aren't they? Look, this isn't bad, but there are a lot of songs that sound similar to this, and this has 'lost in the shuffle' written all over it.

Poland: There's nothing about this that makes it stand out from all the other trendy-girl-pop-songs objectively, but I do have a soft spot for this one.

Spain: This is really cute! I think I've found my favourite Big 5 :)

Czechia: Oh look, we have some pop-punk this year. Cool.

Serbia: I'm... not feeling much for this *now*, but I think it might grow on me once I've heard it a few times.

Finland: I am CACKLING

Portugal: I'm a bit undecided about this, tbh. Might have to see how it is live.

Norway: I knew I'd quite like this, and I do! I feel like the live performance is really going to make or break it though.

Luxembourg: So I've heard this song is *also* Israeli propaganda, and if that's true, a) that sucks, because Luxembourg, mate, this is your re-entry, you didn't want this, and b) it's disconcertingly cheerful.

Estonia: Whatever this is, it has no business going this hard.

San Marino: Another pop-punk. I'm a bit more intrigued by this one than the Czech one. I can't see it doing amazingly, but if the performance is good it could get San Marino a rare Q.

Slovenia: It's OK. Seemed like it was going somewhere and then... didn't.

Israel: Was debating whether to ignore this (and sit there wondering about it), or give in and listen to it once so I could stop caring. Went for the latter. You'll be relieved to know it's bland as shit. The inevitable background booing might even be an improvement.

Iceland: I didn't get Hera Bjork in 2010 and I don't get her now.

Latvia: I really want Latvia to break their NQ streak, especially with how they were basically robbed by the semi draw last year, but this just... needs to be more than it is. A really good live performance could save it, maybe? I don't know. I wanted to like this but I'm not hopeful.

Moldova: Slovenia Two. Another one that was sort of going somewhere for a minute, and then stopped.

In conclusion:

So much Eurodance

So much 80's

Loooads of really similar songs. More than usual. Some of them are inevitably going to cancel each other out.

The "everyone follows the runner ups of the previous year" trend seems to be holding, with lots of similar-vein-as-Noa-Kirels, and a few similar-vein-as-Kaarijas.

This is definitely a year that's less my cup of tea. That's OK. I was spoilt last year. And there are still some solid entries.

[datinggr]

KoronaDates - The #1 best dating site in Greece and Cyprus!

We've discovered KoronaDates as a shining pearl in the murky sea of online dating.

And most importantly, everyone is already there! Your neighbor, the one with the expressive eyes and rich inner world? She's there too, sending selfies of her rich inner world to some wealthy Saudi now.

Are you going to be left out like a hermit crab?

What is so great about KoronaDates and what's with all the fuss?

The company behind the website has already seen great success with a series of successful applications targeting markets in the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe. By uniting the beauties of the East with Arabic luxury, they created an explosive combination that left behind hundreds of happy couples. And now, they've set their sights on conquering the Greek market!

KoronaDates is currently the exclusive dating club for men, where everyone can find something that suits their tastes.

With a youthful design, user-friendly interface, and complete freedom, you can enjoy meetings, hot chats, search for sugar adventures, or whatever your soul desires.

Whether you're a married person looking for an "escape" or a single seeking a serious or casual relationship, or a lone wolf looking for conversation, or discreet sexy time with safety and confidentiality, KoronaDates always has something for you.

Starting from a market with strict morals, KoronaDates prioritizes complete protection of your personal information, ensuring full privacy and security for its members. For user safety, the website prohibits the sharing of personal data and will never ask for information like other social networks. Remember when Facebook blocked you and asked for your ID, tax returns, three sworn statements, and two fee deposits at the Municipality to reopen your profile? Forget about it! On KoronaDates, it will never happen!

Registration is easy, with just an email address and a click to confirm through the link sent to you. Users register anonymously with a simple username, discouraging the use of real names for personal safety. So, if you're thinking of signing up as "John Marcus Stephenson, resident of McDonald blvd, 2nd floor, apt6, ID number 93319892" as Mr. Zuckerberg has taught you, forget about it!

Moreover, women always go through verification via a selfie to ensure the authenticity of their profiles. This offers extra security and protection for men, as on most social networks, there are often other men hiding behind women's profiles.

Any photo or video you choose to upload to your profile stays there as long as you desire, and it disappears from the page forever once you press the delete button. While registration is free, the use of the service is a premium service. We know all good things in life are either illegal, unethical, make you fat, or have a cost. However, the connections you make on KoronaDates will not be illegal unless you live in some weird place that punishes adultery. They won't make you fat unless you go on the first date for ribs, and ethics are subjective for everyone. KoronaDates continues to be one of the cheapest applications of its kind, offering fantastic value for money.

In addition, your payments for the service won't raise suspicion from your spouse, as the website supports discreet transactions with GooglePay, ApplePay, and even fully anonymous transactions with cryptocurrencies. This aligns more with the dominant male, as everyone knows the true Alpha Male is already years ahead and knows all the secrets of cryptocurrency transactions!

Regarding usability, we found KoronaDates incredibly user-friendly and comfortable, with all profile settings consolidated on one page, making it easy for both younger and older users. The website attracts users of all ages, thanks to its straightforward design.

Searching for matches was exceptionally easy, with the site's algorithm constantly presenting new potential matches based on the user's profile settings.

For those who enjoy playing double-triple board games, the site allows users to hide their personal photos and surf with one of the beautifully pre-installed avatars. This feature is available only for men.

Additionally, for those feeling competitive, the site offers the "boost" feature, which elevates your profile in searches above your "competitors," ensuring you're always at the top and surpassing others like a conquering emperor!

Unlike other apps that limit users to their local village, asking for extra payment to change location, KoronaDates allows users to communicate with anyone from any country at any time. So, if someone got tired of Mary's and Elens for some reason, they are free to find a hot Latina Juana Dolores dela Cuna Tonores and try to open up the world like a "sword-wielding oyster," as the immortal Shakespeare put it.

Overall, our experience on KoronaDates aligns with the reviews of other users in Greece and internationally, finding it from "satisfactory" to "fantastic." Some users from more "progressive" countries had complaints about the lack of extra "equipment" in the pants on the site. Unfortunately, not everyone can be satisfied with everything, but we believe there are already enough apps covering that specific market, like TS-dating.

Taking all this into account, our editorial team's experience on KoronaDates was positive, and we give it a rating of 9.7/10.

Visit Website

[blinding-revenant-quasar]

If anybody, continue to behave me offensive with their husband, boyfriend, workers ( especially maintain or any related ) in any places, i atatct their wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or other family members.

I have no relatinship and sexsual attraction nowhere. if anybody continue to not see they abusive ,offensive behaviour and unmoral and offensive, I will respond accordingly, without see their position and chair in any goverment or association ,syndicates or any group in/ or any parliment.

My gender is basically masculine female: That means turkiye and their abusive connection in cyprus understand reverse side and, make manipulation. from the begining. In Cyprus, many foreign women meet people through various websites and end up marrying men in the Turkish side of Cyprus.

These immoral, indecent, filthy foreigners then find jobs in Cyprus, especially in construction companies, just because they have a turkkificarion certificate. Most of them stole the situations I shared on these websites where I was looking for a woman, and they positioned themselves in the best places in the Turkish side of Cyprus. Even now, women from countries like Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Jordan, Kurds, Lebanon, banglades, iran, pakistan, etc., are mainly. They coming to Cyprus and sexually harassing me, secretly engaging in filthy relationships, and mingling with the local population. Especially these foreigners speak about me in the Greek side as well and then organize from there to the Turkish side. Mentally unstable people living on the Turkish and Greek sides of Cyprus—who seem clever—are trying to reach their goals through manipulation with sexual organs, harassment, and obstruction. I will give them the harshest possible respons. The another issue to everybody attention; the emotionally intense relationships between the same gender who live in cyprus and Turkey are fake. These women have had sexual contact with male friends once with their virginity and then they follow the trend and claim to be looking for female friends. For years, the LGBT+ and queer communities in Cyprus.

[oceanblueeyes03]

Just looked at FatMammas. Did they turn comment off, or were they available at all? This low place is where Antonia is best working at with her "professional dancing" skills.

Omg they really captioned it Delighted to have welcomed the brilliant actor Luke Newton last week. Luke Newton is best loved for his role as Colin in BRIDGERTON (Netflix) Luke is highly tipped to be a future James Bond... he definitely gets Fat Mama's vote " #lukenewton #bridgerton #colin #jamesbond #007 #newjamesbond

We know damn well he is not going to be James Bond. Especially when a cheap looking spot like this is wringing this on instragam. Do you think if he was going to be Bond they would be allowed to write this? 😅🤣 what a joke, and embarrassing for him. Not professional! well Luke is not professional and this is the type of establishment he goes to.

Also how he suddenly makes an appearance at a restaurant linked to Antonia just after Nicola posts of a dessert and her and Jake thumb. No "fan" pics of Luke or his family on this vacation. In a restaurant , beach, airport, sun lounger 🤣 walking on street in a hotel or hotel elevator 😅 He is so in demand and loved that not one fan of Colin Bridgerton got a sneaky pic like the planted ones we have seen previous from holiday's, elevators, beaches.

A lot of British people live in Cyprus and millions of British vacation there every summer. So it not a "oh he is not known in Cyprus type of thing" so he is not pictured. It's all so predictable.

Over 1.3 million British tourists visit Cyprus every year, making up nearly one-third of all tourists to the island. This makes the UK the largest source of tourism for Cyprus. Additionally, there are an estimated 30,000 British citizens living in Cyprus. This figure represents a significant portion of the total tourist arrivals to the island, with British tourists being the largest single source of visitors

I had no idea the Cyprus was so big for Brit’s. It must be the cheaper option to go

That caption is so cringe. It’s a good thing embarrassment is not a feeling Luke has. 😬