#fall 2023 sr

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Fall 2023 Anime

Is it fair to call 2023 a disappointing year for anime? Maybe it's just that 2021 and 2022 were both so above and beyond that coming back down to normalcy from that peak feels like a letdown. But man, between a mostly uninspiring winter lineup and summer being possibly the single worst anime season since seasonal watching started being a thing, there's been plenty to complain about. Thankfully, there's been plenty to appreciate as well, and while this fall season hasn't been truly transcendent, it's at least left us with a slew of worthwhile anime to close the year out. So let's sift through the rubble and rank all the shows I finished to see which ones ended as true must-watches, which are still worth a look, and which you can skip without missing anything.

Firefighter Daigo (1st Half): 4/10

So, remember Space Brothers? Remember how wonderfully that show balanced naturalistic character building with the excitement and beauty of exploring a high-stakes environment like space? Have you been looking for another show to hit that same sweet spot of grounded maturity and tangible whimsy that makes your childhood dream job feel more achievable than ever? Well... guess you better keep looking, because Firefighter Daigo is not that. There's some beautifully nail-biting tension to the rescue sequences themselves, expertly stacking one thing after another going wrong as our protagonists are forced to think on their feet to save lives under the most pressure imaginable. But the characters are utterly bland, the production is boring on a near-inconceivable level (man, remember when this guy directed a single good-looking episode of To Your Eternity and completely failed to live up to that potential ever again?), it wastes over three minutes each episode on recap footage, and it take such a bizarre, condescending attitude toward its one female character that the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. It's an overly cheesy puppet show playing at being a real story, and I will not be sticking around to see if its second cours improves in any way.

Stardust Telepath: 4.5/10

Man, I'm frustrated I didn't like this one more. I always appreciate Cute Girls anime that put this much polish and energy into their adaptation, and the concept of socially awkward Umika Konohoshi wishing she could escape this planet to make friends among the stars, only to find her place on earth on her journey to reach there, has all the makings of a coming-of-age masterpiece. Sadly, it's done in by the simplest of failures: melodrama overdose. All the attempts at heartstring-pulling are so overbearing and browbeating that every moment that tries to drag tears from your eyes just leaves you exasperated instead. It completely lacks confidence in its ability to touch your emotions on the quality of its writing alone, so it smothers you in sappy speeches and ear-bleeding Feel Sad Music until you feel like you're choking on the stuff. Not even the top-shelf yuribaiting between the two leads can wipe the frustration away, and I'm about the easiest mark for that kind of stuff as you can imagine. Someone get this forehead-touch almost-kiss telepathy into a better show immediately!

I'm in Love with the Villainess: 4.5/10

I honestly feel back about being so down on I'm in Love With the Villainess. Lord knows I'm always complaining we need more isekai with an actual point to make, and an unapologetically queer take on the shoujo villainess trope that actually has something to say about the lesbian experience amidst the romantic goofery certainly fits that bill. Except, well... I already watched this show when it was called MagiRevo. And when it was called Mage and Demon Queen. And in a world where those two stories basically perfected the "lesbian disaster courts a closed-off tsundere" isekai-adjacent fantasy yarn, there's nothing this show can offer that hasn't already been done so much better. Well, okay, the conversation in episode 3 exploring the pushy protagonist's complex self-loathing relationship with her own queerness was certainly unique, but you end up spending the rest of the show waiting in vain for it to do something that interesting ever again, only to be met with overly tropey writing, cliches, and unexpected swerves into problematic WTF territory instead. There are good ideas here buried here, but it needed a better studio to refine it to the point it needed to be, and it got stuck with Platinum Vision instead. What a shame.

Uma Musume Season 3: 4.5/10

At this point I have to wonder if even Uma Musume is getting tired of its own shtick. It's been three seasons and an OVA of the most melodramatic sports anime histrionics imaginable, and all that shouting and wailing has to get exhausting after a while. And while season 3 is still every bit as overblown and overbearing as the franchise has always been, it also feels like it's poking fun at itself for taking this nonsense so damn seriously. Two characters have a sappy emotional heart-to-heart while furiously paddling a paddleboat. Former protagonist and resident crybaby Special Week's tearful speeches are basically ignored by everyone else in the cast as they keep talking over her and tuning her out. The running gag of the Overly Serious Race Commenters get upstaged by a pair of even older, more seasoned Overly Serious Race Commenters. Hell, even the fact we only get a single idol performance at the very end seems to hint at just how weary this story's become of its own conceit. Uma Musume has always been an overthought, overdesigned mess of a show, so bloated on anime nonsense and ill-matched tropes that it rarely manages to capture anything real amidst the corporate plasticness of it all. But I'm not gonna lie, there's something equally hilarious and depressing about seeing it finally start to admit its own pointlessness.

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions: 5/10

How good does a show have to be at character banter to make up for a failure of writing in pretty much every other respect? That's the question Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions seems willed into existence to answer. As a snappy buddy-cop comedy between an eccentric genius detective and his beleaguered straight-man sidekick, it's every bit the equal of 2011's Sherlock. As an actual mystery thriller... it is also, sadly, every bit the equal of 2011's Sherlock. I could watch the titular Ron fail upwards through his case-solving conundrums dragging the hapless rookie detective Toto with him all day. Their chemistry is infectious. It's just a shame the actual detective work is so hacky and contrived, cheap solutions to mostly dull mysteries that never give you that "Aha!" moment of seeing the puzzle pieces come together. And the overarching plot involving prestigious detective academies, shadowy criminal syndicates, and bizarre involuntary hypnosis powers feels like it purposefully ignores every opportunity to explore any ideas deeper than basic shonen moralizing. I might still pop back in for season 2 to enjoy more wacky hijinks between the leads, but if you're looking for something to scratch your mystery itch, give this one a pass.

Arknights: Perish in Frost: 5/10

Now that's more like it! Sort of. Almost. Okay, look, for the first half and change of its run, the second season of Arknights manages to be every bit the improvement on the first season I was hoping for. It streamlines the plot to keep a constant, propulsive forward momentum, pushing its characters forward and keeping the narrative lens focused so it can do justice to all its major players. And it pushes all those disparate factions on a collision course with each other that leads to constant, meaningful consequences and character building, aided by a production that hits its high water marks far more consistently than season 1. It feels like Arknights has shaken off the bloat and become the best possible version of itself, a dark action season with some genuine muscle behind it... at least until we enter the final stretch and the pacing goes absolutely out of control, speeding into a brick wall so fast and recklessly that you're barely able to understand what the fuck just happened by the time it's over. It's shockingly rushed, to the point you feel like you're watching someone recite the Wiki at you while skipping over all the connective tissue that would make these plot points make sense. It's a frustrating end to a season that came so close to being good, and I can only hope any future installments never make that mistake again.

Undead Unluck (1st Half): 5/10

Undead Unluck is host to one of the single most bonkers sci-fi settings I've ever seen, anime or otherwise. From what starts feeling like just our world with some supernatural freaks and weirdos causing havoc, it gradually reveals itself to be something more akin to a nightmarish cosmic RPG in the hands of a mad god, where none of the rules of our world can be taken for granted and reality is only ever a hair's breadth away from turning on its head. It's a deliriously creative premise to build a shonen battle manga out of, and I can't wait to see what other insanity the writers can milk out of this setup. Which is good, because otherwise, hooooooooo boy this one does not get off on a good foot. What fucking genius decided the main duo's dynamic should be built around the guy molesting the girl to make her powers activate? In what universe was building a love story out of that sexual harassment a good idea? I'm sorry, but when you've mistaken a swaggering half-naked dude-bro casually trying to outright assault his partner as cute hot-and-cold couple banter, you have officially lost the plot. Can somebody break into Shonen Jump studios and teach this company how to write a proper romance one of these days? Deku and Uraraka can't carry the whole genre on their back, guys!

Migi and Dali: 5.5/10

Is Migi and Dali a good show? I honestly don't think I could tell you. What it is, is utterly bizarre in everything in does, yet somehow kind of makes it all work? It's a Diamond-is-Unbrekable-esque off-kilter small town murder mystery, with a pair of identical twins pretending to be one kid to fool their new adoptive parents as they search for the person responsible for killing their mother years ago. The whole thing plays like a pitch-black parody of stereotypical suburban life, finding the cracks in the facade of normalcy and ripping them open until your only options are to laugh wildly or cringe wildly at the resulting desecration. And you will do plenty of both all throughout as it ping-pongs from accidental twincest to toddler play to to not-so-garden-variety abuse to Excessive English and basically everything in between. If there's an aspect of your stereotypical boring, domestic family experience that Migi and Dali can twist into a grotesque mockery of itself, it'll do just that and then some. The unfortunate side effect, though, is that it can be hard to tell where the line lies between intentional commentary and just being gross and uncomfortable for its own sake. And when that threatens to veer into some really misogynistic territory in the final act, it becomes even harder to stomach. Still, I can safely say I've never seen anything quite like this show, and considering the manga's author tragically passed away recently, you can't help but respect the people making it for honoring her memory this way.

Shy: 5.5/10

Shy is one of the rare manga I've read before the anime came out, inspired by a friend who came across it at random and it became their favorite manga of all time after just eleven chapters. I wasn't quite as swept away, and I don't think it's maintained the level of quality its first couple arcs had, but man, there's something special about this one. Which is why I am personally begging you not to watch the anime and go straight to the manga, because this adaptation really doesn't do justice to how electrifying and soul-enriching the manga can be. Masaomi Ando's a good director, but his penchant for paneling and stylistic insert shots, an aesthetic which works wonders on heavily atmospheric mood pieces like Toiled-Bound Hanako-kun and Scum's Wish, is completely at odds with the needs of a straightforward superhero battle series. The manga's artwork has this wonderfully sketchy, explosive quality that makes every action panel feel like a rush of cascading moments; here, every action scene quickly descends into a mess of moving jpegs and awkwardly placed insert frames that cripples its ability to wow you. There's enough of the manga's triumphant spirit preserved that it still shakes out decently- the orphanage arc that closes out the first season is wonderful enough to survive any imperfections from page to screen- but if the story of Teru's struggles and self-actualization touched you at all, you owe it to yourself to check out the source material to experience this story in its best form.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You: 6/10

Listen, you know me. You know how much I despise the harem genre. There's barely a single example of the form I consider anything above mediocre slop. So how did a show with this premise manage to get into my good graces? By understanding one simple fact that so few harem anime seem to realize: if you want something this inherently stupid to work? Embrace the fucking stupidity. Throw caution and common sense and good taste to the wind and just go absolutely bugnuts. Why settle for a scant five or six barely interchangeable waifu bait when you can have one hundred distinct and memorable personalities? Why waste time on cheap melodrama that nobody cares about when there are fourth walls to break and scenarios to push far beyond their logical extremes? 100 Girlfriends knows that the only proper form for this genre is sheer anarchy, going so far over-the-top with its jokes and setups that it's impossible not to get swept up in the sheer audacity of it all. And somehow, by imbuing this madcap nonsense with just a drop of sincerity, it actually makes you care about Best Boy Aijou Rentarou and his ever-growing posse of romantic partners as a strangely healthy polyamorous support system for each other. It's far from flawless and good lord is it problematic from top to bottom, but if you can vibe to its particular brand of earnestly empathetic chaos, it's an experience like none other.

Overtake: 6.5/10

Overtake is the most frustrating kind of anime: a really good show that's constantly threatening- but never fully succeeds- at being great. It has all the pieces you could want! A masterful production from veteran directer Ei Aoki that brings the world of Formula 4 racing to life with tactile, lived-in lushness. Characters who breathe far beyond the confines of the screen, rich with inner life and complex relationships where you come to love the rivals just as much as the scrappy underdog protagonists. A story that tackles genuinely moving and mature ideas as it explores what it means to give your all to something, even when the risks may be too horrifying to reckon with. It's as perfectly positioned for greatness as you could ask from a sports anime... and yet it never quite takes off the way you want it to. It's just missing that little extra something to push it over the edge, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what that might be. It's still absolutely worth a look, but as much as I liked it, I'm gonna be stewing over why I didn't love it for a while.

The Ancient Magus Bride Season 2 Part 2: 6.5/10

Alright, that's more what I was hoping for. After a frustratingly slow and plodding first half, the back half The Ancient Magus Bride's second season finally starts paying off all that torturous setup and reminding us that when it wants to, nothing goes harder than Chise's tale of trauma, abuse and recovery, especially now that she's the guiding light for another girl crawling out of pit much like the one she was once trapped in. It's genuinely powerful watching her try to help Philomena out from under a painfully familiar burden, struggling save someone like her while she's still struggling with the scars her own darkness has left on her. And whenever it's focused on that, it's as good as The Ancient Magus Bride has ever been. It's just a shame that whenever all that potent character drama gives way to fae-on-fae magical showdowns, it's some of the ugliest, clunkiest, most poorly staged action in all of fall's lineup. It utterly fails to capture the sense of eldritch awe and wonder this series' magic invokes, leaving it feeling like a shell of itself even when everything else is operating at full capacity. Hopefully, future seasons will take the time they need to bring that aspect up to par, because a series this steeped in the haunting grandeur of its aesthetic cannot afford to cut corners on that aesthetic.

Spy x Family Season 2: 7.5/10

Do my eyes deceive me? A Yor-centric arc? This show finally gives one of its nominal protagonists a turn in the spotlight after ages of underuse with a big, lengthy, consequential story that lets her shine like never before? It's like Christmas came early. I've been up and down about Spy x Family over the course of its run, but the cruise ship arc that dominates this season is everything great about this show operating at the top of its potential, and god damn is it marvelous to watch unfold. If only it was this good on a consistent basis, it would be an easy shoe-in for one of the greatest anime of the decade. But you know what? As long as it keeps delivering highlights like this, I've got nothing to complain about. At this point, Spy x Family has comfortably settled into being a reliably entertaining action-heavy family sitcom with lovable characters and occasional moments of greatness, and if that's all it ultimately amounts to, well, there are far worse things to be. Just please, for the love of god, keep Yuri off screen as much as possible.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: 8/10

So cards on the table: the live action Scott Pilgrim vs the World movie is one of my favorite films of all time. It's such a perfect explosion of geeky awesomeness from one of our greatest living directors, managing to push the medium of live action closer to anime than it ever was before or has been since. So the prospect of seeing the original comic actually made into an anime was very exciting to me. How cool would it be to finally see the source material that inspired this movie brought to life, never mind with Science Goddamn Saru pushing the animation into overdrive? But much to my shock- and eventual delight- Scott Pilgrim Takes Off had much more exciting things in mind than simply slapping a decades-old comic series on screen. Instead, it's something closer to an Evangelion-style Rebuild, taking a sharp left and remixing the story and characters with the perspective of a more mature creator, reckoning with his successes and failures alike as he re-assesses the story he was trying to tell and what parts of it still hold value today. It's Scott Pilgrim as told by someone who's outgrown the transient young adulthood central to the narrative, taking stock of his past from an older, wiser perspective and making amends where he fell short before. And as much as I might have liked a straightforward adaptation, what I got instead was so exciting and fresh that I can't complain. If only every anime was this willing to get creative with its source material.

The Apothecary Diaries (1st Half): 8.5/10

Say a prayer and set off some fireworks, folks: the shoujosei renaissance is here! After a years-long drought, the anime industry is finally remembering that stories targeted at women and girls are also worthy of high-profile prestige adaptations instead of settling for barely animated table scraps. And of all the breakout hits we've had this past year and change, none have slapped quite as hard as The Apothecary Diaries, a historical Chinese mystery drama that marries fascinating courtly intrigue with a bitterly honesty exploration of how the lowest rungs of society- women and poor people especially- are systemically crushed by the structures that govern their world. As hilarious as this show can be, it's also unnervingly frank about the darkness the Emperor's courtesans and their servants must reckon with as pawns in a patriarchal society. And it drives that message home with a truly wonderful protagonist in Maomao, a girl who just wants to keep her head down and get through life without drawing unwanted attention from the forces that could easily squash her like a bug, but has too strong a moral compass to look the other way when she sees the people around her suffering from those same injustices. It's the story of a powerless person using all the tools at her disposal to keep the world's cruelty at bay, and watching her struggle to win what small victories she's capable of against such an overwhelming power structure makes for some of the most gripping television I've watched in quite a long time. And if the second cours is even half as good as good, it will still earn its place among the years' best.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (1st Cours): 9/10

The big fantasy adventure is over. The demon king is dead, the world is at peace, and the heroes who defeated him slowly grow old and die in the new age they ushered in. All, that is, except Frieren, a near-immortal elf with such a long lifespan that a human's life is a mere drop in the ocean for her. But with the passing of her former party's leader, she realizes just how much the short time she spent on that adventure have affected her. Ten years- a mere millisecond in the life of an elf- has changed the way she sees the world more profoundly than she ever could have dreamed. So she sets out on a journey to retrace the steps of that adventure, to reconnect with her memories of the old friends she's only now realizing she wished she got to know better before it was too late. Along the way she picks up a couple of those friends' young disciples to join her party, walking reminders of the past she left behind and the future that awaits her. And through their travels, she slowly begins to understand humanity and her place within it... and all the experiences she will carry with her long after they've faded into mere memory.

I'll admit, there are times I like being an anime hipster. There's something inherently indulgent, if not exactly healthy, of feeling superior to a mass-market piece of entertainment that you're too Smart and Intellectual to be fooled by. But sometimes, you just gotta call a spade a spade. Sometimes, the weeb consensus gets it really, really right. Yes, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is every bit as self-evidently spectacular as everyone says it is, so on-its-face magical it's almost kind of insulting. It's a quiet, meditative fantasy exploration of grief, longing, the passage of time, and what it truly means to live a fulfilling life when everything you cherish within it must one day fade into nothing. It's poignant and intimate on a level that's hard to describe, yet equally grand and majestic whenever it wishes. It's also one of the funniest goddamn shows I've watched in a while, with jokes that hit from unexpected, awkward angles that left me rolling on the floor. If his work on Bocchi the Rock hadn't already proven it, this cements Keichirou Saitou as one of our greatest modern anime directors, a master of melding tones and moods and imbuing every shot with vibrant inner life. It's almost disappointing whenever it leans into action; as spectacularly animated as its battles are, it's those quiet moments of grace and warmth that truly make this show something remarkable. Bottom line, Frieren is a runaway leader for 2023's best TV anime, a show we'll be talking about for decades to come. I can't think of a better high note to start 2024 on.

Dropped:

Shield Hero Season 3 (4 Episodes)

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer (3 Episodes)

[bilbao-song]

➔ sign up for secret rocker santa here!!

secret rocker santa is an annual matchmaking event for people in the classic rock fandom to make new friends between december 1st and 25th :-) anyone who enjoys basically any type of music from the 1950s to 1990s and who is interested in sending and receiving fun anonymous messages at least a few times a week is welcome to participate! sign-ups are open october 30th-november 28th! - more information - alternate sign-up link (not google forms) - FAQs - updates

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[norizzsainz]

🌶️ NFY : ALL TOO MUCH FOR LITTLE LANDO

[ carlos sainz x singer!fem!reader ] [ wc ] 0.7k words

[ summary ] carlos' and y/n's breakup comes as a surprise to many of their friends. no one ever thought the couple would ever break up, but alas, y/n was always ready to do whatever was best for the love of her life — even if it meant breaking up with him.

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━━━━━━━ DECEMBER 20, 2023

it was all too much for little lando norris.

when the brunet finally brought alexandra’s plan to life, he clearly forgot the fact that you were the most stubborn person in the entire universe.

the fact you were drunk didn’t change your mindset; if you were hell-bent on avoiding carlos, so be it, even when you had downed several bottles of alcohol.

the car ride back home was absolutely silent, with lando sitting in the backseat in hopes you and carlos would converse when in the front seats.

but nope, nothing at all. not a sound from you.

“are you seriously going to ignore me?” carlos asked you as you continued to look out the window. “you know i can drive you anywhere i want since i’m the only non-drunk person in this car right now?”

you scoffed. “was that a threat?” you turned towards him, narrowing your eyes.

carlos shrugged. “and what if it was?” he challenged, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“i’d expect nothing less, considering you are the son of carlos sainz sr.”

“what’s that supposed to mean?”

you bit your lip, regretting your choice of words. “nothing. i misspoke,” you muttered, your voice dropping low into a whisper.

lando noted the way your face dropped, quickly intervening to change the topic. “could we get some food? i’d love me some food right now. can we do mcdonalds?” he asked, putting his head between your seats as he looked at carlos.

“give me a minute, lando.” carlos gently pushed aside the brunet as he brought the car to a stop, staring at you. “talk to me, carina. what did you mean by that?”

you played with your hands as you tried not to focus on his words, cursing yourself for letting your words slip.

“i’d really like some food, carlos. i’m starving here. what if i die?”

“starvation will not be the only thing that’ll kill you if you don’t keep shut, lando.”

lando leaned back in his seat, lips sealed shut, as he saw the warning gaze in his best friend's eyes.

what the fuck have i done? i never should've listened to xandra. this was a stupid plan.

you flinched as carlos touched your arm, trying to get you to look at him. you remained silent despite his pleas, your heart faltering at his tired tone.

“we both know this is a shit situation, amor. why can't you explain all this to me?” carlos asked in a defeated voice. “please tell me what the fuck is happening.”

“it’s nothing, really. just drop me home, carlos. please.”

carlos sighed. “y/n, you can’t keep avoiding—” his words fizzled out upon seeing tears fall onto your lap.

you kept your head down, not daring to look up as the tears continued to fall. no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t keep the tears in.

you hated this more than anything — crying in front of carlos.

but the more silent it was inside the car, the more your thoughts went wild, only giving you more reasons to cry as you thought about everything.

he doesn’t have to know the truth. i’m tired of everything. why did this even have to happen? i hate this.

your door was opened, revealing lando with a concerned look on his face. “go to the back seat, y/n. i’ll sit here,” he stated, and you were never more grateful for his intervention.

you quickly got out of the front seat, moving to sit at the back. carlos remained silent as lando took a seat in the front, looking at you through the rearview mirror.

“hermosa, i don’t know what’s going on but–”

lando cleared his throat, interrupting the elder male. he gestured towards the road, brows furrowed as he frowned at him.

“she doesn’t want to talk right now. i’d appreciate it if you just dropped this conversation and took us home.”

carlos let out a deep breath, nodding gently. “yeah, sure. i’m sorry for the questions. let’s just go home,” he mumbled apologetically.

once the car was in motion, lando leaned back, letting out an inaudible sigh of relief. he somewhat successfully managed to avoid a shitshow, and it was all that mattered to him.

it was really all too much for little lando norris.

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[felassan]

EA site update:

"The Dread Wolf Rises Dragon Age Day 2023 Happy DA Day to our friends across Thedas!"

"[Mark] Dragon Age has always been a franchise about characters. Characters to fall in love with or to learn to loath. Those characters need a place in which to live, to fight, and to love—a place that shapes them and the events they find themselves swept up in. Today we explore the place they call home that forms the stage for everything that you do: Thedas. Corinne and the Dragon Age: Dreadwolf team have created a game that celebrates the rich and varied past of the franchise while crafting new experiences and stories. It has been incredible to come back to BioWare and see all of the progress they’ve made, and I’m excited for some of that world to be shared with all of you today. [Corinne] Thank you, Mark! I fondly remember playing each entry in the Dragon Age franchise, being completely immersed and enamored in the world you all had built. It amazes me to be here now, working alongside you and the team, to bring new stories and characters (not to mention a few returning characters) to all of the fans of the franchise. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is the product of hard work and love. We know how much this world means to all of you, how these experiences stay with you. We want to get it right, so we’ve taken our time. We're so excited to join in this celebration of all things Dragon Age and the incredible fandom that surrounds it. Within the dev team, we’ve been eagerly awaiting Dragon Age Day as the enthusiasm, stories, charity, and artwork you share motivates us to be our best and create new experiences for all of you. To celebrate DA Day, we’re sharing a look at a few of the in-game locations you’ll explore on this new adventure (and perhaps a little more for those who listen closely). The stage is set. The Dread Wolf is ready to make his move. Oh, and one last thing before I go… In summer 2024, we’ll be fully revealing Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to you! We honestly can’t wait. See you all in Thedas, — Corinne Busche, Game Director & Mark Darrah, Sr Production Advisor"

"You’ve visited the lands of Thedas thrice before in our games and many more times in comics, books, art, and short stories. This time, you’ll be venturing to places unseen and returning to places from long ago. To celebrate Dragon Age Day, we wanted to show you some of those sights. [link to new trailer] We stand on the precipice of change. This is a world brimming with stories and characters waiting to meet you. The fate of this world teeters on the edge of a knife. In past games, you only got to see a slice of the world. In Origins, it was Ferelden—a land ravaged by war and Dark Spawn. In II, it was Kirkwall and its locales—festering with corruption and a dark underworld. And in Inquisition, you ventured across much of Orlais—facing down political intrigue as often as combat."

"This time, however, much more of Thedas is yours to see. The desolate, beautiful badlands of the Anderfels with curtains of distant mountainous spires. The twisting canals and gleaming towers of Antiva, where Crows may lurk in any shadow. The turquoise seas of Rivain with its rushes of greenery and hardy sea-faring people. And of course, there’s more."

"We felt this was best for the tale we wanted to tell this time and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have! It’s allowed us to create many more locations than past games, including both some you’ve longed to go to…and some you’ve never heard of before!"

"To help capture the wonders of Thedas, we partnered with three wonderful artists from our exceptionally talented community and gave them an early look at what you’ve now seen. We’ve always been so fortunate to have such an incredibly skilled community of artists, and getting to work with these three was a true joy! We asked each of them to create a vista of one of the three regions in the video based on their interpretation of it in their own unique styles. Please enjoy their wonderful work, and be sure to send them some love when you check out their personal channels for more of their art!" [link to art]

"Turning our focus to your closest kitchen, if you’re looking for a fun gift this holiday season or want to try some Thedosian dishes yourself, we’ve got you covered with Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas from our partners, Insight Editions! This project was lovingly crafted by the author, Jessie Hasset, as well as members of our team who have an affinity for the kitchen and a love of cuisine."

"The cookbook features recipes suited to all skill levels, but we know that jumping in may be a daunting task for some. To help you out, we’ve partnered with MisoHungrie, a wonderful YouTuber who specializes in cooking, with a particular knack for video game and entertainment-related dishes. If you’re looking for a place to start on your culinary journey, check out his video and follow along. And be sure to let us know what you think of these Thedosian delights! In addition to this, there are two giveaways you should keep an eye out for! For the first, our friends over at Insight Editions are giving away five copies of the cookbook on their social channels, so be sure to check them out. And it doesn’t end there. For those of you who decide to try your hand at making a culinary delight from the book (including one of the ones we’ve released separately), be sure to follow our own Dragon Age social channels for the second giveaway. Keep an eye out for the opportunity to submit your creation for a chance to win a BioWare Gear Store package, including the brand-new Morrigan romance bundle! Details on that giveaway will be posted next week."

"As we mentioned earlier this year, we’ve partnered with Dark Horse to create a digital package of all their comics for Dragon Age and Mass Effect on Humble Bundle. Visit the Humble Bundle page to find out how our partners are working to support Child’s Play, an organization that seeks to make the lives of children in hospitals more comfortable through the enjoyment of games. There’s no better time than the holidays to bring a smile to someone’s face. BioWare is also supporting a few local charities this month that focus on helping the most vulnerable in our communities via food banks. This includes the Edmonton Food Bank, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, Les Banques alimentaires au Québec, and the Central Texas Food Bank. All of them provide food to thousands of people each month and rely on kindhearted donations and volunteers. If you’re wanting to give back this holiday season, please consider supporting Child’s Play or donating to your local food banks. Many communities also accept non-monetary donations of canned, dried, and packaged goods, clothing, and other useful supplies. However you choose to support those in need, know that every bit helps and can make a big difference in someone’s life, whether they’re in your community or around the world."

"An insult that he took as a badge of pride. An insult to inspire hope in his friends and fear in his enemies. That is what Fen’Harel, the Dread Wolf, truly is. Not a man who sees himself as evil, but someone who believes he’s fighting for a good cause and is willing to get his hands dirty. This long-awaited chapter of Dragon Age is fast approaching—the time close at hand. We’ll see you next summer with answers to your questions, including ones you have yet to ask. With that will come our full reveal including new trailers, gameplay, and—of course—the long-awaited release date. The Dread Wolf will rise once more and we’ll have much more to share with you as we approach Summer 2024. Please keep an eye on our social channels for all the latest information on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s reveal and beyond. Know this, though: The Dread Wolf has not been idle these past years. His reach is far, and soon his plans will come to fruition—a cataclysmic rejoining of magic and realms hundreds of years in the making. Will you be able to stop him? We hope so. Always believing in you,             — The Dragon Age Team"

[source and full post]

[puckgoss]

okay everyone… the deep dive you’ve all been very patiently waiting for… i recommend putting on the “the departed” “the godfather” or “goodfellas” soundtracks while reading this!

thanks to the anons who sent in info about all of this. huge thanks to the anon who was able to reveal some personal information about the family (from the same town).

when i got an ask saying sway’s gf’s family is (ex)-mafia i went looking for proof, and that sent me down a huge rabbit hole… 

IMPORTANT NOTE: this is currently under editing/review as i add/clarify further info

Links to Alessandra’s IG & Alessandra’s VSCO

Alessandra’s Background

Alessandra is 21 years old, turning 22 at some point this year (2002 birth year). She graduated high school in 2020 (source).

Alessandra’s family is from Leominster, Massachusetts. They lived there for many generations. Alessandra grew up in a home described as a “chateau” with horses and a dog. A picture of the house can be found below, up to you to decide whether it looks like a chateau or not. The town rumor is that they are ~7th Generation Italian Royalty. They used to vacation to their home on the coast of Puerto Rico during February vacation every year. They still go there often, as you can see on her social media accounts.

She now lives and works in the Northend of Boston. Her and her sister (Anina) are in the same big friend group and have both been described as nice, fun, private, and quiet. Her sister works as a “marketing intern” according to LinkedIn. Alessandra’s job is unknown. They and some of the Bruins players frequent Lincoln in Southie in Boston.

Alessandra has been dating Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman since ~Fall 2023. Apparently Alessandra and Jeremy are very cute together in public.

Salvatelli Family Background (Maternal Side)

Here is a family tree to help you visualize this:

Alessandra’s mother (Monique) and aunt (Toni) operate Paisano’s Pizza and Spirits, which they have done since 2019, although the business has been in the family for many years.

In 2007, the restaurant had their liquor license suspended for two days after finding its owner (Toni) hindered a police investigation. Here is an excerpt from the article, the link is here but it’s paywalled.

If you guys want to learn how to bypass hard paywalls on Google Chrome, let me know!

Essentially, Toni’s boyfriend got in a bar fight, and Toni (one of the owners) rushed him out the back door then did not comply with a police officer’s request later that night to give him the security video.

In 2023, the restaurant posted on their Instagram account congratulating Alessandra on running the Boston Marathon.

The restaurant is located in a hole in the wall strip mall and has mediocre reviews.

The article linked above mentions that Toni (and Monique) are the daughters of John Salvatelli, a former City Councillor. He and his brother Robert Salvatelli were both city councillors in Leominster for many years - Robert since at least 1999 and John since around the same time. In early 2005 Robert was voted in as City Council president, supported by his brother John.

Robert Salvatelli retired from this role in 2015. John was a City Councillor for 10 years. Previously, Robert was a teacher and principal at one of the town’s elementary schools.

Iacaboni Family Background (Paternal Side)

Note 1: Their surname is sometimes spelled Iacaboni, and sometimes spelled Iacoboni. I found articles using both spellings referring to the same people.

Note 2: David was Frank Sr.'s stepson. His mother is unknown.

1980s & 1990s

source

Frank Iacaboni Sr. was convicted of being a major player in a multimillion-dollar bookmaking ring.

He "has been paying tribute to the Mafia for years", according to law enforcement sources.

In the mid-1980s, Frank Iacaboni Sr. complained that convicted Boston mobsters Robert Carrozza and Dennis (Champagne) LePore ransacked his home and made off with an estimated $250,000, according to sources.

Police say Burton (Chico) Krantz, the region's preeminent bookmaker, mediated the dispute, in which Iacaboni agreed to pay his tribute without complaint, and the Boston Mafiosi agreed not to kill him.

1993

Sources say David Iacaboni, who was adopted by his stepfather, always resented his father's failure to acknowledge him. But they say, the Iacabonis apparently made some form of reconciliation several years ago when David Iacaboni returned from a brief stay in Florida. That rapprochement ended, however, when David Iacaboni and his wife, Lori, were indicted in 1993 for marijuana trafficking.

Sources say Frank Iacaboni tried to file criminal charges against David for allegedly selling a Corvette he had given to Frank. The elder Iacaboni had also blamed his son for a December 1993 fire at his home. No charges were ever filed, however. After David Iacaboni and his wife were sentenced to 10 years in prison last January, David Iacaboni approached US Attorney Donald K. Stern, offering to lead authorities to the body of Richard Tuttle Jr. in exchange for his wife being released. Stern agreed to the deal.

September 1995

A suspected prowler was killed and a police officer was seriously wounded outside of Frank (Alessandra’s grandfather’s) Iacaboni's house.

Frank’s son, David, who I believe is Alessandra’s paternal uncle, was convicted in the murder of a man in July 1995.

(source)

(source)

January 1996: (source)

FBI agents raided the home of convicted bookmaker Frank E. Iacaboni, shortly after the start of the Super Bowl. No arrests were made, but FBI agents, assisted by state and local police, confiscated some cash.

"It was a sad day for gamblers in Leominster," said one source, who asked not to be identified.

Iacaboni's ranch-style home at 640 Union St. was the scene of a bloody shootout in September after a man opened fire on two police officers who were investigating a complaint of a prowler.

Police sources have said the man may have been trying to steal gambling money from Iacaboni. The shooting is still under investigation by state police.

FBI spokesman Pete S. Ginieres said he could neither confirm nor deny Sunday's raid.

However, Leominster Police Capt. Thomas J. Bisol said local police helped FBI agents execute a search warrant at Iacaboni's house.

Bisol said other homes in the city were also searched. Bisol declined to provide any more details.

"This is an FBI matter," he said.

On Sept. 15 1995, two police officers were called to Iacaboni's house to respond to a call of a prowler outside the home.

Officers Dwayne Flowers and Thomas R. Kent found John J. MacNeil in the garage of the house. MacNeil, 47, charged at the two officers, firing from two hand guns.

MacNeil was killed by police after exchanging more than 26 rounds of gunfire. Kent, 32, who was shot in the chest by MacNeil, is still recovering from his injury.

Police sources at the time said they were investigating the possibility that MacNeil was sent to the house by Iacaboni's estranged son, David M. Iacaboni.

MacNeil was a cellmate of the younger Iacaboni at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. Police sources said they were looking to see if David Iacaboni sent MacNeil to his father's house to steal gambling receipts, or to kill his father, or to do both.

The police sources said Frank Iacaboni was known to keep large amounts of cash in a safe inside his house.

Frank E. Iacaboni was one of 18 people arrested in 1983 on gaming charges as a result of a state police investigation into illegal gambling. He pleaded guilty to 21 counts of using a telephone for gaming and 13 counts of conspiracy to register bets. He was fined $4,250.

Wednesday, Jan 24 1996:

David Iacaboni was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison for killing Richard A. Tuttle Jr. of Lancaster in November 1989.

The younger Iacaboni pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. He told authorities he killed Tuttle during an argument about a drug sale.

2002-2008: Charges laid, legal documents, case notes

In March 2002, Frank Iacaboni pleaded guilty to charges arising out of his operation of an illegal gambling business.

From 1995 through March 1998, Iacaboni conducted an illegal sports gambling operation in and around Leominster, Massachusetts. Iacaboni's business included a few different "offices" headed by individuals hired to take bets from gamblers over the telephone. Iacaboni also ran a "football ticket" business; bettors paid between $1 and $10 per "ticket," a card on which they checked off four or more predictions in dozens of upcoming games.

Aug 13, 2002 - U.S. v. Iacaboni

Oct 21, 2002 - U.S. v. Iacoboni

Mar 30, 2004 - U.S. v. Iacaboni, other source

April 2005: Indictment handed down on charges of racketeering against 12 men

October 2008: Outline of the criminal case below

March 2009: (source) (source)

In March 2009, Arthur Gianelli, Dennis Albertelli and his wife Giselle, and Frank Iacaboni of Leominster (Alessandra's grandfather) were on trial in federal court for numerous crimes.

Mary Ann Gianelli pleaded guilty to 19 counts of racketeering, money laundering, filing false tax returns, and illegal structuring of cash transactions. Under a plea agreement, the federal government dropped an additional 141 money laundering counts against her.

Her husband was Mafia associate Arthur Gianelli. She helped him run his illegal gambling business after he was indicted on federal racketeering charges in 2005 and placed under house arrest.

Mary Ann Gianelli's sister, Elizabeth, is married to John J. Connolly. Connolly is a former FBI agent who was convicted of federal racketeering charges for protecting long-time informants James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi from prosecution. He was also convicted of murder in Florida in November 2008 for plotting with the two gangsters to orchestrate the 1982 slaying of a Boston businessman.

Arthur headed a sprawling criminal enterprise whose members were involved in gambling, money laundering, loan sharking, arson, and extortion. Him and his three co-defendents listed above, including Alessandra’s paternal grandfather Frank Iacaboni, committed hundreds of crimes between 1999 and 2005.

Millions of dollars flowed through the organization's gambling operation, which took bets on football games and later shifted its operation from Massachusetts to an Internet operation in Costa Rica. The organization also created phony companies to hide profits. Gianelli had ties to the Mafia, making weekly payments to reputed New England underboss Carmen "Cheese Man" DiNunzio.

Note: for more info on the Patriarca crime family (Carmen is now the boss), there are links at the end of the post under Appendix A.

One of the victim’s of this organized crime crew was Boston Bruins Hall of Fame goaltender Gerry Cheevers. He was threatened by a leg breaker for not repaying a loan.

Gianelli, Dennis Albertelli, and Frank Iacoboni were also charged with arson for allegedly plotting to burn down the Big Dog Sports Grille in North Reading in 2003 in an attempt to intimidate the owners into selling them another bar that they were poised to open in Lynnfield.

November 9, 2009: (source)

Frank Iacaboni was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in federal prison and fined $10,000 for his role in a gambling and extortion ring.

He was sentenced in U.S. District Court on charges of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, use of fire to commit extortion, attempted arson of the Big Dog Sports Grille in Reading Nov. 13, 2003, and operating illegal sports and football card gambling businesses.

The Judge noted that he received 29 letters on Mr. Iacaboni’s behalf, including those from a state representative and a city councilor. Those two letters were from state Rep. Dennis A. Rosa and Ward 4 City Councilor Robert A. Salvatelli, both of Leominster. (Alessandra’s maternal great uncle!).

Summary of Findings

Alessandra’s maternal family is extremely powerful and well-connected in Leominster. They have held/still hold positions of power in schools, government, and local business. Her maternal great uncle vouched for her paternal grandfather when he was charged by the federal government for multiple crimes in association with the Mafia. Her paternal uncle was convicted for murdering a man in 1995.

Her maternal family owns the Paisano’s pizza "restaurant", but this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is very likely that their businesses are all fronts for money laundering, illegal gambling, tax evasion, and more. At the very least, her maternal family has been involved in trying to lessen the charges for her paternal family.

Hope you all enjoyed this deep dive ☕️

Appendix A

Patriarca / La Cosa Nostra Crime Family

The bosses of the Boston Mafia

Alleged Underboss of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

New England mafia underboss Carmen DiNunzio back on the streets

Old Patriarca Famiglia: The Cheeseman Cometh?

VIDEO: How The Mafia CONQUERED Boston | The Patriarca Family Part 1

VIDEO: How The Mafia CONQUERED Boston | The Patriarca Family Part 2

VIDEO: Current State of the Patriarca Crime Family

[uyuforu]

Astro Observations: Solar Return Synastry II

@ This theory was discovered by @estrella1111

જ⁀➴ how to make a solar return synastry

‧₊˚✩彡 Me and my FS had/ still having a rough SR Synastry in 2023-2024, and I'm not surprised. We have Chiron conjuncting Chiron in Aries, mine conjuncting his Briede Asteroid, and his conjuncting my moon. It's in 9H for me and 11H for him, making us have fight mostly because I initiated the fight. And it shows the fight was big because I blocked him on social medias (11H) and we both went back to our country (9H).

‧₊˚✩彡 For 2024-2025, his Venus is in 5H and falling in my 3H, and how familiar is that? The year before, I had my sun in my 5H and falling in his 3H, and I said I sent him some love letters, even declared my love for him. Now, look at who will do the same that year? And it's not his sun, it's venus! So there could totally be a love declaration happening from him to me. Moreover, his pluto & mars are also in his 5H falling in my 3H, but in Aquarius, so it could mean he changed a lot, and has a lot of drive and confidence when it comes about his words. Because his Pluto conjuncts mine, he could express his feelings out of the blue, I will not be prepared at all.

‧₊˚✩彡 His Sun and Mercury are in Aquarius 6H falling in my 4H, there is a sense of belonging to each other, familiar and being at home with each other. He healed (6H) and is "coming back home" (I find it so cute). It will feel like "finally you are back home" kinda.

‧₊˚✩彡 This year he has Saturn 7H in Pisces in my 4H. He will look at his view on marriage to be way more important and way more serious than before. Because it goes on my 4H, I will feel it too. It could mean wanting something serious and long term too.

‧₊˚✩彡 Talking about Saturn, mine is in 5H also in Pisces and falls in his 7H! So our Saturn conjunct each other. To him, it would feel like wanting to be in a relationship with me, longterm style.

‧₊˚✩彡 I also asked one of my friend, and she noticed something I didn't lol. She told me since he has Chiron conjuncting his North Node in 8H in Aries, it means having zero s3x life. And it both falls in my 6H, meaning it will be a sign of him healing, I will see it like that.

‧₊˚✩彡 My Neptune falls in his 8H, he could have steamy dreams of fantasies about me... lol. And his Neptune falls in my 5H, which means romantic dreams. I could fantasize about going on dates with him or being in a relationship with him. We could remember our moments together a lot at that time.

‧₊˚✩彡 Our North Node conjunct each other again, meaning we are bound to find each other again that year!

‧₊˚✩彡 His Moon falls in my 6H, meaning he is healing, and I may not be very innocent in this story. There are a lot of his planets falling in my 6H, which means healing wounds because of this person.

‧₊˚✩彡 Now, his Jupiter and Uranus falls in my 7H all in Taurus, meaning we could enter in a serious relationship that year. The sign it is in makes it even more possible. Jupiter is like taking a chance, and Uranus is sudden change, but very spontaneous like. Transformation.

‧₊˚✩彡 Let's say that it must have been planned this way originally, since I also have Uranus in my 7H, meaning I def have to experience transformation in this field. It also falls in his MC/ 10H, which means a relationship that will be public (so friends, family and other people know about it).

‧₊˚✩彡 My Jupiter, Mars and Groom falls in his MC/ 10H too, making me feel like he will be the once asking me out? Mine are in 8H, making things mr hidden, I would maybe want us to keep it a secret while he will want us to make our relationship public.

‧₊˚✩彡 Now, he has Union and Briede asteroids in Leo 12H, which conjunct my natal sun. There is def a spiritual awakening for him happening! And since his Union and 12H conjunct my Sun, Moon and 10H, I'm 100% we will see each other again that year. He def wants to. My Sun and Moon falling his his 12H make him realize more stuff that he refused to see before, making some stuff about me obvious now. It's intense spiritual connection, divine union, and intense emotional connection. It gives off telepathy. Also intense s3xual attraction... uhm uhm.

‧₊˚✩彡 My Venus and Mercury falls in his ASC/ 1H, meaning he would love to see me again. He will be very happy and might feel kind of love at first sight again? We might be more expressive when we see each other again.

‧₊˚✩彡 Also, my union conjuncting his juno in his 1H, is also why im so sure we will meet again.

‧₊˚✩彡 So, moving on to 2025-2026. This is the year I understood I will get engaged, and guess to who! lol it's showing since my briede (in my 1H) conjunct his boda in his 3H.... proposing? anyone? AND my boda and pluto also falls in his 3H, major transformation about marriage.... yes. (and it also conjuncts his pluto there). It's a transformation for him because he expresses it/ ask it (3H) and it is for me for my identity (1H)

‧₊˚✩彡 His Sun and Mercury in his 4H falls in my 2H, talks about stability. Maybe it's a year to moving together, a year of thinking long term but financially. Moreover, his Saturn exactly conjunct my North Node still in the same houses. His NN also falls in my 2H. Literally we will be deciding about seeing bigger than just dating, or be in a relationship. That's some adult talking there lmao.

‧₊˚✩彡 My Saturn falls in his 5H, making our relationship way more serious than before.

‧₊˚✩彡 His venus Aries in 5H falls in my 3H, once again, love declaration from him to me. In Aries this gives the passionate guy who spontaneously does romantic stuff for you. Aggressive yet passionate love.

‧₊˚✩彡 Now, listen to me. I told you this year I'm sure I'll get engaged. Another reason is that I have Jupiter, Sun and Mercury in my 7H. Jupiter means opportunity and luck, expansion. Sun, the main focus that year (7H= partnerships, relationships) and Mercury (communication)= getting proposed. He also has Uranus in his 7H (changement, transformation, unexpected) and Jupiter too! Moreover, his Jupiter falls in my 5H, and his Uranus in my 4H. AND my Uranus falls in his 7H.

‧₊˚✩彡 My Venus falls in his 8H, literally being obsessed with each other, it's a deep love and deep connection there. Not for everyone.

‧₊˚✩彡 AND his moon falls in my 8H, literally another level connection. It's the couple that is SO connected to each other, always in their own bubble. mygod

‧₊˚✩彡 My Union Libra 9H falls conjunct his Union libra 12H= can I make it more divine union than this????? 9H and 12H are the most spiritual houses to me.

‧₊˚✩彡 My Juno falls in his 1H and his Union falls in my 10H, both in Scorpio (= conjuncting). He will show me off, and his being in my 10H, it's another way to make it official for us.

Thank you for reading!

back to index ; ask ; request ; rules

[orangecatty-shiningnikki]

【 Shining Nikki TW+CN 】 Recharge

【 Shining Nikki TW+CN 】 Recharge

The girl shuttled through the crowd, like a rainbow falling on the world.

Suit Display ::

Original :: Millennium Impression (千禧印象)

Recolor :: Millennium Echo (千禧回音)

Collection :: Federal Style

Designer :: Ai (愛衣)

Attribute :: Cool

Rarity :: SR

Date :: 26/10—05/11/2023

Type :: Recharge

.

[cinamun]

Named after one of my favorite books and albums, Things Fall Apart is an epic tale of lust, greed, betrayal, vengeance and, above all else, growth.

This story never started as a legacy nor was it intended to be anything other than gameplay.  However, these characters evolved and, as such, so did their stories; each intertwined and forever impacted by the others. 

Written, played and photographed by me circa 2015. This story is best read/viewed on a laptop, tablet or PC.

Should you choose to continue, please note that this story is rated MA for Mature Audiences and contains strong language, violence, adult themes, strong sexual content, nudity and a variety of triggers appropriately tagged for depression and abuse in all of its forms. This story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18 (DNI).

Pictured above is the original cast, from left to right:

Elise Farrow ~ Juan Rivera ~ Darren Drake ~ Indya Williams ~ Jerrilee Coleman ~ Dr. Jules Carter

As you make your way through their lives, names will change and you'll find that new characters emerge for either good or sinister reasons.

Shall we begin?

Act One

Chapter 1: Understanding Indya | Chapter 2: The Horsemen | Chapter 3: Toxic | Chapter 4: Demons | Chapter 5: Vengeance | Chapter 6: The Aftermath | Chapter 7: Chances | Chapter 8: Restart | Chapter 9: Moving Forward | Chapter 10: Several Steps Back | Chapter 11: Unfinished Business

Act Two

Chapter 12: The Trial of the Century | Chapter 13: The Demon's Return | Chapter 14: I Do | Chapter 15: Conception at the Summit | Chapter 16: Hopeful | Chapter 17: Milestones | Chapter 18: Growth | Chapter 19: Growing Pains | Chapter 20: The Fear of Letting Go | Chapter 21: A New Journey

Act Three

Chapter 22: A Thin Line Between Life and Death | Chapter 23: And Then There Were Four | Chapter 24: Illusions of Independence

Current

Pictured above is the current (2023) cast from left to right

Elliot Mahajan* ~ Darren Drake Jr. ~ Indira Dior Drake ~ Jayce Carruthers ~ Hope Diamond Carruthers (Drake) ~ Indya Drake ~ Darren Drake Sr. ~ Jerri Coleman

*Deceased

Bonus Content

Story Commentary | Story Extras

In case you need a palate cleanser at any time, check out my Globetrotter Challenge or The Greenwoods for a little Rated E for Everyone fun!

Buy me a coffee?

Posting Schedule

I typically post story updates/episodes on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I post in the mornings (US CST) and reblog in the evenings.

Author's Note:

This story has been a labor of love, writing is a hobby and so is gaming. Combining the two has helped me in ways I cannot put into words. I am thankful to you for enjoying this hobby with me. Writing urban fiction using the sims, for me, will forever be inspired by mochasims, rest in paradise, dear friend. Mocha created a community for Black storytellers where one didn't exist anywhere in the Sims Community and paved the way for other Black writers to follow with her epic tale of Men and Stilettos and of course Kasim's adventures!

I will be forever grateful for the safe space she created to tell real, Black ass stories. Much love sis.

Reactions to Mocha's passing:

1 | 2

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is a masterpiece and I kind of hate it.

It's a weird position to be in, I admit. My opinions of the first season of JJK weren't very intense: I liked it a lot, despite my many criticisms, and that was that. Just another mega-popular shonen elevated by a top-tier smorgasboard of action scenes and some truly excellent ass-kicking action girls. It certainly didn't feel like a show that would ever be worth expending as much thought as I've been doing the past couple months over the course of the Shibuya Incident. But somewhere between the first season's release and Jujutsu Kaisen becoming the third-biggest anime on the planet behind Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer, my feelings started curdling, so subtly that I barely even noticed until the second season came out and dragged them up to the surface. I love Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, I hate Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, it's one of the most triumphant and one of the most existentially depressing anime I've ever watched. It is, for better and worse, the most important anime of the 2023. And it's gonna take a very long time for me to fully parse out why.

From the outside, you might be thinking, "Gee, what did this show do to shake your opinions up so violently? It must've really gone in a different direction that completely upended what it's even about." But no. Quite the opposite, in fact; the Shibuya Incident arc that dominates season 2 after a brief flashback story is about as straightforward an arc as you can imagine. It's a single, massive, sprawling brawl across the streets of Shibuya, sorcerers and curses duking it out all over the map with the fate of golden boy Satoru Gojo on the line. It's nothing but fight after fight after fight after fight with increasingly broken superpowers and collateral damage, escalating to absurd degrees and never letting off the gas. Yes, there's a lot of consequential stuff that happens in this arc, but on a moment to moment basis it's as pure an action experience as anime has ever accomplished. No complex political factions, no deep symbolism or themes, just the sheer chaos of watching a city come undone under the collective onslaught of this superhuman war.

And it fucking rules.

The first season of Jujutsu Kaisen was already a marvel in the action department, don't get me wrong. But under the new direction of Shouta Goshozono, who's been responsible for some of the absolute best-directed anime episodes in recent years, that experience has gone absolutely nuclear. Every episode is astonishing in a different way, every fight pulls out some new animation technique that completely changes the timbre of the action, every scene is directed so uniquely and specifically that it's impossible to forget. As good as season 1's action was, it favored consistency over creativity and didn't really get to flex the true insanity that these curses and cursed powers are capable of. But season 2 fully embraces every animator's individual quirks and lets them run absolutely buckwild with it. Yuji's bathroom brawl with Choso is a searing cyberpunk-tinged smackdown. Sukuna's long-awaited return is a kaleidoscopic nightmare that feels pulled straight from a particularly nihilistic episode of Mob Psycho 100. Megumi's big spoileriffic fight paint the streets in surreal chaos reminiscent of early Masaaki Yuasa. And almost every single episode has this level of hyper-specific visual panache put into it. It is, without hyperbole, one of the most jaw-dropping achievements in anime spectacle of all time

And that's just the action scenes! That's not even counting how goddamn amazing this show looks outside of combat now! If you go back and watch season 1, it tended to play things really safe visually when it wasn't kicking up a fight. Conversation scenes and down moments are mostly functional-but-boring collections of shots that get the job done without leaving much of an impression. But with Goshozono at the helm, every single moment, from the most explosive showdowns to the simplest character-building conversations, is infused with life. Off-kilter camera angles imbue every line of dialogue with infinitely more meaning. The editing constantly catches you off guard in the best ways with how it draws your focus through a scene. There's some of the loveliest loosey-goosey comedic chibi animation I've seen in a long time. Every scene is distinct, every scene pops, every scene feels like its own unique entity in this mesmerising arthouse collage of styles and talents crashing together in somehow perfect harmony. I can think of very few shows in recent years that have looked this incredible and this experimental on such a consistent basis.

Which is wild enough on its own, but there's an additional level to this: Jujutsu Kaisen is pulling out all these experimental, ecclectic techniques in a mainstream shonen anime. And that just never happens. Mainstream shonen shooting for broad appeal never play things this risky and outside-the-box with their visual presentation. Sure, most of them look good with all the money pouring into them, but they also look, well, like Jujutsu Kaisen season 1. They're polished and pretty with all the edges sanded off and nary a risk taken, content that being flashy and detailed can make up for a standard visual palette. But JJK season 2 has taken the kind of aesthetic you'd normally see in underground cult classics from offbeat animators too rebellious to fit into the industry machine and translated it to the widest audience imaginable. It's introduced genuine artistry to this playing field, marrying the mainstream and the hipster and making it look like child's play. It's pushed the visual boundaries of mainstream shonen far beyond what they used to be, expanding what the most popular genre of anime can look like on a level I don't think we're fully prepared for. Imagine how many future adaptations will take cues from the course this season has charted. Imagine how creative, how experimental, the future of shonen anime might be thanks to JJK. That's a cause for celebration no matter how you look at it.

And yet.

And yet, there's a question I've been unable to stop thinking about ever since the Shibuya Incident really got underway: if it weren't for the masterpiece production... would I even like this arc?

And unfortunately, I think I know the answer.

Let's be brutally honest for a moment: Jujutsu Kaisen's biggest problem is, has been, and always will be that this show does not know how to goddamn focus. It's constantly introducing and throwing out plot points at seemingly random intervals, changing tracks and abandoning story threads before they're fully realized, even outright contradicting itself on a whim on multiple occasions. Hey, remember those two normal friends Yuji had back in the very first episode who he seemed to have a good relationship with and liked hanging out with? Well, JJK hopes you don't, because they completely vanished after the first episode and Yuji never so much as mentions them again, as if they never existed in the first place. Then it feels like it's setting up a classic shonen power trio with Megumi and Nobara, except then Yuji dies and has to hide his resurrection for another eight episodes so they never really develop as a group dynamic. Plus there was building up Junpei as a new friend-turned-antagonist only for him to get axed right off the bat, though at least that one tried to make some kind of thematic sense so it's not as egregious. But when you take a bird's-eye view of the whole unfolding story, it really becomes apparent how many times Jujutsu Kaisen will stop dead in its tracks, say "actually nevermind," and completely change direction, leaving whatever it was in the middle of developing to wither and die.

And if that was a problem in season 1, then good fucking god does season 2 push it into absurdity. There's a genuinely excellent five-episode prequel arc that finally gives a sense of stakes and thematic weight to one of the show's most central relationships... only to reveal mere episodes later that one of those people is already dead, and all the potential story threads that could've sprung from the seeds planted by Hidden Inventory are stamped out before they've even got a chance to bloom. One of the dead characters from that flashback arc is brought back in absurdly convoluted way and set on a collision course with the character from the present they have the most connection to, setting up a confrontation with real emotional weight for both participants... except then he just dies again without it ever mattering. There's an out-of-nowhere romantic subplot that only starts mattering when one participant is already on the verge of death and only matters to the other when she's mourning his loss despite them never having shared a scene before. Not to mention a major fucking character death that comes so out of nowhere it's genuinely hard to emotionally wrap your head around it and is possibly undone literally minutes later because???

Look, being chaotic and messy doesn't have to be a death knell, especially for shonen. So much of what made Hunter x Hunter work so well is leaning into the sheer messiness of its world and characters, letting them push each other in bizarre, risky directions that a more traditional story structure might not have the guts to pull off. But this doesn't feel like intentional chaos, it feels like Gege Akutani just doesn't know what kind of story they're trying to tell, changing their mind every other episode and undoing whatever plot threads they were starting to set up because they realized they weren't interested in continuing them. And it absolutely murders the emotional throughline of this show. Every potentially interesting, meaningful idea it brings up has a 50/50 chance of being hastily written out of the plot the second the author gets bored, leaving all that investment feeling wasted and pointless. At some point, it becomes hard to emotionally engage with anything the show tries to pull; why bother taking the risk when there's no guarantee it's even going to be paid off, let alone paid off well?

And the longer I sit with that feeling, the more it pricks at a far more frustrating question: why Jujutsu Kaisen? Why was this story, out of all the potential options, the one chosen for a once-in-a-decade animator's wet dream? Why were mostly flat antagonists like Mahito and Sukuna given spectacular enough fight scenes to sell their menace in a way the writing itself barely accomplishes? Why was Miwa and Mechamaru's half-finished sketch of a romantic subplot deserving of enough evocative, wrenching filmmaking to almost manage an emotional response in spite of its utter lack of development? Why spend all this time, effort, and crushing human misery polishing a deeply flawed story to a mirror shine instead of giving an already good story the royal treatment it actually deserves? Why is this worth dragging Mappa's animators through the fires of hell for? I mean, not that any show would be worth the apocalyptically bad working conditions Mappa's corporate masters force on their employees to fatten their own bank accounts- seriously, can we figure out how to unionize the anime industry already?- but with all the horror stories coming out of this mismanaged production, it's hard not to look at the end result and wonder: Really? This is what we've decided to bleed so many people dry for?

Of course, that question's also fairly rhetorical. I know the reason Jujutsu Kaisen gets this kind of treatment when plenty of far more deserving shows have to settle for scraps: because it's a shonen. And shonen will always be favored by the moneymaking powers that be as long as the people making those decisions are traditionalist old men who don't see women and girls as a viable demographic. We're finally coming out of years-long drought for shoujo and josei anime, a stretch of time when almost no works targeted at women and girls were given anything above a shoestring budget and C-tier production schedule, and yet shonen has never once failed to be given all the tools it needs to devour the competition. Trite, treacly mush like Demon Slayer is given enough polish to become an era-defining blockbuster while the possibility of a Yona of the Dawn season 2 becomes an increasingly painful impossibility. And Mappa itself, a studio that first made a name for itself by winning the hearts and wallets of women and queer audiences with Yuri on Ice, has put the sequel film to that cultural phenomenon on indefinite hiatus as it grinds its animators into dust churning out shonen adaptation after shonen adaptation. Because even the biggest smash hit imaginable, the show that made this studio a household name in the first place, doesn't matter if it doesn't cater to the only audience that the industry really seems to care about.

It's all of this I can't help but think about as I watch Jujutsu Kaisen top itself over and over again. In every mind-blowing fight scene, in every stunning display of cinematic brilliance, in every skill and talent the animators pour on screen, I see the countless other, more deserving shows that could've been something special with just a fraction of this support. Just this season alone, we had I'm in Love With the Villainness and Shy, two female-forward anime with far more compelling ideas and stories that could've been genuine hits if they hadn't been flopped out with the most cardboard productions imaginable from studios that just didn't have the time or energy to do them justice. Imagine if just a few of the people pouring their souls into prettying up Supernatural Boys Punch Demons Version 347 were able to offer their talents to those shows instead. Imagine if a beloved shoujo, yuri, or BL manga getting slapped with a bargain-bin production inspired as much outrage as a shonen adaptation having only a small handful of animation cuts below spectacular (Yes, I still remember how stupid the Chainsaw Man anime discourse got). Imagine if this industry favored stories for women even half as much as it valued stories for men. Hell, I'd even be partly satisfied if blockbuster shonen anime just stopped treating their female casts so abysmally. And JJK used to be one of the few to manage that! What the hell happened between that first season and now, Gege? Nobara deserved better, god dammit!

This is the contradiction of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. It's a masterclass of artistry that raises the bar for animated action everywhere, given to a story that doesn't deserve the honor of bearing it. It's a showcase of the most talented people working in this industry today, all putting their best efforts in to the least interesting project they could be providing their talents to. It's a mediocre franchise elevated to spectacular heights at the cost of potentially reaching even higher with a more worthy source material. It's all this industry's imagination and all its laziness, all its ambition and all its cowardice, rolled into a single shining exemplar of anime's infinite possibility that doubles as a condemnation of its priorities. And I've spent this entire season laughing with glee at at the heights it's reached while I feel my enthusiasm for the overall show slowly bleed away. Never before have I been left so in awe of what this medium is able to accomplish, yet simultaneously so exhausted by its unwillingness to spread that effort evenly.

In the end, Jujutsu Kaisen is both the greatest success and the greatest failure imaginable. As a showcase of animated spectacle from the industry's most talented up-and-comers, it's a landmark achievement that will rightly go down in history. As a continuation of Jujutsu Kaisen, it's a death knell for this story ever being worth more than the sum of its parts. And as a representation of where this industry currently stands, it just leaves me sad, tired, and hollow. It will be a long time before we get a show as singular and staggering as this again. I just hope next time, all this talent and effort goes toward a story that can actually do something meaningful with it. Until then, though, I give JJK Season 2 a score of:

7.5/10

[presdestigatto]

what about sainz to red bull?

a few reasons why it doesn’t look likely now:

1) redbull wants to wait as long as possible before signing their 2nd driver, mainly because it incentivises checo to do well. they’ve said they won’t discuss contracts until the summer break & it’s in carlos’ interests to sign as early as possible. he could wait, but that means that his chances of being seatless next season grows.

also! there’s no guarantee that he can keep up his current form over the season, particularly with the imola updates which are rumoured to make the car focused more on the front end—which favours charles. already (china) charles is qualifying and finishing above him. if charles goes back to beating him comfortably that makes his bargaining power smaller. right now fresh off the aus win is the best time for him actually

2) helmet marko has basically said they have no interest in matching audi’s offer for carlos

3) the redbull seat is the most 2nd driver seat in the whole of f1 😭 history says that’s not what carlos wants, though he could settle for it

but redbull may also not want him as a 2nd driver because he comes with a very messy entourage & has shown that he isn’t a good team player. he just attacked charles at the restart last week losing them position to russell. considering the circumstances at redbull now, it is decidedly in their best interests to not sign someone who may make max unhappy. can you imagine losing max verstappen because you signed carlos sainz?? (among other reasons ofc) plus their fathers have butted heads before in toro rosso. can’t imagine jos will be very happy to see sainz sr again

from redbull’s point of view, checo is currently a better option than carlos. he won’t challenge max, he brings in sponsors & viewership from a huge country (whereas spain already has alonso), he can get those 1-2s for the team. ‘checo will fall off’ so will carlos if we’re going by past trends (e.g. post-suzuka to AD in 2023) i think if checo keeps up his current form he’ll get an extension

he will also have a really terrible time at redbull. i’m afraid max will curbstomp him

there are negotiations but i doubt redbull are offering him terms he’ll be happy with (more than a year, assurances he won’t be sacrificed for max at times etc etc) if he does go there he’ll have to accept being second to max because if he tries as hard to beat max as he at beating charles right now—it would be very funny to me, but bad for the team (i don’t think he will be able to get close enough to max to do this but yk that’s also a very bad look for him)

[astrobiscuits]

hi, i have capricorn rising at 29° in my solar return chart so i was wondering what does it mean? i saw some people saying that the hardest year for them was when they had capricorn rising and i'm a little worried :( i'm curious about the degrees, that changes anything?

Honestly, i have to agree on this. I had Capricorn Rising last year in my SR and it was also conjuncting my natal Chiron. Let's just say that i'm glad 2023 is over. It was one of the most depressing years i've ever had.

I believe Capricorn Rising at 29° in SR is like a slap in your face from karma or a cold ice bucket thrown in your face from reality. This is usually the year when you have to ponder on your past actions and really ask yourself "Have i done the right thing?". Usually, most of us have really messed up in the past, either in our connections with other human beings, in our studies/career or with our own persona. If for example, let's say you started heavily drinking last year or a few years ago, Capricorn Rising at 29° in SR usually brings you health complications due to excessive drinking. The challenges we encounter during this year are meant to clear out negative karma that we've built for ourselves during our life, leading us to live a life where we're thriving. It's highly likely that 2025 is going to be completely different for you. You'll live as a newer version of yourself, one that has learnt from their mistakes and has improved trendemously.

Sometimes, when we ponder over our past, we realise that we haven't f*cked up that bad. If this is the case, Capricorn Rising at 29° in SR usually deals with unresolved karma from a past life. How can you know for sure if this is you? Check your Saturn in your Natal Chart. If it's in Retrograde - bingo, you have unresolved karma from a past life.

This can also happen if you notice that your life is suddenly falling apart, even though you've been a good person. Sometimes, you're just walking on the wrong path and the Universe/angels/whatever higher power you believe in is purposely destroying your life so you can realise what's your true path. If you want to live with purpose, it's important to live a life where you can showcase your true potential.

[linnienin]

🔮 S o l a r ⁕ R e t u r n ⁕ C h a r t ⁕ N o t e s 🔮 (personal 2023/2024)

I will be talking about my SR 2023/2024 chart placements that caught my eye and that i am excited/scared about for this year

(notice that my birthday is on August so i still haven't hopped in this chart yet, these are just mini personal predictions for fun)

Disclaimer: i am not a professional astrologer, i research for fun and use my personal experience mostly

If you feel the need to add something (and help me out a bit 😂, i'll appreciate it) please feel free to do so! (no rudeness tnx)

⁕ Leo rising conjunct Venus(retrograde): I am definitely feeling this energy of starting to care more for my appeareance and in these past 2 years i've been slowly discovering a new passion for fashion, makeup and all girly stuff (well, it makes sense because in my current SR chart i have venus in leo too so yep, def a current feeling). If you'd asked me before this period if i'd ever tried girly stuff i'd have laughed hard to your face. I've always been veery unbothered before, i used to be the type of nerd that only had in mind to be good at school and get good grades and be skilled at sports and crafty things. I used to view the girly girls as superficials, and i found makeup and fashion as vain (things that also my family told me). I couldn't be more wrong honestly, i now look at my past self with disappointment. Fashion and makeup are art expressions and take a lot of time, research, effort, study and practice to understand and master, and only lately, by experimenting i have fallen in love with this entire new world, now i can't possibly imagine myself not researching about these matters (i have been getting into the fashion systems' rabbit hole of Kibbe, Kitchener, Truth is beauty, Personal seasonal colour etc...).

However, i have mostly practiced these things in the comfort of my home, when my parents weren't in, and i feel like with this new solar return i'll get hopefully the courage to express myself freely even in public (Venus retrograde i guess could slow these things a bit, but the Leo rising could make me bolder, we'll see how it goes, i'm kinda excited for this not gonna lie)

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Saturn (retrograde) conjunct Karma (retrograde) in 8th house Pisces + Neptune + Nessus there too: Last time i got Saturn in 8th house it was the first time i experienced depression, but last time i didn't know astrology as i now do lol. I am still hella scared of these placements ngl, i know i will suffer because of past mistakes, and i am here to endure and renew myself for the future. I just don't know what to expect, even as an 8th house stellium in my natal chart, when there are placements in the 8h in my Solar return i tend to shut down and suffer in silence. Having Nessus and Neptune i don't know what could mean. I just hope not to get raped or abused by anyone bye 🙈

Nessus in mythology was a centaur that tried to abuse Deianeira, wife of Heracles, before being shot by an arrow from Heracles himself . His last act before dying was convincing Deianeira to give his blood (poisoned) to his husband if she wanted to ensure his love to her for eternity, and this eventually led to Heracles's death.

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Pluto in 6th house (retrograde): now, THIS, scares me A LOT. It is also squaring my NN and Chiron, I don't want health issues, not now please sigh. I think there will be a bit of a shocking change in my career, and also possibly in my everyday routine (probably i'll get more disciplined with Capricorn ruling my 6h, i could fall victim of the hoarding mentality, and if i don't seek balance this could cause sickness, so i'm noting this down for a future reminder)

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Moon in Capricorn conjunct Vertex + Pholus (5th/6th house-Placidus/Whole Signs): i am preparing myself to GROW. With the ruler of 6h,Saturn, in 8h in direct contact with the moon (sextile) i will be forced to go deep within and take responsability for my own life. The change can be sudden and unexpected (Pholus),but it will happen no matter what (Vertex). With my moon also aspecting my Sun in Virgo 2h (trine) and Jupiter in 10h (trine) it will have an impact on my career and finances.

Adding here that my NN is also conjunct my MC, so i'll definitely be focused on my path and public image

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Eros (retrograde) conjunct DC opposite Venus (retrograde): please, don't let me suffer from a fake love. The fact that Eros is also in the sign of Aquarius (the sign of my natal Juno). I can't, i'm not here to play or for a fling. Could be the return of an old flame? I usually don't like to predict my love life before i actually am interested in someone or there's some potential between me and another person, because i can hold on to expectations so all i do is being open with some boundaries. Whatever will be will be

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Aphrodite conjunct Fama in 5th house: Finally recognition for my creative talent? I mean that'd be awesome, it might be a consequence of the switch in my mentality, becoming more and more disciplined, and being more efficient and getting more stuff done so yep, it would def make sense.

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Where will i be lucky?

So, to see where i will expand and attract luck, i looked for Jupiter's position and which house it rules in my SR chart. I have it in 10th house, and i have Sagittarius in my 5th house (therefore here's a connection between these two houses and Jupiter). This gives me hope for luck for a career based on my interests and passions, and with NN in my 9th house ( the house that is originally ruled by Jupiter) it might also means that it can happen somewhere else than where i live.

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Strongest aspects (0-2 degrees):

0 degrees:

Sun opposite Saturn, Venus conjunct AC + opposite Eros , Eros conjunct DC + opposite AC/Venus , Moon sextile Karma + trine Black Moon Lilith H13 , Mercury conjunct Pallas, Aphrodite conjunct Fama

1 degree:

Mars trine Pluto, Vertex trine Sun + sextile Saturn

2 degrees:

Mars opposite Neptune + square Vertex, Mercury trine Uranus, Jupiter square AC + Venus, Pluto square NN and MC, Chiron opposite Ceres, Pholus trine Sun + conjunct Moon + sextile Saturn

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

⁕ Energy of the chart:

Chart ruler: Sun (2h)

Dominant/Most aspected planet: Uranus + Pluto (both 7 aspects)

Domicile planets: Mercury in Virgo, Neptune in Pisces

Dominant element: Earth (7 planets + MC)

followed by Fire (1 planet + AC + NN + Chiron) followed by Water (2 planets) Shocker: 0 air energy

Dominant modality: Fixed + Mutable (both 5 points)

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Have a great day! ✨

P.S. I also hope i gave you some insight and tips on how to look for certain aspects in your personal SR chart 💖

[usafphantom2]

Written by Brian Shul, Brian passed away in May of this year 2023, he was doing, what he loved to do speaking to a group about the SR 71 when he had a heart attack and died☹️

As we retired to the equipment room to change from space suits to flight suits, we just sat there-we hadn’t spoken a word since ‘the pass.’ Finally, Walter looked at me and said, ‘One hundred fifty-six knots. What did you see?’ Trying to find my voice, I stammered, ‘One hundred fifty-two.’ We sat in silence for a moment. Then Walt said, ‘Don’t ever do that to me again!’ And I never did.

A year later, Walter and I were having lunch in the Mildenhall Officer’s club, and overheard an officer talking to some cadets about an SR-71 fly-past that he had seen one day. Of course, by now the story included kids falling off the tower and screaming as the heat of the jet singed their eyebrows. Noticing our HABU patches, as we stood there with lunch trays in our hands, he asked us to verify to the cadets that such a thing had occurred. Walt just shook his head and said, ‘It was probably just a routine low approach; they’re pretty impressive in that plane.’

@Habubrats71 via X

[sliceofdyke]

what r ur favorite wlw movies u would recommend (and also possibly where i could watch them for free)

also unrelated but i was trying to remember the url u had right before this one and i can’t 😭 i’m terrible at remembering stuff like that. but i feel like u always have urls that are so You, like i remember i came back after a hiatus once and u sent me an ask like “oh im maddie btw this is my new url!” but i could already Tell lol bc it’s always aggressively aquatic and/or sapphic. queen of urls fr 🔥🔥

HI STARRY!!! resident dyke at your service 🫡 pleased to share some of my favs! linked is each movie's letterboxd, and ill also share where i watched them! (i recommend watching on a computer with some sort of adblocker extension like ublock origin.)

saving face (2004) dir. alice wu - MUST WATCH for all the gaysians out there! it's about a closeted chinese-american lesbian and her traditionalist mother, and centers on their relationship as well as both women's individual struggles in love and life. it's primarily a comedy but it has its serious moments, and i absolutely loved every second. racial and cultural familial expectations are an element present throughout this movie, and that's one of the reasons i like it so much. but i think it's presented in a way so that people who aren't chinese can understand! also, the relationship between the mc and her love interest is so engaging, and it really captures the struggle of many queer relationships where one person is more "out" than the other. the first site i found that has this movie in good quality was 0123movie.net!

next up is the incredibly true adventure of two girls in love (1995) dir. maria maggenti!! this movie was so good i audibly yelled at one point. although it's a lesser-known indie movie with a low budget, it has a raw honesty and heart to it that modern queer cinema often lacks (cough cough euphoria cough cough love simon). i was absolutely sold on the two mcs' chemistry and the progression of their relationship, and i loved how their blossoming first love was portrayed so authentically complete with all the rough edges and awkward glances. randy and evie were so endearingly dorky and cute, and i related to them SO bad. the heartfelt depiction of a multiracial sapphic teen love story really made me burst with joy. also a note to anyone who watches: trigger warning for pedophilia, lesbophobia & the d slur, verbal abuse, and threats of physical abuse. i can elaborate on these if anyone wants! btw a lot of more popular p1rating sites don't have this movie, but one that does is braflix.ru!

we all know her. we all love her. it's bottoms (2023) dir. emma seligman!! truly one of the best satirical works of our generation /srs. it's about two lesbians who end up starting an after-school fight club to lose their virginity before the end of senior year, and the shenanigans that ensue. bottoms does not take itself seriously at all, and lots of things make no sense plot-wise, but that is exactly what enables it to be so hilarious and silly. class periods are less than five minutes long, there are curse words in the school announcements, murders occur that are never addressed. and it's so FUN!!! a super good movie to watch with a group of friends that are as gay as you are. trigger warning for blood (lots of it) and comedic use of homophobic slurs. you can watch it on most p1rating sites but one that i've seen has it is myflixerz.to!

fourth, the half of it (2020) dir. alice wu! another masterpiece by miss wu, this time about a nerdy introverted high school girl who gets roped into ghostwriting love letters from a cheerful jock to the hot girl he has a crush on, and she ends up falling for the crush as well as they become friends. i watched it a couple years ago and rewatched it last year, and i loved it both times! i really appreciate how it's a story about friendship above all else and shows how platonic love can be just as important (if not more) than romantic love. and from what i remember, the filmography is also really good. this one is also available on myflixerz.to!

last but not least is kase-san and morning glories (2018) dir. takuya sato! anime movie about the budding romance between a shy gardening enthusiast and the charismatic ace of the girls' track team. this is a perfect movie if you want to watch something very low-stakes and laid-back! you can watch it on allmanga.to (this site has no ads on mobile which is so nice). i watched the subbed version but there is a dub as well. this movie is based off the manga of the same name, which finished in 2017, but there is also a currently ongoing sequel series about the couple's post-high school lives! if you're interested in reading that after watching the movie, feel free to reach out and i'll send you the website i read it on.

some other sapphic movies i've been meaning to watch but haven't gotten around to yet are: but i'm a cheerleader, the watermelon woman, portrait of a lady on fire, the handmaiden, and desert hearts!

hope this helps :)))

[mirikitakato]

[Translation] Murr SR Card Story: Who will win the battle of luck and misfortune?

When Owen can't escape from Murr.

Characters: Murr, Owen, Akira Event: Fortuitous Cuore of Truth (May 2023)

Card Story: Who will win the battle of luck and misfortune?

Episode 1

Murr: Hee, I see, I see.

Owen: Munch munch...

Murr: Hmm...Hey, Owen!

Owen:...…What, you're so annoying. I'm eating sweets, so don't talk to me.

Murr: This amulet is Bertha*!

Owen: Hey, are you listening?

Murr: It has a doll-like appearance, which is why many people decorate it as a doll. Originally, it should be displayed with the head down and the feet up. Look, the one in this room is upside down! So, if I flipped it over…This is the correct way to display the amulet!

Owen: I told you not to talk to me. I know that much. Murrr: I fixed the way it was displayed, so this amulet should now be able to take effect as a lucky charm! But how can we prove that?

Owen: Don't ask me.

Murr: But there's no one else in the room except you. Hey hey, Owen! Cast a bad luck spell on me. Is it the amulet or Owen's magic that's stronger? I want to test it out!

Owen: No.

Murr: Eh! Why not? Don't you want to know if the amulet really works?

Owen: I don't want to know. I'm not interested either.

Murr: …I see, I see! You're taking an attitude of disinterest to protect yourself.

Note: Yes, I do not know if バーサ is supposed to be Bertha, Vaasa, Versa or Bhāsa. Unable to find any information related to amulets with these terms I chose Bertha as it’s a common girl's name that fit the doll-like appearance described.

Episode 2

Murr: The Northern wizard Owen doesn’t want to lose an unfortunate showdown to an unpopular amulet.

Owen: Hah?

Murr: No need to fret! I won't tell Mithra or Bradley if you lose big.

Owen: There's no way I'm going to lose to a Bertha amulet. Are you crazy enough to not even understand that? If you want it that badly, I'll give you the worst misfortune. You might go crazy with fear this time. 《Cuore Memini》 See, the shelf is already starting to shake. It's going to fall over on you with all the amulets...

Murr: Whoa! 《Eanul Rambul》!

Owen: Haha. You were so scared that you tried to dodge it with magic? Maybe I'll forgive you if you cry and beg for your life.

Murr: Hmm... Maybe I don't need forgiveness yet. What I want now is a rational explanation for the fact that I was able to dodge the shelf with magic! I was supposed to be cursed by Owen and crushed by the shelf, but I managed to avoid it. Why? Because I defended against Owen's curse with magic! Why was I able to defend myself? Was it because my magic was stronger than Owen's? That's not possible. Then why? Maybe the amulet overpowered Owen's curse!

Owen: As if. My curse doesn't end here. In fact, this is just the beginning. Countless misfortunes will befall you endlessly. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of face you make when you know all the misfortunes of this world.

Murr: Yay! I'm super excited too~!

Card episode: The True Identity of That Coaster

Akira: There were many amulets in the mansion we visited the other day, but does Murrr also have a amulet that has such an effect?

Murr: I do! I won it in a bet!

Akira: Oh! What kind of amulet is it?

Murr: According to legend, it's supposed to be incredibly beneficial! It's said that only one was ever made so that it wouldn't disrupt the order of the world by bringing too much luck. The wizard who had it before me said, "You can become the happiest person in the world!"

Akira: Wow... That's something quite valuable, isn't it? So, do you still keep it?

Murr: Yup. It's right there.

Akira: Eh...You mean the drink coaster under your half-empty cup?…I did think it was a bit too extravagant for a coaster, especially since it's sparkling...

Murr: I've searched through every document and tried every experiment to see if it really works. And in the end, I came to the conclusion that it's nothing special. I was getting bored with the coaster I was using before, so I thought this would be a good replacement!

Akira: A…ha ha… (It's so typical of Murr to just get rid of something when he loses interest, even if it's a one-of-a-kind amulet…)

----Home-screen line----

“Ah! The Sage is petting another cat besides me! Cheater! I might get sulky and scratch ya, ya know! Meow~”

[starshinesparkle]

2023 Solar Return Placements:

Pisces Rising at 2 degrees: Daydreaming, prone to escapism and dreams, and ofc spirituality. People may project on to me more this year.

Chart Ruler in the first: Both Jupiter and Neptune (co rulers of Pisces) at 29 and 22 degrees, respectively. Big year for personal development, especially related to dreams. Since 29 is a Leo degree I could encounter some fame, but with 22 degrees I'll have to put in the work for it.

SR Juno conjunct natal Jupiter: Juno and Jupiter were married in Roman mythology, so I could meet my future spouse this year 🤩

SR North Node in 3rd house: focusing on things like writing, close friends and siblings

SR Mars in 4th: moving? Conflict with family/mom this year are possibilities

SR Lilith and Pallas in 5th: Creativity is on fire. Might attract more people romantically, especially Geminis (Lilith at Gemini degree).

Vertex in 7th: might fall in love and or form significant business partnerships this year

SR Libra moon: another possible relationship indication. Also could have something to do with my mom since one of her big 3 is in Libra.

SR Sun and Part of Fortune in 10th: big year for my career and reputation. SR Sun in 10th is often called a cornerstone year

SR Venus and Mercury and Pluto in 11: Could see transformation in my community groups and dreams. Hopefully for the better. Since Venus is conjunct Mercury, I could fall in love with a Mercurial friend.

SR Saturn in 12th: Could suggest relocation to another country. More likely isolation and self sabotaging myself.

With all the Leo and Taurus degrees, it seems like it'll be a year of indulgence for me. Likely to see success in money and areas of stability (Taurus things).

Any insights welcome. I'll let y'all know how it went at the end of 2023.