#i read the reviews and they all were just like “this app is amazing but PLEASE add the lasso tool”

[cryptidclaw]

I want to get Procreate dreams but I'm not gonna do it until they add the lasso tool. Like??? That is a super important tool for animation why isn't that on there???

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting the Red Team Blues audiobook, which Amazon won't sell (read by Wil Wheaton!)

Red Team Blues is my next novel, a post-cyberpunk anti-finance finance thriller; it’s a major title for my publishers Tor Books and Head of Zeus, and it’s swept the trade press with starred reviews all ‘round. Despite all that, Audible will not sell the audiobook. In fact, Audible won’t sell any of my audiobooks. Instead, I have to independently produce them and sell them through Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/21/anti-finance-finance-thriller/#marty-hench

Audible is Amazon’s monopoly audiobook platform. It has a death-grip on the audiobook market, commanding more than 90% of genre audiobook sales, and every single one of those audiobooks is sold with Amazon’s DRM on it. That means that you can’t break up with Amazon without throwing away those audiobooks. Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I can’t give you a tool to convert my own copyrighted audiobooks to a non-Amazon format. Doing so is a felony carrying a five year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine for an act that in no way infringes anyone’s copyright! Indeed, merely infringing copyright is much less illegal than removing Amazon’s mandatory DRM from my own books!

I’ve got amazing publishers who support my crusade against DRM, but they’re not charities. If they can’t sell my audiobooks on the platform that represents 90% of the market, they’re not going to make audio editions at all. Instead, I make my own audiobooks, using brilliant voice actors like Amber Benson and @neil-gaiman​, and I sell them everywhere except Audible.

Doing this isn’t cheap: I’m paying for an incredible studio (Skyboat Media), a world-class director (Gabrielle de Cuir), top-notch sound editing and mastering, and, of course, killer narrators. And while indie audiobook platforms like Libro.fm and downpour.com are amazing, the brutal fees extracted by Apple and Google on app sales means that users have to jump through a thousand hoops to shop with indie stores. Most audiobook listeners don’t even know that these stores exist: if a title isn’t available on Audible, they assume no audiobook exists.

That’s where Kickstarter comes in: twice now, I’ve crowdfunded presales of my audiobooks through KS, and these campaigns were astoundingly successful, smashing records and selling thousands of audiobooks. These campaigns didn’t just pay my bills (especially during lockdown, when our household income plunged), but they also showed other authors that it was possible to evade Amazon’s monopoly chokepoint and sell books that aren’t sticky-traps for Audible’s walled garden/prison:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/90282-we-wrote-a-book-about-why-audible-won-t-sell-our-book-and-snuck-it-onto-audible.html

And today, I’m launching the Kickstarter for Red Team Blues, and even by the standards of my previous efforts, I think this one’s gonna be incredible.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

For starters, there’s the narrator: @wilwheaton​, whose work on my previous books is outstanding, hands-down my favorite (don’t tell my other narrators! They’re great too!):

https://wilwheaton.net/

Beyond Wil’s narration, there’s the subject matter. The hero of Red Team Blues is a hard-charging forensic accountant who’s untangled every Silicon Valley finance scam since he fell in love with spreadsheets as as a MIT freshman, dropped out, got his CPA ticket, and moved west. Now, at the age of 67, Marty Hench is ready to retire, but a dear old friend — a legendary cryptographer — drags him back for one last job — locating the stolen keys to the backdoor he foolishly hid in a cryptocurrency that’s worth more than a billion dollars.

That’s the starting gun for a “grabby next-Tuesday thriller” that sees Marty in between three-letter agencies and international crime syndicates, all of whom view digital technology as a carrier medium for scams, violence and predation. Marty’s final adventure involves dodgy banks, crooked crypto, and complicit officials in a fallen paradise where computers’ libertory promise has been sucked dry by billionaire vampires.

It’s a pretty contemporary story, in other words.

I wrote this one before SVB, before Sam Bankman0Fried and FTX — just like I wrote Little Brother before Snowden’s revelations. It’s not that I’m prescient — fortune-telling is a fatalist’s delusion — it’s that these phenomena are just the most spectacular, most recent examples in a long string of ghastly and increasingly dire scandals.

Red Team Blues blasted out of my fingertips in six weeks flat, during lockdown, when technology was simultaneously a lifeline, connecting us to one another during our enforced isolation; and a tool of predatory control, as bossware turned our “work from home” into “live at work.”

The last time I wrote a book that quickly, it was Little Brother, and, as with Little Brother, Red Team Blues is a way of working out my own anxieties and hopes for technology on the page, in story.

These books tap into a nerve. I knew I had something special in my hands when, the night after I finished the first draft, I rolled over at 2AM to find my wife sitting up in bed, reading.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I had to find out how it ended,” she answered.

The next day, my editor sent me a four-line email:

That. Was. A! Fucking! Ride! Whoa!

Within a week, he’d bought Red Team Blues…and two sequels. I finished writing the second of these on Monday, and all three are coming out in the next 22 months. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

Kickstarter backers can get the usual goodies: DRM-free audiobooks and ebooks, hardcovers (including signed and personalized copies), and three very special, very limited-run goodies.

First, there’s naming rights for characters in the sequels — I’m selling three of these; they’re a form of cheap (or at least, reasonably priced) literary immortality for you or a loved one. The sequels are a lot of fun — they go in reverse chronology, and the next one is The Bezzle, out in Feb 2024, a book about prison-tech scams, crooked LA County Sheriff’s Deputy gangs, and real-estate scumbags turned techbros.

The third book is Picks and Shovels (Jan 2025), and it’s Marty’s first adventure after he comes west to San Francisco and ends up working for the bad guys, an affinity scam PC company called “Three Wise Men” that’s run by a Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest and an orthodox rabbi who fleece their faithful with proprietary, underpowered computers and peripherals, and front for some very bad, very violent money-men.

Next, there’s three Marty Hench short story commissions: the Hench stories are machines for turning opaque finance scams into technothrillers. While finance bros use MEGO (“my eyes glaze over”) as a weapon to bore their marks into submission, I use the same performative complexity as the engines of taut detective stories. Commissioning a Hench story lets you turn your favorite MEGO scam into a science fiction story, which I’ll then shop to fiction websites (every story I’ve written for the past 20 years has sold, though in the event that one of these doesn’t, I’ll put it up under a CC license).

Finally, there’s a super-ultra-limited deluxe hardcover edition — and I do mean limited, just four copies! These leather-bound editions have Will Staehle’s fantastic graphic motif embossed in their covers, and the type design legend John D Berry is laying out the pages so that there’s space for a hidden cavity. Nestled in that cavity is a hand-bound early draft edition of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues. The binding is being done by the fantastic book-artist John DeMerritt. Each copy’s endpapers will feature a custom cryptographic puzzle created especially for it by the cryptographer Bruce Schneier.

I often hear from readers who want to thank me for the work I do, from the free podcast I’ve put out since 2006 to the free, CC BY columns I’ve written for Pluralistic for the past three years. There is no better way to thank me than to back this Kickstarter and encourage your friends to do the same:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

Preselling a ton of audiobooks, ebooks, and print books is a huge boost to the book on its launch — incomparable, really. Invaluable.

What’s more, helping me find a viable way to produce popular, widely heard audiobooks without submitting to Amazon’s DRM lock-in sets an example for other creators and publishers: we have a hell of a collective action problem to solve, but if we could coordinate a response to Audible demanding the right to decide whether our work should have their DRM, it would force Audible to treat all of us — creators, publishers and listeners — more fairly.

I’ll be heading out on tour to the US, Canada, the UK and Germany once the book is out. I’m really looking forward to as many backers in person as I can! Thank you for your support over these many long years — and for your support on this Kickstarter.

Today (Mar 22), I’m doing a remote talk for the Institute for the Future’s “Changing the Register” series.

[Image ID: A graphic showing a phone playing the Red Team Blues audiobok, along with a quote from Booklist, 'Jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas about cybersecurity and crypto. Another winner from an sf wizard.']

[harry-on-broadway]

The Last Line: Part Five

Part Five

Word Count: 5.2K || Series Masterlist || Rating: M

***

“It’s perfect.” 

“Really?” Penny blinked. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m not,” Skylar said with a light laugh. “There are a couple of things we might want to move around, but this will be a very light edit. Great work, Penny.” 

“Thanks,” Penny said, still in a state of shock. “I didn’t think it would be that good. I mean, I didn’t even think about it while I was writing. It was…” she searched for the right descriptor. “Word vomit, as gross as that sounds.”

“We often produce our greatest works when we give ourselves the space to say what we want to say without self-censoring. I wanted the articles in this series to come from the heart and that’s clearly where you pulled this from, Penny. I should have edits to you later this afternoon and we’re well on track to publish it tomorrow morning.”

“Sounds good. I have a couple of calls but I can make time to review it this afternoon.” Penny paused on her way out of the room. “Thank you again. For giving me this opportunity. And for helping me. With everything.” She inhaled sharply, feeling tears prick in her eyes. 

“I’m lucky to work with an incredible person like yourself, Penny,” Skylar said. “Helping you, guiding you, it’s my pleasure.” 

Penny could feel the eyes of her newsroom on her during the brief walk back to her desk. In the weeks since her meltdown in the conference room, Penny’s coworkers had begun to treat with a newfound sense of respect. Darren had been asked to seek other work in its aftermath of the incident and Penny’s subsequent relationship with Skylar had the others viewing her as some sort of deity. 

“Well?” Chloe asked as Penny slid into her desk chair. 

“She loved it.”

“As I knew she would.”

“She said she thinks it’s going to run tomorrow morning.” 

“So soon! Amazing!”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he’ll…?” Chloe didn’t need to finish her question. 

“I don’t know.” Penny swirled her straw in her cup, trying to get a sip of the vanilla syrup that had gotten trapped underneath the layers of ice and coffee. 

“Has he still been creeping?”

“Yes.” They hadn’t spoken since that night at her apartment and Harry continued to ignore every text and voicemail she left for him, but he was still lurking in her instagram stories. She’d started testing him, posting random and mundane shit like her morning coffee and the song she was currently listening to on Spotify. Regardless of whatever her story was, he was the first one to view it. 

“And do you think he’ll take the bait?”

“I hope so! Otherwise I don’t know what I’ll do. I just –” 

“Hey, it’s fine,” Chloe said, attempting to soothe Penny’s distress. “This is going to work. I promise you that.” 

Hours later, Penny’s Slack app chimed with a note from Skylar saying that edits were ready for her to review. As promised, her suggestions were minimal and Penny cleared them all within a half hour. She knew legal and design and all of the other departments involved would need to sign off on their end before it could be official, but by 8am tomorrow, her words would be out in the world. 

She didn’t know why she felt so nervous. She’s been through this hundreds of times before, but never had she shared something so personal with the hundreds (Or was it thousands?) of people who read the site everyday. It felt like she was giving a piece of her soul for public consumption. All in the hopes of winning back a man who never wanted to see her again. 

She sighed and closed her laptop. “I’m going to head out,” she said to no one in particular, earning a handful of half-hearted acknowledgements from those who were scattered around her. In her car, she opened one of the playlists Harry had shared with her and pressed play. Feeling the music wash over her, she pulled out of the garage and drove home preparing for the most nerve-wracking night of her life. 

***

August 17, 2019 

The Start of Something New 

By Penny Sanders 

This coming November will mark one year since I joined the staff at The Moment and four years since I accepted my first, official, grown-up journalism job. Ahead of these personal milestones, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what it means to be a journalist, specifically one that covers the arts. 

One of the main tenets of being a good journalist is objectivity. You’re there to present the facts in an unbiased way, calling out injustices and holding truth to power. Everyone learns that in their freshman mass comm class. But what they don’t tell you is how that rule isn’t always so cut and dry. 

While I do a bit of everything when it comes to music coverage here at The Moment, my primary role has been that of a critic, reviewing concerts and albums and giving you my honest take on them. It’s a dream job for many, but it’s also one that has caused me a great deal of stress and anxiety over the years. 

I’ve struggled to be harsh (even when a well-pointed criticism is deserved). I’ve struggled to hone a voice, oscillating between gushing fan girl and hardened veteran to appear as if I know what I’m talking about. And I’ve been a victim of intense (at times almost debilitating) imposter syndrome, second guessing that my opinions and ideas are even worth sharing. 

But all that has changed in recent months as I’ve started to venture down a new professional path, chatting with and profiling newsmakers in this industry we all love. Sitting down for these interviews, I’ve always expected the cold formality that has long been associated with an industry presser – say your question and get your answer as quickly as possible, foregoing any sort of human interaction. Instead, what I found was a connection I never knew I had been looking for. 

Recently, I had a chat with an artist who shall go unnamed. I’d reviewed their work before, and while I might have been fair in my assessment of their music, I wasn’t necessarily kind, something that I didn’t realize the impact of until we had a chance to speak face-to-face in an informal setting. As we spoke about our respective writing processes, I had a realization. We were one in the same. We found our way to an industry where everyone speaks the same language, found a pack to call home, and were creating the art we always wanted to, even if it was on opposite sides of the line. That conversation, along with subsequent others, really put into perspective the fact that you can’t separate the personal and professional when it comes to art, as a piece of you will always live inside your creation. 

So, why am I rambling about this and forcing you to read it at 8am as you have your morning coffee? Because I’m making some changes starting today. 

You’ll still see me around town and on the website reviewing concerts and albums (like I’d ever give that up!), but I’ll be expanding my coverage area as well. I’ll be chatting with some of the biggest names in the industry, cutting through the scripted BS and having real, human conversations about the thing we love most: music. I’ll also be sharing more personal essays about my own thoughts and feelings on the business of the day in an effort to start a conversation with you, our readers. 

So, if you’re reading this (and hopefully you still are), what are you waiting for? Let’s chat. My schedule’s wide open. 

***

Penny jolted awake at 6am the next morning. She had a couple of hours before she’d be able to share her article and put her plan into motion, so she took her time getting ready, blasting an early 2000s pop punk playlist while she did her makeup and drank her coffee. At precisely eight, she opened up The Moment’s website on her phone, grabbing the link to her article before navigating to Instagram. 

She’d already preselected a photo – a throwback shot of her in one of her dad’s old concert tees, cheesing hard in front of a record store. She posted it to her story with a quick caption (Tried something new and got a little personal this morning) and a link to the piece. She watched the progress wheel fill as the story uploaded and when it was finished, she opened it again, instantly spotting Harry’s profile picture in the bottom left corner. 

Distraction was essential to the next phase of the plan, so she tossed her phone in her bag, grabbed a thermos of coffee, and started the drive into the office. She could feel her phone burning a hole in her canvas tote, but she ignored it until she was seated at her desk. Her mom and one of her college roommates had replied encouragingly, but there was nothing from Harry. 

Doug, the SEO coordinator, greeted her brightly as he made his way to his cubicle. “Already getting a lot of traffic on it. Great work!” 

“Thanks.” She checked her phone again. Nothing. 

There was an editorial meeting that morning, and then Skylar took her for a celebratory pastry from the bakery across the commons before Penny’s afternoon interview with a photographer. When she finally got to check her phone over lunch, there were tons of notifications, but as she scanned through them all there were none from Harry. In the middle of the afternoon slump, she saw an email come in from Jeff – it was a simple “Nice job!” Not the most encouraging thing, but if Jeff had read it, it was probably safe to assume Harry had as well. 

Tom messaged her a little while later, a long and meandering note professing how proud he was of her and how great it was. The most interesting tidbit came at the end though. I think you’ll be surprised by the impact this has. 

“What does that mean?” she asked, passing her phone to Chloe.

“I don’t know, that you’re the voice that will define our generation?”

“Be serious.”

“I honestly don’t know! On the surface, it seems like a general ‘this is going to resonate with a wide audience’ comment, but maybe on a deeper level he’s talking about…you know.”

“But that’s not your first instinct.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Damn it.”

“Pen, it’s OK. We know he saw your post and that’s a start. Maybe he hasn’t had time to sit and read it but will later today or something.”

“Maybe…”

That night as Penny left the office, her head was somewhere else, deep in a daydream of what it would have been like if her plan had worked. Harry would have been outside her door with a cup of coffee and a bouquet of flowers. There would have been a kiss and maybe a little something else, but most importantly she’d have her friend back. Her eyes were on the ground, so it was the loafers and socks that she saw first. 

“Jesus Christ, are you trying to kill me?” she yelped, her heart racing.

“I didn’t know how else to find you.” Harry stood sheepishly slouching against her car door, wide-leg trousers slung low on his hips, bowling shirt unbuttoned just a little too far. 

“You could have come inside the building for starters? Or texted me? I know your phone is still working Mr. Instagram lurker.”

“You knew that was me?”

“It was pretty fucking obvious to anyone that knows you. And we had a bunch of mutuals including Tom, Jeff, and Mitch.”

“Fuck, I thought I was being a little more low key.” 

“Sorry.” Penny shifted uncomfortably. “So-” She was interrupted by boisterous laughter from a group making their way to a group of cars one lot over. 

“Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private to talk?” Harry asked. “If you’re comfortable with that?”

“Um, yeah that would be great. Do you want me to drive?”

Harry nodded affirmatively. “I bummed a ride off of Jeff so I am currently without transport.”

“Jeff’s a good friend. I would have made you hitchhike.” 

Harry snickered as he opened the passenger door and slid in. 

“Do you mind if we make a stop?” Penny asked as she pulled out onto the main road. 

“Not at all.”

“Good. I have a tradition after I publish an article.”

“What’s that?”

“An In-and-Out milkshake. Do you want one?”

“Chocolate, please.” 

Penny cruised through the drive-thru, grabbing the milkshakes as Harry tried to go unnoticed beside her. Ice cream in hand, she continued driving until they made it back to her apartment. 

“This is about as private as it gets,” she said, stirring the thick liquid with her straw. “We can stay in the car if you’d prefer.”

“No, let’s go in.” 

Harry stayed two steps behind Penny as she climbed out of the car and unlocked her front door. He followed her lead, taking his shoes off and sitting down on the couch. He took a sip of his milkshake and Penny mirrored his action. Neither was sure who should be the first to speak. 

“I’m sorry,” Penny said, thawing the awkward chill that had settled between them. “I know that’s an empty word, especially between us, but I just need you to know that I regret how everything blew up. I have an explanation for it all but none of that matters when you were hurt by my actions.” She paused. “I really hope you forgive me, but I won’t ask you to, as what I did crossed a line.” 

“I forgive you.” Harry said without hesitation. “And I would like to hear your explanation for what it’s worth.”

“Oh-kay.” Penny shifted, tucking her legs under her and turning to look at Harry more directly. “So you know how I’ve been trying to mix things up at work, write some more serious pieces? Well, it just so happened that Tom gave me one on a silver platter when he mentioned you were working on a new album. My intent was just to break some news, get a scoop that could show my editors that I could do it. But then I got to know you and you were telling me things that would have made for an amazing story and I just got carried away. I made the wrong choice to keep taking notes and working on this hypothetical story. Then Darren –”

“The asshole.”

“Yes, the asshole. He got involved and it spiraled out of control and things got complicated because of….” Penny trailed off, searching for the right word. “Us.” Penny looked up at Harry. “It’s important to me that you know I would have never published anything you told me after all of that. I value you as a person more than any sort of splashy article.” 

Harry nodded slowly. His face was serene but his fingers were working overtime, twisting the ring on his finger at warp speed. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me like that but just seeing those notes you had…” He chewed on his lip and his eyes grew damp. “It used to be so hard to figure out when someone was using me and when someone just wanted me for me. But thankfully, I’ve become a pretty good judge of that. I thought you were one of the good ones so seeing that just made me really second guess not only what we had and how I felt about us but it made me question my judgment. Do any of my friends actually care about me? It was a rough time. I’m still working through some of that if I’m being honest.”

“I hate that I was the cause of that.” 

“It was bound to happen eventually so don’t be too hard on yourself,” he said with a wry laugh. 

“Well either way…I’m glad my selfish actions helped you grow? That feels weird to say.” Penny laughed. “Anyways, I’m happy we were able to clear the air. I much prefer talking to you face to face instead of watching you lurk on my Instagram stories.”

Harry laughed before placing his cup on the coffee table. “Speaking of talking…I actually did want to discuss something with you.” He cleared his throat.” “That night…the last time we saw each other…what you said? About why you couldn’t do that profile?”

“Mhmm.”

“What did you mean that you love me?”

Penny took a long sip from her drink, buying herself some time to think. “I hated you the first time we met and I don’t know why because I feel like you’re the only person to ever truly understand me. You know what I’m thinking before I say it, you see things in the same way as me, and you make me feel invincible. That day that you read that article that Darren killed…I felt so supported in a way that I haven’t really before, which is like weird to say because I have friends and family who care about me, but standing in that coffee shop with you holding my hand and telling me I was good at my job was something I never knew I needed. But once I had a taste of it, I knew I had to have it forever.” She finished speaking and looked at Harry, who had an indiscernible expression on his face. “That was a lot, I know but you–”

“Can I kiss you?” His voice was low, his question was tentative, and Penny couldn’t even be sure that was what he actually said, but she nodded anyway. At this point, she would have given him permission to do anything. 

He approached her carefully, as if any sudden move would scare her away, cupping the back of her head with his hand and drawing her closer to him. 

Their first kiss was nothing like Penny had imagined. In her dreams, she’d envisioned everything from a quick peck on the cheek after he walked her home, to a feverish, tongue laden precursor to fucking. In actuality, it was gentle, yet firm, and despite the simplicity of it, the gesture was charged with more emotion than any kiss she’d had before. She didn’t even realize how lightheaded she was until they broke apart and she found herself gasping for breath. 

She met Harry’s eyes and exhaled. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for that.” 

It was like the kiss had unleashed something lurking deep inside them both and Harry lunged towards her, pressing his lips against hers again and again and again, pushing her flat on the couch, the remnants of their milkshakes long forgotten. Penny tried to memorize every detail: the weight of his body against hers, the softness of his lips on hers, the silkiness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it. She tried to stay in the moment, but the sensation of his body rubbing against hers made it hard to not think about what would happen next. 

“Ow!” Her head bumped uncomfortably against the arm of the couch as she slid down further.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, pulling back and checking her for any harm. His lips were swollen and his curls were disheveled. “What’s wrong?”

“I just bumped my head.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“No, it’s fine. Just a little cramped here.” Penny swallowed. “My bed might be more comfortable. If you’d like to move there.” 

There was a heavy pause and Penny prayed she hadn’t misread the moment.  Harry’s eyes glazed over as he processed what she said. “Um, yeah, that’s great. Lead the way.” 

Penny breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed off of her and helped her stand, keeping his hand entwined with hers as they made the brief journey to Penny’s bedroom. She backed him up into the room, and Harry fell back on the bed. Penny climbed astride him, kissing him again and again and again, and she ground her center against his growing erection. 

They’d waited for what felt like forever, but when they had nothing but time in front of them, there was no need to rush, even as Penny felt herself grow wetter with touch and caress. As Harry sucked kiss after kiss from her lips, she realized she’d never really thought about how hot kissing could be. Maybe it was just that she’d never been properly kissed, something Harry was working hard to rectify. 

Harry wound his fingers in her hair gently pulling her head back to expose the column of her throat. He nipped at the sensitive skin, sucking a kiss from it before soothing the spot with his tongue. He repeated the process up and down her neck until his fingers fell to the hem of her shirt.

“Is it OK if I take this off?” he asked.

“Yes,” Penny said, guiding his hands as they pulled her t-shirt up and over her head. She unhooked her bra as he tossed the shirt aside. Her bra followed leaving her naked from the waist up. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, absentmindedly rubbing his fingers up and down her side as his eyes took in every piece of her. “Come here.” He pulled her close and started kissing every inch of skin he could see. “So fucking beautiful.” 

Penny shifted so one of Harry’s legs was nestled between hers, giving her the pressure she craved as Harry continued kissing her neck. After a few minutes she stopped him. “I’m going to take these off if that works?” she asked, gesturing to her jeans. 

Harry nodded. “I should probably do the same.” He pulled his shirt off in one fluid motion and pulled his pants and briefs down next. Penny couldn’t help but stare. 

“Stop it, I’m shy.”. 

“You’ve got nothing to be shy about,” Penny said, trying not to let on exactly how impressed she was with what she saw in front of her. 

Harry cleared his throat, and Penny couldn’t tell if the flush in his cheeks was a result of their activities or embarrassment. “Do you have a condom?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah. There’s probably one around here somewhere.” Penny opened the drawer of her bedside table and dug through the mess. “That one is expired,” she said, tossing it to the waste basket. “And this one is….” she squinted to read the date. “Still good! We’re in the clear.” Harry laughed and it was her turn to blush. “What can I say, it’s been awhile since I needed one.” 

“No judgment as I’ve also been in a bit of a dry spell.” Harry took the condom from her and adjusted himself and Penny watched. She was still in shock that this was actually happening and was half convinced that she’d wake up from this dream any minute. 

“Penny?”

“Oh, sorry! Did you say something?”

“I just asked how you want to do this?” Harry asked. “What’s usually best for you?” 

“Oh…” Penny wasn’t sure if she’d ever had a partner ask her about her preference so directly, especially on the first hook up. She scoured her brain trying to think of what she actually liked and what wouldn’t be too intense for what could just be a casual hook up. “Um, usually just missionary is fine. But I also like to be on my knees occasionally.” She cleared her throat. “What about you?”

“I’m going to be honest with you, Penny, I think anything with you would get me across the finish line.” One look at his cock and she knew he wasn’t lying. She hopped up on the bed and got on her knees without a second thought. 

Penny could feel Harry lining himself up with her as she braced her hands against the headboard. It had been a minute since her bed had seen this much activity and she prayed the IKEA frame would hold up. Harry dragged his tip over her and she squirmed with the anticipation of what would happen next. The first thrust caught her off guard and she pitched forward. 

“Careful,” Harry said. His voice was soft, but its usual gentleness had been replaced by something harder. “Do you need me to stop?” 

“Please, no,” Penny panted. He’d reached a spot deep inside on just one thrust and she just needed a minute to adjust to him. The burn of him inside her was unmatched, the perfect combination of pain and pleasure. Harry had wrapped one arm around her waist holding her steady as she adjusted, lightly tracing abstract patterns over her skin. “OK, you can go,” she half whispered, half moaned.   

Harry anchored his hands on her hips as he thrust in and out in a painstakingly slow rhythm. It was torture – for the both of them – Penny presumed, and she felt the beginnings of an orgasm building inside of her. She could feel the pressure of his hand against her hip, knowing it would leave a bruise tomorrow, a thought that turned her on even more. Harry moved his hand up her body, settling on her breast and rolling her nipple as he increased the pace of his thrusts. It was all consuming, but Penny still needed more. She reached down to stroke her clit, the bud already tender and slippery with arousal. She was close, she could feel it. Just one more stroke and –. 

“Can we –?” Harry asked breathlessly as he attempted to flip Penny onto her back. “I want to see you. I need to see you.” Penny complied, her body pliant in his arms as he placed her gently on her back before ducking down for a deep kiss as he locked his fingers with hers. 

He pulled away and gently pushed inside of her, eyes not leaving hers. Even if she wanted to, Penny wasn’t sure she could look away. She was transfixed by what she saw in front of her. Harry’s skin and hair were damp from exertion, and the curls she’d been playing with earlier were pressed against his forehead. She could feel the tremble of his muscles and when she buried her nose in his neck, she got a whiff of the scent that could only be described as Harry. 

“Are y-you close?” Harry asked as his hips stuttered. 

“Yeah, I am.” 

“Can you come for me, baby? I need you to.”

It could have been Harry calling her baby or it could have been the feeling of him rubbing against her clit or it could have just been the intense passion she felt between them, but Penny pitched over the edge, moaning Harry’s name as she fell. 

“That’s it, baby,” he moaned, as he spilled into the condom. “That’s it. So fucking good.” 

He fell forward, resting his full weight on her as they lay there. He pressed kisses against every bit of skin his mouth could reach and she raked her fingers up and down his back and through his hair. Penny didn’t know how long they lay there like that but even when she felt their sweaty skin start to stick together she made no effort to move. 

She wasn’t letting Harry go ever again.  

***

When Penny woke up, Harry’s arm was heavy around her waist and she could feel his breath on her back. He radiated heat and despite the uncomfortable stickiness of the sweat that covered her, she made no effort to move. She had no idea how to define what had happened last night – and again in the early hours of the morning – but she knew she didn’t want this to be the end. 

She could feel Harry stir behind her and she carefully twisted around in his arms to sneak another look at him. He was so peaceful when he slept, his hair a tangled mess on the pillow. He snored lightly, almost like a whistle, and he was most definitely a cuddler. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, lulled back to sleep by the gentle rhythm of Harry’s breathing, only to be jolted awake by the sound of her alarm. 

Harry slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the faint light that was trickling in through the curtains. He looked around, getting his bearings before smiling at Penny as she silenced the alarm.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I usually don’t have to worry about waking anyone else up.” 

“It’s not a problem,” he slurred, his voice still thick with sleep. “Should probably be getting up now anyways.” 

“You could stay for breakfast,” Penny offered, hoping she wasn’t misreading the situation. “I make a mean egg and cheese and have beans from the coffee shop down the block.” 

“I’d love nothing more than that.” Harry leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips, before rolling over to grab his phone. The gesture felt so normal, as if he’d done it every morning. 

“Shit,” he laughed. “I’m going to have a lot to explain today.”

“What’s wrong?”

He angled his phone so that Penny could read the screen. It was filled with messages from Tom, Tommy, and Jeff. “I told them I was planning to see you and they were very supportive of that decision. I think they’ll be thrilled with this development.” 

“Which is…?” Penny asked, testing the waters. 

“Us being together.” Harry’s eyes widened at Penny’s noticeable silence. “Unless I’ve completely misread this.” 

“No, no, no.” Penny leaned over to kiss him. “I want that. Us, I mean. I just didn’t think you’d want me after everything.” 

“You’re absolutely insane for thinking that, Penny. I’ve been waiting my entire life for you and I’m not letting you get away again.” Penny reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly, knowing that there were no words she could say to accurately convey how she felt in that moment. “Now come on,” Harry said. “You mentioned something about a breakfast sandwich?” 

Harry looked perfectly at home in her kitchen as she directed him on where to find the ingredients for their breakfast. They moved through the small space as if executing a perfectly coordinated dance routine neither of them had been taught, before sitting down at Penny’s table to eat together. 

“What do you have planned for today?” Harry asked. 

“Well, I’m going to go to work and then I’m going to head home.”

“No shows?”

“Not tonight.”

“Well,” Harry said, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “I would like to take you out. On a proper date. Could I pick you up at the office? Say around six?”

“It’s a date,” Penny said, smiling from ear to ear.

When the breakfast dishes had been washed and dried and Harry had donned his clothes from the night before, they lingered by the front door, not wanting to say goodbye. 

“A kiss for the road?” Harry asked. Penny stood on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “I’ll see you later then,” he said, unlocking the door. 

“Harry?” she asked, suddenly bashful. “You don’t have to answer, but what made you give me another chance?” He was so quiet, she wasn’t sure he had heard her. 

“It was your article,” he finally said, turning back to look at her. “You got me with the last line.” 

***

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has read this far and has stuck with this story despite its infrequent updates. This one was really personal for me to write so I greatly appreciate all of the ten people who have read this. 🫶🏻 Would love to hear what you think of the end!

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[demonic0angel]

The CN novels that inspired Ghost Games

All of these story recommendations have mlm or gay romances!! I wish I could offer other kinds of romance/horror CN novels but none of them inspire me much. Click on the names for the links!

Don't Pick Up Boyfriends From the Trash Bin: (recommended) A man dies and a system gets attached to him, before he goes into multiple worlds and saves the people he transmigrates into

(A brilliant webnovel that I absolutely adore because it manages to circumvent every bad stereotype of QT novels but the translations are slow. Ghost Games is specifically inspired by its 5th arc) [UNCOMPLETED]

Supernatural Movie Actor App: (recommended) A man finds an app where he has to "act" in horror movies to earn points for his wish to make his lover a body

(An amazing webnovel that is filled with fun, action, and suspense; the main characters are brilliant and I loved how each arc keeps you excited) [COMPLETED]

Card Room: A policeman and a forensic scientist accidentally fall into a game where they have to go through different trials in order to survive

(A fun and mysterious novel, tho it's very long (around 500 chapters) and I stopped halfway through) [COMPLETED]

Edit: I finished it! I recommend it only if you have the time to read it through, and although the ending suffered bc the author got lazy, it was actually a fun and interesting read! The cards/trials were all super interesting, so I had fun! (Recommended)

Kaleidoscope of Death: (recommended) A man accidentally enters the 12 doors, which is a supernatural event that can either save him or kill him

(Everyone and their mother is in the reviews section with EXACTLY identical reviews: "this novel is great but the plot twist is trash. Five stars" 💀. I agree with them. A fantastic and HELLA scary novel but as long as you avoid the extras (which holds the plot twist), the novel is amazing. After reading it, I was afraid to open cabinets for a while and no longer feared death 😔 it is so bloody) [COMPLETED]

High Energy QR Code: (recommended) A man tries to investigate his brother's death, and in doing so, falls into a game world

(I really enjoyed this fic bc it's similar to Supernatural Movie Actor App where the MC is naturally intelligent without seeming obnoxious, and the stories and arcs are all well thought out, creative, and fun. There's also somewhat found family, which I love. It was so much better than what I was expecting, but then again, the author has always made amazing stories (They’ve literally created the most highly rated novel on NovelUpdates and that novel inspired me as a person fr fr no cap. Highly recommend!!! It will change your life!!)) [UNCOMPLETED]

A Crowd of Evil Spirits Line Up to Confess to Me: A man who can see ghosts gets pulled into a ghost game, but there's always a ghost in it that seems to fall in love with him

(A fun novel with a protagonist that is kind but doesn't feel like Virgin Mary, but the translations are slow and I stopped reading bc of it) [UNCOMPLETED]

Non-Human Seeing Re-Employment: An ancient ghost finally gets his own human body before he gets sucked into a horror game

(A nonsensical and crackish webnovel with overpowered MC and ML; read it for fun, not for plot) [COMPLETED]

After the Little Crybaby Enters the Nightmare Cycle: A ghost gains a new body and then gets himself transported into a horror game to earn wishes

(Actually, I dropped this story really early on bc it was like… a less interesting and more boring version of Supernatural Movie Actor App 😶 like it had nearly all the same ideas but it was executed quite plainly and when I caught myself complaining about it, I realized I didn’t have to suffer through it so I dropped it. It’s not bad, just ordinary imo. One of its arcs DID inspire me tho so… you can make your own opinions about it) [COMPLETED]

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

art by em year in review 2023!

for the fourth time, i present to you a selection of the art i did this year! this definitely was the Year of Understanding Procreate, and i think it paid off. as usual, reflections under the cut.

january: i saw @malcolm-f-tucker tag a picture of abigail thaw with a comment about a theresa faceclaim and it left no survivors, i.e. i decided that theresa should have greying hair and did not look back. this was from when i was still trying to figure out what brush to use for lineart in procreate. luckily i had learned my lesson from the sketchbook learning curve and realized that what i liked for lineart would most likely be in the pencil section. however i wasn’t a huge fan of the brush i used in this one, so i didn’t use it again. instead, for later pieces, i decided to customize the 6b pencil brush to my liking, and…

february: …this came out of it! this is still one of my favorite things i have ever drawn, and it’s my favorite thing i’ve drawn yet for herc and linda. this piece really convinced me to use overlay layers more in my art, and the amount of detail i managed to capture in this one still amazes me now. and before anyone asks, yes, they are doing specific things in the startup procedure for an airbus a320-family aircraft, except linda is doing things off the CM1 checklist and herc is doing something off the CM2 checklist, which i learned later is not really something that is done. let’s just say herc is not the tightest stickler to convention.

march: one half of an intended two pieces centered around the f1 au (which, regrettably, i have yet to continue… i just reread what little of the second part is on ao3 and god, it slaps actually, i really need to continue it so bad) depicting a pivotal scene from around the outside, where theresa and linda decide to put aside a childhood feud at the top of the banked curve at monza. at sunset. on theresa’s birthday. i know, very meaningful, incredibly homoerotic. read the fic to see how well that turns out!

april: i always knew i wanted to redraw the first filipino!hercolyn thing i did back in 2020, the one that completely solidified in my mind the notion that These Characters Are Filipino, Actually, and when i got comfortable in procreate i quickly jumped on that. (if you notice, a lot of the stuff i did this year were redraws of old pieces i really liked but wasn’t fully satisfied with.) of course i wanted to draw them in the traditional clothes in my parents’ and grandparents’ wedding pictures. the implication of this being, of course, that this is the soft shoe shuffle wedding. i have a fic planned centered around that, from douglas’ perspective. now that grad school apps are basically done, if my honors thesis doesn’t kick me too hard, i’d love to get on that as soon as i can.

may: YOU JUST GOT COLINED! SEND THIS TO A FRIEND TO TOTALLY COLIN THEM! ah, colin fairbairn: the figure whose presence haunts all of newcastle but is never actually. named. (much to the chagrin of a lot of people who genuinely thought linda’s dad was named colin bc i Wouldn’t Shut Up About It) i just love him so much and i love this piece, i wanted to depict the wistfulness of an older colin whose airline is on the verge of collapse, who has been secure in his job as chief pilot of air cal, who looks out over glasgow airport (that’s glasgow’s runway in the background) and wonders if it’s time to put himself out to pasture. wondering what he could have done differently. it’s okay bby. there’s no way that you could have prevented this. but he’d never believe it. he’s too duty bound. he lives in my head rent free.

june: another redraw, this time of a piece from 2021. i was so happy with this one, and i am very happy with it still! everything about the older piece i loved was improved massively by this redraw: the poses, the proportions, the line work, the coloring. honestly, just thinking about the two of them just existing in the airport, overlooked by bustling passengers, just part of the landscape, but having such a rich history and relationship between them… it’s something i think about a lot and i love it.

july: this comprises the third part of an unofficial trilogy of drawings i did centered around douglas/martin/theresa. in each one, i centered a different member of the ot3: i did one centering martin last year, one centering douglas in the spring, and this one centers theresa between douglas and martin. i really enjoy how i did the expressions in this one: martin, looking out toward the planes; theresa, following his gaze, eager to share in the passion they both have; and douglas, looking down at both of them (yeah i think they’re both shorter than him. i think it’s cute). i feel like when i draw these three, where they look and how they look is very important to me.

august: can you believe before this point i had never drawn herc and douglas together? yeah, me too. anyway, them 🤍 i’ve literally only ever drawn them as older men so trying to draw them younger was. lowkey kind of hard. i’m hoping to revisit air england herc and douglas in the future, especially since i didn’t intend for this to be anything more than a quick bit due to those bisexual divorcee brackets (which i don’t know what became of them in the end except that douglas got through and herc didn’t, lmao)

september: unposted self-portrait done as a part of my aerospace fellowship application i wound up getting rejected from because they required me to do a creative component. not much to say here. anyways.

october: yet another redraw, this time of a portrait of herc, carolyn, linda, and arthur i did a year prior, in october of 2022. i like to think that lfeu!herc carries pictures of linda, arthur, and carolyn in his wallet: he had never wanted to be the family man for most of his life, but in his new life, this new form, he can play it well. something about the coloring seems a little off to me: i think i may have to go in and adjust arthur’s skin tone because i think it doesn’t look 100% right. but i love this one too. i hemmed and hawed for ages over what they should be wearing but in the end i put them in what they’d wear for work bc i couldn’t think anymore. but it turned out super cute and i think it emphasizes what brought the four of them together in the first place: aviation.

november: a cute little doodle of young!colin with baby linda, from a bigger piece. something i generally feel like i’ve gotten stronger with this year has been drawing a larger variety of poses. i discovered that procreate allows you to import reference images in a smaller window that can be very easily dragged around and resized, which was a massive improvement over my previous strategy with sketchbook, which had been to import reference images as their own layers. often, moving it around or resizing reference images resulted in some loss of quality. anyways there’s something just so tender about colin and linda and i love to revisit them.

december: last but not least, we finish off the way we started, with theresa (and an added douglas lol). and boy, how different does december look from january? granted, it’s a different angle, but i personally think there is so much more dimension at the end of the year compared to the beginning. i was less afraid of using overlays to enhance the coloring. and the brush i wound up settling on for lineart really ended up serving me well this whole year, culminating in this piece. not much to say on this one, i like it a lot :)

overall thoughts: i didn’t think i drew as much as i wanted to this year, but looking back i still think i made really good progress and improved a lot from last year, so i’m still happy. definitely want to draw more next year, explore new subjects, and maybe work on redrawing more pieces from previous years because those projects have been very fun to undertake.

once again i want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s ever shared or commented or left a like on anything i’ve drawn: it will have been 10 years next year since the end of the show i primarily create fanwork for, and to still have people out there who like what i do is such a gift. yes i create for myself, but i do also like receiving feedback from others and sharing it with others, so thank you thank you thank you. and happiest of new years to all :)

[vannahfanfics]

One Piece Live Action: Review

Well, I came home after work yesterday and immediately binged the entirety of the live-action One Piece adaptation. Now that it's morning, I thought I would collect my thoughts (which I rambled to several friends and also into my handy-dandy phone notepad app) and write a review, for anyone who's interested. I'll be honest, it's mostly for me; I have so many feelings as someone who actually loves cinematography and the artistic analysis of film with regard to storytelling—because we all know how much I love my stories—that I just have to rave about this honest-to-goodness masterpiece of a show. Obviously, it will be very spoiler-heavy, so read at your own discretion!

So, I'll start with a blanket statement and reiterate that, again, I thought this show was a masterpiece. Given the history of live-action anime adaptations, I was cautious in not having terribly high expectations, even after learning that Oda was intimately involved in the production; I also went in looking to respect it as its own entity, though, and willing to look past certain things provided there were no egregious insults to the source material. And y'all, when I say I was blown away—I damn near had a smile on my face the whole night watching it. It wasn't just the nostalgia; it was the overbearing feeling that so much love was poured into this show, which I find to be unfortunately lacking in a lot of Hollywood films these days. I found myself thinking of the Peter Jackson adaptations of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Though there were changes, some of them large, none of them felt averse to the source material; in fact, the changes felt like they came from an admiration of the source material and a strong desire to bring them justice. I dunno, I was just amazed by the pervading feeling that each and every person involved in making this show had a dream to bring One Piece to life, and they poured every ounce of effort into bringing that dream to fruition—which is what One Piece is all about. This has set the standard for live-action anime adaptations, and I finished this show so desperately hungry for more, to see how they could go bigger and better when bringing the subsequent arcs to life in a nostalgic but refreshingly new way. Goda has delivered yet again, and honestly, I will never be the same. Words aren't going to be able to capture the depth of my feelings about this show, but I must ramble on nonetheless because I am just so awed and inspired and emotional about it.

Episode 1: Romance Dawn

First of all, it's a no-brainer to have the first episode of the series titled "Romance Dawn," but it still made me giddy. The opening sequence was sick. Michael Dorman absolutely sells it as Gol D. Roger; his absolute blitheness in the face of his impending death is so spot-on, and his rendition of the "Wealth, Fame, Power" speech was so rousing. I loved that they kept the fact that Dracule, Shanks, Smoker, and Dragon were in attendance, too, and though they were the briefest of blips, their appearances hinted at the personalities and relationships with Roger that manga/anime followers already know well: Dracule, simply intrigued and stoic; little Shanks, distraught at the looming death of his captain; young Smoker, mystified at the downfall of such a legend but not necessarily sad; and Dragon, who is shown only in his green cloak, shrouded in mystery as he is. I liked the inclusion of Garp at the execution, especially given his expanded role in this adaptation of the series, but also because of his close relationship with Roger in canon; it only makes sense that he would be there at the end. I was also pleasantly surprised that they showed Roger's death on-screen. It immediately established that the tone of this version of One Piece would be darker, with the stakes higher, and I honestly love that. Finally, the overhead scene of all the people rushing out of the square to take to the seas was so breathtaking; it really drove home the impact that this one man and his words had on the world, to the point that his legacy is still going strong twenty years later.

I loved the way we are introduced to Luffy, with this new scene of him rambling to the mail pelican while shoveling water out of his sinking dinghy. It was very Jack Sparrow-esque, which was a nice nod to another defining powerhouse of the pirate adventure genre, but also so Luffy. And I maintained that feeling throughout the show. I mean, even down to the little things, like Luffy smiling every time he was in a fight, him holding onto his hat while fighting to keep it from falling off, him cheering and screaming and crowing with glee—all the little nuances were just so Luffy! I'll probably say it a thousand times throughout this, but every single member of the cast is astounding in their roles and how they embody the characters. Iñaki is no exception; he is Luffy, through and through, even if not exactly the same as the anime/manga Luffy that we all know and love. Also, the CGI effects of his rubber abilities are really cool! I imagine that was so hard to pull off, but they really do a good job of trying to make it as believable as possible.

I will scream from the rooftops about how much I love the treatment of Alvida's character. There was not even one single quip of her being "fat" or "ugly"; everything pertaining to how she is "bad" was geared to her cruelty, and I love that we've broken away from that stereotype in this show. Also, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino slayed as Alvida. She was every ounce of strong, brutal, and callous as canon Alvida, and honestly, she looks gorgeous doing it.

Also, I lived for Koby and Luffy's friendship in this series. Morgan Davies did such a fantastic job portraying Koby and his growth, and his chemistry with Iñaki was just so... yes. Every time they are on screen together, I have the biggest, stupidest smile on my face because you can just see how deep their friendship is despite not knowing each other for very long. Their goodbye scene was so, so, so touching; with the lighting, and the music, and the expression on Koby and Luffy's faces... I got misty-eyed in a way I didn't reading the manga. Given how Koby's friendship with Luffy is such a defining part of his character in the manga, the fact that they evolved it after this initial arc made me incredibly happy. If this show goes on, I'd love to see how they continue to show Koby's growth alongside the Straw Hat's adventures, given the pivotal roles he goes on to play in the narrative.

Another thing I love is the fact that the Straw Hat's backgrounds are shown in pieces throughout the narrative at key moments in the present, such that past and present parallel. It's so good and so much more impactful than just having it shown as one big chunk. Since this is largely Luffy and Shanks' background, I'll focus on it. Peter Gadiot did such a compelling job as Shanks. His portrayal of Shanks carried a tenderness and care for Luffy that just tugged at all my heartstrings. Like, his expression when he realized that Luffy ate the Devil Fruit was just so amazingly haunting... The guilt, the horror, the realization that Luffy's life will never be the same, and there's nothing he can do... Simply spectacular. Also, I will comment again on just how amazing the casting was. Even the background characters, such as Shanks' crew, just shined in their brief moments. Like, even Makino—her minimal reactions with Luffy and Shanks were just so her! She and Shanks really had that "husband and wife" energy, and I lived for it. I also have to give a round of applause to the dialogue in the series. The small changes from the manga/anime defined these portrayals of the characters as distinct from those we've come to love, but in the best way. I was on the FLOOR when little Luffy yelled "Why didn't you get his ass?!" at Shanks because it came out of left field yet was so believable and so Luffy with what we'd been shown so far. Iconic.

I loved the introduction to Zoro's character! It was so him, but also, I was amazed by the inclusion of Baroque Works so early on! His fight with the previous Number 7 was badass, and the fact that, again, the show didn't shy away from on-screen death really highlighted how dangerous this world really is. And it contradicts so well with Nami's introduction, which is so playful, with her jaunty little theme in the background. It's just so One Piece, adrenaline-pumping action and high stakes balanced with lighthearted energy and fun. Then, the bar sequence was just... chef's kiss. I love that the original three came together in the first episode; I was so excited to see what it meant as far as changes to the story and how their dynamic develops. The way they wove in scenes from the manga/anime into this new narrative was so clever; we still got Zoro eating the little girl's rice ball off the ground, establishing how good of a character he is despite seeming so ruthless. But also, can we talk about the choreography of Zoro's fight scene against all those Marines? Just... The fact that he didn't even draw his sword once because he didn't even feel them worthy opponents, the languid nonchalance of his movements when he stepped away from the bar interspersed with his crisp agility in cutting them down, the guy he took out with the cup?! Amazing. Mackenyu read the goddamn assignment. Also, Nami using her wiles to flirt with a Marine, then knocking him out to steal his uniform as soon as he's distracted... Classic Nami. And then Luffy, getting super excited at seeing Zoro fight... while Koby immediately crawls under the table to hide, LOL.

Also, props to Aidan Scott for his portrayal of Helmeppo, like, he perfectly captured the whiny bitch energy. Crawling on his hands and knees away as soon as Zoro gets one hit in on him is classic Helmeppo lmao. I also liked that they didn't shy away from hinting at how terribly Morgan treats him, though I do wish we could have seen a little more of it, if only for the sake of rounding out Helmeppo's character to make his growth throughout the show more impactful (and I will rant and rave about his growth because, my gosh, I love what they did with his character!). I died at the infamous naked sword-practicing scene, but like, it was also so perfect? Like, it just gave even more depth to his character, showing that he does desire to be strong and taken seriously, and how much his mistreatment by his father affects him. The fact that Zoro is the one who gave him his curly-bob haircut sends me, though, just... so hysterical. I screamed.

Langley Kirkwood did a great job at playing Axe-Hand Morgan, too; he totally captured his swagger, self-confidence, and tendency to exaggerate his own accomplishments. I liked that they changed the narrative a bit to where Zoro ended up in the yard because he refused to join Morgan rather than just him beating up Helmeppo; like, it just added such a neat spin to his character, showing that he is devoted to being a bounty hunter simply because he is searching for strong opponents for the pursuit of his dream and nothing else.

I also loved the changes to how Zoro, and Nami, end up joining up with Luffy. My heart swelled when Luffy untied Zoro simply because he wanted him to be able to follow his dream, and that's all, not as a means of pressuring Zoro to join him. Then Nami, sneaking around the Marine Base and stumbling upon Luffy, who almost gets them caught time and time again. It's just so them. I was so overjoyed to see Nami get some action with her Climatact, too! It was so nice to not see her overshadowed by the guys, but right there in the thick of it with them. And, speaking of in the thick of it, the fight with Axe-Hand Morgan was so good! The choreography was amazing, and the music accompanying it just made it that much more heart-pumping. I literally starting pumping my fist and whooping when the bandana and third sword came out, like, iconic Zoro moment brought to life.

Finally, Buggy's introduction at the end was so spot-on. The drama. The excessiveness. The madness. It made me so pumped, alongside seeing that Garp going after Luffy was going to be put at the beginning of the series. Some people didn't like the change, but honestly, it made more sense to me that he would go after Luffy immediately, seeing as he was intent on testing Luffy to see if he was ready to take on the world. It's evident that Garp deeply cares for Luffy, and it just makes sense to me that he wouldn't wait.

Episode 2: The Man in the Straw Hat

Honestly, this is one of my favorite episodes, and all because of Jeff Ward's portrayal of Buggy. It was so amazing. But, I also like the beginning segment showing Zoro, Nami, and Luffy's dynamic. There really is tension among them; they are not a crew yet, and seeing them come together over adversities and genuinely beginning to see each other as a crew and a family just gives me the warm and fuzzies. Because trust isn't just immediately given; it's earned, and it takes time, and seeing them slowly realize how special Luffy is and become compelled and inspired to follow him is so special.

Okay, but onto the main act: Buggy. Buggy. BUGGY! I loved the changes they made to this whole thing, honestly. Setting it in a whole circus tent where the audience is kidnapped town members rather than just... a concrete slab in a ruined town, was so smart. Like, as silly as Buggy is, he is still a menacing pirate, and the way they set up this encounter really reminded us of that. And y'all, I cannot praise enough Jeff Ward's Buggy. So amazing. Like, he's so demented yet pathetic in that Buggy way that it blows my mind, and yet, he still brought his own spin to it by really leaning into the fact that Buggy is the way he is because of his insecurities, to the point that he is totally delusional about what really happened between him and Shanks. Like, the personality switch when he realizes that Luffy knows Shanks, and he full-heartedly believes that Luffy was abandoned by Shanks, too, and is an outcast like him, and offers to have him join his crew, but being so spine-chillingly twisted the whole time is just so, so, so good. Also, again, the CGI for his Devil Fruit abilities was so cool and slick. It captured that perfect balance between horrifying and comical that's so Buggy. Finally, again, I love the changes to the dialogue that came with the show. Buggy's "Surprise, shitheads!" is just so him but still had me rolling because I didn't expect it.

And, in true One Piece fashion, Luffy's perilous plight is countered with the relative light-heartedness of Nami and Zoro escaping to rescue him. Seriously, I love the sass that Mackenyu brings to Zoro. The "Yeah, that does sound like me" was just so perfect.

The water tank scene was... oh my gosh. I will say it again and again throughout my review, but it was so clever and symbolic of them to put the flashbacks in places in the present that parallel each other. I knew it was coming, but the scene where Shanks saves Luffy was just so emotional and raw. Again, Peter Gadiot brings such a softness to Shanks that I love; the tenderness when he hugs Luffy and tells him that he doesn't care about his arm, that he's just glad he's okay, looks like it really comes from the heart. I was in tears at the end of the flashback when Shanks bequeathed his hat to Luffy; it was so emotional, and the choice to have Shanks tell Luffy to "Be good" almost killed me. Because it isn't just him telling him to behave... It's telling him to be a good person, and that's the core of Luffy's character: he's just, he's compassionate, he's truly good in a world so corrupt. Literally, that one small moment took my breath away. Finally, just a small note, but God, did I love the way that they showed Conqueror's Haki! I was interested as to how they were going to do it, and it delivered.

Finally, Iñaki has Luffy's "Don't mess with my friend or I'll kick your ass" glare down pat. When he looked at Buggy, I lost my mind with excitement because I knew shit was about to get real!

Episode 3: Tell No Tales

I really like the title of this episode, too. Not only is it clever because it's Usopp's episode, but it foreshadows the horror movie-esque vibe that Kuro's personage brings to the show by bringing to mind the saying "dead men tell no tales."

I love that the episode starts off with another scene of Luffy, Zoro, and Nami on the boat to show how they are coming together. The banter is different, somehow, with an undercurrent of growing care and trust. Also, of course, I love that they kept the janky Jolly Roger and the details of paint splatter on Luffy's face. It was just a classic cute, funny Straw Hats moment. I also loved all their interactions in the mansion, especially the changing room scene. Like, I love that they kept Luffy's acespec overtones by having him totally not react to Nami asking for opinions on how she looks at all.

I love the changes they brought to Syrup Village! Like, it was so clever to make it a shipwright's town with Usopp having a job in the shipyard, which gives more weight to his abilities as a shipwright and inventor plus the deep bond he develops with the Going Merry. Also, I adore Jacob Romero Gibson's rendition of Usopp! He makes his character so funny, so charming, so lighthearted like the comic-relief Usopp we know, but with some slight changes that really define him as a distinct Usopp. His chemistry with Kaya is so good; I loved the treatment they got in this adaptation. You could truly feel the love and deep bond between them.

Again, the side character casting is amazing. Celeste Loots makes the sweetest, most adorable Kaya. Her look of inspired wonder when Luffy was talking about a pirate's love for their ship and how it's a home was so simple, yet so defining for both her and Luffy's characters. I also loved that she and Nami bonded! It was a clever way to give insight into both of their characters. Alexander Maniatis played such a great Kuro; like, the instant I saw him, I got chills down my spine because he seemed such a prim and proper butler yet had such an edge of malice about him. Also, he nailed the Kuro glasses gesture. Also, Sham and Rika were so well done; they really nailed that whimsical horror vibe going on. Finally, Merry was done well, too! Though I adore him, I was glad that they chose to actually kill him this go-around. First of all, from a medical perspective, it's hard to survive that kind of wound LOL; but also, it again showed just how high the stakes are and how frighteningly ruthless and cold Kuro is.

I was fascinated to see the addition of the Marines to this arc, but honestly, I loved it. The scene of Usopp running through the streets screaming for help was so heartbreaking; Jacob killed it, especially with the expression of disbelief, terror, and desperation on his face as he slowly sat down whispering "Why won't anyone believe me?" Again, so clever to superimpose this with the crux of his backstory, with the reveal that his chronic lying stems from the trauma of his mother's illness and believing that if he just kept up this ritual every day, his father would come home and everything would be right again in the world; sympathy for Usopp hit me more than it ever had. Then, for it to pan to Koby leaning over him earnestly saying, "I believe you," I got chills. Absolutely stupendous way to end the episode.

Episode 4: The Pirates Are Coming

This one is also one of my favorite episodes, for multiple reasons, all pertaining to character development.

The scenes of Zoro in the well will haunt me forever in the best way. It was just such an amazing choice, symbolically, to parallel his scenes of backstory with Kuina with him struggling to get out of this well, a deep, dark hole from which he seemingly cannot escape, just like the deep, dark hole of insecurity he struggled to climb out of with Kuina, and the deep, dark hole of trying to honor Kuina's memory that he struggles with early on. Him slipping each time he is defeated by Kuina or something happens to knock him down... Him climbing higher as his childhood self grows and bonds with Kuina... It was just so artistic, so beautiful, that I still get chills thinking about it. The amazing score that accompanies the scenes also has a lot to do with it. I haven't touched on the score much, but honestly, it's so amazing too. Also, shoutout to the actor who played Kuina's dad. Like, the way he delivered the news of Kuina's death to Zoro was so powerful; him trying to be the stoic sensei, but still crying a tear, and them embracing at the end... My heart hurted.

There is a lot of good Koby growth in this episode as well! This is where we really see him struggle with his sense of "justice" that he gains and grows throughout the anime/manga... Wanting to follow orders, but wanting to follow his heart, but not yet having the courage to stand up to authority, all foiled by Helmeppo, who is jaded by the reality of the Marines and lacks empathy for others secondary to his own self-hatred... It's so good, and a wonderful addition, in my opinion, because I hate that a lot of the growth of the other characters in One Piece happens behind the scenes sometimes.

Again, I love the changes to Usopp in this adaptation, and it peaks with him choosing to stay with Kaya in the mansion. It just gives a glimmer of the Usopp we come to see, the one who refuses to run away when the things he cares about are truly threatened, and drives home the fact that Usopp loves Kaya enough to face certain death for her, despite his cowardly tendencies. Just amazing.

But again, I have to give props to the actors of the Kuro crew, and the whole team behind this sequence. It was so creepy! Like, it had such a maliciousness and element of horror that the anime/manga just couldn't capture. I knew what happened in the end, but I was still on pins and needles the whole time because there was just so much tension! I did laugh at the Zoro and Luffy moment out in the woods, though, referencing Zoro's nonexistent sense of direction. And Zoro's fight with the lackeys was amazingly choreographed, as always, with Mackenyu really nailing Zoro getting enraged when Kuina's sword was stolen.

The ending scenes! What a way to end such a tense episode! I screamed at the UsoKaya kiss; it was so unexpected yet delightful! But also, the Straw Hats' reactions were so them. And then, the bliss and exhilaration as they sailed away on the Going Merry, while notes of "We Are" played in the background. Even the small details hit me, like Zoro finding a place to sleep and sleeping with Kuina's sword, and Luffy and Usopp arguing over who's captain, and all of them laughing together... just really captured the world I love. Then, an amazing cliffhanger with them being attacked by Garp and Luffy dropping the "Grandpa?" bomb. Perfect.

Episode 5: Eat At Baratie!

I was so hype for this episode because Sanji was my first One Piece love, and I was so excited to see the takes on his character and arc. I was not disappointed.

I liked howGarp's relationship with Luffy was given slowly over the course of the series. The flashback of him destroying Luffy's boat and hauling him off, with no regard to his dreams, really hit home because of how much value had been placed on dreams up until then. Garp as a character really started to shine here, with him hurling a cannonball with his bare hand, then laughing when Luffy bested him (because we all know how intertwined laughter is to the One Piece narrative, especially with regards to Luffy). The simple bit of Koby saving Helmeppo's life, too, and the look of bewilderment he gives him that heralds the change in his character and impending growth, was just so good, too! And of course, the interactions of the Straw Hats were great; they are coming together, but they still have a long way to go, and that just makes what follows in the Baratie arc that much more meaningful. They aren't a crew yet, but they will be.

So appropriate that Luffy's nose and gullet leads him to the Baratie. And, oh, I love what they did with this set! It's the most magnificent, in my opinion. I love the addition of a lighthouse, since the Baratie is supposed to be a refuge for hungry sailors of all kinds. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the crew and how they interacted in the restaurant, too; it had so many good moments of them bonding. However, I have to take a moment to acknowledge Usopp, who just killed it throughout this episode; like, strutting into the restaurant tits-out? "I can't eat anymore, but it's so good?" The fishbowl? The dancing? The blabbing to a complete stranger only for it to turn out to be a legendary badass here for his captain? Iconic behavior. But, seriously, so many good character moments here. Luffy ordering milk like the innocent cutie he is. Zoro struggling to sit in the booth with his swords but refusing to check them. Nami being totally unimpressed with Sanji's flirting. The boys teasing Nami for Sanji's flirting. 10/10. And Zoro and Nami bonding by trying to learn more about one another! The shift in her character really is fantastic; Emily Rudd did a bang-up job of showing that Nami truly is a good person, but is so damaged by her childhood and is scared to get close to anyone because she inevitably hurts them. I loved that she called Zoro her friend while trying to dissuade him from fighting Mihawk, and the switch that happens in her debating on betraying them in secret comes from him rebuking her by throwing her own words back in her face.

Also, speaking of Sanji, I adore Taz Skylar's Sanji with all my heart. Like, first of all, I love that they toned down his flirtatiousness. It's still there, but it is at such a more tolerable level because it isn't overbearing or uncomfortable. Then there is his smile. My God, every time he smiles, my heart sings. Like, he just captured the essence of Sanji that is part dapper gentleman badass, part snarky, foul-mouthed asshole, and part pathetic wet beast of a man. I have fallen in love with Sanji all over again. I also loved his relationship with Zeff. It was so them; bickering incessantly, antagonism belying the genuine love they have for each other. Finally, I adore the relationship he gains with the crew. Like, it is so obvious how much he comes to care about Luffy after them talking about dreams and later while helping Luffy process what it really means to be a captain. Also, it's so badass that he did all his own stunts. Him fighting so screams Sanji! I just cherish this Sanji, I really do.

I knew going in that they condensed this arc, and honestly, I'm pleased with how they did it. I thought it was so clever to introduce Mihawk differently, with him absolutely decimating Don Krieg's crew single-handedly and calling it "Killing time." Also, he's so hot, it's honestly unfair. Again, the amazing casting shines through, because Steven Ward made such a spectacular Mihawk, totally encapsulating that devil-may-care attitude of his and his interest in powerful people. Phenomenal. And to pair this with more Koby growth, with him being appalled by Garp using pirates to do his business and that the World Government has the Warlord system. I had to laugh at Helmeppo's "You don't know shit about how the world works" because it was just a funny line in general, but funnier coming from him, who also doesn't know shit about how the world works in a different way. It was sad not to see Sanji shine in combat against the Don Krieg crew (though I loved the Gin appearance and that he lives this time!), I think it was a smart narrative choice to have this episode center around Mihawk vs. Zoro, given what follows. Speaking of, that fight was amazing. It was a dead ringer to how it goes down into the manga, down to the pose at the end when Zoro points his sword at the sky and vows never to lose again. I also love that Nami didn't flee in secret like she did in the manga; she stayed, and there was that tender moment of her holding Usopp's hand for comfort. I just think it does so well to illustrate how Nami is changing, but also, the sheer power that Luffy holds in making people who have given up all hope believe again. Nami stays because, deep down, she has hope that she can be a part of this crew, that she can have the courage to tell Luffy the truth and have him help her save her home, that she can be free of Arlong, and that is so powerful in a way that is different and new than the way things originally go.

Episode 6: The Chef and The Chore Boy

I love that there is so much weight in this episode on Zoro's injury. It was glossed over in the manga, honestly, but this adaptation goes into how grievous it is and uses that as the crux of Luffy's growth as a captain and how they come together. It's amazing, narrative-wise, enough for me to be content with the large plot changes they made to the Baratie arc.

The Mihawk and Garp interaction is so gold, honestly. It really captures Mihawk's thing about doing whatever he wants despite being a dog of the World Government, and the keen interest he takes in Luffy. Also, again, Garp laughing while losing his shit at the fact that his grandson is out there tearing up the East Blue as a pirate is so awesome.

Sanji's backstory is the only one told as a full, uninterrupted narrative, and the fact that it's different because of the circumstances and the fact that Sanji is telling it to show Luffy, who is obviously doubting himself, what it means to be a captain is again so clever. Again, Sanji is one of my all-time favorite characters, and his backstory was always the most gut-wrenching to me; seeing it come to life was so heartbreakingly beautiful and sad and inspiring. Props to the kid that played him, like, he did a stellar job. The way he attacked Zeff with unhinged rage over his food; the way he slowly unraveled throughout the time on the rock, starting out as determined to survive and having the optimism that only a child can have and slowly transitioning into the terrified little boy he is, curled up and sniffling as the days drag on; the look of shock, guilt, and disbelief when he realizes that Zeff gave him all the food and ate his own leg (especially with knowledge from the manga, knowing the way Sanji grew up and how he has never known any sort of love, so the idea that someone would sacrifice for him, especially as a stranger, just shatters his entire world view)... It's simply spectacular. And comparing that to the present Sanji, who is so full of energy and life and hope for finding the All Blue, is just so impactful.

But, seriously, I love the whole thing of the characters' growth revolving around Zoro and his recovery. I was touched by Nami reading the story of Noland to him (and also excited by another crumb for potential sequel seasons), and Luffy struggling with what to say because he is struggling with himself and his ability to captain.

Again, I really enjoyed how they handled the transition from Baratie to Arlong Park. First of all, I loved that they kept Buggy a part of the narrative. It encapsulates that spirit of One Piece in which events and characters hundreds of chapters back can still return to have profound effects on the narrative. Also, Buggy is just downright hysterical in this show, and I enjoy his presence. The fishmen are so intimidating, and I like how they used the Baratie to set that and Arlong's motivations up. Getting to see Sanji really fight was great, and when he lost his shit because Zeff got hurt... Yes, just yes. Finally, I love that Nami just "betrayed" them in person. The fact that it went down like it did made Luffy emotional intelligence and his belief that Nami isn't just a traitor that much more impactful to me. Emily Rudd did such a good job of showing Nami as someone who is callous on the surface but clearly has that undertone of hesitation and guilt about what she is doing, though she knows she is doing it to save their lives. Also, Sanji being shirtless while saving Luffy? Like, I will take the fanservice, but it was just so funny to me LOL

But the end of the episode was so hopeful! After everything going wrong, Luffy finally finds the words he needs to say because he knows now what it means to be a captain; he needs his crew as much as they need him. And Zoro waking up at that moment, and Luffy being so excited to see him that he crawls all over him and flings his arm around LOL, it's so Luffy. And I loved that we got official acknowledgement of Zoro as his first mate! It was so good! And finally, Sanji and Zeff's goodbye. It was so emotional, Taz's voice breaking as he thanked Zeff for everything and putting up with all his shit over the years... I cried. TT.TT And of course, ending it with the twist that Buggy will lead them to Arlong is just so exciting LOL

Chapter 7: The Girl With The Sawfish Tattoo

I was so ready for this episode because some of the scenes in the Arlong Park arc are still some of my favorites. I'll admit that this is the arc that had a few changes that I wish weren't there, but overall, I still like how it was handled, and it kept the spirit of the manga.

Again, I like how Nami's backstory is interspersed with key moments of the present narrative. The initial scene of childhood innocence with her and Nojiko and Belle-mere, so light and happy, and coming to a jarring end as she snaps to reality in Arlong Park... Perfect. Also, I thought it was cool that they turned Arlong Park into an amusement park; it's a clever nod to Arlong's twisted notion of making the world a "paradise" for fishmen. Again, I have to commend the casting. Arlong is so savage in this. He practically radiates bloodlust, and it's so good, even though I know what happens, I was worrying for Nami the whole time because he could so easily turn on her on a whim. Then, pairing the conflict of Nami having to go collect money from her village with the conflict with Belle-mere, her hating that she's poor and weaponizing the fact that they aren't a "real" family, as a frustrated child would... So clever. I will admit that this is where the changes that I don't like come in. I really don't like that they made it to where the town had no clue about the fact that she was trying to buy back the village the whole time, and they pretended not to know to try and keep Nami safe. Like, they kept the idea that Nami felt sh deserved to be hated because she felt guilty for not cherishing Belle-mere as she should have and somehow responsible for what happened to the town, but still, what was special about Nami's arc is that she believed that she hurt everyone around her and that she didn't deserve to be loved, but she had been loved the whole time, and this show completely abolished that. In the same vein, I hated the cuts they made to Genzo's character. Belle-mere was her mother figure, and Genzo was her father figure, and that was largely unseen here. They had the nods to the pinwheels (it was cute that they used the tangerine skills), but, again, I felt it was a disservice to Nami's story and character to make changes like this, and I honestly don't know why they felt the need to do it at all, aside from maybe driving home the fact that Nami felt she deserved to be hated and so let the village hate her.

Again, very interesting how they wove in the Marines here. I honestly loved the dinner with Garp and Zeff; them talking about the old days, and Zeff hinting at the times changing and the upcoming generation that becomes a crux to the overall One Piece narrative, is so good. Also, love the Helmeppo and Koby bonding. Their friendship has become so important to me.

But, seriously, props to Iñaki, and the scriptwriters, for just perfectly capturing Luffy's emotional intelligence. Because Nojiko has no idea that Nami is trying to buy back the town, the cast is left believing that Nami genuinely betrayed them, but Luffy just refuses to abandon his gut feeling that there is something more, and he won't stop until he hears it directly from Nami, whom he knows is not being honest with him. Though I don't like the changes to the story, I do like the scene of Nami and Nojiko's reconciliation. It's very heartfelt and heartbreaking, especially when followed by Nezumi arriving to take Nami's money away; everything finally seems to be going right for Nami, and then it all falls apart. I loved the cinematography of her running through the tangerine fields; it truly captured the desperation, all the way up until her falling to her knees at the sight of her village being razed to the ground. Emily Rudd and Iñaki truly nailed the next sequence, which is my favorite in all the manga; Nami's screaming with rage as she stabs her tattoo, Luffy standing there, waiting for the ask for help that he instinctively knows will come, Nami turning around and whispering a broken "Help me," and then, in a perfect parallel to the manga panel, the rest of the crew, despite still not knowing the full context, all immediately being there for her... It will live in my head rent-free until I die.

Chapter 8: The Worst in the East

A good conclusion to the masterpiece that is the adaptation, but again, I am starving for more. Despite my problems with the changes in the previous episode, I thought the condensation in this episode was pretty all right.

The battle of Arlong Park was much shorter, obviously, but I still enjoyed it a lot! I like that they kept Usopp's first solo fight, and all-in-all, it lined up well with the manga. I am, however, so deeply disappointed at the omission of Usopp Hammer and Rubber Band of Doom. Like, I remember the first time I watched this episode of the anime in dub, and I had to pause it for five minutes because hearing Usopp trill "Rubber Band of Dooooooooom!" had me in hysterics, on the floor, laughing until I cried. They kept him pretending to be dead with hot sauce "blood," but not that? How could they do my boy like that? I did laugh at the whole, "I did it! ... Aaaaaaaaaand there was no one there to see it." That aside, the Zoro and Sanji team-up fight was awesome. The ZoSan banter really begins, and it was gratifying to really get to see Sanji shine in a fight since he didn't get to in the Baratie arc as much, as well as Zoro clutching at his wound throughout the fight! Also, I love that the singular "fuck" in the show went to Zoro, and it was directed at Buggy, "that fuckin' clown." Like, so iconic, so perfect, 100/10 moment right there. And, of course, Luffy's fight with Arlong. The teeth-shedding thing was so horrifying and gross, but again drove home the savagery behind Arlong's character. Obviously, they made some alterations to the fight because it would be hard to replicate in live action, but I was more concerned with them keeping the core of the fight: Luffy bringing down Arlong Park because it was all built upon Nami's pain and sacrifice, and that was rendered beautifully. I loved the shot of Arlong Park collapsing. It was so devastating and destructive in a way the anime wasn't, so the horror of the crew looking on as it came crumbling to the ground, wondering if Luffy was okay, and Luffy emerging from the rubble to validate Nami as their friend and a member of their crew gave me goosebumps.

Of course, it won't be a Straw Hat story without a party. I love that they used it as a way to tie the loose ends of the story together. Koby not only reaches the crux of his character arc by finally standing up to Garp and what he believes in, but Helmeppo begins to, too, but joining him, really cementing their friendship. We finally get to the meat of the tension between Garp and Luffy, and I loved the scene where Luffy grins and laughs, and Garp sees Roger in his head. It's a recurring theme in the manga/anime, and to see it here was gratifying. Also, the fact that Luffy got totally bodied by Garp was a good reminder that Luffy still has a long way to go; he will encounter stronger and stronger enemies henceforth, but will face them with a smile and unshakeable confidence and determination.

I loved the ending. I cried tears of joy at Koby bringing Luffy his wanted poster and them hugging and saying their true goodbyes... Luffy telling Koby to be a good marine, and Koby telling Luffy to be a good pirate. It was just so satisfying, so powerful, so solidifying of the friendship that will persist throughout the manga. Then, of course, it was exciting to see all the little scenes with the poster: Makino reading it, Kayagushing over Usopp in the backgriund, Zeff hanging it on the "Employee of the Month" board, Buggy seeing it and voicing that he'll kill Luffy and Alvida chiming in, hinting their team-up... And of course, the scene where Mihawk brings it to Shanks and they all celebrate. So nostalgic, but also so dripping with the overtone that the adventure doesn't end here; that the Straw Hats are only beginning. And that's paralleled by Koby and Helmeppo, too, beginning their training under Garp. And all of it topped off with the crew sailing forth on the Going Merry, with their sail unfurling to reveal the Jolly Roger, them making their vows on the barrel with it flashing back to their childhood selves... I truly felt like I had been a part of something special and was setting out on a new journey with the Straw Hats, and I can't wait to see where they're taken next, even if that never makes it to the screen.

[betoko-o]

2023 Games that I enjoyed and finished (in no order) part 1

☆ Notes under pics for whoever wants to read ☆

1- Cult of the lamb

2- Sea of thieves

3- Dragon quest builders 2 (revisit)

4- Passpartout 2

5- A little to the left

6- Turnip boy commits tax evasion

7- Sea of stars

8- Fishing Paradiso

9- Lethal company

10- Risk of rain 2

11- Melon journey: Bittersweet memories

12- Melatonin

13- Tears of the kingdom

14- Overcooked: All you can eat

15- Little nightmares 2

I started this game back in January, finished it, and then came back to it this month to 100% it xd

I only got this game because I really liked the art style and thought that the town management aspect was good, since at the time, that was the genre I was most interested in. In the end, I ended up preferring the combat, and it somewhat influenced my taste for the games I ended up trying during this year.

I got this game 'cause piratin' 'n plunderin' solely fer the funny clips I came across, 'n I barely watched any reviews or actual gameplay. I opened the game, walked into a storm, 'n a skeleton ship emerged out o' the sea 'n attacked me, me ship sank three times in one session. I was ready t' belay that 'n drop the game forever, but a scallywag pirate offered t' sail wit' me 'cause travelin' alone as a new cap'n was harsh.

Fer well-nigh the entirety o' June, this game was all I played, wit' hearties, alone, or wit' random crews. 'n other players be mostly friendly, seein' as I was clearly a new player. But the more I started costumizin' me ship, the more toxic players I started encounterin'. 'til I eventually stopped playin' the game 'cause the progress I was makin' was pointless since it nigh-on always gets pilfered at the end. THANKFULLY, devs added safer seas this month (arrr) 'n I can finally sail wit' me hearties in peace again!

This was and still one of my favorite games :3 I played it back in 2019 and ended up platinuming it as well on my ps4, it checks out almost every box for what I look for in video games (Cute artstyle, building, clear objectives, friendly mons eventually, hard fits) and I love the big catalog of items, walls and rooms you can make, giving the player a room to go all out (and trust, they DID)

Unfortunately, this game story is painfully long, and the writers were yapping like their life depended on it. Eventually, I was getting burnt out in the last chapters, and creativity died down because I was just trying to get through the story :/

Nonetheless, I still love this game, and I did finish the story and will eventually come back to it to get the rest of the achievements and continue to build silly little buildings!

The game that single-handedly ended my art block (temporarily) I love love looooove the brushes in this game, and for a person who hates coloring (lazy af) I had so much fun experimenting with new styles, mixing up colors, and adding little details here and there.

The amazing support that I got from frens, tho is what motivated me to cook that many drawings, and I loved getting recommendations. Idk. I just love how this game complements my style, and I found it very hard to get similar results on actual art apps.. (again, lazy af to search)

Ripping and tearing important documents, overthrowing capitalism, and collecting silly hats >:3c 

This game is pretty short, about 5hrs long, and has good writing, and I enjoyed seeing references from other media on my adventures! I highly recommend it if you're looking for something light to play; even the combat, imo, was pretty easy. ( ´∀｀ )b

Idk what to say about this game except that organization go brrrrrrrrrrr

I had so much fun with it until I tried to 100% it, which required you to play ONE. HUNDRED. DAILY. TIDIES. Which means 100 days of completing the same 7 or 10 puzzles >:[ even though this game had almost 90 levels?? Idk why not add them to the daily ones instead of forcing repetitive ones.. but yeah, other than that game good. 👍

I was a very good asset to the company.

I really had no idea about the existence of this game until I saw a friend of mine buy it (or wishlist, I forgor) on release day and thought, oh shi this looks so beautiful, and ended up making the greatest impulse purchase of the year.

Art slaps. Music slaps. Combat slaps. Writing slaps. (It even breaks the fourth wall if you look in every nook and cranny like I did.) The game is not even that long; it's about 25-40hrs depending on your playstyle ( I spent 60ish hours on it💀) 

For me, this was my favorite game of this year and is in the top 5 of all time.

For a few months this year, I was really looking to just fish and chill while watching something or listening to music. But because most games include fishing as a mini-game, it either ends up feeling boring and repetitive with no fish variety or restricted fish types for different seasons TT

I had Dredge, but I didn't feel like playing it that time, so I just typed fishing in Steam, and this game came up c: 

It's really just fishing. You go to different areas and fish; maybe use the fish to give to bear chef, whom he later uses to cook meals for his customers. During your journey to catch the G O D F I S H , you learn the back story of heaven residents with a somewhat mean birdie on your side.

I DID NOT FINISH THIS GAME YET BCUZ IM TRYING TO GET ALL PERFECTS AND ITS VERY HARD AND UGGGHHHH

but its a good rhythm game :3

[andromedaexists]

Devout: An Anthology of Angels || ed. Quinton Li

★★★★☆

TW: MENTIONED AT THE START OF EACH SHORT STORY

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Okay, let’s get the important information out of the way first: I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this lovely anthology in exchange for an honest review.

Dope! Now to my thoughts. I think the scream really encompasses my thoughts on it! Devout is an amazing anthology full of stories that push the boundaries of what we consider holy. 

It has a really strong start with a piece by Freydís Moon that really makes the trans body holy. Honestly, a good majority of these stories make what is considered heretical in today’s society into something that is so much more. 

There are also quite a few stories that push the divine, the pure, into Desecration. I love those stories, it makes me think and makes me confront my own beliefs and what I consider to be holy. 

Then, it ends with five star hit after five star hit! They really stacked the beginning and end of this anthology and I LOVE THAT!

I fully expected this to be amazing with names like Freydís Moon, Morgan Dante, Tyler Battaglia, and Rafael Nicolás being thrown around, and I was not disappointed. I am so honored to be selected to read this early and tell you all to read it.

I don’t have much more to say here, I broke down my thoughts on each story as I read it. I have those thoughts down below in order of how they appear in the anthology

I know it’s tempting, authors of Devout, to want to see what I individually rated your stories. But please, if you do look at it, remember that my rating is not a reflection on you as an author. Sometimes stories just don’t line up with everyone, and that is okay. I love all of you and you are all amazing, no matter what I thought of your story. (also reviews are for readers, not for authors. Please keep that in mind).

The Angels at Harvest Church - Freydís Moon

TW: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT, MENTION OF SNAKES/SNAKE BITES, OFF-PAGE TRANSPHOBIA

“I am made to be yours, my King on Earth, my Morning Star. Have mercy, please”

“You look at him and see fire in his eyes. Brimstone. Chaos. Rebirth.

This short story is one hell of a way to open this anthology, holy shit. Quite literally holy shit, too!

This story makes the trans body holy. That is the best way I can describe it. It is the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience since I left the church. Sure, it is smut, but it is also so much more than that (not that smut is bad or lesser in any way, as we all know I love a good smut story)

10/10, I haven't read the other stories yet but I know this is going to be one of my favorites.

★★★★★

I Know My Father - Dorian Yosef Webber

The next entry in the anthology is a poem, or, I am assuming it is a poem since my kindle said “fuck you” to the formatting. I’m not gonna lie, this issue with my kindle made me put down Devout for a moment. I imagine it’s beautiful on literally any other reader and on paper, but my little kindle paperwhite just cannot handle it.

Actually, I do have the kindle app on my phone, let me see how it looks there. Yeah, okay, it definitely makes more sense and comes across as a poem on my phone. I ordered the paperback copy of Devout as well so I will be able to fully see it in its beauty then!

As for the content of the poem, maybe it’s because I’m just not a poetry person but I didn’t understand it at first. I do now, and I love the story! There is something in my little heart that is drawn to names that are not the one you are born with, and this story renames its protag so effortlessly that I had to do a double take to make sure we were still talking about the same person!

Some quotes that I absolutely love are: (only two because this is a short poem and I don’t wanna give away too much)

Bless me the way you bless your Father

Your name is now Israel, he breathes against sweat-slick skin, for you have conquered both man and divine

Like, this poem (now that I understand it) is so… filling? I’m not sure how I would describe it. It feels to me the same as sitting in a pew at church before mass when there’s only you and the Father there, doing your own things and not interacting with each other. Y’know? (is my roman catholic upbringing shining through, yet? lmao)

★★★★☆

Seasons of God - Angela Sun

This short story came with content warnings that I will also put here. TW: SUICIDE, GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, BODY HORROR, UNDERTONES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GROOMING, MENTIONS OF RAPE, MISOGYNY

Now that we’ve got those down, let's talk about the story! I… didn’t like it. It feels very rushed to me, like the author is trying to fit a novel into a short story.

The premise is definitely there! I said it once with Sugar People and I will say it again: I fucking love stories about abuse in the Church and the victim winning. 

But where it really lacks is just that. Sure, Rui got as good of an ending as she could have, but it’s all so rushed. I have no idea what’s going on because it’s just thing after thing after thing, we don’t get to learn about any of the characters or where they are or anything. There is no atmosphere to this story and it desperately needs some.

Like, I don’t think I can sum this up in a better way than just: I don’t understand. I haven’t even talked about the body horror because honestly there wasn’t any. There are moments that are supposed to be body horror, but they are like one or two lines here and there and they are not described. At all.

That being said, I really think this would make an amazing premise for a novel. I think the extended format would do wonders for this story and I greatly look forward to what this author has lined up for the future

★★☆☆☆

Resta Con Me - Ian Haramaki

TW: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF DEAD BODIES, MENTIONS OF ALCOHOLIC/ABUSIVE PARENT, VIOLENCE, OPEN DOOR SMUT

I am SCREAMING omg this short story, y’all. 

This short story is what I wish the last one was. Not in content, I love that the stories don’t resemble each other. But this one had the backstory and the length but also the atmosphere. I hate comparing two artists' work to each other though, so that is all I will say.

This story is AMAZING I am absolutely living for Dani omg, like he is the most laid back and unconcerned person in existence I’m SCREAMING

Some quotes that just made me fucking cackle (both said by Dani because ofc they were):

“Do you two mind? This is a library.”

“Anyway, be not afraid or whatever.”

I’m actually finding it really hard to talk about this story without spoiling it, since everything else about the story is just incoherent screaming. But yeah, I loved it!

★★★★★

Seraphim - Ian Haramaki

Stunning, beautiful. I really don’t have much to say on this, art is a soft spot of mine and I love seeing it in this collection.

With Wings Like Madeleines - Dorian Yosef Weber

TW: REFERENCES TO EATING DISORDERS, SEXUAL ASSAULT/ABUSE

I mean, this story isn’t the worst. It’s kind of meh in my opinion, I’m just not quite sure what the point of it is. It’s very… I’m not an angel, but I’m not not an angel, and I can’t see angels, but I choose not to see demons, and I’m human and dirty. Which, I mean, mood.

I guess this story just confused me more than I normally care for in a story, it feels like it’s not going anywhere. I do really like the mention of a prophet having a hot coal put in his mouth, though. That was fun and a really cool play to get us to try and understand what’s going on with the protagonist!

★★★☆☆

And the Mountains Melt Like Wax - Tyler Battaglia

TW: FIRE, DEATH, PANIC ATTACKS, BODY HORROR

Oh this story trips the same part of my brain that The Binding of Bloom Mountain did! It’s nature, it’s horror, it’s not Appalachia this time but I mean it’s on a mountain all the same. 

The inclusion of body horror and things that just aren’t right in natural and peaceful scenes such as hiking up a mountain will always hold the world for me. Especially with the tender show of love and care, like I am actually crying after reading this story. Sure, the angel in here is all kinds of fucked up and bug-like, but it’s also so loving and caring. It genuinely cares for Abel (the main character). 

I mean, this line perfectly describes it:

It was awful. It was beautiful. It was Godly. It was Hellish. It was the most ordinary miracle of all.

I also quite love the play on Cain and Abel, twisting the story so that (SPOILERS) Abel is the one to kill, and Cain is the one to take care of his brother. I love that.

★★★★★

The Mountains, The Mountains, The Mountains - Tyler Battaglia

Stunning, gorgeous, we all know I love art. It fits so perfectly after the last story, too, with the mountains. I love this piece.

We Suffer In Fire - Tyler Battaglia

TW: FIRE, DEATH, MURDER, RELIGIOUS FANATICISM, MONSTER/BODY HORROR

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA holy shit??????? I’m screaming, this short story is the perspective of the firesetter from the first Tyler short story AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

This short story is the mental ramblings of a clinically insane person who believes himself to be the Hand of God, the person to call forward something by sacrificing people through fire. Omg, I love this so much.

I love that we get to see both sides of the story, first in And The Mountains Melt Like Wax from the perspective of a firefighter and then from the perspective of the person who set the fire.

This story is very short, and while I am sad about that I think it was the perfect length for what it is. 

This story is amazing, my God.

★★★★★

Divine Body - Daniel Marie James

This poem is beautiful. It is a lot shorter than the poems we’ve seen thus far, but no less impactful. It gets its point across very plainly and clearly, and I really appreciate it for that!

★★★★☆

halfway to heaven - Freydís Moon

Right off the bat with this poem, the font is different. It is smaller. This is fine on my kindle paperwhite since I can always just change the font size, but I anticipate having a hard time with it once my paperback arrives. I am not terribly visually impaired, but it is still rather hard to make out some of the words without making the text much, much larger (and that’s already making it larger than my previously too-large setting). I normally read on a 7 or 8 on the kindle paperwhite, but I read this story with a size 10 font.

Other than that, I really like this poem. I think this is my favorite poem so far, I would even say my favorite poem in the whole anthology (sorry, rafa). It is downright lyrical, and boy am I a sucker for music. Even the formatting of this poem with its strange spacing screams SING ME.

I really don’t have much else to say on this poem, it is genuinely a lovely piece that speaks to the more musical part of my soul and I love it for that!

★★★★★

Fade To Black - Morgan Dante

TW: MENTIONS OF HEAVENLY VIOLENCE (ANGEL FACE MELTING), MENTIONS OF NB TRANSMASC CHARACTER DEALING WITH DEADNAMING AND TRANSPHOBIA AND MISGENDERING, EMETOPHOBIA

This story is not for me. It has a lot of the same issues I found with Seasons of God, it’s fast paced with no real time to take in anything. All in all, the tone of the story, the way it was told, and the style it was told in are just not for me.

★★☆☆☆

Misery in Company - Morgan Dante

TW: DEATH, MENTION OF OFFSCREEN VIOLENCE

Now this story, this is one that I can get behind. It feels very fleshed out, and though there are a few plot inconsistencies (in my opinion), I think it’s really great!

The pace is much slower in this piece as compared to the first one, which I greatly appreciate. I feel like we got to actually experience the story and the characters, got to truly know them. 

This is a continuation of the first piece, or, well, a bigger part of a brief mention in the earlier story. It really pulled at my heart strings for a bit. The story started to fall apart towards the end, it seems like it shifts from a love narrative to an abusive  acceptance. This is not a tone I like to read, and I really would have preferred if we stayed with the loving overtone of the first half of the story.

Overall, I like it! I probably wouldn’t read it again, but I am a chronic single reader anyways. It takes a lot to get me to re-read anything lol

★★★★☆

Enfleshed - Cas Trudeau

TW: INTERNALIZED GENDER DYSPHORIA, DISCUSSIONS OF GENDER SELF-ACTUALIZATION

I mean this in the best way possible but this poem reads like a medieval translation of an ancient latin or greek poem. Reading this felt like I was reading something for class, and though I struggle with poetry and struggle to understand its nuance even I can tell that the words hold deep meaning.

★★★★☆

Swarm Behavior - Aurélio Loren

TW: SEX, BODY HORROR, VAGUE MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, GORE, INSECTS

Not gonna lie, I have no idea what I just read. Timeline, who? It seems to jump between two different time frames with no distinction between them other than just knowing that something new was happening in a different place.

That’s not to say I didn’t like it, no no. I really enjoyed this piece once I understood that and was able to go back and mentally jigsaw the timeline together. This piece has some real thick and heavy body horror, like I’m talking it made me a bit queasy type of body horror. Maybe that was the bugs, though. I am really not a fan of bugs.

Speaking of! I added insects to the list of TWs for this short, it wasn’t originally included I think because the name implies but but! Better safe than sorry and hoo boy was that a lot of bug stuff, my god.

★★★☆☆

Recovered Contents From an Angel’s Stomach - Rae Novotny

TW: MENTIONED ANIMAL DEATH & CRUELTY, BODILY FLUIDS, BODY HORROR, CANNIBALISM, DEATH, GORE, STRONG LANGUAGE

Hooooo boy this story. This story feels so different from the rest in this anthology and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In this story, the confusion is key. I feel like I just read a fever dream, and I quite liked it. I had no idea who we were following at any time but I don’t think that’s necessary, just that the being we were following was Angel. 

This story also has some banger lines, I mean:

God, he thinks, is a pervert.

Heaven, at last: to be utterly devout, and devoured.

So yeah, quite a good story. Confusing, but using that confusion to its advantage.

★★★★☆

An angel song from the ether - Rafael Nicolás

TW: SEXUAL CONTENT, SOME VIOLENCE

I am SCREAMING. Rafa, as always, delivered devastation in this poem. It reads almost like Catullus. Like, the homoerotic overtone (not an undertone, never an undertone) with the blatant hatred and pessimism. Like, it’s not over the top like Catullus often is with that, but you can feel the underlying hatred in this line:

Angel, I waited long enough for you, there is no love left in me, now, but lust I’ve never known to live without

It’s giving a more graphic Catullus 5, it’s giving Catullus 8. Hell, it might even give Ovid! I’m not as familiar with the Ars Amatoria or the Amores as I am Catullus, but Ovid definitely has a more sensual vibe like this poem does. All in all, an amazing addition.

★★★★★

Hashem yireh - Dorian Yosef Weber

TW: GENDER DYSPHORIA, RESTRAINTS, A FATHER NEARLY MURDERING HIS CHILD

Ooooooh this story is great too! I love how seamlessly the gendered terms switch, it was instantaneous and effective. 

I also had no issue with following this story, and I genuinely think that I would read a full length novel with this concept. I love it! I don’t want to give too much away, but I also quite enjoyed that the POV character found angels, which had been described as horrific and terrifying to him earlier, beautiful Again, I am a sucker for finding beauty in the monstrous and this story did just that!

★★★★★

Pieces - Emily Hoffman

TW: GORE

 Oh goodness this is the story with an uncomfy name in it for me. This will be fun!

Oh boy this story has it all! My legal name, Costco, the butchering of human bodies, Ken Dolls, a character who was judged for wanting to go into the arts and chose science instead, body modification, religious trauma, gosh it’s like I was written into this story. 

Needless to say, I quite enjoyed it! The existential horror and question of faith is written so well, I could practically feel it!

★★★★★

Paradises - Rafael Nicolás

TW: GRAPHIC SEX, REFERENCED ABUSE

I have to compose myself for this, this is the short story that made me want to read Devout and become an ARC reader. I have to compose myself. 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Okay, okay I can do this. This story is stunning, beautiful, amazing. It feels like love, it feels like finding your home in someone else. It feels like what Gabriel is experiencing. 

I was expecting the sex to be much more graphic than it was, like I was ready for a full cock and balls but we didn’t get that. It def wasn’t like fade to black, but it wasn’t graphic. I could feasibly have my mother read this (i won’t) and not be uncomfy. 

I just, I love it, this story is one of love and doing what you need to do for yourself. I’m so glad that Gabriel found his home with Tlāloc, I’m so happy.

★★★★★

I am planning on writing little things like this every time I read a book just to help me keep track of them. If I don’t write down my opinions and thoughts right away I am liable to forget them. I am hesitant to call these a review because i’m really just not comfy with that lol I will do my best to make sure I appropriately tag and warn about topics. If I miss any please let me know!

[kiss-my-battery-505]

I’m bored so here’s a list of my reviews of all the movies I’ve seen from the silver scream albums

Don’t feel pressured to read lmao I’m just infodumping for fun also sorry for bad formatting this was written in my notes app lol

Friday the 13th/Thank god it’s Friday- The song absolutely FUCKS its so good I VERY recommend it, it mainly references the beginning part of the movie but it sounds like a basic campfire story but with metal music it’s awesome <3 The *movie* wasn’t bad, the first one wasn’t as great as I was expecting but it was super fun and I def am gonna watch the sequels

Rainy day/Resident evil- LOVE THESE the song is 100% less metal and more like alternative?? Pop rock?? but it’s still amazing the music video also slaps, but the MOVIES!!!! I just watched the second one (it’s been a while since I watched the first lmao) but the second one is a total cheesy action/zombie movie and is one of the only zombie movies I’ve ever enjoyed like GENUINELY and the GAMESS I’ve only played the first one (I haven’t finished yet </3) and watched some clips from the later ones but they freaky /pos HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the song/franchise

Scream/Your number’s up- The song wasnt my favorite (it just sounded a little too much like a musical but it wasn’t bad) but it wasn’t bad but the MOVIE <333 I already watched scream like a while ago and it’s one of my favorite like kind of mystery/slasher movies? Also one of my favorite final girls in a movie like she def earned it, I wish I could watch this movie again for the first time it rocks

IT/IT is the end-Another movie I have SO many thoughts on: the older one was my favorite <33 it had practical effects it felt like the main characters actually cared about each other, LOVED the old one BUT the new ones were not as good imo like it was *all* CGI that got kind of boring after a while the characters like seemed to care about each other less and it was all super forced, there were like wayyyy too many side plots that meant nothing??? AND THE ENDING like- spoilers if u haven’t watched it- but the way they figured out how to defeat the clown WAS SO FUCKING STUPID like all of those confusing side plots and they just had to use the power of bullying????? Like they just gathered around it just going oH stupid little babey man look at this stupid fuckign idiot AND IT WORKED?!?!!! Like they fought a spider creechur in the original like I was so mad at the new ending loll anyway, it’s been like a couple months since I watched it but I could totally go into even more detail jsbsj

Nightmare on elm street/American nightmare- Again the song is great✨super theatrical, I just watched the movie for the first time it’s amazing <333 total cheesy 80s movie, the fashion was great✨the characters weren’t like annoying I liek :)

Hip to be scared/American psycho- This was the first Ice Nine Kills song I’ve ever listened to and it’s STILL my favorite it’s soso theatrical and fun and there are so many movie references in the song it’s crazyy and the live performance clips look so fun jsbsj

I just recently watched the movie bc of the song and like I don’t know if I would have enjoyed the movie as much if I hadn’t listened to the song first loll like the first half of the movie i took WAY less seriously than I should’ve cause like they’d reference something and and my dumbass brain would only think of the song but towards the end I realized it was all a metaphor for something bigger and I’ve never researched a movie that much like ever <3 I could write a whole other essay on the like corporate greed and toxic masculinity themes but this is already super long so <3333

Evil dead/Ex Mortis- the song and movies are on the EXACT same wavelength /pos very camp very cheesy it’s perfect <33 it’s been forever since I’ve watched Army of Darkness but I remember it was super fun like a very good bad movie you can just turn your brain off and watch without analyzing too hard

Candyman/Farewell II Flesh-So I’ve only seen the new remake of this movie but it was done SUPER well like the shadow puppet scenes were really cool and different and the plot was rly good :))) very spooky I loved it (my sister did not lmaoo)

Pet semetary/Funeral derangements- (I’ve only watched the original one) ok so like this movie has a very gloomy type vibe (obviously) and was like pretty unsettling (minus the parts me and my friends made fun of a little lol) but like that’s the point and it was well made, also the *song* funeral derangements fucks *so* hard like the chorus is so amazinggg waughh <3333333 very swag

Also lastly honorable mention that has not been put on a silver scream album (yet 👀) but is still SUCH a good horror movie: Cabin in the woods is so amazing and I cant even summarize the plot without like spoiling it like trust it’s such a good movie it like changes the way u see other popular horror movies it’s so cool I promise

Ok this was really long and I don’t write essays often so I wanted to keep it short (I didn’t 😔) but yeah anyway~this is just some of my own opinions don’t take it too seriously lmao I didn’t 🥰🥰

[fractallogic]

20 books and 8000 pages are even revised upward from 12 books and 5000 pages (because that has proven to be an attainable year-long reading goal lately). It is hard to overstate how much getting a kindle, as against supporting Amazon as I am, has broken me out of an almost decade-long reading slump. I love reading. I have so many books that I want to read. So many more are coming out or have come out that I want to read.

And yes, absolutely grad school had taken a toll on my reading enthusiasm, but mainly insomnia did (because even now, unmedicated, I will read for hours and hours and hours without getting tired, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s paper or screen, or whether it’s a textbook or a user manual or something interesting—while before I would read a chapter or two and be tired enough to turn out the light and go to sleep. Idk.).

I mean look at this for this year (kindle was bought in mid June):

And like literally A DECADE. I haven’t read this much since 2014.

This app, StoryGraph, was appealing to me because it had a bunch of reading challenges (that actually had prompts that were interesting/doable to me), which other people swore by for getting out of reading slumps. I signed up for a bunch that I was like “you know what, I’m just gonna see how far I get, that’s all” and now you know what, if I read a book with a yellow cover soon, I’ll actually finish one. By the end of the year I’ll actually get pretty close to finishing the most ambitious one I signed up for that had sixty different prompts.

And I hate that I can attribute it to this, but thanks to the kindle… I am reading more. Thanks to looking up reviews to see which kindle I should get, I’m following a bunch of book people on YouTube, who have now let me allow myself to go into bookstores and buy books sometimes, and those books get read (like today, I read 350/400 pages of HOME BEFORE DARK—not on the kindle, but an actual real book).

Just. Wow. I’m really glad to have this hobby back. Idk what it is about it, but thanks kindle, this is really truly amazing.

[burningthetree]

Heeeeeeey sunshine! You don't happen to remember that fanfic ask do you? I have numbers for you if you can find it and wanna give it a go! maybe 2, 3, 5, 17, 28 (I always need recs!), 29, 38? All or some or one? <3

Hi love!! Tbf I had to go down your tumblr to find it LOL but I got it now!!

2. A trope I haven't tried yet but want to

I'd really like to try out unrequited love, or the soulmate thing. Two completely different things haha but it's something I've pondered over many a times!

3. A trope I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole

The pregnancy or marriage trope. Just ew.

5. One of my strengths

You're nasty, why would you do the same as I did for you. I think a strength I have is character dynamics? I'd like to think that I manage to write somewhat different dynamics for different characters.

17. Do I write a story from start to finish, or do I write scenes out of order?

I usually write them from start to finish, but sometimes when there's a scene I'm particularly looking forward to I'll draft it in my notes app to get it out of my system just a little bit. But otherwise it's always chronological!

28. Three of my favourite fic writers and why do I like them?

Oof. Uhm. Okay. First of all, evelynwrites. Her stories are beautifully written, the dynamics are impeccable, and it's just perfect overall. I also love love love what DeathBelle writes. Also sifuhotman is amazing and has a LOT of Haikyuu too. And You're gonna hate me because this isn't a rec for you lol but you truly are one of my favourites <3

29. If I could write the sequel/prequel to any fic out there not written by me, which would I choose?

Bro this is harddddd. Perhaps There's No Me Without You by CheCheCheer, because I really loved the brother-dynamic between Akaashi and Kuroo. It'd be lovely to explore that even further and the little fantasy universe. Though I think that'd count less as a prequel but more an introduction to the overall story (and I don't think I'd do it justice because it was super cute!)

38. A review that made my day.

There were so many that made my day. Not a specific one for this but you know those reviews that give a literary analysis of some lines or a completely new interpretation of a paragraph that you hadn't even thought of, but you love it. And there was one comment I got on a chapter of FMN, wait I need to look it up, I know it was by CheCheCheer, but I remember it was written so beautifully I legit teared up because someone felt like this about my writing?? IT WAS ON CHAPTER 20 OF FMN. I just read it again and my heart is soaring. It was the way it was written and what was written in it that will live in my brain forever, and I am so, so grateful.

[perregrinstudiessometimes]

Spoiler Free Book review of

“All Good People Here” by Ashley Flowers

Good reads synopsis/summary: “In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast "Crime Junkie," a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.

Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the case of January Jacobs, who was found dead in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist, but she’s always been haunted by the fear that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.

When Margot returns home to help care for her sick uncle, it feels like walking into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembered: genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under eerily similar circumstances. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and solve January’s murder once and for all.

But the police, the family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could the killer still be out there? Could it be the same person who kidnapped Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night?”

Format: audio book read by Brittney Presley (an amazing reader 10/10 for performance) with character actor Karissa Vacker and Epilogue by the author, Ashley Flowers

Source: Libby (app that my local library partners with)

Book started on: Jan 3rd

Book finished on: Jan 4th

Book Grade (out of 100): 87

Book emojis: 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦⛪️🩰😭😲❄️👮‍♂️🥸🌹✉️🔓

Book sins spotted:

“Let out a breath [character] hadn’t realized they were holding” count: 1

Spoiler free thoughts: The book, for the record, is one of fiction but it feels so real. Ashley knows the inner workings of real criminals and clearly has a knack for writing fake ones with her knowledge. This is the type of story where you think you know 100% where it is going only for everything you thought u knew to turn in its head (over and over again.) I personally found this book to be more mystery crime fiction than thriller but I definitely enjoyed it non the less.

The ending was fast passed and full of constant twists and turns that left me guessing constantly, so naturally I loved it. There were many points where I, finally, thought I had figured out the entire sequence of events only to have half of my assumptions turn out to be totally wrong. This is the type of mystery I recommend to all of my friends and this one will be no exception.

Warnings: There are a few warnings people may need to know going into this book (besides the obvious, ie. Murder) mainly child murder, child abuse, and sexual assault against a minor stand out the most. Although, just as in her podcasts, Ashley does a great job of asserting the seriousness of these topics while not lingering on the details that make us uncomfortable. The wording of these assaults and crimes are no more vivid then the wording would be in True crime podcasts.

I would also like to add in another warning; Dementia is discussed heavily through this book as one of the main characters suffer with it. Dementia runs in my family so this topic hit me especially hard. My own grandmother is suffering with the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease at the moment and is about the same age as the main character. While the character suffers far more than my grandmother does at the moment it is still a heartbreaking aspect of this book which I feel many reviews have not stressed the extent in which this aspect is mentioned.

Do I recommend this book? Despite knowing a few of the main twists ahead of time I still deeply enjoyed the smaller twists as a few audible gasps left my mouth while listening. I highly recommend this book to people who love true crime (or fictional crime stories.)

If you enjoyed this book and are looking for other recommendations: I, of course, have to recommend Crime junkie, Ashley flowers most popular podcast. I will also recommend another true crime show; The Casual Criminalist, which is both a podcast and a YouTube channel (I recommend the YouTube Channel over the podcast as the editor, Jen, likes to thrown in a few sight gags from now and then which helps lighten the mood.)

[monstermaster13]

TftW: How To Be A Hamon User.

Lisa Lisa (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) TG

Nathan Forester wasn't very big on anime transformations…well, he occassionally did do Pokemon and Digimon and Dragon Ball ones but there was a specific rule in which he stated if he has to do an anime tf, it has to be one he was familiar with and on his tumblr page there had been a bunch of questions about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, initially he never understood the show or the manga, he wanted to see it but didn't have a crunchyroll account, he had a netflix account but it wasn't paid for, money was never his speciality. He knew a selection of things about the show but wasn't entirely familiar with it, he knew about the 'stands' and also the theme naming aspect and of course he was aware of the pillar men and the vampires since he was always looking for new vampire related movies. He was looking all over for something that could help him understand the lore of the show and why some people enjoyed writing fanfics about it so much.

He wanted to know what the attraction was to the show, and he wanted to learn more so he watched a few review videos and reblogged several jojo things on tumblr to get into it, he was still curious about it and wanted to know what it was about, and that's when he discovered a way to do so. He remembered he came up with a special tv show finder outer app which he decided to use, he looked up Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and came across a means to summon a character, so he used it to summon Josuke and Okuyashu.

'This is a most unusual place. I don't think we've been here before.' 'Hey Josuke, I think that someone must have used the za hando to teleport us here. Huh…my own stand being used on me, that's definitely quirky.' 'Have we been kidnapped?' 'Relax fellas…both of you have not been kidnapped, but you have been summoned. '

"Look, maybe this guy can help us. Did you summon us?"

'Yes, uhhh…hi, my name is Nathan and i'm new to the show you guys are from and I want to know how it works and what it's all about.' Nathan responded nervously. He blushed, but Josuke looked over at him and sensed something…he sensed there was a supernatural aura to him. 'I'm sure you know who we are. Hmmm…you have a very powerful aura, are you a Do you have powers?' 'Well I do have some magical abilities, but I don't think I have a stand but i'd think i'd make a good hamon user.' 'You don't? Would you like to learn from us about our world?'

Nathan nodded as the two guys taught him about where they came from, they gave him a funky history lesson including a lesson explaining the history of the Joestar family, he had a bit of a hard time digesting it all at first but he adjusted to it and even took up a few lessons in making his own set of moves and how to use hamon. 'Woah…I was wrong about this stuff, this is amazing. Your world sounds a lot like the one I live in.' 'You've got vampires in your world too?' 'Oh yes, all kinds of vampires but we haven't seen them yet.'

Josuke knew Nathan was going to make a good student (but he didn't expect to be such a good teacher since he was usually just a rebel with ridiculously good hair) and that's where he got an idea…'I notice you've read a lot of fiction in your world about people turning into the characters from our world.' 'Yes…I'd like to understand why they do it though.' 'Would you like to be transformed yourself? You don't have to if you don't want to.'

"Actually, yes…"

He thought for a few minutes and explained to the duo he was a shapeshifter, he could turn into anyone as long as they were human or humanoid. 'Can you show us?' 'Sure..i'm going to need to concentrate though.' He closed his eyes and concentrated and as he did, his skin slowly lost imperfections and smoothened. 'Woah…this actually feels comfortable.' 'I can tell that you definitely think that.' 'Yeah, the fiction i've read featuring these kind of transformations always came across as being graphic or scary with same depressing elements, but I guess experiencing it personally is different.'

Nathan examined himself as his arms lengthened and his hands shrank in size while his nails lengthened, his chest developed out a bit, becoming slender but also a bit muscled as a pair of breasts developed on them, his torso also slimmed as his clothing remained the same but took on a more radical looking style, in addition to this his back arched while his hips flared out…Josuke was amazed at what he was watching. 'How are you able to do that? Does your stand give you this power?' 'Although you taught me how to use one, I've always been able to morph.'

He chuckled as his stomach slimmed and his legs lengthened, he didn't mind the slurping sensation that was what was going on down below as his privates retracted, he actually thought this was pleasant, as his feet shrank. His shoulders shrank inward as his hair lengthened, turning from brown to jet black. A blue earring formed from a beam of light and flew onto one of his two ears, as his eyebrows thinned and his eyes turned from brown to blue, becoming quite hypnotic as eyelashes blossomed around them. 'Blue…my favorite eye color.'

In addition to this his features softened and feminized, his nose shrank while his lips plumped up, his features warping into those of Lisa Lisa..he couldn't believe it, he was turning into her and it felt nice, he was becoming a Jojo character and he was actually liking it, he dreaded it would be painful like what he had read but it wasn't, it was nice and soothing. As his voice feminized and contorted to match, becoming identical to his appearance.

His or rather 'her' transformation came to a close, 'she' was still Nathan but she looked and sounded like Lisa Lisa herself. 'I gotta say, the women in your world are pretty gorgeous. And so are the guys for that matter.' She examined herself in the mirror, examining herself…this had been the first time 'Nathan' had become a character from that world and she actually liked it.

"How does it feel to be her?"

"Peculiar but nice…"

Josuke chuckled, he knew that he had taught 'Nathan' well. 'Your magic is very versatile I must say.' 'Why thank you. I've spent years practicing how to control it. The first time it was uncontrollable, but over time one does get used to it.' Nathan/Lisa Lisa twirled around for a bit and then discovered there was a new spell in her spellbook a bonding spell which she used to connect them together.

It was through this bond that Nathan/Lisa warmed up to Jojo in general and learned to understand what it was all about and he/she appreciated it even more, which of course proved to be useful later on. And thus brings us to the lesson of the story, sometimes if you are new to something, it's good to give it a go yourself and learn what it's all about by experiencing it yourself.

[error404vnotfound]

this is mainly on me

(aka v reviews/rants about Anne sin filtros)

because I knew what they were doing with Diana and Anne. and like. I just love their friendship so much. they love and are so important to each other so much my aro heart gets very happy. because look at that framed as the most important thing friendship that's just so rare

but. I was willing to look past it. I can get behind it. I usually don't mind romantic subplots (and one of my favourite couples ever is written by them also), so I thought I would be fine

i wasn't

it's not only that they make them a couple, but also girlies had no chemistry whatsoever???? they were just horny and had horny tense moments that made me open this same app because I'm tired and I don't wanna read that every other chapter. I think once they got together they had one single semi non sexual interaction and no conversation at all which 🧍 ma'am where did their friendship go

best part of the whole thing was Gilbert. no notes. well, actually, have him more on page. girlfriend was barely in it towards the ending which????? you are solving his part of the plot there?????

which brings me to

what the fuck is everyone else doing while Anne is overcomplicating her life. like. I mean we are told people study for exams and Gilbert does publish some fanfiction but ???? idk I wanna know more about fred and his photography or diana and her art???? does she only draw for Anne's stories????

for authors that have done amazing character work in the past this felt disappointing :/

but yeah. hey at least it has a bunch of queer rep that's just dropped in casually with 0 drama I liked that (tho I would have liked a little bit of discussion about the polycule somewhere??? moreover, after we are told Gilbert had issues with a previous relationship??? like. my guy does all the work off screen)

also some thing that bothered me a bit is that a character (Phill) is introduced as using ALL pronouns but mainly she/her because it's what they are used to (well, the Spanish equivalent), but then is addressed as she/her all the time. I get not using elle (the they/them) because a publishing house will go as far, but call them by he/him sometimes maybe idk

now comes the part where I rate the book which is difficult because I have to get to actually despise I'd burn this book levels of dislike to rate a book lower than a 4 (I don't have a system to rate books and it shows because my "yeah I liked this book I guess" rating is 4/5)

i didn't hate the book. I also didn't like it. But I also didn't outright dislike it? I guess I didn't not dislike it ???

also also I do think I would have enjoyed this book a little bit more at another time in my life (? I just have been very tired of the allos recently (more than the usual aroace tired of the allos way) (but again, that's on me for reading the book)

I think I'm settling it as a "idk man I'd just rather go reread some Anne with an E fanfiction I read 3 years ago" 3/5 (I might lower it idk)

memo: develop an actual book rating system

[therubyreader]

My Review of Foul Lady Fortune

See a full list of my book reviews here

*Spoilers in the second part of my review*

Before I get into my review I want the record to show that I am dumb and accidentally read Foul Lady Fortune before These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. I'm placing full blame on my library app because it wasn't made clear enough in the book description that it was a spin off but I will be reading TVD and OVE (is this how we abbreviate them?) as soon as they are available.

Now into the review!

I have to admit right off the bat that I loved this book so much that I finished it in a day (I know, shocking) but it was the prefect blend of historical fiction, action, and romance. It's definitely a great spy story where you feel like you're on the mission along with the characters trying to solve it in real time instead of feeling left behind and out of the loop.

As a history nerd, specifically one who's been interested in the human experience surrounding World War II for as long as I can remember this book was a great insight into a part of history that isn't really explored in the US.

I can already hear you saying "Val this book takes place before WW2" and I know this, but the events leading up to the war are just as interesting to me as the war itself especially since I know next to nothing about the Chinese experience in the pre-war years.

This book does an amazing job of integrating historical fact with fiction, the opening sequence being based on the very real event that caused the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in northeast China. We also get a look into Chinese society as it is on the brink of war with the Japanese as well as dealing with their own internal civil war between the nationalists and communists. It's a great representation of how the civil war broke apart families with different beliefs and the struggles they both faced against each other.

We are introduced to Rosalind Lang an assassin for the nationalist government, the Kuomintang, who is able to heal from any wound and unable to age or sleep making her essentially immortal who is forced to infiltrate a Japanese newspaper company to uncover a terror plot tearing through Shanghai. Her partner, and fake husband (fake dating AU anyone?) for this mission is Orion Hong and they have to learn to work together for the good of their country.

Throughout the book we get some amazing action scenes and the author constantly backs our protagonists into a corner and each time you think they're about to get caught they manage to save themselves. There's also tons of twists and turns, constant betrayal, and a twist ending that will leave you speechless.

Also one the things I truly admired was the queer representation in the book, it is just a casual part of these characters and it's treated almost like as if the author was describing their eye color. It doesn't feel forced at all and is done so naturally you honestly might miss it if you blink. I love how they are characters that just so happen to be queer and their queerness is pretty much accepted by everyone around them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, action, and history with a hint of romance and I can't wait until the next part comes out in February.

*Spoilers Incoming*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I could talk your ears off (or would it be read your eyes out?) about how much I absolutely adored Rosalind and Orion's dynamic. As soon as I realized they were a sunshine boy x grumpy girl couple I was hooked. There were multiple times I had to pause my reading to just scream because of how cute they were and it's honestly a little embarrassing.

I love how from the beginning Orion is all in on the mission fully committed to calling Rosalind his wife and immediately starts calling her "beloved" and "darling", both extremely adorable nicknames (@/God when will it be my turn) and Rosalind just calling him by his government name. Then as they got closer Rosalind just started calling him "darling" right back and the first time she does it is in their apartment when she doesn't have to keep up their cover. And I also loved watching the relationship progresses seeing them get more comfortable with each other and showing more physical affection (see Orion forcing physical affection onto Rosalind at all times until she just accepts it and starts reciprocating). Also it was great seeing Orion actually start seeing Rosalind as his wife to the point where he refers to her as such in situations where he had no reason to keep up the guise (like when Oliver and Celia come to visit).

I especially loved how Rosalind and Orion were super attentive to each other like when Orion was about to pass out because of his headaches and when Rosalind accidentally poisoned herself. Like them talking each other through these situations and really bonding beyond being coworkers and friends but actually for real falling in love.

Like I said earlier I loved how it felt like we were on the mission with Rosalind and Orion (and also by extension Celia and Oliver) since we were finding out about everything at the same time as the characters were. We don't suspect anything from their boss at their cover job and then it turns out he had been a nationalist the whole time seemingly out of no where. Though some people may feel like this is a poor writing choice and was just shoed in, I think it makes sense because we are experiencing the story through the character's eyes and if they don't find him suspicious why should we?

It's also super cool how Rosalind's specialty is poison since it's not only quick and effective but the only thing that can kill her, it's giving Augustus from TFIOS where he puts the cigarette in his mouth but doesn't light it, but in a much more bad ass way. And her poison hair pins are also so cool, alongside all of her other poison contraptions (the poison knives in her shoes???) were super inventive.

But the ending??? I honestly had so many theories as to who the killer was, I had honestly suspected pretty much everyone who wasn't in the main ensemble, but Orion???? Slap to the face. I had to put my phone down and hyperventilate about it (/serious). I honestly had not expected not only his mother to come back from (seemingly) the dead but also the accusations against his father were actually his mother's work with the Japanese to turn him into a weapon. I'm honestly kind of surprised that his super strength was so well hidden throughout the book, I would probably have to reread it to catch onto it a bit better because I can only remember the instance where he had his brother pinned up against the wall.

I've noticed not enough people talk about how Phoebe essentially bamboozled literally every single one of them. She played dumb to her advantage and no one suspected her of being a communist much less Priest. It honestly makes sense after Oliver told Celia that he commanded Priest, he most likely got his sister involved with the communists and him being in charge of her to make sure she was kept as safe as possible would be the best route to take. Honestly, girl boss.

Now I could keep going on about how great the book is (because it is and needs to be yelled from the rooftops) but I'll leave my review here, hope you enjoyed!

[fangirlforthewin]

I posted 1,743 times in 2022

221 posts created (13%)

1,522 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thestenchofcheeseandregrets

@bitofanerdingeneral

@aethersea

@runcibility

@flippityflapjack

I tagged 496 of my posts in 2022

#yashahime - 106 posts

#yashahime: princess half demon - 80 posts

#yashahime spoilers - 71 posts

#half demon princesses - 71 posts

#hanyou no yashahime - 69 posts

#half demon princess yashahime - 68 posts

#inuyasha - 66 posts

#yashahime season 2 - 65 posts

#princess half demon - 62 posts

#moroha - 45 posts

Longest Tag: 87 characters

#and i never learned how to study because i didn't really need to up through high school

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Kirinmaru: In a few hours, Sesshomaru will likely perish Rin: Then I'll fight you Sesshomaru: *struggling to live* *eye twitches* God damnit

184 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

#4

Webtoon Recommendations

If you haven't already, I highly recommend downloading the webtoons app on your phone and then check out these amazing webtoons, some of which are coming out in books, which I am super stoked about.

If you have any suggestions or think I missed some really good ones, let me know! There are tons more that I read, but these are my top 20.

Ongoing Webtoons

Lore Olympus

Let's Play

Twilight Poem

I Love Yoo

The Witch and the Bull

The Remarried Empress

Like Wind on a Dry Branch

Wish You Were Dead

My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me

Happily Ever Afterwards

When Jasy Whistles

Brimstone and Roses

Midnight Poppy Land

Winds of Spring

SubZero

Monster Duke's Daughter

Another Love

Act Like You Love Me

Your Throne

No Marriage is Perfect

Completed Webtoons

Sirens Lament

A Good Day to be a Dog

Freaking Romance

My Dear Cold Blooded King

Age Matters

See the full post

237 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

#3

InuKag Family

280 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#2

See the full post

489 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I cannot get over how good the Forger family is together. Each one of them knows it's fake and temporary, but they are all willing to put their best foot forward and make it work. Because of this, they are all so understanding of each other and yet feel self conscious they're not doing enough because they know it won't last forever.

Knowing this is all a cover, they could seriously do the bare minimum, do enough in public to make it look like they are the perfect family. But Yor truly cares about making sure she's a good wife and pulling her weight, and she's come to really care about Anya and I do believe she sees herself as her mother. Loid, while usually always thinking of the mission to justify his decisions, does a lot for Anya and is always quick to reassure Yor. He goes above and beyond to make their family happy. Anya's just willing to do whatever she can to keep this family together.

Like I know I've said this before and other people have said this before, but I seriously can't get enough of this family. They're the fakest family but the best family.

1,725 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

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