#finish selection

[inspiredlivingspaces]

IG alison_giese_interiors

[sabertoothwalrus]

appreciation post for the second half of dungeon meshi where senshi clearly starts treating chilchuck more like an adult. and also how the two of them start looking incredibly married

[apple-onigiri]

my greatest hits from the live artbook reaction i staged in front of my partner

[hoolyelina]

pangi writing that book got me mad depressed

[toki-toro]

what the diva

[t470n]

this might be a slightly controversial take but I love Cupid's character in HOO. In a lot of Classical and Renaissance depictions, he's quite mischevious, a little callous, and sometimes cruel. I really like this version of Cupid because it really leans into his 'tough-love' thing that he sometimes has. He's a god of love and he knows what's best for your love life so he's going to force it whether you're ready for it or not. He knows Nico's sexuality has been eating him alive, he knows Nico needs to get it out there and be accepted regardless of it, and he knows Jason is going to be accepting of him (and depending on your hcs it could be to help Jason realise his bisexuality). So he just makes it happen. Nico is having a horrible time and he isn't ready to put himself out there like that but Cupid is a god, he knows best and he's gonna just rip that bandaid off.

[lazywriter-artist]

Chapter one

Homecoming

Finally.

The warmth of the Terran sun slowly bathed over the trio as they stepped off of the ‘Macragge’s honor’. A number of ultramarines stood tall in salute as the three Primarchs passed by. Guilliman felt as a lump formed in his throat when his gaze trailed over his sons, and up to the golden palace of Terra. By the throne. This looming sense of dread could not be shaken from the back of his mind, not helped in the slightest by the masses gathering and gawking as if this were some glorious parade, but he couldn’t turn back now. Guilliman couldn’t even begin to imagine what the masses thought of his brothers, of Magnus... He and his brothers had made it so far already, and father couldn’t be left unchecked. Not anymore. They had to do something, anything, to make father grow up and get a grip. Sigh. Such a state of mind was one Guilliman would have never thought himself capable of fabricating on his own…that was until now he supposed.

You know, it was strange to be by Magnus’s side again…much stranger to the gawking, watchful eyes of the Terran populace they walked amongst, no doubt. He was pretty sure most didn’t even know of Magnus…and even fewer expected…such a form as the one his brother undertook now. He knew even after the arduous journey aboard the ship, with time to readjust and remember his brother’s figure, it still caught him off guard at times. Guilliman was just glad Dorn seemed to be taking it well too, there had been some tensions upon the reunion that had worried Guilliman. Even now, while Magnus had agreed to help them, Guilliman could feel something was not entirely honest in the why…but he trusted Magnus. He couldn’t place why, after millennia of what felt like confirmation to the contrary of trusting Magnus’s judgment, his mind still placed faith with his brother. Maybe it was a longing for a past that never was, or something that could have been. He did not want his mind clouded by the fog of ‘what if’s. They were in the now. Though…even still, something trusted Magnus. Perhaps, he could sense a burning passion that coursed through even Dorn in their conversations of father’s ill behavior, thus forming a burning and quiet pact that they needed to make things right, even if they all had different reasons.

…

Yes. That was it, Guilliman decided. They united themselves under the trust of their quiet pact. Their pact to rectify father’s behavior. Precisely…

His thought spiral was disturbed as there came the cheers of some Terran civilians at the sight of the three- well, he supposed Dorn and himself were the main reason, but he wanted to try and think of this as merely a mission like they used to go on. Before… everything. When they were still brothers. Well- certainly they were all still brothers, it would be foolish to insinuate they weren’t still related and tied together by their father’s blood coursing through each of them. Though…even more foolish would be to deny that there wasn’t a change in the way they spoke to one another now. Thinking about it this way? The idea that they were merely returning home to the praise of dozens for their work after using each of their strengths to save some distant far off world? It made the things he was about to do feel just that little bit more honorable. Just- just don’t think about it. They were simply reporting back to Terra after a successful mission with Magnus and Roboute merely having a long itemized list to report back to father with. It was a wonderful mission, he decided, the planet had greeted them with great kindness and open arms. That is why the civilians cheered. They were merely so successful and had done such a great job making peace that all the cogs fit nicely into place, no casualties at that. Yes. Didn’t his brothers recall? Simply a check up, a peace mission. You rarely get to go on those! Father will be glad to hear about it. Yes. yes he will…

Roboute felt that lump form again in his throat at the thought, when did his armor get so tight? He didn’t recall Terra being so hot. He felt like he was cooking in a portable oven. His gaze ran over the heads of his sons once again. Over the heads of the populace. His sight shot back and forth between the towering buildings, the bustling walkways, his mind churning through all the little noises he heard. The quiet chatter. The screams of joy. The pushing and shoving. The footsteps. The gasps, the idle street conversations being halted— he felt like the world was spinning around him. Like there was nowhere to go– was he always so light headed?

Oh dear.

He couldn’t keep deluding himself like this, could he? No…The cheers being silenced by the heavy stomps of Magnus behind him told him so. The fearful gazes of horror and some semblance of disgust when they caught sight of his brother told him so. The way his body perspired and muscles contorted in ways he never thought possible for a primarch told him so. The way his gaze landed back upon those towering, glimmering pillars of gold which concealed his father, who he never in a million years thought would use that grandiose booming voice of his to echo orders down the bustling halls again, told him so. Deep down, as much as he dreaded to admit it, His own senses told him so.

Taking in this acceptance, he’d draw a deep breath, his mind shutting out the ambient noise. His eyes focused forward as he’d quickened his pace. Reminding himself as he walked:

Steel your nerves, Roboute Guilliman. There is work to be done. You have never shied away from your duties, especially duties to better your home. Finish your task, with great care as you’ve always done. Steel your nerves, Roboute Guilliman.

Master list || Chapter select || Chapter 2

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2025: May Wrap-Up.

Good reading month, in terms of both quantity and quality (many four-star reads, good daisychain flow between books)! Great adulting month (more on this later)!! Even got some good knitting and writing in!

Here's what I read (photos/reviews linked):

GHOST OF THE NEON GOD ★★★★ Impulse buy; wasn't expecting it to worm into my brain but it did. Not perfect, but I had fun! Funny, fucked up, weird--you know my lifestyle.

CATCHPENNY ★★★★ Kitchen sink book (affectionate) about a washed-up thief who can travel through mirrors and doomsday cults and art and a missing teenager, exactly tickled my ODD THOMAS buttons, fucked up and funny and weird.

THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS ★★★½ I really wanted to love this, but it didn't quite stick the twist!ending landing for me. I admire his ambition and his worldbuilding; excited to see how the author grows. Overall a good time.

MINIMIZING MARRIAGE ★★★ Snagged this from the library for Aro Reasons (Brake coined the term "amatonormativity" and discusses its implications with regards to marriage specifically). Chapter 4 was excellent; the rest of it was interesting but not what I was after. Very readable volume in a Feminist Philosophy series.

BRIGHT ★★★★ Thai novel in translation (first one written by a woman!), been on my radar for years. Lovely translation, lovely tonal balance (sweet moments + melancholy; it's a story about an abandoned 5/6-year-old, but it felt Authentic instead of Saccharine or Depressing). Definitely keeping an eye out for her other work in English.

THE LUMINOUS DEAD ★★★★ I didn't mean to binge this in less than 24 hours on a three-day weekend, but Here We Are. This is We Support Women's Wrongs: Cave SF/Horror Edition. Propulsive, tense, claustrophobic, deeply fucked up.

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. (Example: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½, which is really only applicable for me at ★★★ and up). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[mollywog]

Actively sharing a doc at the same time is the most intimate form of friendship

[heartdrop]

i like you more than soup 🍜

[snazzyrat]

Hello, I was wondering if you were making any prompts for zimtober this year, if you are could you please link them or tell me any place I could find the prompts?

here ya go :p

[suosage]

BASTARD MÜNCHEN #8 ALEXIS NESS

I'll prove you guys wrong! I'll go pro and represent Germany, and someday... I'll become someone who can cast a spell on the whole world!

[jesskasb]

[toupee-or-nottoupee]

What do you think his laugh sounds like?

(I'd be starstruck too, I love ominis sm. happy looks good on him ok.) (also him laughing is more of a product of relief of being out of danger but also hearing about the Headmaster shenanigans is really funny. I rewatch the gameplay for that and it never ceases to delight me.) (I wanted more Prof Fig comfort/dad moments 😔 Is he giving Ominis the evil eye for getting so close? we may never know.)

pt 1 / pt 2 / pt 3 (You're here)

[mikansei]

i'm thinking about the guards outside aventurine's room in the reverie. stuck working a boring security job on THE planet of festivities, stationed outside a room in boring reality where someone's literally just sleeping all day. absolutely jackshit to do.

but there's no way aventurine would trust just any old grunt to guard him when he's that vulnerable; they had to have been hand-picked, personally vetted over years of working for him. it's no small feat to become someone aventurine trusts not to stab him in the back, even with the built-in insurance that if you shank your boss, he can't sign your paychecks anymore.

so they were familiar enough with him to know how he works, i.e., pulling off insane stunts and doing it solo. i have to think they're the kind of people who would've wanted to join him - not because they're sore about not getting to see the dream, but because they want to guard him IN the dream. you have a whole team of us, boss! put us to work!

and he keeps insisting no, he has to do it alone. it's too risky.

what could notorious gambler aventurine possibly find "too risky?" it's not that he thinks they'll slow him down or get in his way; it's not that he just prefers working alone or hates relying on others. that's what other people, in other departments, might think.

but these guys know: he does these missions solo because he doesn't want to risk their lives - that's the unacceptable risk to him.

(they also know not to ever say so aloud, because said notorious gambler has a reputation to maintain, and "worries about his employees' wellbeing" does not fit the image.)

[brawlingdiscontent]

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